cam update

Got a few pics on the cam to share. Got four different bucks showing up so far. None are really that big but fun to watch grow.

So I like to grow things....

There is a lot more to deer hunting than just taking a weapon out and shooting something. Yes, some people do that and that is ok (if they practice a bunch first). BUT for me it is a 365 day obsession that seems to grow more every year. There is:

Practicing with my bow and gun.
Year round scouting - bino's and cams.
Tree stand placments and trimming.
Ground blinds to set up and build.
Coyotes to shoot.
Path to stand sites to clear.
and.... food plots.

The following pics are of my Biologic clover/chickory plot that is just under 1/2 acre.

A couple visitors. The coyote shows its face it will be ventilated. Two nice bucks and I look forward to seeing what they become throughout the Summer.

Turkeys + bass = memories

Well, last week finally the weather broke and we had a few good sunny days.

Last Friday I went with Andy Roberts to one of his "honey holes". We got to the woods before daylight hoping to hear some turkeys gobbling on the roost. Turkey are pretty hard to hunt when silent. They end up seeing you and bust out of the area. Well, no gobblers were gobbling so we decided to set up on a small finger of woods sticking out into the field. We put out a few decoys. Turkeys are a very visual bird and sometimes seeing a decoy is all it takes.... case and point - this hunt.

After watching several deer pass us by we were beginning to wonder if any birds would come out. After several series of soft-calling on my slate, Andy whispers, "Tom coming!!"  I hit the call and his head turns and locks in on the decs. He comes straight to the decoys and never made a sound or strutted. Andy shoots him at 25 yards. It wieghed 23 pounds, had a 10 inch beard, and 28mm spurs. His first turkey was a nice one.

Now the fishing. Rachel, Luke and I went to a private pond on Saturday. We caught about 100 bass. Luke caught two on one lure - one bass on each treble hook. That is the 3rd time he has done that in his young life. I have NEVER done it. Rachel became a master fishing a floating 4" Rapala. What a great day. We kept 20 for eating. I am not a bass fan but these were pretty good and the pond owner asked us to remove them. Here are some pics:



Huntin' Camp

I remember growing up, I was able to go to my uncles huntin camp. It wasn't very big as it was an old one room school house converted to a place where memories were made. I think my uncles owned just a acre or so the camp was on but it was beside hundreds of thousands of acres owned by a paper company and with a cheap permit you could hunt all of it. Camp had electricity, a kitchen, bunks, and a john out back - all you need it seemed. I can still smell the mountains in the Fall, the musty cabin, and bacon in the morning as Uncle Larry made breakfast. I remember the truck ride to our spots, the old logging road I hunted, and all the camp-isms I can't write about. I never got a shot at a deer - but it never mattered. It was about the experience, time with my dad, and family/friends. My only regret is not doing it more, which I am sure would have led me to regretting not doing it even more.

This past week Luke and I went to southern Indiana on the youth turkey hunt. We went to huntin camp. We had the honor of spending time with a group of guys and their sons/grandsons at camp. Thanks Bill and Joe for having the youth hunt again and sharing your place and more importantly your passion for all things outdoors. Thanks for helping me invest into my son the outdoor experience. I wish you could have seen Luke's eyes when I asked him if he wanted to go - priceless. Thanks Bill for letting the boys shoot and blow things up while you helped them with form and safety and all the food you prepared. While everyone else slept you peeled potatoes, got breakfast going, and stayed up late getting things ready for the next day. Thanks Joe for the taxi across the flooded tundra, setting up the blinds, and sharing your knowledge of where to go. Although your grandson was there as well, a visitor could not have picked out yours because you treated each kid as honored guests.

We got no shot at a turkey. We did have a hen walk within 5 yards of us in the morning. Two bucks in front at 15 yards and four behind us in the afternoon. Here is a picture looking out out blind at our set up. Notice the truck tracks - the hen walked down them.

Here are the fearless hunters. Luke decied we needed face paint.



The field we were hunting.

Luke is ready for the shot. Notice my redneck bi-pod.  Don't laugh it works great and cost me .75 cents. All I need to do now is camo it.

Some of Bill's cooking skills. We had deer, hog, rabbits and squirrel. It was awesome!!

The dining/picture/lying room.

The shooting tower and/or deer hanging-skinning tower.

We left home with the hopes of a successful hunt. We achieved that and even more - all without a bird. We went to huntin camp.

Luke's first 2011 bass and the "Mamba"

Luke and I went out fishing for a little bit tonight. The water was still pretty cold AND muddy but it was too nice not to go. I caught 5 crappie(one 11 incher) and 1 stinky shad. Luke caught 4-5 little bass, including the one pictured below:

I have also pulled out the ole recurve a couple weeks ago and have been trying to shoot 3-5 times a week. I got this bow back in 1993 and have not shot it very much since 1997. I have taken a few deer with it and that is what I hope to do this Fall. It is a Martin Mamba and is 58" long. It is made for 55 pound pull at 28" draw. I shoot almost a 30" draw. For every extra inch you pull past the designated 28" you add 2 1/2 pounds. So when I shoot it I pull back almost 60 pounds. Here are a couple shots of the beauty:

Here are my shoots tonight from 15 yards. What a great stress reliever.

Clover plot

The following pictures are of our clover plot. Imagine a field over 1/2 an acre and you will understand what it looks like. This clover plot is Biologic New Zealand and has chicory in it as well. The clover plot usually green up pretty quick giving  the deer and turkeys some great forage through the Fall. I think it has around 30% protein which is great for nursing does and buck antler development. The clover will do well as long as it has enough moisture, which usually doesn't happen in July and August sometimes. It can dry out and then a good rain will make it rebound pretty nicely. I usually get hundreds of pictures in the Spring of deer and turkeys.

Here are a few pictures of some recent visitors.



Now I would like to see some turkeys pretty soon.

Antler lesson...

After having a conversation with the wifey a month or so ago I decide there are misconceptions about a deers antlers.

They do not keep them for life. Every Jan-March the bucks will loose their antlers and begin growing new ones in the Spring. There are 3 basic things that enable good antler growth:

 a. Age - most deer killed every year are about 1 1/2 years old. The HUGE deer you see with
 big racks are usually 4 1/2 years or older. What happens with bucks is that alot of the
 calcium used early in life is for the skeletal system and by age 4 that is mostly done.
 Therefore, after age 4 you will see dramatic increases in antler growth. That it why I
 don't shoot younger bucks - but that is just me. Who knows how big all those 1 1/2 year
 olds would have been? Best buck management is not to pull the trigger.

 b. Nutrition - If a deer doesn't have the nutrition in needs to sustain good antler growth or milk
 needed for fawns in the Spring the deer will not reach its full potential. You would
 think that Indina with all its farming would be an easy place for deer to live and
 reach its full potential - not totally true. Although they do have beans/corn it is
 usually harvested and gone. That leaves Nov - March with forage that is
 sometimes lacking.  Deer survive pretty well, but to have a plan that supplies
 365 days of nutrition is needed to help them reach all they can be. Supliments can
 can help too. Not rock salt - deer are different than cattle. But make sure you
 don't hunt over it - a boo boo according to the regs.

 c. Genetics - Letting a buck get older and giving it all it needs for antler mass is all good BUT
 a deer can only reach its full pontential with how it is genetically programed. An
 eight pointer will usually only be an 8.....

Nothing we can do about genetics really, unless you have tons of acreage and take out some bucks that
lack what you want. But we can give them year round nutrition and let them walk and get older. Most people can't do that - to each their own. If I am taking out a new hunter and he has a shot a any deer, he/she has the green light. For me - I would rather shoot does than a small buck. Sometimes those old does are harder anyway.

There is more that I may post later.