Grow the Hunt

Fawn Facts

Thanks Jeff for sending in this great shot of a Doe with her newborn fawn. It was captured in Minnesota by a Moultrie Game Spy I-40 digital trail camera.

Here are some facts that you might find interesting:

• A deer’s gestation period is between 200-205 days.
• Most fawns are born in late May or early June.
• Usually a doe will give birth to a single fawn the first time she gives birth, but after that, twins are often likely.
• Baby deer usually weigh between 4 ½ pounds -5 ½ pounds at the time of birth.
• Fawns can usually walk 20 minutes after birth.
• A doe will lead her fawns away from where they were born to a place that will provide some cover. The spotted fawns are nearly odorless and almost impossible to see when they are hidden in cover. The doe will then leave the fawns alone in the cover to draw predators away from them. She will return five to eight times a day to nurse then leave again.
• In a period of two to three weeks, the fawns are able to follow their mother while she feeds. The fawns self wean as they begin to feed on various vegetation.
• Young does may stay grouped together throughout the year but young bucks will leave the group in the fall.

Hunting for Land Owners

How many times have you driven by a piece of property that looks like it is perfect habitat for hunting? Chances are it has happened many times. All too often hunters will never pursue gaining permission to hunt these areas simply because they do not know how to go about finding who owns the property. A simple phone call to the county Tax Assessor’s office is a great place to start.

In the past, to find out who owned a piece of property required going down to the county Tax Assessor’s office and digging through books of maps. Many counties now have tax maps online that are easily accessible. These maps are a great place to look for information about who owns the property. Many times they list the owner’s name, address and phone number. It may take a little digging, and a little begging, to be granted permission to hunt a piece of property. But it will be worth it when you can hunt the area you have dreamed of for years.

Alligator Hunting, Anyone?

This huge gator was captured visiting Grady’s digital trail camera in South Texas. Needless to say, he was quite surprised when he downloaded the pictures from his Game Spy camera. Have you been shocked by any pictures from your Moultrie trail camera? Submit them today at http://www.moultriefeeders.com/trophyroom.

Food Plots Hollywood Style

-By Brandon Wikman

Creating that idyllic ‘Hollywood’ style food plot that you’ve seen on TV and magazines seems nearly impossible. Leafy greens stretching hip high, weed-less and lush doesn’t have to be a dream, it can be a reality. With enough planning, hard work and luck from Mother Nature, you too may grow your own hot-spot-plot.

Taking it step-by-step:

1. Location is critical. Considering the hot summer months ahead may wither your power-packed plot, be sure to use shade to your advantage. A plot only needs, on average, four hours of sunlight to flourish. Too much sunlight absorbs moisture within the soil, which steals the necessary water requirements for your plants. Use trees or hedgerows to your advantage in maximizing the most shade and sun combination for your plots’ growth.


2. The PH level of your soil will either make you or break you. Many companies have PH level soil kits, which you can use to determine the amount of lime and fertilizer to lay. Or else, you can always send a sample of soil to a lab to have it tested. I always use ammoniated lime, which breaks down and activates much quicker. Bumping your PH level to 6.5-7 will result in maximum development.


3. Look for thriving weeds and grasses. Planting your plot in an area that’s bare of vegetation is absurd. Although it may seem simple to plant, considering you don't need to mow or spray herbicide, there’s a reason no plant life existed. Extremely poor soil! Find a piece of ground that has an abundance of thick undergrowth and displays potential of actually growing something!


4. Giving a buzz cut. Snipping your future plot will be essential in preparation for spraying herbicide. Mow the area, rake the debris off the plot and wait a week or two for the grass to regenerate. Then attack! Hacking the weeds and grasses down to a few inches assures that the chemicals will reach the root systems quicker and be deadlier. It’s important to spray Round-Up on the weak up-and-coming grasses. This will guarantee a successful kill.
   
   Always wear long sleeves, pants, and gloves for your own safety when dealing with chemicals.


5. Seed to soil contact. Once the ground is ready for planting, there are many options to use, depending on what machinery you have access to. If you are planting a small plot and don’t have a disk, plow, or roto-tiller, you can use a garden rake to scuff the topsoil and make enough room for your seeds to drop and grow. As long as the seeds have contact with the soil and enough gaps to germinate, it will grow! It may take a lot of elbow grease, but will still work. Otherwise, using heavier equipment is faster, and easier. After you lay down seed, be sure to use some sort of a cultipacker to compress the seed into the dirt and eliminate any air pockets within the soil. When a seed germinates and the taproot begins tunneling into the ground, it has to redirect itself if it hits an air pocket. It only takes a couple air pocket detours to stress a young seed into withering.

It’s exciting to watch your hours of tending ground evolve into that dream plot you’ve always wanted. Remember, you can only control the planning, preparation, and planting stages of creating your food plot. After that, it’s left to nature to care for. Rain will be critical to spurt your new seedlings and supply enough food for growing.

Enough devotion and land labor supplies sufficient groceries for your deer herd to thrive. This will keep deer on your property and supplement them with an antler boosting, high-quality diet and health plan for seasons to come.

Power of Planting

-By Brandon Wikman

Watching a tiny seed transform into a full-fledged, antler-blooming plant has always amazed me. The essence of understanding what it takes to be a farmer, wildlife manager and patron of the forest is what I consider to be a true hunter.

Planting food plots is a critical step in response to a whitetails desire for taste variety, and nutrition. Implementing a seasonal mix of early and late season plots insures not only a healthy deer herd, but also a herd that will stay on your property, for good. Whether it’s opening weekend or the final weeks of the deer season, taking the ‘food buffet’ approach to your land will keep you and your freezer stuffed.

A few weeks ago I met with my uncle, who owns a dairy farm and the woods I grew up hunting. I simply asked what he planted and where. It is important to know what crops are going to grow, where it will be planted, and how much of it. I can take this information and relate it to what I will plant and how I can make the most out of my food plots.

Many people complain that food plots are worthless; because deer stomp right through that lush green acre of clover you busted your butt growing all summer en route to the farmer’s crops. Well, they’re right... but only to a point.

Timing is everything in the whitetail world. They’re stomach runs on a timed dinner bell, based on weather, time of year, and a list of other motives that are out of our control. Anytime we can control a variable in the deer woods, we must capitalize on it. When a farmer has grown a field covered in soybean plants during mid September, when the plant is most desired, your custom plot isn’t going to be on the top of a deer’s grocery list. Your mindset needs to be based off of what plant you can substitute after the soybean craze mellows.

In my case, all the fields planted near me are sprouting with mini-corn leaves, surfacing the soil, and supplying a tasty carbohydrate treat for deer mid-to-late season. My uncle said his crops would be harvested around November, so I will have a variety mix of chicory, and clover to supplement their diet after the corn is stripped.

For the time being, I planted a new product that is primarily comprised of soybeans, peas, and sunflowers. This will be a guaranteed hot spot for early season bow hunting. I planted several strips along my uncle’s cornfield. Not only is the soil already super charged with fertilizer, but also there’s enough light source and food availability for deer to browse. Deer will feed on the plot religiously until the corn or acorn frenzy begins. Although, once another crop competes with your own homemade honey hole, it’s still nice to have a variety of food for your herd to munch on.

We happen to forget deer eat what they want, when they crave it. And when they crave a particular plant, it is for a certain reason. Plant your plots during the time of year that deer will need it and benefit from it most!

Plotting Points

• Plant enough seed in a big enough area so deer won’t demolish it before it has a chance to even grow to its potential!
• Use a PH Soil testing kit to determine whether you need to put lime on your plot.
• Remember to fertilize your plot for maximum plant forage.
• Use a seed spreader to cast your seed to ensure proper coverage.
• Make sure there are enough light sources; don't be afraid to trim branches or clear away trees.
• Hang your scouting camera and let the scouting begin.

The Birthing Moon

-By Randy Cooper

June is the month of new birth in the woods. You see rare and precious things this time of year if you are patient and know what to look for. I have a Moultrie deer feeder at the end of a food plot in my back yard. When I first put it up over a year ago, I didn’t know what to expect. Finally, the deer found it and I began to get as many as 10 to 12 pictures of deer feeding under it every couple of days. I was so excited that it was getting a response. Today, things are a little bit different. Now I’m getting over 100 a night!!! My record for one night is 166. I have to admit, sometimes it’s almost boring to sit and go through all those pictures day after day. I do this each day because I know, like so many times before, that somewhere in those pictures there will be something truly rare and special.

Last November, I caught a buck fight on my camera. I’ve seen the aggression a buck has as he runs off rivals to protect his does and his food source. The other critters like raccoons, foxes, rabbits and even a ferret are comical to watch in their natural movements.

I have a mineral station on a local property with a Moultrie I-60 camera covering it. I’ve seen just about everything happen around the mineral site. Lately, the deer have been bedding down right beside the site. I literally have to stand in a deer bed to swap out my SD card each week. It’s so cool!!! I truly do love my Moultrie game cameras.

Through what I’ve seen in recent days, the does are so pregnant they are about to POP!! What blew me away was when I checked footage taken over the mineral site the other day. A doe I began calling “BIG MAMA” because of her tremendous size was standing in front of the camera about 20 yards away acting funny. This footage is rare to say the least. If you watch her mid section closely, you’ll see the fawn or fawns she’s carrying moving around so much its unbelievable! I’m sure I was seeing her RIGHT BEFORE SHE GAVE BIRTH!! She is twitching her tail like she is agitated and she also begins to lick at her tail. Run the footage back and forth and see this awesome sight. I’ve never seen anything like it before and feel so fortunate to have once again caught something so special on camera.

I’d like to know if anyone else has seen this rare event. Please comment on this post and let me know. I look forward to the does bringing their fawns to my feeder as I know they will later this month. Get yourself one of these great cameras and capture your own special pictures. They are priceless!!

Bill Dance Fishing Blooper

We know this video isn't hunting related, but everyone loves a blooper clip! Here is one of our favorites of Bill Dance getting hit by a jib arm.

Practice Makes Perfect

Air rifles are a perfect way to introduce someone to shooting sports. Although most people think of air rifles as being just for young shooters, both new and experienced shooters alike can benefit from the extra practice achieved through shooting an air rifle. Shooting air rifles reinforces the skills that hunters use when shooting big game animals. It allows you to practice sight picture, breathing control and trigger squeeze. All of these items are key components of successful shooting. Another benefit to shooting air rifles is that they have no recoil so shooters do not develop the bad habit of flinching in anticipation of pulling the trigger like they might when shooting a large caliber hunting rifle.

There are several different price levels on air guns. You can pick up an entry-level air rifle for around $20 or you can spend up to several hundred dollars for the higher end models. Most people can find an air gun within their budget.

An air gun range can be set up inexpensively anywhere that has a fair amount of open space. This allows you to practice right at home in most cases. A simple backstop can be created from a cardboard box stuffed with newspaper. Many companies offer portable metal pellet traps that will also stop pellets.

With the price of gas and ammunition going up and no end in sight, building your own home range and practicing with an air rifle only makes sense.

Buying a Bow for Your Child

-By Brandon Wikman

Strolling into your local archery pro shop, or simply thumbing through the pages of last months hunting magazine in search of a new bow is like trying to pick your favorite candy off the shelf! It can be a real sticky situation that is sure to make any archer nutty.

The Crunch - It seems nowadays bows may retail as much as last month’s paycheck! At the rate manufacturers have been slapping price labels on bows, there seems to be no limit. When looking for a quality bow, putting the crunch on your bank account isn’t necessary. People seem to have the common belief that if it’s more expensive, it’s better. That is often times a false accusation.

In today’s day and age, the latest technology and super radical gizmos built in, on, or around bows seem to draw the most attention. It is important that we let the bow speak for itself, rather than putting faith into the wise and witty marketing team that creates the fancy designs, eye-popping ad layouts, and power to force you to buy their product. There isn’t a way to draw upon conclusions until you actually have the bow in your hands and in action. Let the sales gurus put their ad money where their mouth is, and see if the bow does what it’s supposed to do.

The Taste - I’ve always believed you can tell a man by the bow he shoots. A bow is a mirror image of what we crave and expect, whether it’s looks, feel, or performance.

There are several bow manufacturers who make great youth bows, including PSE, Browning, and Whisper Creek. Whisper Creek Archery’s new lineup consists of the Panther and Phantom. These bows fill a gap in the current archery market between youth and adult bows. The Panther is 31" axle-to-axle, set with parallel limbs, and was carefully built for a newcomer or seasoned hunter. It’s adjustable from 20 to 50 pounds, and has draw length capabilities from 17-27 inches! It’s important to look for versatility in a bow with the ever so changing teenager.

The Phantom is specifically designed for people just getting into the sport of archery, a perfect bow for a young gun that has never shot or held a bow in their life. This 29" axle-to-axle also comes with the works. The draw length can be adjusted from 14 to 24 inches without the use of a bow press.

We all know that the future of hunting is in the hands of today’s youth. We must equip them with not only the right gear, but demonstrate leadership and role modeling skills to preserve our heritage. I cannot stress the importance of getting kids involved into shooting and hunting early.

The After Taste - Savoring your purchase to the very end is imperative. If you’re willing to make an investment on a brand new bow, you need to know your satisfaction is guaranteed. Take time to talk with several people, surf the web, meet with dealers, and don’t be afraid to call the company directly to ask questions. Purchasing a bow for your newcomer is a ‘sweet’ deal!

Baby Boom

Dan Schmidt posted on his Blog last week an entry titled Another Amazing Fawn Encounter describing a recent encounter with a doe and her newborn fawn. It is that time of year where we are hearing similar stories about encounters with newborn fawns across the country. Moultrie wants to know if anyone has captured any game camera photos of newborn fawns. If so, please e-mail your pictures and story to Moultrie at moultriephotogallery@gmail.com