The Hunting Files

Boys Will Be Boys

Scent Attractants, Deer Lure, Doe-in-Heat…whatever you call them, hunters shell out tens of millions of dollars every year trying to find a miracle in a bottle.  There are some excellent “Doe-in- Heat” products out there and some that just separate you from your money.

Early in my whitetail learning curve I was like most guys…wait for the rut to start, buy several $15.00 bottles of “pure doe estrus”, soak it in cotton balls, hang it on a tree branch, and wait for the stampede of horny bucks to run in and meet the business end of my 25.06.  Let me say, I wish I had all that money back!  In 32+ years, there has been only 3 times that I know for a fact, this bottled love juice worked as advertised.

Am I suggesting not using any scents? Absolutely not, as everything has its time and place. So all you scent manufacturers  don’t need to write me.  You just need to use what works most the time (notice I said most) and gives your wallet a break. Here’s what I’ve learned.

Think back to your High School days. Young men full of testosterone and invincible, ready to whip the world.  Remember when a new kid moved into school? Like a stray dog in the neighborhood, there was always a lot of circling, posturing, and chest thumping. Normally this “new kid” got a lot of attention from the girls making the man-boys jealous. A whitetail buck acts the same when a “new” buck strays into his territory. Immediately, all the other bucks (man-boys) go on high alert trying to get a look at this trespasser and potential raider of their does.

I use this same “Boys will be Boys” philosophy when using scents. For years I have used only buck urine. I use it around my stand, and more importantly, make drag lines when entering my hunting area. I try and imitate an intruder buck in search of the local does. I especially like to circle a drag line around a fresh scrape, and even better, make your own mock scrape to really enrage the locals.  There is an established pecking order and the dominant buck isn’t going to take kindly to someone else coming into “his” territory.

I have been using this technique for years and my success rate/sightings have increased significantly.  When I harvest a buck, I save the urine and tarsal glands and will swap it with some of my hunting buddies who hunt at opposite ends of the county and different parts of the state. Store the urine in the refrigerator, and if need be, the tarsal glands can be frozen from year to year.  Let that testosterone work to your advantage….it can be rewarding being the “new kid on the block”

Happy Hunting

Mark

www.sportsmanscondo.com

Abracadabra Whitetails

June 12, 2008………As I have said before, I’ve got a great job. I get to talk “Whitetails” with Hunters from all over North America. I love to hear their stories whether they are successful, have close encounters, or suffer from pure frustration.

The stories I really find intriguing are the “get away” tales.  How Odocoileus Virgianus…or as I call him, Mr. Nocturnal Disapperous, can flat out vanish.

Like the story about the one who only travels in drainage ditches to stay below the line of sight, or the one who swims out into a beaver pond and submerges so just his nose is above water (his antlers gave him away).

How about the buck who belly crawled through knee high CRP and slips past eight hunters who have the field “surrounded”. I can almost picture them (the hunters) yelling “Come out with your hooves up”……….not this time chumps!

Have you ever had one walk behind a tree and never come out the other side? I have…maybe a hollow tree? How about one standing by your truck or atv as you exit the woods with an “I’ve got you patterned” look on his face.

Once while flying a small plane in 1983 I was on final approach to a small country airport in Mississippi. I glanced down and spotted 7 mature bucks bedded in a soybean field. By the time I did a quick 180 degree turn….the biggest of those bucks had already “crawled” underneath the soybeans to hide. By the time I made the second circle around them, they were almost impossible to see.

There is the old buck who camps out (beds) inside an abandoned barn, or the ones who swim a swift moving river or a mile wide lake. How about the one that spent all gun season perched on top of a muskrat house in the middle of a cattail swamp in the upper Midwest?

Resembling great magicians…they are masters of illusion, poof……they are gone!  Makes me think that maybe Houdini was part Whitetail! You gotta love it !

Good Hunting.

Mark

www.sportsmanscondo.com

Kid-Friendly Hunting Books are Field-Tested and Approved!

Kampp Tales Outdoor Adventures Earn North America Hunting Club’s Seal Of Approval!

Nashville, Tennessee: Do-All Outdoors (www.doalloutdoors.com) is proud to announce that the first two titles their series of Kampp Tales™ Outdoor Adventures children’s books have earned the respected Seal Of Approval from the North American Hunting Club (775,000 members strong).

The series of books are written by outdoor writer JJ Reich and illustrated by artist Johnathan Kuehl. The books are intended for families to share their passion for hunting with children. More than 1,300 books were sent to randomly-selected subscribers of North American Hunter magazine for evaluation.

Deer Dad is a hardcover, 32-page picture book that teaches readers facts about white-tailed deer and sparks an interest in hunting. The large-format book is intended for kids aged 3-7. Each page features short amounts of text paired with colorful graphics. NAHC members gave the book a 94% approval rating!

“My children were captivated by Deer Dad. The graphics caught their attention and the story was cute, clever, funny and educational.” – THOMAS MILAS, BEAVER FALLS, PA.

“Deer Dad is an excellent book for young children and is a wonderful teaching tool. It’s informative, yet short and to the point. My kids just love it.” – RYAN PYLE, KOKOMO, IN

Snort, Wheeze, Rattle & Grunt is a 64-page, illustrated chapter book that can be read to kids, yet is perfect for young readers aged 8 to 11. The story describes what a day of bow hunting for whitetails might be like, while touching on safety, techniques and family fun. The humorous, ethical and educational hardcover book is organized into 6 easy-to-read chapters. NAHC members gave this book a 97% approval rating!

“I gave this book to my 9-year-old son. He sat and read the book from cover to cover and loved it. The quality, appearance, and entertainment value are all excellent.” – EDWARD GOLLWITZER, CHEEKTOWAGA, NY.

“I think this book provides a good forum to jumpstart conversations about hunting, ethics, safety and responsibility in a language and format appropriate for children. It’s well-written, easy-to-read and fun.”– BRIAN IDSTROM, BILLINGS, MT

For more information, contact: Author, JJ Reich, at Kampptales@comcast.net; www.kampptales.com

Bullwinkle Was Almost Mine!

Before you start thinking moose, what I call Bullwinkle is a whitetail deer that has a set of antlers on it like a moose.  Anyway, I had gone down into a little hollow where 3 small hollows converged into 1.  I had only deer hunted once down in there once before, seeing nothing but turkeys.  I hadn't been seeing any deer in any of my usual spots, so I thought this place was just as good as any.  Since I really didn't know where I was going to hunt, I had decided to just sit on the ground and not worry with a tree stand.  It was our rifle season and I had a Stainless and Camo Thompson/Center Encore rifle in .223 Rem.  The rifle had been my step-dad's.  He had just recently passed away and I really wanted to get a deer with the rifle since he had really liked that little gun.  For deer, it's on the light side, but I don't care what it is, you put a whole through both lungs and the deer is going down!

I picked out a tree on the side of a hill where I could see pretty well if anything came up into or out of the two small points or the opposite hill.  After sitting there a little while and listening to all of the squirrels (guess I didn't quite thin them out enough during squirrel season prior to this), I kept hearing something in the leaves that didn't sound exactly like a squirrel.  Looking over to my right, I could start to make out the head of a doe coming down one of the points.  She was still in a bunch of thick stuff, so there wasn't any way that I could shoot just yet.  Normally, I like neck shots on deer because it ruins less meat and they anchor the deer right there.  I knew though with the .223 that a neck shot was pretty much out of the question.  I didn't figure the little 55 grain bullet had enough "uumph" behind it to do what I needed it to do to the neck.  I had a good shot at the doe's neck, but had to wait until she stepped out a little more so that I could have a broad-side shot at her lungs.  She stood there for a little while and picked around, but just as soon as she started moving again, she must have caught just enough of my scent to make her stop.  With the way that the hills are down in there, the wind swirls, making it difficult to hunt the area unless there's gale-force winds!  The doe quietly just turned around and went dead away from me, not offering a shot.  CRAP!

After sitting there about a half hour longer, I heard something running behind me, but it was coming around to my left.  I stood up to get a better view and saw that it was a coyote.  OH BOY!!!  With the way the coyote was running, and the lay of the land, I would see him for just a second and then he would drop down out of sight.  I started grunting and whistling trying to get him to stop, which he never did.  CRAP!

I sat back down and thought of a bleat can I had.  I flipped the can a couple of times, in hopes that the coyote would come back.  All the sudden on the opposite hill, here came Bullwinkle down the hill at a trot!  OH CRAP!!  He hit the bottom of the hill and stopped, just as I shouldered the rifle.  I could see his left ear and that half of his rack.  It was tall, thick, and extended 2-3" out past his ear.  I thought, "Come out past that tree just a bit and you're mine!"  No such luck!  Just as quickly as he had came down the hill, back up he went, only this time he was angling away from me.  I layed down, throwing my pack in front and resting the rifle on it.  I watched him through the scope going away, hoping that he would stop and give me a shot.  No such luck.  I lost sight of him as he hit the top of the hill.  CRAP!  CRAP!  CRAP!!!!!

I flipped the bleat can a few more times and grunted on the call a few times, hoping that he would come back to check it out.  He never did.  But, it's like they say, he didn't get that big by being stupid!  LOL!  That was the last time I saw him.  I made 8 more trips out in and around the area, but he wasn't to be seen.  To my knowledge no one down there has gotten him, so maybe he and I will tangle again next year.  I'm going to stick to the ridges and hill tops to help control my scent though.

So that's the story of me almost getting Bullwinkle.  I didn't get a deer, but I still had fun that day, as irritating as it was!  LOL!!!

Big58cal

Silly Whitetails.....Decoys are for kids

I think everyone will agree the future of our sport is the "utes" (see the movie "My Cousin Vinny") of this country. Getting kids involved and keeping them interested in hunting can be a real challenge. I know a lot of anxious fathers cannot wait for "Jr" to reach that age when they can go with them on a hunt. These guys are so excited they actually sap the fun out of the experience.

I have a friend John (name changed to protect me!) who could not wait for his son to be old enough to join him in the field. On Jr.’s first hunt, an excited John hauled his son (7) out of bed at 4am on a very cold, windy morning. They stumbled through the dark (and scary) woods for 30 minutes and climbed into a two-person ladder stand for almost 4 hours. Needless to say, it was difficult for Jr to sit that long with cold feet, an empty stomach, and his father fussing at him every few minutes to be still. To this day, John cannot understand why Jr. does not want to venture along again.

Remember, kids growing up these days have more entertainment and recreational opportunities than we did while growing up. Skate boards, video games, I-pods, My-Space, text messaging, soccer, etc. are all competing with hunting for your kid’s entertainment activities. And the worst part is most of these other forms of entertainment give instant feedback.... unlike sitting in a freezing cold deer stand all morning and not seeing an animal.

I think if we make the sport a relaxing, enjoyable experience, we can keep the kids interested. I'll give you an example. I am blessed with three girls. Believe it or not, there was actually a time before shopping, driver's licenses, cars, and boyfriends, that they actually liked spending time with me. I would take them on an afternoon hunt to one of the Sportsman's Condos on the property. I would pack them a snack, let them bring their Game Boys (set on silent!) and would have a set of binoculars for each of them. I planned our afternoon hunts to arrive about 1 hour before dark. They were comfortable and entertained. When a squirrel or a Redbird would appear, they stopped playing their Game Boys and we looked through the binoculars and we talked about what we saw. They would ask questions about where it came from, where it lived, what it ate, etc. Lots of times I would see an animal and not say anything.....you should have heard the excitement when they spotted it before Dad did!

But my biggest secret was using a deer decoy. I would put it out in the field 50 yards or so in front of us and run a fishing line to the cloth tail I had made. When a deer stepped out into the field, I would let them take turns twitching the fishing line to make the tail move. I designated the "non-tail wagger" to be the scout and give us a description of what the "live" deer was doing. At the supper table that night they would give their mother a recap of the afternoon events. I have some great memories of the time spent together before the "Dad I need $20 for gas" years.

Bottom line? Don't rush them, and make it fun.

And by-the-way.....silly whitetails.........decoys are for kids.

Mark Bernegger

www.sportsmanscondo.com

He Couldn't Kill A Buck If It Was Tied To A Tree

I was talking with a friend at the office one day about her husband's recent hunting trip.  He's a great hunter and has been pretty successful over the years, which makes his story even more funny.  She and I both got a big kick out of it.......

He and some friends spent a few days hunting in Illinois on a spot that was bow only.   On his last afternoon, a  nice 8 pt walks out on him.  He calmly draws and places a nice shot near the kill zone.   Should be the end of the story, right...... nope, when he gets to the buck, it's not totally down.  Having nothing else with him, and not wanting to risk losing what he had waited so long for, he pops it with another arrow.  Down, right?  Nope, it's still got some kick left.  Amazingly, he ends up having to put his third and final arrow into it.  Finally success - he's down and out!

Due to the size of the buck (weighing in at 198 lbs, as he later found out),  he decided to leave and try to enlist the help of his friends for the retrieval.  However, he's worried about leaving because by the time the hail of arrows was over, the buck ended up lying on a grade that dropped off into a ravine.   He thinks, "If this thing ends up down there for some reason, I'll never get it out!  AAhhh wait ..... I'll just use my drag rope and secure him to this tree.  Even if he's got some kick left in him, he'll be fine until I get back".   

Now imagine the return.......

He's been bragging to his buddies about his hunting prowess and what a good buck he has down..........

They all near the spot and there it is......

A nice healthy 8 pt buck.........

TIED TO  A TREE WITH THREE ARROWS STICKING OUT OF IT!   

No doubt, he'll go to his grave with "fair chase" jokes thrown his way.

Gut Piles     www.gutpilestyle.com

Children’s Books About Hunting!

People often ask me how I got the idea for writing hunting-related children’s books. Well, it is quite simple – Over the last four years, I’ve been writing product reviews on hunting and fishing gear for magazines such as North American Hunter, North American Fisherman and NWTF Turkey Call.

To do this, I work closely with manufacturers of hunting and fishing gear. One common theme I most often hear most when talking to folks in the hunting and fishing industries is the importance of getting the younger generation started and involved with outdoor sports.

In response, I developed and created Kampp Tales™ books to inform and entertain youngsters while generating a hunger and curiosity for the great outdoors. I believe strongly that getting young people excited about hunting and fishing is a step in the right direction in preserving outdoor sporting traditions, the environment around us, and the wild animals we all love!

Kampp Tales™ Outdoor Adventures entertain children through humorous books that teach safety, hunting techniques, animal facts and respect for wildlife. The hardcover books are published and distributed by Do-All Outdoors LLC.

I am proud to announce the release of the brand new Kampp Tales™ Web site!

Here you can:

• View the Kampp Tales™ animated TV commercial!
• Listen to the Kampp Tales™ theme song!
• Download the FREE Kampp family E-book!
• Learn how YOU can earn a FREE set of books.
• And, Learn all about Kampp Tales™ hunting books for kids!

Check out the NEW site at: www.kampptales.com

Appreciatively,

JJ Reich

 

Back Off

I have a great job. I get to talk "Deer" to hundreds of hunters from across North America all year long. The kind of hunters who think about deer 24/7, guys whose Wives and Girlfriends think they are nuts. My kind of guys.

While talking to these fanatics, one conversation almost always comes up...."I buy quality seed, run soil tests, and fertilize, my food-plots are a thing of beauty, like something from a magazine, however, all I see are does and small bucks.

My advice to them? "Back Off!"

By "Back Off", I mean move those Box Blinds, Ladder and Loc-On Stands back off the food plot. The biggest mistake I see hunters make is to set their stand right "on top" of their food plots. Move those blinds and stands 10-100 yards off the plot, preferably on the downwind side. Brush in around your blinds/stands to help them blend in with the surroundings. I know one very successful hunter who actually builds "Camo Walls" leading to and from his blinds. By doing this he does not spook or educate the deer to the blind location.

Another consideration is when hunting food plots, try to only hunt them once a week, and only during the afternoon hours. Morning hunts tend to run deer off the plots. A food plot should be a place for deer to feed, and feel safe. A relaxed deer is a dead deer!

So the next time you visit your hunting property, go to the center of the food plot and see how you can "Back Off". This will lead to more deer and bigger bucks.

-Coming next- Using Decoys for Doe Management

www.sportsmanscondo.com

Whitetail Spicoli Bucks?

I read an article recently about complaints of a deer acting strangely.  Apparently it was attacking people, going into shops and sleeping in the road.  When the authorities went in search of the deer, they stumbled upon what was likely the problem...... a pot patch being harvested.   

I've never heard of anything similar to this before, so I don't know whether to take it as truth or not.  Some say this remote "farming" is becoming more and more common on public  lands.  Although I've only found the remnants of one patch while hunting over the years, it did show the possibility of Spicoli bucks.   The  local boys must have had some experience....... they placed woven wire around their entire crop.      

Who knows - maybe these new age farmers could be on to something.  We've used everything thing else under the sun to lure in the big bucks.  Doe scent......corn.....apples.....etc, etc.  Maybe the next step in marketing will include special brownies and an electronic caller with.........

http://www.the-earchives.com/scripts/download.asp?id=513    

GutPiles

http://www.gutpilestyle.com  Stop by and say hello!

Deer Hunting with my Nephew

This past fall (2006), I had both my brother ask me if I would take his son hunting with me.  My brother hunts, and usually takes him, but this past fall he wasn't able to.  My brother is in the military (nearing retirement), and was deployed over to Africa for the better part of the year.  He wasn't able to take Alex (his son) hunting with him, so he asked if I would.  No problem!

Alex came in for our general rifle season, but since only his dad had the combination to the safe, it was up to me to outfit him with whatever he needed.  When packing stuff for the weekend trip, whatever I was taking, I had to pack an extra for Alex.  Gun, ammo, binoculars, camo, socks, insulated underwear, boots.......................  The back of my truck was LOADED!  We get down to the land, and after getting the truck unloaded, went to shoot the guns.  After making sure that the scope was set for Alex's eyes, and that he was able to actually hit something with it, I gave him a couple extra boxes of cartridges and told him to have fun, while I went off and did other things.

The next morning (opening morning), of course, it was raining.  Not wanting Alex to get wet, I put him in a little 4x8 shooting shack that we have built, while I went off to hunt another area.  Before I left him, I told him where the deer would probably come from, so on and so forth, and told him about what time I would be back to get him.  Before leaving though, I told him, "Alex, whatever you do, STAY IN THE SHACK!  If you shoot one, just stay here.  I'll hear you shoot and I'll come over."  This was only the second time Alex had been deer hunting (he had squirrel hunted quite a bit in the past though), so he didn't know how to track one, and I didn't want him to destroy any sign that was there, especially with it raining.  Alex was 17, but still green when it came to deer hunting.

I went over to my spot, put on the rain gear, and flipped the hood up.  It was still raining, but it was a drizzle, just enough to be aggrivating.  Several years ago, I started hunting mainly from the ground, so this area was no different.  During our early muzzleloading season, I had seen a really nice buck (beams out past his ears, and tall tines), but hadn't been able to get a shot.  I was hoping that this buck would show back up that morning.  The previous fall I had gotten a .444 Marlin rifle, so this was what I had (a little overkill for deer, but I still wanted to take it), while Alex had one of my .270 Win rifles.  Just a little after daylight, I looked to my left and saw a buck coming up to the hill straight toward me FAST!  With the leaves being wet, and the wind blowing, I hadn't seen the deer until he was about 20-25 yards away.  I could see multiple points, and the rack was tall, so I assumed that it was the deer I was after.  When his head went behind a tree, about 20 feet in front of me, I shouldered the rifle.  When his side cleared the tree and the crosshairs of the scope hit his shoulder, I touched the trigger.  At the shot, the deer jumped in the air, almost turning a flip, and started running down the bench just below me.  He made it about 30 yards and piled up.  After watching the deer hit the ground, I decided just to stay there a little longer since it was still early, hoping to see if anything else came by, so that I bring Alex up there the next day if he didn't get anything.  After about 5 minutes, it started raining harder, and the wind started picking up.  That was enough for me!!  I packed my stuff, and headed to the deer.  Once I was there, I found out that the deer wasn't exactly the one that I had thought he was.  It was an 8 pt, but had a narrow spread.  Oh well, it's still a good deer, and it all eats the same.  I drug the deer to the edge of the food plot, I walked out to get the 4 wheeler, field dressed the deer, and headed back to the house.  I was back at my mother's house, drinking a cup of coffee by 8:00 AM.  While I was in there talking to my mother and step-dad, my brother called from Africa.  As I was talking to him, I heard a shot go off from up on the hill, in the general direction Alex was at.  I tell my brother this, and tell him, "OK, I better go check on him."  Since my 4 wheeler has a deer on it, I go over to the barn and get my brother's 4 wheeler and ride up on the hill to the shack.

I drove slowly and quietly up to the shack, and stopped right beside it.  Inside, Alex has a big grin on his face, and his whole body is shaking!  HaHaHa!  "Did you shoot?"  "Yeah"  "Was it a buck?"  "Yep"  "Pretty good one?"  "Yeah"  "Which way did he go?"  "Over the hill that way.  Uncle Mark, can I get out of here now??"  Poor guy was tore up!  He came out of the shack, and took me to where the deer had been standing when he shot.  There was hair there and a few drops of blood.  On further, there was a really good blood trail, so I figured that the deer wasn't very far away.  Alex wasn't following the blood trail, but was wanting to go to the last place he had seen the deer.  I kept having to pull him back, showing him different things about the trail, and how to follow it.  It was worse than trying to pull a coon dog back off a hot trail!!!  We topped over the hill, and there layed his deer.  He had made a good lung shot, with the deer having traveled maybe 50 yards.  Counting the points, it was a basket-racked 7 pt.  Alex was looking at the deer and said, "Well, I got dad a deer."  I told him, "B.S.!  Man, that's YOUR deer!"  I put Alex to dragging the deer down the hill to another road where I could get the 4 wheeler to it, while I went back down to the house to see if my brother was still on the phone.  He was, so I told him everything that had happened.  He was tickled to death!

Once I got up to where Alex was, I cleaned some of the blood off of the deer, and posed him with the deer for pictures.  After the pictures, I walked him through field dressing the critter.  We got it loaded, and down to the barn and hung up, as well as hanging mine.  Not too bad for getting everything done by 10:00 AM.

Alex and his step-mother had to fly back home the next day, so I got stuck not only processing my deer, but his as well.  Since Alex really liked the deer, I took pains skinning it, and took the hide to the taxidermist to have them tan it for him for his Christmas present.  I also took the antlers, mounted them on a plaque, drilled a hole in the side of the empty cartridge case, and mounted it on the plaque as well.  I was able to give him the mounted antlers for Christmas, along with a picture of the hide, and a picture of the front of the taxidermy shop, since the hide won't be done until this fall.

It was a good weekend, one that I'll probably remember for the rest of my life.  My son is only 5 now, but in a few years he'll be right there with me hunting.  Until then, the one thing that I'll remember about the whole weekend will be, "Uncle Mark, can I get out of here now!"

Big58cal