(P) Crab Claw 10 is back!

On November 2nd, the Crab Claw 10 buck was harvested. So you can imagine my surprise when my trail camera pictures saw this buck. He looks almost identical to the Crab Claw 10 that Gary (our land owner) shot. See the posting on November 2nd for a picture. The new Crab Claw 10 is pictured on the same food plot that the previous buck used to visit. I never noticed that we had two bucks that were almost identical. Cool.

(P) 2010 pictures that have been sent to me!

Monty's friend shot this 188" Minnesota buck (bow kill).
Monty's friend shot this 159" Manitoba buck (muzzleloader kill).
This 270" monster non-typical was killed near Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Huge mule deer kill by my taxidermist's wife in Colorado.
Elk kill by my taxidermist's wife in Colorado.
This is my favorite picture. It is my 6 year old son having fun shooting his bow. The way his arrows were configured, he thought it would look funny to stand in between them. What an imagination.

(P) November 18th

Well, number 3 from our hunting party has hit the dirt. Our good huntin' buddy, Monty, finally shot his first mature Kansas buck. Monty has been hunting hard for 3 years now for a buck over 150". He is a very good hunter and has remained disciplined and true to his goal. This afternoon he dropped this pig around 3:30 as the buck was searching for does. Monty said he used tending grunts to coax the buck to the tree. My cousin had seen this unique buck 5 days prior but could not get a shot on him. The timing was perfect so Monty could return home to hunt the opening day of gun season in Wisconsin to mentor his son. Nice job brotha!

(P) November 14th

Here we go! The bucks are starting to finally fall. My cousin, Steve, shot a Kansas 9 point this morning. This buck came by him 3 times one day in the first week of November but he was holding out for a bigger one. I think this buck fooled him because he grossed in the mid 140's once we put a tape to him. With time running out on his trip he decided to take the buck. I actually think he shot him because he knew it would outscore my buck. Nice buck cuz! Your the man!

(P) November 13th

We have had horrible weather the last 2 weeks with hot temperatures, rain, wind, etc. It has been a bit frustrating to hunt. Today I slept in and was going to hunt the mid day movement pattern, then sit all afternoon until dark. I arrived in the stand at approximately 9 am. It was 45 degrees with a NW wind at 15 mph. I decided to go to a secluded area that consists of a narrow strip of woods running between a freeway and a steep bluff. I got the idea from a friend of mine (Monty) who had suggested a secluded area when the big boys are locked down with a doe. The strip of woods has thick bedding areas, cedars and a creek running through it. I have always thought the area would produce a monster buck but never scored on one in three years of trying the area.

The day started out with a lone, mature doe coming by the stand as soon as I was set up in the stand. She used a trail that was down wind of my stand which surprised me. I was happy that she did not bust me. Over the next couple of hours I saw 2 different 8 pointers that were both 2 1/2 year olds. One came within 15 yards of my stand. I remember thinking, why can't you be a 160" buck? At 1140 my Dad called me and asked if I wanted to head in for lunch. I had planed to sit all day but with only 3 deer sightings, I thought I should consider moving to another stand location for the evening hunt. I told him that I would meet him at noon because I planned on pulling the stand.

I packed up my gear and proceeded to lower my backpack, bow and rattling antlers down to the ground with my bow rope. I remember telling myself, it would be just my luck if a shooter walked in on me while my bow was on the ground. Just then I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked over my right shoulder to see a 140" deer standing broadside in the middle of my 30 yard shooting lane. I couldn't believe his timing which actually ticked me off a bit. Because my tree was between the buck and my gear, he did not see me lower the items with the bow rope. The wind had obviously covered the sound of his approach through the thick cedars.

I knew the buck would have to walk behind 5 small cedars before he would hit my last shooting lane. While he was behind those cedars, we would not be able to see each other. As soon as his head went behind the first cedar I grabbed the pull up rope and lifted my gear up as fast as I could. I knew speed would be important because it would not take the buck much time to hit the next opening. Once I got my gear up to the 24' stand I immediately set my backpack on my seat. I scrabbled to untangle my bow and the rattling antlers from the bow rope. During the process I accidentally dropped my rattling antlers. They seem to drop in slow motion. I knew that as soon as they hit the ground, the opportunity for this buck would be over!

As the buck was entering my last shooting lane the antlers hit the ground with a thud followed by a little rattle. I always keep my rattling antlers tied together with a bungee cord so they don't make noise as I walk through the woods. The deer locked up at the noise but did not bolt. He was actually curious at the brief rattling he had heard at the base of my tree. He locked on to the antlers laying on the ground confused. This gave me enough time to take my bow sling off my bow, nock and arrow, and dig my release out of my hunting vest. The buck was still staring at the base of my tree as I drew back. The buck had never looked up in the tree at me and he was now at 25 yards. I waited for him to walk around a brush pile which put him slightly quartering away from me. The arrow was on its way and buried into his off shoulder. The blood sprayed out of him as he ran about 60 yards away. Then I saw him wobble a bit and fall over. Wow! I could believe what had just transpired in what was probably no more than 80 seconds.I am convinced that if I would not have dropped those rattling antlers, I would not have been ready to shoot that buck as he entered my last shooting lane. So, the next time your deer calls don't work on a mature buck, try the ol' distraction technique. It worked for me! Just throw your rattling antlers in the direction of the buck. Sometimes it pays to be lucky than good. I had a trail camera set up on the trail that this 142" buck was using to check for does. This pictures were taken as the buck heard the rattling antlers drop and the deer comes towards me to investigate. I had not changed the clock on my camera yet after daylight savings.

(P) November Deer Activity

Nov. date - Time for deer movement - Where to set up
7th- 1328 - hunt bedding areas (look for rut activity), (daylight savings ends)
8th- 1426 - " (look for late feeding activity thru the 14th)
9th- 1532 - " "
10th- 1615 - morning hunt bedding area, evening hunt transition area,
11th- 1704 - " (Veterens Day)
12th- 1749 - transition area in morning, feeding area in evening
13th- 0622 - transition areas, (first quarter moon)
14th- 0708 - "
15th- 0742 - transition areas, (searching for does thru the 21st)
16th- 0824 - "
17th- 0859 - "
18th- 0944 - transition area in morning, bedding area in evening
19th- 1033 - near bedding areas
20th- 1121 - "
21st - 1209 - " (full moon)
22nd- 1258 - near bedding areas, (bucks checking does)
23rd- 1356 - "
24th - 1453 - "
25th- 1550 - bedding in morning, transition area in evening
26th- 1644 - transition areas
27th- 1738 - transition area in morning, feeding area in evening
28th- 1758 - " (bucks breading does for next 3 days), (last quarter moon)
29th- 1847 - transition areas
30th - 1947 - "

(P) November 2nd

The Crab Claw 10 was shot today by the landowner of our hunting property (Gary). He gross scored the deer at 128". His tall tines would look good to any hunter as he walked through the woods. Congratulations Gary! That is a nice one especially with a recurve. You deserved a good buck and have had a great archery season.

(P) October 28th

Well, I have been so busy hunting that I have fallen behind on reporting what has been happening in the woods. My buddy Rob shot a nice Mainframe 10 today. The buck was looking for does in the morning at daybreak. Rob thought he would score in the 150" class.

Does for Confidence

You know, it takes a long time to wait for deer season to arrive every year. I shoot my bow almost year round. So why do many of us struggle to make the pressure shot on a mature buck in the rut? One reason is because the whole experience could be over in seconds. The other reason is buck fever.

Let's define buck fever- It is a nervousness and adrenaline rush that we experience when we see an animal (especially a trophy buck) that we want to harvest. This condition causes us to experience an increase in excitement, blood pressure, pulse and shallow- rapid respiration's. Buck fever is real and is one of the reasons why we all love bow hunting. We get pumped up!

Now I am not one to blame missed shots or bad shots on this condition. I like to experience the adrenalin rush of buck fever but I also like to keep it somewhat under control. There are a couple of things that I do. I practice shooting a lot (especially at 3-D deer targets). Over the years I have also gained more experiences hunting which increases our knowledge and understanding. But one thing that really helps me build confidence is shooting does.

I have a brother-in-law who is a great archer. He can shoot from almost any position and he practices religiously. He has shot some great deer in the past 7 years. However, like most of us, he has missed some really nice bucks too. Every year that he has shot a mature buck was initiated first by him shooting a doe. The misses were the times that he had not yet harvested a doe. On some occasions, this was my fault because I would sometimes discourage him from shooting a doe if I thought it would hurt the potential of that particular stand location for bucks.

Another reason to shoot a doe is for the meat. Does usually taste better than a big old buck. Does usually browse on crops more than bucks (who are more likely to browse in the woods) which can have a positive impact on their taste. Their muscle tissues are also less dense and more tender than most bucks. My wife prefers that I shoot one or two does in the early season to ensure we have good quality meat for the rest of the year. This also takes a little pressure off as I am chasing mature bucks.

If you can, try to shoot a doe prior to the rut. This means there will be less pressure on your food plots and more competition for bucks to find a doe in estrous. The better the buck to doe ratio the more aggressive bucks become. The more aggressive they are, the more receptive they are to calling and rattling. Eliminate some of the female competition.

Lastly, I try to shoot a mature doe who has one or two button buck fawns. Over the course of a season, I let a lot of bucks walk so they can grow up. I want to see the full potential of their racks and genes. However, these genes will be leaving your farm if you don't harvest some of these does. You see, once the button bucks are one and a half years old, the mother will chase them out of the area so there is no cross breeding. The fawns and there big buck genes will be gone. I try to shoot these does before they chase these fawns away, keeping them around to grow up.

Now go shoot a doe for confidence and meat in your freezer. The rut is almost here!

(P) Crab Claw 10 and October Lull

Well, I put in a couple of hunts this weekend. I went down to one of our farms and hunted Friday evening. I saw 12 does and fawns but no bucks. One of the button buck fawns that I saw was being harassed by a coyote. The fawn ran past my tree stand location. The coyote was so intent on staying on the fawns trail that he did not notice me up in the tree. I let the coyote have a taste of my G5 Striker broadhead at approximately 25 yards. It was a complete pass through which means the coyote would not go far. That made my weekend a success and I had only been in the stand for 2 hours.

The next day I got up early to try my first morning hunt of the year. I was in the stand about a half hour before day break. It was fun to be in the stand again and watch the sun rise. The morning was full of anticipation but I only saw one doe over a 3 hour period. I got down for the day and returned to hunt the stand for the evening hunt. I was disappointed to see only 3 does. No bucks for me. I found it interesting that the does were of a different age class and came from different directions. None of them had fawns with them. One of the does looked old so she maybe could not have fawns anymore but the remaining two does should have had babies with them. I began to wonder if coyotes had been hitting the fawns hard on our farm in the spring/summer while they are smaller. I will have to look into that some more.

Dad hunted the evening hunt on one of our food plots. We checked our trail cameras to find that we only had pictures of one mature buck regularly hitting our fields. It was the Crab Claw 10 point buck (see August 28th post- Food Plots are Finished for a picture of this buck). He was hitting this particular field between 11pm and 3 am. I thought Dad should hunt that field in the event that he came out early on this night. As luck would have it, the does and fawns did not enter the field until the last 15 minutes of light (not a good sign but it was 80 degrees). The Crab Claw 10 showed up right at dark (too dark to shoot) and stayed out beyond Dad's shooting distance. He visited a cedar tree that he has been rubbing regularly. Then he put his head down and began to check the does in the field. After pushing the does around, he left the field and the hunt was over.

Other than the Crab Claw 10 sighting, I think everyone is experiencing the October Lull from Wisconsin to Kansas. Some of you may be asking what the October Lull is. Well, it seems that mid-October has little to no buck movement. There are a couple of reasons for this. One of them is the bucks are beginning to become more aggressive. They break away from their bachelor groups and began to challenge each other to work out their pecking order of dominance. This is also a time when many of the crops (corn, soybeans, milo, etc) are being harvested. The deer have moved away from the early season feeding patterns. Many deer stay in the woods and feed on falling acorns under oak trees. Leaves are beginning to turn color and fall but there is still a fair amount of browsing in the woods close to the forest floor, so the deer don't move much. Sometimes it seems like the bucks scatter, disappear and become nocturnal. It is a tough time to kill a buck. However, we are only a couple of weeks away from the pre-rut activity. We just need the weather to cooperate.

(P) Gary's Goat Quest and Big Kansas Buck

I have mentioned previously on this blog that I have a friend named Gary and hunt on one of his farms. After numerous years of putting in for a mountain goat tag, he finally drew a tag this year. Gary successfully harvested a nice billy a couple of weeks ago in Colorado with his recurve bow! That's right, he used a recurve bow. I learned that there are 10 big game species listed in the Colorado record books. If Gary can shoot a whitetail in Colorado this year, it will be the second time that he has harvested 9 of the 1o big game species in Colorado with his recurve bow. That is impressive to have 2 cycles with a recurve bow (this includes shooting two moose). Here is a picture of his billy. Gary told me he had to run down the mountain as soon as he shot it to catch the goat. The terrain was so steep that the goat would have rolled for 500 yards and may have been busted up by the time it reached the bottom. Congrats Gary and great job.
I also received word that a friend of one of my friends (got that?) shot a huge Kansas buck just north of Manhatten. I can't confirm this but I heard the buck green scored 212". Wow! Nice buck.

(P) October 16-31 Deer Activity; More Does

After I shot my doe last week, a couple more have been harvested by the Wisconsin Boys. My cousin Steve shot one and a few days later Monty shot one in Wisconsin. They both made excellent shots. Congratulations fellas! This is a good time of year to take does for a few reasons. With the rut around the corner, a good shot on a doe builds confidence for those high pressure shots we will hopefully soon have on big bucks. The does are also beginning to fatten up and the meat won't taste any better than this time of year (before the chasing and breeding of the rut where they lose fat and muscle). Lastly, the more does you shoot before the rut, the more competition the bucks will have trying to breed them. This means they will be more aggressive and receptive to calling or rattling. There is a fine line here though because you still need a moderate herd of does on your property to keep the bucks around. Otherwise they will leave your area in search of more does.

Dad and I will be hunting over the next two days. He is determined to shoot a mature buck this month. I will keep you posted on our success. Happy hunting!

October Dates- Best Times- Places to Hunt
16- 0844 (hunt transition areas for the morning and evening)
17- 0925 " "
18- 1004 (hunt transition areas in the morning and near bedding areas during the evening)
19- 1046 (hunt near bedding areas in the morning and evening), bucks may start the seek faze.
20- 1122 " "
21- 1207 " "
22- 1251 " " Full moon.
23- 1326 " "
24- 1416 " "
25- 1519 " ", Bucks will begin checking does for the remainder of the month.
26- 1610 (hunt near bedding areas in the morning, transition areas in the evening)
27- 1704 (hunt near bedding areas in the morning, transition areas in the evening)
28- 1802 (hunt transition areas in the morning and food sources in the evening)
29- 1853 (hunt transition areas in the morning and food sources in the evening)
30- 1918 (hunt transition areas in the morning and evening), Last quarter moon.
31- 2010 (hunt transition areas in the morning and evening)

* For more information on this topic, read my previous article on Moon Phases (February 2010)

(P) Doe headed to the meat locker! Thanks kids!

October 7th-
Ashlynn (my 8 year old daughter) and Ryder (my 6 year old son) had been waiting all year for this day. It was their first hunt of the season for a doe. We got up in the morning and had a big homemade family breakfast (thanks to Liz/Mom). All 3 of us showered up to stay scent free. Then we loaded up all of our hunting gear, picked up the trailer with the Sportsman Ranger, and headed down to the farm. The 3 of us were very excited. The drive seemed to take forever as the anticipation was thick like a morning dew. What would we see tonight? A shooter buck, a few does, some thunder chickens, or would we see anything? Which food plot should we hunt? We had a uncharacteristic east wind at 5 mph. The temperatures were in the low 80's and would drop into the mid 60's overnight.

We sang songs together, told jokes, I acted silly, all to pass the time. We arrived at the farm around 2:30 pm. We quickly unloaded the Ranger and headed out to check 3 of our Bushnell trail cameras. I was hoping they would tell us where to hunt. I threw up a Primos Double Bull ground blind on one of our food plots and a Primos Vision ground blind on the other. With the kids still relatively young, I love hunting with them in a ground blind. They can move around, eat snacks, listen to music (with ear buds), read books, color or draw, and sit with me when they are bored. Ground blinds also help to reduce your scent but I still hunt with the right wind. Now I had to pick between the 2 food plots.

Let me stop and explain how we can just throw up a ground blind without spooking deer on a food plot. Last year Dad and I built 2 wood frame box blinds and placed them on two different fields. The box blinds sit on the ground and have canvas tarps covering the openings which were strategically designed for the ground blinds. We built these wood box frames with, no roof, to allow the ground blinds to fit inside of them. When we are ready to hunt we place the ground blind inside the wood box and drop the canvas tarps which usually cover the windows. Turkeys and deer never know we are there. I have yet to have anything spook from the changes to the wood box blind. I know they are not camouflaged in but they have been sitting there for over a year and the animals eventually got used to them.
Anyways, the kids and I raced back to the car and unloaded all of our gear. My Dad has a 5th wheel travel trailer that he keeps down on the farm during deer season. As we were getting situated, I discovered that we had lost power to the trailer over the last couple of weeks (since we were down there last). It was too late to get the power company out to check a breaker on one of the power poles. So, Dad drove all the way down to the farm (while we were hunting) and brought us a generator (thanks Dad!). We looked at some of the trail camera pictures and decided to hunt over a clover food plot where we had just placed one of the ground blinds.

The kids and I got dressed and headed out to the woods. We arrived in the ground blind a little late but were all settled by 5 pm. I have learned that my kids can survive in a ground blind for a maximum of 3 hours and 15 minutes (which is pretty good for their age). The kids and I took turns shooting little video clips of each other while they would pretend they were hunters like those found on common hunting videos (they have seen them all). Around 5:30 we had a mature doe followed by 2 nubbin' bucks come into the food plot. I really wanted to shoot her because next year she will chase those two bucks and their genetics off our property. As I worked to maneuver around the kids, I just could not get a good shot angle on her. As they were leaving the food plot, more deer began to filter in. Ashlynn was videoing the deer and tried to show the impact shot as I took one of the does at 3o yards. She fell out of sight around 55 yards away. She was the first deer that I had shot with my Mathews Z7 and a Rage broadhead. The 2 inch cut went through the lower portion of her breast plate and through her heart. The kids were so excited when we found her.

Dad was still at the trailer when we finished hunting so he helped me gut the doe, clean her out and he took her home for me. The kids and I stayed to spend the night in the trailer. The following morning we ate breakfast (Captain Crunch- sorry Mom). Liz took the deer to the meat locker for us. We shot bows, checked trail cameras, adjusted a stand, picked up our ground blinds, explored the woods and creek, and packed up the trailer. I let Ryder drive the Ranger with me then I taught Ashlynn how to drive it by herself. As she drove by me one time she yelled "I'm living the dream". We had a great time just being together. Based on past experiences with the kids, I know this will be a memory that they won't forget. I sure won't!

(P) October 1-15 Deer Activity

Deer activity over the next couple of weeks is still hard to predict as we work towards the October lull. Most of the deer will more visible at the first of the month or at the end of the month depending on weather conditions. We won't see early activity related to the rut until October 19th. To be successful, hunt close to the bedding areas without getting so close that the deer pattern you. In the meantime, here are your lunar times for October 1-15th:

October Dates- Best Times- Places to Hunt
1- 0734 (hunt transition areas for the morning and evening)
2- 0830 " "
3- 0925 (hunt transition areas in the morning and near bedding areas during the evening)
4- 1019 (hunt near bedding areas in the morning and evening)
5- 1111 " "
6- 1204 " "
7- 1258 " " New moon.
8- 1353 " "
9- 1450 " "
10- 1547 " "
11- 1645 (hunt near bedding areas in the morning, transition areas in the evening)
12- 1741 (hunt transition areas in the morning and evening)
13- 1834 (hunt transition areas in the morning and food sources in the evening)
14- 0655/1924 " " with two major movements today, first quarter moon.
15- 2004 (hunt transition areas in the morning and evening)

* For more information on this topic, read my previous article on Moon Phases (February 2010)

(P) Our first week of deer hunting!

Day #1- September 24th finally came! It was the first hunt of the year and I couldn't wait to get in the tree. Over the last month, most of our big buck pictures on our big farm came off a secluded clover food plot hidden in the woods. We had recently replanted the clover in this field and I had checked it when I put up the trail camera. It looked like this on September 19th:It looks like the clover is coming up good, right? Well, I was very confident that we could kill a mature buck on this field so I elected to let my Dad hunt and I filmed him. This was the first time we had hunted in the tree together. I was pumped. We had a NW wind at approximately 5 mph. The evening was supposed to drop down into the 5o's. The night was setting up to be perfect for good deer movement. We pushed a small buck, doe and fawn off the food plot as we approached the stand sight (they didn't know what we were and did not spook). However, we did not see a single deer the rest of the night. Here is why- they ate all of our clover in 5 days! It looked like we were hunting over a plowed field. Disappointing.Day #2- On September 25th Dad and I decided to split up to cover more ground on the second evening. He went to a clover food plot and I hunted a winter wheat food plot. I had a couple recent trail camera pictures of a buck in the area. Once I arrived, I found that 3/4 of the winter wheat had also been eaten in this food plot. I couldn't figure out why the deer were devouring our fall food sources. We had Whitetail Institutes Pure Attraction also planted on the other side of the food plot (it was still standing), so I elected to hunt the field anyways. We had a light rain come in around 4:30 but it did not last more than 45 minutes. I was expecting some good deer movement right after the rain cleared out but we did not see much. Dad saw a few does, some small bucks and a 125" 8 point 2 1/2 year old. I saw a doe, 2 fawns, and two small bucks. One of the small bucks kept following the doe around. She kept chasing him off trying to hit him with her front hoofs. I think she must have been his mother who was chasing her 1 1/2 year old buck away for good (to eliminate cross breeding in the coming months). It was sad to watch. I also saw approximately 15 turkeys who managed to pick me out in the tree at 60 yards. Why is it that turkeys can spot you a mile away in a tree but they can't make you out 10 feet in front of them on the ground? Crazy.

Day #3- Semptember 26th found us 3 days after the full moon, temperatures were in the mid 60's, it was a cloudy day with a mild NE wind. Dad went home so I elected to hunt between a corn field and a known bedding area. I didn't see a thing so at dark I walked out to the south fence line to see if I could spot deer heading out to the corn field with the horizon behind them. I was in for two surprises. First of all, the farmer to the south had harvested the corn within the last couple of days. The corn field was gone. This was one of the reasons the deer were hitting our food plots so hard. The farmer pulled the corn off early in the area and the deer weren't hitting the soybeans for some reason. Secondly, I found a hunter hunting near our fence line out in the cut corn field (the neighbors has no woods, so he was sitting in the field waiting for our deer to step on his side of the fence). I politely confronted him since he was wearing no orange (during muzzle loader season) and reminded him to stay on his side of the fence. I doubt he will be back to hunt that area.

My cousin Steve and our buddy (Monty) were down from Wisconsin hunting on another farm in the area. Steve attempted to thread the needle and took a difficult shot at a 135" 8 point. He did not get the deer though (the arrow could have deflected off some brush). We searched the area for 4 hours the next morning and found no deer. The buck was lucky this time. The buck was standing in grass that was approximately 3 feet tall so finding the arrow was impossible. Steve worked hard to locate and hand that particular stand set. He really wanted to harvest that buck!

Day #4- Steve and Monty had hunted a few morning but there was zero deer movement. Usually they deer are back in their beds by day break this time of year. On September 27th Steve had to head home due to work responsibilities. So Monty and I packed up and headed North to a different farm near the Kansas River that we had not hunted yet. We hung our stands just inside the woods line, staying off a 2 1/2 acre Whitetail Institute chicory food plot that we had planted last fall. We had a SW wind at 3 mph, cloud cover, with temperatures around 63 degrees. I saw over 20 deer that night with 16 of them being bucks. Can you believe it? I did not have a shooter come within bow range. However, Monty was a couple hundred yards away from me and he had a a 145" 8 point come by at 4 yards. He elected not to shoot him because behind him was a beautiful 160" mainframe 10 that came by him at 15 yards. There was so much brush that he elected not to try and take a shot. He was afraid of wounding the monster if the shot hit brush. Monty saw 13 additional bucks that night. Most of the bucks were out in the food plot between 5 and 6:30 pm. They were sparring and rubbing trees like it was the end of October. Although we didn't kill anything that night, It was a great experience.

Day #5- On September 28th, I recruited my Dad to join Monty and I the next night for the hunt. Monty elected to return to the same stand that he hunted the night before. You can bet he trimmed out the brush that blocked his shot at the 160" buck the previous night. I offered up my stand to my Dad. Most of the deer walked within 15 yards of the tree, so I was confident that he would have some good action and a chance a killing something. I decided to get aggressive and hunted in a ground blind right next to the food plot. Our weather conditions changed a bit on us. It was hot and sunny with temperatures in the high 70's. The deer did not hit the food plot until almost dark. I saw 10 bucks and 8 does. Dad and Monty had similar results. The only big buck we saw was a 135" 9 point that had a tenth point coming off his left brow tine. I had him at 25 yards in the food plot. I passed on him though so he could grow 2 more years because he looked like a 3 1/2 year old deer. In two evenings, Monty and I had seen over 25 bucks. Although we weren't successful, it was a lot of fun.

Well, it was a great time hunting early season with my Dad, two brothers, Cousin Steve and Monty. It was definitely a different kind of hunting compared to the rut. My next goal is to shoot a couple of does in a couple of weeks out of a ground blind with my kids. I can't wait to hunt with them!

(P) September 28th

Today is my last day of my early season buck quest. I got aggressive and placed a ground blind next to the food plot on a fence line with thick vegetation. It was 72 degrees today, sunny, with a NW wind @ 8 mph. I saw 10 bucks including a 135" 9 point with great mass and three browtines. Most of the deer came out right at dark. A doe was the only one to notice the ground blind. I with the big 1o would have showed up from the night before.

(P) September 27th

After searching for half the day for my cousin's buck, we loaded up our gear and headed to a new farm to the north for the evening hunt. We had a 2.5 acre clover plot that was getting a lot of attention from the deer. My friend, Monty, and I saw 16 bucks and 8 does. The bucks were aggressive making rubs, sparing, fighting, etc. One of the bucks was a chocolate racked 8 pt. that would score close to 150" while he was followed by a mainframe10 165" monster. non of the deer offered a shot. The SW wind was at 3mph with cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid 60's.

(P) September 26th

We are three days from a full moon with temperatures in the lower 60's. Today is cloudy with a mild NE wind. Deer movement appears to still be slow. I decided to hunt the south end of a ravine which is a bit closer to bedding areas (stand #5). I saw nothing. On my way in from the stand I found a guy (Allen) hunting a field next to our fence line with a muzzle loader. He was sitll out in the field after dark and had no blaze orange in his possession. I chased him off and said I would call the game warden next time. I also advised him to find a new place to hunt that had its own woods. There are some idiots out there that continue to give our sport a bad name.

My cousin Steve hunted a new farm for the first time (hanging a set mid-day). He shot at a big 135" 8 pt. but hit him too high on a very difficult shot. We searched for 4 hours the next morning for the buck covering the whole farm without success. There was almost no obvious blood. Sometimes that is hunting.

(A) Hunting Stories #1

The year was 1998 and it was my second fall living in Kansas. I had harvested deer in Wisconsin during the gun season since 1988 but I had still never bow hunted. I purchased a new PSE split limb compound bow in June and practiced shooting all summer. Practice was extremely important back then because rangefinders were just starting to appear. I couldn't afford one so I had to guess at all my yardages by stepping them off. I became pretty good at this in the backyard but I never thought about practicing from an elevated position.

In August, my father and I obtained permission to hunt a 240 acre farm outside of Waverly Kansas. We immediately headed for the farm to scout the property lines and look for deer sign. I remember walking the edge of a soybean field. A wooded creek bottom bordered 3/4 of the soybean field. As we were walking, my Dad thought he heard something down by the creek. He told my younger brother (Dustin) and I to stay in the field while he walked down to the creek. Dad didn't make it 10 yards off of the field edge when out popped a 160" mainframe 10 point. The deer abandoned his creek bottom bed and headed across the soybean field as fast as he could go. The whole experience lasted only seconds but watching a buck that big made it seem like things were moving in slow motion. Little did I know that I would soon have a shot at that trophy animal.

It was the second week of October. Dad and I were hunting down at that farm on a hot windy afternoon. I was hunting in a tree that was on a fence line leading to a soybean field. The fence line was also the south border to a cedar thicket that I knew was a good bedding area. I sat in that tree stand all afternoon fighting the Kansas 30 mph winds and abnormally warm temperatures. I was certain that I would not see a single deer. About 45 minutes before dark, I elected to climb down out of the tree and walk over to the edge of the soybean field. The field was positioned on the opposite side of the farm from where we had jumped the giant buck back in August. I positioned myself next to a small cedar tree that was right on the edge of the field. I was confident that I would not be seen as I watched the field to see where the deer were entering it for my next evening hunt.

As I sat there I noticed the temperatures were really starting to drop with the setting sun. The winds died down almost as if they were on a light switch. I sat next to that small cedar for approximately 20 minutes when I could hear something walking behind me. I slowly turned my head to see 2 does coming out in the soybean field. They came from the cedar thicket behind me and weren't 30 yards away. They slowly studied the soybean field and then proceeded out to feed in the middle of it. They never knew I was there.

Suddenly, I heard a grunt come from the cedar thicket behind me. Then I could hear a deer blowing from the same area. I remember thinking to myself, why is the deer blowing? I knew there was no way that the deer could know where I was. I also knew I had a perfect wind so it could not smell me. The deer just continued following the same trail that the does were on and kept blowing like it was clearing its nose. It was a weird and unique experience.

The brush was super thick from the edge of the field to the cedar thicket. I could not see the deer that was coming, just as I could not see the previous 2 does until they were at the edge of the field. However, minutes later, I soon could see the deers antlers high above the brush as he proceeded to the field edge, I still could not see his body though. I readied my bow and positioned my body. I started to look for a place that I could shoot the buck. I found a hole that I could shoot through just as he reached the edge of the field. So, I patiently waited for him to walk 20 yards to my shooting hole. As he cautiously worked his way to the field edge, I could see nothing but his rack held high as if he knew to be proud of it. I was in awe and that is when the buck fever started to set in.

Right before the deer was going to enter my shooting lane, he would be behind a cedar tree. That was the opportunity that I would use to draw my bow. I attempted to attach my release on my nock loop. It took me a minute because my hands were shaking like crazy (it looked like I was having a seizure). I was gasping for air as I began to hyperventilate. I remember thinking to myself, "get control of yourself. This is the moment that you have always dreamed about!" Finally, the deer stepped behind the last cedar before the field edge. I quickly drew my bow back with no problems because my adrenaline was flowing like a class 5 raging river.

As I waited for the deer to step into the shooting lane I realized that I had missed something. In my excitement, I forgot to judge the distance that the deer would be at for the shot. I began to panic as I tried to make the best estimate that I could while still at full draw. Suddenly it was the moment of truth, the monster deer was standing on the edge of the field looking back at me (he could probably hear me breathing). I put my second pin on his vitals and let the arrow fly. I never guessed that the first deer that I would shoot at with a bow would be on the ground and a monster buck. I also never guessed that I would miss!

I had misjudged the distance of the shot. I shot right under the deer's heart. He ran across the field and stopped to look back at me as if to say "you dumb rookie". I tried to grunt him back over to me but he just blew at me and disappeared into the woods. I was heart broke. I blew the opportunity of a lifetime. I paced the distance off between me and where the deer was standing. It was a 35 yard shot. I had used my 25 yard pin on him. Bows were not fast back in the 90's and pin selection was much more important. I wanted to vomit.

Meanwhile, the buck ran through the woods and headed down a trail that lead to my Dad's stand. My younger brother Dustin, was also hunting in a stand approximately 100 yards from my Dad. It was starting to get dark, so my Dad began to climb down out of his tree so he could pick up my brother before dark. My Dad was half way down the tree when he saw the big buck approach him. They saw each other at the same time so there was nothing my Dad could do but freeze. The big buck spooked and headed towards my brothers tree stand.

Now what would you do in this situation? A mature buck had just been shot at then he ran into another hunter that was climbing down a tree. There was only one thing my Dad could think of. In an effort to warn my brother, he yelled "Dustin, here comes a monster buck". There was only one problem with this desperate strategy. Dustin could barely hear my Dad so he hesitated for a minute then yelled back, "What?" Obviously my brother never saw the giant whitetail. Actually, after that day, none of us ever saw him again.

There are two lessons to learn in this story. The first lesson is about judging distance. If you are estimating the shooting distance in an open area, the actual yards are going to be greater than you think. Your eyes will play the opposite trick on you in the reverse scenario. If you are shooting in a heavily wooded area, the distance will be closer than you think. Practice this with your rangefinder and you will see what I am talking about.

The second lesson to remember is this, if you miss a giant buck, make sure he doesn't run directly towards your hunting buddy's stand. You will never hear the end of it if he shoots the buck you missed. If my Dad would have stayed another 3 minutes in his tree, he would have the biggest deer we have ever shot. That would have made my miss hurt that much more. I am just kidding, it would have been worth it to see my Dad put that big buck down. I know I missed my chance!

(P) September 25th

No morning movement what-so-ever. Dad and I split up tonight to cover more area. We experienced a light rain for about 45 minutes at 4pm. The deer movement was right after that. I saw a doe with 2 small fawns and a 6 point while sitting on a food plot (stand #8). Dad sat on another food plot (stand #7) and saw 2 does, 4pt., and a 125" 8 pt. with should grow into a very nice buck in two years. A cold front moved in after the rain bringing heavy NW winds.

(P) September 24th

First night out this year. Had a NW wind at 5 mph. I videoed my Dad hunting off a food plot hidden in the woods (stand #4). We pushed a small buck, a doe, and a fawn in the east end of the food plot. We had just planted this clover plot 3 weeks ago. It was coming up nicely but on this night we found that it was all gone! Bummer! The deer hammered it down to nothing but dirt. We obviously saw nothing else during the night sit.

(P) Tribute to a Bowhunter

Every year I find today is always a very difficult day for me. Seven years ago on September 19th (2003) my Grandpa Fred passed away unexpectedly. He wasn't just my grandpa, he was one of my best friends and role models. He was a man who lived life to it's fullest, genuinely loved people, and was enthusiastic about everyday. Grandpa Fred was definitely the life of the party in hunting camp each year. Boy, did he like to hunt. I don't know if there was ever a deer season where he slept the night before opening day. I think about Grandpa everyday. However, this day is always more emotional for me.

(Grandpa Fred and his 2002 Kansas bow buck)

I really shouldn't be sad that he has passed on because I know of no one more prepared to meet our maker, our Lord and Savior- Jesus Christ. Grandpa lived a simple life but everyone new he lived that life for God. He didn't have to say a word, you knew he was right with God by the example he set everyday.

Seven years ago today, Grandpa Fred stepped out of his house (which was located on a private Northern Wisconsin Lake) and headed for his favorite tree stand. It was located across the street in a thick Douglas Fir pine tree forest. He climbed up in the tree about 12' off the ground. At 81 years old, he was just as excited about the hunt as he was when he was a teenager. You would have to know him to truly understand this excitement or enthusiasm. Grandpa saw a few does that night but did not shoot anything. After dark, he climbed down out of his tree stand and headed back home. My grandma met him at the door and told him to get ready for dinner. Grandpa was in his trophy room, changing out of his hunting clothes, when he had a heart attack and passed on. I will never forget the phone call that I received that night when I learned what had happened. It tears me apart every time I think of it. It altered my life forever!

I try to remain positive though because Grandpa left this world the way he wanted to. At 81 years old he was still doing what he wanted to do more than anything else, hunt Whitetail Deer! He never suffered or experienced any pain in his last days. Grandpa just made sure he was spiritually ready to meet our God and left this world in a manner that he would have preferred. He was a great man!

Thanks Grandpa Fred for hunting with me every year!

(Grandpa Fred, Me and my Dad)

Don't take for granted the opportunities you have to hunt with friends and loved ones because after the season is over, all we have are memories. Make sure your right with God, it's what Grandpa Fred would have wanted most.

(P) September Deer Activity

Deer activity this month is a bit hard to predict. Most of the deer should be on their feeding patterns for the next month as they begin to bulk up for the rut and winter. We won't see early activity related to the rut until October 19th. To be successful, hunt close to the bedding areas unless you are hunting near a good evening food source (unless otherwise noted below). In the meantime, here are your lunar times for the rest of September:

September- Time
22-1259 (Autumn begins)
23-1333 (Full Moon)
24-1402
25-1443
26-1538
27-1622
28-1718 (Don't be afraid to hunt a transition area in the morning on this day)
29-1813 (Hunt transition areas in the morning and evening)
30-0638/1906 (Hunt transition area in the morning and a good food source staging area in the evening)- Last quarter Moon

* For more information on this topic, read my previous article on Moon Phases (February 2010)

(P) 2010 Opening Day in Kansas is here!

Tomorrow is finally opening day in Kansas. I won't be hunting until the evening of September 24th though, due to my work schedule. I can't wait because we will be hunting for 6 days straight. My cousin Steve and a friend of mine (Monty) are driving down from Wisconsin to hunt with me and my Dad. We are going to have a good time!

I checked some of my trail cameras yesterday and saw 3 nice shooters. Our fall food plots are coming up slowly but surely (I am impatient). Hopefully those big boys will be walking around prior to dark.








Another friend of mine (Rob) drew a special archery tag in the La Cygne area. He will be hunting that area this entire week. They have seen bucks down there in the 160 class on alfalfa fields. I wish him luck. My boss and a friend of mine are down in Texas this weekend chasing wild hogs. I will post their pictures if they are successful.

Well, let me know if any of you guys are out there hunting. Post your comments or send me some pictures. Thanks

(A) 14 Step Season Prep: Step 14- Bringing It All Together

We have finally reached the last step in our quest to be completely ready for opening deer season. Step 14 is basically a look back at all we have accomplished to get ready for the fall and to review all of our hard work:

Step 1- Analyzed our equipment that we used last year to determine the need for any changes.
Step 2- Talked about the basics of shooting form and how to improve our practice sessions.
Step 3 and 4- Pulled our old stands and scouted for new stand locations.
Step 5 and 6- Talked to landowners in an effort to find new farms to hunt.
Step 7- Took a break and hunted thunder chickens.
Step 8- Planted spring food plots.
Step 9- Built or improved buck bedding areas.
Step 10- Began hanging all remaining tree stands (especially in the bedding areas).
Step 11- Summer shooting sessions to keep up our archery skills.
Step 12- Uses for trail cameras.
Step 13- The need for pre-season scouting.

Over the next couple of weeks make sure you complete gear checks for all of your hunting equipment. Be sure to wash everything in scent free soap. Make sure you are shooting your bow well and your broadheads are sighted in. Continue to practice to maintain a high confidence level. Keep checking your trail cameras as you finalize your buck inventory. Keep an eye on your food plots in the event they need a shot of fertilizer. Don't forget to mow your clovers down to 6-8" in mid-September.

I don't know about you but I have accomplished my goal this year. I am completely ready for opening day with no work to be done. This will be a good reference for us to use again after this deer season. What a great feeling to have no pressure, no questions about why I didn't do this or that last spring, and no regrets. It's time to focus on killing a mature buck. Over the next couple of months I will try to stay current on posting moon phases and the best times for buck movement. There will be updates on our hunting progress throughout the season. I will also talk about some of the issues that we face during deer season. And lastly, if I get time, I will share some hunting stories. Good hunting!

(P) Food plots are growing- hanging 1 more stand

I was down at the farm today so we could finish up some brush hoggin'. However, one of the blades broke on the brush hog which required some welding repairs by Dad. While I was at the farm I hung another stand. Your probably thinking, do you really need a 19th stand on one farm?

No, that is probably too many stands for 300 acres but I want to be ready for anything this season. I want to be able to ambush the deer from anywhere. I previously hung a stand in this general location a couple of years ago during December but I didn't see much activity on the two sits. However, Dad thought we should make sure that we didn't need to hunt the area. So, I had placed a trail camera on an old logging road a couple of weeks ago. To my surprise we found that deer were really using the area. With 130 deer pictures on the camera in only a week (sorry no big bucks), I decided to scout the area more thoroughly, finding a couple of hidden deer trails. So today, I threw up another stand in the area to hunt this fall. It will be perfect for a west wind and is only 100 yards away from one of our food plots.

That reminds me of the whole point of this post. I checked our recently planted food plots today (planted 11 days ago) and found them coming up nicely. We received the rain we needed approximately 4 days after planting. I can't wait until the end of the month to see their progress.

(A) 14 Step Season Prep: Step 13- Pre-Season Scouting

Do you have a spotting scope? I would guess that most of you do not. The majority of Midwest hunters don't own one but if you hunt out west, or in western Kansas, I would venture to say that you probably do own a spotting scope. You might be asking yourself, why do we need a spotting scope if we are not hunting out west? Well, you don't. I don't own one either, however, I know I should. Let me explain my thought process and the advantages of a spotting scope.

It is the first week of September. We are only 3 weeks out from opening day in Kansas and 2 weeks out from opening day in Missouri. If you like to hunt early season, when the weather is still warm and the days are long, then it is time to get to work. Early season deer hunting takes a slightly different approach than hunting the rut. There are positives and negatives to deal with.

Let's start with the negatives. It is hot and difficult not to sweat walking to your stand. When the air is warm it also becomes much more difficult to control your human scent (it doesn't rise as quickly as a cold day). The bugs can drive you crazy this time of year and it is hard to see very far in the woods because the vegetation is thick. Now let's move to the positives. The deer are feeding heavily and are fairly predictable on their eating patterns. The bucks are in bachelor groups which means you may see a couple of shooters together. Their racks have just come out of velvet so they are shiny, clean and not busted up yet. The temperatures are warm so you won't be wearing bulky clothing and you aren't going to freeze out like a December hunt. The bucks should not have any hunting pressure on them and are probably bedded within close proximity to the major food sources or a water source.

By doing some pre-season scouting, you can get on these early season bucks. I try to hang observation stands prior to the season starting. These stands are strategically located to keep intrusion down to a minimum while being in a position to see where mature bucks are coming out into the fields to feed. Try to get into these positions at daybreak or sunset. This is where the spotting scope comes into play. High quality binoculars will work too but a spotting scope can really zoom in on the make up of a particular deer's rack. You should be able to get a good idea where bucks are entering and exiting the fields. This will also give you the opportunity to confirm the buck inventory of your hunting property (supported by your trail cameras).

Observatory stands, hay bails, and old country roads are great for scouting prior to the season opening. Ensure that you don't put any pressure on the deer during your pre-season scouting. The season is almost here and we don't want to tip the deer off that our favorite time of year has almost arrived.

Once the season has started, if you are having a hard time getting on a buck, try your pre-season scouting techniques at first light in the morning. Once you locate the buck you are after, quietly set up a stand inside the wood line where he left the field (getting between the food source and the bucks bedding area for the evening hunt). Chances are he will come walking by you if the wind is right in the evening. This year I am going to have a spotting scope for pre-season scouting, even if I have to borrow one! Good hunting and make sure you are shooting that bow a couple of times each week.

One last thing, take a kid hunting or fishing in the next couple of months (you have heard me say this before). It is just so awesome to see the positive impact on them.

(P) Fall Food Plots are Finished and Buck Pictures

We finally headed to the farm and finished planting our 4 fields of food plots today. I even had enough time at the end of the day to hang 2 more stands. Dad plowed all of the fields last weekend. So today he disced them while I fertilized each field and broadcast the seed. Dad is a lot older than I am, but I say he can still out work me.


The first field we worked on was a small 1 acre food plot in the middle of the woods, located to the west of a bedding area that we constructed this winter. We planted Imperial Whitetail Clover in the whole thing. This should produce for us over the next 4 years if we continue to fertilize the clover twice a year.
The second field borders CRP grass to the south. We planted 1/2 acre of Whitetail Institutes Pure Attraction and 3/4 of an acre of winter wheat. We planted them next to each other in long strips approximately 30 yards wide.

The third field and forth field were planted in 1/2 acre of Whitetail Institutes Pure Attraction. The deer hammered this stuff last year all season long. We used extra fertilizer this year to make sure it came up strong and fast.

It sure feels good to be done with the food plots. All we have left is to finish some brush hogging, cut the existing clover fields next month, and hang a couple more stands. We will definitely be ready for opening day. All we need is the rain that was promised to arrive in 4 days. Time to start shooting the bows and preparing them for broadheads next week.

Here are a couple of buck pictures on our clover food plot in the middle of the woods. It is interesting that the bucks were coming to this field when it was nothing but fresh dirt (it was plowed a couple of days earlier).



The first and second pictures are of a buck we call the Crab Claw 10. He is a 4 1/2 year old deer. If Dad or the landowner see him this fall, it might be his last.


The third picture is of a small 8 point that lives close to this field (I have tons of pictures of him). Notice the Crab Claw 10 to right in this picture. There is also a small buck in the background, to the left. However, look at the monster in the middle of this picture by the tree. We tried to zoom in on him to make out his rack but the lighting is just no good. He towers over the other bucks in the field. Definitely a mature deer.


Here is a tip for you: Position your trail cameras so as pictures are taken of deer in the foreground, you can still see what is in the background. I have positioned this camera intentionally like this for the last three years and it has paid off numerous times showing numerous bucks in the background. Two of the bucks in this picture never walked by the trail camera but it was nice to still get a picture of them.

4 weeks until opening day!

(P) Fall Field Preperation and Buck Pictures

Well, we have been back at it the last couple of days. Dad and I have been working on deer stands and preparing our fields for fall food plots. We had soooo much rain this year that I have had to trim all of our shooting lanes again because the vegetation growth has been significant. However, I only have 4 more stands to finish on our main farm with almost a month before opening day, so I feel pretty good about it.

The weeds have been so bad in our fields this year, we had to plow and disc the fields. Usually we only have to disc them a couple of times. We are planting a one acre field in Whitetail Clover and three other fields in Pure Attraction (mix of winter peas, oats, and brassicas). All of the products that we use are made by the Whitetail Institute (except when planting winter wheat, corn, milo, and soybeans). We are also going to plant an acre of winter wheat, which is seed that a local farmer gave us. The land owner made arrangements for us to get the seed for free (bonus)! After two days of work, all 4 fields are now ready for planting. It is just a timing game as we wait for some rain in the forecast and try to get the seed down prior to its arrival.

I checked my Bushnell trail cameras and was pleasantly surprised to see a couple of nice bucks on them. The first picture is of the biggest 4 point that I have ever seen. I wonder how old he his. He has great potential if he stays alive for another 3 years.

The second picture is of the Big 4 and a buck we call the Crab Claw 10. He is a mainframe 1o point with short main beams and long G2's. We have seen him for the last two years and he was always hanging with the Big 12 (pictured in the top of my blog page). I am not sure if the Big 12 made it through the winter. We have not been able to get a picture of him this year and he was a fairly old buck last year.


The last picture is of a nice mainframe 10 point that we have not seen before. It is always nice to have new bucks living on your property. That is why you need to get your trail cameras in the woods. This buck looks real similar to a buck that we call Spike. We call him that because he has spikes coming off his G-1's. Spike is a mainframe 10 with huge 8 inch brow tines (pictured in the top of my blog page). I hope he is still around. Anyways, this is still a very respectable deer. I got this picture of him walking a field edge at 2:51 in the afternoon.



Well, keep me posted on how you guys are doing out there and please send me any good trail camera pictures that you get.

(A) 14 Step Season Prep: Step 12- Trail Cameras

It is time to brush the dust off of those trail cameras and get them out in the field. A couple of weeks ago I put out 5 Bushnell trail cameras hoping to catch a snap shot of a monster buck on one of our hunting properties. This is a good practice to ensure the cameras are working correctly as we begin the season. In August, the big boys start feeding heavily and will let their guard down a bit, becoming more visible.

Cameras have became a vital part of my hunting strategy. They are especially important during August and September as I take a buck inventory of the deer currently using our properties. This will usually dictate my basic harvest goals for the season. Let me use last season as an example. I had pictures of two different mainframe 10 pointers and a twelve pointer. I was set on shooting a buck in the low 150's to 160's based on deer I had pictures of. Now, if you have read my previous articles, you know that I abandoned this strategy when I saw a buck in the 170-180" class. Some deer will come from other properties during the rut and sometimes deer are never caught on film by the trail cameras. But the point is the trail cameras give you a general idea of what a trophy is for your particular area.

There have been many times over the last 11 seasons that I elected to pass up a quality buck holding out for something bigger. However, if I would have scouted and utilized trail cameras, I would have realized that the bucks I was passing on, were the mature deer on the farm that particular year. Maybe the biggest bucks on your property are in the 120" class. If they are mature (4 years or older) than you should be proud of yourself if you harvest one. You can't kill a bigger deer if they don't exist on your property. Keep your expectations realistic to continually enjoy this sport.

Here are a couple of things to remember when using trail cameras:
1. Make sure your batteries are always fresh so you can leave them out for approximately 3 weeks (remain patient because this will keep your sent and intrusion down to a minimum).

2. Don't hang cameras in bedding areas this time of year. You will only be bumping deer out of their sanctuary. Stick to funnels, travel routes to and from feeding areas, and food plots.

3. Take wedges or shims with you to install your trail cameras. They work great when you are trying to get the right angle on the field of view. I have also recently purchased a couple of trail camera tripods for areas that don't have a good selection of trees (I will let you know how I like them). Existing fence posts work good too.

4. Keep your camera at the elevation of your waist or chest and keep the slope of the background in mind too.

5. Make sure your camera is pointed away from the sun (usually not to the south) so you don't get sun spots.

6. Wear gloves when handling your camera in the field to minimize your human sent. I prefer to use rubber gloves.

7. Keep two SD cards assigned to each camera (label them) to keep track of which one goes with which camera (if you use multiple cameras). If an SD card goes bad, you should be able to figure out which one it is.

8. Angle your camera so you can get a couple of shots of a deer as he walks to or away from the camera. Bucks are in bachelor groups this time of year and it helps to have a field or opening in the background which may show additional deer further away. If you are getting pictures of only a deer's front or hind quarters, you need to turn your camera a bit more.

I continue to utilize my trail cameras all season long and after the season is over. Throughout the season I get an idea of what bucks have moved on to the property, the time of day they are moving, and what areas are receiving the most deer traffic. This can also aid in determining the rut stages. After the season is over, I get an idea of what deer are still alive and the sheds that I should search for in the spring.

To wrap this up, I checked my trail cameras yesterday. Over the last two and a half weeks we had temperatures in the high 90's everyday. This really slowed down the big buck activity. All I had on my cameras were smaller bucks, slick heads (does) and fawns. I also managed to get pictures of thunder chickens, a bobcat, coyote, fox, and a few bandits (coons). Maybe the next three weeks will show me something more if it is not so hot (should have set up a camera on some water sources). You will never know until you get your cameras out there working for you.

(P) Back from our vacation in Wisconsin

Well, I am back from spending 3 weeks at my grandparent's cabin in Wisconsin. Liz and I took the kids up there for a good time and to make more special memories (it is an annual trip). We mostly swam at the lake, played games and fished. I have to say that this was one of our best summers for fishing and weather. We caught a limit of fish most of the time we were on the water and the temperatures peaked in the high 70's or low 80's everyday (without the Kansas humidity of course).

My oldest son, Ryder, fished off the dock every morning and evening in an attempt to set the hook on another big bass (he has no problems catching them). My oldest daughter, Ashlynn, caught a few bass and my youngest son, Gage, tore up the bluegill for the first time. I had the opportunity to fish with all three of my brothers, my cousin, my mother and grandmother, and especially my lovely bride. I really enjoy fishing with my wife because she is such a natural at fishing! Each summer she goes fishing once or twice but she can cast and set the hook on big fish like she does it everyday. She needs no instruction and I enjoy watching her be successful. Yes, she has out fished me a time or two.

I have to shout out a BIG thank you to my cousin, Steve. We elected not to buy a boat this year because I did not receive raises at my work, etc. So, Steve offered to let us use his bass boat while we were in Wisconsin on vacation. It was really nice of him and we would not have caught nearly as many fish without his boat. Thanks Steve and keep our honey hole a secret! I say that because Steve, my brother Jeff, and I went fishing one morning at a new lake. Wow! After fishing for a couple of hours, we started catching 4-5 pound smallmouth and largemouth bass. We caught 12 fish that averaged over 4 pounds. It was awesome. We returned to the lake on another day with equal success. My brothers and I fished another lake earlier in the week where we caught 32 bass in less than 3 hours. Good times!

The fishing stud of the trip though, was my son Ryder. He wanted to fish 24/7. He would fish for bass, bluegill, northern pike, even a muskie if I would let him. Ryder wanted to learn to do everything for himself. He is very good at casting and is very patient. I was extremely proud of him. This 6 year old fishing junkie reminded me of another 6 year old that fished relentlessly on my grandpa's dock. Me! I guess this is a stage in life when we watch our children grow up, doing the things that we used to do. It was special and rewarding. If Ryder's passion continues for fishing, he maybe fishing the BASS tournament circuit one day. That was once a dream of mine so I think I could help him get there, but only if that is what he would want. I know I still grind my teeth a bit when I see fishing pros like Dean Rojas and others on TV. I used to compete with those guys back in the 1990's in California. Oh well, such is life.

Here are more pictures showing some of the fish that we caught. They look a bit short due top my wife's camera lens. However, 7 of them were 19" or longer. Next week I will start cutting the clover on our food plots and brush hogging. It is time to put out the trail cameras and start preparing the fields for fall food plot planting (in the end of August). Seven weeks until opening day in Kansas!!!!