Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

Getting the deer in close and looking for YOU can be accomplished with a Deer Grunt tube. Sounds easy, doesn’t it. Just One Problem!

Almost All Deer Grunts Are Junk, as in no good, totally bad, and the sounds they makes will NOT call a deer to you, period. Absolutely.

The obstacle that EVERY Call Making Hopeful faces is that making deer calls is not a production manufacturing situation.

Think about it this way.

If you were making deer grunts in Korea, or China or Vietnam or even the USA; you might could make one that could call a deer. Maybe. If you’ve hunted them enough.

So You’ve Just Shot Your First Deer. It Ran Out Of Your View. What Do you Do Now?

Ryan Kirby, noted Wildlife Artist and Professional Bowhunter tells us what to do to recover your prize.

 

What’s The Fun Of It If There Aren’t A Few Obstacles To Overcome.

I looked at my iPhone to see who was calling, it was Robbie Cramer. His voice was crazy with excitement. He had just shot a real big buck!

He had seen the buck yesterday and this morning Robbie saw him again, behind his blind and walking toward the ground blind that Robbie was inside. When the buck was in the blind’s shooting lane he was 5 yards away. Robbie was already at full draw and settled his pin on the buck’s right side on the vitals. The arrow popped through the buck and it turned and ran back in the direction he came from.

Robbie heard deer and brush sounds, but they weren’t very loud and the sound stopped right away.

He waited a few short minutes and peeped through a rear window, not seeing any deer Robbie eased out of the blind’s door to look for blood sign or his arrow. He didn’t see either

He heard nothing and saw no movement. Robbie had only gone about 15 yards and returned to the blind. He got his iPhone, turned on the Video and walked through the brush toward where he had seen the buck last.

By: Wade Nolan
Bowhunting Biologist

My last new ATV carried a $9000 price tag. I take care of all of my gear but with a cost of a used pick-up on it, you can bet I take care of that quad. Nevertheless, quads are a lot like pick-ups. My buddy once said, “If you’re not willing to haul chicken sh-t in your pickup, you don’t need a pick-up.” Same goes for an ATV, they are made to work. Out on my Ohio farm we make them work and we get muddy.

I guess guys used an old pick-up or a tractor before ATV’s. Today it is hard to be a land manager without a Quad.

A couple of months ago, we were planting food plot seed in some plots that were uniquely quad accessible. After the dozer left, we worked to smooth out the plots using a heavy-duty rake. When we drug the rake by itself and didn’t dig in much. Add 60# of logs on top and the rake works like magic. It all gets you a dirty quad.

You can’t do much without an ATV.

I work with a unique group of guys at a company called ATSKO. They are a bunch of science nerds who really know how to stir up the chemistry to make things work. Silicone Water-Guard is a good example. It is a waterproofing with more silicone in it than all of the look-alike products. On top of that, they have devised some nifty chemistry that works after application that bonds the silicone to almost anything.

Cross-linking

The process is called polymer cross-linking. This cross-linking creates a durable long-lasting bond.  In this case, we are linking silicone atoms to one another. These strong bonds are the key to Silicone Water-Guard passing 50 ASTM water event tests. The only way to really get it off is by using detergent.

The Story As Robbie Told It…

An hour before daylight, Robbie Cramer slipped into the ground blind in his stand area and silently waited until daylight. Before long Robbie was watching a doe group when  they collectively looked at something out of sight. Then the Does ran off.

Robbie looked through a side window in the blind. Fifteen yards away, against a tree line, a big buck was working a scrape. Then it began marking branches.

After that, the buck walked against the tree line towards where the does had been. Robbie thought he would go after the does, however, when the buck was 12 yards away he turned on a trail angling toward the biind.

Robbie realized he was on the way to walk by the left side of his blind. Robbie drew and held.

The buck came closer and stopped … right in the center of the shooting window … only 5 yards away … and as Robbie told me, he “Put the pin on him and shot.”

By: Darrin Bradley

How to use deer calls. That is the biggest question of all and the easiest to do but it’s the hardest to mentally control.

All deer calls, with the exception of the rattle, I use in this manner and has proven to be the best way to work the calls without scaring the bucks and does off into the woods. Calling also has produced the most deer seen for me.

I always use the fawn bleat, doe bleat, buck grunt and estrus bleat the same way. I have experimented with this for years before I was 100% sure this was the most productive way.

One thing I had noticed was how the deer respond to the way these are all called on. What I mean is the same pattern. I would say that the deer defiantly have a set pattern they listen for with all deer. Buck, doe and fawns. This proves what I said about calling too much. They know this is not a natural call.

Hit the calls the same.

The Buck ‘Mini-Mag’ was first recognizable in 2017, and 3.5 years old at that time. After laying off in 2018 he moved onto the hit-list in 2019 as a Huge 5.5 year old Whitetail buck. It wasn’t until 2022 when an opportunity finally presented itself.

At 8.5 years old the farm legend made a surprise appearance and the chase was on.

 

It’s almost here! Whitetail Bow Seasons are opening soon all around the country! You’ve waited 9 months, scouted your hunting area and it’s finally time foe you to bowhunt deer again. But what’s the best strategy for hunting during the early season? How do you increase your chances of tagging your target buck?

In this video we will talk about their approach to hunting the early season. Where and when they recommend we hunt as well as a few things we should avoid.

When it comes to spooking deer in the dark, is your flashlight the biggest culprit! Does a flashlight spook deer, or not?What Say You?

Make sure to watch this video so that you can avoid one of the most common deer hunting pitfalls.

From The Woods To The Skillet!

Robert Hoague

Donald Duck (my long time bowhunting buddy Don Beckwith) came down early to work on some last minute hunting chores ahead of the upcoming opening day. His first project was to check on his two food plots. One is at a bowhunting haunt that I call “Telephone Pole Alley.” It is a narrow 100 yard cut through the thick woods that leads to a weather worn, wooden, out of use, telephone pole. And, the thing that years ago attracted me to this telephone pole place, is the scrapes that always show up every year along the edges of the trees.

Here is a pic of the food plot growing in the narrow opening that leads to the pole. The open area is less than 15 yards wide.

If you’re like most of the people I have conversations with about food plots, one glance at that picture and you say, “that won’t bring in any deer. Food Plots are much larger.”

It’s certainly true that most food plots cover a lot of ground. But in my experience big plots are a waste of this bowhunters time. And I’ll come back to that very soon. Right now we’re talking about the Duck, his get ready for the hunt, and the start of the season.

He set up a ground blind, it’s an old one he was given on a hunt with Keith Beam and that blind has been through some rough treatment. Don cobbled it back together from poles, hubs and other parts we have accumulated. And located the blind by a cross trail at the food plot.

Find out how Steve Bartylla sets up Whitetail Staging Plots to create an Social Gathering area for your local bucks.  Learn how Steve sets up to give him the best odds for making a successful shot — in this video episode of Grow ‘em Big.

Some say don’t shoot does, others say shoot a lot. In ‘Grow ‘Em Big,’ Wildlife Biologist Steve Bartylla tells us how to determine what is needed for your hunting area and then how to do it right.

xcvbnm

I’ve been using a Vosker security camera for the past three years with excellent success.  At the time of purchase digital cell cameras were just becoming available and I purchased it, despite its “security camera” advertisement.  With a built-in solar panel, I rarely changed batteries and the camera sent as many as 100 images per day with little battery drain.  Better yet, the images arrived instantly and I did not have to wait until a designated time to conserve battery life as with other cameras.

Overcoming Adversity

A black bear had ripped the camera from a tree on two occasions, breaking the attachment strap holders built into the rear of the camera.  Despite this problem, I was able to wrap it tightly to a tree which held it in place for a year and did not detract from performance.  Last month, the camera transmitted daylight pictures as usual, yet infrared images were completely black.  I called Vosker and they thought the problem was due to a defective media card.  Since the camera was still in the woods, they were unable to verify the problem.

An Easy Fix, I Thought.

The Vosker 200 is a very well-built camera that opens with a side section and the battery compartment pops open with the push of a button on the rear of the camera.  When I retrieved the camera I opened the front and turned the device off to conserve battery power and brought it to my home. I got in just before dark and set the camera on my desk anticipating to replace the batteries and media card first thing in the morning.

OMG!!!

After a fresh cup of coffee, I opened the camera, cleaned the media card, and powered up the device.  It functioned properly so I turned it over and popped open the battery department.  OMG.  The batteries were crawling with insects.  Immediately, I dashed to the front porch, laid the camera in the grass, and went back inside for insect spray.  I doused the battery department and let it rest while the bug spray had its intended effect.  An hour later, I returned, and removed the batteries and at least 50 dead ants, some with wings.  Hoping that fresh batteries would solve my problems I installed eight AA’s and let the device charge overnight.  The next day, I was astounded to find 50 more ants in the front compartment, and 50 more the next day.

Dead as a Door Nail

I called Vosker several times and they still believed the problem was the media card.  I purchased a brand new Class 10, 32GB card, but now the camera failed to function at all.  Had three soakings of bug spray damaged the electronics?  I wiped all of the contacts with alcohol pads and did my best to clean the camera, yet it still didn’t work.  Since the camera was more than a year out of warranty, Vosker gave me a substantial discount on another model, yet said they do not repair cameras that are out of warranty.

Balancing a deer population with the habitat and available food requires harvesting the appropriate number of does. In some areas this may be a lot, a few in others, and even none in isolated cases. Being able to separate them by age in the field allows you to selectively harvest antlerless deer based on whether your goal is to harvest more mature does and reduce the deer herd, or harvest younger does and allow the deer herd to grow.

In this video, Kip Adams shares tips to help you separate adult does from younger does in the field, and even identify whether fawns (deer under 1 year of age) are does or bucks. The 18-deer quiz then allows you to practice what you learned by giving you a few seconds to identify wild deer in live footage from the field.

In each of nine scenarios, with 18 deer in all, Kip then provides his analysis of the deer in the scenario. This is especially pertinent when you have a group of deer in front of you during hunting season. Estimating the sex and age of live antlerless deer is a great skill for hunters and critical for the collection of reliable observation data.

The ability to separate live antlerless deer into two general age groups – fawns and adults – is obtainable for all hunters with a little knowledge and some practice.

The three key characteristics are body size and shape, head size and shape, and animal behavior. “The team at The Bearded Buck gave us full access to their incredible collection of whitetail footage from years of their hunts,” said NDA’s Chief Conservation Officer and host of the video, Kip Adams. “The result is NDA’s most comprehensive and realistic look at how to age deer in the field.” We are grateful to our partners at The Bearded Buck for their support with this project.

By Tink Jackson

I utilized available cover and made my way back to within 200 yards of a stand of trees. Glassing for a few minutes I could not find a single deer. No ears, no horns, nothing. They had continued to move on.

I looked south from the trees and could not find them. Where had they gone? After a few minutes I noticed an old cow trail with a lot of really fresh deer tracks in it. In this dry windblown dirt I might just be able to track them down. I got my mind right and off I went.

This was about 9:30 AM. I tracked them for 4 miles and finally lost the trail in a grassy lowland in a small draw. They were headed south, but the terrain and some laid over grass told me that they had turned west, in the direction of a canyon.

I headed west observing every busted twig and bent piece of grass. Covering as much country as I had, I realized that if they got to the canyon they would be sitting at my vehicle waiting for me! Now wouldn’t that be a laugh.

Equipment

Let’s begin with treating our equipment. This is commonly overlooked by many hunters. It really matters how seriously you take personal hygiene and if you throw your hunting clothes and gear in the back of the truck on top of those oily rags that are laying next to the leaky gas can.

Simply put, a whitetail does not care if the offending odors it smells are coming from you or your equipment. All it cares about is ‘something ain’t right here and I’m not sticking around to find out what it is’. Obviously then, it is as important to treat our equipment as it is to treat our clothes and ourselves.

Before I bring stands, tree steps, climbing sticks, safety harnesses, bow, release, arm guard, ect. into the woods, I wash them in a mixture of water and ‘Scent Killer’ liquid soap from Wildlife Research Center. After allowing them to sufficiently air out in the yard, I transport them to the desired location.

While in transport, I either seal them in a plastic bag or, for items that are not practical to store in a bag, I lay them on the bags. Once I arrive at the hunting location, I give them a liberal dousing of ‘Scent Killer’ Spray to offset any odors they may have picked up in transit. Now they are ready to enter the woods with you.

Visit Fred Lutger’s web site Freddie Bear Sports

By Fred Lutger

Fred Lutger admires the exceptional wild turkey taxidermy mounts at the NWTF Show.

Wild Turkey hunting is one of my passions and the NWTF show is a turkey hunter’s dream.


I had a short visit this year but still managed to completly walk around the show floor. Not only does the show offer many vender displays but has a full schedule of seminars, auctions, calling contests and call making contests, an art and photo contest as well as the camaraderie of the best people on this planet, wild turkey hunters.

I have many friends in the hunting industry and I look forward to seeing faces I don’t get to see as often as I’d like. This show is a great way of bringing those friends together. My wife/partner/confidante/love of my life, Kathleen Considine, made the trip with me and saw the show for the first time. She got to put faces to the many names she has heard me mention and talk about.

She was also impressed with the Gaylord Center. We not only saw the show but visited the indoor gardens at the center, took the boat ride and visited the restaurants and pubs at the center.


A quick dash downtown to the music center fueled plans for a future Nashville trip to visit the downtown bars and music venues. That trip will wait until this years spring turkey seasons.

I have bowhunted nearly every big game animal in North America and people often ask which hunt I think is the best.  Hands down, an archery elk hunt in the Rocky Mountains in mid-September is tops.  Just walking, hiking, and camping in the Mountain West is a thrill.  Crisp mornings, golden aspen leaves, and spectacular scenery capped each day with a blazing campfire are near heaven.  Add a 600-pound animal with daggers on its head that screams and bugles, and you have the ultimate hunt.

Public Land and Easy Access

Public land hunting in the West is very different than the Eastern experience.  Eastern states sell licenses over-the-counter and anyone who is old enough can buy one.  This means, that a public tract of land can have unlimited deer hunters which leads to a very bad experience, especially if your goal it to enjoy a serene day in the woods.  Western states have far more public land than Eastern states and they strictly limit the number of licenses sold and that number is based upon the population of a specific animal.  Booming populations mean more tags, while a disease or starvation die-off creates fewer opportunities.

Drive-to Hunting Spots

My oldest grandson lives in Boise Idaho and I embraced our first chance to hunt together.  He was 14 which meant I could fly to Boise, rent a pick-up, and drive to our hunting unit.  As a resident, he was able to buy an elk and deer tag, while, I drew a non-resident bull elk tag.  Eastern hunters often associate elk hunting with pack horses and dizzying heights in search of elk.  Ironically, our plan was to drive to the end of a gravel road, make camp, and hunt the next morning.  We would be hunting with three friends who had scouted the area, yet this was our first time.  As we lay in our tent that night, we heard elk bugling all around us and the next day seemed very promising.

Dealing with Altitude

When daylight finally arrived, bugling had ceased yet we spotted elk moving above the timberline.  In early September it is common for elk to graze in open meadows in the wide open spaces and retreat to dark timber as the day grows warmer.  Climbing mountains with an emergency backpack, binoculars, rangefinder, water, and a crossbow is a challenge.  An intelligent person would arrive in the area two to three days to become acclimated to altitude before hunting.  My head said that made sense, but my heart said, “Bologna.”  Luckily, my grandson carried my pack on the final climb to a nearby saddle.  I planned to sit and watch this promising mountain crossing while he and a buddy attacked the high country.

Geared for Success

Idaho does not allow crossbows in most of their archery seasons, however, I have not been able to draw a compound bow since my late 60’s and qualified for a crossbow permit.  Even with this opportunity, the bow had to have a zero magnification sight and I opted for a Burris FastFire III sighted in at 25 yards.  My bow was the Barnett Hyperghost that shot a .209 arrow in excess of 400 feet per second.  I counted on the slim shaft to increase penetration with a Wasp 100-grain three-blade fixed head.  Although the bow and sight system had traveled 2500 miles through airports, over dusty roads, and up and down mountains, the sight held true on the discharge target I used at the end of each day.

This big mule deer buck offers the dream shot.  Quartering away, head down and feeding, an arrow behind the shoulder will fill your tag in seconds.  As ideal as this situation appears, it has a very low probability of happening and hunters must build probability into every ambush situation.  Sure, we’d love to have deer walk right up to us, and look the other way, while we raise our bow and shoot, yet that scenario is very unlikely.  It’s far better to prepare for reality and if lady luck makes our success easier, we’ll celebrate.

Embrace Distance

This single shot at 62.5 yards with a TenPoint Viper 430 demonstrates just how accurate a crossbow can be.  I was aided by the Burris Oracle X rangefinding scope which selected the exact range for the shot.  Crossbow hunters have the advantage of accuracy, especially if they can get a rested shot so that ranges of 30 or 40 yards can be near automatic.  You should not shoot beyond ranges you have practiced, yet 30 or 40 yards can easily be duplicated in a backyard setting.

Point-And-Shoot Set-up

Earlier this month, I blogged about a point-and-shoot setup and that’s exactly what I will use for my upcoming mule deer hunt in Idaho.  I sighted in my Meopta red dot scope at 25 yards using a 300-grain arrow and 150-grain target point to match the 150-grain Sevr Robusto broadhead I’ll be using on the hunt.  I’ll pack my Final Rest and plan to watch several waterholes and feeding areas with the TenPoint locked on.  To test the versatility of this setup, I shot a test arrow at 40.5 yards yesterday while aiming high on the shoulder of the Back-to-Back target.  As expected, with a slight aiming compensation, I can use a single-dot aiming system with total confidence at a medium range.

How Close is Too Close?

The closer you are to an animal the more likely it will smell you, hear you, or see you.  I had a chance to ambush a mule deer two years ago as the animal walked along a ravine trail 50 yards away.  Slightly adjusting my prone stance, I crushed a leaf and the buck quartered directly toward me, preventing an ethical shot.  Despite an animal in the rut and walking casually along a trail, the crush of a single leaf ruined the opportunity.  Sounds like clicking a safety to the “off” position, brushing your sleeve against the trunk of a tree, or even the tiniest unnatural sound can spoil a shot.  When winds swirl, the closer to the animal, the greater your likelihood of being detected.

Can’t Jump the String

I have hunted African animals from waterhole ambushes for nearly 10 years and have never had one jump the string from a crossbow.  African animals know that waterholes are places of great danger and almost always approach with their muscles coiled for escape.  I once chewed a bite of apple with my mouth closed and had a kudu bull raise its head from 20 yards away.  The sound of a compound bow’s release can cause a deer to duck before an arrow will reach it, however, this rarely happens with a crossbow and should never happen with crossbows 400 feet per second or faster.  For this reason, you can plan your ambush from deeper into cover and improve your chances for success.