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September 3, 2010 by
It’s no secret that I’m a native of the Rushmore State, formerly the Sunshine State and oftentimes referred to as the pheasant capitol of the world. I could come up with more, but let’s get to the point. South Dakota has great whitetail hunting.
It’s home to the Dakota subspecies of whitetail, one of the largest body-sized species to roam North America. With the large body size alsocomes large antler size and although South Dakota is fairly liberal with licenses, it’s not at all impossible to find a 4 ½-year-old buck during hunting season. Most 4 ½-year-olds are darn nice due to the agricultural bounty while they are growing velvet antler.
[ Read Full Post ] August 31, 2010 by
In recent years, there have been a lot of discussions and heated debates among hunters about how trophy bucks are currently being entered into the record books. Some argue that many of today’s record book bucks are simply being bought by wealthy hunters on expensive and exclusive hunts. On this side of the debate, hunters feel that whitetails are practically being raised like cattle on private land and are only shot by individuals with hefty bank accounts.
With some of these private management programs, it is said that antlered deer are basically pumped full of protein and fed throughout the year like a farmer’s prize hog at the state fair. When hunting season rolls around, these massive-racked bucks are bought and paid for by the highest bidder.
[ Read Full Post ] August 20, 2010 by
Without question, I still feel like a little kid the night before Christmas anytime I go into the field to check my trail cameras. For good reason, you just never know what is going to show up on those pictures. A mega buck with hard-hitting headgear could be just one snap away and that is essentially what keeps all of us coming back for more. There is no doubt that these high-tech scouting tools have completely changed the way we scout and hunt for deer.
However, many hunters severely limit the full potential of these compact surveillance devices by only hanging up a couple of cameras. This season you need to break-away from the pack and start networking your trail-cameras by strategically setting up multiple units.
[ Read Full Post ] August 16, 2010 by
During my younger days, I can vividly remember busting out of a hoop that was being held by varsity cheerleaders and running onto the gym floor under the bright rays of a spotlight beam. The crowd would go crazy as the names of the starting five were blasted from the loudspeakers, which really kicked my adrenalin into overdrive. Those old high school pep rallies during my glory days would really get me fired up, cranked up, and ready to rock before a big game. Unfortunately, I don’t have any energetic cheerleaders on hand or a gym full of screaming fans to help get you pumped up for the opening day of deer season. However, I do have an amazing picture and some mind boggling measurements that will definitely make you want to go climb up a tree right now with your bow.
[ Read Full Post ] August 13, 2010 by
As I contemplate my rock and roll tour of mid-America for whitetails in the coming months I occasionally have indecisiveness. My main uncertainty is whether to stick with the same tree in hotspot locations or move slightly to keep deer guessing on my presence in a particularly well traveled funnel.
[ Read Full Post ] August 12, 2010 by
I think this photo says it all. Next month a number of you will be climbing into treestands in hopes of arrowing a big whitetail. If you live in bear country, it’s best to look up and make sure nobody is “hanging out,” if you know what I mean.
I had similar advice while hunting in Texas, but instead of bears I was supposed to talk loudly before entering elevated shooting houses. It wasn’t bears I was trying to warn of my approach, but illegal immigrants.
[ Read Full Post ] August 9, 2010 by
As the digital age matures the quality of photographic images continues to increase, but it's not speeding along at the same pace in the hunting world. I still see images of big bucks, even monster bucks, propped up in the back of someone's pickup truck. Adding insult to injury it's still common to see those same bucks with tongues hanging out further than Gene Simmons in the middle of a head-banging concert. Blood, arrows and other inappropriate elements also invade many hunting images.
[ Read Full Post ] August 5, 2010 by
As a young boy, I used to love hanging out at an old country store just down the road from my house. Davenport’s Market was the official meeting place where every deer hunter in the county would check in their deer and swap stories. Without warning, new age technology snuck into my hometown and eliminated the traditional check-in station. Face to face interaction and hunter comradely was replaced by touchtone phones and a computer generated voice. Now, just about everyone I know simply records their deer harvest over the phone and the old country store check-in station is nothing more than a memory.
[ Read Full Post ] July 29, 2010 by
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department recently announced the allocation of nearly 3,000 additional licenses to help control the burgeoning deer population near my home. Much of the thinning is focused on whitetails as reported by the department personnel.
That brings up a topic I struggle with when conversing with whitetail nuts like myself. Is one to one the best? I'm referring to the buck to doe ratio. Professional deer managers push for this and there are two main arguments for the one to one ratio.
[ Read Full Post ] July 22, 2010 by
Over the years, I’ve witnessed some wild and crazy things while sitting high up in the treetops or easing through the open hardwoods country. In fact, nature has a mysterious way of making the bizarre look somewhat normal at times. For example, I once watched a giant long tined 10-point buck play with its sworn enemy for at least an hour just out of bow range. Honestly, a full grown coyote and buck took turns chasing each other in short circles and erratic zigzag patterns. Right about now, you’re probably thinking that I am either full of crap or had one too many drinks during that hunt. However, not even a writer with an inventive imagination could make up something that good. If you think that story is strange, then you better hang on tightly to your seats, because things are about to get even weirder. Our good friend Charlie Elk on the BBZ just sent us some video that clearly shows a spike buck actually eating a live bird.
[ Read Full Post ]
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