Posts Tagged ‘hunting’

N.E. Ohio Whitetail Rut Winding Down

Posted: November 22, 2014 by gamegetterII in deer hunting, hunting
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Rut activity appears to be slowing down a lot. In most years,in NE Ohio,the peak of the rut falls the second week of November. More deer are bred on or within a day or two of November 15th than at any other time during the rut.

That doesn’t mean the rut is over-far from it-what it means is that the peak has passed. Deer are still being bred,does are still coming into estrous,and bucks are still trying to breed them.

The does that are in estrous are either being “tended” by a buck right now- have a buck following them everywhere,never leaving the doe’s side-or have a buck-or bucks following them. The majority of does who still have not come into estrous are going to do so this week.

Then,starting the first week of December,and peaking the second week of December,all the does who were not bred during the November rut are going to cycle into estrous again. The December rut is nowhere near as intense as the November rut,but it is still well worth your time to hunt if you’re looking to tag a big buck.

Rattling is less effective,but doe bleats and grunt tubes can be very productive-as can the fake scrapes you made back in late Oct.

The snow we have will be gone by Mon,except for a few isolated patches here and there. Mon. is a good day to visit your fake scrapes,clear the debris from them,make some “antler marks” in the dirt with a small rake,or gardening claw type tool. Adding some dominant buck scent,and some estrous doe urine to the scrape is also effective.

I plan on freshening up all my fake scrapes either Sun. afternoon,or Mon late morning/early afternoon.

I’ll decide which stand to hunt just before I go-as wind direction matters-a lot. Just because the bucks are looking for does to breed doesn’t mean they get stupid-they still move carefully,scent checking as they go-that’s how they got to be big bucks-by paying attention to their surroundings.

Since gun season is coming up quick-12/1-12/7-I plan on hunting hard from now until 12/6,and with a little luck-tagging a nice buck before gun season has them all stressed out for a week or ten days.

I’ll still hunt the gun season whether I got a buck or not-you can’t eat antlers-so I use gun season as freezer filling time if I’ve taken a buck already. If I haven’t taken a buck,I’ll still take a doe during gun season if the opportunity presents itself. I plan on taking a doe this week as well,since we can’t use doe tags after 11/30.

Three deer will feed us for a year,add a few rabbits,a few pheasants,the steelhead we’ll start catching soon,and we don’t buy much in the way of meat or fish from the grocery store.

Combined with all the veggies we grow in the gardens,we feed ourselves without going to the grocery store for anything other than coffee,tea,salt,sugar,yeast,flour,condiments,spices,and a few canned goods.

Now,if I could just get the beer and wine production going again-add a few solar panels,a small windmill,build a still,we would be 100% self-sufficient…

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Ill-conceived Washington State Background Check Initiative Already Causing Absurd Outcomes

Posted: November 22, 2014 by gamegetterII in anti-gun asshattery
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Barely two weeks after Washington State voters approved Initiative 594 — a measure the NRA warned was “deeply flawed” — our predicted consequences are beginning to emerge.

Under I-594’s restrictive language, a person simply handing his or her firearm to another is presumptively required to broker this “transfer” through a gun dealer.  This also necessitates the accompanying background check, fee, paperwork, taxes and, in the case of a handgun, state registration.

Proponents of the initiative had assured voters that fears of this overreach were exaggerated.  Prior to the vote on I-594, Geoff Potter, spokesman for 1-594 proponents Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility, said I-594 “simply applies the current system of background checks to all sales.”

As recounted in a Washington State news report, however, the Lynden Pioneer Museum has opted to pull eleven loaned WWII rifles currently on display and return these firearms to their collector owners before the “transfer” requirement in I-594 takes effect next month.  The reason?  The law contains no exemptions for firearms loaned for museum displays, or loaned for similar educational or cultural institution study or uses.  Once the law takes effect, the firearms could not be returned to their owners without the mandatory background checks and all the logistics and expenses that entails.

The museum director in Washington came to this decision reluctantly but unavoidably.  “I read through the law about 10 different times looking for a loophole,” he said.  He found none.  Unfortunately, there is no guidance at the state level because Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson has reportedly not formed an opinion about I-594, and no authoritative interpretation of the initiative is available to the public, apart from the text of I-594 itself.  In the meantime, the museum’s attorney has stated he would welcome assurances from the state that it would not enforce the law to the detriment of the museum or the owners of the firearms on display.  To date, however, no such assurances have been forthcoming.

http://www.nraila.org/news-issues/articles/2014/11/ill-conceived-washington-state-background-check-initiative-already-causing-absurd-outcomes.aspx

Whitetail Deer Tip: Follow the Breeder Track an estrous doe and you’ll have bucks in your pocket

Posted: November 7, 2014 by gamegetterII in deer hunting
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Photo by Donald M. Jones

When fresh snow falls overnight, most big-woods hunters are out at first light looking for the track of a trophy buck to follow. That’s a good early-morning strategy. But if you can find and follow the right doe trail, big bucks will actually come to you.

Lady = Luck
An estrous doe, including any late-cycling female coming into heat a month after the primary rut, makes every effort to attract amorous bucks. She may stay on her feet all day, lingering near scrape lines, milling along edges, and feeding in openings where she’ll be seen easily. In short, she’s a buck magnet. Get close and you can tap her drawing power.

But first, you have to get on the right track. When you find doe prints, follow them and watch for rose-colored urine stains in the snow. This is a dead giveaway that she’s in heat. Also, look to either side for the tracks of a flanking buck or two. If she’s close but not quite ready to stand, bucks will zigzag her trail like skiers running a slalom course, each using his eyes, ears, and nose to keep tabs on her exact whereabouts. You can’t miss it.

The Solo Doe
When you find only the rose-colored stains, and it’s clear the doe hasn’t caught the attention of a buck yet, follow her trail, being careful not to spook her. And keep an eye on the flanks. Eventually, a passing buck is apt to spot her, move in to check out her breeding status, and give you a shot.

Should you spook the curious buck, let him go, allow things to calm down, and get back on the doe’s trail. Sooner or later, the buck will circle around and try to intercept her, or she may attract another suitor in the meantime.

read more at…

http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/hunting/2014/11/whitetail-deer-tip-follow-the-breeder?cmpid=enews110714b&spPodID=020&spMailingID=7268701&spUserID=NjI2NzA0MjQyMzcS1&spJobID=560719208&spReportId=NTYwNzE5MjA4S0

NE Ohio Whitetail Rut Heating Up

Posted: November 6, 2014 by gamegetterII in deer hunting, hunting
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A walk through area woods this afternoon showed lots of new rubs and scrape lines.

Some of the scrape lines first appeared around the third week of Oct.then appeared to have no new activity,now they all show signs of recent activity.

I saw a ton of fresh rubs,lots of fresh tracks in the area,and I’ve been seeing bucks chasing does behind the house-where no one can hunt,as it’s national park land.

We are supposed to have this cold, rainy weather through at least Sat am,so deer should be up and moving long before dark,and long after first light.

Tomorrow and the weekend should see lots of activity between the rut nearing it’s peak,and the cold rainy weather-this could be one of  the best two weekends of the year,with next weekend being the best,as that should be right around peak of rut.

The peak of the rut remains fairly consistent from year to year,and usually occurs the second week of November in NE Ohio.

That means next week is the best week to be in the woods if you’re hunting for a big buck.

I’m hunting every day starting on Sat.

Going to hunt Ashland county on Sat,Geauga county on Sun. and Summit county Mon,then repeat the sequence until I get a decent buck.

The Geauga county place is public hunting land,the other two are private land.

I’ve had mineral blocks out on the private land since early spring,started putting some corn out last week too.

Made my fake scrape lines weeks ago,they appear to have been getting some activity.

Made sure my blinds were secured good today,cleared branches of the trails that were under the leaves,so I don’t step on them in the dark on my way in to the blinds. Double checked shooting lanes,cut any branches that I missed back in Aug/Sept.

Put new blades in my broadheads-NAP  Thunderheads-and shot a few goups to be sure they still flew the same,so I’m all set for a solid week of bowhunting.

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Elk hunting in Tennessee-hell yeah-beats going to Colorado or Montana.

Posted: November 3, 2014 by gamegetterII in elk hunting, hunting
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NASHVILLE — For the second consecutive year, four of the five participants recorded harvests in the Tennessee Elk Hunt held Oct. 20-24 at North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area.

In the Tennessee Youth Elk Hunt, held the weekend of Oct. 25-26, the participant had a harvest for the third in as many years since the hunt was established. Robert L. Goodner, a 14-year old from Cleveland was the first boy selected for the youth hunt. Robert had the biggest overall harvest this year with his take of a 6×8 bull elk that field dressed at 646 pounds and was taken on the morning of Oct. 26.

During the regular hunt, Jefferson City resident Jimmy Rogers had this year’s first harvest. It came in the evening on opening day and was a 6×6 that field dressed at 593 pounds.

On the second day of the hunt, two harvests were made both coming in the evening. Audie Schrimsher of Maryville took an elk that was a 5×5 that weighed 462 pounds. Hartsville resident Clay Oldham also took a 5×5 elk and it had a field dressed weight of 465 pounds.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has worked to make habitat improvements at North Cumberland WMA. The first arrival of 50 animals came in December 2000, the first elk to be in Tennessee since they were last reported in Obion County in 1865.

http://outdoornewsdaily.com/2014-elk-hunts-have-five-harvests/

Chronic Wasting Disease Confirmed in Ohio on Private Preserve

Posted: November 2, 2014 by gamegetterII in hunting
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REYNOLDSBURG, OHIO – The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) today confirmed the first positive case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in the state in a captive deer herd in Holmes County. The state continues to take quarantine action to control the further spread of the disease. There is no evidence that CWD has affected the wild deer population in the state.

The positive sample was taken from a single buck on a hunting preserve in Millersburg and tested as part of Ohio’s CWD monitoring program for captive white-tailed deer operations. The preserve had been under quarantine since April 24, 2014, and was subject to intensive monitoring and sampling protocols because of a known connection to a captive deer operation in Pennsylvania that tested positive for CWD earlier this year. The quarantine will remain enforced until the state is satisfied that disease transference can no longer occur.

http://outdoornewsdaily.com/chronic-wasting-disease-confirmed-in-ohio-on-private-preserve/

Hunters spend more than they get credit for

Posted: October 28, 2014 by gamegetterII in hunting
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Hey, hunters — you might not realize this, but you’re business tycoons!

That’s right. If hunting were a corporation, it would occupy the 73rd spot on the Fortune 500 list of top U.S. businesses.

According to a report compiled recently by the National Shooting Sports Association, hunters spent $38.3 billion on their favorite pastime in 2011, the last year for which complete figures were available.

That’s more money than Google ($37.9 billion) or Goldman Sachs ($36.8 billion) managed to earn.

The $38.3 billion represents expenditures on hunting equipment, licenses, ammunition, food, lodging and other associated costs. And, to the surveyors’ credit, the total represents money actually spent, not a bunch of phony-baloney “multipliers” designed to exaggerate true economic impact.

What does it mean? There are 311 million Americans, and they spent an average of $123.15 apiece on hunting.

Why did they do it? Well, they appear to know what many Americans seem to miss — that while it’s possible to spend a lot of money on hunting, as a whole it’s one of the more affordable recreational pastimes.

According to the NSSF study, an average day of turkey hunting costs $37.54, which includes a license and a few shotgun shells. By contrast, an average round of golf — greens fees and a sleeve of golf balls — costs $72.54; and an average day at a Major League ballpark — ticket, parking, a hot dog and a drink — costs $57.45.

– See more at: http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20141025/GZ07/141029369#sthash.1oLkUVGe.dpuf

Next Two Weeks are the Best Big Buck Hunting Weeks

Posted: October 23, 2014 by gamegetterII in hunting
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I’m seeing scrape lines and tons of new rubs,found a bunch of new scrape lines that weren’t there yesterday.

Lots of new rubs near my fake scrape lines too-the technique works-it’s not too late to make one.

All you have to do is take a small rake,or one of the rakes that are used in gardens-they’re about 12″ long and have 3 or 4 tines. I carry one in my hunting pack,just in case I see another place to make a few new scrapes.

Clear an area about 18″-2′ x3-4′ make it sort of an oval shape-the important things are to clear away all debris so you have bare ground,and be sure there’s a branch at about deer height directly over your fake scrape,bucks will reach up and lick the branch,plus rub their foreheads on it-the overhanging branch has to be there-if it’s not,find a new place for your fake scrape. If you are making a scrape line,having one or two in the line w/o the branch won’t hurt-I’ve seen scrape lines made by deer that have one here and there with no licking branch.

Once your scrapes are made,either use some active scrape scent,dominant buck scent-or just piss in the scrapes yourself-piss is piss-it’s from a “buck” and has testosterone in it .

Now’s the time to rattle and use a grunt tube. Use estrous doe bleats once in a while,it’s just about the time around here for the first does to come into estrous-it’s close-a week or so will be the peak rut week around here.

Starting next week,on Mon.,use grunt tubes and doe bleats more than rattling. Don’t stop rattling-bucks still fight during the rut-but all the local bucks have the fighting done,and the dominant buck decided by now-but since some bucks travel out of their home range during the rut-it’s still worth rattling,and rattling hard,not the sounds of sparring-the sound of full out combat,crashing antlers and loud rattling.

Use the doe bleat often next week,and the grunt tube.

I’ll start with at least a full minute of loud antler crashing rattling,wait 15 minutes,hit the grunt tube a few times,wait another 15 minutes,then hit the bleat can a half-dozen times.

Be careful about moving,sit as still as you can-you have to move to rattle, and use the bleat can and grunt tube-just try to keep your movements hidden as much as possible.

I hunt from a ground blind-nothing fancy-just some camo burlap with a 12″x12″ window cut in it to shoot through.

That hides my movements when rattling and using the bleat can and grunt tube.

Pay attention to the woods-sometimes a buck will hear the rattling and come to check it out,but he will hang back,and approach real slow and quiet-watch for movement-if you spot a buck moving towards you,hit the doe bleat and see what his reaction is-if it gets his attention,wait a couple minutes,then hit the grunt tube-a lot of times that will bring him in fast,because he thinks there’s a hot doe,and another buck trying to breed her.

The 2 best weeks for fall deer hunting are next week,and the week after.

Don’t forget-28 days after you see the peak of the rut in your area-there’s a second rut-then 28 days later-there’s a third.

Hit the woods as much as you can the next two weeks-it’s your best chance at a big buck.

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Now’s the Time to Hunt Every Day

Posted: October 18, 2014 by gamegetterII in Archery, hunting
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Where I live in NE Ohio,the rut is fast approaching,and generally peaks somewhere around the first full week of November.

Bucks are all done sparring,they are no longer in bachelor groups,they are by themselves,seeking the first hot does.

Rattling is effective now,as are doe bleats. I do not start using grunt tubes a lot until the last week of Oct.

Pay attention to the rutting activity in your area,because the peak will repeat in 28 days,then again in 28 more days. The first rut peak is the most intense,the second rut peak still has a lot of activity,and is well worth your time to hunt,the third rut peak is even less intense,and may not even be noticeable in your area.

Most does are bred during the peak of the first,main rut. Those that are not bred go into estrous again 28 days later-if your wife or girlfriend happen to have their “estrous” around the same time-it’s a great time to be in the woods-then you miss most of the fun of her unstable behavior at that time of the month.

The few does that are not bred by the second rut-usually young does born in early spring-usually come into estrous end of Dec,first week of Jan. (in NE Ohio anyhow).

The two secondary rut peaks are well worth your time to hunt,doe bleats and grunt tubes work during these secondary ruts,rattling is not very effective during these periods,as the bucks are tired,run down from chasing does during the peak,when they did not eat enough food for the energy they expended,so they are usually not interested in running to the sound of antlers crashing.

I have had bucks come to grunt tubes in early Jan. that’s when Ohio has the muzzleoader season,there are fewer hunters in the woods than during the deer gun season,and the early part of archery season.

I’ve noticed the past few years that there are very few bowhunters in the woods after gun season ends-at least on public lands.

So,if you have to hunt public lands,the weeks after shotgun or rifle season ends is a god time to bowhunt,one the season ends and there are not so many people in the woods,the deer go back to their normal patterns.

It’s the same as early season and rut hunting then-find the food source,water source,and bedding areas,place your stand on a trail near one of the three,and you should be able to take a deer.

I would be out with my bow today,but the wind is from the wrong direction-no way I can get to any of my local stands. Seems to be calming down a bit-I may head out in a half hour or so,and see what happens. Cold (for Oct) and rainy today,so the deer should be up and moving long before dark.

Next 3-4 Weeks Are Best Deer Hunting of The Year

Posted: October 14, 2014 by gamegetterII in hunting
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Those who live in Ohio,Pa,W.Va,N.Y.Michigan, and Indiana should see the best deer hunting from now until mid-November,as bucks are in pre-rut,and does are getting ready to go into estrous.
Here in NE Ohio the rut usually peaks the first or second week of November,most of the time,it’s the first week.

The last week of Oct. will see does going into full estrous,and the start of bucks seeking and chasing.

Starting the last week of Oct,rattling and grunt tubes can bring bucks running,the key is to not use grunt tubes until you have seen signs of rutting activity in your area. Fresh scrapes are a good sign.

Now is the time to make fake scrape lines near your stand/blind,use a rake,or a garden claw to remove all leaves,twigs and debris from an area at least 2’x3′. make your fake scrapes along field edges that have treelines with branches hanging down at the height of a deer,the overhanging branches are important because bucks lick the branches,and rub their head/antlers on them to spread their scent from the glands located on the buck’s head.

(so the wildlife biologists say) I have seen bucks licking branches over scrapes-I haven’t seen them rubbing their heads on overhanging branches though. That doesn’t mean they don’t do so,just that I’ve never seen it happen.

Back to your fake scrapes-after you have cleared the 2’x3′ or so area,put a few drops of doe in estrous urine in it,some regular doe urine,and some dominant buck scent-Many guys also piss in their fake scrapes,I do,I figure I’ll have to take a leak in the woods anyhow-so why not do it in the fake scrape.

Hang scent wicks with doe in estrous urine between the fake scrapes and your stand/blind,as you are leaving your stand,pick up the scent wicks and take them home with you,re-use them the next day. If you leave them there,the bucks will find them when they pass through the area at night,then ignore them. Only put the scent wicks out when you are hunting.

Once in your stand/blind,rattle every 15 minutes or so,if you have seen signs of rutting activity in your area,start using a grunt tube every 15 minutes or so. I alternate between rattling, doe bleats, and grunt tube.

Days when there’s a breeze,I’ll tie an all white paper towel to a branch/bush/shrub that’s about deer height 20-30 yards from my stand. The white paper towel swinging back and forth in the breeze looks like a does tail to a horny buck,and a lot of times,a buck will walk right up to the paper towel. A few drops of doe in estrous urine on the paper towel helps to attract a buck too.
If it’s legal to use bait in your state/area,it’s a good time to start putting out corn. Use both shelled corn,and cob corn,spread it out rather than putting it in a big pile-this helps reduce chances of deer spreading diseases among themselves. The cob corn helps keep deer at the bait pile longer. Don’t worry if all you see are does eating your corn-bucks are looking for does,so having does close to your stand can only help.

As the rut heats up,sit in your stand during daytime,as bucks are moving constantly this time of year,and most really big bucks are taken between 10am and 3pm.

Bring plenty of food,water,a thermos of coffee,binoculars if you have a clear view for any distance,and dress in layers as temps can go from upper 20’s/low 30’s to 70+ this time of year. I bring bug spray as well,sometimes the bugs can be bad in fall.

The weather was in the 70’s for Ohio’s doe only early muzzleloader season last weekend,so I didn’t bother to go,venison just tastes nasty until temps are going down enough to frost at night. We had frost here Sun am,so it’s getting cold enough to improve the taste of venison,a few more good,hard frosts will do the trick.

I like to shoot the does for my freezer after end of November,or when it’s under 40 for daytime highs.

This is the time of year to take big bucks,so I pass on shooting does,and just concentrate on bucks for now.

Good luck to everyone-get in the woods-now’s your best chance at a big buck.

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