Grow the Hunt

Youth Turkey Hunt

- By Rich Miller

After previous week and having no luck whatsoever, I was ready to get back in the woods for our annual youth turkey season. Our state has a special season which is one day long so we can take a kid that is under the age of sixteen hunting before everyone has chased the birds all over the place. This year I went with my cousin Greg and his daughter to try and get her first turkey.

He has been getting lots of game camera pictures of birds using his food plots for a couple of months now and it was looking pretty good for her. With the three of us and a camera , we put up a blind and had everything ready to go well before it started getting light. I am glad we were in the blind because I didn’t wear near enough cloths and it was pretty chilly, but luckily it was a lot warmer with all of us packed up in that blind than it was outside. Shortly after the sun started peeking over the top of the trees we heard the first bird of the morning gobble. Then, not long after he gobbled, several more started shimming in with him and I knew it was going to be a great morning. All of the turkeys we were hearing gobble were pretty close to the food plot we were set up in and I felt sure that some of them would head our direction.

The first turkeys that showed up were three jakes that didn’t want anything to do with my Peep n’ Tom strutting decoy, but they sure wanted to pick on the couple of Pretty Penny hen decoys. They hung around for a few minutes and as the big gobblers hit the ground and started getting closer, the jakes began easing their way back out of the field.

Three of the gobblers were at the opposite end of the food plot from where we were set up and gobbling their heads off. They were just inside the woods, and although we couldn’t see them it was sure nice to have them gobbling the way they were. After a little while they stopped gobbling and I don’t know where they went but I figure they must have gotten with some hens and just shut up.

Then another turkey started gobbling to our left and it wasn’t long before he came into the field and started walking away from us. He acted as though he had been spooked but I didn’t know what had spooked him. A couple minutes after he left the field, three hens came out and walked up to the decoys and hung out for a while. That is when we noticed a gobbler strutting just inside the woods at the other end of the field. That sucker finally came into the field and hung up about sixty yards, staying there for about thirty minutes just strutting and looking at my Peep n’ Tom.

After what seemed like forever, the hens started feeding their way out of the field and I just knew he was going to follow them. Just then the wind picked up and spun my decoy around. When the tom saw that movement he broke out of strut and started walking our way. Greg started helping get Ansley’s gun up and in position so she would be ready when he walked in range. When the turkey got to about twenty yards I told them I was on him and to shoot when they were ready. The shot never came and before long he was at twelve yards walking around the decoy trying to pick a fight.

Ansley was having a hard time getting on him because he kept moving. It was a beautiful sight and I was just hoping while she was trying to get a shot at the bird she was paying attention to what was going on. I was wishing it wasn’t youth day and had my bow in my hand because those are the shots you dream of when trying to kill a turkey with a bow, or anything for that matter. After I don’t know how long, she was finally able to get a shot at him but unfortunately missed him. The bird ran about halfway across the food plot and then looked back at the decoy like, “what was that?”

Ansley was pretty upset. We tried to explain to her that everyone misses, and if they haven’t they will if they keep hunting. Then we talked about all of the cool stuff we got to see the bird do and that we would get to hunt him and hear him gobble again another day. That was the kind of bird we love to hunt and hope we run up on a coup le every year because he did everything you want a turkey to do . . . except DIE!!!

Shed Hunting the Forest and Field

- By Brandon Wikman

Trudging through forests and fields in search for massive whitetail headgear can be completely irresistible when you know both where and how to look. I’ve encountered many years of tireless searching for bone without any rewards to take home to show forth! Finally after listening and learning to a few shed hunting gurus, I’m able to ‘shed’ light on some valuable tactics in search for the mysterious bone!

FOREST:
Shed hunting in the forest is a lot like fishing. As a fisherman, we always keep a close eye on structure, such as weed beds, logs, or overhanging branches. Shed hunting is no different. Look for places such as thick brush spots, lone standing pines, and try to figure where bucks would spend the majority of their time. You must maximize your search by finding the key high-percentage areas.

Your best bet is to break out an aerial map and look at the terrain. Find the fields, ridges, and inside corner of woodlots. This will give you a better idea of where to begin. Once you have a general idea of where to look, it’s time to get your hiking boots.

I found that searching the south edges of woodlots that border cornfields could be a gold mine. These are prime food source locations that are in direct sunlight throughout the day. Small patches of thickets within a property are a wise place to look. These gnarly places hold a high percentage of a forest’s bedding area. They also have a great tendency of snagging antlers due to the blanket of twisted branches.

Lastly, find river or creek crossings. Many times deer will follow water parallel until they find a shallow spot. Bucks will make a good hop, skip, and jump across the water and jar their antlers from the hoof impact.

FIELD:
During the winter, whitetails rely on the rich carbohydrates composed of corn and soybeans. Agriculture fields are a huge whitetail pull. They provide animals with a consistent food source that is, most importantly, within walking distance. They don’t have to lose energy walking miles and miles looking for a place to find grub.

Deer typically will feed on a number of different crops in the winter. They mostly prefer corn, alfalfa, winter wheat, and rye grass. These are power-packed foods that provide substantial energy. Dealing with thousands of endless acres of agriculture fields can be daunting! There is a lot of field to cover and antlers can be scattered anywhere. Before lacing your winter boots for a huge trek, here are a few things to note.

Be aware of the travel locations of in which deer are entering and exiting the field most often. Find the largest concentration of tracks, droppings, or signs to guide you in the right direction. Glass the field with a nice pair of binoculars. This is extremely productive and you’ll be able to spot the glimmering sheen of a shed antler. Be sure to get a high vantage point so you can see as much as possible. You may want to find the highest ridge in the field and stand atop your four-wheeler to navigate.

If you don’t have a four-wheeler, walking will suffice. Take a stroll through a few rows at a time and mark where you’ve traveled. It’s much more efficient to look in one direction than to sweep back and forth throughout the entire field. You must take your sweet time and mosey through the field with wide-eyes!

Shed hunting is a fun way to get your family and friends into the woods. This is a good thing, considering the more eyes, the better! Be sure to take a weekend and search for success.

An Evolving Season

- By Brandon Wikman

The warm weather spell has blossomed across the country and soared temperature patterns into the mid-60s and higher. This refreshing seasonal pattern embraces an excitement for spring to us outdoor enthusiasts. The melting snow piles on our lawns mark the cozy rising temperatures. The slushy ice that blankets the Midwestern waterways is a sheer reminder that winter is nearly history. Finally, spring is closer than we know.

This time of year is truly fascinating. Nature’s mystical rebirthing cycle continues steadfast without warning. It’s a natural process of continuation and growth. Early April brings a new look into the forests and fields across the country. Faded colors become vividly vibrant, refreshing aromas of flowery meadows loom in the air, and the magical thunderstorms of April forebode our plantings. We are in progress of a new season.

I went on a relaxing walk last night and took in the new sights and sounds of spring. The croaking frogs chimed a sweet melody of bass, while a swarm of fireflies illuminated the dusk. My imagination and eyes gazed into the clear skies above. Thousands upon thousands of stars twinkled ever so glittery. The stars glimmered like the whitecaps on a river. As the sun soon faded into the depths of the swaying treetops, night arrived.

I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of spring. There’s some incredible persona of changing times and altering seasons. The warm weather blesses us with still nights as the forest canopy begins blooming into a new tangle. It is the simple things that make me smile. The colorful wild flowers sprouting along back country roads, sounds of echoing gobbles from afar as the turkey declare dominance, and the beautiful birth of new wildlife brought to this world. This is what spring means to me.

I urge all outdoors people to venture into the forest and fields to seek a natural enlightenment that only Mother Nature subscribes. It’s a heart healthy, mind clearing, relaxing suppressor when you need it.

Lack of Gobbling

- By Rich Miller

After a year of waiting it is finally here! I had to drive three hours to get there and it is always worth every second of it when I am sitting in the woods waiting on a turkey to gobble. The lower part of the State of South Carolina always opens their turkey season a couple of weeks ahead of the upstate on March 15th. This year it happened to be on a Monday and my buddy Robert and I couldn’t get down there until Thursday night, but we did get there in time to try and roost some birds before dark.

Usually this place where we hunt is covered up with birds and we always have good hunts whether it ends with a kill or not. This year we were as excited as ever as we made our way to what we call the hill stand to give a couple of hoots on the owl call to see if we could get a response from a gobbler. This place isn’t actually what you would classify as a hill but it is the highest point on this piece of property and it borders a swamp where the turkeys normally roost. Also if a turkey gobbles anywhere on or around the piece of property we are hunting you will be able to hear him from there. That Thursday afternoon the wind was calm and the weather had been perfect all day but we waited out there until it was completely dark and never heard a single gobble.

We have had days when they didn’t gobble in the afternoons so it didn’t bother us that we didn’t hear anything. We were still just as pumped up for the next morning’s hunt as we ever were. The next morning we were back at the hill stand well before daylight hoping the birds were going to be a little more vocal on this day. The next thing we knew, the clock was pointing to a little after nine and we had yet to hear a gobble. A couple times we heard a dog barking in the distance which got a lot of our attention and we tried to convince ourselves that it was a turkey but in the back of minds we knew better. For the rest of the day we hunted and never got a response out of a bird that we know of.

Saturday morning we hit the ground just as fired up as we were the day before, but again after a couple of hours of nothing our enthusiasm was starting to dwindle. Saturday ended up just like Friday with nothing to show for it. We did see some turkey sign while we were hunting and I know the birds are around somewhere but they just weren’t there when I was. Everybody is saying that they are running a couple of weeks behind this year and I tend to agree, but after hunting hard for a few days you would think a guy get just one bird to gobble.

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Green Bay Sports Show

- By Brandon Wikman

Last month I jammed my truck plump full of booth equipment, tables, and promotional collateral en route to “Packer Country.” This was my annual trade show trip to Green Bay Wisconsin’s Deer Hunting Classic.

The Wisconsin Deer Hunting Classic is located a block from the notorious Lambeau field, where the NFL pro team, Green Bay Packers play. There’s such a neat mystique about the area, people, and culture of this fan crazy town. The Northern Wisconsinites are known for two things. They are hardcore hunters and Packer football fanatics. I felt like I was at home!

The 3-day hunting and sporting goods expo was thrilling. I had the chance to meet some of the greatest people I’ve ever met, including archery shooting guru, Frank Addington Jr. Frank is an expert archer that travels the country conducting seminars and performing incredible trick shots. He’s mostly known for his infamous, “aspirin busting” ability to literally split pills in midair by firing arrows behind his back up to 20-feet away.

His amazing ability to showcase his skills was hard to believe. I literally watched him from the front stage popping lofting balloons and clusters of aspirin like it was an easy task.

During the show I also had a chance to meet with great friends and industry partners. We even had the opportunity to snap a photo of this 190-inch monster whitetail shot near the Green Bay area. This giant buck was a jaw-dropping sight. I spotted the man walking through the alleyway and couldn’t let this chance pass! It was a perfect photo opportunity!

The trade show not only exhibited some great hunting products and gear, but also a neat look at some of Wisconsin’s best taxidermy. Amazing wildlife artists showcased their most prized possessions on the show floor. Bear, fox, whitetail, and ducks were just some of the few marvelous mounts exhibited. I was sure to take a bunch of pictures of the new and creative wildlife scenes.

Next stop, another trade show in the Wisconsin Dells area. This show is for the Wisconsin Bowhunters Association. Spring is the time of year where the sporting trade show and expo season gains headway. I look forward to meeting more spectacular people, reflect on hunting stories, and make new friends along the way.

Shed Hunting and Scouting

- By Rich Miller

Every year from the middle of January on, I start hearing stories from around the country about people finding shed antlers. It seems like the ones in the Midwest and Northern Midwest start first, and I even get some tales about them finding some in September. In my opinion the stress from brutal winters can make the deer lose their antlers faster than they do here in the South. With my job I am in the woods every day and am always keeping an eye out for sheds whether it is in power line right of ways or in the timber, but the sheds I find are few and far between. When I am in Kansas, whether it be turkey season or deer season, I normally find a couple of sheds out there every year. At home in South Carolina, that is not the case.

Now, according to the pictures I am getting from my game cameras some of the bucks still have their antlers but some of the bucks lost theirs a couple of weeks ago. As I do every year, when my pictures show proof that they have started dropping I hit the woods and food plots looking. For the past couple of weeks my little boy and I have been walking and looking what feels like every inch of our farm and we have yet to find one antler. Part of the problem is that we don’t have what you would call good bucks using our property right now so the antlers we are looking for are of the smaller variety. I understand that this makes our shed hunting a smite tougher than some other guys.

Turkey season opens this week in the lower part of our state and with all of the waking I am going to be doing in those deer infested woods hopefully I will run across something down there. According to our cameras down there we had several good bucks make it through the season so maybe we can find a couple of their sheds.

One thing about hunting sheds this time of year, whether you are finding them or not, it is a great opportunity to scout. There are a lot of fresh deer signs in the woods to make note of for next season. The pattern the deer are using right now can be turned into some late season success this coming fall. Another thing is I also learn a few things about my turkeys when I am hunting around for sheds. I make some notes in the back of my mind where most of the scratching and strutting has been going on. Then come turkey season when I am chasing that hard headed gobbler around I will have some idea of where he may be headed.