Outdoors Pursuits

The Richest Tradition: Iowa’s Shotgun Season

Thomas — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:47:43 +0000

Midwest Iowa Outdoors® & Outside Iowa®

With Thomas Allen

(November 28th, 2011)

I can remember my first shotgun season as clear as last night’s hunt. There is something about that first experience that shines in my memory, and is still something I greatly look forward to every year. In fact, I really think I get more excited about the opening day than I do Christmas Eve!

I think back on those days with fondness and am really looking forward to introducing my son and daughter to the excitement of opening day of deer season. This coming weekend, December 3^rd, is when Iowa’s blaze army hits the woods across the state looking for big racks and ample amounts of succulent meat to fill the freezer with. If you are timber bound, there are a few things to keep in mind.

First, whether you are participating it the block and drive method or you are planning on sitting over a hot food source, the weather will have an impact in how you should approach your hunt. Pay close attention to the weather forecast all week and build your game plan accordingly. However, at this point, it doesn’t look like shotgun season will take place under adverse winter conditions, which could be good or bad depending on how you prefer it. Obviously how you dress is key. If you are hunting with a large group and plan on walking across the terrain, dressing light is a good idea.

If you plan on sitting, packing in the majority of your outer layers is a good idea. This helps to keep you from sweating, which will eventually freeze and make you very cold. If you have a leaking problem like I do, this is very important. I also like to stock up on the chemical hand and foot warmers as both my hands and feet tend to get cold easily. If that makes me a wimp, so be it! I prefer comfort to pride.

This really should go without saying, but spend the days prior to the season’s opener getting your slug gun dialed in. If you are hunting with a group and employing the block and drive method, I’d suggest iron sights, as it is easier to make effective shots on moving deer. If you are sitting over food, a quality scope will be worth its weight in gold!

This also goes without saying, but safety needs to be your absolute first priority! I know there are those that prefer party hunting to stand hunting, and those that prefer deer drives to hunting to a food source. I am just thankful we are able to participate regardless of the method of take. There is no wrong way as long as it is legal and ethical. Always know your target. NEVER shoot at something that you are unsure of.

Iowa code requires you wear a solid blaze orange vest, but I wouldn’t stop there. I would wear as much blaze as possible so any nearby deer hunters can easily identify you without question. It’s just not worth the risk. The vast majority of Iowa hunters take safety very seriously, but one second of carelessness can result in tragedy. I recall that first shotgun hunt I went on where the landowner and party leader went through the rules and plan of attack in detailed fashion in advance. Each and every one of us knew exactly what to do and we had a very successful hunt.

If this upcoming firearm season is not apart of your early winter tradition just yet, I strongly suggest starting your own or looking for a crew that might have an opening or two. It is just flat out a lot of fun, and also provides an excellent opportunity to get the next generation exposed to the great sport of deer hunting. Good luck and be safe!

Live It Up

(Thomas resides with his wife and two children in Guthrie Center, Iowa. He is a professional outdoor writer, photographer, videographer, and outdoor talk radio show host; for more information visit www.outdoorpursuitsradio.com. If you have questions or comments feel free to email Thomas at tha481@gmail.com)

Northern Push

Thomas — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:42:18 +0000

Midwest Iowa Outdoors® & Outside Iowa®

With Thomas Allen

(November 21st, 2011)

Instead of buying a Butterball this Thanksgiving, I think I’m gonna have me some honker! I’ll have to get prior approval of course, but I think she’ll go for it. The ultimate plan and ulterior motive is to get out and shoot a few geese so we have some fresh meat for the big feast!

There was a major winter storm in the Dakotas that had the birds headed south in large numbers, and we were right in that path. That same weather system was scheduled to hit us over the next couple days, which was to include rain, snow, and ice. We loaded up the dekes, calls, and hooked the boat up to the pickup with plans to be at the launch by 12 AM the following morning to claim a spot.

The morning was magical; we filled a four-man limit of ducks and geese by 1 PM and enjoyed greasy bacon and eggs with hash browns, made fresh on the boat. (There is no better way to enjoy breakfast than on a duck boat while its chilly out!) We didn’t get any white fronted geese, but had a mixed bag of ducks including a few big mallards. It was amazing and well worth skipping a day of deer hunting.

The weather and time of year are vital to consistently finding waterfowl shoots like that. The storm they had up north really got the birds moving and pushed them south as they sought refuge from the nasty weather. While it wasn’t much nicer here, it was where they ended up and spent a few days to refill their fuel tanks with corn and soybeans.

We have a few marshes that we regularly check when planning for a hunt. This particular slough had 300-400 honkers and as many ducks on it the morning before we decided to hunt it. The forecast was calling for overcast with moderate winds and rain likely, which is uncomfortable for the hunters, but perfect for the birds.

During these northern pushes, the birds are new to your area and are far more susceptible to decoying and calling tactics. Whether you are on a marsh or field hunting, lots of decoys are typically the best way to go. Mix duck dekes with honker dekes and you will be in position to work on filling limits of both, which only sweetens the pot.

These birds have done a bit of traveling by this time and have most likely seen other hunters along the way. If you are field hunting, make sure your blinds are well hidden. If you don’t have a layout blind, use a piece of burlap and weave a few cornstalks or dried prairie grass into it to add realism. Finally, place a few silhouette decoys around your hide as that help in making you disappear.

If you’re on the water, take advantage of the existing terrain or structure like muskrat huts; your duck blind/boat should look like the existing vegetation. Don’t be afraid to move or adjust your set up if what you are doing is just not working. The birds will tell you what they want, and successful hunters listen. You may spook a few birds in the process, but the rewards are worth the extra effort.

The weather is so key this time of year. I watch it like a hawk for my local hunting areas, but also for up north. If big weather is hitting way up there, you can expect birds to be in route to your favorite pond, slough or harvest crop field. When the right conditions are pending, clear your schedule and take advantage of it! These fall northern pushes are as good as it gets and only come around once a year.

From my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!

Beating Lock Down

Thomas — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:36:31 +0000

Midwest Iowa Outdoors® & Outside Iowa®

With Thomas Allen

(November 14th, 2011)

No, lock down is not when my wife hides my truck keys so I can’t make it out the woods, however it would be to my advantage to find a solution to that problem. Lock down is the time period of the rut when the big mature bucks are keyed in on a hot doe and won’t leave her for anything. It can be an especially difficult time of the rut to kill a mature whitetail, but some of the action you might encounter can be breath taking.

A doe will be receptive to breeding for a 24-hour period, and the bucks know this. An interesting study shows that two and three and a half year old bucks do the majority of the breeding during the rut. The older bucks have learned through experience that it’s more about quality than quantity.

When a big buck finally finds a doe that is nearing the peak of her cycle, he will corral her and chase her until he has complete control of her movements. This will include fighting other bucks as they may challenge for breeding rights, therefore rattling can still be very effective during the peak of the rut. The mature bucks know the game and will push their does to a quiet, obscure, and greatly overlooked location and stay with her indefinitely.

You will hear of hunters not seeing big deer as often as they did the week before. But, as soon as that buck is done with that doe, he is off to find another. That, more often than not, takes place during the middle of the day. The movement patterns change from late October through the end of November and understanding this adjustment should greatly play into your strategy.

The hunting during the last week of October is typically better in the evenings, morning hunts are usually more productive during the first week to ten days of November and midday action is usually best the second eight to ten days of November. My suggestion for beating lock down is to sleep in, and make it to the stand by 9 AM at the latest and sit until dark. If you can manage an all day sit, that would be best, but long sits are not for everyone.

A buck decoy can be dynamite this time of year as well. As those bucks leave the does in search of the next lucky lady, any rutting activity will instantly grab their attention. If they see a smaller buck (decoy) that needs to have another lesson taught, he will quickly volunteer to knock the intruder back in place.

All calling and rattling should also continue through out the day. Mornings can be rocking for rattling and calling sequences, especially before the sun comes up – same with evenings. I like to rattle twice an hour before and after prime time periods, or more depending on what I am seeing. You never know when that doe is going to become unreceptive and he will be out to find a new girlfriend, hopefully you’re there waiting.

The last tip I have found valuable during lock down is getting back in the timber and hunt directly adjacent to security cover. The bucks will cruise during all hours of the day, especially right through these bedding areas or they might even swing by down wind to scent check these areas. This is a great time to also use scents and lures. My preference is Ol’ Drop Tyne (www.doetodoor.com), as they provide the freshest peak estrous scents available and I can tell you from personal experience how well they work!

Sit as long as you can, as often as you can and you will have more consistent encounters with mature whitetails. We wait all year for this time of year; don’t let it pass you by!

Live it Up!

The Great Buffalo Giveaway

Thomas — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:32:16 +0000

Midwest Iowa Outdoors® & Outside Iowa®

With Thomas Allen

(November 7th, 2011)

A few weeks ago, I ran into a good friend of mine, Mr. Dave Funk who is deeply immersed in Iowa politics, and especially Iowa’s Chapter of Safari Club International. We caught up and after I asked about what was new with Iowa SCI, he reminded me of a very cool humanitarian project they have implemented and been working on for nearly a decade; The Great Buffalo Giveaway.

“We initiated The Great Buffalo Giveaway in 2003,” says Iowa SCI President Nels Spevak. “While Iowa SCI shares a passion for the great outdoors and maintaining our rights as individuals, we are also passionate about giving back to the community in any way possible. Since the project’s inception through current, we have provided over 25,000 meals to Central Iowa’s needy. We are proud of that!”

“There have been many groups in which we have worked closely with over the years to make this possible, and quite frankly, it would not be possible without their generosity and support,” continues Spevak. “Not only do local charities and shelters benefit, but we also get to enjoy the hunting side of the event. Contrary to many opinions, the buffalo is not near extinction and there are abundant numbers out in western Nebraska and South Dakota. We typically hunt a few days in late October and the Giveaway takes place the day before Thanksgiving.”

“After understanding our objective, many of the western landowners and outfitters provide us with free access,” he says. “The work doesn’t stop out west as there are those here at home who help see it to fruition such as Randy Ruth, owner of the Fredrika Locker, which is just north of Waterloo. Randy processes the entire animal for free of charge! Tom Eddy, president of Specialty Leather Processers, Inc out of Boone, Iowa donates his time and effort to transform the buffalo capes into gorgeous leather products.”

“Renown wildlife artist and Iowa resident, Larry Zach also a longtime member of Iowa SCI has painted two buffalo skulls as a part of the trophy display aspect,” Spevak explains. “The entire Iowa SCI Organization has played a major role in this event and has taken the Iowa Chapter into national recognition. It is a group effort that would not take place without the work of many passionate outdoorsmen and women.”

The Bethel Mission is the primary beneficiary to The Great Buffalo Giveaway, along with Central Iowa Shelters and Freedom for Youth Ministries. These organizations are privately funded, and greatly appreciate the meat and time donated by Iowa SCI chapter members as they use it to serve their members. Not to mention, buffalo is exquisite meat! For more information, please visit www.iowasci.com.

This year’s efforts were rewarded with two animals providing a total of over 800 lbs. of meat to be delivered the day prior to Thanksgiving. The lucky hunter was Sam Folkman, accompanied by his father Brian and uncle Dan.

I hope this story reminds you that with the pain and suffering that exists here at home in Iowa (and abroad) there are those using their resources and passions to better other’s lives. I have always believed that outdoorsmen and women are the ones that care the most about the environment, the animals in which they hunt, the next generation, and most of all – their fellow man.

Iowans are the best of those and I am proud to stand up with all of you and share the passion I have for Iowa’s game and fish. With the holidays quickly approaching, remember those less fortunate and lift up a prayer to the one who makes all of our outdoor pursuits possible. I for one am thankful for all of your continued support for Iowa’s outdoors and of course Outside Iowa.

Live it Up!

It’s On!

Thomas — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:27:05 +0000

Midwest Iowa Outdoors® & Outside Iowa®

With Thomas Allen

(October 31st, 2011)

More big Iowa bucks eat a big fat dirt-nap sammich during the first week of November than any other week of the year. Even if the weather is warmer than the seasonal averages, the big boys are usually on their feet, but if a cold front hits during that time, the daytime rutting activity can truly be something to behold. However, this is not to say the following week can be just as good, but if you have the time now, get in the treestand.

Next week we will talk about how to beat the lock-down period, but this week is meant to help you identify what is actually taking place in the whitetail world. The first week of November will rarely see the peak of rutting activity, but there will be an immense amount of chasing, and the bucks are very responsive to calling and rattling. This happens because there are a few does that are coming into estrous a bit early. Because it’s just a few does coming in early, the competition is fierce and fights break out often.

Calling is a tremendous asset this time of year and if you are not grunting or rattling at full volume, you might not be seeing as many deer as you could be. I believe in creating an audio image through your calling creating a scenario that is absolutely 100% believable to a distant buck. The calling creates the image in his mind that a few bucks are courting a hot doe and a fight erupts, that is his signal to come in and check things out. Hopefully, it ends after a crimson arrow is stuck in the dirt.

Start things out with a few doe bleats followed by a couple series of tending grunts. Intensify the grunting and maybe throw in a growl/roar from a second grunt tube to signify an additional buck showing up. Drop the bleating out of the sequence completely and throw in a few more growls or roars, then stop the grunting with a snort-wheeze or two. Count to five and crash the horns together for 15-30 seconds. Follow up the rattling sequence with another snort-wheeze and close it out with more tending grunts mixed with a few doe bleats.

Hopefully, a rut-crazed buck came charging into the scene interrupted the ‘audio image’ you were creating. If not, rinse and repeat about once every hour, especially during the primetime periods before dark or after dawn. If you are hunting a field edge, a decoy could be a great addition to your strategy. Make sure it’s as scent free as possible and have it facing you at about 25 yards. This will position the challenging buck broadside in between you and the decoy for an easy 15-yard shot, plus his attention will be focused on the decoy allowing you to get into position to make the shot.

The bucks are intensely chasing does and constantly checking every one they encounter to see who’s hot and who’s not. The daytime movement is increasing in regularity; even midday movement can be tremendous this time of year. The scrapes will continue to be active, but expect to see them become less and less prominent as the peak of the rut gets closer. Continue to check your trail cameras, as they will help you gauge the daytime movement. If you are seeing a mature buck out cruising during the middle of the day, it is time to schedule an all day sit. I killed my buck last year on November 11th at 1:53 PM. They do move all day long during this time of year, you can capitalize by being there waiting for him to wander by!

Good luck and don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments.

Live it Up!

Iowa Ringnecks: Is It Still Worth It?

Thomas — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:23:24 +0000

Midwest Iowa Outdoors® & Outside Iowa®

With Thomas Allen

(October 24th, 2011)

Its no secret that Iowa’s pheasant populations have plummeted to a concerning level, especially since the hey-days of the early to mid 90s. Harvest numbers in those days often neared or exceed the million-bird mark, but this year we will be lucky to see 150,000 to 200,000 Iowa pheasants hit the dirt.

What’s the primary cause to the massive decline? Well, it’s a combination of a few things that all stem from rising crop prices and evolving farming practices. We have seen a massive reduction in habitat, which is one of the primary reasons for falling pheasant numbers. With increasing crop prices and CRP prices maintaining, from a business standpoint it makes more sense to put the CRP back to tillable.

Since the late 90s Iowa has lost an amount of habitat that equals a strip of land 12 miles wide that stretches from Davenport to Omaha. That’s just scary to think about, and yet it seems to make sense why Iowa is no longer the number-one pheasant hunting destination. Without habitat and cover, predation increases, recruitment drops, and winter survival disappears. Some say it’s an increase in coyote or bobcat populations, some even say feral cats have an impact. While each of those factors can and do have an impact, by themselves they don’t hurt the overall population.

Another giant factor to why our pheasants are having a difficult time recovering is nearly a decade of wetter and cooler than average springs. Pheasants nest during the spring and their chicks are not able to thermo-regulate as well as adult birds. They need warm dry nesting conditions to make it to maturity where they are far more likely to survive, but again a lack of suitable nesting habitat makes it difficult to successfully hatch a brood.

Don’t stop hunting them. Ringneck pheasants are a non-native species and are polygamous. A single rooster can service many hens therefore it won’t take many male birds to maintain the populations. Science has proven it is impossible for hunters to kill all the roosters in a given system; so choosing to not hunt pheasants will not help the population improve. In fact, pheasants are very aggressive and territorial with each other; the reduced stress on winter food sources will actually help the birds make it through the winter. In short, get out and kill a few roosters when possible.

There is a lighter side of this discussion that needs to be considered. While the above information is not new and might be somewhat depressing, there is still plenty of opportunity to get out and enjoy watching the dogs work. This is an issue that is not going unnoticed and there are groups out there doing everything they can to improve our situation.

If you have a passion for upland bird hunting in Iowa, and are not already a member, you should consider supporting the Iowa Pheasants Forever Chapter, (www.iowapheasantsforever.org) They are responsible for helping educate and spread awareness about quality habitat and how to improve our current situation. There are people out there who are working tirelessly to improve Iowa’s pheasant situation, and without them the days of old will surely never occur again. IPF is working a very cool program called “Reload Iowa” and there are smaller local chapters all across the state.

Iowa pheasants and the next generation of hunters need your support to rehabilitate a struggling situation. We can have an impact one voice at a time! In the mean time, there are still ample upland hunting opportunities available and I encourage you to get out and give it a try this fall, regardless of how ugly the situation may seem. Season starts October 29^th and runs through January 10^th.

Good luck and don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments.

Live it Up!

Autumn Iowa Farm Ponds

Thomas — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:19:06 +0000

Midwest Iowa Outdoors® & Outside Iowa®

With Thomas Allen

(October 17th, 2011)

Is there ever a bad time to fish? I am a firm believer that a bad day of fishing sure beats a good day in the office, no matter how you slice it. What about fitting fishing time in between hunting outings? Now that’s a tough life decision, but one that you can’t loose with. Iowa has over 80,000 fishable farm ponds dotting its landscape and a fine day of fishing is at your fingertips. The first step is gaining permission from the pond owner, as 99% of those ponds are privately owned.

Farm ponds are typically thought of as great summertime escapes, and rightly so. Ask any dedicated 365-day a year angler and they will tell you fall fishing is some of the finest you will experience all year long.

This is the time of year where fish of all species are strapping on the feedbag in preparation for the cold-water period. Most fish can be caught through the ice, but as they are preparing for that time of year can be absolutely dynamite. While techniques in a farm pond really don’t differ all that greatly from summer to fall, there are some variances to consider that will help you put more fish on the end of your line.

For starters, upsize your presentation. For example if you have been throwing a ½ ounce spinner bait all summer, upsize to a ¾ or even a full ounce. The fish are looking to maximize their feeding efforts and are eating the largest bait they can get their lips around in order to build up their fat stores.

Switching from big plastic baits to a live bait presentation will capture the attention of the bigger fish in the system. In fact, if you are looking for some of the biggest bass in the pond, go catch a few four to six inch creek chubs and drop them beneath a bobber and hang on. Setting them on a miniature quick-strike rig will be your best bet. It is important that you don’t kill them when you hook them, run one of the trebles just below the dorsal fin so they will stay lively.

The same trick will work for walleyes this time of year. ‘Eyes are very aggressive fall biters and will fall victim to other presentations as well. Fathead minnows on a ¼ ounce jig set about a foot off the bottom or larger profile crankbaits will do the trick.

Bluegills and crappies go crazy this time of year; in fact this is the single best time of the year to connect with the biggest bull gills in the system. The large males are usually loners and can be extremely difficult to find, but they move in shallow during the fall and begin to feed heavily. If you are fishing for walleyes with minnows, don’t be surprised if you tie up with a bulky gill or crappie.

Don’t overlook catfish either. Fall kittens are as easy as they come and will abuse your equipment in short order. Fall cats are more active than they are in the summer. Because of this, I would suggest using a bobber to keep your bait off the bottom. A fresh cut-bait, chicken liver or stink bait will still grab their attention from quite a distance.

I say it a lot, but don’t think I can over emphasize it enough, take the kids with you! This is a great time to keep that fishing fire lit or to just introduce them to the sport. They are our future, get ‘em out there!

Good luck and don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments.

Live it Up!

Fall Muskie Madness

Thomas — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:15:15 +0000

Midwest Iowa Outdoors® & Outside Iowa®

With Thomas Allen

(October 10th, 2011)

86 degrees in October, seriously? I could complain about it, but gripping about the weather is like banging your head on the sidewalk, it doesn’t do any good. You know, fall in Iowa wouldn’t be complete without a few Indian Summer days. The good news is, there is a pending cold front in the extended forecast but the current weather pattern will keep many of us out of our best deer spots for a while yet.

This doesn’t mean you have to cease with the outside play altogether. This is actually a great time of year to get the boat out for one or two more trips and chase some big toothy critters around. Fall is big muskellunge time and if you have the bug to hit the water, I suggest hitting one of Iowa’s muskie lakes. They really put on the feedbag this time of year and can be as easy to catch as they are all year long. Maybe ‘easy’ is not the right adjective for those fish, but you get my drift.

Typical structure like sunken humps, obvious break lines, weed beds and rock will hold good numbers of fish. For the first pass through an area start out in the deeper water and work your way in. The muskies will cruise the edge of the structure looking for baitfish, but they will also be up in the middle of it, both are worth your effort. If you’re going to fish a spot, fish it right!

Fall muskie fishing is very similar to how you would pursue them during the spring and summer. Fast moving bucktails and spinners can produce some explosive strikes, but working big twitch baits slowly over the cabbage and weed beds can also be extremely effective. Big rubber baits like Bulldawgs worked over deeper water and suspended fish in a long pump and fall motion is also a favored fall tactic by muskie nuts.

A great aspect about fall muskie fishing is there are a couple of tactics that are less demanding, but very productive. I love to see a big muskie follow up to the boat and work the figure-eight, but it is also a lot of fun to kick back and do it the ‘easy way’. Live bait sucker fishing for the mighty muskie is a popular fall tactic up north, but it is seldom used in Iowa.

You will need an operational livewell and a local bait shop that is able to get sizable suckers; fish in the 12-17 inch range will suffice. If larger sizes are available, don’t hesitate to use those either. The rigging is very simple; a quick-strike rig is basically a 24-inch piece of 50-80 pound-test wire with a #3/0 or #4/0 treble hook behind a one to two ounce weight. (Run a Google search for rigging demonstrations).

Just drop that thing behind the boat with 10-20 feet of line out and very slowly troll the structure edges. You can also use the wind to slowly push the boat across the structure or you can even sit stationary. It can be very effective and is a tremendous amount of fun!

Fall trolling can be dynamite as well. Run crank baits or even a bucktail behind an Off Shore Planer board directly adjacent to the weed lines. Sometimes the parallel presentation vs. the perpendicular approach will trigger more strikes. Experiment with different bait options and determine what the fish want, that’s half the fun!

Even after things cool back down and are more fall-like, big muskies will still feed heavily until the ice arrives. Be careful, however. Muskie fishing is addictive and the fever that comes with it is very contagious.

Good luck and don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments.

Live it Up!

Early October Whitetails

Thomas — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:11:27 +0000

Midwest Iowa Outdoors® & Outside Iowa®

With Thomas Allen

(October 3rd, 2011)

October whitetails are legendary. Sure, November is the preferred time to sit in the stand from dawn to dark because the rut is simply amazing. But, don’t skip October all together; some of the best opportunities to harvest a mature buck are right now! If you are in a location where the doe population is still pretty high, this is also a great time to fill the freezer and some antlerless tags. Just don’t sit at home waiting for November to get here, things can happen in October that would be a shame to miss out on.

The bucks shift their focus from food to other bucks as the pecking order begins to become very well established. Fights erupt, scrapes and rubs begin to appear all over the place and the does tend to get very intolerant of anything with antlers. There is also this little theory called “The October Lull”, which is the time frame when mature bucks are seemingly less visible and deer movement as a whole is slow.

Articles upon articles, books upon books have been written about beating the October Lull, but I firmly believe it’s simply a food preference change matched with the early phases of the pre-rut. We won’t go into too much depth as we don’t have enough room in this article, but I will say this: spending time in transition areas between primary bedding/security cover and destination food sources will give you the very best opportunity at a mature buck.

If you haven’t done so yet, get those trail cameras off of the mineral sites and bait piles and put them up overlooking scrapes. In my opinion, this is the most exciting time of the year to be running cameras. You will get some fantastic pictures. If you are having a hard time locating the right scrape, consider a mock scrape. Wildlife Research has a product known as the Magnum Scent Dripper and its purpose is purely for adequately creating and maintaining mock scrapes.

Fill it up with Active Scrape Scent and hang it over a scrape, above the licking branch. It is designed to drip only during daylight hours and will condition the bucks to check it during that time frame. If you have a set near by, it could be the difference between whacking that monster early or not seeing him at all. Once the rut hits full tilt, nailing down a mature deer’s daily habit is nearly impossible.

This is also a great time to fill some doe tags. The early season pattern is easy to identify and very simple to take advantage of with little impact to your primary hunting areas. I suggest hunting the outer fringe of your property and be selective on the shots you take. You really don’t want a wounded doe to crash down in your favorite peak rut spots. Hunt field edges and try to get them as they are coming out and with the right shot her retrieval will be a cinch.

Finally, resist the temptation to hunt some of your best spots. It is no secret that the first sit in a particular set will be your best chance at a big deer. Leave those very best stands until the calendar says its perfect! I actually have about 20 sets that I don’t even see until the first week of November and over the past few years, I have tagged out sitting in a rockin’ rut stand on the first sit. It really works!

There are lots of great opportunities during October that are worth experiencing. Scouting will still be the biggest effort you should exert, but this is just a great time to be in the treestand. That’s where I’ll be.

Good luck and don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments.

Live it Up!

The Final Countdown

Thomas — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:05:38 +0000

Midwest Iowa Outdoors® & Outside Iowa®

With Thomas Allen

(September 26th, 2011)

As of Monday, September 26^th, the countdown to sunrise on October 1^st currently stands at 4 Days, 11 Hours, 34 Minutes, and 55 Seconds… But, again, who’s counting? It’s hard to believe that the time we live for each fall is actually just about here. Hopefully this week’s article will get you even more fired up, or perhaps motivate you to finish off that list of preparations before you head out for the first sit on Saturday.

There is still time for any last minute preparations, so don’t set any final adjustments aside because you think it might be too late. It can really be a stress heading into opening weekend with a list of to-do’s that got neglected, I know!

Take some time to practice with your broadheads, even if you have already sighted them in, make sure your hunting clothes are washed, scent free and properly stored. Load your pack up with the necessary items like a knife, tag/license, TP (take my word on this one), calls, pruners/saw, extra release, and anything else you can foresee needing. A wise old whitetail’r once told me that it’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Taking as little as possible but being covered in most situations you will encounter is the secret.

I have said in the past that having all your sets hung and lanes cleared well before the season is ideal, but we all know it doesn’t always work that way. Perhaps you just received permission on a new piece of ground or located a giant that needs a new set put in place. This is the time to get that done, but do it with caution and care. You could be hunting this animal in a few short days so paying close attention to your scent control and wind direction when actually setting the stand is critical.

I mentioned shooting your bow, and I mean it. It is strongly suggested to shoot a couple arrows before every hunt; in fact, I keep a small broadhead target in my truck for that very purpose. You can’t practice too much!

As the hunting season progresses the mess in the hunting room or garage tends to grow in size. I committed to being more organized a few years ago and it has saved me vast amounts of time. I suggest devising a system that is simple and keeps your gear off the floor and more organized. I like to hang my backpack and bow up on a big plastic coated hook in the garage, I have an additional hook for the bag that holds my hunting clothes, and I keep a tote for miscellaneous gear. Organization breeds fluency.

I also take these last few days and update my camera locations to hot scrapes or busy trails dumping into primary destination food sources. This is the beginning of the most exciting time of year to run cameras! Keep your replacement SD cards in your pack. Place the cameras near or in route to your stands and only check them when you are hunting near them.

The confidence that comes with mental preparedness is the most valuable asset to a whitetail hunter. Knowing all your gear is working adequately, your bow is perfectly sighted in, stands placed accurately, and having played over and over how you will keep your cool as the buck of your dreams saunters into your lane. Nothing in this game is guaranteed – except the challenge of matching wits with nature’s craftiest. When you lock that pin on his chest all the work you have put in thus far is on the line. With a prepared mind at ease, all you have to do is push, pull, and squeeze.

Good luck and don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments.

Live it Up!