Hunting Fishing Blog

     The few that got away lol.

Whether you're a weekend hunter, seasoned pro, or a beginner, my rule is you can never have too much hunting land or too many ponds to fish. I wanted to share some of the things that I have done in the past to gain access to new hunting grounds. The first thing I do is figure out where the best looking spots are in my home area. Keep in mind it's easier on your wallet and your truck if you can gain access to ground that's closer to your home. If you have to drive far distances, then that's ok too, but the closer the better I always say. Once you have an idea of where, you then need to use the Internet maps like google earth to take a closer look at the grounds from above. Then you can judge the size and the crop to woods ratio.

Once you have made a decision on where you want to focus your efforts, it's time to gain permission. You don't want to disturb a farmer that's hard at work in the field by driving right up to him and slowing him down. Keep in mind he has a lot more to do than you, so that's why he's working and your not lol. That will get you an instant no, I can guarantee it. What you do is you pick a nice rainy day when you know he's not planting or in harvest depending on the time of year. Then in the evening you simply knock on doors being very polite and respectful to the land owners. I just simply tell them who I am, what I do, where I'm from. I ask them if they allow permission for bow hunting only on their property, along with a lot of small talk about crop prices and things. They are more likely to give permission for bow than gun, due to the fact that most people don't want a stranger with a gun on their property, makes since. So that's good news for bow hunters.

Now remember you will get a lot of NO's but you will get yes's as well. I knock on twenty doors every preseason and might get two yes's and that's a lot of time and gas but it pays off big when you create great memories in the great outdoors. If you can just be patient and persistent good things will come. Stay after it and gain any piece of ground you can and hunt hard as long as you can. It's hunting, its the chase not just for big bucks but for the right piece of land, the right tree, the right food source and the right time. Its all about what you know and a little about who you know. I thank god every time I get to climb into the stand. Also, make sure you thank the farmer that lets you hunt his land because after all, he is the one paying the taxes on your hunting paradise. Good luck to all and be safe.   

I wanted to talk a little bit about some of the things to do and look for after the shot. After you have made the best ethical shot possible on a whitetail, the first thing I think about is shot placement.  Was it a little back... maybe a little low? What was the whitetail's reaction post impact? If the buck goes down in sight then your hunt is all but over short of putting the tag on him. If the buck runs off where you couldn't see or hear him fall and your not sure of the shot, that's when things get a little tricky. If your not sure about the shot then it's best to wait rather than taking the chance of jumping him up. First thing I do is locate my arrow and look at the blood sign on the shaft, vanes, and the beginning of the blood trail. If you have a lot of bubbles it's a lung shot. If it's dark red it's a liver and or gut shot. You mainly want to go with your gut feeling on what to do. I always try and remember through all the adrenaline and excitement that the hard part is over.  All I have to do now is wait and hope the following day, if the weather allows, I can put my hands on my prize.

The whitetail buck has five glands that function and control their activities in their environment. The whitetail buck's glands go hand in hand with the visual and audible communications throughout the deer herd.

• Forehead Gland: Which many believe that's when a mature buck rubs his horns and basis on a tree to make a sing post it's just for sight purposes. In fact it's don't to secret the forehead gland on the tree to show their status in the herd.

• Tarsal Gland: This gland in located just inside the hocks on the hind quarters of the deer. During the phases of the rut you might see a mature buck rubbing his back legs together and urinating on the tarsal gland to freshen a scrape.

• Preorbital Gland: Which is located on the inside corner of the eye. When an buck is making a scrape a lot of time they will rub the preorbital gland on the leaves and branches as another form of communication within the herd. Some also say it may be a visual way to communicate also.

• Metatarsal Gland: It's located on the bottom outside of the leg . In fact very little is known about this gland. Study shows that it may be used in correspondence with regulating body heat. I believe it's used to perhaps scent mark trials in high grass, as another form of communication.

• Interdigital Gland: This gland is located between the deer's toes. Experts theorize that's its used by deer when danger is in the area and they scatter, they can find one another through the scent trail.

The whitetail world is very complex it seems but when it comes to survival they also use every advantage to survive not only from deer hunters but other dangers in the wild as well.