Prepare for Bow Season
Posted by: Josh Sines on 18 August 08
SO it the middle of summer and if your an avid bowhunting nutcase like me your probably wondering what to do with yourself so here are a few things that i do to get to sept 15. Well for me during the beginning of summer i try to alleviate my need to get into the woods and do a little fishing early summer is the best time for rock in the cheasapeake bay and i do whatever i can do to get out there and try and try to snag a monster. Mid summer i start to crab i enjoy it and the upper rivers are the place to be with the price of the blue devils higher and higher nothing is as good as hauling your own in for free. startin the beginning of august is when i get real excited to start hunting in the evenings you can see the dear migrating to the fields and this is the best time to start scouting the big boys there not pressured and they come out early also during this time i start filling my feeders checking my cameras and scouting the woods for a good tree. i try the first and second week of august to sit off the edge of the fields with binocs in hand to get a b line on where those big boys are coming out which trails there using and general wind directions. everyone knows that one of the best times to bag a monster buck is the first two weeks of bow season they are generally unpressured and still running there summer trails to there foodsource making them easier to get a handle on where they will be. after doing all this and keeping up on your foodplots, cameras , feeders and scouting before you know it that magical day arrives sept 15 for Maryland and if you do your homework (and a little luck never hurts) that big buck will be coming by your stand right on time.
Easter Hunt
Posted by: Dan Sines on 23 March 08
Who said that hunting was only for animals!? Take your kids hunting for eggs this weekend. Easter egg hunting is still one of my favorite hunts. Ace hunting’s mission is to promote family in the outdoors. So get those young hunters outside looking for eggs this year. It takes the same skill to find an egg in a garden as it takes to find a deer in the woods.
One of the greatest tips I’ve ever received on spotting something difficult to find is don’t look for the whole item. When looking for a deer you are more likely to find a leg or a tail then the whole animal. Teach your kids these skills with looking for eggs; it will translate over to the hunt when they are older. The power of observation is one of a hunter’s greatest skills in finding that trophy game. Take the opportunity to spend some quality time with your family this weekend. Have a little fun and see if your youngster can spot all 7 ace eggs in the picture! Happy Easter!
Springtime
Posted by: Dan Sines on 21 March 08
Here in Maryland the leaves have not yet budded on the trees but the scent of spring is in the air. The sun has been peeking out around the clouds and the winds are picking back up. For any outdoorsman this is a joyous time to get out and enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature. I find spring one of the best times to check out our local parks and enjoy the natural environment that we have been provided with. I find myself most at peace when I’m sitting outside just staring at the water or off in the woods enjoying the tranquility of the forest. I thought I would just take the opportunity to tell everyone to go outside and live in the serenity of nature.
This is a great opportunity for hunters to see the beginning of a new cycle in an animal’s life. I find this time of the year a great time to take friends and family out to enjoy a different side of hunting. Soon deer will be having fawns, and bucks will begin to grow their antlers. Spring turkey season is also just around the corner. There are so many exciting things to look forward to with the changing season. So I just want to wish everyone a happy Spring, and get out there and enjoy the beauty of nature!
Starting a Hunting Trip
Posted by: Dan Sines on 5 March 08
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If you plan on going on any hunting trips during the next season you have to act now. Time is running out to be able to get into any good hunting lodges or locations. My family is taking a trip out west for a Mule Deer hunt. First and foremost locating outfitters can be a difficult task. There are companies that are the outfitter for outfitters they are like a travel agent that will put you in touch with all of the outfitters that fit your needs. The internet is probably your first and easiest source for locating an outfitter. Hunting shows can also be a great place to find great outfitters. Once you have located an outfitter it is very important to do a thorough background check of them before you spend thousands of dollars to be disappointed.
Some of the things that are valuable to look into:
- Are the outfitters reputable?
- Call contacts that have previously hunted in the location. Ask them to tell stories about their hunting experience. Don’t look for the “textbook” answers look for true excitement in their voice.
- Find out what the success rate is of the location. This number is not super important because its just an average, but its nice to have a rough idea.
- Look for a place specified to the game you want to hunt. Many places are a “jack of all trades” which is good but you want one that’s the king of the game you are looking to harvest.
- Accommodations. To many rugged outdoorsman this may seem unimportant but nicer lodging always makes for a nicer time. Its nice to sometimes turn the trip into a family vacation so accommodations become even more important at that point.
- Do some pricing comparisons. You will find many highly populated areas for any game have multiple outfitters in one location. Remember though you get what you pay for.
All of these factors come into play in making your next hunting trip really enjoyable. Remember this is just the first step in the process of going on a great hunt. Tell us about some of your experiences on hunting trips and dealing with outfitters. Its great to hear real stories from real hunters on the subject.
Food Plots
Posted by: Norman Sines on 26 February 08
Today we hear a lot about food plots, especially if you’re involved in hunting. If you’re just getting involved in hunting food plots I hope you will find what I have to say interesting and informative. But you should realize from the start that this is just a brief outline about food plots and more extensive knowledge can be obtained by reading some of the books recommended at the end of my writing.
I’d like to start by telling you how I got involved. I have been a whitetail deer hunter in the state of Maryland for more than 40 years. When the craze for hunting food plots took off, a few years ago I found myself naturally very interested in seeing if I could enhance my hunting experience by attracting and harboring larger bucks. Little did I realize at the time that I would get so much more than that from the experience. Food plots have become my newest hobby. I have found in a way for me to become more directly connected to the outdoors and wildlife on a more regular basis. Simply said it brings me closer to nature. I hope in this reading you too will sow the seed that blossoms into a relationship that brings you closer to nature.
Let us begin.
Your first consideration about food plots should be your goals and costs. I put these two together because they go hand in hand. Your goal must be realistic to be realized, therefore you must consider the amount of money and time you are willing to put into this endeavor.
A good idea might be to write down your goal and cost on a piece of paper. It can be very general to start with. But most important write it down. Now put it where you are sure to see it everyday. Taped to the bathroom mirror, the refrigerator, etc. Leave a pen nearby so each day when you read it you can adjust what you have written until you feel it is as specific as it needs to be.
Now here are some of the considerations to take into account when thinking about your goals.
Reasons for creating food plots:
- 1. To feed and attract wildlife
- 2. To create healthy and mature deer
- 3. To extend your time involved with wildlife and the outdoors
- 4. To give back and enjoy nature
Consider the kinds of food plots:
- 1. Hunting – concerns should be wind direction, deer travel, shapes, sizes, layout, plants that attract during hunting season
- 2. Feeding – plots should be specific as to time of year they produce
Part of assessing the time you are willing to put into this endeavor will determine which of two directions you will choose.
First if you don’t have a lot of time I recommend you spend some time reading the back of seed bags at your sporting goods store and choose a reputable name brand that promises minimal preparations for planting. I have tried several of these products and have found them to produce well.
Second if you have more time and money to spend go the whole gambit. Start with a soil test. Next lime and fertilize according to you soil test results. Use proper tillage. Plant seeds in accordance with bag instructions. Like wise do proper maintenance after plants have grown. If this sounds a bit general, it is. There are many different possibilities of plants you might decide to try it would be too much to cover in this quick overview. I would however like to stress the importance of a soil test and the use of lime to create the proper Ph in the soil before planting. Proper soil ph has so much to do with good plant growth.
While there are hundreds of potential plants you may plant in a wildlife food plot I would like to recommend that you try at least one of the name brand seed mixes on the market that consists of clover and chickory. It has been my experience that clover is a high attractant of many different species of wildlife especially deer. Chickory does well during drought conditions and deer love it.
Lastly don’t be discouraged that your first attempt at planting does not do as well as you hope. There is a learning curve with anything you try for the first time. You will greatly enhance your chances of producing a good crop for deer and other wildlife, by doing a lot of reading about soil ph, fertilizer, and specific planting and maintenance practices about your chosen plants.
Food plots can give you a closer involvement with nature. Wildlife Food plots can be therapeutic. True stress relievers, and down right healthy just in the manual labor part. If your fortunate to have family members or friends interested in food plots this time spent working together can be extremely rewarding.
I hope that soon you’ll be enjoying the views that my wife and I enjoy on a morning walk past a 1 acre food plot of clover and seeing over a hundred gold finch flush from the healthy growth for perhaps a hundred or so dove, or a rabbit or groundhog. Or maybe you’ll feel as I did this last season a little disappointed that I didn’t connect with that big buck that I hunted all season. But my hopes were lifted when the morning after hunting season was over I got a picture of that 160 class buck standing in my one acre food plot. I call that a picture of a food plot success.
Scouting
Posted by: Dan Sines on 25 February 08
Scouting in the off-season may seem like a pointless idea. I think this is a misconception. Tracking deer during the off-season allows you to gain a better feel for the trends and habits of your deer over the course of the year. It is vital that during this time deer gain proper nutrition and such, so that by the hunting season they have grown to potential. Scouting can be done in a multitude of manners. The simplest way I know is the “weaponless hunt” sit in your treestand or any location you are familiar with on your property and begin to assess the deer’s behavior. Bring a good pair of optics along with you, and maybe even a video or digital camera. Documentation of what you see will allow you to create a database of information on the animals and make it much easier for you to fall into their patterns come hunting season. Keep in mind however a deer’s behavior changes dramatically during the rut and hunting season, but it is still nice to keep a close eye on them during the off season.
Another good approach to scouting that allows you to be alittle more hands off is the use of stealth trail cams. Technology can really add to the hunting experience. Stealth Cameras allow you to have eyes in the woods 24/7. Over the last few years we have gone from one digital camera in the woods to 3 or 4 on a property. Stealth cameras can be both fun to observe and advantageous. The major advantages of stealth cameras include:
- Observation of animal behavior
- Tracking and trailing
- Viewing of nocturnal animals
- Accurate record for year to year growth
It has become a religious event every other day at my house the “checking of the chips”. It is a family affair as we crowd around the computer to see what exciting pictures we have today. Pictures range from squirrels and rabbits, to foxes, bears, coyotes, raccoons, turkeys, deer, if it lives in your area I guarantee it will eventually step in front of your lens. Use this technology to help discover patterns and become aware of your animals behavior. The day will come when that Boone & Crockett buck smiles for your camera.
Shed Hunting
Posted by: Dan Sines on 21 February 08
Life always works in cycles. This is the time of the year for one cycle to end and another cycle to begin for the whitetail deer. Few people realize that deer’s antlers are alive for a certain period of time. While the antlers grow throughout the spring and summer, blood flows to the antlers giving them life and allowing them to grow. However during the rut other activities become more important and the connection between the antlers and the living organism begin to separate. It is during this time of the year that the “velvet” on the antlers is rubbed off and they harden to form that idealistic rack that every hunter is seeking.
Shortly following the end of the hunting season, the connection between the antlers and the skull is completely severed until they are forced to fall off and be replaced by new ones. I like to think of it as a child losing their baby teeth only to shortly be replaced by adult teeth. Fallen off antlers are referred to as sheds. For some hunters they are of equal value to that of getting a trophy buck during the season. Finding sheds can be almost like finding a needle in a haystack. There are some ways however of making this experience slightly easier:
- Know the paths the deer walk and follow these trails. You are more likely to find antlers where deer frequent more often.
- Check by streams, fences, or any other obstacle in a deer’s path. Think of this as the old tie a string to your tooth and shut the door. Deer are more likely to lose antlers when jumping loosens them.
- Locate areas where the deer feed or bed. These are areas vital to the deer’s survival that they will be at on a nearly daily basis.
The value of finding a shed expands past the ability of just being a good trophy. Sheds can also allow you to track the development of a buck and assess its age. Finding multiple sheds from various bucks can also allow you to discover a genetic framework for your area.
Welcome to the Off Season
Posted by: Dan Sines on 20 February 08
For many hunters this time of the year is of great remorse as we realize a hunting season has ended and we must wait until fall of next year for the fun to begin. This is not the case. The time is now to prepare for the following season. The end of February and the beginning of March is a great time to get started on hunting. Some of the things I like to do in the off season:
- Shed Hunting
- Scouting
- Food Plot preparation
- Selecting Hunting Spots for Observation
- Preparing for any trips
Over the next couple of weeks I will highlight each one of these topics and discuss how to best prepare for the upcoming hunting season.
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