Filed under: News | Tags: archery hunting, bow and arrow, bow hunting, compound bows, cross bows, deer, deer hunting, vertical bows, whitetail deer, whitetail hunting
Should crossbows be allowed during archery season?
I recently read an article in Outdoor Life magazine, entitled The Crossbow Controversy, discussing the current controversy surrounding the spread of crossbow use in America. Seems that crossbows are increasing in popularity and are being legalized in many states during their bowhunting seasons. One side believes that crossbows are a great new tool for hunters, increase accuracy and the amount of ethical kills and they bring more hunters into the woods. On the opposite side, traditionalists claim that crossbows take away the spirit of the hunt. Being that they are too easy and technically similar to guns rather than bows.
In this article, Ed Wentzler, the legislative director for United Bowhunters of Pennsylvania explained his issue with crossbows by saying, “Archery equipment should be defined as implements that are held by hand, drawn by hand and released by the motion of the hand in the presence of game,” he says. “If you are shooting a crossbow, you are not drawing the string in the presence of game. That alone gives crossbow shooters an unfair advantage. It is not bowhunting.”
On the side for crossbows, Ohio’s wildlife management chief supported crossbow use, explaining, “ Crossbows allow hunters to get out in the woods more often, and allow them to be more successful hunters,” says Risley. “For wildlife managers trying to kill as many deer as possible, crossbows have become a necessary tool.”
In my opinion I would have to agree with Wentzler, I feel that bowhunting is so special because it is so darn difficult. The key attribute of a bow is that you must pull back and hold the bow string when your target moves into range. This is the greatest challenge of hunting during archery season and it is part of what preserves this traditional way of hunting. I don’t have an issue with hunters using a crossbow, but I don’t believe they should be categorized or used during archery season. Instead they could be used during the firearm season, muzzleloader season or possibly in their own short period.
What are your thoughts? Should crossbows be allowed during bow season or do they pose an unfair advantage?
Filed under: News, Strategies | Tags: deer, deer & deer hunting, Deer & Deer Hunting Webinar, deer and deer hunting, deeranddeerhunting.com, deeranddeerhunting.com webinar, food plot, food plot management, whitetail deer hunting
Spring can be a slow time for deer hunters, but it’s never too early to start preparing for next season. One of the best things to set yourself up for success next year is to create food plots, but this is easier said than done. Luckily there are a lot of great resources out there to help out.
This being said, a really great resource has been brought to my attention. This next Thursday, May 7, DeerandDeerhunting.com will be hosting a “Webinar” about Food Plot Management. For those of you not familiar with webinars, it is essentially an online seminar that you can follow from your home computer. Deer & Deer Hunting describes it this way…
A webinar is a seminar hosted online. From the comfort of your home PC, an expert will give a presentation about a certain topic. A Powerpoint-style presentation, complete with audio and video, plays on your computer as the expert discusses the topic. You will have many opportunities to ask questions about the topic. This structure is focused enough to explore the topic deeply, but also flexible enough to deliver the information you want to know.
The webinar is at 7 PM Est and will run for approximately one hour, with a $20 fee for access to this program. One attendee will also win three bags of forage seed from Frigid Forage worth about $135. If food plots are on your to do list, I highly recommend you take advantage of this great opportunity to learn from some of the best in the field. To register visit this link and move fast because there are only 100 spots available.
• May 7, 2009
• 7 p.m. Eastern / 6 p.m. Central
• Topic: Food Plot Management: How to Pick the Right Seed for Your Soil: Advanced Tips for Working Man’s Food Plots
• Expert: Matt Harper, Deer & Deer Hunting magazine author, deer nutrition and food plot authority
• Cost: $20/one hour
ONLY 100 SEATS AVAILABLE.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: deer, deer hunting, deer hunting guide, hunting guide, whitetail deer
I recently made a post, on a Michigan State University Career blog that I run, about how to become a hunting guide as a career. I figured this might be interesting to some of you folks too. Here is a neat video I found about the topics and if you want more information you can follow this link to see the whole post on hunting for a living.
Filed under: News | Tags: cougar, cougar hunting deer, Field and Stream, mountain lion, mountain lion hunting deer, puma, puma hunting deer, Whitetail365
Could this be real?
I just saw this picture was posted on Field & Stream’s Whitetail365 and I couldn’t help but share it with all of you too. This would be an unbelievably awesome trailcam shot if it’s real. What do you think?
I’ve used Photoshop a lot and it sure seems like this looks legit, but I know there are plenty of folks who can work the Photoshop magic better than I. So what’s the verdict, amazing shot or pure fiction?
Filed under: Strategies | Tags: beginner turkey hunting, first time turkey hunting, hunting advice, turkey, turkey calling, turkey calling basics, turkey calls, turkey hunting, turkey hunting advice, turkey hunting basics, wild turkey
First Time Turkey Huntin
I’m heading out this weekend to go Turkey hunting for the first time and if that’s not excitement enough, I have the added pressure of going with my girlfriends Brother-in-Law and Step-dad! This is my cry for help, I know there’s plenty of you guys out there with some great gobbler knowledge. I’m obviously confident with the basics of hunting, but I’m looking for some of that insight that you can only glean from getting experience. I’d love to hear from all of you, lets hear your best Turkey hunting advice for a beginner! Thanks in advance!
PS. If I get no advice from ya’ll and I totally flop this weekend in front of the watchful eyes of the family, I’ll make sure to tell you all about that too! haha.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: hunting, jerky.com, pineapple jerky, sasquatch, sasquatch jerky, snacks
I recently was checking out some new snacks I might want to bring along with me on a hunt and came across some pretty interesting things over at Jerky.com. I’m excited to get out and do some Turkey hunting pretty soon, so the search for the best in the field meal has begun for me. Usually my go to food is jerky, you gotta love a good hunk of meat out in the blind. But I came upon a new kind of jerky that I was pretty surprised by. There is actually Pineapple Jerky now! As strange as that sounds, after trying it I must admit that it is really good. It reminded me of the fruit roll ups I use to indulge in as a kid. So for a sweet treat in the woods, this would be a great idea. It looks to be essentially dehydrated pineapple with a honey glaze. Great stuff! Here’s a link to the site I found it on.
But even more interestingly I came upon probably the most unique jerky there is! It looks like some hunter has finally bagged the big one and dropped Sasquatch! Check out Sasquatch Jerky here! If anyone trys it let me know!
Filed under: News | Tags: gun control, Jim Scoutten, Obama, President Obama, second amendment, Shooting USA
I just ran across a short video clip of Shooting USA’s Jim Scoutten giving his opinion on what President Obama may or may not do in regards to gun control. Obviously a lot of Americans are concerned about this, considering Obama’s past positions in favor of increasing controls on our gun rights. A recent article in the Washington Post reported that Smith & Wesson’s sales have gone up 62% this year and it’s believed that most of this has been driven by people trying to get their guns while they can. Check out this short clip to see what Jim Scoutten thinks about our Second Amendment worries.
Filed under: Strategies | Tags: survival, survivor, wilderness, wilderness survival
I just came across a great article on ESPN Outdoors which discusses five common mistakes that are made when people find themselves in trouble in the wilderness.
Visit the original article here to learn why it’s not a good idea to do these five things…
- Running from bears
- Drinking Urine
- Use hot water to cure hypothermia
- Remove/discard clothing to survive in the desert
- Obsess over food
Filed under: Strategies, Uncategorized | Tags: fisher, hunter, hunting, ken killip, laurence gonzales, survival, survivor, whitetail hunting, wilderness survival
This past semester I’ve been taking a Wilderness Survival course at Michigan State University and it might be the best class I have taken yet. We’ve covered a lot of of interesting ideas in regards to the psychology of surviving and I’ve thought almost daily that this is such a relevant topic for hunters. Every year hunters get lost in the wild and have to deal with these survival ordeals in one way or another. So are we, the big bad hunters, really as prepared as we may think?
Over the next couple weeks I plan on highlighting some interesting stories and tips that might help you survive if your grand hunting expedition takes a turn for the worse. As a hunter, it’s easy to believe that we can handle the wild and anything that mother nature might throw at us, but it’s usually not as easy as it sounds. The story of Ken Killip, a hunter and fireman from Denver, really illustrates this point. Ken and a buddy decided to take a weekend and hike across the continental divide in Rocky Mountain National Park. The two coworkers headed out on to the trail at dawn and headed towards a mountain lake to try for some fish. As their hike progressed Ken began to fall further and further behind his partner and he eventually lost sight of him. At the top of a rocky hill top Ken was suddenly caught up in a nasty lightning storm and became separated by several hours from his buddy. After the storm, Ken took off in the direction he thought the lake was but unfortunatly he was very wrong. Over the next several days Ken continued to plunge deeper and deeper into the wilderness making many more mistakes along the way. Despite his wilderness training and hunting experience Ken took wrong turns at many junctures, panicked, misused resources and did a lot of things that would make Man vs Wild’s Bear Grylls shake his head in disappointment. But how does this happen?
Check out this detailed account of how Ken’s trip out to the Rockies went terribly wrong on National Geographics website and think about what really happened on this fishing trip gone wrong.
Laurence Gonzales describes a moment in Ken’s journey in this way -
It was a crucial moment. Killip was now teetering on the invisible dividing line between two worlds: He was in a state of only minor geographical confusion, for he could still turn back. But by the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other, he could very quickly cross over into the state of being genuinely lost. …
What do you think Ken did wrong? Maybe the more difficult question to answer is whether or not you would have made the same choices he did. What would you have done?
Next time I’ll discuss a few of the mistakes Ken made and how we hunters can learn from them, ensuring that the next time you hit the woods, you’ll come back out in one piece.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: deer, deer hunting, whitetail deer, whitetail deer hunting, why do you hunt
A great image from Gerber's homepage
I get asked very frequently why it is that I like to hunt. In the past I’ve had a very long winded answer which covered everything from my love for the outdoors, to the sound of a deer’s steps on frost covered leaves to the taste of freshly cooked venison. But recently I’ve found a way to describe that almost religious experience I feel every time I step into the woods with a gun or bow in hand.
When I head into the outdoors to go hiking or canoeing I get to be in the outdoors and see nature, but when I go hunting I actually become a part of nature. I, for a small time, enter into the circle of life and work to establish my position in the food chain. I am no longer an intruder into the world of wild creatures, I instead become something much more primal and real. It is in these moments that I feel the most alive and it’s why I will forever cherish the hunt. Why do you?
