Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2018 i Deer & Deer Hunting

Make no mistake about: Deer have changed the ecological sustainability of our North American woodlands. Whitetails are selective browsers, meaning they target those portions of a plant that provide optimum nutrition. In woodland settings, this means new-growth buds and shoots from native plants, shrubs and tree species. The impact is worse in regions along the deer-rich Mississippi corridor where understories are overgrown with highly invasive nonnative plants, trees and shrubs. Oak and hickory forests are being choked out by kudzu, Japanese honeysuckle and barberry, glossy and common buckthorn, Russian and autumn olive and multiflora rose, to name a few. Decades of deer overabundance — and the subsequent overbrowsing of preferred woody species (oak, maple, aspen, etc.) — have led to the proliferation of these invasive understories and what foresters call…

DDH TV  Upcoming Episodes of Deer and Deer Hunting-TV on Pursuit Channel December 30: “Target That Buck” Can you really target a certain buck? January 6: “Plan for Success” Mark Kayser hunts Montana for mule deer and whitetails. January 13: “Bucket List” Gordy Krahn tackles a tough bucket list deer hunt. January 20: “Remodeling the Deer Woods” Steve Bartylla provides budget habitat improvement tips. January 27: “TC in Texas” Dan Schmidt takes his Thompson/Center to Texas for a tour of big bucks. February 3: “Have Patience” A windy Kansas bowhunt tests Mark Kayser’s patience to the max. February 10: “Feels Like Home” Dan Schmidt enjoys the hospitality and hunting at the Patterson Ranch in Texas. February 17: “Ladies, Food and Safety” How…

Deer need protein and minerals to maintain health and fight diseases. Protein helps bucks grow and minerals, of course, help spur antler growth during the summer. Likewise, does use both during pregnancy and afterward when they’re nursing fawns. Soybeans are one of the most protein-packed plants that deer love. No argument there, of course. Just look at the agricultural areas where soybeans are grown each year. You’ll find healthy deer and, usually, some awesome bucks. Whether it’s a farmer with acres of soybeans or your favorite food plots planted with a forage blend, they’re among the top food sources for white-tailed deer. Real World Wildlife Products has used in-field, hands-on research to create top soybeans and soy products. Co-owners and longtime hunters Kevin Boyer and Don Higgins, along with their…

With over 25 years of highly successful consulting and hands-on management experience in habitat and deer management, Steve Bartylla is proud to announce the release of his new hardcover, full-color book, “White-tailed Deer Management and Habitat Improvement” — with intricate details on setting up plans for various goals, habitat types and acreages, as well as step-by-step instructions for performing a long list of habitat improvements. Add in specifics for how to hunt managed grounds most effectively and basic deer management land managers can perform if they so choose, and it becomes a must have for anyone wanting to improve their habitat and success hunting it. Copies can be purchased at www.ShopDeerHunting.com, or an autographed copy can be purchased at www.food-plots-for-deer.com…

I own several rifles that will reach into the next time zone, but I seldom use them because I seldom shoot at deer beyond 200 yards. My type of hunting is better suited to a mid-range rifle that includes a Ruger M77 in 6.5x55 Swedish, a Remington 700 BDL in 7mm-08 Rem., and a Browning A-Bolt in .25-06 Rem. When hunting from the ground, even those might be a bit much. Almost every deer I see in those environments are well within 100 yards. That’s when I prefer a fast-handling Marlin lever-action rifle chambered in .35 Rem. I often hunt deer from ground blinds with a handgun chambered in .41 Rem. Mag., and was delighted when Henry Rifles introduced its Big Boy lever gun in .41 Mag. this past year.…

I began shed hunting at the tail end of “the good old days,” when few people looked for antlers and you could find a lot of them. Nowadays, on public land at least, you’ve got to work twice as hard to find sheds before everyone else does. There are a lot of guys out there with a basic understanding of how to find sheds. But if you want to increase your shed hunting productivity, check out these five down and dirty tips. NO. 5: HIGH ON THE SOUTH, LOW ON THE NORTH For years, in my book and during my shed hunting talks, I’ve preached about looking for antlers on the southern exposure of a hill or forest edge. These areas get the most direct sunlight. Deer bed there to…

If you’re already thinking about putting more venison in the freezer next season, start planning now with the “Deer & Deer Hunting Whitetails 2018 Wall Calendar.” The calendar features the work of deer researcher Charles Alsheimer, with information about his 2018 whitetail rut predictions based on years of lunar-cycle research. The highly accurate method pinpoints the days during autumn when deer will be seeking and chasing, so you can time the peak days for your hunt. It is simple to reference and use, giving you a leg up when planning hunting trips months in advance. Visit www.ShopDeerHunting.com  and search for SKU R6382…

“Ethical behavior is doing the right thing when no one is watching, even when doing the wrong thing is legal.” — Aldo Leopold I read somewhere that for a sound mind and body, hobbies or pastimes are a necessary part of life. Maybe so, but unlike those who exclusively play sports such as tennis or golf, those who hunt are often confronted by circumstances that require them to make profound decisions. How they decide might be perfectly ethical, but sadly, illegal. Conversely that which is legal might be morally devoid of any compassion or reason. If you’re still reading this piece, and I hope you are, ask yourself what choices you would have made when confronted with the same situation once faced by a “friend of mine.” OPENING…

White-tailed deer hunting has evolved over the years in a multitude of ways: our tools, goals and strategies for hunting are far different today than they were 30 years ago. The advent of game cameras and their rapid growth in popularity has been a major contributor to this evolution. Hunters today have the ability to peek into the deer woods without disturbing their quarry. They can gather information on movement patterns, feeding times and herd quality with minimal effort. As a result, deer hunters today have a much greater understanding of the activity and behavior of deer in their areas, and that translates into greater success when hunting. However, it’s important to understand the limits of this knowledge, and that having a few pictures of a deer might mislead you…

Drug company execs are nervous. That’s because the greatest health advance in decades has hit the streets. And analysts expect it to put a huge crimp in “Big Pharma” profits. So what’s all the fuss about? It’s about a new ingredient that’s changing the lives of people who use it. Some call it “the greatest discovery since penicillin”! The name of the product is the AloeCure. It’s not a drug. It’s something completely different. And the product is available to anyone who wants it, at a reasonable price. But demands may force future prices to rise. TOP DOC WARNS: DIGESTION DRUGS CAN CRIPPLE YOU! Company spokesperson, Dr. Liza Leal; a leading integrative health specialist recommends AloeCure before she decides to prescribe any digestion drug. Especially after the FDA’s stern warning…

Still have the itch for some deer hunting, even if your season is over? Don’t worry, because you can find a variety of great videos to watch anytime at www.deeranddeerhunting.com or youtube.com/DDHONLINE. This includes Deer & Deer Hunting- TV with Dan Schmidt, Gordy Krahn, Mark Kayser and Steve Barytlla, along with other great shows such as Land of Whitetail, Destination Whitetail, the D+DH Innovation Zone, Deer Talk Now, Fit 2 Kill with Brittany Jill and more. Hunting, strategy, tips, gear and other topics are all on the table to help you get through the off-season. Be sure to watch Saturday Night Deer Camp on Pursuit Channel, too, at 10 p.m. ET each week. SHOP DEER HUNTING.COM 'Guide to Better Bowhunting' If you’re wondering what happened during bow season to leave…

Whenever you’re around horses, it’s important to be slow and deliberate in your movements. Even the best of them will spook at sudden movements, noises or something unfamiliar. Horses are somewhat far-sighted, which means they see things well at a distance, but don’t see objects as well when they are close. So whenever you are near a horse, speak softly, whistle or sing so it knows where you are and that you are not suddenly “coming up on it!” When haltering, grooming, saddling or caring for a horse, always work from the left side first. Horses are creatures of habit and trainers teach them to expect activities first from the left, then the right side. If you must cross in front of a tethered horse, do not duck under the…

The D8 dozer was cranked up and I sat in my truck watching it pluck cedar trees like they were annoying weeds. I hate to admit it, but I am a bit of a “tree hugger.” Not the kind you might be thinking of, but living in farm country in Iowa, there are places where trees are a premium, and in particular the red cedars on this farm had held many a deer during the harsh winter weather. But the cedars had grown numerous and I determined that there was plenty of thermal and escape cover, and over the years I’d developed a bigger need for food plot acres. So I watched the dozer clear a healthy sized 4-acre field. As the operator pulled out of the gate with a…

Regardless of whether you are trying to maintain deer numbers or desperately need to drop them, I’ve come up with a ranking of which does I place the highest priority on tagging. Sure, you need to maintain healthy deer numbers for your long-term habitat health, but why not do it in a manner that helps you achieve other goals, too. Two common, primary goals are keeping impact low and getting bucks to spend more time on your grounds. It’s hard to overstate the value of either. By targeting does in the following priority, if you really think about it, you can see how this helps accomplish both, while reducing deer numbers. The top priority is removing does from the groups that are what I call fence jumpers. In this case,…

The off-season is the time to plan a hunt for early season bucks that might still be in velvet. Wyoming is one of the top destinations to achieve this bucket-list hunt. Application deadlines vary depending upon where you hunt, but the enrollment period is generally between January 3 and May 31. Trophy Ridge Outfitters is located in Crook County and specializes in early bowhunts for both whitetails and pronghorns. Although hunters can expect to see lots of deer while hunting and traveling the countryside, mature whitetail activity is predicated on the weather. Recent seasons have been warm and dry, making hunts near water sources and bedding areas especially productive during mornings and evenings. Racks on mature bucks range from 130 to 160 gross inches (Pope and Young). Trophy Ridge reports…

“Gut It, Cut It, Cook It,” is one of several great venison cookbooks available at www.ShopDeerHunting.com, with tips and recipes for your hard-earned venison. It includes instruction on proper field dressing and butchering and storing and preparing your venison. In this info-packed book you’ll find checklists and descriptions of the tools you’ll need to get the job done right and affordably, advice for shot placement and ammunition, step-by-step photos and instructions for proper field dressing and skinning, the best tips for butchering, wrapping and freezing venison, and much more. You’ll also get a bonus CD of 50 venison recipes, field dressing chart and meat cuts chart. Visit www.ShopDeerHunting.com and search for SKU Z5014 to order your copy.…

I’ve no time for delicate bows and/ or accessories. If I find a bow or accessory is prone to detuning (less prevalent today), rattling loose or requires babying it’s quickly discarded. My time afield — like yours, I’m sure — is extremely precious. If I miss an important shot at coveted game I want it to be my mistake and not due to some preventable precaution or malfunctioning piece of machinery. I’ve a fairly tedious regimen when it comes to preparing serious bowhunting outfits. Here are five tips to help create a dead-reliable hunting rig. PROPER BREAK-IN Nothing is more aggravating than a misaligned peep sight caused by string creep when a quick but important shot opportunity materializes. Your peep should square up every time you hit anchor — end…