Last fall’s decreased deer harvest in Northeastern Minnesota and a harsher than normal winter have prompted wildlife officials to lower the number of over-the-counter either-sex deer permits in Northeastern Minnesota this fall.

Those permits have been issued liberally in recent years to bring the deer population [...]]]> By Sam Cook
Published in the Duluth News Tribune, August 2, 2009

Last fall’s decreased deer harvest in Northeastern Minnesota and a harsher than normal winter have prompted wildlife officials to lower the number of over-the-counter either-sex deer permits in Northeastern Minnesota this fall.

Those permits have been issued liberally in recent years to bring the deer population down to goals set after broad public input meetings, said Jeff Lightfoot, Department of Natural Resources regional wildlife manager at Grand Rapids.

This fall, 10 deer permit areas across Northeastern Minnesota have been designated “lottery” units, up from just one last fall. In those units, hunters will have to apply by Sept. 10 in a lottery for permits to harvest antlerless deer.

Last year, 10 permit areas in Northeastern Minnesota were designated as “managed,” meaning hunters could take up to two deer. This year, 16 areas are designated “managed.”

Last fall, there were 17 permit areas in Northeastern Minnesota designated for “intensive” harvest, allowing hunters up to five deer. This year, there are three of those areas in Northeastern Minnesota.

That means hunters, when buying their deer licenses this fall, should carefully check the new deer-zones map. Most hunters will find that the permit area in which they hunt will have a different harvest designation than it did last year.

“Hunters can get used to seeing us walking that tightrope between too many deer to too few from a hunter’s perspective,” Lightfoot said.

In another change, muzzleloader hunters must apply for an either-sex permit by Sept. 10 if they want to have a chance to harvest an antlerless deer in a lottery permit area. In previous years, muzzleloader hunters who did not purchase a regular firearms license could take an antlerless deer in a lottery area without a permit. This year, even people who only hunt the muzzleloader season must apply for an either-sex permit.

-By Brandon Wikman

Whitetail deer have a wide assortment of both verbal and nonverbal means of communication. They’re language and lingo has been carefully studied by animal biologists since the early years of the late 1800’s. Deer have a very unique style of engaging in conversation. Many of us have already heard of the [...]]]> by Moultrie Feeders

-By Brandon Wikman

Whitetail deer have a wide assortment of both verbal and nonverbal means of communication. They’re language and lingo has been carefully studied by animal biologists since the early years of the late 1800’s. Deer have a very unique style of engaging in conversation. Many of us have already heard of the basic converse from deer to deer. A whitetail’s vocabulary ranges from bleats, grunt, bellows, and bawls. The list below details the most popular whitetail dialect. You will generate a fresh idea of deer verbalization and a typical time frame of season they communicate.

Contact Call – Also referred to as the ‘lost call.’ The contact call can be matched to the idea of the kee-kee-run call made by wild turkey. Both whitetail and turkey share the same concepts of locating fellow members of their family or group. A doe will make a loud and deep bleat two to three times every 15 minutes. You may use this calling technique as a way to mimic a confused doe. It is perfect to use while walking into your setup to cover your noise while still-hunting. Deer usually speak this language during the pre-rut, which runs throughout the entire month of October.

Doe Grunts – Differ from buck grunts in several ways. Doe grunts are a deer’s way of saying “Hey…come here.” The doe grunt is used to persuade fellow deer in the area to come. You must keep this calling technique soft to mimic the call perfectly. The louder you make the grunt, the more aggressive it sounds. Doe have been known to use this lingo throughout the month of October as well.

Breeding Bellow – One of my favorite calls. This hyper doe gurgle will be heard during the heat of the rut. Many people think that the bellow and the “estrous bleat” are the same. The converse differentiates greatly; in fact, the ‘estrous bleat’ means, “I will be ready to breed soon.” The bellow means, “I’m ready to breed right now!” I’ve used this calling technique with the combination of rattling to coax in many mature bucks. You will not hear doe make this call during the early season. The primary time of this communication will be heard during the breeding season in November.

Tending Grunt – Another breeding-style call made by high-strung bucks. The grunt is a rapid succession of mini-grunts in a staccato pattern. You may have heard this call while sitting in your tree stand and suddenly catch a glimpse of a buck trailing a doe. A buck will typically produce 10-20 soft tending grunts during any moment of chase. I’ve watched many professional hunters on video mimic this call with a follow-up of an estrous bleat leading into a rattling session.

One key of success to the art of calling is to create a surreal situation. Adding realism in your calling will give you the upper hand when calling to deer that have been called to before. Be creative and try new strategies. I’ve heard of people scratching the bark off the tree you’re sitting in with antlers when rattling. My cousin has dropped rocks from his stand to mock the sounds of hoof traffic before banging together antlers of tossing out grunts.

Game calling has always been popular in duck and turkey hunting. Bring your grunt tube into the woods during every hunt. You never know when you may want to break it out and bring the big buck into range!

-By Brandon Wikman

Summer seems to strike a golden chord with savvy archers awaiting the opener. It is a time when we prep ourselves mentally and physically for the dawning of a new season that lies only weeks ahead. Our goals are set, anticipation is high, and now we sit tight, holding on to [...]]]> by Moultrie Feeders

-By Brandon Wikman

Summer seems to strike a golden chord with savvy archers awaiting the opener. It is a time when we prep ourselves mentally and physically for the dawning of a new season that lies only weeks ahead. Our goals are set, anticipation is high, and now we sit tight, holding on to last year’s cherished memories. These recollections will soon evolve into this year’s fresh moments of enlightenment as we move into the later stages of summer.

This time of the year is always my most difficult time to cope with. Like many hunters, my calendar counts down the days until opening weekend of archery season. Deer season couldn’t come any sooner, but as it often does for many of us, by September we are wishing we’d put an extra few days of planting food plots, checking cameras, and scouting. Instead of daydreaming about the season, take action to make it the best hunt of your life by successfully preparing a game plan.

During different stages of the day, my mind departs and wanders into the forest. My imagination strolls down deer trails, overlooks hunting property from a birds-eye-view, and plants rich food plots in areas I’d never step camouflage boot in. During the afternoon grind reality splinters the ceiling of my office into tiny fragments of ideas and chunks of drywall clobber me over the head bringing an unsettled ambition to create one more nutritious plot, hang another stand, and burn more gas taking rides around the block with my binoculars strung around my neck. It is these small innovations of strategy that will make us all more successful hunters.

During the next few weeks I will be taking advantage of the extra time by hanging a few more stands around a freshly planted food plot that will be monitored by my handy game camera. Deer are constantly mowing greens right now. You will find bucks juicing-up on protein rich foods that will help them build muscle for the November brawls that lie ahead. Does are not so different. They are inhaling masses of soybean, alfalfa, and clover, which helps them feed their young. I’ve always found that placing my trail camera along field edges during this time of year yields many more photos.

As the shadows of dusk blanket the horizon, mature whitetails step foot into the limelight. It is a perfect time burn a few miles and ignite buck fever by driving around the areas you hunt. I will often times park behind brush or a wall of trees to remain hidden as I drool at the velvet covered bone from the eye-piece of my spotting scope. There’s nothing like glassing fields that are speckled with monster whitetail and knowing your tree stand’s only yards away. You must ask yourself, “Are you ready?”

Many hunters sit back and relax as opening day pulls the carpet from beneath their spotless boots. Prepare yourself now so you can pull the rug from beneath that buck’s hooves!

The Grand Prize Winner is this huge Wisconsin buck.

Congratulations Kevin for capturing a true monster. The Grand Prize package includes a Moultrie I-60 infrared game camera, Camera Security Box, PowerPanel, and [...]]]> After reviewing hundreds of entries each week to choose our weekly winners, a panel of judges at Moultrie selected the 2008 Monster Buck Contest winners.

The Grand Prize Winner is this huge Wisconsin buck.

Congratulations Kevin for capturing a true monster. The Grand Prize package includes a Moultrie I-60 infrared game camera, Camera Security Box, PowerPanel, and two 4-GB SD Cards.

Our 1st Runner Up is this awesome North Carolina buck that was sent in by Jeff.

And 2nd Runner Up was awarded to this great Louisiana buck captured by Tyler.

Congratulations to all of our winners and thanks to everyone who participated by sending in so many impressive photos.

When [...]]]> The price of butchering a deer ranges from $75-150. I don’t know about you, but that is a little much when you can butcher your own for free in about 4 hours. If you are content with paying someone so that you don’t have to worry about it then you have more money than me.

When I lived in Wisconsin I routinely harvested about 10 deer per year. I donated 5 to a family in less fortunate circumstances than me and butchered the rest myself. In those days, I would help my friends and they would help me. We could get 2-3 deer done in a matter of a few hours. The cost savings for me were between $370-750.

These days I don’t get an opportunity at anywhere near that number of deer. I hunt primarily public land in a state that doesn’t allow baiting. Last year I shot only 1 deer on public land and a deer on private land. So my butchering skills are not as financially valuable as they once were.

I butcher my meat the way that I want it. If I want a roast I just set some meat aside for that purpose. I always trim away all fat and tendon (white tough stuff that surrounds the meat) which is something that goes against the grain at most butcher shops. I imagine you could find one that will do that but, somehow I think the extra work would cost a bit more.

If you are someone like me that hunts for the shear value of it… learn the techniques I am about to present.

After harvesting your deer always field dress the deer in the woods. This will make the deer lighter to get out of the woods and provide the birds of prey and coyotes with a morsel. The list that follows is my routine. You assume full responsibility for the cleanliness and safety of your meat and to yourself while preparing it. There is always a chance of meat contamination if precautions aren’t taken.

Skinning the Deer

1. If it is warm outside pack the cavity with a bag of ice to bring the core temp down.
2. Cover your deer if it will be exposed to exhaust fumes. I drive a truck and I just lay the deer in the back uncovered.
3. When I get home I tie a thick rope around the deers neck and hang it in a tree until its legs are off of the ground. Caution: use a thick enough limb to support the weight of the deer or obvious complications will result. There are hoists that you can buy at Bass Pro Shop and Academy Sports for this purpose. I have never used them, but they may be of some benefit if your budget allows. Admittedly, I have butchered a bunch of deer with one, but just know that they are available. I have skipped the hanging step and skinned the deer in the back of my truck before. This works alright, but it’s a little easier if you hang the deer from a tree. I don’t hang my deer for long periods of time for the sake of the meat. When I am in the Wisconsin hunting camp I will hang the deer to get back to hunting. But, in WI it is usually well below freezing and meat spoilage isn’t a concern.
4. Get a sharp pocket knife and a knife sharpener (very cheap at any sporting goods store, $2 or less usually).
5. Make initial cut 360 degrees around the neck.
6. Then pinch the fur on top of the front legs after the first articulation (first bend after the hoof). Make a cut into the flesh (perpendicular to the leg)… then turn your knife around so that the blade is facing up and hold the knife with your hand palm up and place your index finger on the dull side of the blade. Pick up the skin above the initial incision and put your blade in the hole. Cut the skin in a straight line up to the neck. Repeat this for both front legs and then do it to the rear ones with the only difference being that cut the skin to meat the incision you made when you field dressed the deer.
7. After you have made those incisions; grab the skin on the front legs and pull it up and away from the leg. You will see a bunch of fibrous, white tissue immediately below the skin. Use your blade to cut the fibrous tissue while pulling with gentle traction. This should be pretty easy and you should be seeing the skin peel away from the leg.
8. Repeat the step on the other front leg.
9. Now is where you will have the fun. This step is where you will see if you have a thick enough branch. Grab the skin around the neck and start to pull it away from the body use your knife you did on the arms to cut away at the fibrous tissue. All you will need to do is peel enough that you will be able to get a very solid grip with both hands.
10. Pull the skin all the way down until you get to the back legs.
11. Repeat the same steps as you did before on the front legs here. If at any point you feel that you can peel the skin by hand then do it and save yourself some time.
12. You will need a saw (or a your knife may work) to cut the tail off. Once it is off you should be able to pull the skin off.

Quartering the Deer

1. There are two rear quarters, two front quarters, back straps and tenderloins. This process may require a small amount of trial and error if you have never done it before. If you have the least bit of dexterity it will be easy after you take the first quarter. Don’t let it scare you. First, stand between the hanging deers legs push the deers right leg to your left and make cut where the fibrous tisse connects the leg to the chest. Follow the fibrous tissue until you get the the bone. At that point I like to really push out on the leg in the same direction you have been this will either expose the ball and socket joint of the leg or at least give a since of where it is. Try to expose the ball and socket so that you can see where to cut without having to cut the bone. I believe that it makes it easier.
2. Staying against the ribcage cut the meat all the way around the body until the meat starts to thin. When the leg is off of the body lay it in a clean unscented heavy duty trash bag. Don’t worry you will be washing the mess out of this meat.
3. Repeat the same thing on the other front leg. When removed from the body into the trash bag it goes.
4. Rear quarters are about the same. Put them in the bag too once they have been removed from the body.
5. Now get some freezer two to be exact. Write on one Back straps and on the other tenderloins. The very best cut of meat are the tenderloins. With my friends the person who helped me track the deer also helped me skin it. So I will usually save that cut for that person and I to enjoy as a victory meal for a good harvest. It has been a great tradition for me and my friends. Now its time to take the backstraps. Find the backbone at the base of the neck just below where the hair still remains. Put your knife in the thick muscle tissue that resides directly to the left of the backbone. Then make the incision to the right of the backbone. Make the incision all the way down the backbone until you reach were you cut out your rear quarters. The blade should touch the backbone on the side of the blade and ribs at the tip as you run the blade down the length of the body.
6. Now move your blade about 3-4″ to the left of the backbone. Once the incision is made go back to the top connect the incisions with a transverse (side to side) incision and start to free the muscle from the bone. I do this by grabbing the muscle and pulling up with some light traction from my fingers. I then slowly, run the blade perpendicularly down the spine. You should be pulling up a really thick and very long steak. Repeat the same process on the other side.
7. Now grab a flashlight and shine it in the deers body cavity. If you look at the area of the spine you will find that there is a band of muscle on either side. Trace this mucsle with your knife and free it from the bone just like you did with the tenderloins.

Cutting the meat into steaks, stew meat, roasts and burger
I don’t use any special formula for dividing my meat other than this.

• Rear quarters, tenderloins and back straps are best for steaks.
• Front quarters are good for jerky and burger.

1. Get a butchers knife. Cut the ligament (or the white cordlike structure that looks like something you would have a hard time chewing), which is toward the bottom of the leg.
2. You should make an incision into the meat along the length of the bone. Once you have made the incision down to the bone you should try to pull the bone out of the meat or the meat off of the bone. It may be necessary to use the knife to accomplish this. On the front quarter this will be much more difficult then on the rear. Be careful to get whatever meat that you can off of the bone. I wouldn’t spend forever trying to accomplish this but you will get the idea as you go along.
3. Keep the front quarter meat and the rear quarter meat seperate.
4. Now take the rear quarter and decide if you want a roast. If so keep it in mind as you proceed through this step. There is a thin layer of muscle that looks bubbly on top of the thigh. Lift this up and off of the rest of the meat. Put it aside to add to the burger. The rest of the rear quarter meat will be your steaks and/or roasts. Cut the meat to sizes that you like thick or thin.
5. Cut the thick white material off from the outer edge of the steaks.
6. The front quarter meat will be kind of stringy. Try to cut what ever thick white stuff that you can away from this meat. Then cut the meat into as small pieces as you can to facilitate easier grinding to make burger. Keep in mind that the more of the tendon and ligament that your remove the less chewy it will become.
7. Clean the steaks and all meat under cold running water. Try to get any hair or dirt off of the meat.
8. Bag the meat in the amounts that you will use them. I like to use a vaccuum sealer. They are very inexpensive and will keep your meat for a much longer time than regular freezer bags. I have used freezer bags before but after a month or so they start to get a little freezer burnt.
9. Write the date of packaging and what type of meat (back strap steaks, rear quarter steaks, etc).
10. Cook your meat and enjoy.

I hope that this helps. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different techniques of butchering. Sometimes my method isn’t as pretty as you will find at the butchers shop but it tastes just as good.

God Bless,
Sean
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But better late than never!

I receive quite a bit of email about Deer hunting on public land. Having just came back from a Controlled Hunt on Public Land myself, here are some tips for [...]]]> I guess this should have been written ealier in the year seeing how many States deer hunting season’s are already under way.

But better late than never!

I receive quite a bit of email about Deer hunting on public land. Having just came back from a Controlled Hunt on Public Land myself, here are some tips for you that are heading out to hunt Public Land Deer.

1. Get a map. Preferably a topo map and an aireal photo of the area where you’ll be hunting. You can find good topo maps on the Internet at several areas or contact the USGS for an index. A good map will show you many things. Some of the things you’ll be wanting to look for are: where are other hunters parking, areas that will funnel deer into a tight area such as saddles in ridges, potential feeding and beddeing areas, waterways, old roads, etc.
2. Do your scouting. This should go without saying, but you’d be surprised at how many just pick a place and go hunting without ever setting foot on the place. Prepare for success by using some boot leather to get the feel of the land and to try and pattern both the Deer and Deer Hunters!
3. Pattern the Hunters. Since you’ll likely have company from other Hunters when visiting Public Hunting area, get to know where they park and the areas that they’ll likely be hunting. Use this information to determine Where Not To Hunt! You can also use this information to determine likely areas where these Hunters will push the Deer as they’re coming and going to their stands.
4. Hunt the Midday. It doesn’t take long for Deer to pattern the Hunters. They know that most Hunters will be out of their stands by 9 a.m. (many much sooner) and walking around before heading back to their vehicles for coffee, lunch and a nap. Plan on hunting during the midday hours. I can’t tell you how many Bucks I’ve seen from 11 to 3 on Public Hunting land. If you’ve done your homework and are set up away from the other Hunters, you may be pleasantly surprised at a visit from a Buck during the midday when other Hunters are back at their trucks taking a Siesta.
5. Call the Manager. Part of your pre-hunt scouting should be a call to the Manager of the Public land where you’ll be hunting. They can provide valuable information on Hunter access and likely spots to find a Buck during the Hunting Season. They can also let you in on how the Deer herd is doing and clue you into what the Deer are feeding on.
6. Plan on getting your Deer out. Many Deer Hunters never plan on how to get their Deer out once they have it down. They never think about it until they are faced with the daunting task of dragging a Buck out of the woods. It would be smart to invest in one of the Big Game Carts
   advertised in the Outdoor catalogs.
7. Think outside the box. As I said earlier, Deer pattern Hunters much better than Hunters pattern Deer. If most hunters are Hunting fields or easy to reach areas, do something different. Find thickets or other areas where Hunters will not hunt. Swamps and overgrown clear cuts are two of my favorite areas to hunt on Public land. I love to hear Hunters say “That area is too nasty to hunt, you can’t see very far in there”. That’s the kind of place I want to be. The group of guys I grew up hunting with were the first to hunt the flooded timber for Deer. No one else would put on wader and go in after the Deer. Now, many people will but few are successful because the lack the patience and experience to still hunt the flooded timber properly. Do and go where other Hunters will not!

Most public hunting is not easy. But with a little planning and thinking outside the box, your hunt can be successful. Just remember, these Deer are hunted hard so plan on outsmarting them. You can reason, Deer can’t!

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Over the years it seems that rubs are one [...]]]> With the deer hunting season fast approaching in many areas of the country, many deer hunters are looking for buck sign in their favorite patch of woods. Rubs happen to be one sure sign that a buck has been in the area. Doe deer don’t make rubs.

Over the years it seems that rubs are one piece of buck sign that most deer hunters mis diagnose when scouting. I’m not sure why, perhaps they haven’t taken the time to really educate their self on the different types of rubs. I’ve even heard old Grizzled deer hunters call deer scraps “rubs” and deer rubs “scrapes”.

I hope to shed some light on the different types of buck rubs and the timeline you’ll likely see these rubs.

Late Summer Buck Rubs

Starting in late August through September in most parts of the country, you’ll start finding rubs on small bushes and saplings. In my area, the Sumac, Pine and Cedar are favored bushes that bucks rub on.

Bucks rub on these saplings at this time of the year to help remove the velvet from their antlers. In fact, it’s not uncommon to find these bushes with pieces of velvet still on them.

I’ve never seen a buck come back to these rubs on a routine basis. For them, these are simply a tool to remove velvet. They simply tell you that a buck, or bucks, have passed by and rubbed velvet off. Nothing to see here folks, just keep moving.

Pre Rut Buck Rubs

I was once told by an Old Timer that bucks rub on trees to mark their paths. Ummm….okay. I have a small problem with that theory. Bucks live in their little patch of woods year round, why do they need trail markers just for the fall? How would they find their trail at other times of the year? I’ve never bout that piece of advice personally.

The type of rubs I find during the hunting season leading up to the rut are what I call the Pre Rut Buck Rubs. These are rubs bucks make going to and from bedding and feeding areas. You’ll likely find many along deer trails.

Look for trees in your area that are very fragrant when the bark is peeled back. Sumac (called Shoe-Makes in my neck of the woods), Cedar and Pine are all favorites of bucks around here. Bucks love to rub trees like these. My theory of why bucks prefer these trees is that it’s possible the thick sap holds scent from their glands for a longer period of time. I believe these rubs are bucks letting other bucks know they’re in the area. Marking their territory so to speak. Kinda like your dog walking the perimeter of your yard and peeing on ever little bush it comes to.

It’s been my experience that bucks will make clusters of these rubs near their bedding area. Once you get outside of their bedding area, you’ll start to see rubs spaced apart along a trail. You can sometimes tell when and what time a buck made the rubs by looking at which side of the tree the rub is on.

If the rubbed part of the tree is facing the feeding area, it’s likely this rub was made by a buck on his way back to his bed. That’s generally in the Mornings.

On the other hand, if you find the bare part of a rub facing the thicker bedding area, it’s likely the buck made the rub in the afternoon or evening as he is heading to the feeding area.

In big woods areas, I’ve also found these types of rubs between Doe groups. I can generally find these along ridgelines or along remove waterways such as creek beds.

Sign Post Rubs

Nothing, and I mean nothing, screams “Big Buck” like a sign post rub.

I don’t think that there is another piece of buck sign, other than a sighting, that will tell you that you’re dealing with a He Man of a buck.

I’ve heard several theories of why big bucks make sign post rubs. But in my opinion, they’re made to tell all other bucks to “stay clear, The Boss lives here.”

The buck that makes these rubs may rub smaller trees, and generally does. But I’ve never seen a smaller buck make a sign post rub.

I generally find sign post rubs near a bucks bedding area. When I find one, I start paying real close attention to the surrounding area and on which side of the tree the rub is. It’s not uncommon to find a sign post rub that has been rubbed entirely around the tree.

Most sign post rubs I’ve seen have been on trees 2 inches in diameter and larger. The largest one I’ve ever seen was on a Cedar tree back in the sticks in Eastern Oklahoma. The tree was nearly 4 inches in diameter.

If you find an area that has fresh sign post rubs and dead trees from previous years rubs, you’ve found the Mother Load. This tells you the buck has lived here for at least two years.

Deer Hunting Tactics For Rubs

I’ve known hunters who found a few rubs on small bushes early in the year and hunt the entire season over those rubs. Like I said earlier, those early season rubs don’t amount to anything other than getting rid of some velvet.

The rubs you really want to concentrate are the ones made in the Pre Rut. These are the ones that Bucks will generally follow, simply because they make them along their paths.

Here’s a hot deer hunting tip for you. When looking over trails, look parallel on both sides of the trails for buck rubs. The reason why is that some smart old bucks will not travel down the same trail as does and smaller bucks, but will travel parallel downwind. If a Buck is paralleling a deer trail, I generally find it around 50 to 70 yards on either side of the main trail. Smart old bucks know it’s not wise to walk down just any old trail in the Fall!

If I find one or more sign post rub, then I try to back off just a ways along the route I think the buck is coming into or exiting his bedding area. I pick a spot where I have favorable wind. Many times, I’ll only be able to hunt this stand a few time during the season. The buck picks his bedding area because of the benefits to him, not because it’s easy for you to set a stand up on him!

Hunting Rubs During the Rut

During the rut, everything is off. By this time, if I haven’t killed a Buck, I’m switching tactics and hunting the Does. If a Buck is with a Doe, he’s not worried about making rubs and scrapes.

If he’s an older Buck but hasn’t found a Doe yet, he’s traveling looking for Does, making and checking scrapes and looking for Does. Generally he doesn’t have the time nor desire to make rubs.

In my opinion, hunting bucks along rub line during the Rut is low priority for me. The bucks are either going to be with the Does or traveling between the Doe groups.  (although they may follow trails that have rubs along them when traveling between Doe groups)

So get out there and look for those Pre-Season buck rubs. They’ll likely point out where your buck is traveling. Now all you need to do is find the best spot to take him in!

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The state of Wisconsin is only a mere three days away from turning completely blaze orange. Thousands of diehard deer hunters from across the nation make their way north to participate in the annual nine-day deer firearm season. A time when families gather, jokes are passed and the sweet smell of chili lingers [...]]]> -By Brandon Wikman

The state of Wisconsin is only a mere three days away from turning completely blaze orange. Thousands of diehard deer hunters from across the nation make their way north to participate in the annual nine-day deer firearm season. A time when families gather, jokes are passed and the sweet smell of chili lingers in the kitchen.

I’ve always been passionate about strictly archery deer hunting, but chasing big bucks with a firearm isn’t so bad either. I remember my very first opening day like it was yesterday. I was far too young to shoot a gun, but I tagged along with my uncle snacking on beef jerky and anxiously waiting to watch him clobber a deer. I would layer myself until I could barely move my arms and always made sure I stuffed my pockets with hand-warmers. I’d bring a few magazines, a handful of candy and something to drink. During the evening our hunting group would enjoy a hot meal, tell stories about each of our day’s highlights and kick back to watch a good hunting video. It’s times like those that never seem slip the mind. It’s always a pleasure to recollect and realize hunting isn’t all about shooting deer, but rather enjoying one’s company and kindling the hunting fire within. I have my uncle to thank for inviting me to experience a lifestyle enriched in deep-hearted memory.

It seems as if my hunting habits haven’t changed a whole lot since then. I always pack myself a lunch full of goodies, thermos brim full of hot cocoa, and a hunting magazine or two to keep me occupied. I still harbor the excitement of opening day and never regret the late night early morning transitions. It’s just all a part of the deer hunting experience.

This year, as always, I will be hunting with my good friends at Bluff Bucks Outfitters in Buffalo County, WI. Today I had spare time between classes and managed to escape college life, but only briefly. I spent the afternoon in a marsh I know all to well. The time was spent double-checking my gun stand, re-clearing shooting lanes and putting my Moultrie cams to work.

I’ve been capturing photographs of a few dandy bucks in the area, but all were taken during the wee hours of the morning. I am hoping with enough luck, one of those bone-headed beastly critters will wander by my tree stand during shooting hours. One thing I’ve learned is that there isn’t any telling when the moment of truth will come. I learned that last year as I climbed out of my stand at noon only to shimmy back up it to fire a bullet into my largest whitetail to date. During firearm season, anything goes. A neighbor may spook a deer your way to or from his lofty perch or perhaps a hot doe crosses with buck-baggage following.

If I were to shed any advice that I’ve learned over the years from great hunters, I’d simply say sit all day. Firearm season only last a couple weeks. It’s not like you can run wild through the woods with a loaded firearm everyday.

When it all boils down to it, firearm season in the great state of Wisconsin or anywhere for that matter has a positive rippling effect that has kept hunting traditions alive and families tightly-knit. I hope all of you have a successful hunting adventure and as always, hunt safe.

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