Aggressive Turkey Calling Tactics

Turkey hunting can be a tough endeavor, but these tips can help.

Turkey hunting tactics vary based on where you are and how the birds are reacting, but there are situations everywhere that require you to go that extra mile with your calls. Many people go overboard with deer hunting calls and I think that staying on the conservative side of that is a good thing, but when it comes to turkeys, there are definitely times to let some air out of your lungs. Read some of these scenarios that require a little bit of extra coaxing to bring that big tom into range with these aggressive turkey calling tactics.

Windy Days

Big winds come often in the spring. While turkeys can hear extremely well, the soft calling just won’t cut it when the wind is howling. When it gets really windy, bring out the box call and make loud, aggressive calls. Box calls are best for loud noises, but mix in a slate or mouth call to keep things interesting.

Flocked Up Toms

When toms get together they can be tough to call, especially if big, dominant toms are keeping the younger ones at bay. Persistent, aggressive calling can often times persuade a tom to come bolting in, or keep him looking for where you at later after they move on.

Too Many Hens

Hens can make or break any hunt, but many times for us hunters, they ruin them. The trick is to bring the girls in and get the boss hen yipping. If you can get the hens yapping, there is a good chance that the big boy will follow.

Toms are Gobbling

If you are calling a lot and the toms are calling back, do not stop. Aggressive calling can work on some days and not others, but if the turkeys are calling back to you, you need to keep it going. While it can be tempting to ease up, stick with what’s working and you’ll be giving a tom a dirt nap.

Last Resort

If a tom is moving away from you, give him all you’ve got. Why not? You’ve got nothing to loss if you’re going to lose the tom either way, so make sure that you don’t go down without a fight. Try all of your calls and keep it going until he either comes in or moves away.

Good luck with your turkey hunt and be sure to submit your kill shots here.

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Is Live Bait or Artificial Lures Better For Fishing?

Source: Fix.com Blog
The truth is that both bait and lures have their place in any angler’s arsenal. The question really comes down to which is going to catch the most fish, and under what conditions?

Live Bait vs. Lures

Why Bait?

It’s cost-effective, sustainable, and enjoyed by a variety of fish species. Bait’s going to produce superior results at night, when in discolored water, or when it’s cold.

On the flip side, catching bait can cause (smelly) challenges, and so can keeping it fresh. Because it’s enjoyed by a variety of species you’ll often end up with a surprise at the end of your line; not always for the better.

Do Lures Work Better than Live Bait?

Why Lure?

It’s a much safer practice for recreational catch-and-release and will make for a more dynamic chase. Plus, collecting lures can become a hobby in itself! Choose lures in warm, clear water, for aggressive fish and in catch-and-release fisheries.

Bait Vs. Fishing Lures

However, a good lure can cost you, making for a sad loss when one gets lost or snagged while casting. Lure fishing is also a more engaged process and can require a heightened degree of focus – for better or worse!

What Works Better, Lures or Live Bait?

The answer is simple: which will work best depends on the circumstances surrounding your time on the water. But we all have our preference. Which works for you?”

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The Best Binoculars for Bowhunting Whitetails

Finding the right binocular can be a challenge but we can help point you in the direction of the best binoculars for bow hunting whitetails.

Hunting gear is a very personalize and divisive topic among hunters. You can find five different people with five different opinions, but since we’ve narrowed down the use of binoculars to bowhunting for whitetails, mostly done from a tree stand, you’d think we’d have a consensus here. Well, you’d be wrong. That being said, I think we can pick a good choice for the best binoculars for bowhunting whitetails.

Best Deer Hunting Binoculars

Depending on what area of the country you’re in and what your budget is can really dictate what type of binocular you’re going to use. Brands aside, most bow hunters typically need to be able to see in fields and through or into heavy cover. An 8 power glass is really good for hunters who are hunting in thick cover because it allows them to quickly find the deer in the binoculars and determine what it is.

Best Binoculars for Bowhunting

If you tend to hunt a field edge or large marsh area, you may want to lean towards a 10 power glass. I personally choose a 10X42 optic so that I can see out just a bit further than with an 8 power. In the Southern Midwest, a 10 power allows hunters to see deep into cedar thickets, marshy areas and along large ag fields so that they can get a good bead on a buck before it comes in close.

Bowhunting Binoculars

Here in Wisconsin, we have an abundance of large ag fields in the South part of the state and thick woods everywhere. Big marshes are around as well, so it’s nice to be able to see further. When hunting in a tree stand though, most of the time you’re only going to need to see a few hundred yards in front of you. Any 8 or 10 power optic should be able to do the trick in these situations.

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Shed Hunting Finding Natures Treasures

Marc with some successful finds.

By: Marc Drewek

I fondly refer to shed hunting as an Easter egg hunt for grown-ups. As an avid bow hunter for over 35 years, shed hunting was a way to scout deer that had survived the winter. Shed hunting for me now has taken on a whole new meaning. Getting out into the outdoors and getting some exercise is now equally as important as the scouting mission itself. Getting out this time of year also gives you an opportunity to survey your hunting area. Downed trees, phantom braches and debris can now be eliminated without the risk of spooking the deer out of your area. Also take advantage of this time to check all your tree stands and straps for potential problems. As trees grow and rodents chew, you don’t want to be in an unsafe situation. As an active shed hunter, I have discovered a few consistent ways to find nature’s treasures. Here are a few of my shed hunting tips.

Having property in East Central Wisconsin…

With oak ridges, swamps, and creek bottoms, the majority of the sheds I discover are around food sources. As a beginner, I would search an area where I had seen a buck the previous season without much success. As the years passed on, I began to find more sheds on trails leading from bedding to feeding areas. I also would spend more time walking open fields and field edges. As winter progresses and the bucks begin to shed their antlers, some bucks may gather into bachelor groups. During this time frame they are likely to stick to a food to bed pattern to conserve energy and replenish their fat reserves.

If you live in a part of the state that is not dominated by agriculture, you may have to work a little harder. Some parts of the state present some serious barrios so make sure you have some comfortable boots. You’ll need to search those nasty thick bedding areas such as cedar swamps and heavy alder thickets. If you’re lucky enough to discover a deer yard, these are some of the best areas to search when snow is heavy. Don’t let snow slow you down; put on a pair of snowshoes and get the job done. Although snow covers up some sheds, trails become more identifiable. You will also want to pay attention to small drops of blood in the snow and look up into the brush. I have found sheds stuck in heavy brush near bedding areas. You may also want to pay attention to old rub and scrape lines they can produce some treasures as well.

A fresh shed on the forest floor

To maximize your efforts…

Keep an eye on your local deer herd. Take a ride around the local fields and find out where the deer are. They may be concentrated and be feeding in a few select fields. Check with your local farmers. They may have some information for you, and who knows, they may give you permission to look for treasures on their property. Once you have found a group of bucks, keep checking up on them to see when they drop their antlers. As time goes by, you’ll discover the group will start to look like a herd of does. It’s time to lace up the boots!

Most importantly, treasure hunting will take you from public to private property. If you plan to shed hunt private property, always remember to make sure you have permission. Never shed hunt on property you do not have access to, and when asking permission, hold the highest level of courtesy and respect for the landowner. When permission is granted, do your best to maintain that relationship throughout the year. You may want to go as far as to ask if they need any help around the farm on occasion. You never know this may result in a future hunting opportunity.

Live life in the Outdoors

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Simplify Your Hunt

Hunting is complicated enough without hunters making it tougher on themselves. Simplify it and experience more success.

Recently I have listening to several podcasts by Randy Newberg, an elk hunter with his own TV show “Fresh Tracks” and I kept hearing a common theme, keeping things simple. It didn’t really hit me right away but after a while I started thinking about it and keeping things simple when hunting is really one of the only ways to be successful.

When you’re hunting, you have so many factors that you can’t control. Weather, wind speed, wind direction, which way the animals go, but what you can control is how you respond to these situations and what situations you put yourself in. One of the easiest ways to simplify is to know that you need to do what is necessary to kill that animal. For instance, if you know the elk are way back in the mountains, you are going to have to walk to them, with the wind in your face so you don’t tip them off. Simple right? Well, maybe not but you get the idea.

Deer hunting in the Midwest can be challenging, but a few simple tweaks can put you in a much better spot. First off, play the wind. Don’t set up with your scent blowing in a bedding area. Secondly, you can’t kill anything when you’re on the couch. You need to be out hunting and you are giving yourself a chance. Dress appropriately. Cold or wet weather can kill any hunt and dressing for the right weather is imperative.

Think about all of these things the next time you’re scrutinizing yourself or your hunting experiences. You probably are overthinking it. Most animals care about food, sleep and survival. If you can figure out where they eat and sleep, you can kill them.

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Marriage Planning For The Outdoorsman, A Marriage Solunar Table

If you decide to get married, make sure the outdoorsman in you picks the date.

As I’ve lamented in past columns, I really messed up when I agreed to marry my lovely wife on October 22nd. Don’t get me wrong, marrying her was the absolute smartest decision I ever made. We have been married for 24 years and I couldn’t have found a better life partner and mother to our daughters. The mess up was choosing to get married in late October. Most guys get in trouble because they forget it’s their anniversary. I’m usually not even in the same state as my wife, Jeannie, on that day.

Although there have been many missed anniversaries, the most notable whiffs include our 20th, when I was bow hunting in Georgia, and 24th which “we” celebrated this past October while I was hunting Elk in Colorado and she was minding the kids in Wisconsin.

I guess there are varying levels of poor choices for wedding dates. Although he has been married to my mom for 52 years, my dad actually chose the worst possible date of November 5th.

If you look at the Pope and Young record book for Wisconsin,

I believe you’ll find that the greatest number of entries are between November 4th and November 6th. Of course this is right smack dab in the middle of peak rut. When I asked my dad what he was thinking he said, “Apparently I wasn’t, although I’m not sure we even knew what the rut was 52 years ago.”

Every year a few buddies and I go to Canada’s Lake of the Woods to fish walleyes, northern pike, and the fish of ten thousand casts. Each year, during the planning process, we check the solunar tables to determine the best possible time to go. Sometimes our schedules don’t always work, so we end up going during off-peak days. This usually turns out bad because we don’t catch as many fish. When we think it through and make our schedules work, we catch many more fish and that is good.

I wish I had done this same level of planning when I agreed to the date of my wedding. Since I intend to honor the, “Until death do us part” thing, I will never get a chance to make this right. What I can do though, is make future grooms aware of the importance of choosing the right date to marry.

I don’t think the DNR has published all of the dates yet, so I am basing some of my recommendations on the most recent dates. Although some of my dates may be inaccurate, the point of this story is that, in order to prevent “bad” things from happening on your wedding anniversary date, you should spend as much time picking the date of your wedding as you do picking the dates you go to Canada.

Whether you are contemplating getting married in 2013 or in 2031,

here are some month by month things to think about followed by some recommended “all clear” dates to walk down the aisle. This is not all-inclusive so consider this my DRAFT version of a marriage “solunar table.”

January:

Unfortunately there are no open weekends in the month of January. The first weekend is the last weekend of the late bow season. It will be eight months before you get to hunt deer again so you must hunt. The rest of the weekends will be consumed with ice fishing and squirrel hunting.

February:

If you’re going to get married in February then do it on February 2nd. There are no other open weekends as you will be on Lake Winnebago or the Upper Lakes for sturgeon spearing, or fishing in the Battle on Bago ice fishing tournament on February 23. Finally, rabbits close the last day of February and this will be your last chance to hunt anything until turkey season.

March:

There are no open dates in March. You will be fishing pre-spawn walleyes on Lake Winnebago and below the dam at De Pere. If you get tired of catching walleyes, you will be wading through Wisconsin streams during the early inland trout season.

April:

This is a tough month because you won’t know which turkey hunting period you have until February. Be a safe hunter and keep all periods open. Since the season doesn’t open until the second week of April, the first Saturday will always be free. You can get married on April 6th. My buddy, Chris, got married the first Saturday in April and to this day I revere him. He is THE man.

May:

Between turkey hunting, opening day of fishing on most lakes in Wisconsin, and the return of the walleyes to Lake Winnebago, you should only get married the last weekend in May. Memorial Day is acceptable because you will probably have to do family stuff anyway. Family stuff includes taking your family camping to a remote Wisconsin lake.

June:

The first weekend is out because the DNR calls this a “free fishing weekend.” I know, 99% of you probably buy a fishing license but you should go anyway to show support for the DNR. Come to think of it, June is usually an awesome month for fishing anywhere, so to be safe, do not get married in June.

July:

Fishing will still be good so you should not get married the first two weekends in July. If you must, then choose the 6th of July since, like Memorial Day weekend, you will most likely be required to participate in a family type outing anyway. I’m going out on a limb here but you may be able to get married on the third weekend which is the 20th of July. The last weekend in July is out as the application deadline for Sharp-tailed Grouse is due on the 1st of August. You will need that final weekend to get that task done because God forbid you miss this one.

August:

August is another tough month to predict but in the end, I don’t recommend any dates. The salmon are
beginning to stack outside the harbors at Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Two rivers and other cities along Lake Michigan. Additionally, you should be spending every free moment in the woods scouting your bow stands and checking trail cams. You will also need to reserve the final weekend to get your bow serviced at your local archery shop

September:

You may get married the 7th of September but only if you don’t hunt doves or early goose. There are no
other dates available as you will be bow hunting the next several weekends. If you decide not to bow hunt, you will most certainly be getting your decoys ready for the duck opener, or fishing sturgeon with hook and line.

October:

The first weekend will be consumed by the duck opener. Although it seems counter-intuitive, you might want to think about getting married the second weekend. The second weekend will conflict with the youth deer hunt but that’s okay. If kids are in your future, your wife might even beg you to get them out of the house. There will be a time when your spouse will say, “I don’t care if it’s our anniversary, go hunting and take the damn kids with you.” So, you may get married on October 12th. Under no circumstances should you get married any other time in October unless it’s on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

November:

You should never, ever, get married in November unless it’s on Thanksgiving Day. Between pre-rut, rut, post rut and deer gun you will be exhausted. You must reserve the final weekend in November to rest before kicking it into high gear for late bow.

December:

You will be very busy the first weekend of December with muzzleloader season. The second weekend you will most likely be filling out your spring turkey application, which is due December 10th. Many of you will forget, as I have, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. The rest of the month will be filled with late bow, and trips to Fleet Farm and other sporting goods stores to buy your Gold Hammered Swedish Pimples and other hot ice fishing lures before all your buddies clear the racks.

So there you have it.

To summarize, if you are a true Badger Sportsman, and planning to get married, do so only on one of the following dates:
February 2nd
April 6th
May 25th
July 6th
July 20th
October 12th

One final thought. Once you get married you really ought to think through the timing for the consummation of the marriage. For example, don’t be tempted to snuggle up to your sweetie on one of those cold mid-January to mid-February nights. Better yet, get a king size bed and stay as far away as possible. You may even want to consider sleeping on the couch. Why? If you don’t take my advice, you are in great danger of having a child between October 15th and November 15th.

Next to eternal life, I truly believe children are the greatest gift from God – just not during the rut.

Be sure to check out the premier hunting and fishing magazine to read more about food plots and see more hunting articles on MorningMoss.

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Starting from Scratch

Creating a Divers Wildlife Paradise

by Steve Jordan

Fruit trees are wrapped and caged to protect them from mice and other animals that may damage the young trees

Let’s say,

you just purchased a new property or you have never had a food plot for wildlife on your existing property or lease. There are many different ways to handle it. One is to check with a local farmer to see if he can work up an area for you and possibly plant it in corn or soybeans. This method is very common. Eventually the food plot evolves into a more diversified mixture of plants consisting of a good turnip mix, clovers, or alfalfa and still some corn and soybeans.

I have had clients say they don’t want soybeans because there is a 40-acre field of them right next to their food plot. I try to reason with them that the food plot is located in a more comfortable place for the deer than the large field. Plus the farmer will harvest his beans in October, leaving a bare field while the soybeans in your food plot will be the only ones around making it a very desirable location for deer to eat in prime archery season.

Some of you might agree that it would be nice to grow soybeans in your area, but the deer never let the plant grow over 6 inches. If the deer density is that high, you may have to use a deer repellent for the summer, plant a less desirable crop or one they have a hard time destroying such as clover, alfalfa, wheat or rye.

A lot of deer damage is a good thing.

Some of the guys I deal with up in northern Wisconsin have little or no deer visiting their once very productive food plots. I cannot help them. It’s like feeding floating fish pellets in a farm pond that has been cleaned out by otter. You just keep hoping a fish will come up and eat….

I have recently been asked to help a local landowner with his food plot. Greg Gill Sr., from Appleton, had purchased a 50-pound bag of clover seed and wanted to know if I could help him plant it. I said I would help, but planting seven acres in one type of plant would be one-dimensional. Diversity in a food plot is always better with various plants being desired at different times of the year. One example I like to use is when you go out to eat in a nice restaurant and you go up to the salad bar, you expect a variety to choose or graze from. If the salad bar was all carrots or olives, you wouldn’t spend much time there or go back anytime soon. Well if it was chocolate cake or chocolate ice cream, we might be able to work something out. I did stumble on a method to attract deer to make almost any crop more palatable, but that will be in a future article.

Fruit trees, sunflowers, corn, soybeans, turnips, and a variety of grains were planted

Anyway,

to get back on track, instead of planting seven acres in clover, Greg said, “Okay, if this was your field, what would you do?” I sketched out a plan, including a variety of plants, a hedgerow of trees, and numerous fruit trees scattered throughout the field. He liked the plan and we got started last June. I expected this to be a 3 to 5 year plan, but to my surprise, it was a one-year makeover. We turned a bare field into a wildlife paradise in one summer.

The crops that were planted consisted of two acres of a nice variety of sunflowers, two acres of different maturity dated corn, one acre of soybeans, one acre of alfalfa, and one acre of a good turnip mix with various strips of canola, wheat, rye, radishes, and a tall mix for the borders. The tall mix consisted of corn, sunflowers, sedan grass, sorghum, and English wheat.

We decided on a variety of trees.

The fruit trees were 5 to 7 feet tall and consisted of several different apples (Haralred, Red Baron, Red Delicious, Honeygold, and Macoun), pears (Bartlett and Summercrisp), and plums (Black Ice, Pipestone, and Superior). All of the fruit trees were wrapped and fenced in to protect them from the mice and deer. The white pines for the border were 7 to 9 feet tall, and the red oak trees were approximately 15 feet tall. All of the trees were planted by the crew of Wolfrath’s Nursery out of Hortonville and they have a 100% guarantee. Chad Wolfrath took my plan and helped me with the design of the property and gave us a full color visual of the entire project using Google Earth.

When looking at the design, Greg and I discussed how nice it would be to have a walking trail go around the whole project. Because of the heavy clay, we added wood chips to the entire trail so that Greg and his wife could walk the trail even after a heavy downpour.

The amount of wildlife this field attracted was amazing and it will only get better with the offspring of the animals that are using it now. A good plan with good diversity will attract wildlife in almost any area. You may have to start small and add to your plan each year until you achieve your goal.

Have a great planting season and think variety and diversity when planting food plots.

Be sure to check out the premier hunting and fishing magazine to read more about hunting and fishing tactics, as well as see more hunting articles on MorningMoss.

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Northern Pike Filet: How To Video

Do you love to eat northern pike? Do you struggle to get all of the Y-bones out? Check out this instructional video on how to get Y-bones out of your northern filet!

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THOSE DARN WEEDS!

Or, can they coexist and add diversity to our plots?

By: Steve Jordan  

I witnessed a small six-point buck grazing in a clover patch.  Upon further review, after bringing him in closer with my binoculars, he was actually grazing on dandelion heads.

A well-fertilized food plot can have some very plush andtasty weeds.  I have noticed a lot of grazing or browsing of weeds in a well-fertilized food plot compared to the weeds on the fence line or in other places.

Farmers use 90% or better of Round-up ready crops, and weeds are almost nonexistent in agricultural fields.  Have you ever had the experience of “still hunting” in a standing cornfield?  Years ago you would sneak through the field looking up and down every row with weeds usually belt high.  You would be lucky to see a deer farther than 40 yards.  These days you can do the same thing, but when you look down the rows you can see almost 100 yards each way, but rarely will you spot a deer.  Chemicals have kept the field 95% or better weed free.

Those weeds in the agricultural fields years ago used to attract and hold many songbirds, field mice, pheasants, rabbits, fox, deer, and more.  Now the agricultural fields aren’t nearly as attractive to wildlife as they used to be.  When a farmer would combine these fields, he would generally work from the outside and work toward the middle.  Some wildlife would burst out during that process, but when the farmer made the last pass in the middle of the field, it would be like a zoo with the variety of birds and animals that would be exposed.  Today’s clean fields have very little wildlife living there.

Does this mean we should be more tolerant of weeds in our food plots?  In my opinion, yes and no.  I like using Round-up ready crops whenever possible.  I use Round-up ready corn, soybeans, canola and sugar beets.  These crops take between 80 to 100 days to mature.  This could bring the weeds higher than your crop if not Round-up ready.

Broadcasting Round-up ready corn can make better cover than row planting.  I use this method exclusively.  I simply work the soil up to a nice even seed bed, and then I broadcast the corn and fertilizer with a pull-behind spreader.  Next, I lightly disk in the seeds (about 1 to 2 inches), and then I culti-pack.  With this method, you can eliminate most weeds, but still offer enough cover to hold a lot of animals.

The summer of 2015 was the year of weeds.   Timely rains made weed control very difficult.  Many plots were replanted due to out of control weeds.  There is a limit to how many weeds one can tolerate.

Using the calendar to time your plantings will help keep your weeds from getting out of hand.  Many turnip mixes are planted too early in the calendar year.  For Wisconsin, mid-July should be the earliest you would plant these mixes.  This window of time could extend to mid to late August.  Keeping these patches weed free until the correct planting time will produce a healthier plot.  You can either fallow the ground until planting time or plant Round-up ready soybeans earlier in the year to help keep the weeds out.

My turnip mixes have a great variety of seeds to add diversity to a food plot.  I purchase quality seeds in 50 pound bags whenever possible.  My turnip mix will consist of canola, kale, rutabagas, two types of annual clovers, buckwheat, winter rye, winter wheat, oats, three types of turnips and sugar beets.  These seeds are small enough that culti-packing will press the seeds down for good germination.  If you have the time and the space, you can get creative by planting soybeans, peas and large sugar beet seeds the same day in your turnip patch.  Here is how.  These seeds are larger, so they will have to be covered with 1 to 2 inches of soil.  You will need to disk or till your seed bed, so it is nice and level.Now broadcast your largerseeds on the surface and add any granular fertilizer at this time.  Next, cover seeds to approximately 1 to 2 inches.  Now broadcast your smaller seeds (turnip mix) and culti-pack.  If you don’t have a culti-packer or roller, you can track your plot up with an ATV or tractor to press in your seeds.  Just keep driving back and forth until you’ve compacted your patch.   If you plant all of this mix, remember to give these seeds some room.  Thinner is always better than thick unless, of course, if you are on the Packer’s offensive line trying to protect Aaron Rodgers.  Then thick and heavy is preferred.

Just to recap, “Weeds in food plots.”  Weeds can offer food and cover for deer and other wildlife, especially well-fertilized weeds.  Seed clusters from ragweeds are a popular finch food, and you will notice deer topping off the new growth occasionally.

Maybe we should lighten up a little bit and let Mother Nature help us with diversity in our food plots.

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Video of the day!

Here you go archers! What kind of trick shots do you do to prepare for fall?

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Shivering Summer Walleyes

 By: Gary Parsons and Keith Kavajecz

If you’ve been walleye fishing for any amount of time, you no doubt have developed that little voice in your head – you know the one – the one that tells you to move to a new spot when the fish aren’t biting where you are at the moment. That voice that whispers to you, “Try the Firetiger one, it worked on that other lake so it should work here.” We all have it. Do you listen to your little voice?

Last summer while preparing for a NWT tournament on Green Bay, Gary’s little voice was talking to him … persistently. Green Bay, like most other Great Lakes fisheries, tended to be a trolling bite, but we, as well as a few other anglers, were always looking at ways to target the walleyes that were set up on structure on these vast bodies of water; some way that did not involve trolling. We wanted a more precise approach to catching these fish. Gary’s voice kept telling him there was a better way; better than rigging, or conventional jigging presentations.

Known primarily as a “trolling bite” fishery, the walleyes of Lake Michigan’s “north end” are notorious for being tough to catch when the winds lay down in the summer months. Most of the walleyes there relate to structure, like humps and breaks, and because of the clear water, tend to be finicky unless you have a good chop on the surface. We knew there had to be a better tactic than trolling to reach these fish, and Gary’s little voice kept telling him it had to be a jigging-type technique – just not your typical one. There was a tactic we had never used here before, but had some success in other areas of the country with it. The idea was to use ice-fishing style jigging minnow lures on open water structures. In his Internet researching, Gary had found a bait that resembled the popular Jigging Rapala many anglers were using for this tactic, but one he had a gut feeling would have the action he was looking for to trigger more bites. What he found was the Moonshine Shiver Minnow. A lure produced by a very small company in Michigan’s U.P. that before now was basically only known as a small “garage-operation” ice fishing lure company.

If there is one thing we have learned in all our years of walleye fishing it’s that the right action catches fish and not all baits have it. The Moonshine Shiver Minnow’s action is very different from the Jigging Rap. This horizontal-minnow-like jigging lure has a unique minnow shape and fan tail that gives the lure an enticing action as it swings off to the side on the up-stroke and smoothly glides back down on the free-fall. That really is the key to its effectiveness. We tried quite a few variations and we threw some Jigging Raps, too, we’ll admit it. But they weren’t even close to the Shiver Minnow in producing hits.

The tactic worked well for us as we ended up taking the two top spots in the event (Keith 1^st, Gary 2^nd). While we dialed in this presentation for the upper reaches of Green Bay in summer, it has proven to be a deadly tactic in many situations where walleyes are relating to structure from late spring right through fall. Here, we’ll delve into this technique so you can add this to your walleye bag of tricks this season.

Of course, using the right lure doesn’t help if you are not on fish. It’s a great tactic for “milk-runs.” We establish these runs by running around different structure elements graphing for fish with our Lowrance HDS12 Gen 2 units. When a fish is marked, we scroll back on sonar and put a weigh point right on that marked fish, then move upwind if we are in rough conditions or to the side in calm conditions and cast to those individual fish. It’s simply a more efficient way to target these walleyes than trying to troll for them. It allows you to target individual fish or small pods of fish on these structures rather than spending time setting up trolling passes to try and contact them.

As with any tactic, precise boat control plays a huge role in success. We like to utilize the Key Fob control for our MotorGuide Xi5 bowmount trolling motors and once we are positioned, set the motor in “Anchor Mode” to hold the boat in place. That has honestly become one of our favorite features of the Xi5, as once you set the Anchor Mode, the motor will work on its own to hold your position, whether you’re in 4 foot rollers or calm water. And the key fob makes making small adjustments to your position effortless, allowing you to “jog” slightly in any direction with the touch of a button.

Once you are positioned on the fish, then it’s time to get down to business. Moonshine Lures’ Shiver Minnows come in a handful of sizes, with the #3 being our “go-to” size for this tactic. The cadence you use to work the baits is key! To get the most from the bait, work it close to bottom without hitting bottom too much. You want to sweep the rod up 3 foot; almost to the point of snapping it up. That makes the lure dart to one side. Then immediately drop the rod tip to give it slack and let the bait glide as you reeled in the slack line. Then, just before the lure hits bottom, you repeat the cadence. Most bites will come on the drop when there is slack in the line, so as you go to make this next pull, you’ll feel weight; set the hook hard.

Fine-tuning the lures will also pay big dividends. Replace the small “ice” treble on the belly of the lure with a #4 Mustad KVD Elite Triple Grip Treble (model TG58BN). This gives the bait a bigger “bite” for better hooking and the inward bend of the Triple Grip help keep fish on. In general “glide” lures like these are heavy and not the best hooking lures because the heavy body can be more easily thrown during a long fight. A second advantage is that with the inward bend the Triple Grips seem to pick up less moss and fewer Zebra Mussels when the baits do hit bottom.

As for rigging up for this presentation, we like using spinning gear rigged with a bright colored main line like 8 lb. test Berkley Nanofil in Hi-Vis Chartreuse, in order to better help see when the bait makes bottom contact. The no-stretch of this line also gives it the sensitivity to feel everything the lure comes in contact with, as well as making long-distance hook-sets more productive. In our experience, walleyes caught using this tactic hit and fight really hard so a strong line like Nanofil was crucial. Nanofil is also really thin so it reduces the amount of loop in the line when fishing in the wind. To help cut down on visibility and add some protection from zebra mussels, rocks, etc., we suggest adding a 3-foot leader from the main line to the lure of 10 lb. test Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon.

This experience with the “Shivering” technique, and our dominating last year’s NWT event on Green Bay using it, shows the importance of tournament angling to the fishing industry. The guy that owns Moonshine Lures is going to have his life change because of this. We also believe strongly this is going to change Great Lakes structure fishing forever. The people that say there is no innovation in walleye fishing are dead wrong. You can never stop innovating and never stop learning in this sport, and never stop listening to that “little voice” in your head … that’s what will help get you The Next Bite.

The post Shivering Summer Walleyes appeared first on Morning Moss.

Crunch Time

By: Chase Larson

It’s that time of year again! A time where you wake up before your 4:00 am alarm clock. A time where you stand outside and feel the fall chill in the air. Then, you realize that there’s still a couple weeks left before the start of bow season. And because of this, there are a lot of things to check off your pre-season list in order to get into the stand and accomplish your goals of harvesting a whitetail this fall.

Here’s the “Its Crunch Time” checklist:

Land:

Make sure you have scouted and have done your homework with looking into hanging stands where there are natural pinch points and a lot of available sign. Look to improve your land with coming up with ways to have the three essentials. This would include food, water, and shelter being applied to the property. This could be achieved through making small man made ponds around the property, planting food plots in fields or taking advantage of your trails, or making sure you are thinking ahead when planting trees and other native plants for future bedding areas.

Tree Stands:

Be sure to safety check all of your tree stands. Look for normal wear and tear on cables and straps, as well as finding and replacing rusted out bolts. Also, look for any cracking on the joints or frame of your tree stand. Once fixed and replaced make sure you set up and trim out your tree stands so you have clear shooting lanes to shoot through. Tree stand placement is crucial, so be sure to place different stands in various locations where you know you can hunt them based on the direction of the wind and weather for that day.

Safety Harness:

Because you most likely will be hunting in a tree stand during the duration of the bow season, you have to think about coming home to your family and friends after every hunt. Safety harnesses are a key ingredient to staying safe in the woods. But, what people don’t know is that safety harnesses are a great tool to have but it offers you a false sense of security. The reason this is, is because most accidents occur during the transition in and out of the tree stand. So, wearing this safety harness is a great idea to have but you are missing a key item. This key item is called a lifeline. What a lifeline does is that it keeps you connected from the base of your tree with your safety harness all the way up to the top. That way, during that transition process of getting in and out of the stand you know that you’re always connected.

Hunting Clothes:

Hunting clothes are another must have item. There are so many brands, styles, and price points out there so be sure to do your research and try them all on to figure out what you like. Be sure to wash your clothes in some sort of detergent that eliminates odor. Some garments require you to put them in the dryer for 5 minutes to activate the odor eliminating compounds within the garment itself. You also may want to think about purchasing an odor free garment bag to store your hunting clothes in after every hunt.

Bow Practice:

Perfect practice makes perfect. Take the time and sight in your bow. Take it in to your local archery shop to get tuned up. Be sure to practice in all applications. Some of these applications may include shooting in all your hunting gear, shooting from your tree stand or an elevated platform, and shooting at various distances. Always take some shots the day before you go to the stand to make sure everything is dead on and you’ll be able to head to the stand the next day with confidence in that all your equipment is working properly.

The pieces of this list are key components in becoming successful this fall. There are a lot of factors that apply and play into the challenges of hunting and being an ethical hunter. Through practice, patience, and the willingness to always learn and apply new and old techniques you will be successful in taking a whitetail this fall.

The post Crunch Time Tips For Whitetails appeared first on Morning Moss.

2016 Whitetail Rut Predictions

The 2016 whitetail rut is looking to be a later one than the last few years.

It’s never too early to start thinking about the rut and the cold mornings here in Wisconsin have got us anxiously anticipating our favorite time of the year. That being said, we all love to debate when the rut is on and when it’s going to take place, but the science behind it can help you pin point some of the better time periods to get out there and use your valuable vacation. Grab your calendar and get ready to put in your PTO requests because here are our 2016 whitetail rut predictions.

Moon Phases with Laroche and Alzheimer

We have talked extensively in the past about the Deer and Deer Hunting’s very own Wayne Laroche and Charles Alsheimer’s theories of rut predictions based off of a lunar calendar.  Laroche and Alsheimer have been studying the timing of the rut for almost two decades and are adamant about their findings based on the moon. Each year, Deer and Deer Hunting comes out with a Whitetail Calendar and rut predictions that they say, “The rut predictor is based on a model that links cyclical changes in the Earth’s solar and lunar illumination to the whitetail’s reproductive cycle. Laroche and Alsheimer hypothesize that sunlight and moonlight provide environmental cues that set, trigger and synchronize breeding.”

2016 Rutting Moon

According to their experience and their data that they’ve collected, they theorize that the second full moon after the autumn equinox is believed to trigger the peak in rutting activity. This is what is referred to as the Rutting Moon.

So now the question is, when is the rutting moon in 2016?  

When is the 2016 Rutting Moon

The 2016 rutting moon is later than it has been in the last few years. This year it falls on November 14th, when last year it was on October 27th and in 2014 it was on November 6th. In 2013 it was on the 17th and there was what is called a “trickle rut” which means that there was not a ton of hard core rutting activity in late October or early November, but there was a lot in later November.

If you follow Laroche and Alsheimer’s theories that the moon affects the rut timing, then this would mean that the rutting behavior would start later this year. Seeking behavior would begin around November 7th until the chasing period begins on the 14th. The highest “tending” phase of the rut would be going on around the 28th.

This is a theory remember and in my experience depends greatly on the area that you’re in and the ratio of bucks to does in your area but if you do follow this, it would mean that the first week or two of November could be tougher. This prediction would lead most to believe that the best hunting would be between November 10th and November 23rd, which would have the rutting behavior that hunters want to see.

Seasonal Timing of the Rut

The lunar phase timing of the rut is a great theory and has a lot of study put into it, however, most biologists and whitetail experts subscribe to the traditional timing of the rut. This means that the timing of the rut (peak breeding) is not variable and is not impacted by lunar factors but is in fact at the same time every year.

One of the largest pieces of evidence to support this is that each year, whitetail fawns are born at relatively the same dates. Northern whitetails have a small window to breed in order to optimize for fawn survival and this keeps the timing of the rut very consistent.

The Quality Deer Management Association’s Director of Communications, Lindsay Thomas explains it like this, “The science on this is decisive. A significant number of scientific, peer-reviewed studies have shown the timing of the rut in any particular location is triggered by photoperiod, or day length – not by the moon, or temperature, or anything else…I think hunters often confuse visible rut behaviors, like chasing and grunting, with the peak of breeding. When you document breeding dates in a location, they actually change very little year to year, even though the dates of peak rut behaviors might vary. That’s because weather, moon phase and food sources – things that fluctuate widely year to year – affect deer movement patterns. But even when the weather reduces deer movement, you find that breeding still takes place the same time it normally does. If a doe is coming into estrous, a warm front isn’t going to change that.”

There are many other studies that support this and we’re not going to dwell on them too much here, but the breeding dates do make a lot of sense. I’ve written about this before in last year’s rut predictions article, but the rut does seem relatively consistent in most of the areas I have hunted. Each year, I see a lot of success in late October, but I know that other areas see better activity in mid-November.

I listened to a Wired to Hunt podcast last year with Mark Drury on it and he made what I think could be the best point I’ve heard on the timing of the rut.

“The rut happens at the exact same time each and every fall,” Drury said. “What part of it is exposed is based on when the full moon hits within that month, based on daylight activity. The moon, in my opinion, exposes the daylight portion different each year depending on how the full moon falls. That’s why you see the variance in ruts that are intense versus not. If it exposes during the seeking phase, you’ll go, oh man, this was an awesome rut. However if the moon exposes the lockdown, you’ll think it’s a terrible rut.”

This makes a ton of sense and shows that weather and the moon can expose the best times to hunt. Something that Drury is a big believer in.

When Will the Rut Happen in 2016

If you’re looking to play the vacation time off game, I would recommend using it the first two weeks of November. This is traditionally some of the best times to be in the woods and you know that the weather should have cooled off by then. I personally love the last week of October, but the first couple weeks of November is a safe bet.

Check out more Rut Hunting tips and some of our predictions from the past few years.

2014 Best Days to Hunt the Rut

2015 Best Days to hunt the Rut

The post 2016 Whitetail Rut Predictions appeared first on Morning Moss.

T-Minus 10 Days!

The countdown begins for bow hunters with the opening of archery season on September 17th. Morning Moss is giving you the 10 day countdown with videos and articles to make sure you are ready for opening day!

WHAT TO LOOK FOR THIS BOW SEASON

TO HELP HARVEST YOUR TROPHY!

By: Pat Kalmerton

Trophy – it can be described many different ways. What I consider to be a trophy can change from year to year. Actually, it can change every day or even every minute. Many times, a trophy is considered to be the biggest and baddest animal roaming the land you hunt – the animal that has been the focus of your preparation and scouting. It all comes down to the time and dedication you invest in hopes of a clean harvest of that trophy.

In the past I thought of bowhunting as this: Go out and find a field edge, set a treestand and sit waiting for a deer to walk under me…and hope I’m lucky enough to have bragging rights with my buddies.

Times have changed and my passion has grown. Even though bow season doesn’t open until September, my season starts in early spring when the snow melts. This is when I put in my prep time. I add water sources. I cut tree limbs to provide a security canopy for deer as they eat the Evolve food plots that I have planted. I set Wildgame Innovations trail cameras to track all the movements. I set different Ameristep tree stands in different areas for different winds so the deer won’t detect me. Some of these stands are cling-ons, some are ladder stands, some are quad pods with ground blinds on top offering total concealment. Actually, I even have a few regular ground blinds set around the property as well. A lot of preparation has gone into my desire to understand the quarry that I chase.

Opening Weekend
The bow season is long, but here’s what I recommend for opening weekend, especially if you’re hunting public land. Look for low-lying areas away from the high hardwoods because of these three reasons:

1. It will also be opening weekend of squirrel hunting. Squirrels tend to stick to higher lands and there will be hunters tromping through the woods in pursuit.
2. Field crops are not ready for harvest, so find early-season food sources. Deer are browsing animals, not grazers. Look for wild berries, persimmon trees, grapevines, jasmine, honeysuckle, and poison ivy. Yes, that’s right, deer love to eat poison ivy. There are also two oak varieties that can be an important food source: water oak and overcup oak. Both thrive in wet, thick areas that deer prefer to inhabit in the pre-rut, especially in drought years. These trees drop acorns much earlier than many other oaks.
3. In early September it can be hot! Look for a water source and low-lying areas where deer can escape the heat. But along with wet comes bugs. Make sure you have a Thermacell when scouting and hunting or you may not ever want to do either again after the mosquitoes find you!

Fruit Trees

It’s illegal to bait where I live (southwest Wisconsin) but I do love the fact that deer like apples in early season because I have apple trees on my property. Here is the kicker though: I will not hunt them a lot during early season. Why? Deer prefer cover. Apples grow best in open areas like field edges and open grassy areas. Bucks will most likely hit them at night and all you will see are does – that is until the rut comes. Ladies bring men when the time is right! The big bad boys who strut their stuff will be shortly behind the ladies who have been eating the apples all day. Watch your trail camera because you will see it starting to happen. And when it does, get ready for a show!

One more thing to note about food. I get sick of eating one thing over and over. Deer get sick of it too! Just because you are in a stand and that deer does not come, it doesn’t mean that the stand is no good. Give it a few tries – he will be back!

Hunt their habits

In early September, deer still have their summer patterns and routines established. It is crucial to hunt their habits. Know their bedding area and their water source and you will be on track for early success. Look at your cameras and have a time frame. If you are hunting public land, be ready to adjust along with the deer.

After a few weeks, the season will be in full swing and deer will be hiding better. After the youth gun hunt (October 10-11) and the gun hunt for hunters with disabilities (October 3-11), you will need to start adjusting your hunting. You may not be seeing the animals as often as you were. Walk and put cameras on different areas with scrapes and rubs on the way to and from the food source. The farmers will start to harvest crops offering fresh food, but the trophy you are after will not come out during daylight hours. Get on the active trails in the woods or swamps and get ready. This is also the time I start using my hanging deer attractants on a regular basis to lure these deer in. I also make sure my Flextone bleat and grunt call is in my arsenal as well. The deer will be chasing. Remember to wait for the perfect shot.

Safety

Tree safety and hunting is always top-of-mind. I am a bigger boy so I will always hunt out of a wide platform stand with heavy-duty straps. I will always have a treestand harness on and so should you – it’s not only for when you are up in the tree; it’s important from the minute you start climbing. Also have a pull rope to get your bow/crossbow up to you safely. There may be a time when that trophy buck of a lifetime walks out in front of you, especially when you put your time in scouting. Be prepared for that moment when your entire body starts to shake uncontrollably.

Good luck scouting, hunting, and be safe!

For more hunting and fishing articles check out the best in giving you information on everything outdoors!

The post 10 Day Countdown To Bow Season! appeared first on Morning Moss.

T-Minus 8 Days!

With only 8 days left to bow season its crucial that you read this article to get the most out of your hunting season.

A Few Tips to Consider For a More Successful Archery Season

By: Todd D. Larson

With the “Dog Days” of summer upon us here in Wisconsin I can’t help but let my mind wander a bit and think of cooler days to come. More specifically when archery season opens up in the middle of September and carries us through the first part of January. For those of us with a passion for shooting bows and letting arrows fly, September 17^th, 2016 can’t get here soon enough and when January 8th, 2017 comes to a close it will find many people dragging their feet and just plain wore out from pursuing the most commonly hunted big game species in North America, the Whitetail Deer. Some hunters will find success early because they will have done their homework and others, well, they’ll be the ones eating their tags walking around like zombies.

In my 41 seasons of chasing these smart and crafty creatures with a bow I’ve come to understand a few things that I thought I might share to help others be more successful. Here’s the short list…

The Bow–

Purchase what you can afford. Buy a quality bow within your budget that feels good each and every time you shoot it. Spend a little more money if you have to in order to get the right fit and don’t buy a particular bow just because of the brand name on it. Remember that this is an investment and something that you will have to enjoy for many years to come. The first step is to decide on the type of bow you are wanting to shoot, (longbow, recurve or compound).  Take your time and shoot as many different styles of bows that they have from the various manufacturers. You can narrow it down pretty quickly once the shooting starts. Go to a quality archery shop that is more interested in fitting you with the proper bow rather than how much money they can talk you out of. Most reputable places will spend as much time with you as needed during the selection process. These are the guys that will take care of you when it comes to tuning your bow, cutting arrows, finding the correct release, arrow rest and quiver and any other accessories that you will need. Their job is to get you set up for success and take care of you quickly if something should happen to any piece of your archery equipment.

Shooting–

This is as important if not more important than the bow you purchase. Shoot regularly and consistently especially when first getting your bow. Many archery shops now have indoor and/or outdoor ranges which allow you to shoot at different distances and at many different types of targets. It’s a blast and challenging all at the same time. Not only that but you will meet some great people, all with a common interest who are more than willing to help you out. Remember that proper form is key and having a seasoned archer help you get everything dialed in is really important.  It certainly takes away the frustration associated with learning something new.

Another tip-don’t overshoot. What I mean is simply this. Don’t shoot a hundred arrows the first night in your excitement of getting your new bow. You’ll be too sore to even shoot your bow anytime soon after that thus making the experience less than enjoyable.  Keep in mind that you will be using muscles in your arms, neck and back that will need time to strengthen. As those muscles get stronger, shooting more arrows becomes easier. Your draw weight will increase as well but keep in mind that you don’t need to shoot heavy poundage. Shoot a draw weight that is comfortable for you. The arrow will still get there quickly enough the way that bows are designed today and a smoother and quicker draw is the one that will increase your chances of success. When I was younger, I shot a draw weight of 70 lbs. or more. Today it’s around 63 to 65 lbs. and it makes sense to me to shoot an arrow more comfortably and more consistently. I’ve also come to realize that a faster arrow is not necessarily a better killing arrow.  I also don’t shoot as many arrows each night as I use to. I would rather shoot fewer arrows and leave on a good note than too many arrows that start to hit all over the target. Having confidence in your ability and in your shooting distances is key. Be patient, be consistent and have fun. Each and every shot needs to be your best shot. There have been very few times that I have ever had a second chance at killing a deer that I may have missed with my first shot or have made a poor shot on to begin with. Take your time, breathe, relax and visualize the shot before you release the arrow. Make each and every shot count as you only get one first shot.

Practice shooting in various positions. Standing, sitting and kneeling are the most popular. Keep in mind the type of hunting you will be doing but practice shooting in different positions and situations.  If you are hunting from a ground blind practice sitting on a chair, inside the blind. If you’re going to be hunting from a tree stand be sure to practice at the height that your stand will be and always, always, always, wear your safety harness. Be certain to clip in to a life line as you climb up and down from your tree stand. Learn how different angles effect arrow placement when shooting from above and don’t forget to enjoy the view. Hunting from a tree stand is my favorite type of hunting and has been the most productive for me in the country that I hunt up here in Northern Wisconsin. Now that we have your bow picked out and you’re shooting like Fred Bear let’s take a look at your hunting property.

Property–

You have two choices, public land or private land. If you’re fortunate to have a piece of property that you own or have been able to lease-Fantastic!  I prefer hunting private land or a lease for a good number of reasons. Here are just a couple.

The first and most important reason is safety. You know for the most part that you or others you may have given permission to should be the only ones on that property. I’ve had some great leases over the years that I shared with my family and friends. It’s fun, comfortable and safe. I have to say that getting these leases wasn’t very easy. I did acquire most simply by calling on a piece of property that was for sale or by knocking on doors in areas that were of interest to me. Always be kind and courteous, thanking them for their time. Be sure to leave your name and number with them. They may not want to lease this property to you this season but that may change down the road. Be able to face rejection when they tell you “no” but keep in mind that’s all part of the process and all it takes is that one person to say “yes” to your request and you’ll be on top of the world. Hunting property is getting harder and harder to come by so be patient and put in your time.

The second reason is deer management. You will have a direct impact on the deer that reside there. I’m a firm believer in the Quality Deer Management program that more and more property owners and their neighbors are embracing. If you give these deer a chance to grow and keep a healthy buck to doe ratio in the mix you’ll experience hunting like you’ve never seen. The key to making this work is to get your neighbors involved. Experiment with food plots that will hold deer and create bedding areas for the deer if space allows. For ten months out of the year, all a whitetail thinks about is a place to eat and sleep that is relatively safe. The other two months are spent chasing or being chased around because of the rut. This is certainly the best and most productive time of the year to hunt and when it’s kicked in to full gear my two favorite weeks of the year. Be sure to put your time in the stand to increase your chances of success. I guarantee that you will see more than at any other time of the season.

Public land is always a gamble. I will say that a good number of deer are harvested on public lands. The key to success here is to get off the beaten path and go find those places that other hunters have no desire to be. You’ll be farther away from your competition and be closer to where these big deer like to hang out. They like solitude, safety and comfort next to a feeding area. Find that place and you’ll find success. Check the laws for using and hanging stands or putting up ground blinds on public property. Know that you are not going to be the only hunter out there and be willing to accept the fact that others may wander in what you like to think is “your area”. Remember that it is public land and that’s just part of the deal. I’ve been there and done that and yes it is frustrating but make the best of it.

There is certainly a lot more that I could talk about in regards to increasing the odds of being successful in the deer woods. Trail cameras, stand placement and cover scent are just a few more things to consider. Do your homework and prepare yourself to the best of your ability. Read as much as you can and don’t be afraid to ask questions. I have learned however, that the best lessons come from just taking that first step and getting out and in to the woods. Enjoy each and every moment that you’re there and I promise that you will be amazed at what you will learn and see. One other thing to remember…don’t base your success as a hunter on the size of the deer, the harvest or lack thereof.  Enjoy the hunt and the people you share it with. The harvest is just the icing on the cake.  Good Luck this season, be safe and have fun!

The post 8 Days To Bow Season! appeared first on Morning Moss.

T-Minus 4 Days!

We are getting so close to season! Check out this must read article on the crunch time checklist!

Crunch Time

By: Chase Larson

It’s that time of year again! A time where you wake up before your 4:00 am alarm clock. A time where you stand outside and feel the fall chill in the air. Then, you realize that there’s still a couple weeks left before the start of bow season. And because of this, there are a lot of things to check off your pre-season list in order to get into the stand and accomplish your goals of harvesting a whitetail this fall.

Here’s the “Its Crunch Time” checklist:

Land:

Make sure you have scouted and have done your homework with looking into hanging stands where there are natural pinch points and a lot of available sign. Look to improve your land with coming up with ways to have the three essentials. This would include food, water, and shelter being applied to the property. This could be achieved through making small manmade ponds around the property, planting food plots in fields or taking advantage of your trails, or making sure you are thinking ahead when planting trees and other native plants for future bedding areas.

Tree Stands:

Be sure to safety check all of your tree stands. Look for normal wear and tear on cables and straps, as well as finding and replacing rusted out bolts. Also, look for any cracking on the joints or frame of your tree stand. Once fixed and replaced make sure you set up and trim out your tree stands so you have clear shooting lanes to shoot through. Tree stand placement is crucial, so be sure to place different stands in various locations where you know you can hunt them based on the direction of the wind and weather for that day.

Safety Harness:

Because you most likely will be hunting in a tree stand during the duration of the bow season, you have to think about coming home to your family and friends after every hunt. Safety harnesses are a key ingredient to staying safe in the woods. But, what people don’t know is that safety harnesses are a great tool to have but it offers you a false sense of security. The reason this is, is because most accidents occur during the transition in and out of the tree stand. So, wearing this safety harness is a great idea to have but you are missing a key item. This key item is called a lifeline. What a lifeline does is that it keeps you connected from the base of your tree with your safety harness all the way up to the top. That way, during that transition process of getting in and out of the stand you know that you’re always connected.

Hunting Clothes:

Hunting clothes are another must have item. There are so many brands, styles, and price points out there so be sure to do your research and try them all on to figure out what you like. Be sure to wash your clothes in some sort of detergent that eliminates odor. Some garments require you to put them in the dryer for 5 minutes to activate the odor eliminating compounds within the garment itself. You also may want to think about purchasing an odor free garment bag to store your hunting clothes in after every hunt.

Bow Practice:

Perfect practice makes perfect. Take the time and sight in your bow. Take it in to your local archery shop to get tuned up. Be sure to practice in all applications. Some of these applications may include shooting in all your hunting gear, shooting from your tree stand or an elevated platform, and shooting at various distances. Always take some shots the day before you go to the stand to make sure everything is dead on and you’ll be able to head to the stand the next day with confidence in that all your equipment is working properly.

The pieces of this list are key components in becoming successful this fall. There are a lot of factors that apply and play into the challenges of hunting and being an ethical hunter. Through practice, patience, and the willingness to always learn and apply new and old techniques you will be successful in taking a whitetail this fall.

The post 4 Days To Bow Season! appeared first on Morning Moss.

T-Minus 3 Days!

Benefits to self-filming your hunt

By: Chase Larson

For many hunters, being able to enjoy nature’s gifts and spend time with family and friends are the key to a memorable hunt. And for many years the enjoyment, fulfillment, and overall emotions of that day are shared through a photograph and the memories of the people that experienced it. When I was a young boy barely able to walk, my father would strap me on his back, taking me through the tall grasses and vast wide-open plains of Kansas, searching for sign of deer, pheasant and possible goose/duck hunting spots for the up and coming season. Throughout my childhood my dad and I put on some miles creating thousands of memories that we both will always cherish and never forget. And with having so many of these memories, it usually would always end with a photograph.

As the years went by and the stack of pictures grew to an outrageous amount, my father had discovered another option to enjoy and share our memories together. This was through a video camera. So, after I was old enough to get my hunter safety license my dad already accumulated a stack of video cassette tapes of all of his duck hunts with his two favorite hunting buddies from Kansas. Nothing would compare to the reliving, seeing, and feeling of emotion when that moment would unfold every time one of those video cassette tapes were played. It put you back into that hunt, hearing the laughter, jokes, and funny moments spread around the duck blind and tree stand.

This lead to both my dad and I hooked to not only bringing the essential hunting gear to the blind; but to adding in the video camera so we could have the opportunity to relive and document our hunting adventures together. Well, now having over ten years of hunting adventures and a lot funny moments documented, you could say the memories of viewing these hunts are always going to be something special. But, for us the funny moments and adventures were just a bonus.

My dad and I are very avid hunters and outdoorsmen. I was born and raised around hunting, fishing, and having the guidance of gaining the knowledge to respect the land and everything that lives within it. Being an ethical hunter is something my dad and I were ingrained with from generations of hunters in the family. We are always pushing ourselves to become better outdoorsman, and through that we are always up for a challenge. With having the opportunity to hunt with a camera at our side, my dad and I always loved the challenge it brought to the table in all sorts of different hunting situations. With being a bowhunter the challenge of the hunt is very tough with all sorts of factors. The most important factor in any hunting situation is movement. You have to have knowledge and skill to drawback and move when necessary in order to become successful. But, using a camcorder adds a whole new level to the challenge of bowhunting.

Not only do you have the challenge of drawing back and moving yourself around the blind or stand when necessary, but you have a camcorder that you have to make sure you turn on, hit record, as well as move in order to orientate it in the right direction to capture that moment on film. But, if you are successful, the outcome of reliving that moment will always be there for as long as you live. Capturing that moment is also a very helpful tool in the world of bowhunting. Both of us have benefited greatly to having the ability of replaying the footage of the shot to identify where the shot placement was and determining how long to wait to recover the animal. There will always be times when a hunter is unsure of a shot; but having a tool like a camcorder to review and playback as many times as you want greatly increases your chance of making the right decision to pursue or wait on the animal.

Overall, having the ability to use a camcorder as a tool, and to have the ability to relive those moments in an interactive more personal way is something that every hunter should look into and consider. For me, I will always but on some rare occasions, take my camcorder into the stand with me. I will be able to relive that moment and share that with my kids someday; which for me is something way more important rather than showing them just a picture. But, with the added challenge to the hunt, the amazingly helpful tool that it is, and the ability to capture the memories, moments, and raw emotion on camera is something that will always appeal to both my dad and I. People say pictures are worth a thousand words, but for a hunter’s video clips, they are priceless. For any hunter taking the leap into the world of film, don’t forget to hit record!

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What to do the First Week of Archery Deer Season?

Early season bow hunting can be tough, but the first week can dictate how your season will go.

In Wisconsin, the first week of bow season for deer is just about here. Out West, it’s been going on for a few weeks but for most of the Midwest and the Eastern states, it’s coming in October. Wherever you lie on this spectrum of when archery season hunts, there are some things that you can do in the first week to not mess up your entire hunting season. Learn what to do in the first week of archery deer season to start your season off on a high note.

Do you Have One Scouted?

Have you put some time in scouting this summer? Hopefully so, and if you have a big one spotted on a daylight pattern, then now is the time to go after it… when the conditions are right. Early season deer will stick to their patterns until A. food sources change or B. they know they’re being hunted. Take advantage of the deer being on their patterns when you can hunt that buck with the right wind direction and you may be tagging out early this year.

As soon as you apply pressure to deer, especially big bucks, they will start to react and could go more nocturnal. Early season success depends upon patterning deer and ambushing them in these patterns, so if you can get to them early, do it.

No Buck Patterned? Take it Easy

The quickest way to screw up your best stands or spots is to hunt them too early when you don’t know if the deer are in there. It’s much better to sit back and wait, rather than go in after deer too early in the year and risk blowing your best spots. If you are hunting public land or a heavily pressured area, then it’s best to sit back and watch deer from an observation stand or on a field edge to find out the best places to ambush them. Gather information and figure out what you need to do to get on a buck, or wait until the rut starts to go heavily trafficked areas.

The opening week of the season is exciting. It can give you a great hunting opportunity, but it can also blow your season. Be smart about where you hunt and when and you could be in for a big buck, but if not, you could blow them into the next county.

See more bow hunting tips. 

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BLT Fish Sandwich

With Homemade Tartar Sauce

By: Hank Shaw

FISH                                                                                             TARTAR SAUCE

4-6 strips of bacon                                                                       1 cup mayonnaise

4 skinless walleye or white bass fillets                                    2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Salt                                                                                                 2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 cup of flour                                                                                Tabasco sauce to taste

2 eggs, lightly beaten                                                                  1/2 cup chopped pickles

1 cup breadcrumbs                                                                      2 teaspoons capers, chopped

oil for frying (Preference of peanut oil)                                  1 small shallot, chopped

4 large lettuce leaves                                                                   1 tablespoon minced chives

4 to 8 slices of tomato                                                                 Salt and pepper

Kaiser rolls

• Combine all tartar sauce ingredients in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Dredge the fish fillets in flour, then dip in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs.
• Fry bacon strips slowly until almost crispy. I prefer a slight bend for sandwiches.
• Heat the peanut oil to 350*F over medium high heat. Fry fillets until they are golden brown, about 2 to 5 minutes per side. Set on paper towels to drain.
• Gather all your fixin’s. Spread the tartar sauce on both sides of the buns, then add the lettuce, fish fillets, tomato and bacon. Crack an Old Style and enjoy!

Check us out every week to get your next wild game recipe!

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Gun Shy Dogs: Can It Be Fixed?

By: Jesse Dieckman

When it comes time to look for your next best hunting companion, the question you must ask yourself is, “Do I get a pup, started, or finished dog?”  Depending on your situation there are both pros and cons to each. Whichever way you decide to go, there are some questions you should think about.   Let’s start with looking for that cute, cuddly, and vivacious puppy.

There are many obvious reasons as to why you would want a puppy.  They are cute, cuddly, and for sure the wife and kids will love them at first sight.  While these aspects of a new pup are all true, sometimes people forget about ALL the responsibilities of a puppy.  Let’s take a look at some of the most obvious and troublesome.

First, there are the late nights or, what I sometimes like to call, Hell Week.  When you first bring your puppy home, you will need to crate train the little guy or gal.  Immediately, all you will hear is barking, which needs to be corrected.  This will continue until the puppy is comfortable in its new surroundings and is used to being away from its mother, brothers and sisters. Some pups will find their place and comfort in the family faster than others.  Patience and understanding are essential in the crate training process.  Over time, the pup, and soon to be dog, will find comfort and will likely seek out its kennel as a place to relax, sleep and feel safe.

Then comes the always the dreaded, potty training.  This cringe worthy situation will surely make your wife very unhappy and take some of the “cuteness” out of the new family member.  While it is a temporary setback, it is a fact of bringing home a pup.  The best thing to do is catch them in the act before the “accident” happens and let him or her outside. By getting him/her outside and, “cutting off the problem,” the dog will start to associate relieving him/herself outside on the grass, or at the very least in nature (instead of the carpet or wood floor).  Timing in training is one of the most important things.

The next habit to break is the chewing on everything, including your kid’s toys, shoes and whatever else is in the puppy’s path.  Puppies have a natural urge to chew on things.  Again, it is essential to “catch them in the act” to prevent and stop this habit.  A firm, “NO,” will likely be enough as the pup is wanting to please, and seeing that this is unacceptable, will make for a quick behavior change.

And, besides the inherent physiological setbacks, let’s not forget about cost.  The vet checkups, shots and the puppy food are all part of the equation. Add it all up, and a new puppy can get costly.

One of the last issues is time.  Everyone’s situation is different at home.  Having a puppy can be very time consuming.  For many, letting a new puppy out every two to three hours is not an option.  You may have to hire someone to do this for you for a few weeks in order to get through this phase of the dog’s life.  It is hard to put a dollar amount on time, so for each person this cost is different.  The question becomes, is the time/cost worth it in having a pup?

Now, after all of that, you may ask, “Why would you want to start with a puppy?”  The number one reason is the bonding time with him or her.  This bonding time is a great thing and shouldn’t be taken lightly.  Puppies tend to grow on you and you most definitely grow on them after all of the trials and tribulations that come with the pup’s upbringing.  (Plus, they are, darn cute). This bonding aspect is what most people love.

While bonding time is very powerful and has a great and lasting effect. The follow-up question then is when to start training? I would say 90 percent of people I work with have a young one that they want to train themselves or have trained by a professional.  They all ask what age is best to start training. I usually say, depending on the pup, about 6 months old is a good time to start.  (We will discuss and expand on more training topics in future issues.)

So, if you are in the decision phase of a pup vs. started/finished dog, be sure to consider the fore mentioned points in weighing the benefits against the complications of buying a puppy.

Now, if, due to time constraints, health, finances, etc. a puppy is not what you have in mind and want to skip all of the “growing pains” that come with it, a started or finished dog might be your best bet.

First of all, what’s the difference between a started dog and a finished dog?  Well, a “started dog” is past the puppy stage, has basic obedience, and is likely force broke- meaning that he/she can retrieve to hand.  These “started dogs” have the ability to do short mark retrieves at about one hundred yards and inwards.

A “finished dog” is one that has seen it all, “been there, done that.”  He or she has done blind retrieves, is steady to wing shot position birds, wipeout birds, breaking birds, and more.  So basically, they are at a master hunter level or in the field trial world; Qualified All Age Level.  For a great hunting dog, that’s all you need.

I always tell people that if I was not in the dog training business, I would buy a more advanced older dog.  “Why is that?” You may ask. Simply because I can avoid all the puppy stuff, and be ahead on money, time and headaches.   I have trained many dogs and even shipped some dogs to different countries.  I can I appreciate the bonding that comes with a puppy.  It is never easy to say goodbye after having spent quality time with a young dog.  I have experienced the “bonding effect” numerous times.

Now, the question is what to pay for a puppy, started or finished dog?  The determining price to pay comes down to whatever anyone is willing to pay at that given time.  The initial price will seem like a lot. But, with a started or finished dog you are avoiding many other bills that come with owning a puppy and then getting it professionally trained.

Also, if looking to get a puppy, consider the fact that the more reputable the kennel and the higher the price you pay upfront will greatly increase your chances of having a quality, well-bred dog to enjoy for years to come. Versus, “rolling the dice” by paying very little or nothing and taking your chances on how the dog turns out.  Let’s face it, all puppies are cute.  But, like babies, they don’t stay puppies forever.

Now, for your decision making process, I would use the following questions as a starting point in the decision of purchasing either a puppy, started, or finished dog.  These questions will help in deciding what the best choice is for you.

To start with, here are six basic questions you should ask yourself:

1. Do I want a male or female?

2.  What kind of upland or duck/goose hunting do I do most? Do we want a pointer or flusher?

3. Am I looking for a dog with a lot of drive? Or, one that is a steady hunter and is also able to unplug and sleep at my feet?

4. Do I know what color or markings we want on a dog? Size?

5. What price do I want to spend?  (Keep in mind, usually you get what you pay for.)

6.  How far am I willing to travel in purchasing a dog?

I would say as far as a started or finished dog, you can surely get one that is great for you.  You just have to look and ask questions. Ask a lot of questions.  Based on my experience, some are concerned that a started or finished dog will not bond with them the same as a puppy.  You would be surprised how well a little bit older dog can get attached to people if they spend the time with them and get to know them.  I have sold dogs to people and checked in on them years later. I was told that was the best thing they did.  The dog became strongly attached to them and they loved their hunting buddy all the same.  When I sell a dog to someone, I want the dog and its owner to be happy, and the new owner to truly get to enjoy a trained dog.

So, when deciding on a new puppy, or contemplating a started or finished dog, be sure to carefully consider each.  Truly weigh the pros and cons of each side.  The decision shouldn’t be taken lightly and it is one you will happily live with for years to come.

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