In this Video Ted Nugent shares memories of his lifelong mentor and friend, the bowhunting legend Fred Bear. In addition to Nugent’s sharing of experiences with the bowhunting icon there is an authorized recording of Ted’s classic hunting anthem, “Fred Bear.”
MORE TO COME…
June is a few days away. Jeff Sturgis tells you what to do this month that will benefit your deer herd this year.
By Robert Hoague
Seeing the first Fawns of the year is one of the highlights of this deer watcher and wildlife photographer’s Spring. It is always special seeing initial Fawn of the year when you have your camera handy. You just don’t know when it’s gonna happen. It is a surprise every time.
And it’s equally exciting to actually take that first Fawn picture. As well as the additional Fawn pictures that always come in the weeks ahead.
Onward:
A fawn is as vulnerable as it is beautiful. Even if twins, their early years are filled with danger since every predator on earth, except one, wants to kill it. Given the incredible number of predators roaming our deer country, it’s a wonder that any survive. We don’t have to sit back and just let the fawn slaughter happen, so put on your big pants and take action.
Get your hunting gear out of the closet and hunt coyotes. Right now, a coyote pair is feeding their young so they need to kill 24/7. Most states recognize the danger that coyotes present to game animals and have no restrictions. Hunt them day or night, bow or rifle, any day of the week. If you hear coyotes howling in your hunting area or find scat with hair in it, get to work and save countless fawns that will fall prey to their jaws.
Studies have shown from the Pennsylvania Game Commission that black bears are significant, maybe the greatest, predators of fawns. Unfortunately, there are no spring bear seasons in the East, but you can help out in the long run by killing a bear. I normally don’t hunt things I don’t eat, yet you can bet I’ll be in my stand on the opening day of the Pennsylvania archery bear season ready to shoot any bear that comes by. For a large animal, black bears are incredibly cunning at avoiding hunters so take advantage of ANY opportunity.
Animal rights groups and urban thinkers see fawns as food. “Let nature take its course,” they say. However, when they get chest pains, or lightning strikes their home they want nothing to do with natural consequences. As a hunter, conservationist, and intelligent person, I can judge right from wrong and there is nothing “wrong” with protecting fawns from predators.
2 pounds of venison (or beef)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cloves sliced garlic
1 cup corn whiskey
1 cup water
Slice meat into 1/8” width strips.
Trim meat, be sure to get all the fat off that you can.
Mix all ingredients, till well blended
Add marinate mixture to meat, coat well.
Allow to marinate thouroughly.
Drain marinated meat strips in colander.
For sweeter jerky taste, baste with molasses or honey thinned with water prior to drying.
Dry beef using your preferred technique, I use my Weber bullet smoker.
I hang the beef from the rack in the smoker using toothpicks.
No water is added to the smokers bowl but the bowl is in place to deflect the heat.
Smoke at 170 degrees usually 6-8 hours until firm but not overdone.
This is an awesome recipe!
I have seen many parts of the World and there’s not much left on my bucket list that I haven’t already experienced so when I stepped off the plane in Finland I was upbeat for the new adventure. Bow hunting roe deer is something few hunters have done. Not so much because of the extreme difficulty but more because it’s illegal to bow hunt in many countries where roe deer live.
Finland however, is the exception, however, bowhunting is socially unacceptable with much of the general public as well as the hunting community. Because it’s viewed as inhumane. Ha! So access is difficult to acquire.
By chance I had developed a friendship with another bowhunter named Matt Miller who was also a European guide. A Sweed’ who like myself could give a crap about the anti-bowhunters feelings. Like minded, I was here to join him on a quest to arrow one of these small deer. Matt knew the country and had somehow gotten access from an open minded farmer.
Fresh off the airplane we set out to hunt a section of farm country that was held a robust herd of deer.
Now bear in mind Finland is to roe deer as Florida is to whitetails. They don’t grow em big but I was happy just to be able to hunt a roe deer no matter its size. It was day one at six pm that Matt dropped me off along what I guessed was a hundred acre wood lot. He pointed me toward a good section of the timber where he had seen bucks in the past. Wheat fields laid along its borders and it resembled the average Midwest farm country.
Feral Wild Hogs have been spreading throughout the U.S.A. And this invasive species continues to menace private landowners as well as public areas. Research in the state of Michigan is quantifying just how destructive feral hogs can be to habitat, wildlife, agriculture, and even human health.
Feral hogs, swine or Russian boar, are a prolific invasive species, reaching reproductive maturity at a young age. Hogs farrow multiple times a year in large litters and have a high natural survival with little impact of predation. They can also endure extremely high levels of harvest, and although this bacon may be fun to hunt, the damage these tasty pigs cause is serious business.
The Michigan DNR has now determined that free-ranging feral hogs occur in 76 of 83 counties, in a state that’s a long way from Texas, one of the most severely impacted states, and other southern hot beds. The new invasives are a threat to Michigan’s billion-dollar wildlife and $300 million domestic swine industries.
Feral hogs also negatively impact forest regeneration, compete with native species, can prey on some, such as ground nesting birds, and cause serious erosion problems. The total cost and scale of ecological and economic damage across the U.S. is unknown, but it must be astronomical.
A top priority for research is disease monitoring and control. Feral hogs are known reservoirs and potential amplifiers of viral and bacterial disease. At least 37 of these parasites can affect humans, livestock, and wildlife. The presence of this disease vector is a risk to Michigan’s disease-free status domestic livestock herds and further complicates the issue of eradicating bovine tuberculosis in deer.
Summer is hunting’s “pre-season” so treat it like any sport and prepare mentally, physically, and mechanically. Long summer days allow you to spend time in preparation so that when that long-awaited hunt begins, you are confident of success. Begin physically with your foundation by strengthening your legs and core. Jogging is great, yet a brisk walk builds stamina and endurance. Even standing burns calories and exercises the foundation of movement. If you have the choice to work standing or sitting, choose the former.
When it comes to “old school” I’m of the Flintstone generation, yet I use my Fitbit watch to monitor my movements every day. My goal is to walk about three miles and I can usually put in two miles around the house by constantly being active. When I shop I always park at the far end of the parking lot for extra walking, I prefer doing multiple trips instead of multi-tasking, and I climb stairs as often as possible. I”m always on the lookout for small pockets of deer cover near my home and use the mapping app on my phone to identify property owners to ask permission.
Deer need minerals just like people and you can benefit deer and other wildlife as well as improve hunting. I have a cellular camera at one site and have had black bears, raccoons, a porcupine, and deer visit it routinely. Unlike a bait site, you rarely have to visit the spot to replenish the minerals because they dissolve into the ground, making the site attractive for months. Check your state’s regulations, but most treat minerals and bait differently.
The NWTF and State Wildlife Biologists have extensively studied predator communities and their interactions with Wild Turkey Nests and their Eggs. By placing trail cameras in the immediate area they have learned which animals are a threat to the nest, the eggs, as well as to the hen.
Cameras focused on wild turkey nests reveal a diversity of predators come to the nest site. Snakes are common, as are ravens and crows — with coyotes, bobcats, foxes, raccoons, skunks, possums, wild hogs and owls also showing up.
Crows and Ravens follow hens to their nest sites and then harass them until they abandons the nest. However, coyotes, bobcats and owls are after the hens, not the eggs. Surprisingly, research shows that raccoons, armadillos, skunks and feral hogs are not regular visitors at active nests.
Biologists suspect that is because female wild turkeys don’t regard those species as a threat. Hens are quick to fight and defend their nest sites against species that are not a threat to them.
A bull elk bugled so violently, the mountainside seemed to quake. Seconds later it bugled again, only closer. As I huddled by a well-used trail to a wallow, I realized THE BULL WAS COMING STRAIGHT FOR ME! With my nerves in a panic, I slide as low to the ground as possible while resting against a small pine. In seconds, a huge 6X6 bull appeared along the trail and I readied for a point-blank frontal shot. Suddenly, the beast turned and drank from the stream below me. It stood perfectly broadside and I hastily estimated the distance at 60 yards, aimed over its back, and released. The bull raised its head and slowly walked away as I tried to reload. In hindsight, the bull was standing 30 yards away, not 60, and it should have been an easy shot. Oh, the agony.
When I think of archery gear, I often think of that missed opportunity. This was a bull-of-a-lifetime and a rangefinding sight would have sealed the deal. It’s been three years since that shot in Wyoming and I’m still trying to draw another tag. Rangefinding sights are more expensive than pin models, yet how do you measure the cost of failure in dollars and cents? The Oracle X is not only accurate but very well built. This spring I flew one atop my TenPoint Viper 430 in a suitcase all the way to South Africa and, despite three airline transfers, had to adjust the sight just two clicks to return to dead-on.
The Oracle X comes as an intact unit so all you have to do is put in the battery and attach it to the Picatinny rail of your bow. The rail mounts attach with sturdy screws that are tightened by two huge Allen wrenches. The scope has buttons on the top of the scope which can be used to sight it in and activate the rangefinding device. Since you can’t look through the scope and at the top of it at the same time, Burris uses a triggering button that communicates by Bluetooth to the scope. Attach the activation button by Velcro to your forend where it’s convenient and below the safety shield. When you sight a target, depress the button and the scope shows the distance in yards and automatically adjusts a red dot for that range.
Like most scopes, you sight in your scope using your hunting weight arrows and target points at 20 yards. Elevation adjustments are made to the mount while windage adjusts the reticle itself. Each has a tightening and loosening screw so that once your scope is sighted in, you can lock it into place. Next, you “True” the sight by shooting at longer ranges such as 40 or 50 yards. Follow the instructions supplied with the sight and you will soon have the scope shooting at 37 or 43 yards. I rarely shoot beyond 60 yards but the process works all the way back to 100 yards.
Whitetail deer and trees seem to go together and one might ask, “How does the sight perform among trees?” I learned the answer on a deer hunt near the suburbs of Washington DC. I was sitting on the ground in the late morning when I heard a deer approach from behind me. Eventually, it passed through several small openings at 32 yards. I tracked the buck as it move and finally, it stopped with just its shoulder showing. This was a 1.5-year-old 6-point and the landowner only wanted older deer taken. I didn’t fill my tag, but the scope performed perfectly, and I’m hoping for a “do-over” this fall.
Distinguishing a big, mature wild turkey gobbler from a hen is easy. First, there is that long beard sticking out of his chest and hanging down several inches. Also a mature gobbler is larger than a hen and his feathers are darker colored. And when he is in full-strut, every feather on his body is extended to the max. His head is bright red because you’ve excited him with the sound of your turkey calling technique. You will instantly recognize him as a gobbler.
However, what if he is not a mature gobbler yet? What if he is a younger, first year gobbler, refered to by many State Game Department’s as a ‘Juvenile’ turkey, and to hunters as a ‘Jake?’ Even though Jake’s have a beard it might be too short to poke out through his chest feathers. Or maybe his beard is sticking out a little bit but you cant’t quite tell if your eyes are playing tricks on you … or not.
And what if, in early fall, some Jakes are still traveling with a group of hens of similar age. And you have a Fall wild turkey tag and you want to attach it to a legal turkey’s leg.
Chances are good that unless you are a experienced turkey caller, calling a gobbler into range may be a real chore. But if you are in good wild turkey country it’s likely you will see groups of wild turkeys around, both hens and young gobblers — and maybe even a mature Gobbler. And in wild turkey hunting it’s “Opportunities”, plural, that will result in success.
The hen’s overall look is all about camouflage and protection from predators. She is smaller and appears more drab than mature gobblers. The top of her head as well as her neck have more feathers which adds to her camouflaged appearance.
So, you’re thinking that this is the year to put a bow in your hand and become an archer, or bowhunter, or both. Don’t buy a used bow, the odds are very much against it fitting you properly or it working out for you. Buy a new bow. Bow manufacturers have been competing with each other for decades. All the bows are good now. You want a bow that you can draw and shoot comfortably.
Buy your bow from a place that sells new bows. Look the bows over and listen to what is said about the bow. Tell them you want to shoot some bows. They will help you with this. (If they don’t, go somewhere else.)
If you are wanting a new bow your questions are (1) which bow to choose and (2) when to buy it. First, you have to do your research as well as shoot the bows that are interesting to you to settle on a particular bow. One thing, in most cases, the sooner you buy a bow, the better, particularly if you want to bowhunt with it
Today’s ‘Modern’ bows are more perfect than bows from previous eras. The materials used and the actual building and design of the bows are exceptional. They shoot great and are easy to shoot
For beginners, start shooting at 10 yards. Stay with that close yardage and concentrate on your shooting form. Once your arrow groups get closer together, keep shooting at this range. This is about holding your bow correctly in your hand, aiming precisely at your target while holding the bow at full draw. Be completely still as your aim at your target. Then release the arrow, don’t drop your hand and don’t yank or jerk the bow. Watch your arrow hit the target. Then shoot 20 arrows a session for 5 sessions over the next 2 days.
Why NOW is the perfect time for helping the deer by feeding them exceptional nutrition when Mother Nature isn’t.
Dad can be difficult to buy gifts for, but not if he enjoys hunting. Here are six pieces of exceptional hunting gear that I have used and loved over the past hunting seasons. Each comes with a website so that you can browse, leave hints, and order in time for his special day. Dads, in case mom or children, don’t get this message, be a man of action and buy these yourself.
This is the perfect rest to use in a blind whether you hunt with a crossbow or firearm. The gripping option allows you to rest the forend of your bow firmly inside the jaws of the rest leaving both hands free to use a grunt tube, rattling horns, or binoculars. In addition to its use as a hunting rest, it is also ideal for backyard shooting and eliminates the need for a shooting table. I use an inverted bucket for a seat, lock the bow into the final rest and have an absolutely solid method of zeroing arrows or checking accuracy. It folds up for easy storage or transport and also doubles as a camera rest. www.FinalRestShootingSystems.com
This big Merriam weighed 23.2 pounds.Camouflage trends have moved from leaf-and-twig patterns to designs that match universal environments like mountains, forests, and open terrain. Kuiu has captured the market with unique, all-blending designs and features that hunters cherish. Fabrics are light, durable, and rugged such that you can carry a complete set of three-season gear in a small backpack. Vests and jackets have strategically placed pockets with zippers that work. Garments are made from durable fabrics that are water resistant and silent when passing through brush. For frigid winter conditions, down jackets will keep you warm and concealed. www.kuiu.com
If you are thinking of upgrading your crossbow, the TenPoint Viper is an excellent choice. At 430 fps, it’s sizzlingly fast and seemingly defies gravity out to modest ranges. Like most premium TenPoint crossbows, it features the Acuslide cocking system that allows the powerful bow to be easily cocked and uncocked with a crank, a feature you will learn to love, especially with the cost of arrows. The Viper features a beefed-up Picitini rail which is reinforced with a solid angular bar to assure your scope won’t get bumped off target. I once leaned a crossbow against a post that fell over while I retrieved arrows. In the next shot, the bow shot two feet high because the rail had moved from the slight impact. www.TenPointCrossbows.com
If your hunting property has internal Logging Roads you might be wondering if you should plant food plot seeds in those roads … or not. Truthfully, it’s not a yes or no situation. There are things to consider before you decide to do it … or not to.
Look for remaining gobblers near water; expect them to come in silently.
Spring turkey season has ended in many states, but not in the Western states where it runs through the end of May, this is do-or-die situation for wild turkey hunters with unfilled tags.
Earlier in May, you could get away with aggressive calling and sloppy hunting setups; however, the surviving gobblers have heard it all by the current late date, and they are increasingly wary—especially on heavily hunted public ground. Their testosterone levels are dropping, too, so they’re not as fired up by every hen yelp they hear or jake decoy they see.
Gobblers may appear to ignore your calls, but they’re playing a different game this late. Some gobblers still check on you but it takes extra patience to be successful now.
Now you should call sparingly. Consistently watch for wild turkey movement, And be as still as you can. This time of year many gobblers have gone silent, but that does not mean they won’t respond to your calling. But they frequently come in quietly and silently. Watch around your area for a silent gobbler slipping in to see the hen he thought he heard.
WINDSOR, Vt. (WCAX) – Wild Turkey Hunters still have time to get out there for Vermont’s spring turkey season, which ends at the end of the month. Ike Bendavid visited the Windsor Grasslands Wildlife Management Area to learn more about why this season marks a major milestone in the recovery of the state’s wild turkey population over the last century
Extruded from a super strong 96,000 psi (pounds per square inch) 7075-T9 alloy, our Traditional Only XX75 features a hard anodized classic Autumn Orange finish. You’ll not only enjoy a sturdier, more attractive arrow, but you’ll also notice easier arrow removal.
Aluminum UNI bushings and nocks installed, inserts included. 1916 models use G nock, other models use Super nock.
Sold by the 6-pack and 12-pack. Available in 1916, 2016, 2018, 2117, 2216, and 2219.
Look no further than the Black Gold Pro Dual Trac for the ultimate single pin bowsight. This top-of-the-line option is unmatched in precision and accuracy, making it a must-have for any serious archer. Don’t settle for anything less than the best – choose the Black Gold Pro Dual Trac.
Introducing the remarkable Black Gold Pro Dual Trac – a cutting-edge innovation in the world of machinery. This powerful tool boasts exceptional performance and versatility, making it a top choice for any professional seeking unparalleled efficiency. Experience the ultimate in precision and control with the Black Gold Pro Dual Trac – a true game-changer in every sense of the word.
The notable characteristics of this product include… The pin size measures at a precise .019, ensuring accuracy and attention to detail. The dimensions of the housing are precisely 1 and 3/4 inches. This product is impressively lightweight, tipping the scales at a mere 9.4 ounces. The adjustment wheel is an essential component that enables precise adjustments to be made with ease. Its functionality ensures that even the most intricate modifications are possible without any hassle.
Trust this device to provide you with the accuracy and control you need for a perfect shot and result every time. This bowsight boasts an additional aiming reference that can be easily adjusted to a lower or higher position as needed.
The dual indicators on the sight wheel perfectly align with each aiming reference. This gear system is impressively solid, boasting absolutely zero slop. The pin fiber is thoughtfully safeguarded by a transparent plastic cover, ensuring that it can acquire the optimal amount of light while being shielded from any potential harm.
