Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

Enclosed “box blinds” are weathertight, ideal for cold, inclement weather, reduce human scent, allow ample movement and comfort for the shooter, can be used for deer, turkeys, or scouting, and are available in a wide variety of shapes and options.

Better than a Pop-Up

Just as hunting from a pop-up or hub blind is becoming more popular, box blinds are a step up (no pun intended) because they are more permanent, better withstand weather, and allow deer to become used to the silhouette.  Box blinds become a hay bale, abandoned tractor, deadfall, or other shapes that deer adopt as normal.

Ideal for Newbies

They are perfect for young or inexperienced hunters and usually have room for a shooter and a companion, or two.  Youngsters can move around, take a nap, or play on their phone when game movements are slow and their frequent bobblehead movements won’s spook game.

 

Seniors Too

Box blinds are also ideal for older hunters.  Most stands are elevated, and most have a stair-step entrance often with a handrail for safety.  This makes getting into and out of an elevated blind much safer, especially in pre-dawn or twilight darkness.

My bowhunting buddy Fred Lutger had airline return reservations late in the afternoon. So this morning was our last opportunity to tag out in Nebraska. I returned to the bottom of a hill near the turkey hunting headquarters and quietly waited for daylight. I couldn’t see them but I heard wild turkey hens and gobblers further downhill in a frequently used roost area.

From where my blind was I could see some of the picked cornfield down hill where Fred had gone to hunt. After daylight a number of wild turkeys went into the picked cornfield and even more went up the hill to where Fred was hunting.

I glassed a handful came up from the roost area and go through a hole in the fence about 70 yards away. But none came by me.

An hour passed without seeing any wild turkeys around my area. And then, Bingo, two jakes walked into view walking in my direction.

They came right up close and I shot them with my camera instead of my bow. I wanted a more mature gobbler.

Rick Philippi Has Hunted With His Bow Since He Was In School,  In This Video He Tells Us How To Judge Yardages Correctly When You Bowhunt.

 

A Bike Hunting Q & A

Q. I have a mountain bike that I use outside of hunting. Is it really necessary to paint it up and make it camouflage or can I leave the finish alone?

A. It’s OK to leave the finish alone. While some hunters do paint their bikes camouflage and others sand them down to dull the shine; you can always camouflage the bike the old-fashioned way by tucking it under brush, or drape limbs around the frame, or cover the bike with camo fabric.

Q. Should I buy a Fat Bike?

A. You can hunt with any bike that you can pedal in the terrain where you hunt. One major benefit of using a bike is achieving a silent approach to your stand site as well as traveling around the area. A bike definitely increases the area that you can cover and it will get you into the backcountry where ATVs and vehicles may be forbidden. A Fat Bike makes all that easier.

Here’s how Outside magazine puts it: “There are hunters who’ve used bikes for decades, but the rise of the Fat Bike—effectively a human-powered ATV—is making using a bike easier. The broad tire contact patch and low gearing of the bike enable these rigs to crawl over loose, rugged, unconsolidated land.”

On my first bowhunt with Robbie Beckwith he was 12 years old. He went with me to one of my treestands and put his first buck on the ground that same morning. Now he’s 50 and is still a dedicated bowhunter. Recently he moved his family and business interests from the big city to the country and made sure his land had deer activity.

On this Monday I noticed I had a call from him at 9:47 in the morning. I texted him and asked if his Dad, ‘the Duck,’ was ok. He texted back that he had a deer hunting question. So I asked him what the question was.

He messaged, “Had a mishap with a big buck yesterday afternoon. Robbie was having a problem with his peep-sight because of his glasses. He missed his shot and the buck and some does he was interacting with moved out to 20 yards. They were all calm but left after a few minutes.

And Robbie asked me, “How long should I rest the spot before going back?

Well, he hadn’t spooked the buck nor the does, I typed back, “Go in right away. Stay all day if you can.”

The beast is dead! Long live the mighty beast!

No deer today, but I was able to knock this big wild boar hog down.

My first arrow looked like a perfect quartering away shot. But I could still see the arrow in him as he ran away. I heard a crash and figured he was done. Boy, was I wrong…

I knocked another arrow and walked over to the area I last saw him, as I can around the corner, I could hear chomping. He was staring right at me only 15 yards away, chomping his cutters at me, pissed off as he could be.

I put another arrow in him, but it didn’t even phase him. The next thing I knew, he was charging right at me 100mph. So, I pulled my 9mm, and gave him all I had. Luckily, my 5th shot hit him right between the eyes and he dropped at my feet.

John A. and I hunted from our mutual ground blind stand we call the ‘Tin Barn.’  Last night I set my alarm wrong and got up, got ready, got out to the blind, a full 1 1/2 hours early. John arrived at the right time.

Over the weekend we saw lots of does and on Sunday had 7 bucks, all young ones.

Before daylight this morning several Doe size shadows moved into the immediate area And Scattered Around in the shadowy darkness. Although Unseen, A nice Buck was also watching.

Daylight came eventually and we saw several Does come through the area. Before long we noticed that our surprise guest was looking around the place only 30 yards from us.

Yikes, the battery in my to low to take a picture. So I used my iPhone, the pictures of which looked ok on the iphone screen, but were a little blurry.

Whether you’re narrowing the gap between food and your table, connecting more deeply to nature through conservation, or extending your hunting seasons with archery gear, you’ll never run short of great reasons to try bowhunting.

Gearing up to bowhunt is exciting, and it’s much simpler than most people realize. To help you better understand what you need for your first bowhunt, let’s review 10 basic bowhunting tools.

1. Compound Bow

Compound bows are great for beginning bowhunters and are the most popular style of bow among bowhunters today. Photo Credit: John Hafner Photo

Obviously, a bow of some sort is your most basic need. You have three bow types to choose from, starting with the compound bow. These bows are nearly standard issue for bowhunting today. They’re easier to shoot than traditional recurves or longbows, but require more practice than crossbows to become proficient. Modern compound bows are efficient and don’t require extraordinary strength to draw and shoot.

When selecting a bow, it’s best to seek help from an expert at an archery shop. Hunting bows are not “one size fits all.” Make sure you choose a bow that matches your fit and bowhunting needs. You must become as accurate as possible to enjoy shooting and be lethal in the woods.

2. Traditional Bow

Using a traditional bow for bowhunting is challenging yet rewarding. Photo Credit: T. Ridenour

Traditional recurves or longbows are bowhunting’s simplest weapons. These bows have been used thousands of years, and are more effective today than when our ancestors carried them for hunting and self-protection. Shooting and harvesting game animals with these basic bows is also challenging and rewarding.

 

In this field evaluation, we’ll review a popular product from The Schawbel Corporation called the ThermaCELL. If you hate flies and mosquitoes as much as I do, you’ll want to take time to read on.

ThermaCELL uses patented technology to disperse a small amount of repellent into the air over a long period of time. ThermaCELL is powered by a butane cartridge which provides the cordless, portable heat necessary to operate the device (batteries are not needed). It directs the heat to a metal grill. A blue pad saturated with Allethrin, a copy of a naturally occurring insecticide found in chrysanthemum flowers, is placed on top of the metal grill. The heat generated by the butane cartridge vaporizes the repellent allowing it to rise into the air, creating a 15 x 15 ft (225 sq ft) “Mosquito-Free-Zone” in minutes. The repellent is very unpleasant to mosquitoes, but when used outdoors, will not harm humans or pets.

ThermaCELL provides a 15′ x 15′ “bug-free zone”.

– Initial Inspection –

Article by Frank Addington, Jr.
frankaddingtonjr.com

The last show I saw Tom at he graciously signed this photo for me. Rich Walton

FA: First question, when and where were you born?
I was was born July 17, 1924 in Arkansas but moved to California as an infant.

FA: I understand you went to high school with some famous people…like who?
I went to Van Nuys High School 1940-42 with Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe. Both became famous actresses and movie stars. Maybe I should have asked one for a date!

FA: When were you first exposed to archery?
In 1935 I was 11 years old living in Van Nuys, CA. My buddy Bill had a bow that scout master Creed Kelly showed him how and helped him to build. We were both in the scouts. We went to a soccer field, where we shot the bow. Up until then I had been using a sling shot and the bow was a lot more impressive than the sling shot. I wanted one and I knew I was going to build one. The bow was made out of Lemonwood, which came from Cuba. Henry Bitzenburger, who was into archery and later became the inventor and designer of the Bitzenburger fletching jig, owned a lumber yard in Los Angeles. I went there and bought a stave to build my own long bow. It was a self bow, no laminates, with horn tips and turned out to be 38-40 pound pull.

 

A Visual Overview Of The Deer Woods In Mid September.

Robert Hoague

Hard Antlers and Velvet. Around here we have some of both in the whitetail buck world. The buck in the picture below has his hard antlers for 2017, there is no more growth for him, only the possibilities of changes in antler color. Some buck’s antlers will become almost white. Others will be chocolate brown. And many will be in between.

Down below we have a buck that’s still in velvet but he is in for the big change. Right now his velvet has constricted tightly around the hard antler and on the left antler there is a lighter colored streak where the hard antler is showing through.

Article by Frank Addington, Jr.
frankaddingtonjr.com

FA: Michele, first question, where were you born and raised?
I was born in New York City and raised in Florida and New York. We always spent the winter/spring in Florida and the summer/fall in NY (through hunting season of course)

FA: Describe a bit about your life growing up.
I had a wonderful childhood. I was a tomboy so I would spend a lot of time outside. In NY we had chickens, horses and other farm animals for fun. My brother and I rode our horses or worked around the other animals. We would also shoot our recurves and practice whenever dad would be shooting his bow. Sometimes Dad would take us out into the woods and sit with us so we could see deer as they would come out to feed. We would also go along when he would cut wood or build permanent stands. In Florida, we lived right on the water and spent days waterskiing, fishing and snorkeling in our back yard.

The Musacchia Family, John Sr. Barbara, Michele and John Jr.

FA: How old were you when you first had a bow in your hand and who put it there?
Of course my dad put it there and we have footage of my brother and I shooting when I was around 7 and he was 5. Basically for as long as I can remember.

“I’d rather cook than hunt,” said no deer hunter ever.  Although things are changing, most deer camps welcome anyone who will make great meals with a minimum of mess and preparation.  Here are three great ways to garner the admiration and appreciation of your fellow campmates that work in a cozy cabin or wilderness camp.

Pre-Baked Potatoes

Baked potatoes are a great source of carbohydrates, long-term energy, and taste.  Problem is, they take a long time to make, especially when the gang returns after dark.  To enjoy baked and fried potatoes, cook a 10-pound bag of spuds before the hunt so they can be quickly warmed by a campfire or sliced for a delicious, energy-filled breakfast.

Great Eating Options

Pre-baking potatoes are easy: Wash each potato and rub it with olive oil.  Next, salt each spud, wrap in foil, and bake for an hour at 350 degrees.  Store in a cool place or refrigerate.  For breakfast, fry a pan of bacon and then drop sliced potatoes into the grease.  Flip when brown on one side and salt to taste.  Also, you can pour beaten eggs over the potatoes for a great egg combo.

No-Mess Pancakes

Mixing pancake batter usually requires bowls and utensils that must be washed.  Instead, put a premeasured amount of pancake mix in a gallon-size Zip-lock bag.  Even if you use, a “ready-mix” pancake mix, add a couple of eggs and milk to give the flapjacks extra flavor.  Instead of a ladle, just squeeze the batter from the bag for the perfect amount and enjoy a great breakfast and a quick cleanup.

Yummy Options

Pancakes are a great breakfast, even when plain.  However, add some fruit or chocolate chips and you suddenly have a Sunday delight.  Blueberries are my favorite and you can mix them into the batter before pouring them onto a griddle or skillet or add them afterward.  Strawberries, raspberries, and chocolate chips also add extra yummy to the cakes.

Robert Hoague Webmaster Bowhunting.net

I walked to the house and waited for darkness and for my buddies to pull in. To be honest I was apprehensive. Crown Buck was too close for me to use the sight on my crossbow and basically I shot him instinctively. The arrow went so fast that I could not see it and Crown Buck exploded instantly and ran full tilt towards the mouth of the gulley 80 yards away.

The tall grass sucked in his outline and that was the end of what I saw. He was out of sight in seconds. I felt good about the hit, however I had no real facts to base that on.

After dark Richey, John, Bryant, Collin and Champ arrived. It was already one of those darker than dark nights. We switched our flashlights on and they followed me to where I made the shot. Collin videoed with his iPhone. We looked around the immediate area. No one found my arrow nor did anyone see any blood.

“He went this direction,” I said, and started walking in the direction of the gulley. When we got to the tall grass we spread out. We were not finding any sign or the buck.

Champ spoke excitedly, “I found blood!”

Crown Buck stood motionless, staring right at my face. So, I borrowed from a page in the Big Buck’s page-book and stood motionless myself, not moving a centimeter from the top of my head to my toes. I breathed very slowly through my nose, a subtle trick of my own that I thought up year’s ago. It has worked for me more than it hasn’t!

It worked this time too.

A black hocked Doe stepped out of the trees 45 yards ahead and magically Crown Buck picked up on it. He switched on his full alert look and postured in “Here I Am Baby” mode. The Doe held her grounds and looked at him; which tipped me off, I had better get doing whatever I was gonna do.

Above is a game camera picture of Crown Buck from November 11, 2020 taken a year earlier a mile from where we both were.

Every second counted now. I scooped up my crossbow. He was closer than I would’ve liked but ‘”It is what it is.” I shouldered the crossbow and did one of those “act, don’t think about it” moves. The crossbow has a scope but he was too close to fool with using it. I sighted down the stock and pulled the trigger.

Some say the age of a whitetail buck is easy to judge if you know what to look for. A buck’s Body is always the best way to field judge a buck’s age. Can you judge a buck’s age by his antlers? What can antlers tell you about a particular buck?

To find the oldest bucks follow the tips from Jeff Sturgis’s latest web class, “How To Hunt The Whitetail Rut”: https://www.whitetailhabitatsolutions…

After you know how to find the oldest bucks, make sure that you follow Jeff’s proven, weather based hunt predictions when every time you deer hunt. Check out HuntCast, at: https://huntwise.com/sturgis

 Whitetail Habitat Solutions

Longbow Bowhunter Johnathan Moreland Located A Huge South Arkansas Buck And Bowhunts Hard To Get Him. His Game Camera shows the buck ahead of the season and during the season. One night the camera records video of a brutal fight between the buck and another giant. Johnathan hunts every chance he can and sees the giant buck 5 times. Wild Hogs and coyotes chases interfere with his hunts.

 

Just In: Bowhunter Weston Sloan moved into an area where he was setup to bowhunt a big 10-point he had scouted before season. Three nice bucks show up and we get to see some good footage of the buck activity in the deep woods.

The 10-point leaves but returns in a short while he returns. This time Weston gets a shot opportunity. And the buck goes down in sight.

Don Wilson waited impatiently as daylight finally arrived unveiling three deer feeding near his stand.  One was a respectable 8-point and Wilson raised his trusty CAM-X crossbow and launched a Grim Reaper Hybrid-tipped arrow toward the deer.  Striking the animal in mid-chest, it dropped like a brick and quickly expired.  Wilson knew the “Watch em drop” logo for Grim Reaper but never expected such a dramatic result.

Why Hybrids:

Expandable broadheads have a slender silhouette and often strike point-of-aim just like target points.  Additionally, they utilize razor-sharp blades to make large wound channels for quick ethical kills.  If the head fails to open, the broadhead acts like a target point.  Fixed blades have no moving parts and “always work” giving the hunter greater confidence.  Unfortunately, the larger the head, the more likely it will wind plane and not strike like target points.

What About Penetration?

In most cases, fixed blades penetrate better than mechanical broadheads because the opening process and larger blade size create greater friction.  With today’s high-speed compounds and super-kinetic energy crossbows, this slight loss of penetration is insignificant.  Just as you should test the accuracy of your hybrid heads against target points, do the same with a foam target and you will have confidence in your shot.

Popular Options-

Here’s a look at five brands all with different profiles and characteristics except that each has a singular cutting head with a mechanical option that deploys on impact.  The best way to test a head from your compound or crossbow is to shoot it into a foam target with a sheet of paper on the front.  The paper will show if your broadhead opens upon contact or after penetration.

Grim Reaper

The Grim Reaper hybrid features a chisel point and four blades, two fixed and two that open.  In 100 grains, the 1 3/16ths fixed blade assures a lethal cut with the boost of a 1 1/2 inch mechanical blade that opens upon impact. GrimReaperbroadheads.com 

My newest hunting buddy is my step daughter’s son Champ. He is a natural born outdoorsman and at 13 years old he’s spent more time in the woods; and likely knows more about woodsmanship and understands more about locating and hunting our local wild game, Whitetail deer and wild hogs, than most 30-40 year olds do. I’m not lying, Champ has spent plenty of his time there and he knows his way around in the whitetail woods.

Champ with a large wild boar he arrowed with a crossbow last year when he was 12.

Last year, the Friday after this Thanksgiving, Champ wanted to zero in on a big wild boar showing up regularly on his SpyPoint mobile game camera at one of my ground blind stand sites. The day before that I hunted alone in a weather worn, years old tin shed. Before long my area got nuts with deer activity, all does, but that’s ok because the rut was coming on right then and this steady flow of does in and out of my area might get the attention of a nice mature buck.

Three of the members of our deer lease were also down to hunt, Richey, John and Bryant. I kept up with everyone by texting them and they were seeing deer also. An hour before dark 5 does were scattered around my area; on the slope in front of me, in the valley the slope led to, on the nearby hillside and in the surrounding strips of woods. Something caught their attention and all of the does looked in the direction of a nearby area I couldn’t see — south of my dirt-floor tin shed.

Suddenly … from the right, a buck walked into my view, only a few feet away from my shooting cut-out in the blind’s wall.

He was a big, mature buck. Based on sightings of him by Richie, Robbie and myself over the last few years he was at least 5 1/2 in age. And he was a buck that holds down the nickname of the “Crown Buck” because of his straight and evenly spaced vertical tines, and his high rack as well as the circular shape of the main beams.