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/