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For six years, Eastern Outdoors has been telling stories from the woods and water across Kentucky and the mountains around it. Starting today, those stories come straight to your inbox every Monday, along with what’s working in the field right now. There’s no better week to start than this one, because the rut is coming.

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RUT REPORT: WHERE THINGS STAND

The calendar has turned, and the woods are changing with it. Bucks are widening their travel, working scrapes, and checking doe groups for the first receptive does. Some of you are already seeing a chase or two. Others are still hunting the tail end of the pre-rut. The rut doesn’t hit everywhere at once, so here’s a look region by region.

KENTUCKY

The best of it is still ahead, and when it arrives depends on where you hunt. Breeding dates swing about three weeks across the state, from around November 9 in the Inner Bluegrass to late November in the southeastern mountains, according to onX’s 2026 rut predictions. Kentucky times its modern gun season to line up with the peak, and it shows: last year, Kentucky hunters reported 145,433 deer, and 72% of them came during the 16-day November gun season. Over the next week or two, expect fresh scrapes, more cruising, and bucks moving through doe bedding cover in daylight. If you hunt the mountains, your best days may still be a couple of weeks out.

OHIO, INDIANA, AND THE MIDWEST

Ohio’s average date of conception has consistently fallen within a couple of days of November 14, according to Ohio Division of Wildlife deer program administrator Clint McCoy. That puts Ohio hunters right on the doorstep of the breeding season. Across Indiana, Illinois, and the surrounding states, the first half of November is traditionally when buck movement and chasing pick up. Watch for bucks traveling between doe groups and more midday movement. The mature buck you couldn’t pattern in October may show up when you least expect him.

APPALACHIA: WEST VIRGINIA, VIRGINIA, AND EAST TENNESSEE

Mountain country is moving toward its best stretch, with breeding typically building through mid-November, although timing in East Tennessee varies a lot by location. Steep terrain makes movement harder to predict. Bucks will use ridge systems, benches, saddles, and connecting hollows as they search, so focus on the travel routes between doe bedding areas.

THE NORTHEAST

In Pennsylvania, New York, and the surrounding states, the first half of November usually brings the jump in breeding activity. Hunt funnels, connecting timber, and the downwind side of doe bedding cover.

THE SOUTHEAST

The Southeast is the hardest region to put on a calendar. Breeding dates swing widely from state to state and even county to county, and much of the Deep South runs considerably later than the rest of the East. Down there, fresh sign tells you more than any date.

WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

Keep an eye on your trail cameras. Bucks that have only shown up after dark may start appearing closer to shooting light, and unfamiliar bucks showing up in daylight are a sure sign the search is on.

Scrapes are worth checking, especially the ones near doe travel routes. Fresh tracks and repeat visits tell you a buck is working the area right now, not last week.

Don’t get married to one buck or one stand. The rut pulls deer onto ground they never use the rest of the year, and the buck of the season may be one you’ve never seen.

And don’t head in after the first hour of daylight. A buck looking for does keeps moving long after the morning slows down.

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THE FIELD NOTE: Where I’d Hunt This Week

If you only have a few sits, set up where a cruising buck can find does. That means narrow timber funnels between big blocks of cover, ridge saddles in mountain country, and the downwind edge of doe bedding areas where a buck can scent-check without walking in. Fresh scrape lines along doe travel routes are worth a sit too.

On public land, add one more rule: go where other hunters won’t. Find the far side of the creek, the back of the steep hollow, or the thicket half a mile from the parking lot, then pack a lunch and stay all day. The hunters crowding the easy spots will push deer your way.

Whatever you do, don’t ruin a good spot with a bad wind or a walk through bedding cover. You only get to surprise a mature buck once.

IN OTHER NEWS: Kentucky sees giant black bears fall!

Kentucky’s bear season is turning out some true giants, and the photos coming in this week have been something else. Tia Ratliff (pictured) of Pike County and Cecil Jackson of Knox County both took 500-pound-plus black bears with a compound bow. Not long ago, a bear that size in Kentucky would have been a once-in-a-lifetime story. Now it’s a sign of how far the bear population has come in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. See the photos on our Facebook page, and if you’ve got a bear story from this season, hit reply. We’d love to tell it.

THE CALL: Send Me Your Rut Report

What’s the rut doing where you hunt? Hit reply with your county and state and what you’re seeing: fresh scrapes, chasing, lockdown, or nothing at all. I’ll pull the best reports together for the next issue, so you can see what’s happening across the East.

See you in the woods,

John

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Sometimes a deer of a lifetime just takes a little patience.

For Jacob Deaton, it took just a few years to get it done.

After Deaton and his friend, Tate Farmer, got permission to hunt a farm in Northern Kentucky, the two began taking inventory of what kind of deer the farm actually held.

It wasn’t long before they discovered a couple of nice bucks that ran in the 140-inch class. While that would satisfy most hunters, Deaton and Farmer decided to take it easy on the farm the first year.

In year two, Deaton saw the deer that made an immediate jump to the top of his hit list.

He named the deer A.D., after Kentucky Wildcat great, Anthony Davis, who was known for his infamous unibrow while leading Kentucky to the 2012 National Championship. So, because of this deer’s massive brow tines, he became known as the A.D. buck.

“In year two on the property we were expecting a couple of deer to make a good jump,” said Deaton. “So we go up around the beginning of August (2023) and throw up some cameras. Sure enough, A.D. was the second deer to show up. Mine and Tate’s jaws dropped. He was around 160-inches and had two 10-inch plus brow tines.”

The duo spent the fall of 2023 targeting the buck, who they estimated to be around 4.5 years old. But, Deaton got impatient and, during his second sit on the property, he decided to take another shooter buck.

Deaton said after killing the buck last fall, his attention turned to making sure A.D. was still around a year later.

“My whole mission was to keep A.D. on this property because I knew he had the genetics to blow up into a mega giant,” said Deaton. “I kept him fed all throughout the rest of last season. He made it through rifle season and through late muzzleloader, and I was so jacked because I knew he had made it.”

Fast forward to July 2024. Deaton and his other hunting buddy, Jakob Begley, drove up to the farm in hopes of getting a glance at A.D. Sure enough, there he was.

“One night in July we finally laid eyes on him,’” Deaton said. “He had turned into the deer that I killed on opening day.”

In the third year of hunting the farm, Deaton set out on opening day to see if he could close the chapter on the biggest buck of his life.

With the cold front moving through Kentucky on the morning of September 7, Deaton got to his stand around 1:30 PM because he thought the deer may be moving a little earlier, toward the middle of the day.

But it wasn’t until daylight was winding down that the buck he was after finally made his way in.

“I didn’t see the first deer until 7:30. They left, and the next group came in at 8:05,” said Deaton. “A half-rack buck and a doe came in at 8:17, picking and eating around. Then they looked up with their ears pinned forward, and I knew he was coming.”

In what was about to be the biggest moment of his life as a deer hunter, Deaton turned to his faith to help get him through.

“I looked over my shoulder and there he was, coming straight at me,” said Deaton. “I closed my eyes and said a quick prayer. Then I pulled back on him and shot. The shot was bad, so I had to back out over night. I came back the next morning, and he hadn’t ran more than 150 yards.”

The buck was still in full velvet at the time Deaton harvested it. It measured in at an impressive 206-inches. Deaton took the buck to Maggard Taxidermy in Manchester, KY to have it mounted.

Scent Control and Deer Hunting

The whitetail deer’s nose is one of the most elite defense mechanisms in the woods. Scent control is a crucial part of preparing for every deer hunt.

Scent control is a hot topic in conversations among deer hunters. Some hunters don’t believe scent control is important. Some believe scent control hype is created by companies that sell products. In one conversation or another, we’ve heard a fellow hunter say “I don’t use any scent control and I still harvest deer.”

Making Sense of Scent

The largest portion and most developed section of a deer’s is dedicated to smelling and deciphering scent. A whitetail deer’s brain contains more than 300 million scent receptors. Comparatively, a bloodhound is said to have around 220 million scent receptors in its brain.

Millions of nerve cells line the interior of a deer’s nose. They work together to trigger areas of a deer’s brain. Specific cells in the deer’s nose are dedicated to detecting food sources, other deer, humans and other predators. According to researchers from the Mississippi State University Deer Lab, deer can pick up on six different smells at once.

When a deer smells clover, the nerve cells in the nose send the signals to the brain, which then triggers the deer’s behavior to go eat in the clover patch. When human odor hits those specific nerve cells, the cells signal the brain and the brain triggers the deer’s response to blow and run the other way.

Another classic topic of discussion in the hunting community, smoking cigarettes from the tree stand. Maybe you’ve harvested a deer while smoking and swear it makes no difference. More than likely it didn’t make a difference in case by case scenarios due to wind being in your favor. Deer can smell up to a half-mile away, the smell of a cigarette could spook deer long before you’d ever know they were in the area.

Practicing Scent Control

Scent control is not a gimmick. You should practice good scent control and create habits in your preparation for every deer hunt.

Before going to the woods, you should be showering to decrease potential body odors you take to the woods. You don’t want to use any soaps or shampoos that smell like perfumes or cologne. You want to use non-scented soaps and shampoos, or look for soaps that have skin detoxing benefits like Covert Ops Outdoors activated charcoal soap. The activated charcoal targets the human odor, limiting your human smell is a must. Covert Ops Outdoors earth scented deodorant is a great alternative to other deodorants you might by at the store. You don’t want to shower and then apply Speedstick deodorant.

It’s also important to not overlook your towels and wash clothes. Make sure you are washing those in non-scented detergent. Don’t use dryer sheets with your deer hunting shower towel. You took the time to shower and put on your earth scent deodorant, don’t dry off with something that smells like Febreeze. 

Legendary hunter Eddie Salter knows deer hunting and he knows scent control.  He does everything he can to be scent free and it has helped him in the field more than anything else.

“I like to get into a system where I feel like I’m as scent free as I possibly can,” Salter said.  I’m going to wash my clothes, after I get through washing my clothes, I’m going to have deodorant I’m going to put on.”

When you get your camouflage on and you’re about ready to head to the stand, treat your clothes with Camo Dust. Camo Dust is a dry powder that helps naturally prevent odors from forming on your clothes. 

“When you start sweating bacteria is going to start forming, but if you’ve got something to help control that then I think you’re going to be way ahead of the ball game,” Salter said.

Put Camo Dust in a sock applicator and pat your clothes, hat and boots down. The unscented powder naturally halts the formation of odors by isolating the elements that produce offensive scents that spook game. Apply it before getting to your stand, when you get in your stand and when you leave the stand.

Pay attention to wind and thermals, choose to hunt stands where this is in your favor. Hunters will never be able to fool a deer’s nose, but practicing good scent control and playing wind each time you hunt will give you a chance to fill some tags.

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It’s been more than 20 years since Kentucky’s biggest buck of all-time was harvested by Mount Sterling resident Troy Wilson. The velvet monster, with its 48 scorable points and over 300 total inches, was a sight to behold back in 2001, and I believe it deserves a reintroduction into the deer hunting community two decades later. 

I spoke with Wilson about this monumental achievement and the memory of a lifetime, and I believe it could not have happened to a better man. Wilson is as humble as they come and says it was just a lucky occurrence that allowed him the chance to kill the state’s largest trophy buck. 

It was the opening day of Kentucky’s muzzleloader season, and Wilson, along with his father and brother-in-law were just getting back from a Colorado elk hunt, in which Wilson harvested a nice 5x5 bull elk. 

The plans were simple - Wilson would go to his stand, but not hunt. His job that morning was to drive deer to his partners. But that wasn’t quite how it turned out. Wilson’s attempt to “drive” deer to them, became his opportunity of a lifetime.

“I told them I was going to go to my stand and sit 45-minutes to an hour, then I would get up and move around and try to drive deer to them,” said Wilson. “Well, I went up there and sat down and the deer came toward me. He came in about 80 yards and I thought, ‘Well, it’s now or never,’ and pure luck, I had a good shot. It didn’t go 30 or 40 yards. It was just about a perfect shot. Pure luck.” 

Perhaps the most mind blowing part of this story is the fact that this was the first time Wilson’s eyes had ever seen this particular buck. He and his hunting buddies had hunted this farm for five years, and no one had seen it before that morning. 

Keep in mind, this was 2001 - before social media, before cellular trail cameras, and before a picture of a big buck could circulate the Internet in a matter of minutes. It was a matter of being in the right place at the right time and taking the right shot. All of that fell into Wilson’s favor, as he took Kentucky’s biggest buck down. 

At the time of the harvest, the buck owned two world records, according to Buckmasters. One, it was the largest velvet buck to ever be killed, a record that still stands today. It was also the largest buck to ever be taken by a muzzleloader. That record stood for close to two years, before it was eclipsed by an Iowa buck with 16 more total inches. 

But, it’s not the 48 scorable points, over 300-inches of antlers, the two world records, or the notoriety that brings joy to Wilson when he thinks back to the hunt. It’s the opportunity to hunt with his father, share the buck with strangers, and even the chance to touch peoples’ lives because of it. 

Wilson’s favorite hunting memories involve his dad, who passed away just two years after Wilson bagged Kentucky’s biggest buck. Sitting around at deer camp, reminiscing and sharing memories is what comes to mind when Wilson thinks back on a life in the woods. 

“When dad was alive, we talked deer hunting year ‘round, basically. Those are priceless memories to me, laughing and cutting up,” said Wilson. “Things we said and done around the camp are precious to me, to be honest. We’re a close family.” 

There was also a moment when Wilson was traveling to trade shows, with the buck on display, that sticks out to him. While in Alabama, he was asked to sign portraits of the mounted buck for those who wanted one. One man came through the line twice, but declined to take a print. On his third pass through, he obliged, and was touched by the message that Wilson, who is a devout Christian, wrote on the photo. 

“This man had come through the line two times, and I asked him each time if he wanted a portrait and the first two times he said no. The third day he said ‘Yeah, I want you to sign me one.’” said Wilson. “They gave me a gold pen and when I signed it, I always wrote ‘God bless. Happy hunting.’ When I signed it, he started to cry. He said, ‘That’s the best part of it.’ Maybe it hit home to somebody.” 

While Wilson knows he’ll likely not top Kentucky’s biggest buck again, he still enjoys getting out and hunting when he can. He and his wife, Marsha, spend the first three months of the year in Florida, and when they aren’t down south, he is back in Mt. Sterling enjoying his grandkids. 

As for the buck, it has come to its final resting place in Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Museum in Springfield, Mo. The mount is presented as a world record trophy buck and remains Kentucky’s biggest buck of all-time. 

Photos by Dale Weddle

Five Giant Bucks in Five Years

Kentucky hunter, Jonathon Stuart harvested a massive, tall-racked kicker buck that scored 163 4/8 inches on the evening of Sept. 7 of 2022 in Logan County, KY.

Stuart’s incredible passion for deer hunting motivates him to put countless hours into managing his property to grow big bucks. He loves deer management and even hopes to start a business that aims to improves deer habitat on properties so that other hunters benefit from bucks reaching their full potential. It takes dedication, hard work and a lot of time.

“Some people don’t understand the work and the time that goes into it,” Stuart said. “You can ask my wife how much I am home during the summer. I spend more time away from home during the summer than most people do during the hunting season.”

His land and deer management plans pay off. He’s harvested bucks that have scored over 140 inches in five consecutive seasons. Three of those bucks scored in the 160s. He runs trail cameras 365 days a year, and he starts putting out minerals immediately after deer season ends.

“A lot of people will say they are going out to the farm for the first time and it’s July,” Stuart said. “I’m on the farm putting minerals out in February. I have trail cameras rolling all year long, some of the cameras have never been taken off the tree they are on. I keep 10 mineral sites running from February to August, and then I switch to protein feed. It’s a constant.”

Stuart’s approach to the 2022 deer season was no different than his last five seasons. His work began in February and continued throughout the summer. In June a familiar buck showed back up on his trail cameras. It was a “kicker buck” that was a three-year-old last year, it was Stuart’s first pictures of the buck since October 2021.

As more pictures came in, it was clear to Stuart that the kicker buck’s growth was far superior to other bucks in the summer bachelor group. Stuart estimated that between year three and year four, the “kicker buck” grew about 35 more inches of bone. High main beams, good mass and long tines were further along than the other bucks. Stuart knew it was the buck he wanted to focus on once deer season opened.

The “kicker buck” had been hanging out on the lower end of the property earlier in the summer. As summer progressed, the buck’s pattern became spotty. The farm has two sections of timber on each end of a corn field. A bean field kicks off on the opposite side of the corn. Two weeks before opening day, Stuart decided to hang a camera on the upper end of the farm. Within a few days the “kicker buck” and his bachelor group of other bucks showed up on camera during daylight hours. As soon as he got the chance, Stuart snuck up to the area during the middle of the day to hang a stand.

On opening day Stuart decided to hunt on the lower end of the farm where he’d had prior success during early season. Torrential rain dropped about six inches of water on the area in just over three hours that afternoon. Stuart got caught in the storm but left his stand to head back to the house for safety purposes. Stuart’s spots had all flooded out. A farmer down the road lost three cows to lightening. It was time to regroup.

“I hunted that Sunday, Monday and Tuesday on the lower end of this farm,” Stuart said. “I saw a few deer, a couple little bucks, mostly does. That rain really curtailed movement; I wasn’t getting very many pictures on either side of the farm.”

Wednesday, Sept. 7 Stuart got a picture of the big kicker buck at 6:45am on the upper end of the farm. He knew it was game on after work. He packed up his hunting stuff before leaving for work so that he’d be ready to go as soon as he clocked out. Stuart was anxious to get through the workday, at lunch he pulled up the weather channel on his computer. The wind was blowing out of the north, the barometric pressure was over 30 and the rising moon would hit at 5:30 later that evening. A hunter’s trifecta.

“That’s three strikes for a big deer hunt,” Stuart said. "I thought to myself, this might get interesting.”

Stuart got to the farm around 2:00pm, he put on his Drake Non-Typical camouflage grabbed his gear and headed to the stand. He got settled in around 2:30pm. As he was pulling his bow up the tree, two 130-inch bucks were walking right toward the stand. The bow was just dangling 10 feet in the air as the bucks made their way in to get a drink. The area was still flooded from the rain. When the bucks put their head down to drink, Stuart continued to pull his bow up the tree.

At 5:30pm, movement on the right at the edge of the corn field caught Stuart’s attention. It was the kicker buck. Several minutes went by, but the deer finally committed to coming into range. The big buck presented a 30-yard shot. Stuart drew back on his Mathew’s VXR bow, took aim and released an arrow. He watched the Rage Broadhead disappear into the deer’s side.

“I hit him a little far back,” Stuart said. "I don’t know, there are a lot of factors that go into that, it could have been my grip, resting point or maybe he moved. Could have been anything. I believed at the time that I hit him in the liver.”

Stuart called a few of his good buddies and told them about the hunt. He asked them to come and help with the recovery of the buck. His wife and young son came to help, too. When they started to look for blood, they found that it was sparse. They tracked blood for about 70 yards, but they weren’t seeing the amount of blood that Stuart was hoping to find. They decided to back out and call a local canine tracker. Five hours later they all got back on the trail with the dog leading the way.

“She kind of struggled at first,” Stuart said. “Once she picked up the trail, she ended up finding him quick. He went a long way. He went around 400 to 500 yards. We found him just a little after midnight.”

It was an awesome moment for Stuart when the flashlights hit the deer. The culmination of hard work and preparation was right in front of him. Tense moments had turned to celebration.

“It’s kind of hard to explain, when you put that much work into an animal like that and you get to reap the rewards of it, it’s a surreal feeling,” Stuart said. “I have some good hunting buddies, to see the looks and reactions, to see that they were happy, proud and congratulating me. It’s surreal.”

The “kicker buck” is Stuart’s second biggest buck ever. It scored an eighth of an inch more than his 2021 buck and is just four inches shy of his personal best. They are all special, but one thing is for certain, Stuart is laying the smackdown on big bucks.

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Shannon Mattson, of Round O, South Carolina, harvested her first velvet buck, and biggest buck to date in Orangeberg County, SC on the evening of Aug. 25.

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Mattson is a passionate, life-long hunter that loves everything about the outdoors. She has spent the last few years chasing turkeys across the country, but is always excited for deer season to come in.

Mattson had a bruiser, 8-point buck showing up over camera during daylight hours before deer season opened. She was able to hunt on opening weekend, but didn’t have any luck.

“As soon as the season came in, they went nocturnal,” Mattson said. “It’s like they know.”

August 25 was Mattson’s second sit of the season. After getting situated in her spot, she couldn’t help getting fired up about the possibility of the buck showing up.

After some time passed, Mattson caught movement. It was him! The buck she had on camera. The old buck looked in Mattson’s direction. Their eyes locked. A stare down ensued. Chills.

“After a head to head stare down for what felt like forever, he finally turned broadside to give me a shot opportunity,” Mattson said.

Mattson started to shake, but took a deep breath to calm herself before taking the shot.

“I pulled the trigger and he dropped on the spot,” Mattson said. “I landed a beautiful Orangeburg, SC 8-point.”

Mattson was thrilled to get her hands on her first velvet buck. She was in awe of her hunt.

“It’s hunts like that, that keep me going back,” Mattson said. “I love every minute.”

Shade Tolerant Food Plots

Hunters are working on spring and summer food plots in preparation for deer season. Many are spending hours on a tractor moving acres of soil to make those perfect plots on the farm. Others might not have the acreage to have large food plots, or even a field to plant in. If the property you hunt on doesn’t have any fields, all is not lost, there are plenty of shade tolerant food plot options for you to create a secret spot in the woods.

Locate the spot(s) on your property where you want to put a food plot and take note of what you might need to do to get it ready for planting. Most of these areas are remote where tractors and implements are not an option. Gardening and lawn care tools are all you’ll need to help construct your plot. Clovers, winter wheat, oats and various brassicas are great shade tolerant options for your food plot.

Where To Plant

Hardwoods

If you have any open hardwoods on the farm you hunt, consider planting your food plots in those areas. Any place where natural sunlight makes it through the tree canopies, start your work around there. Take some survey flags with you to help mark the corners of the plot. This will help you shape the plot and give you an idea of what you are working with. 

Depending on how much work you want to put into it, look around for trees that you can afford to clear out. Knock a few cedars down with a chainsaw or clear away any underbrush in the area. You don’t want to remove any oak trees for obvious reasons. Cut down ash trees, cedars, and small maple trees.

You can make the plot as big as you desire, but more than likely you are going to want to keep it condensed. You are designing a food plot to draw deer into bow range. Sure, you’ll be supplementing their diet, but this plot will never be big enough to handle constant browse from the deer herd. 

After getting your plot marked off and desired trees cut, assess the weed situation. Spray any understory with glyphosate or Round-Up and give it time to kill the undergrowth. Return with a leaf blower or some rakes to remove the dead material and leaves to expose the dirt. Work the dirt with a rake to get it broken up a little bit. It’s always recommended to add some fertilizer to the soil. When you choose your seed, pay attention to the fertilizing instructions. Once you get some fertilizer down, you’re ready to start planting.

Logging Roads

Logging roads are perfect for food plot strips. Logging roads require a little less maintenance than plots in the hardwoods. Logging roads are typically clear since they get used as four-wheeler paths. You may need to move a few logs or cut up some blowdowns with a chainsaw during the process, but these dirt roads are typically maintained for easy access.

Tools you might need are a chainsaw, weed-eater, rake, and Round-Up. If the road is easily accessible, you might even be able to get the tractor out to take care of business. ATVs and ATV implements work great for logging roads as well. It would help make quick work of things after a few swipes back and forth on the tractor.

Spray the weeds with Round-Up and give it time to work. Come back and clear the road of any dead material and leaves. Again, fertilize the soil with what is recommended for the seed you are planting.

Shade Tolerant Food Plots to Plant

Whitetail Institute’s Imperial No-Plow seed is a mix of clovers and brassicas, designed to grow in areas that lack sunlight. It is advised to use 400 pounds of 17-17-17 fertilizer per acre. The seed doesn’t require any tilling, a true throw-and-grow option which is perfect for the remote food plots in the middle of the hardwoods. Nine pounds will plant around a half of an acre. For best results, broadcast the seed and lightly rake the dirt to help cover the seed. The mixture of clover, brassicas and radishes will bring deer into bow range from early fall to late season. Clover is a perennial, if weeds are managed, it will return the following year. Right now, it would be best to plant between August 20 and Sept. 30.

Whitetail Institute’s Imperial Whitetail Clover is a high-protein food plot option that aids in antler growth and milk production in does. Clover is one of the best food plots you can plant for the deer on your property. You can plant clover in the hardwoods plot or on logging roads. Broadcast the seed and do not cover it. For even distribution, get a walk-behind seeder or hand-held seeder. You can take these instruments right to your remote food plot. Clover can be planted in the spring or the fall. Fertilizing the soil is recommended. Four pounds will plant about a half an acre.

Whitetail Institute’s Imperial Bow Stand is another shade tolerant seed mix for food plots. The seed is a mix of lettuces, radish and winter wheat. This type of mix is designed for putting deer in bow range during the early season through the late season. Plant Bow Stand any time between August 20 and Sept. 30. Like some of the options before, it is recommended that you lime and fertilize the soil in the area of your plot. One hundred pounds of lime and 40 pounds of 17-17-17 fertilizer is the suggestion for an acre. After you’ve cleared the area and fertilized, broadcast the seed as evenly as possible. It would be ideal if you could drag the ground. In those inaccessible spots, find a manageable log and tie an end of a rope to each end of the log. Pull the log behind you, if the soil is loose, the log will help roll dirt on top of the lime, fertilizer and seed. Sometimes you must get creative in the deer woods to get the job done. Eight pounds will cover about 9,000 square feet, according to Whitetail Institute.

Whitetail Institute’s Imperial Whitetail Oats Plus is a fantastic option for logging roads. It will grow well in the prepared plots in hardwoods too. Oats are high in sugar content and are highly attractive to deer after the first few frosts. Oats should be planted around the beginning of September. A 45-pound bag will cover around a half of an acre. Oat seed is larger, which might require more groundwork. The seed will need to be covered by at least an inch of dirt. If an implement isn’t available, hopefully some gardening tools can help you get the seed covered. It is recommended that you spread 200 pounds of 17-17-17 fertilizer for a half-acre area to get the best results. Deer absolutely hammer oats mid to late season, the extra work will be worth it. 

Think About The Possibilities 

Get creative! You know and understand going in that these food plots will never be the main food source for deer on your property. You are providing supplemental food sources. Your main purpose is to draw deer to your stand. You increase your chances at seeing deer and hopefully harvesting one too. 

Plant a trifecta. Plantclover,oats, andturnipstogether in one plot. A food plot that will attract the entire season. Clover from start to finish, oats and turnips get hot during the mid to late part of the season. Consider Antler Builder Clover, Antler Builder Turnip and Antler Builder Radish food plot seed for your fall food plots.  Deer will eat the brassica leaves on the turnips during the early season, but when it begins to frost, those sugars will leave the greens and drop into the turnip. That’s going to be a desirable food plot for deer to frequent. Hopefully, you’ll be in a tree nearby to take in all the action.

Harvest Does, Grow Bigger Bucks 

Hunters across Kentucky have been checking trail cameras and documenting bucks for weeks. Snap shots and video clips of hit-listers in velvet are being shared all over social media. The anticipation is building for Sept. 7^th, opening day of deer season.

Most hunters have a desire to grow and harvest big bucks on the property they hunt. It’s easy to fixate on the bucks that get your blood pumping, but it’s important to harvest does, too. Some hunters choose to only take a buck during the season. As long as harvest regulations are followed, there is nothing wrong with this; however, this mindset is counterproductive to growing big bucks on the farm.

Hunters harvested 79,702 bucks while only taking 61,363 does during the 2023 deer season. In 2022 hunters harvested 79,172 bucks to just 65,343 does in Kentucky, according to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Web site.  This alarming trend of shooting more bucks than does must stop if your goal is to grow bigger bucks on your farm.

In 2023 hunters took 141,065 whitetails and bucks made up 56.5 percent of that number.  The total harvest number for the 2022 deer season was 144,515 and bucks made up 54.78 percent of that sum. While these ratios are in improvement from previous seasons, hunters need to continue to harvest more does and flip the trend of taking bucks.

Management Plan

One of the most effective steps to take when trying to grow big bucks is to control the buck to doe ratio on your property. Implement rules such as the 2-to-1 ratio management plan for everyone hunting on the property.  The 2-to-1 ratio plan is to harvest two does for every buck that is taken from your farm.

Intensify the Rut

Shooting does will help shape the sex ratio of the deer herd on your property. A 1:1 buck to doe ratio can help encourage a shorter and more intense rut in an area.  The increase in competition between bucks amplifies rut intensity which causes them to fight, chase and grunt more. This can also influence daytime movement. The properties with an even buck to doe ratio are less likely to experience a “trickle rut” because does get bred during the early cycles. “Trickle ruts” can harm the bucks on your property. Those long, drawn out ruts can wear bucks down, literally to death. More fighting and breeding for extended periods of time will make bucks susceptible to predation and lower the chance of surviving harsh winters.

Discipline

Another way to cut down on the buck harvest number is to become more disciplined in the stand.  Simply quit shooting 1-year-and-a-half and 2-and-a-half year old bucks. Some hunters are even starting to pass on 3-and-a-half year old bucks. It can be tough to do, especially if you don’t like eating tag soup, but passing on young bucks will help even the harvest totals and increase opportunities to hunt bigger bucks.

Avoid shooting button bucks. This can be very hard to do because it is difficult to see the buttons on top of the deer’s head, especially during the gun season when the action seems to happen quickly.  If you have to take a few looks at the deer through your scope, do it.  Pay attention to the length of the nose, the size of the deer when comparing to other deer around it. Make the effort to avoid dropping a yearling buck.

The Doe Affect

The average doe will have one to two fawns each spring.  Taking a doe in the fall would be preventing one to two more deer the following year.  A ‘bucks only’ attitude will ultimately hurt your property.  If you have 10 does on a small piece of property and you only shoot a buck, the following spring you’ll have one less buck and approximately 10 to 15 fawns added to the farm. The more does there are, the more deer there will be.

High deer densities in small areas are hard on food sources and on the growth of bucks. An adult doe eats about eight pounds of food per day.  Shooting one doe would free up nearly 3,000 pounds of food a year that can be potentially consumed by bucks for antler growth, body mass and fat storage. Harvesting does is critical if you wish to grow big bucks and keep a healthy deer herd on your property.

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The attacks on the hunting community happen every year.

Recently, an article published in Forbes said that is a direct correlation to an increase in gun violence and the opening of deer season in rural areas.

According to the story, the researcher examined and compared statistics collected between 2014–2021 on gun shootings occurring in 854 rural U.S. counties spread across 44 states.

They found that the rate of firearm shootings that occurred in the first week following each county’s opening date for the annual deer hunting season jumped by an average of 49% compared to shootings the week before.

But it’s the solution that poses the biggest threat to deer hunting.

Professor Patrick Sharkey believes “enhanced firearm regulations that govern firearm storage, carrying and purchasing, particularly in states where deer hunting is popular, may serve to reduce the number of shootings that occur at the onset of the hunting season.”

So there you have it. It’s another non-hunter who wants to increase gun laws, and this time in states “where deer hunting is popular.”

Wait Time for Deer Recovery Based on Shot Placement

On one of the first cool mornings during the fall 2021 deer season I got nestled into my stand on the edge of a corn field well before daylight.

It was my first time hunting with a crossbow. I had been shooting it quite a bit leading up to the start of the season, so I felt comfortable with the new equipment. At around 8am a couple of big does jumped the fence and came out into the field. I picked the biggest deer, took aim and squeezed the trigger. Thwack!

The arrow hit the deer and went through so fast I didn’t even see exactly what happened. I was sure I’d hit the deer behind the shoulder, if it was off at all it was on the high side. The deer took off at first, and then she stopped about 80 yards from my stand. After standing there for what seemed like several minutes, she walked off.

I replayed the shot in my mind 1,000 times as I sat in the stand. I felt good about the shot, but the reaction bothered me. I waited for about an hour to get down. I immediately started looking for blood, it didn’t take long to start finding some. I followed the trail to where the deer stopped and stood at 80 yards. There was really good blood. I began to feel positive about the shot and figured I’d find her down the hill in the woods. I was wrong. I followed blood for four hours, over several hundred yards. She made her way onto property that I couldn’t get permission to be on. 

I ended up having to leave with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. It’s one of the worst feelings a hunter can have. If you’ve been hunting long enough, you understand that highs and lows are part of the game. When you hit a low moment, it’s brutal. It still bothers me to this day that I don’t really know what happened. I can tell you, I’ve learned from the experience.

A lot goes on after you release an arrow, and it happens fast. Deer take steps, they dip, duck, dive and dodge, and sometimes we just plain screw up. It’s important to understand shot placement, the science behind hitting certain organs on a deer and reactions of the deer when being hit. This information gets pieced together to help us answer the million dollar question. How long do I wait to track the deer?

Heart and Lung Shots

When you hit a deer in the heart, the deer is going to expire due to hemorrhagic shock. Blood loss on an acute basis. With a heart shot, you might see a deer react by kicking like a mule and running frantically immediately after being hit. You’ll likely see the deer fall within your view. You also might observe the deer running low to the ground.

If you think you have a heart shot, you should not have to wait to find the deer. If the deer runs out of your sight, you might give it 30 minutes to be on the safe side, but that deer is going to be down.

Bilateral lung collapse occurs on a double-lung shot. It’s 100 percent lethal and recovery should be fairly easy. It’s common to hit the heart and lungs. This causes hemorrhagic shock and lung collapse. 

With double-lung shots, you might experience a few different reactions. Deer might bolt as soon as it gets hit with the arrow. If it takes off frantically, watch the deer closely, you could see it fall within view of your stand. If it runs out of sight, listen for a crash in the woods or brush. 

Sometimes your arrow can slip in between the ribs, the deer might react as if it had no clue what happened in this situation. You might see the deer just walk away. Look for staggering or wobbly legs, the deer will probably go down shortly after seeing that behavior. Go find your arrow, if it passed through the deer you’ll find bright red blood with bubbles on the fletching. This would be a solid indicator of a lung hit.

The One-Lung Conundrum

A deer hit in one lung is often very difficult to recover. The deer might run at first, it could stop, and then just walk away. If you see this reaction, give the deer plenty of time to expire. Potentially several hours if you believe it is a one-lung hit. Recovery will take extreme patience. Going in too early will cause you to bump the deer, which significantly decreases the chance of recovery.

One-lung hits are not always lethal. The wound is more apt to clot and the deer can sometimes survive the shot. When bow hunting, it’s not ideal to take a shot at a deer that is quartering to you because the lung on the other side can be hidden. A deer wouldn’t succumb to ventilatory deficiency, it would only die of circulatory if blood loss is good enough.

In the anecdotal lead above, I shared that I lost a deer last fall. I believe that deer was one-lunged and my mistake was tracking too soon. I’ve learned from that mistake and will be more knowledgeable on how to handle the situation should it ever happen again.

Liver Shot

Deer hit in the liver might react similarly to a lung-shot deer. If you see that your shot is further back than desired and you are unsure if you’ve hit the lungs, give that deer time. You’ll find dark red blood on your fletching and your arrow. 

Deer can travel a few hundred yards on a liver shot. Wait at least three hours before you start tracking. Take a picture of the spot where the deer left your sight while you’re still in your treestand so that you have a visual of where to start looking when time has passed. 

Gut Shot 

Gut shots are 100 percent lethal due to infectious septic shock. Abdominal hits are an archers nightmare. A deer hit in the abdominal area might react by running a few yards with its back arched awkwardly. It might have its tail tucked while walking away. 

You might see the deer bed within sight. Make sure you take note of where you last see the deer. Leave the area and wait at least four to five hours before returning to take up the trail. Depending on where the deer is hit, it could even take up to 10 hours. Remember, a deer hit in the guts will not go far because they are uncomfortable, do not push the deer. Most of the time, they’ll bed down within 100 yards and succumb to the injury. 

If you find your arrow, you will see green and brown matter on the fletching. It will likely have a distinct, gross smell coming from it. This evidence along with the deer’s reaction is going to indicate to you that you have hit the guts. 

If you hit the deer in the stomach or small intestines, your wait time to retrieve will be extended. It will take longer for bacteria to reach the bloodstream, which causes the septic shock. A large intestine hit might result in a shorter wait. Abdominal hits are big time tricky, it’s best to back out and give the deer plenty of time no matter what.

Conclusion 

The ideal archery shot is when you have a deer standing broadside, you pick a hair behind the shoulder blade and you release the arrow. We don’t always get the ideal shot, and even then, things happen in the moment. Take ethical shots, know your limitations. Understand what happens when you hit deer in certain organs and use the evidence to help you make good decisions. When in doubt, give the animal time.

Fun, Fellowship and Dove Hunting

Dove season opens the first week of September for hunters across the eastern U.S. Families and friends will gather around sunflower fields in pursuit of fun, fellowship and filled dove limits.

Hunters should look to be adequately prepared before going hunting. Lack of efficiency getting to shells, poor seating arrangements, and shooting at doves that are too far away can cause you to fall short of your limit. If you’re headed out to the dove fields make sure you avoid these common mistakes.

Leave the white grocery bags at home. Don’t put your shells in a grocery bag. Doves will see the grocery bag and fly away from your setup. Make sure you’re blending in with your surroundings. Camouflage is important, especially if you have several hunters in your group. Grabbing shells out of a grocery bag isn’t very efficient when you’ve got to move quick. You need shells to be accessible.

Don’t leave home without a shell belt. Shell belt can help increase your efficiency afield. You can put a box of shells on each of the side pockets on the belt, making them easier to grab when you’re reloading quick. When you pick up doves in the field, you can drop them in the pouch on the back of the belt and keep hunting. Both hands get back on the gun and you’ll be ready for the next dove that flies by.

Make sure you have a comfortable seat. Another reason why a shell belt comes in handy. If your shells are sitting on the ground and you have to bend over to grab more, doves are flying right on by why you’re digging bullets out of the box.

One of the most common mistakes that hunters make is shooting at doves that are too far away. Stay disciplined. When you shoot at doves too far away, you can wound them and not be able to retrieve them. Don’t be irresponsible, don’t be wasteful. Shooting at doves too far away will also put unnecessary pressure on your hunting area. You might be hunting near others, it’ll ruin your hunt and theirs. 

When you shoot a dove, keep your eye on the dove and watch where it falls. Don’t get distracted and start shooting at other doves before picking up the other one. You’ll lose track of it in all the commotion. Ideally, you might have a dog helping with retrieval, but if you don’t, just go get each bird that you knock down. 

Use a modified or improved cylinder choke to widen your pattern for dove hunting. Tighter patterns make dove hunting more difficult and increase the chance of destroying the meat on a direct hit. Modified chokes and improved cylinders will do less damage to the meat. Consider using six shot over commonly used seven or eight shots. Six shot has larger pellets and will provide a little more knock-down power.

Remember, doves are crazy fast. When you are about to shoot, make sure you’re leading the bird by four to six feet. Leading the bird means aim the barrel out in front of the dove as you take the shot. As action unfolds, keep this in mind. Always be sure of your surroundings.

Dove hunting is a long-standing tradition, especially on opening day. It’s an awesome way to kick off the fall hunting season, and if you’re fortunate enough to bag a limit, you can run home and fire up the grill. Throw some dove breasts wrapped in bacon on the grill, add in some sweet heat jalapeños and call it a party. That’s what I’m talking about. Stay safe and good luck!

Bump Scouting Deer

The dog days of summer are here and it’s an important time for deer hunters to scout aggressively if they want to pattern a mature velvet buck for opening day of bow season.

Bump scouting can be an effective way to scout for big bucks. Bump scouting is an invasive, high risk, high reward tactic where you want to learn as much as you can in a single trip to an area. Your scouting trip will focus on potential bedding and staging areas, escape routes, and trails that lead from the bedding areas to food and water. You are going on the scouting trip with the intention of disturbing the area and you’re going to have to be willing to accept the possibility that you might jump the biggest buck you’ve ever seen.

It will be important to have a plan before entering the area you plan to scout. Have an idea where you want to look. What time of day are you going into the area? What direction is the wind blowing and how warm is it going to get? Deer chooses bedding areas based off some of these factors. Gain an understanding of where they might be when you’re headed out.

Understanding Bedding and Bedding Behavior

Bedding patterns by white-tailed deer vary from place to place as well as individual deer. Deer often bed in their core area at one end of their home range during the day and at night use beds near feeding areas on the other end of that range.

Deer in hillier terrain bed at higher elevations during the day and move into lower areas for feeding and bedding at night. When temperatures are moderate, beds might be found in the open with little or no shelter. Deer will avoid areas where temperatures are high and where insects are abundant. Keep this in mind when you’re scouting for potential bedding areas.

Whitetails normally bed for less than two hours at a time, according to studies. They spend much of that time grooming. A deer will occasionally rest its head flat on the ground or curl up by tucking its nose into its flanks with its eyes closed. This sleep-like state only lasts a few minutes, and the deer can still be easily alerted if danger is near.

When to Bump Scout

The best time of year to use the bump scout tactic is right after deer season ends. It is easier to find tracks, trails, scrapes and rubs during late winter months. Bumping deer is not as big of a concern because the season is over. When you bump into a deer you can look around to figure out why that deer was there. Mark the spot on your On-X app as a potential stand location for the next deer season.

You can bump scout during spring through the end of summer. If you use this tactic toward the end of summer, you might approach locations with caution. Look in areas where you expect deer to be, go into that area when the wind is in your favor. Move slow, don’t be clunky and make a bunch of noise. Your archery season might be a month or a few weeks from opening, you don’t want to badly scare a buck out of the area.

Bump scouting during the deer season is very risky. It can be done, if necessary, but you will need to make sure you are always downwind of areas you expect to bump deer. Spend as little time in the area as possible. You don’t want to leave scent in the area, get in and get back out.

You Spooked Deer, Now What?

If you’ve been in the field long enough, you’ve probably jumped a buck from his bed and watched his rack breech the top of the weeds as he bounds away. His white tail waived at you as he escaped into a thicket. It’s a gut-wrenching feeling. This type of encounter gives you information, but is the information worth spooking deer?

You can normally tell how bad a deer is spooked. A deer that is spooked bad will tear out of the area and will run low to the ground. A deer that is mildly spooked will bound away until it feels it is far enough away from the danger.

The most common ways hunters mildly spook deer are the routes they take to and from stands or blinds. Hunters leave scent behind whether it be on the ground or on objects in the woods. Deer picks up on that and they will bound away from the spot where the scent was picked up.

According to the National Deer Association (NDA), we can no longer claim that older bucks have larger home ranges. Studies show that home ranges can shrink with a buck’s age. Bucks are loyal to their core areas, especially their primary bedding areas. This data might suggest that spooking a deer one time will not spook it out of the area for good.

If you are scouting in a thicket or potential bedding area, when you jump a deer, observe its behavior. A deer that bounds away might have just gone far enough to get out of sight. You don’t want to push any further, mark the location and back out to check out another area. You have the information you need.

As mentioned above, lightly spooking a deer just one time might not mean they are gone for good. You can use these encounters to your advantage. Note the direction the deer went, use an app like On-X to review the area. You might identify significant details of the terrain that will help your decision with stand or saddle placement.

If done successfully, bump scouting can give you a ton of information and the use of an app can help prevent you from further disturbing the area.

Why You Shouldn’t Bump Scout

When a buck is spooked badly from an area, if he got a good look at you or if he got a good whiff of your scent, you may as well stop hunting in that area for a few weeks. It is hard to say how long it will take for that buck to return. He may never return. Bump scouting is a huge risk.

Bump scouting is going to require you to get passed a psychological hurdle. In the end you are intentionally spooking deer. Everything about that thought feels wrong. Seeing deer run off might make you whisper expletives, or it might give you a sick feeling in your gut. You are going to have to cope with the consequences of spooking deer too hard. There is a fine line, cross it and the spot will be ruined.

The bump scout tactic might not be the best tactic for new hunters to use just yet. New hunters must learn what they can get away with and what they can’t get away with. A new hunter might be a little louder walking in than an experienced hunter. They might not be aware of how important wind direction and approach can be. New hunters might find the bump scout tactic doing more harm than good until that experience is gained. If a new hunter wants to implement this scouting technique, it is recommended that they do so right after deer season ends.

Bump scouting on small private land is not recommended. You do not want to risk bumping bucks off your property. The risk is too great. Bump bucks too hard and they will just avoid crossing the small tract of land. Especially if just use the farm to get from one place to the other.

Bump scouting trips can be very beneficial to hunters when planned and executed carefully. You will gain the most recent information (MRI) on deer in your area. That intel will help you put some meat in the freezer this fall.

Have you seen the new Beast Broadheads by Bowmar Archery?

Beast stands for “Bone Evading Advanced Sprint Technology.”

Sounds weird, but it looks like it could be the next big thing in archery hunting. Don’t take it from me, watch this breakdown from the creator, Josh Bowmar.

Best States to Harvest a Velvet Buck

This week, MeatEater published their top six states that afford deer hunters the opportunity to harvest a velvet buck.

At the top of the list was my home state of Kentucky. Here in the Bluegrass, the opening day of archery season is on September 7th, giving you a small window to get the job done.

Not to mention, Kentucky is a top five Boone and Crockett state, so it is definitely worth the trip.

Kentucky also had the world record for largest velvet buck killed at one time. This crazy looking buck was taken by Troy Wilson during Kentucky’s muzzle loader season.

Here is MeatEater’s list of the best states to kill a velvet buck -

1. Kentucky

2. Montana

3. Wyoming

4. North Dakota

5. South Carolina

6. Nebraska

Pack your warm weather gear and a bottle of Pemethrin, and head to one of these states next month!

Squirrel Hunting this Fall

We are hosting our third annual squirrel hunting tournament on the opening day of Kentucky’s squirrel season this weekend.

Here is a guide to help you help you get out and chase squirrels this fall.

Fall Squirrel Hunting

Sitting at the base of an old shagbark hickory tree waiting for the skies to gray. My grandpa’s single-shot .410 draped across my lap. A mosquito buzzes passed my ear, a not-so-pleasant reminder to fire up the thermacell. Every minute it seems the treetops become more visible.

A faint thrashing sound catches my attention, a limb bounces on the shag bark hickory rooted five yards in front of me. Pieces of a hickory nut begin to pitter-patter leaves on the way down. My eyes follow the trail of descending shavings to find a fox squirrel having breakfast in the fork of some branches. I stand up, pull back the hammer and take aim. BOOM!

Squirrel hunting is the perfect activity to kick off the fall hunting season. Here are some tips and tricks that can make or break your opening day hunt.

Preparation

It’s August and it’s hot, so you won’t need to worry about layers of clothes. You do have to worry about ticks, mosquitos and Ceratopogonidae, commonly known as no-see-ums. A few days before the hunt, spray your clothes with permethrin to help defend against ticks, mosquitos and chiggers. Pack a thermacell to use during the hunt. You don’t have to miss the hunt because of these pests.

Cover your skin as best as possible despite warm temperatures. Wear a light pair of gloves to combat the no-see-ums. Waterproof boots are important if you have to walk through long grass or weeds to get to your hunting area. The dew is heavy on the ground in the morning, you don’t want your feet getting wet. Wet feet and walking can lead to blisters and that will ruin your hunt.

A game vest is always handy to have on a squirrel hunt. You can store shotgun shells in pockets and store empties in another pocket after shots. After harvesting squirrels, you can slide them into the game bag and continue hunting. You will also be able to carry a water bottle somewhere in your vest. Make sure to take plenty of H2O.

Weapons and Calls

The woods are thick and wooly during this time of the year. It may be best to take a 12-gauge or 20-gauge with No. 5 or 6 shot. Squirrels can be way up in the treetops 40 to 50 yards off the ground. If you are a good shot and want a challenge, a .410 will do the trick. A .410 is quieter and could allow the area to settle down after shots a little faster than using louder guns.

Squirrel whistle calls can be fun and effective. The squirrel whistle mimics the sound of a young squirrel in distress. Squirrel whistles can make squirrels bark and bounce around giving away their location. In some cases, a squirrel just might come to you.

Believe it or not, take two newer quarters to the woods with you. That’s right 50 cents. A quarter has little grooves on its outer edge. If you are familiar with the sound of a squirrel cutting on a nut, you can reproduce that sound by rubbing or scraping the outer edges of two quarters together. It sounds exactly like a squirrel cutting. This fools squirrels into thinking there is another squirrel eating in the area and they will come in to investigate. This tactic has also worked to help calm squirrels down after a shot. If multiple squirrels are in the area and you shoot one, start scraping those quarters together. Other squirrels will hear it and relax. They will go back to eating, giving you a chance to reload.

When and Where to Hunt

Squirrels tend to be most active early in the morning in August. They are also active in the evening just before dark. 

Find the hickory nuts, find the squirrels. If you’ve been able to scout before the season, hopefully you’ve looked under hickory nut trees to look for fresh shavings on the ground. If you found a spot like this, you know where to set up on opening morning. If you have not scouted, all is not lost. Get in the woods before daylight, when you’re able to start seeing details in the woods look for the shag bark. Chances are if you move slow a squirrel will lead you to the tree.

Walnuts are a secondary food source that bushytails might enjoying. Keep an eye out for walnut trees, observe if walnuts are present. Check under the tree for shell shavings.

Whether its under a hickory tree or walnut tree, if you find a slew of cutting sign just relax and wait. The squirrels will come to you.

Have Fun

Squirrel hunting is so much fun. Great opportunity to fine-tune your stalking skills. Take a kid hunting. Show them how to identify hickory trees, ask them to help listen for crashing in the trees and look for squirrels. Relieve beautiful memories from the past. Stand in awe of God’s creation. Get out and squirrel hunt this fall!

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Crazy Boat Crash During Bassmaster’s Elite Series

Wes Logan is a blessed man.

While fishing in Bassmaster’s Elite Series Event on the St. Lawrence River, Logan hit an underwater dock that was not visible to him, while driving his boat at a high speed.

The motor broke away from the boat and Logan was catapulted out of his seat.

Thankfully, the professional angler had on his life vest and his kill switch was attached. He had a contusion to his head, and was left alone, bleeding in the middle of the lake for over an hour, but he was able to walk away.

Here is the video of the crash.

Take the water seriously. Follow all safety precautions when operating your boat.

Five Best Cigars for the Camp Fire This Fall

As the heat of summer continues to dissipate, and the change to fall takes place, we will find ourselves huddles around a fire at some point.

From deer camp to a backyard hangout with your family, a good cigar can really top off the night.

Here are Mike Collins’ five favorites.

Padron 1964 Anniversary Maduro

The Padron 1964 Anniversary Maduro is a premium cigar that features a habano wrapper. This dark maduro cigar is made from four-year aged tobaccos from Nicaragua. This cigar has a complex flavor profile consisting of coffee bean, cocoa, earth, and hazelnut. The flawless construction and perfect draw make it a top choice for all cigar enthusiasts. An excellent choice of cigar for a relazing evening on the back patio by a bonfire.

Padron 3,000 Natural

Recommending another Padron. The Padron 3,000 Natural is made of Nicaraguan tobaccos that offers a rich smoke. This cigar is a full strength, natural robusto with a habano wrapper. Coffee, cocoa and spices are unmistakable to the palate with every draw. The perfect smoke for a gathering of family and friends. Sit back and enjoy this cigar, its only flaw is that it ends.

Rocky Patel A.L.R (Aged, Limited, Rare) 2nd Edition Toro

Rocky Patel blended this cigar that features a superb San Andres wrapper. The 6 ½ X 52 toro is the perfect size cigar when planning to hang with friends for a longer period. The wrapper is from Mexico and the tobacco is from Nicaragua. The medium to full stogie boasts a plethora of rich flavors such as chocolate, coconut and hay. The Rocky Patel A.L.R. is a luxurious smoke. You can’t go wrong with this cigar.

Hoyo De Monterrey Excalibur

The Hoyo De Monterrey Excalibur is a highly rated, premium cigar made from a blend of the finest Dominican, Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers. Once lit, this medium cigar draws hints of chocolate, cocoa, spice and leather. The aroma is amazing. The Excalibur burns consistently and evenly, the 7.25 x 54 frame makes for a long-lasting smoke. Whether you are an everyday cigar aficionado, or you just enjoy the occasional cigar, the Hoyo De Monterrey Excalibur should be one of your go-tos from the humidifier.

Brick House Maduro Mighty Mighty 6.25 x 60

Brick House is a legendary brand of cigars. The Brick House Maduro Mighty Mighty is a darker, invigorating version of the original Brick House cigar. The cigar has a chewy Brazilian wrapper over a fine aged Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. The Brick House Maduro Mighty Mighty is a rich cigar that draws hints of earth, chocolate and caramel. Brick House never fails to deliver.

Which States Provide the Best Opportunity to Kill a Trophy Buck?

Do you think this list is accurate?

Seeing Iowa below Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky just doesn’t seem right.

Kansas at No. 9!?

It’s no surprise that Wisconsin comes in at the top spot in Boone and Crockett’s list of top trophy whitetail states. But it may seem like states one through 10 could be shaken up in just about any order.

When it comes to out-of-state hunts, Ohio and Kentucky are both prime spots for hunters on the go. They are both centrally located and relatively cheap to buy a non-resident license.

While the Midwest still dominated, the only state out of the west to make the list was Texas. The Lone Star state is on the rise, although hunter opportunity is slim with very little public land access.

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Top Five Rifles for New Hunters

Meateater recently published their choices for the top five rifles for beginning deer hunters.

1. Ruger American Predator - Ruger’s American rifles are popular for a reason. They’re accurate, durable, and reasonably priced. This rifle comes in at $499.

2. Weatherby Vanguard Sporter - Weatherby’s Vanguard Sporter is more spendy than the Ruger American, but it combines classic hunting rifle styling with modern technological advances.

3. Savage Axis II - Savage made a name for itself producing accurate rifles at a price everyone can get behind, and the Axis has led that charge. Plus, Savage offers a huge range of options and configurations that play around with barrel length, length of pull, stock patterns, and scopes.

4. Tikka T3X Lite - Tikka rifles are manufactured in Finland, and they have a reputation for excellent quality and accuracy. Like Weatherby, Tikka promises sub-one-inch groups at 100 yards, and also like Weatherby, you’ll spend a little more than other entry-level options.

5. Mossberg Patriot - The Patriot is a durable but affordable firearm that, like many of the models in this list, comes in a variety of configurations. The synthetic stock keeps the rifle a svelte 6.5 pounds while the Cerakote combats the moisture you’ll encounter in the field.

CHECK OUT GUNS.COM’S BIGGEST HUNTING SALE BY CLICKING THE PHOTO

Best Crossbows of 2024 According to Outdoor Life

Outdoor Life tested seven different crossbows to narrow down the best of the best for 2024.

In order to rank the best crossbows, they tested speed, accuracy, cocking and loading, handling, and any extra benefit the crossbow might have added.

Here were the results -

Crossbows Tested in 2024

• Editor’s Choice: Ravin R29X

• Best Value: Tenpoint Venom X

• Best Recurve: Excalibur RevX

• Fastest: Tenpoint TRX 515 

• Tenpoint TX 440

• Ravin R10X

• Centerpoint Sinister 

Bassmaster Lists the Top Lakes in The United States

The list of the best bass fishing lakes of 2024 is in!

Bassmaster ranked this list according to surveys they conducted with people in the bass fishing industries.

According to Bassmaster, “We believe these fisheries are your best options right now to catch a ton of fish and maybe a double-digit bass, which is a unicorn in its own right.”

Top 10 Lakes:

1. St. Lawrence River, New York

2. O.H. Ivie, Texas

3. Orange Lake, Florida

4. Lake St. Clair, Michigan

5. Lake Fork, Texas

6. Lake Murray, South Carolina

7. Lake Erie, New York

8. Clear Lake, California

9. Bussey Brake Reservoir, Louisiana

10. Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota

Other Top Lakes in US:
Best Bass Lakes in the Northeast

Best Bass Lakes in the Southeast

Best Bass Lakes in the Midwest

Best Bass Lakes in the West

Use Your Leftover Venison to Make Ginger and Garlic Jerky

From Field to Plate has created a great deer jerky recipe that you can use to finish off last year’s venison before filling the freezer this year.

Ingredients:

1 pound venison sliced thinly (1/8 inch) It helps cutting is the meat is partially frozen.

1 cup Soy sauce, Low sodium ( if you don’t the meat will be very salty)

1 tsp smoked paprika

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp garlic powder ( not garlic salt )

2 tsp fresh ginger, grated

2 tsp cracked pepper

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried thyme

1/4 chili powder

1 tsp onion powder

Directions:

1. in a glass bowl min all ingredients (minus meat) until fully mixed and blended

2. add sliced meat and make sure they are covered completely

3. Marinate for 4-24 hours

For further instruction on how to smoke this delicious treat, visit here.

HuntCast Live with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Rich Storm

This proposal aims to increase deer hunting opportunities for both youth and adults from the current 2 days to 9 consecutive days, with both expanded seasons running concurrently from the second Saturday in October to the third Sunday in October, so that both youth and adult mentors that have taken them hunting  could harvest deer during this time.  I believe this ability to harvest deer together could incentivize more adults to take youth hunting.   Legal weapons for adults would include the currently allowable archery and muzzleloading rifles but also firearms with exposed hammers shooting straight walled cartridges (revolvers, single shot pistols, break action rifles, and reproduction rifles) as well as shotguns shooting slugs.  Modern necked cartridges and semiautomatic rifles and pistols would not be allowed. 

This proposal will have no negative effect on the deer herd.  We now have over 1 million deer in KY.  All western KY is overpopulated.  Surely, it would be better for hunters to have the opportunity to harvest some of these deer, rather than many being shot with depredation permits or struck by motor vehicles, as is now the case.  These proposed expanded seasons should also be of significant benefit to participating processors in Ky Hunters for the Hungry as donated deer currently come in at the same time as the deer they make money on, causing some processors to limit the number of donated deer they can process. 

I believe the adult portion of the proposal is by far the most important because getting adult mentors involved is critical to the process, as these kids are too young to drive.  The proposed time is also important as this is the week that some school systems have traditionally had their Fall Break, so kids would be free to hunt during the weekdays, although that isn’t uniform across the state, as each school district decides when their Fall Break will be.  It is also important that the expansion occurs prior to Modern Firearms season, when the largest percentage of deer, and an even larger percentage of bucks, are harvested in KY.  A significant number of hunters lose interest in hunting deer after Modern Firearms season, particularly once bucks are shedding their antlers or any doe they might harvest is likely to be pregnant, and these hunters frequently transition to waterfowl or rabbit hunting.  In order to capitalize on the enthusiasm of hunters to harvest deer, these expanded seasons need to occur early or they won’t be successful. 

Let me say straight up this is not a perfect proposal or the total solution to getting more youth involved in hunting.  A perfect, total solution does not exist!  However, this is the only proposal aimed at trying to get more youth involved in hunting I’ve seen since I’ve been on the KDFWR Commission.  Others who have been on the Commission longer than me have told me they never remember a proposal aimed at encouraging more youth to take up hunting.    

I have heard from a few critics regarding the proposal, none of whom have offered a workable proposal of their own.  Common criticisms are: 

1.  Archery hunters would have to wear orange for 5 additional days.  (A significant percentage of archery hunters are crossbow hunters, so this would have minimal overall impact.  Also, bow season is now over 19 weeks long, so bow hunters certainly won’t lack opportunity!) 

2. This expanded season would “stir the deer up” before Modern Firearms season.  (There would be 3 weeks from the last day of this expanded season to the first day of Modern Firearms season, plenty of time for the deer to settle down.)  

Initially, I’d like the Expanded Muzzleloader portion of this proposal to take place in only CWD Surveillance Zone counties, all of which are in the 1^st District, which I represent.  We have plenty of public hunting areas in the 1^st District, for those who want to participate but don’t have private land to hunt.  If this proposal is successful, the Commission might then choose to include other parts of the state.  If unsuccessful, only the CWD Surveillance Zone counties (currently 8 out of 120 counties) will have been affected and I will take complete responsibility.  We need to address the problem of declining numbers of youth hunters sooner rather than later.  I hope you will support this effort to do so. 

This proposal has been passed at the last two Commission meetings, but I need your help to get it across the finish line.  If you would, simply send an email supporting this proposal to: 

fw.publicaffairs@ky.gov 

I suggest you say something along the lines of: 

“I would like to see youth be given more opportunity to take up hunting and so I want to request that you vote to pass the proposed expansion of Early Youth and Early Muzzleloader Deer Seasons as written.  Please give each Commissioner a copy of this email prior to the Commission Meeting.” 

“Your Name” 

“Your county of residence” 

Thanks for your help, 

Robin Floyd 

First District Commissioner, KDFWR 

By Mike Collins

Harvesting a gobbler on my Ocala National Forest Quota Hunt in Marion County, Florida is a memory I will cherish forever.

The drawing results for the quota hunt were released in December 2023. When I saw that I got picked I started planning immediately.

I e-scouted with OnX Hunt for months and found multiple areas that looked good for turkey hunting. I focused on fresh clear cuts and newly logged terrain that had a good mixture of diverse habitat around them. One caught my eye right away when I saw it on the map. It was an 80-acre logged area that had a lot of dense woods around it. At the back end of the clear cut, it grew narrow, and there was a strip of forest that came together. The little strip of woods separated two different clear cuts. I was confident that it was a place I could have success.

Heading South

I rolled into Ocala on the evening of March 26, after checking into my camper that I rented in Salt Springs, I drove around the unit to get familiar with the roads. On Wednesday, March 27 I got up early with plans to scout all day. I used a bike throughout the day to help me cover some ground. I also felt it would give me a chance to go through different spots to listen for gobbles. I figured if I was in a truck, I wouldn’t be able to hear as well.

I biked over 10 miles and walked about two miles by the end of my scouting day. I ran into a coral snake, found deer, hog, bear and turkey sign, too. I didn’t hear one gobble the entire time I scouted. It was important for me to find out if the birds were gobbling or not. Gobbling, or lack thereof determines how I approach my turkey hunts. Whenever I don’t hear any gobbling, I plan to sit in a place longer. I mentally prepare myself for longer sits, hunts that will require a lot of patience.

A Full Day of Scouting

Scouting paid off. I ended up seeing several hens and observed a gobbler walking in the area I had e-scouted for months. Fired me up because I had assumed that clear cut was attractive to turkeys. After seeing the longbeard in the spot I wanted to hunt, I ended my scouting trip and drove to Salt Springs Pizza for some dinner. There, I continued to study OnX to pinpoint the exact place I wanted to set up.

On the opening morning of the quota hunt I walked about 700 yards to the back edge of the logged acreage. There was so much diverse habitat around it, I wanted to get to where I was going to be close to where things transition from one habitat to the other. I set up my Avian X Lookout Hen decoy and sat down around 7a.m.

Turkeys didn’t make a sound at daybreak. Just as I suspected would happen. It didn’t concern me at all. My plan was to let the birds come to me; I didn’t need them to gobble. I opted to wait until about 8a.m. before making a call. It had begun to rain, and I left all of my rain gear in the truck. I just accepted that I was going to get soaked.

Don’t Let the Weather Stop You

During a small break in the precipitation, I decided to grab my Primos Lil’ Hot Box to run through a sequence of loud yelping. I wanted to use a call that would get sound to carry. I also mixed in some softer calling with my Turkey Hunting USA Ghost Cut diaphragm call. Three hens came into the clearing in front of me. They milled around for a while and eventually moved off into the woods.

Of course, more rain rolled through. The sky opened up and I got drenched, it rained hard for about 10 minutes. When the rain broke again, a turkey gobbled in the distance. It was faint, but I heard it. I grabbed my box call and yelped loudly with it. He gobbled once at my calling. I sat my call back down and got quiet.

An hour passed and the sky cleared up. The sun was beaming down on the big clear cut in front of me. I hit my box call again and mixed in some cutting on the diaphragm call. A hen started yelping in the woods not far from where I was sitting. The longbeard gobbled at the hen a few times. At first, I started to think another hunter had heard the bird and the hunter slipped in between myself and the tom. The hen I heard yelped some more, I could tell it was a real hen. At 12:15 p.m. that hen popped out to my left and she walked across the clear cut and into the dense understory. I had my Mossberg 835 Ulti-mag on my lap already, I went ahead and propped it up on my knees to get ready, just in case.

I had some brush to the left of my setup; I had thought I needed to be ready if a gobbler were to come from that direction. He would be on me quick. Sure enough, a gobbler quickly popped out from behind the brush. He came in silent and strutted right to my decoy. I clicked the safety off and aimed the bead at the end of my gun barrel at the turkeys neck. The sun was illuminating his feathers as he circled the decoy. I squeezed the trigger and the bird just folded.

I took a minute to process how the hunt unfolded. I filled out my paper copy of my harvest log and then checked the bird in on the Hunt and Fish Florida App. I walked over to the gobbler; he had an eight-inch beard and inch long spurs.  After taking some pictures, I threw the bird over my shoulder to head back down to the sandy road that led back to where my truck was parked.

This trip back to the truck was a little bit sweeter than usual. I put in hard work, I got rained on, used patience and stuck with my plan. I harvested my first public land Florida gobbler.

Turkey Hunting on Public Land in the Rain

Turkey hunting on public land has grown in popularity. Hunters looking for new experiences and adventures travel long distances to hunt wily ol’ gobblers. As hunting pressure increases, you’ll need to change your mindset, particularly when rain is in the forecast. There are no rain delays during turkey season if you are hunting on public ground.

Turkey hunting in the rain might not sound fun, and it may even feel like a waste of time. Gobblers tend to love brisk, clear mornings. They gobble more on those blue-sky sunny days. Hunters love to hear turkeys gobbling so they hunt hard on those beautiful mornings. Days with increased gobbling activity make it easier to run and gun to find turkeys, which is the preferred method of hunting to most hunters.

 Hunting on rainy days is not appealing to most hunters because longbeards won’t gobble as much, and it isn’t fun to get wet. Little to no gobbling makes it hard to run and gun on birds. Hunters will end up having to walk aimlessly to different areas trying to locate birds, or they will have to just hunker down against a tree and play the waiting game. Many hunters will just decide to stay home in those conditions because they don’t like to sit and wait. If you want to increase your hunting opportunities and fill a turkey tag, you need to hunt on rainy days.

Field Edges and Open Areas

Intermittent storms and rain showers pop up all the time during spring turkey season. Whether you’re a repeat visitor on a piece of public land or trying a new area, make sure you are using onX  Hunt to find fields, timber cuts, power lines, pipelines and freshly burned habitat. Look for places where these landscapes might transition into one another. These are places turkeys will go to when it’s raining. OnX Hunt is an awesome tool for public land hunters.

Bugs, worms and other creepy crawlers are abundant in these open areas after a rain shower. It becomes a buffet for wild turkeys. Turkeys will come out to grab an easy meal. Rain can make it hard for turkeys to see and hear if they are in the woods. They become a little more vulnerable to predation, so they move to open areas so they can see better. Turkeys will also head to these open areas when there is a break in the rain so they can fluff their feathers to dry off.

Decoy Setup

Rain is in the forecast, and you don’t feel like packing a bunch of gear all over the place. Leave what you can, but don’t leave your hen decoy in the truck. She is your visual effect, the gobbler’s eye candy. Make sure you put the decoy in a place where turkeys will see her right away from any of the directions they could come from. You are building a realistic scenario.

Picture this, it is late morning, the rain has stopped, and the sun has come out. You’ve been calling every 45 minutes or so from your location. A tom has left his morning hens and he’s on the move to hook up with a new hen. He remembers your calling, so he travels to the timber cut you’re in to come find you. Soon as he enters the clearing, he sees your decoy and struts all the way to the end of your gun barrel. Yeah, that’s worth dealing with a little bit of rain on a public land hunt.

Breaks in the Rain

If at any point you get a break in the rain, pull out a box call and run through a sequence of yelps to get some sound to carry. Let the birds know where you are. Listen for gobbles if the sun comes out. Toms will get fired up.  When you hear a bird gobble, answer that gobbler with a box call and then put the call down. Go silent for a little while before making another call.

This can help you in multiple different ways. On public dirt, other hunters could potentially hear the same bird that you are hearing. If you are calling a bunch and that tom starts to gobble more, other hunters are going to zero in on his location. You want that gobbler to come find you. He will stop gobbling when he's on the way. Sit tight, he knows where you are, let him come to you.

Patience

If an ol’ longbeard starts to gobble his head off after the sun pops out, don’t lose patience and get up to run and gun. Stay put because you have already let him know where you are hanging out. There is a good chance that bird will come in and you won’t be there anymore if you get up and run off. You also increase the chance of spooking the bird if he is coming to you and you are going to him. This is such a common mistake, don’t be the one to make it. Just stay put.

Toms will visit places where a hunter has called to them, even if it is hours after the hunter has left the field. Patient hunters that commit to sitting longer on public land will harvest a turkey. Good luck and be patient this spring!

Calling with Turkey Hunting USA

The Thunder Taker

You can find the show here: www.facebook.com/bassfishinglive

Be a friend, tell a friend!

Credit to Nathan Spears on TikTok

Stop Making These Turkey Hunting Mistakes

Written by Mike Collins

All turkey hunters have been outsmarted by wily gobblers at some point in their hunting career.  More often than not, it’s because mistakes were made during the hunt.

The adage “we learn from our mistakes” may be old hat, but the saying rings true in the turkey woods.  After identifying the mistake that was made you learn from it and you don’t make the same mistake again.  Calling to gobblers on the roost, calling too aggressively, setting up too far, walking and calling, staying home in inclement weather, one-dimensional calling and quitting are all mistakes that can ruin a turkey hunt.

Calling To Gobblers on the Roost

Calling gobblers on the roost is an easy mistake to make when you are hearing booming gobbles echo around the property.  It’s hard to resist when they are gobbling their brains off. 

A gobbler will stay on the roost longer if you call to him.  He may continue to gobble, but he will be expecting the hen to come to him.  If he stays in the tree longer it will open up the opportunity for hens to come into the area and pull him away from your set up.

Slip into the area quietly and set up while he’s gobbling on the roost.  Start calling softly when the bird hits the ground.  You can even attempt to mimic the sounds of a hen flying down from the roost by slapping your hat on your leg.  Don’t start calling to a gobbler on the roost, if you do you could end your hunt before it begins.

Setting Up Too Far

Setting up too far from the roost site or major strut zone is another mistake that many hunters make.  Setting up 60 or 70 yards from the fly down is not a good idea unless you are hunting birds that are roosted by the edge of a field.

Get into the 40-yard range when hunting a bird still on the limb.  When the bird flies down, yelp a few times to get his attention.  There is a good chance you will be the first hen he thinks is on the ground and he will move in to check it out.  If you are in that 40-yard range the gobbler will only have to come in five to 10 more yards for you to be able to get a shot.

If you set up too far you’re giving hens the chance to slip in and steal the gobbler away from you.  Don’t be passive with your set ups, get as close as you can without busting birds.

Calling Too Much

Calls are some of the most important tools that hunters can use to help close the deal on a longbeard. It is very easy to get carried away with calls, especially when a gobbler is hung up out of range with his hens.

Calling too much can really mess up the hunt and it educates birds.  If the woods are quiet and you aren’t hearing gobbles you don’t want to be burning it up with your calls.  Your calling needs to be natural, if there is a lot of gobbling and yelping going on in the woods, you can be aggressive with your calling.  Do as the birds do, if you do the opposite you chances of killing a gobbler decreases.

Lack of Calls in the Arsenal

Many hunters make the mistake of going turkey hunting with just one call.  You handcuff yourself tremendously if you only utilize one call when turkey hunting.

Gobblers respond to different sounds each day.  One day a gobbler might respond to a diaphragm call that produces a raspy hen sound.  The next day that same gobbler could ignore a raspy hen call, and instead respond better to a high-pitched box call.

Make sure you carry several different calls in your turkey vest.  Always have a box call, slate call, diaphragm call or a push-pin call so you can try different calls if one isn’t getting the job done. Be versatile. Using multiple calls every so often can also give the illusion that there are several hens in an area. Highly effective tactic when hunting late morning gobblers. Those birds will leave their morning hens to search for new hens to hook up with. Put a single hen decoy out in a strut zone, that gobbler will come in on a string.

Walking and Calling

Walking and calling can be a mistake because you run the risk of bumping birds and attracting other hunters.  When gobblers commit to calling they tend to get tight-lipped.  If they don’t gobble and they are coming toward you, you aren’t going to know it.  If you are still walking and calling you will spook the gobbler and it will ruin your hunt.

Walking and calling can be dangerous if other hunters are in the area.  You are walking around while producing the sounds that other hunters are listening for.  When you are trying to locate a bird stop, call and wait 30 minutes before you move on.  If you don’t strike up a gobble move to another area and repeat.

Staying Home in Inclement Weather

When rain is in the forecast some hunters elect to stay at home rather than hit the turkey woods.  This is a monumental mistake.  Turkeys will go to open fields when it rains, or after a hard rain.  You know where you need to set up on turkeys when it rains.

Turkeys do not like to be in the woods when it rains because it is noisy and it makes it hard for them to see.  Turkeys feel vulnerable to predators, so they make their way to the fields.  Put on a rain suit, grab a blind and get after them.

Hunters see rain and decide that their chance for success has dropped because of bad weather.  Hunting in the rain can pay huge dividends, and if you are out there anything can happen.  You can’t shoot a turkey sitting inside the house.

Quitting Because They Aren’t Gobbling

If you are serious about turkey hunting, quitting is not in your vocabulary. You’re telling me you’d rather fish because the turkeys aren’t gobbling? Get out of here! There is no way I’m letting my friends leave the woods. A lot of hunters leave the woods when the turkeys get quiet. Huge mistake. The birds haven’t disappeared, they just stopped talking.

Get in a strut zone and hang out for a little while. Put out a few hen decoys and call softly every 30 minutes, maybe on the hour get out a box call and let out sequence of yelps in case you need sound to carry. Don’t be in a rush to move. Even if one does happen to fire up close by, call again and see if he answers, more than likely he’s coming. Be patient.

Calling every 30 to 45 minutes will keep you from overcalling. Stick to this because it’s part of the tactic. You are calling just enough to tell a gobbler off in the distance where you are. The gap between call sequences is going to make him want to come find you. When he does, your decoy setup of one hen is going to align with what he’s looking for. He’ll strut and put on a show all the way to where he’s behind the bead on your gun barrel. Don’t give up, be patient.

These are mistakes that all hunters have made before.  Now that the mistakes have been identified you can learn to avoid them.  Don’t let a gobbler outwit you this spring.

Watch Billy Barnett and Turkey Hunting USA complete his Grand Slam!

Take a Kid Hunting This Turkey Season

The youth turkey hunting weekend kicks off Saturday April 6, 2024 in Kentucky. Children ages 15 and younger will be hitting the turkey woods with an adult mentor in hopes of bagging a big old Eastern gobbler.

Taking youth hunting can be somewhat challenging when you feel the pressure to make a good impression on them. If you are like me, you want your kids to enjoy it as much as we do. I’ve had to take a step back. I’ve learned that it is more important to focus on comfort and enjoyment of the hunt rather than filling a tag. If you are taking a youth hunter out this weekend, here are a few things to consider.

First and foremost, discuss and review gun safety with your youth hunter. Hopefully in target practice you have already talked about the safe ways to hold and handle a firearm. The two-handed or ready carry, the cradle carry, trail carry, elbow side carry, shoulder carry and sling carry are all safe ways to carry a firearm. Review these positions and talk about the importance of target identification. Show them the safety button on the firearm and go over when it would be time to turn the safety to fire position.

Make It Fun

The worst thing you can do is force a child to go hunting if they don’t want to go. It is important to avoid pressuring them into hunting as hard as you do. Let the youth hunter take ownership of the situation. Don’t force them to stay longer than they want to stay, even if it means leaving the woods during prime time.

Legendary turkey hunter and call maker, Harold Knight likes to take the youth hunters he hunts with to the store to pick out snacks and drinks for the blind. It’s another way to allow that youth hunter to have control over the situation. It also generates the excitement of picking out snacks for a special occasion. Having snacks in the blind is a great way to help pass the time while waiting for a turkey to appear. You don’t want your youth hunter getting hungry.

While in the field, talk about the different plants and animals you see together. Discuss food sources for each of the animals you observe and where those animals might go to rest.

Let the youth hunter bring some games into the blind. Maybe they bring coloring books or something to read. They can play games, color or read books to help pass the time.

Be patient with your youth hunter. Kids squirm and make noise. It is going to happen at some point during your hunt. Don’t get mad at them. Turn it into a teaching moment. Explain scenarios when it might be okay to move or make noise.

Set Ups

Set up in known strutting zones. Birds will frequent these strut zones often and it will help increase your chances of a gobbler coming in. Hunt from a blind. Put a blind in the middle of the strut zone and take some comfortable camping chairs to sit in. As mentioned before, kids are going to squirm and move, the blind can help hide some of their movements. Pace 20 yards from blind and put out some decoys. Decoys serve a few purposes here. Decoys can help lure gobblers into shooting range, and they distract gobblers from noticing potential movement in the blind. If a gobbler does come into your setup, you’re in for a real show. It will be something that youth hunter will never forget.

Participation

Encourage participation. Let your youth hunter help set up the blind or set out decoys. Once you are in the blind and ready to hunt, let your youth hunter use some calls. It is a priceless moment to see their smiling face when they use a call and get a response from a gobbler. This will help the youth hunter build confidence in the field.

Good camo goes a long way in turkey season…

If it’s a slow morning, put on your best leafy suit and take a nap!

13-pound Largemouth Breaks Junior Record

When the number (13) of the weight of your fish, exceeds your age (11), you’ve got a story to tell!

That is exactly what happened to fifth grader Stetson Davis of Tuttle, Okla.. He dad, Brodey, pulled him out of class so the two of them could take a father-son trip down to a Texas Lake.

Brodey already had a Texas Legacy Lunker of his own, catching a 17-pounder at OH Ivie back in 2022.

The duo saw the massive largemouth on their forward facing sonar, and the challenge was on to see if Stetson could get it in the boat.

After 15-20 casts, Stetson finally got the lunker to take his 6-inch swimbait. Brodey grabbed the net for the assist and the rest was history. The 13-pounder broke Stetson’s previous best of 8.8-pounds.

One Last Ride for KVD at MLF’s Redcrest TODAY!

Kevin Van Dam is the greatest professional bass angler to ever live, according to many in the bass fishing world.

Last year, KVD announced he would be retiring from tournament fishing, but he is back for his final event ever, participating in Major League Fishing’s Redcrest.

This morning (March 14th) he’ll be competing with some of the best anglers around the world for one last win!

If you are not familiar with Redcrest, it is MLF’s equivalent to the Bassmaster Classic. Now, let’s be honest, it does not carry the same weight as the Classic, but it is one of the top events of the year, nonetheless.

And now that it is KVD’s last rodeo, it has become even more significant in 2024.

This year’s event will take place at Lay Lake in Birmingham, Ala., where KVD fished his second-ever Bassmaster Classic.

In a story he wrote for Major League Fishing last week, KVD shared his thoughts on fishing in his final professional tournament.

“This is certainly going to be a sentimental week for me in Birmingham. There’s a lot of nostalgia that surrounds that place in terms of my 33-year career in competitive fishing. I’m probably going to get emotional at times. But I can guarantee my fans this: When the green flag drops and we go lines in, I’ll be all business in trying to win one more for all the great people who have cheered me on through the years.”

KVD is known for his style of power-fishing, using deep-diving crankbaits to help fill his boat with giant bass. But, this week, it sounds like he is keeping his options open.

“REDCREST will be the first time I’ve competed nationally since retiring after the Bass Pro Tour event at Saginaw Bay in 2023. I’m ready to get the competitive juices flowing again. I didn’t pre-practice or scout the lake in any way. We have three days of official practice, which is plenty. I’ve been to Lay Lake enough to know how it lays out and how it fishes this time of year.

Obviously, it’ll be much different than it was 14 years ago – we have a lot more technology in place now, which changes things up quite a bit. These days, there are a lot more options to consider. For that reason, I rigged up close to 50 rods before I left Michigan.”

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Winning Patterns on Kentucky Lake

No. 1 Jake Lawrence

Lawrence is a live scoping machine and it led to his big win on Kentucky Lake last week. Lawrence won the tournament using a Jenko prototype minnow style bait.

No. 2 Matt Robertson

If you know Matt Robertson, you know he goes big or goes home. That was no different on his home lake of Kentucky last week. Robertson threw big swimbaits, including a 6-8” Berkley PowerBait CullShad.

No. 3 Jordan Hartman

Jordan Hartman threw around the 6-8” Berkley PowerBait CullShad like Robertson, but he was able to finish in third place with the help of Z-Man Jackhammer Chatterbait, one of the most versatile baits in any boat.

No. 4 Harbor Lovin

It was a 5-inch Jenko Tremor Shad that powered Harbor Lovin to a fourth-place finish on Kentucky Lake. Lovin said he fished one area in 2-20 feet of water and the Tremor Shad did the rest of the work.

No. 5 Clint Knight

Another minnow-style bait, like this Rapala CrushCity Freeloader, was the key to Clint Knight fishing his way to a fifth-place finish and another check cashed at Kentucky Lake.

No. 6 Drew Gill

After finishing first and cashing an $80K check in February at Sam Rayburn, Gill had another top 10 finish, this time at Kentucky Lake. Gill, another force with forward facing sonar, filled his boat by using an Alabama Rig with Big Bite Baits Pro Swimmers.

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Hunting Tight-Lipped Gobblers

The faint glow of the morning sky outlined the Eastern Kentucky mountains where we were hunting. It was clear, the stars were fading, and songbirds had begun to sing their morning melodies. A longbeard fired off a few gobbles in the distance. After fly down, complete silence.

My cousin John Collins and I were hunting together, we watched several deer cross the field as we discussed what to do next. We tried using a box call to get a turkey to gobble. Nothing. We made our way around the area trying to strike up a gobble and nothing responded. As the sun peaked over the horizon it started to get hot. We decided we had better just go sit in an area, set up decoys and call every 30 to 40 minutes.

Our friends John Stepp and Hurley Combs Jr. were on the other side of the property. They had heard a few gobbles early, but when birds hit the ground, lockjaw. We all met up around mid-morning to gameplan. Hurley told John (Collins) and I that if we wanted to go sit for a while to try a field on a ridge in between two very deep hollows. Birds had gobbled down in one of the hollows at daybreak. We parted with fist bumps and “good lucks” and went separate ways.

John (Collins) and I surveyed the area on the On-X Hunt app and thought it would be best to walk to the opposite end of the field from where we were, there appeared to be a line of trees right in the middle of the field that we could sit up against. Before coming off a higher point on the ridge and going down a level where the field was, we glassed to make sure we wouldn’t bust any birds out. We saw a hen walk across the field and down into the woods on the hillside.

After the hen left, we booked it down the ridge and found a few of the trees in the middle of the field to sit up against. I walked out about 20 yards from the trees and set up my Avian-X Half Strut Jake and Lookout Hen. We settled in and I pulled out my Esh Custom Calls Walnut Deluxe Box Call. I gave a few sequences of yelps, then I yelped on a mouth call softly. Of course, no gobbles, but we had hoped something would come in eventually. About 40 minutes later I called again, still it seemed there wasn’t a gobbler within a country mile of where we were.

“Duum, tisk!” “Duum, tisk!” Our ears keyed in on an all too familiar sound. Two gobblers had come in behind us. Never made a sound except, “Duum, Tisk.” They were staying under the shade of the last tree on the row of trees we were against. There were also hens in the background, the birds were hung up just out of range. Another gobbler appeared further back. The two bully birds started running at the other gobbler and he circled to our left to get away from them. That bird started coming into range.

As he got to 20 yards he stopped, the other two birds were at 52 yards. My cousin was on the bird closest to us, I was going to attempt to shoot the lead bird that was out further. I called aggressively to get the birds to lift their heads. I told John to shoot. Boom! Then I shot. Boom! His bird hit the dirt like he took a judo chop to the throat. My bird and other birds took flight and crossed the hillside. Swing and a miss.

John bagged a big ole Eastern Kentucky gobbler that had a 10-inch beard and 1-1/4-inch spurs. The birds didn’t gobble much, but we stayed with them. Getting in a strut zone, putting out decoys, calling every 30 to 40 minutes and just being patient is what led to success on this hunt. Something to consider when hunting tight-lipped gobblers.

Hunters are experiencing a lack of gobbling this spring. Running and gunning after hard-gobbling longbeards is what makes turkey hunting special, but it might not be the most effective tactic when hunting tight-lipped gobblers. Sitting for longer periods of time and calling every so often might be the best tactic when hunting on those quiet spring days.

The Silent Spring

Many hunters across the southeast have dubbed this season as the “silent spring.” Hunters just aren’t hearing the number of gobbles that they used to hear in past seasons. Some are even reporting that they haven’t heard a gobble all spring. Even veteran turkey hunters have said it’s the least amount of gobbling they have heard in 30-plus years of hunting. Are hens going to nest later than normal due to weather conditions, keeping gobblers with them longer during the season? Are there so many jakes that gobblers are weary about gobbling? Was 2020 a bad hatch, less two-year-old birds? Whatever the reason for the lack of gobbling, it has been discouraging to those running and gunning after the majestic sounds of spring.

“I’ve been turkey hunting a long time and I’ve been through springs that were different and odd, but this one in the southeast has been incredibly weird,” Fist Full of Dirt podcast host Ronnie “Cuz” Strickland said. “It’s like the first two weeks not only did you not hear anything gobble, but I also didn’t hear any red birds, I didn’t hear any crows.”

Running and Gunning

Running and gunning is synonymous with turkey hunting. It’s one of the reasons people love to turkey hunt. Sitting is for deer hunting, running and gunning is for chasing gobbles. Hear a gobble? Let’s go get him! When turkeys are tight-lipped, where are you running to? Running and gunning on a day of no gobbling can make you feel like you are hunting something that doesn’t exist. More than likely, the birds are there, you just need to change your expectations and your approach.

If you are running and gunning to different areas trying to strike up a gobble on a day where it is clear they aren’t cooperating, you are taking yourself out of the game. For instance, you approach the edge of a field or you’re on a ridge with open timber and you start calling. Nothing answers so you take off and hustle to the next spot you want to try and call from. After you’ve left the first spot you called from a gobbler comes in silent to check out this hen he heard, but you are already gone. You had no clue that gobbler was there because he didn’t gobble. If you stay put for periods of time, you give that silent bird a chance to slip into your set up. Don’t assume a bird isn’t in the area just because he doesn’t gobble.

Running and gunning while calling along the way can also increase your chances of spooking birds. If a bird comes in silent or is headed your way and you’re up walking around calling, more than likely that bird is getting busted out. That pressure is educating your birds and compounding the lack of gobbling.

“Deer Hunting” Tight-Lipped Gobblers

To hunt tight-lipped gobblers, set your expectations and be patient. Know that it’s going to be tough, your favorite run and gun style isn’t going to be the right play for the scenario.

Get in a strut zone and hang out for a little while. Put out a few hen decoys and call softly every 30 minutes, maybe on the hour get out a box call and let out sequence of yelps in case you need sound to carry. Don’t be in a rush to move. Even if one does happen to fire up close by, call again and see if he answers. If he does, more than likely he’s coming. You’ll notice the theme here, be patient.

On a quiet day, give a gobbler time to come into your setup. This is especially effective for mid to late morning hunts after a gobbler leaves his morning hens. He’s going to be covering ground. Maybe you fail to get on a bird early, if you know you have birds in the area sit down where you know they like to be. Call every so often. Those gobblers will hear that and know exactly where you are calling from. He might just come in later in the day. Make sure you are there when he does. This is an extremely effective way to hunt tight-lipped gobblers.

Tight-Lipped Gobblers on Public Land

Understandably on public land you will likely need to cover some ground to try and find birds. Tight-lipped gobblers on public land are straight up tough. Scouting can be helpful in this scenario, but if you haven’t scouted, it might be best to work in a hybrid tactic of run and gun and “deer hunting” them. If nothing close by gobbles on the roost or after fly down, just try and get to an area you think birds might hang out in. Set up in that spot and do some light calling every 20 minutes or so. Give a gobbler time to come in, sit for about an hour before getting up to try another spot.

Hunting tight-lipped gobblers takes some intestinal fortitude and patience. Turkey season is winding down in states across the south and southeast. Northeastern states are just getting started. Whether your season is coming to an end or just getting started, if you find yourself hunting on a quiet day, “deer hunt” them. Set up in a strut zone and call every 30 to 40 minutes. You might just have one drumming and spitting right to the end of your gun barrel. Good luck this spring!

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Managing Habitat with Prescribed Fire

Fire is one of the most cost effective and dynamic methods known for managing wildlife habitat.

Prescribed fires are also known as controlled burns and involve intentional setting of fires to help maintain the health of the landscape. These controlled burns are applied to a predetermined place in a very skillful manner with the objective of reducing the invasion of trees and shrubs, managing grassland communities, removing excess leaf litter that inhibits vegetative growth, releasing seed for germination and increasing species diversity.

A burn will set back natural succession and stimulate the growth of valuable grasses and legumes through seed scarification. These planned fires will release nutrients, allowing lush herbaceous (non-woody stemmed plants) growth that is conducive to insect production while also producing bare for better movement and feeding for wildlife.

Planning A Prescribed Burn

There are three steps to conducting a prescribed burn on your property. Step one is planning. There is a lot of planning and preparation that goes into using prescribed fires as a management tool. You will need to evaluate the site of the planned burn. Consider the type of fuel on the land (leaves, grass, shrubs, trees and know the moisture conditions of the soil. You’ll also need to be aware of the weather conditions for the day of the prescribed fire. Firebreaks need to be in place before starting the controlled burn.

When planning for a prescribed fire you will need to make sure you have a map of the area. The map should show the boundaries of the burn, adjacent landowner’s topography and control lines. It will also be important to anticipate the direction of the smoke from the fire. You don’t want the direction of the smoke to blow toward roads or houses.

The best time to conduct a prescribed burn is during the period of February 1 and April 15 in most of the southeast. Check with your state’s division of forestry regarding fire conditions.

Plan to complete the prescribed burn in one day. Start in the middle of the morning to early afternoon if conditions are favorable. Again, review your division of forestry regarding fire regulations.

Firebreaks

Firebreaks are essential in preparing for a controlled burn. Firebreaks are physical changes on the landscape which allow for control of the burn. They should be a minimum of 15-18 feet wide and should border the entire area where burning is planned. Three types of firebreaks that are effective in keeping fire contained are natural, constructed and barrier crops firebreaks.

You can use natural firebreaks that border a potential burning site. Natural firebreaks can be streams, rivers, ponds and roads that prevent the fire from continuing its path. These areas will be void of fuel.

Constructed firebreaks can also be used to border your burn site. Constructed firebreaks can be established by mechanically disturbing the soil with tilling and or discing to remove fire fuels. You can also use tools to spray the vegetation with water to make fuels unavailable to the burn.

Barrier crops such as winter wheat, winter barley, annual ryegrass, orchard grass and clovers can be used as a firebreak. These crops are normally green and hold moisture during most recommended burning dates. This we create a barrier around the area of your controlled burn.

Firing

There are various ways to start and control a prescribed fire. A back-fire, or fire started along a firebreak is the most used technique when a prescribed fire is started on a piece of property. Other methods might be strip-heading fire, flanking fire, ring fire and point source fire.

Seek Guidance

It is profoundly recommended that you contact your state’s department of fish and wildlife resources division and your state’s division of forestry when you are planning to use prescribed fire to manage your habitat. You should also contact your local fire department and adjacent neighbors to let them know when you are doing the controlled burn. Never attempt to burn alone, without a burn plan or without property guidance and equipment.

Photo of the Week

Check out this phot from Realtree of the six-shooter Tom!

Be a Friend, Tell a Friend!

Listen to Dr. Craig Harper explain how forest stand improvement helps your deer.

Benefits of Mineral Licks

Early spring is the perfect time to establish mineral sites for the deer herd on your property.

There is no other time of year where deer are more worn down than they are at the end of winter. They have gone through the rigors of deer season, the rut, predation and winter. Ticks are thriving due to yet another mild winter in most areas, thus taking even more nutrients from a deer’s body. Bucks have lost their antlers and does are pregnant with fawns.

“Deer need these minerals year around to reach their full potential,” Stacy said. “Establishing mineral sites and keeping them fresh throughout the year will help your bucks grow antlers and will support milk production of the does in your area.”

If you have never added mineral sites as part of your deer management process, you should consider doing this on your property today. A mineral site is a great way to help provide nutrients lacking in a deer’s natural diet. Access to a balanced mix of minerals like Antler Builder Essentials during the spring will benefit your deer herd in many ways.

1.      Boost antler growth potential

2.      Supports fetuses and healthy lactation

3.      Promotes healthier deer

4.      Reduce tick and flea stress

5.      Helps scout and manage deer using trail cameras

Bucks

Growing antlers are composed mostly of proteins, according to the National Deer Association (NDA). Calcium and phosphorus are by far the most two common minerals in deer antlers. Magnesium and sodium are also common, along with about nine other minerals according to a study conducted by the University of Georgia.

Calcium and phosphorus make up about 30% of the minerals inside Antler Builder Essentials. This mineral supplementation prior to and during antler growth will be beneficial.

Does

Minerals are very important for pregnant does. Does have a very high requirement for calcium and magnesium during gestation and lactation. Having mineral sites available during spring and summer will help the doe provide for their fawns. Antler Builder Essentials is a mineral that is made of up to 26% calcium and 2% magnesium.

How To Make A Mineral Site

When you are looking for a place to start a mineral site there are several factors you need to take into consideration. You want to pick a location where several deer trails come together. Find high-traffic deer trails that come together, preferably trails that are close to a water source.

Once you find what you are looking for, step about four to six feet off the trails. Make sure the mineral site is in the shade. Make a circle that is about three feet around and remove all of the foliage, leaves and grass so that dirt is visible. Remove about two to three inches of soil within the circle.

Pour about 10 pounds of Antler Builder Essentials or mineral of your choice in the cleared-out area of your circle. Work the soil with a shovel or rake to mix up the minerals and loose dirt. Repeat these steps until your mineral bag is empty.

Set up a trail camera to gain an inventory of the deer on your property. Watch your bucks start to grow in April, and welcome new fawns in May and June. Refresh your mineral sites in the spring and in the fall. Your deer will use them all year long.

Invasive Shrub and Vine Control

Non-native invasive plants such as autumn olive, bush honeysuckle, and multi-flora rose shrubs and Oriental bittersweet vine have become a problem in most of our woods and natural areas.

These plants very aggressively invade natural habitats crowding out native plants and degrading forested areas. Controlling these species and their spread should be a high priority. The easiest way to do this is by treating them with an appropriate herbicide.

Glyphosate has been the most commonly used herbicide for this purpose. A foliar spray of 3-4% glyphosate solution can work on bushes chest high or smaller however glyphosate is non-select herbicide so application should target only invasives.

Other herbicides such as triclopyr 3a and 2-4D are known has select herbicides and target only broadleaf/woody plant species. These herbicides can be applied at a rate of 3% mixed with water. However, using a mixture of 2% glyphosate (3 ounces of41% concentrate/gallon of water) and 1.5% imazapyr (2 ounces of 53.1% concentrate/gallon of water) works better as a foliar spray because it reduces re-sprouting, root suckers and new seedlings. Foliar treatments are effective during the growing season when the leaves are out and green or during the fall when plants are pulling in nutrients for winter storage.

Early spring and fall are a good time to do foliar treatments because non-native plants will leaf out earlier and stay green longer than native vegetation making them easy to see in the woods.

For larger bushes the most effective treatment is to cut all of the stems close to the ground and immediately apply herbicide to the stump. Triclopyr 3a, and 2-4D at a 50/50 rate is effective as well as Imazapyr at a 12% concentration (7 ounces of 53.1% concentrate in 25 ounces of water to make a quart mixture) is highly effective on cut stumps. Stump treatments should not be done between January and March due to the sap rise. If glyphosate is used for cut-stump treatment, it should be applied full strength.

Another potential option for treating invasives is to use a power mist-blower to apply herbicide either early in the spring or late in the fall when they are leafed out, but most native vegetation is dormant.

Antler Growth and Age of Deer

This information was taking from the MSU Facebook page

According to data gathered from our research facility in Mississippi and free-range deer in Texas, bucks typically reach their full antler potential at 6-7 years of age. On average bucks have reached about 25% of their maximum antler size when they are 1 year old, at 2 years ≈60%, at 3 years ≈75%, at 4 years ≈90%, and at 5 years of age they have reached ≈95%.

Once bucks reach their maximum antler size, they typically maintain their antler size until they begin to regress in health, much later in age. It is rare for a free-range buck in the southeast to reach an age advanced enough to shrink in antler size considerably. The graphic above illustrates this progression in antler size! For more information on deer antlers and developing a management strategy that will improve buck quality on your property, consult our book "Strategic Harvest System: How to Break Through the Buck Management Glass Ceiling" available in digital or hardcopy here!

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Photo: Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program

11-year-old Hinton Carroll hauled in this massive 11.79-pound largemouth bass while fishing at Toledo Bend in late January.

Hinton was using a Yum Flash Mob Junior Alabama Rig around some hydrilla when he caught the giant.

According to LouisianaSportsman.com, when asked about the fish, he replied, “I want to catch 12 (pounder).”

FIVE fish for 31-pounds, 7 ounces for Scott Martin

Photo by: Andy Crawford/BASS

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Scott Martin’s no weatherman, but his spot-on prediction described a scenario that enabled him to sack up a 31-pound, 7-ounce limit Saturday and lock up a record-setting wire-to-wire victory at the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Okeechobee.

Martin amassed a three-day winning total of 90-6.

Taking the early lead with a Day 1 limit of 33-2 — the event’s largest — Martin added a second-round bag that went 25-13 and held on to the top spot. After the Day 2 weigh-in, the hometown favorite said he believed the week’s increasingly stable, warming trend could deliver the opportunity he needed to seal the deal.

Also, Martin’s Day 1 limit broke the record for the heaviest one-day catch in a Bassmaster Open — a mark previously set by Whitney Stephens’ 32-12 at the 2019 Open on the Harris Chain of Lakes.

Martin spent his week in the Harney Pond area on the lake’s west side. Fishing in 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 feet of water, he targeted the submerged remnants of cattail clumps.

“I was looking for these clumps on my Garmin Panoptix,” Martin said. “They were like brushpiles. I knew it was going to be a tough tournament, so I knew I had to fish as slow and methodically as I could.

While ChatterBaits produced some of his keepers the first two days, Martin caught all of his Championship Saturday fish on a Texas-rigged Googan Baits Bandito Bug and a straight-tail worm, along with a wacky-rigged Googan Baits Lunker Log stickworm.

“The key was keeping my bait clean,” Martin said. “There’s a lot of muck on the bottom, but I could feel when my bait came into a clean spot, so I would make repeated casts to that spot.”

Martin enhanced his plastics with Bait Pop, a scented paste with visibility-boosting glitter. Also, the additive gave his baits a more well-defined sonar signature, which helped him monitor the presentation and make any necessary adjustments.

Three GIANT Bass on the Same Day

It’s rare to catch a double-digit bass on any given day in an entire lifetime, but when three angler do it in the same day, you know one thing is certain - they are in Texas.

Ben Milliken with his Legacy bass Photo: TPWD

Ben Milliken, Alec Morrison, and Aaron Suess all caught bass over the 13-pound mark back on February 5th.

All three fish were considered part of the Texas ShareLunker Program and were “Legacy Class ShareLunkers” according to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

All three were also caught in different parts of the state.

Alec Morrison caught a 13.82-pound largemouth bass caught on Sam Rayburn Reservoir.
Photo: TPWD

It was Milliken’s fifth ShareLunker fish in his lifetime. Milliken is considered one of the top bass anglers in the country, fishing as a Bassmaster Elite Pro. His bass weighed in at 13.5-pounds.

Morrison caught his lunker out of Sam Rayburn, and had the biggest of the three, weighing in at 13.89-pounds.

Aaron Suess caught a 13.87-pound largemouth bass from O.H. Ivie Lake. Photo: TPWD

Suess came in right behind Morrison. Suess’s fish weighed 13.87-pounds and was caught at O. H. Ivie.

It’s like they say, everything is bigger in Texas.

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We had a good response of paid subscribers last week! This allows us to do more with the newsletter, and give more back to you.

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If you still have bucks holding strong, or even having some fun like these two, send us those photos at eastoutdoors@outlook.com. We’d love to share them with our readers.

Thanks to Trevor Austin, of Lexington, KY, for sharing this photo!

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Glutton for Gobbling!

Thunderous gobbles of a wild turkey echoing off the hills on a brisk spring morning will ignite a hunter’s soul. That first gobble can send a hunter onto one of the most maddening cat and mouse games that can be experienced outdoors. It’s intoxicating. Turkey hunters love to hear turkeys’ gobble. Gobbling influences hunter satisfaction.

Discussion and debate over the causes of the wild turkey population decline have amplified in recent years. Habitat, predation, harvest, disease and human disturbance have all been named as top contributing factors to the decline. Some of these factors have an incredible number of variables that will require years of data collection to fully understand how to address the issues. However, harvest results can produce measurable data within a reasonably short amount of time so that we can understand how harvest impacts gobbling and turkey decline.

Groundbreaking wild turkey harvest research shows that poor harvest management can cause you to have less birds and hear less gobbling.

Digesting Data

Wildlife biologists have radio collared over 1,000 male turkeys across several states to help track survival, mortality rates and harvest rates, according to Dr. Michael Chamberlain, Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Management at the University of Georgia. The information collected in the study is the largest known freight data set ever collected.

In the study, biologists tagged toms on public hunting land, private land and on land sites that are not exposed to hunting at all. Results showed that gobbler survival rates were much lower in areas where hunting occurred. About 54% to 55% of the tagged birds survived in areas that are hunted, according to Chamberlain. On non-hunted sites, gobblers had 80% survival rates.

Contrary to belief that public land birds get hammered harder than private land birds, data showed consistent harvest rates at 29% to 30% between the two. Public land birds are not getting taken as much as we think. Success on private and public lands is about the same.

Predation rates were also calculated in the data gathered from the study. Predation percentages were the same in every area where gobblers were collared. Around 15% of the gobblers were killed by predators. Harvests took far more gobblers than predators did.

Time of Harvest

Intensive high harvest of gobblers early in the breeding season disrupted nesting to the point that it had a measurable impact on the population within the testing site, according to Chamberlain. This is crucial information that needs presented to state agencies so that turkey season dates can be adjusted to avoid hunting early in the breeding season. If you feel season dates need to be addressed in your state, contact your local district wildlife commissioners and kindly voice your concerns.

In testing sites absent of hunting, the population being monitored is about 80% more productive than all hunted populations.

Data from the non-hunted sites is to create a benchmark. We know what populations look like in non-hunted areas and we know what the populations look like when turkeys are being harvested. This is not to say we must stop hunting altogether, but these results suggest we pay attention to how many birds we harvest.

Manage Your Harvest

If you want to improve your turkey population and hear more gobbling to maintain hunter satisfaction, manage your turkey harvests. As mentioned above, on non-hunted sites, 80% of the collared gobblers survived. If you don’t shoot birds, they will survive and be there next year. You will also have better production, which will increase your population.

State regulation changes are not made quickly, but hunters can control the number of birds they decide to take each spring. No one forces a hunter to fill all tags. If you aren’t hearing turkeys gobble or feel bird numbers are down; impose a conservative harvest management plan for your property.

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Avian Predators Affect Our Turkey Population

In recent years across many southeastern states hunters, land managers and government agencies have noticed and alarming downward trend in overall turkey populations. According to the National Wild Turkey Foundation (NWTF) there has been a 15% decrease in total turkey numbers throughout the nation.1 The wild turkey is a beloved game bird and is responsible for bringing in millions of dollars for local economies and for natural resource management support via Pittman-Robertson funds. This decrease has been attributed to several factors including:

•              Over harvest in some states

•              Certain agricultural practices

•              Lack of private land management

•              Increase in predator populations

•              Decrease in furbearer trapping/ hunting 3

In this article we want to discuss the fourth point in some detail. When most people hear that an animal’s numbers are decreasing the first thing they think of is predators and that is certainly a fair assumption in this case. Predators such as bobcats, skunks, racoons, opossums, coyotes, and foxes will certainly eat turkey eggs, poults, as well as adult birds.

Most of  these larger mammals are very adaptable and continue to thrive as the shift from wildlands to urban areas continues. However, a factor that seems to be overlooked in the conversation is the presence of our native birds of prey and their effect on turkey numbers. We have several native raptor species in Kentucky and throughout the southeast. However, we want to focus on three today for simplicities sake as these three are the only species that are capable of killing/have been reported killing an adult turkey.

NOTE: There are several smaller raptors that are theoretically capable of taking poults however these species are more specialized for taking songbirds, insects, or small mammals and no information is available supporting the claim that kestrels, broad winged hawks, eastern screech owls etc hunt poults on a regular basis.

Great Horned Owl

One of the most intimidating and vicious predators to ever terrorize the eastern forests, the Great Horned Owl is the second largest owl in North America (Snowy owl being first). These birds are efficient predators of just about anything that moves, their list of prey includes over 500 different creatures across their range. The shape of their feathers allows owls to approach silently while their massive feet and talons can apply up to 500lbs of force to their unlucky victim1, making dispatching of their meals a quick process. 

In an episode of the Meat Eater podcast turkey biologist Dr. Michael Chamberlain, stated that “Great horned owls are an efficient predator of turkeys because they kill them in the tree…they kill adult toms to we find that they do that early in the morning while the birds are gobbling.”   Additionally, a study of turkey predation events in Georgia recorded that 19% of their turkeys that died were killed by Great Horned owls.

Great horned owls are a federally protected species so although predator removal is a strategy sometimes employed to help support local populations of turkeys there are hefty consequences for harming one of these. For the great horned owl the world is their buffet and the turkey is another item on their plate.

Red-tailed Hawks

Also known as the “chicken hawk’’ the red-tailed hawk is the largest species of hawk in Kentucky and the most common throughout the United States.5  Commonly seen on powerlines, fenceposts or edge trees overlooking agricultural fields this bird is named for its striking red tail feathers which only become red once the bird reaches sexual maturity at about 2 years old. These majestic birds feed on a variety of species including bats, snakes, squirrels, rabbits, and mice. Although not as prolific of a predator of the wild turkey as the horned owl the RTH is known to prey on poults from time to time. Additionally, here is a video of a RTH attacking an adult turkey in Pennsylvania.

Just like the GHO the Red-tailed hawk is a federally protected species, so it is illegal to harm them in any way.

Bald Eagles

Probably the most famous bird in the world, the American Bald Eagle is a conservation success story. Right after WWII the wide use of a chemical known as DDT became responsible for the thinning of the eggshells of eagles and other species such as ospreys. The birds would sit on the eggs to incubate them, but they would crack and fail to hatch by 1963 only 487 nesting pairs of Bald Eagles were left. However, the use of DDT was banned in the U.S. in 1972 and thanks to the efforts of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and many other groups eagles now occupy every state except Hawaii.

The Bald Eagle is a bird of lakes and rivers and primarily feeds on fish, ducks, and funny looking waterbirds called coots. Bald eagles may also feed on other animals such as rabbits and squirrels and are definitely big enough to take down an adult wild turkey however they have not been listed as a common prey item in any of our research. Although they have been listed as a potential threat to domestic turkeys.

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Just listen to what Uncle Ted thinks about it…

Dr. Michael Chamberlain, renowned wild turkey researcher from the Wild Turkey Lab at the Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources joined Clay Newcomb on MeatEater’s Bear Grease podcast to discuss his five biggest culprits of the turkey decline.

Turkey populations peaked in the late 1990s but have since been on the decline for the last two decades. Dr. Chamberlain detailed his five main culprits in order with Newcomb as follows.

#1 Habitat

Dr. Chamberlain led off by discussing his number one reason for the turkey decline. Habitat loss. The disappearance of turkey habitat has been a huge problem. Farms being sold and turned into buildings or neighborhoods. Quality turkey habitat such as grazed fields, areas that provide optimal nesting sites for hens are turning into pine plantations in the south. Conversion of land and habitat has not benefitted turkeys in the least. Fragmentation of the habitat isn’t helping as more and more roads, powerlines and neighborhoods pop up. Loss of habitat has confounded predation, which is #2 on Dr. Chamberlain’s list of contributing factors to the decline.

#2 Predation

Change in habitat has hurt turkeys in several ways. While the turkeys lose the habitat in which they thrive, the change in habitat has benefitted the predators. It’s a double whammy for the wild turkey. The fur trade is all but gone. Raccoons, coyotes and bobcats are wreaking havoc. Rat snakes have entered the spectrum of a major player in turkey predation due to the change in habitat. Rat snakes are effective predators in and around field edges. Mismanagement of land can help the snakes find nests easier. Raptors are also a part of the predation equation. Predation is higher than ever especially on turkey nests. A movement in trapper recruitment is needed to help combat the predator problems.

#3 Harvest

Turkey seasons by and large open during breeding seasons. Birds are being harvested during breeding. Harvesting needs to occur when nesting starts. Many harvest regulations are predicated on what was happening in the 1990s. The paradigm is outdated, according to Dr. Chamberlain.

Science is showing that we are harvesting more than 30% of the male population. Dr. Chamberlain warned if that is the case, what we are doing is not sustainable if we want to continue to have turkeys. The mindset used in the 1990s will not work anymore. Agencies with more liberal harvest tag numbers need to dial back.

#4 Disease

Dr. Chamberlain points to the many different viruses that are affecting turkeys. Some of the viruses are impacting reproduction in turkeys, thus contributing to the decline. Some viruses are even fatal to fully grown birds. Not much is known about these diseases because most birds that get sick are eaten before they can be discovered and tested. We don’t know enough about the disease to understand how badly it is contributing to the decline. There is certainly reason to worry.

#5 We The Hunters

Turkey hunters need to change their mindset and expectations. Those that turkey hunted back in the heyday remember hearing 10 gobblers gobbling in one spot at the same time. Those days are gone. We need to be giving more than we take. Be willing to not take more than we should as we know there is a problem. Dr. Chamberlain suggests we prioritize the bird, work with agencies and landowners to improve habitat and change harvest regulations when needed.

“Hunting creates incentive, which creates protection,” Newcomb said. “Humans gravitate toward success. Hunting turkeys is most fun when accompanied by reasonable odds of success, which produces engagement and excitement. This helps produce something else. Passion.” We all love turkey hunting. Spring warmth is rejuvenating the hardwood timber and flowering trees are starting to bloom. Mornings are still crisp, when we step out of our trucks, we can see our breath. Songbirds are whistling their tunes as the skies begin to grey. A longbeard gobbles on the limb from the ridge across the holler. The game is on. It’s time to take notice, take care and be a part of the solution to help the wild turkey.

“Discipline is giving up what you want today for what you really want most tomorrow” - Will Primos

Hunting Turkeys in All 50 States!

Billy Barnett of Turkey Hunting USA completed the U.S. Super Slam in 2022, making him the first Kentuckian to kill a turkey in all 50 states. Well, all 49 states. Alaska does not have a huntable turkey population.

Barnett is also the owner of a high-quality turkey call line, that you can find on his website.

These call may not help you kill turkeys in 49 states, but they’ll bring them straight to the end of your barrel wherever you’re hunting.

Find More Sheds This Year

Shed hunting is a popular off-season activity for hunters . The trend of shed hunting has become a way to nurture that urge to get outdoors. It’s that time of year!

Deer hunters can obtain valuable information about the bucks on their property by finding shed antlers. Finding a shed is a good indication a buck made it through the deer season. Putting boots on the ground, hiking the terrain while looking for sheds can help hunters document deer sign. This intel aids in piecing together a hunting strategy for next fall.

When to Shed Hunt

Social media has already been fueling the need to get out and shed hunt. People are starting to find a shed here and there, but most of the bucks haven’t dropped yet. If you are finding sheds in December or early January, it’s a bad sign for the deer that dropped the antlers. More often than not, the dropping of antlers and time frame is an indicator of a buck’s over-all health, according to Mark Drury of Drury Outdoors.

You don’t want to start shed hunting too early. If you start those shed drives too early and antlers aren’t off their heads you are putting stress on the bucks and you’ll push them to an area where you won’t find the antlers. You’ll drive those deer onto the neighbor’s place.

Trail cameras can help tell you when the time is right to get out and shed hunt. Wait to shed hunt until your pictures are revealing 60% to 70% of the bucks on camera don’t have antlers. Talk with other hunters to find out what they are seeing on their cameras.

Peak shedding is normally around late February to early March. Most of the bucks will have dropped both antlers by this time. It has been a mild winter so far in Kentucky, expect most bucks to hold onto their antlers a little longer. The later they drop the healthier the deer. It isn’t uncommon to see bucks hold antlers into April.

Where to Look

Finding antlers can be tough. Start your search on field edges or in food plots. These are obvious places deer frequent, especially the food sources. Check water ways, tillable fields, and supplemental feed areas. Fence crossings are good to check, although it’s a little more random to find one there than in those other spots that were mentioned.

If you are in an area that doesn’t have food plots or supplemental feed areas, look around water sources. Check the banks of creeks and ponds, and search around the backside of those ponds. You will have better luck in numbers. Get together with friends from deer camp or go hiking with your family. Fan out and look through south or east facing hillsides and in thickets.

Believe it or not weather can make a difference in your shed hunt. Sunny days can make finding antlers difficult. Antlers naturally blend into the surroundings, sun and shadows can make them harder to see. It is better to shed hunt on a cloudy day. Plan your shed hunts accordingly.

These Kentucky Hunters Are Doing Their Part for Predation

The guys at Lost Mountain Outfitters and East Kentucky Thermal Drone Recovery participated in the Wildcat Coyote Hunt competition last week.

There were over 100 hunters in the competition, and you can see from the photo above that it was a huge success.

Thanks for doing your part, fellas!

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Save the Poults!

Recent studies out of Tennessee indicate low nest success and poult survival as a result of predation.

Save the poults!

That is the new mission behind the movement to trap as many raccoons as possible. Trapping is a tool of conservation and it’s important for us to be good stewards of our natural resources. Trapping is also a great way for family to enjoy the outdoors together.

Trapping Raccoons

Raccoons are at the top of the list of most effective turkey nest predators. Now is the time to remove these egg-eating bandits from your landscape in order to help hen nesting efforts this spring.

If you are interested in managing your property for turkeys, you can have an impact on turkey nest success if you begin trapping mammalian nest predators. Mammals make up an average of around 60% in nest predation. Studies have shown tremendous increases in turkey numbers after trapping has taken place in an area

When you’re targeting raccoons, you want to get dog-proof traps. Dog-proof traps are efficient and easy to set. You will want to buy at least six traps if you are trapping on 50 acres or more. Your odds increase with the number of traps you put out.

At minimum you need your trapping license, traps, cable or chains to secure traps to trees, trap tags and bait.

For your all-in-one option, the North American Trapper Dog-Proof Raccoon Package has all the tools you need to successfully trap raccoons. This is the ultimate starter kit for a beginner in trapping.

The kit comes with the basic dog-proof equipment necessary to get those tight chains on the line. The NAT Dog-Proof Raccoon Package comes with six Duke Dog Proof Traps, six 3’ cable extensions with S-hooks, and six NAT Ground Talon SD Stakes.

The package also includes a wood handle trapper’s trowel, a trapper’s hammer, stake driver, S-hook tool, trapper gloves, water gauntlets and a pack of 25 trap tags.

Dispatch your nest raiders with the North American Trapper .177 Crosman Vantage edition. This .177 is powered by a nitro piston and reaches velocities up to 1,200 feet per second.

The Crosman Vantage is a break barrel single shot capacity using .177 pellet ammo and is touted as 70% quieter and 25% more accurate than other .177 options. North American Trapper’s logo is engraved into the wood stock, the Crosman Vantage is 45” long and weights about seven pounds.

Teaching the next generation to trap

Lewis Tandy, of Tandy’s Lures, has been doing his part to pass on the trapping tradition to the next generation of trappers.

Trapping is a pastime that has become less popular over the years, but it may be needed more now than ever before.

Recently, Tandy took Hershael York, a young man that he has been mentoring, out to check his traps.

They came back with one red fox and two grays, as seen below.

Tandy features a line of incredible lures that can be found on his website. For this set, Tandy the red fox was caught on Wolf Creek, Red End, and ST8, while the first gray fox was on Grubstaker, Toxic Purr, and Gunslinger. The second gray was caught in a blind set.

A big thanks to Tandy for letting us share his photos and story, and more importantly, for being willing to take a kid trapping!

Decoy Setups for This Turkey Season

Increase your turkey decoy effectiveness this spring by making sure you have specific decoys for scenarios you might encounter while hunting.

Decoys for the Leery Gobbler

The Avian-X LCD Feeder Hen will draw gobblers in close. This decoy is another great option that provides a relaxed and natural look to your setup. The LCD hen is 15% smaller than a real turkey and is easy to transport.

You can use a feeding hen decoy in any situation. Put it out by itself during late morning or midday hunts. Combine it with a strutting jake or half strut jake decoy and an upright hen. If you only have room to carry one decoy, take a feeding hen.

Decoys for Henned-Up Longbeards

The Avian-X Look-Out Hen’s raised height and posture is a decoy that helps in situations where tall grass is present. Use this decoy in late spring situations when vegetation is thicker.

Gobblers leave their morning hens after the first few hours of daylight. For late morning or early afternoon hunts, put this decoy out in a strut zone by itself and let her go to work for you. Call every 30 minutes. An unattended hen is exactly what a midday longbeard is looking for.

Killer Combos

If you like to hunt in blinds, if you have a youth hunter, or if you have a disability that doesn’t allow you to run and gun, take a combination of decoys to use on your hunt. 

A Jake and a hen, or a Jake and two hens are killer combinations to put out in front of the blind before daylight.

The pairing of a half strut Jake and upright hen can help you in several situations. The half strut Jake is going to appear more submissive to a dominant gobbler and the lookout hen is the boss hen that gobbler wants to take from the Jake decoy. 

If a real hen has a gobbler hung up at 80 yards, your upright hen might be a threat to the real hen. The real hen might come into your setup to challenge the decoy and in doing so, she unknowingly leads the longbeard to his impending demise.

Take At Least One Decoy

If you turkey hunt long enough without a decoy, you will encounter situations where a gobbler will come to your calling, but won’t come into range because he can’t see the hen that is calling to him. He has to have the visual. 

In most cases, you’re telling your buddies about a close encounter instead of sending grip ‘n’ grins.

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Teenagers are making us veteran hunters look like beginners in 2023. Take a look at these three 14-year-old hunters who laid the hammer down on massive bucks in their areas.

Kaylee Rogers, Kentucky

ICYMI! Kaylee Rogers tagged this incredible buck during Kentucky’s youth weekend!

The buck for Buckmasters, for a BTR score of 215” in the irregular category. Rogers, who is just 14 years old, harvested the buck in Nelson County, Kentucky. According to Buckmasters, the BTR score of 215” places Rogers’ buck in the top-40 in the irregular rifle category for Kentucky. Congrats to Rogers and her amazing harvest!

Reili Brewer, Texas

Another 14-year-old young lady with a monster buck! This time it was Reili Brewer, who tagged this massive deer in Bowie Co., Texas. The buck had 31 point in all, with 29 scoreable points. The green score for the deer was an incredible 244 4/8.” Huge congrats to Reili on the buck of a lifetime!

Preston Burger, Missouri

A Missouri GIANT hit the ground last weekend! The buck was harvested by 14-year-old Preston Burger during Missouri’s youth weekend. Burger’s buck had 21-points, including two nasty droptines and a split browtine. The buck was tagged in Mississippi County. Congrats to Preston on the incredible buck!

Buy Land in Kentucky

The Unicorn Buck of Kentucky

Out of all the Kentucky brutes tagged this season, this one might just be the best! Mark Elkins of Greenup, KY harvested this massive buck on October 30th. It’s a 100% free range, Eastern Kentucky buck. It appears to have 13 points with an incredible brow tine that is nearly straight down the middle of its forehead. Congrats to Elkins on this buck of a lifetime!

The Tall Trew Buck

What a unique buck! Joseph Trew harvested this incredible buck in Kentucky on Saturday. The tall-racked buck looks to have upwards of 13 points, with a very cool palmated antler. Congrats to Trew on an awesome hunt!

What are Bucks Doing In Your Area?

The rut is in full-swing in most areas in the Midwest and Southeast United States. We are always on the lookout for what bucks are doing across the country.

If a big buck hits the ground, we want to spread the word. Send us stories and photos to (859) 537-9569 or eastoutdoors@outlook.com.

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