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June 28, 2009 by
Recently, I spent a few vacation days bass fishing on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes. The topwater action just after daylight and right at dark was very explosive to say the least. My family and I were able to catch a boatload of bass, but it was hard to concentrate on the fishing with all of the velvet bucks running around. The Land Between the Lakes region has just the right combination of hardwoods, thickets, woodlots and agricultural fields to produce some top-heavy bruisers.
About a week of seeing bachelor groups of bucks in full velvet was more than enough to get me fired-up for the upcoming season. In fact, lately I’ve been spending all of my free time in the field scouting for the upcoming early archery season. The summer months are the perfect time to glass field edges and cool watering holes for giant pre-season bucks. Here are some hot-summer scouting tips that can help you pinpoint and pattern some shooter bucks right now.
1.Ignore the Heat
Without question, 100 degree weather can keep a lot of us indoors with the air-condition running full blast. However, ignoring the heat and spending a little time scouting can payoff with a monster buck on opening day. The trick is to scout smarter not harder during the summer months. For example, throw a good pair of optics into your truck and cruise potential hunting areas during the late evening hours. Focus on summer food sources like apple trees or agricultural fields when the temperatures start cooling down. After locating a bachelor group of bucks, try sneaking into the food source during the midday hours and hang a trail camera near possible buck entry trails. Secluded watering holes and mineral-lick sites can also be hotspots to setup trail-cam surveillance.
2.Create Some Options
With deer hunting, you should never place all of your eggs in one basket! Concentrating on one hunting location or a single buck can potentially be a painful and costly mistake. Hunting leases can be broken, buck patterns can change on private or public-land, and it’s possible your buck can fall victim to another hunter’s arrow. This is exactly why you need to have several different hunting locations and shooter bucks located during the summer months. Scouting right now to create multiple hunting options and choices can be the best move you make all season. Keep us posted on the BBZ about how your summer scouting is going so far.
[ Read Full Post ]June 23, 2009 by
I have to admit, despite their great taste, cows have always weirded me out just a little. Maybe it’s something about the way they just gang up and stare at you as you walk among them going to a stand in the early morning darkness. They stand there staring, not moving until you’re right up on them, and then they scramble all herky-jerky-like just as you get close to them. Then they band back together and follow close behind you as if they are contemplating action. They’re dumb I know, but the fact that they are four to five times larger than I am has never been lost on me. I’ve always sensed they were plotting our demise and now from across the pond there is proof.
It seems a 49-year-old woman was walking her unleashed dogs across a pasture near Gayle, England, when a gang of cattle trampled her to death. Police speculated that perhaps the cows became protective of their calves, and when the dogs got too close, they charged, crushing the woman in the process. The country’s National Farmer’s Union said, despite a few cases each year where people are injured by cattle, the encounters don’t usually turn deadly.
But in this case, it did, which means even the most innocuous creatures in nature can turn deadly when you least expect it.
That got me wondering: How many people, if any, have ever been killed by deer in this country? Sure, we all know the stats that say between 130 and 150 people on average die each year as a result of deer/vehicle collisions making deer the most deadly animal in North America. But I’m talking about an all out, calculated, in-your-face, no-respect-for-the-food-chain attack on human beings.
A quick Google search revealed some startling results:
-In 2003, Donald Sellers, 79, was fatally gored and mauled by his pet buck in Alabama.
-In October 2005, Ron Dudek, 73, of California, died from antler wounds to his face by a buck that attacked him when he went to pick tomatoes in his backyard.
- In November 2005, a California woman was hospitalized for 12 days after suffering head injuries from a deer attack outside of her home. Just two months earlier, Arnold and Jeannine Bloom were attacked and wounded by a small buck after watering a friend’s vegetable garden.
-In October 2007, John Henry Frix, 66, of Maryland, was found dead in a pen where he raised deer. He had been gored several times by antlers.
The lesson here is don’t mess with deer in pens or around gardens and you should be just fine.
But then, just last month in Virginia, while walking on his Pulaski County property, Jimmy Yopp was chased and attacked by a young deer that knocked him to the ground several times and doe-slapped him with its hooves. Two days later, a man and his son were attacked in their yard by what is believed to be the same deer. They escaped with minor injuries. The deer screwed up the next day when it attempted the same stunt with a conservation officer investigating the earlier incidents. The officer was packing heat and the deer’s carcass was ultimately sent packing to a state lab where it was tested and found to be free of rabies.
Just last week, a woman’s dog was killed by a doe in the woman’s Indiana backyard. The doe trampled the dog to death with it’s hooves in front of the woman and her grandchildren. An officer was quoted as saying that these cases are rare, and while they statistically are, they’re not as rare as one would believe.
I couldn’t find any incidents where a hunter was actually attacked. If you know of one or know of other attacks not mentioned above, please share it with us at the BBZ.
While deer (and cows) are hardly ready to be classified as “dangerous game” for these (and I’m sure other occasional) attacks, we may not be that far from the old South Park episode where the kids learn that before they can shoot an animal they had to legally shout, “It’s coming right at us.” Indeed, it just might be coming right at us! Watch your back out there.
[ Read Full Post ]June 21, 2009 by
When Tom Cruise’s character in Valkyrie needed to slip away unnoticed after leaving a bomb-filled briefcase in a room with Hitler and his generals, he had to have a co-conspirator call him on the phone as his excuse to walk outside. Had he been in a room full of bowhunters, he could have simply tossed out the question, “Should crossbows be allowed during archery seasons?” Arguments would have erupted faster than a terrorist’s rental van and before they subsided and anybody noticed him gone, Cruise would not only be safely out of the building, he would already be out of costume and dressed in a tux for the annual Scientology Hollywood fundraiser and brainwashing.
Certainly nothing gets a room of bowhunters fired up faster these days than the topic of opening up bow seasons to crossbows. Ironically, the focus of the argument now finds itself centered on none other than one of the most hunter-unfriendly states in the union, New Jersey, where the state Fish and Game Council is expected to approve a measure permitting their use. The council explained their decision citing the benefits of crossbow use in increasing “hunter recruitment and retention and better deer management in suburban/rural interface areas.” Indeed, as one of the smallest, yet most densely populated states, New Jersey is virtually one big suburban hunting zone—though there are actually some traditional rural areas in the southern and extreme northwestern parts of the state.
Council member Leonard Wolgast told the Star-Ledger that they also expect the measure to help increase license and permit sales, which will bring badly needed funds into the Fish and Wildlife department’s coffers. Wolgast cited a survey the department conducted that showed 73 percent of all resident deer hunters and 67 percent of bowhunters supported the measure.
Despite the numbers and as expected given the traditional line of opposition argued by most bowhunting organization, the United Bow Hunters of New Jersey has campaigned against the legalization of crossbows. This despite, by their own survey, that half of their membership supports crossbows and half does not. Still, the organization’s position mirrors that of the Pope & Young Club, which has vehemently opposed the inclusion of crossbows for any bowhunting seasons except for disabled archers.
I’ve hunted with (only once out West) and shot a crossbow and will admit, it certainly doesn’t take the skill and practice a bow does. Sight it in once and aim it like a gun and thwap, you’re going to hit your target as well as you would be able to with a rifle at close range. Of course, with all of the technological advances in compound bows, arrows and broadheads these days, one can hardly compare the handicap a bowhunter faces in taking a deer today to one who was hunting with bowhunting equipment 20 or 30 years ago. I’m certainly in no hurry to limit myself to traditional archery tackle and would expect more bowhunters than not feel the same way. I’m not sure where you really draw the line on that one.
I certainly agree with P&Y that for record book’s sake, crossbows should not be included. It’s their records; it’s their choice.
But I find it interesting some of the arguments (well thought out ones I might add) these groups make to keep crossbow hunters out of the woods. Of chief concern appears to be the impact additional hunters will have on whitetail populations, as well as the belief that the woods will be filled with less-experienced, less-skilled outdoorsman.
They are some of the same arguments that were used in many areas when bowhunting-only seasons were first introduced.
I’m not saying these concerns don’t have merit. But I have lived in New Jersey and Virginia (where I am now) and am quite familiar with hunting in both places. Virginia several years back granted the inclusion of crossbows into archery-only seasons amid many of the same concerns Jersey hunters are now voicing. To my knowledge there has been no negative impact on the resource, or a wave of conflicts between compound-bow hunters and crossbow hunters.
In fact, I know a number of guys who bought crossbows, used them a season or two and then actually went back to using their bows because they simply enjoyed hunting with them more. A bow is certainly less cumbersome to carry. I still hunt with my bow, though I’m not saying that I wouldn’t give crossbow hunting a chance. I just have no strong desire to change things up right now.
For those supporting crossbows, the chief argument seems to be that it will create more hunting opportunity for more hunters, particularly those who don’t have the time or place to practice shooting a bow everyday. It’s certainly hard to argue against that, unless there truly is a negative impact on the resource. If our goal is to harvest more deer (the case in most areas), making it easier for folks to accomplish that sure seems like a legitimate reason.
Regardless, it’s looking like New Jersey hunters, like those in other states soon, are going to have crossbows as a part of the archery scene whether they want it or not. I’d love to hear your thoughts on whether you think they should be allowed. Both sides make interesting arguments; I just haven’t heard anything that would make me sway from my “live and let hunt” frame of mind.
Perhaps at the real root of the debate are concerns over how many more people are we going to have to share the woods with. That’s not a very PC argument in hunting circles to make, but I can tell you, in New Jersey, where hunting lands are typically small and hard to come by, it’s one argument I might buy. But then, maybe that’s a whole other issue altogether.
[ Read Full Post ]June 19, 2009 by
Recently, Eli Brown, a diehard BBZ fan and deer hunter from the Hoosier State sent me a very interesting email about a new hunting program that is being introduced by Indiana’s DNR. The “Hunters Helping Farmers” initiative matches farmers who want fewer deer on their land with hunters who need a place to hunt.
This new online tool has been developed by the DNR to create more hunting opportunities for hunters and help farmers who are dealing with serious crop devastation. Deer hunters must simply submit an online application between July 1 and August 30 of this year. In addition, hunters can submit at least two preferred counties they would like to hunt during the fall season. Next, farmers from those areas can select and interview possible applicants they would like to have hunting their property (hunters must still follow all state bag limits and regulations).
Consequently, some resident hunters are expressing concern regarding the new program. Basically, they are worried about the overall impact it will have on statewide harvest numbers. On the other hand, many hunters are fired-up and excited about gaining access to prime deer hunting lands that previously were not available. A lot of farmers and landowners that have suffered major crop losses also welcome the program with open arms. With that being said, I would like some feedback on what you think about the “Hunters Helping Farmers” plan. Will this program be good for deer management in the long run and would you support a similar plan in your state?
[ Read Full Post ]June 16, 2009 by
This picture of a “redneck” wedding cake that made the rounds of the World Wide Web landed once again in my inbox (got it the first time last year and it still makes me laugh).
I wonder if the person who made the cake (or worse bought it) just doesn’t know jack about deer or if this one was for a wedding in one of those states in which gay marriage has been legalized. Why?
Look at the picture. Some folks do miss it at first glance.
Both deer on the cake have antlers! While confused acts of dominance have been known to take place in the forest among bucks and other male wildlife, I’m not aware of any scientifically acknowledged observations where such unions have succeeded to go on more than a few moments before the baffled and usually panicked subordinate creature manages to scramble loose and flee.
What's really creepy, is that if the cake does serve as a representation of an actual human union, then the 8-point is clearly much older than….ehhh, I don’t even want to go there.
But the cake itself looks really nice.
I can imagine some well-meaning bride getting the wedding cake made with the deer topper as a surprise for her unwitting, hunting groom. No doubt the groom took some ribbing from his buddies at the big event, which could have been the impetus for a couple of YouTube videos and other pictures I’ve seen circulating on the Web. That is, of course, if this cake ever even made it out of the bakery.
[ Read Full Post ]June 15, 2009 by
As a young boy, one of my biggest thrills was pulling into Davenport’s Market in my small hometown during the November gun season. I can remember barely being tall enough to see over the tops of the tall truck beds and trying to climb up the wheels to see what kind of buck was lying in the backs of these muddy vehicles. It seemed that every hunter in the county would check in their deer at the market and just hangout swapping stories. The little country store even had a big buck contest that awarded free deer mounts and a lever-action 30/30 rifle for the lucky hunters who brought in the largest bucks. Years later progress and technology introduced the tele-check system and now hunters simply check-in their deer over the phone. Many other states have adopted this technologically advanced method, but a lot of hunters miss the old check-in stations and are quick to point out several obvious flaws with the new system.
My home state of Kentucky currently has the new tele-check system, which has divided hunters on the subject of what technique the fish and wildlife should use to check-in deer. The anti-technology side of the debate claims that it’s now too easy for poachers to sidestep the conservative one buck limit in our state. There are stories circulating around about hunters taking several bucks in a single season by simply checking the deer in under their spouse’s or child’s name. In fact, it’s said that a large percentage of hunters don’t even use the tele-check method once the deer is home. A confirmation number is required to process or mount the deer, but people who butcher their own meat are not worried about that part.
Another valid point is that these shady practices ultimately generate false data for the state deer biologists to examine and are detrimental to the entire management program. Lastly, many feel the tele-check system takes away from the excitement and hunter camaraderie associated with the old check-in stations. However, other hunters love the convenience of the new tele-check system and could not imagine reverting back to the old ways. Most wildlife resource departments support the new program simply because it is cost efficient and harvest information can be accessed and studied very easily. With that being said, which system would you support if state’s allowed hunters to vote on the issue?
[ Read Full Post ]June 3, 2009 by
The buzz and hubbub of the alleged giant buck found recently in Kansas has stirred the pot on just how big a whitetail can grow in the wild. Whether this monster will be legitimized through a Boone and Crockett review is still in question, but there's no doubt that most whitetail experts believe the current non-typical world record of 333 7/8 points will be surpassed.
More land is being actively managed for maximum whitetail potential than ever before in modern history. How much bigger a new giant will score is still in debate.
Behind the fence it's a different story. Whitetails have been busting past 300 inches with regularity. Last year a whitetail in Wisconsin has pushed past the 400-inch mark and you have a chance to watch him develop his colossal rack. The Flees Family, owners of Wilderness Whitetails, is posting updates on the growth of their buck named Sudden Impact at www.farmingforwildlife.com. In 2008 the buck grossed 406 inches and in August of that year the buck was adding an astonishing 6 inches of antler per day! What's even more impressive is the fact the buck was only 2 1/2 years old.
Mossy Oak Biologic (www.mossyoak.com) is aiding in this buck's history-making venture, but superb genetics and a lifestyle that's more pampered than a White House pet help this stud push the envelope of whitetail reality.
It's doubtful a wild whitetail would be able to achieve this milestone given the volley of hunting pressure, environmental stress and accidental risks it must navigate annually. It's possible on an expansive and highly regulated property, but not where the majority of hunters trod.
Sudden Impact is simply an example of how breeding programs have advanced. You enjoy the same benefits every time you bite into a juicy steak or burger. Even if you're not a proponent of captive breeding programs, you have to admit. It's an astonishing sight to see Sudden Impact's headgear.
[ Read Full Post ]June 1, 2009 by
A while back the internet was buzzing with pictures of a monster mystery buck making some waves in the whitetail community. The picture of this gargantuan beast was enough to make a deer hunter’s heart go into cardiac arrest. It seemed there were about a thousand rumors circulating about this unbelievable buck with the super high rack, heavy mass and intimidating drop-tine. A lot of hunters even passed the picture off as nothing more than an internet hoax. Others claimed the buck was actually legit, but it seemed as if nobody knew who had actually shot the deer or what state it was taken from. Some people said an Amish farmer from Ohio had smoked the legendary whitetail on his own property and there were even tales claiming the buck had died of natural causes on a deer farm. Well, there is a little bit of truth hidden in some of these outrageous rumors, but the real story is actually a whole lot better!
There really was a huge non-typical buck taken by an Amish hunter in the Buckeye State of Ohio that same year. However, the thick-racked stud in this picture was tagged by a different Amish hunter from Kentucky during a public-land gun hunt. Dan Miller of Hart County was hunting the Pennyrile State Forest (located in Christian County), which consists of about 17,000 acres of heavily wooded, hilly terrain. About 3 in the afternoon, Miller slowly eased into some thick cover that was dotted with small openings and loaded with white oak acorns. As he rested against a tree, a buck suddenly appeared about 70 yards from his position with its head down.
At first glance, the hunter was unable to determine whether or not the buck met the mandatory 15-inch inside spread requirement that is enforced within the Pennyrile land. Finally, Miller was able to see enough rack to know the buck was definitely legal and he steadied his 7mm rifle for the shot. The loud roar from the Amish hunter’s gun dropped the second largest non-typical buck in the Bluegrass State. This hog-headed whitetail has 18 scoreable points with a 10 7/8 inch drop tine that looks like it almost touches the ground. Miller’s buck green scored just over 250, but the official score now stands at an impressive 246 3/8. The top-heavy brute was mounted by Martin Meredith who still loses his breath when talking about this amazing whitetail. He has mounted over 50 Boone & Crockett bucks in his life, but none of them even comes close to Miller’s Monster! Congratulations Dan on a phenomenal trophy.
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