FREAK Friday!! (a day late)

Picture taken from: http://trophyhuntingdestinations.com/upload/editor/high-fenced-deer-hunting-preserves.jpg

Two is better than one, right?  Or atleast that's how the old saying goes.  These guys here are gorgeous looking bucks.  In fact they look to have come from the same genetic background.  I know for a fact either of these bucks would make my hit list.  I apologize for being a day late with this week's freak.  Anyhow have a great weekend, and I wish all you hunters the best of luck!

Just in the Nick of Time Cont.

 The sight of the buck in my crosshairs made my heart rate sky rocket; this was it, my grand opportunity.  I flipped the safety off and steady the crosshairs just behind the buck’s front shoulder.  By now my palms were starting to sweat, and with a gentle squeeze of the trigger the gun fired.  I’m not quite sure what happened immediately following the shot but I knew something wasn’t quite right.  I saw the buck take off into the woods, and wondered if I had hit him or not.  I jumped on my ATV and drove down to where the buck had been standing, but much to my disappointment there were no signs of a clean hit.  “How did I miss? Was it me or was the gun not sighted in?”  A million thoughts were running through my head, but nothing was going to change the fact that I had missed a chance at a very nice buck. 

            As I drove the ATV back to my original position I couldn’t stop thinking about that buck.  In all my years of hunting I had never missed a shot that easy.  I finally reached the intersection of the fences and loaded a new shell into my gun; hopefully I would get a second chance.  Ten minutes came and went with no signs of anymore deer.  Then, all of a sudden, two does came scrambling out of the west end of the timber, so I pulled my gun up to shoulder to get a better look at them.  While I was watching the two does scamper off into the distance the sound of breaking leaves grew louder and louder behind me.  I turned around, just in the nick of time, to see two more does and another nice buck jumping the fence.  I swung my trusty rifle around and found the buck in the scope.  I squeezed the ice cold trigger and the sound of the discharge deafened my ears.  The ringing lasted a good two minutes, but it didn’t matter because lying on the hill thirty yards away was the buck.  Like a little kid at Christmas I hurried up the buck and found that he was indeed a nice one.  Although he wasn’t as nice as the one I had attempted to shoot earlier, he was still a nice nine pointer.

            I’ll never forget that hunt.  The odds were stacked against me, but somehow I still managed to get a nice buck on the ground.  That hunt was more than just another opening day hunt; it was something more, something special.  It was the fact that I got to spend a great day with old friends and enjoy what the country life had to offer.  I grew up telling myself that I needed to get out of the country and do something with my life, but after that day I realized that the country was my home.  I realized that I belong in a small town that doesn’t even have a stoplight and barely has one thousand citizens.  I realized what my family really meant to me.  I realized that that no matter where you go and how long you are gone, the people in small towns never forget about you.  I realized that I got a second chance to realize what I had been pushing away for twenty years.  For me, in that moment, time stood still, and all I could do was be thankful for what God had given me. 

Just in the Nick of Time Cont.

What I had envisioned as a successful morning just hours before turned out to be nothing but a waste a time.  After three longs hours in the stand I decided that if I was going to shoot a deer I needed to take a different approach.  Hunters always say if the deer aren’t coming to you, then you need to go to the deer, and that’s just what we did.  I got on the phone recruited my dad and an old buddy to come help with the new plan; an organized deer drive, otherwise known as walking and blocking.  An organized deer drive is a hunting technique in which one or more hunters, designated as “shooters,” are put in positions to intercept deer that are being pushed by “drivers” (Deer Hunting Tips).  Essentially this method allows the hunter to create his/her own luck, and that’s just what I needed. 

            Twenty minutes passed before the dust trail from the little, white Toyota pick-up carrying an old hunting buddy could be seen coming down the road a mile away.  As the truck turned into the driveway my mind raced back to memories from past hunting excursions, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.  As he cranked the truck into the field the sound of squeaky brakes echoed into the distance, Aric had arrived.  The tall, lanky man in his mid-twenties that stepped out of the truck was wearing a crazy hunter orange hat that his dad had given him, and was long overdue for a good shave. His father had taught him everything he knew about hunting, until the day of his passing a few years back.  Now the only family he really had was his mother and us.  None-the-less he had a smile on his face that stretched from ear to ear.   

After a quick hello he looked at me and said, “Let’s do this.”  It was decided that my dad and I would be the shooters and Stuart, Phil and Aric would be the drivers.  Dad was the grizzled veteran of the group.  His graying beard was proof that he had been on many more hunting excursions than the rest of the group combined, so he knew what he was doing.  Being a hunter safety instructor he was always preaching safety first.  He had grown out of the shooting stage and was to the point where he got more enjoyment out of watching us succeed.  The only reason he was nominated as a shooter was because he’d, “Rather sit than walk all over the whole damn county.”   

The plan was for them to start at the east side of a small timber and walk directly to the west through the timber.  The three walkers would be evenly spaced in order to make sure every section of the timber was combed.  While they walked to the end of the timber, my dad and I took our positions at the west end of the timber.  He was situated next to a long row of hay bales that had been stacked along a fence row earlier in the year, while I situated myself at the intersection of two fence rows directly across from my father.  Within seconds of getting situated I spotted a nice buck at the edge of the tree line.  I couldn’t quite tell how big he was, but as I raised my scope I could tell that he was a definite shooter. 

            I quickly loaded a bullet into my trusty rifle, a Remington, Model 700, 30.06.  As far as I’m concerned there is no better rifle that than that old Remington.  It was given to me as a gift from my parents for my fourteenth birthday, and it is what I used to kill my deer in the previous four seasons.  It was tried and true.  My only concern with the rifle was the new scope I had put on just a few months before the season started.  Having been away at college I didn’t have any opportunities to shoot the rifle with the newly mounted scope, so all I could do was trust that my dad had zeroed the old rifle in. 

To be continued...           

 

Just in the Nick of Time

Over the past couple of months we have examined good land management and scouting practices.  For the next few days I would like to share a short story I wrote called, "Just in the Nick of Time."  This is a story about one of my past hunts.  I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

As the teacher wrapped up his lecture, I quickly packed up my bag and shuffled out of the classroom.  I raced to my dorm room, where I picked up the bags I had packed earlier that day.  As I drove to the Milwaukee airport I could only think about one thing, the opening day of deer season in Missouri.  Where I come from opening day is something that hunters live for.  It is a day filled with great expectations of killing a good buck, and hunters telling stories of past successes and misfortunes.  On opening day every hunter thinks they are going to be the next hunter to tag a Boone and Crockett sized buck, but many of them come back from the woods empty handed.  For me opening day was more than just the start to another deer season, it was my deer season.  As I boarded the plane I realized only five hundred and nineteen miles stood between me and my only chance to take a good buck.  The day would prove to be more than just another hunt, instead it would bring about a realization of who I was, where I came from, and where I belong.    

            The next day started very early.  I woke up at 5:19 AM to the pounding of my brother’s fist on my bedroom door.  I slowly opened my eyes and looked at the clock, “are you kidding me? It’s 5:19 in the morning?”  A few minutes went by before the pounding on my door started again.  “Okay, okay,” I said, as I dragged myself out of bed and started getting dressed for what I knew would be a very cold morning.  I pulled on layer after layer of clothing because I knew I would be cold if didn’t.  On my way out of the house I snatched up my rifle and my favorite hunting hat.

             Just as I had guessed, the outside air was cold.  The mid-November wind was chilling to the bone, even with all those clothes on.  As I rounded the corner of the house, I found my brother, Stuart, waiting for me in his truck, ready for what would be an interesting day to say the least.

            All my life Stuart and I had been at odds, he was the older, more mature one and I was the spoiled, younger brother.  On Saturday mornings he helped my dad on the farm and I watched game tape from the football game the night before.  He always wore boots and Wranglers and I wore Nikes and sport shorts.  We were complete opposites in almost every aspect of our lives, but we could agree on one thing, hunting.  We both enjoyed the thrill of seeing deer in the wild and the prospect of having a nice buck come within our killing range.  We liked to make hunting a competition between ourselves to see who could kill the first deer or who could kill the nicer buck.  Having killed a nice nine pointer a couples years prior, he held the upper hand.  This year would be different though, I couldn’t describe why, but I could just feel it.  This season would be my season.

            On our way out of town we stopped at the gas station and grabbed a quick bite to eat.  As we got our food and headed for the door we were greeted by many other fellow hunters, and exchanged wishes of good luck.  The ten minute drive to our hunting property seemed like it took for hours, and when we arrived we found our friend, Phil, waiting on us.  Phil never took hunting as serious as the rest of us.  Having been a stellar football player and baseball player in high school, he rarely had time to enjoy the outdoors like we did.  However, he loved opening day just as much as any other hunter in the state of Missouri.

 After quick deliberation we decided that Phil and I would sit in a double stand that was nestled in a tree lined overlooking a clover patch and small timber.  Stuart would be approximately three hundred yards to our east in a tripod stand overlooking a CRP field that bumped up next to a corn field.  The walk to the stand was a good quarter mile, and the sound of crunching leaves beneath our feet sounded like cannons going off in the quiet morning hours.  Once Phil and I reached the stand we took turns making our way up the ladder and getting situated.  Around 6:30 AM the sun’s first rays of light peaked over the trees on the horizon and all of a sudden the woods came to life.  Birds were chirping, squirrels were scurrying back and forth looking for acorns, raccoons were making their way back to their beds, and we began hearing shots being fired in the distance.  We were set; all we needed now was a little deer movement.

            Shot after shot after shot rang out, but we weren’t enjoying the luck those hunters were enjoying.  We sat in the stand until 9:30, but to no avail.  For some reason our honey hole wasn’t very active that morning, and we saw a grand total of one lousy deer.  Three hours in the stand and all we had to show for it was a couple of bright red, wind burnt noses and a new high score on Pac-Man.  Something had to happen if I was going to get a deer on my only day of hunting.  Phil and I decided that this spot wasn’t doing the trick and that we needed to get down and try something else.  I called Stuart and told him what we were planning, and he agreed to meet us at the truck.  When we met up, Stuart told us that he had passed on a really nice ten pointer right before the sun came up. “There wasn’t enough light to see through the scope,” he said, when I asked why he didn’t shoot.  Since time was of the essence we decided to hop in the truck and head over to a spot where Phil’s dad had seen some nice bucks running around.  Little did I know my luck was about to change.

To be continued...

FREAK Friday!!

Photo taken from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vzonabaxter/4195165058/sizes/m/in/photostream/

If this buck isn't "Freak" worthy, then I don't know what is.  This guy is a massive 10 pointer for what looks to be a young deer.  It's hard telling if I'd be able to pass this guy up if he walked by my stand, but give him one more year and he will be more than worthy of a shot.  It is pictures like this that excite me as a hunter.  Sometimes getting pictures of deer in the wild like this one are better than actually harvesting the deer.  On that note, let's just take a moment to realize the beauty the outdoors and wildlife give us the chance to experience everyday.

Scouting – Post Rut and Late Season

Post rut and late season scouting is much more laid back than the first two phases.  During this time bucks have lost a considerable amount of weight chasing hot does, so scouting food sources is a must.  Try to get cameras up near food sources because deer, especially bucks, will be hitting any available food source hard.  If you don’t have a food plot on your property locate any soft mast crops.  Deer will feed on soft mass crops if there is no other food source present. 

Also be aware of any new scrapes and rubs.  Some rubs that you may have noticed in the early season might have gone dormant, but during this time it is possible for them to have become active again.  Remember a good hunter is always aware of his/ her surroundings. 

Early Season and Pre-Rut Scouting

Scouting the early season takes place primarily in the month of September.  During this period hunters should start to notice rubs and scrapes that bucks are creating.  Rubs and scrapes are a telltale sign that there are bucks living in that area, or at least travelling through that area.  Once you find a scrape or a rub search the surrounding area for more scrapes and rubs.  If possible, try to find a rub/scrape line.  If you can locate this line, you will more than likely determine which route the buck is using to travel from bedding areas to food sources and vice versa. 

Once you have determined what you think is a travel route get your trail camera out and set it up.  Cameras are great because they allow you to see if there are in fact deer moving through that area.  Make sure your camera’s date and time are set correctly so you can see what time of the deer are travelling that particular route.  Let me tell you something, it is pretty exciting when you get a picture of a nice buck on trail camera!    

FREAK Friday!!

Picture taken from: http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/profile-ak-snc4/object2/681/3/n485674425710_199.jpg

When I think of big bucks, guys like this one are what I envision.  This dude is an absolute monster!!  With two drop tines and mass that carries through all the way to the tips of his antlers, he's bound for the Boone and Crockett scale.  I've always wanted to shoot a buck with drop tines.  Maybe this Iowa giant will find hisway south of the border and right past my stand...or not.  One can only dream!

Scouting - A Year Round Process

Most hunters think scouting takes place a few weeks before the season starts, but really it should be done all year long.  There are several different scouting seasons, and for the next few weeks I’d like to take you through those different seasons.  Today’s topic is pre-season scouting.  Pre-season scouting takes place in the summer months and lasts until approximately the middle of September.  During this period you should start locating travel corridors between food sources and bedding areas.  A good start for this would be to locate aerial pictures of your property, I happen to like Google Earth, but that’s just me.  Next, if you can get your hands on a topographic map, look for natural funnels that run through your property.  Deer like to travel at the lowest elevation possible, so locating these low spots will help narrow the areas that need physical scouting.  Once you have looked over your maps take to the woods and start recording notes of travel routes, old scrapes, and old rubs.  Mark these discoveries on your map, then go home and study the map.  Check to see if the rubs are in a general line, and check to see if all the trails converge on a central location.  Most of this can be done from the comfort of your own home, which is nice, and it keeps you from pressuring the deer in the woods.

Stay tuned next week for scouting the early season!

Scouting - Getting Started

Now that we have covered the basics of land management, I want to shift gears and turn our focus to scouting.  Scouting is essential for every hunter.  In fact it is a very critical factor in the equation of success.  Spending a few hours on your hunting property before the season opens can make all the difference.  Over the next couple of weeks I am going to provide some basic tips on how to scout and what signs to look for when scouting.  Maybe they will help turn your next hunt into a successful one!

FREAK Friday!

Today's freak is a little bit different from the two previous freaks... Go ahead and take a look.

This is Goliath, a monsterous whitetail buck with unbelievable sized antlers.  You may of noticed however, that he has an ear tag in his left ear, this is because he is a domestic deer.  Goliath was born and raised on a deer farm.  Although his rack would easily shatter the 333 7/8 inch Boone and Crockett record, it won't because he does not live in the wild.  It doesn't matter to me where he was born and raised, I am still in awe from seeing a deer with a rack this big.  To read the whole story about Goliath visit http://www.northamericanwhitetail.com/trophybucks/tr_1103goliath/