As a waterfowler, all the knowledge I have obtained has always come from someone else. Well, maybe with the exception of what not to do, that all was self taught. Fun stuff like, testing water depth with a new gun, or trying to substitute toilet paper with willow leaves (Not durable, let me tell you). But all the things that make me a half way decent wing shot today I learned from someone else. My Dad taught me that it was always good to have a durable thermos for those cold mornings, and if you didn’t have a durable thermos, to have a pretty decent cup and a buddy with a durable thermos. When I first picked up a call, my Uncle told me that he could put some pitch into it and with just a little of my Uncle’s “pitch”, my call was sinking in the decoys. Obviously trying to tell me something, I figured it was time I find a new sound.

My search led me to the local outdoors store that wasn’t bigger than my family’s garage. There selection was some what small but I figured I would still have a look. The only duck call on the shelf was one made by someone I have never heard of, Buck Gardner was the name and the call was Fowl Mouth. Naturally, I did what any duck hunter does and ripped the call right out of the package and blew on the call quietly enough so the person behind the counter didn’t scowled me for calling or laugh at my terrible rendition of a mallard hen. Even with that mouse squawk push of air, a distinct “quack” came out of the call. I was amazed, I actually produced a sound that closely resembled something from the waterfowl species. All that afternoon and night I blew that call until I figured out what would get me by the next morning in the blind. Just a few quacks and some chuckling would hopefully keep my call dry and out of the decoys.

Over time I began to learn more about who Buck Gardner was and realized what a big name he was in waterfowling. A Champion of Champions world class duck caller, Buck has been helping green horns like my previous self break into the sport of waterfowling for decades. Anxious to know more about him, I recently was able to ask him a few questions about himself and his work...

Where did you originally grow up?
[Buck Gardner] I grew up in Aubrey , AR. Just outside of Marianna.

Where was your first duck hunt?
[Buck Gardner] I hunted with my Dad in the Warrior Bottoms about 3 miles SE of Aubrey.

What made you decide to make your own calls?
[Buck Gardner] I just wanted to see if I could make a call sound like I wanted it to.

What is your favorite Buck Gardner call?
[Buck Gardner] BuckBrush Acrylic single reed.

What do you like most about your job?
[Buck Gardner] Getting Kids started hunting.

What impact do you hope to have on future waterfowlers?
[Buck Gardner] I want to encourage them to be good ambassadors for our sport so that we can all keep going afield. I also want them to pass along this privilege to the next generation and not to forget and take their old Dad’s hunting when they grow up.

Where do you see Buck Gardner calls going?
[Buck Gardner] I hope we will continue to grow in the Waterfowl business and also be able to grow more into a full line call company having a complete line of deer, turkey and predator calls. We want to continue to innovate in the area of instructional media.

If you would like any information on Buck Gardner or Buck Gardner Calls, please visit his website: www.buckgardner.com

Posted by T. Fanning at 09:00 AM | Permalink

This past Friday was the opening day of the shotgun season in Illinois. I’m not real big on gun hunting, but I do like to go out and shoot some does. I would much rather take a buck with my bow. If a monster whitetail presented itself, I probably couldn’t resist taking him, but it would have to be a true giant.

My buddy and I planned to hunt different ends of a 150 acre farm and there were going to be 4 others hunting this farm with us. Along with those four, are more than a dozen others who hunt the same block of timber, just on other owners ground. Conditions were perfect for whitetails, it was right around 30 degrees, clear, and calm winds. I hunted the downwind side of a bedding area in a pine thicket. Adjacent to both the bed and the stand of pines was a wheat field. As soon as I settled in the stand, a dog started barking in the direction of the bed. Shortly after, a deer walked right under me and into the wheat field. I couldn’t tell what it was because it was well over an hour before first light. During shotgun season, I like to get to my stand a couple hours before light in hopes that other late arriving hunters will push deer to me at first light. For the next couple hours, I saw nothing. Finally at 8 am, 4 does walked out of the bedding area and walked a trail that skirts the edge of the field. They walked past me at 40 yards. I was lucky enough to shoot the first two. I dropped the lead one, and put a great double lung shot on the second, she ran 30 yards and piled up. I ended my shotgun season quickly and did some good for the herd. I knew that these would probably be some of the only does taken off this property because of the mentality of the other hunters around.

My buddy was set up deep in the woods and saw deer the entire morning. Shortly after he settled in, two small bucks fought below him. He ended up seeing a monster 8 point buck that came in behind him. Unfortunately he didn’t see him until it was too late. He was watching four younger bucks dog a hot doe in front of him. After they had passed, he stood up to stretch. When he did, the big guy saw him and ran. In total he saw 35 deer, ten of which were bucks. The majority was 1.5, but he did let a nice 2.5 year old 10 and an 8 walk. He ended up shooting a small 7 point that had been wounded earlier in the morning.

Two other hunters that were with us shot 2.5 year old whitetail bucks. One was an 8 and the other a 9. They would have been great deer next year. We’ve tried all year to get people to pass younger deer so we can all start seeing good bucks, but have been unsuccessful so far. They were both really happy with the deer, and if that’s the case, then that’s all that matters. Between the other 4 hunters and myself we saw close to 60 deer. Four of which were definite trophies. It was a great morning full of chasing and rutting activity. I would say the chasing was definitely in full swing.

I decided to film for my buddy on Friday afternoon since I was tagged out. We were running behind and headed out a little later than we wanted too. As we were walking in, not 50 yards from where we had planned on sitting, we saw a 170+ in. monster whitetail with a big 6 point. Had we been there by 1pm like we had planned, chances are he would have had a chance at the giant buck. We still ended up sitting in that spot and saw 6 does the rest of the afternoon, but the booner never showed himself again.

Posted by B. Hagemeier at 07:00 AM | Permalink

Friday marked the end of the bear hunting season in Virginia. This was my first hunting season that I focused more on killing my first bear, than chasing big whitetails. After a good buddy killed a 382 pound bear on our property last year I decided I was going to attempt that feat this year.

The bear season started last February for me. My father and I, along with help from friends, cleared two new fields on our property in Virginia. The goal was to put the only corn fields in for miles around. I spent an entire week in the spring plowing, disking, removing roots and rocks, in preparation for planting. The results were outstanding. In a matter of 4 months we turned a forested bottom land into a lush corn field. As the summer months passed on I got hundreds of trail cam pictures of numerous bear frequenting our corn fields. There was one problem, the bears ate all the corn off the fields by early September and bear season was a month away! Having changed my strategy I focused my attention on the heavy mast crop of acorns we had this year. Needless to say I spent many hours perched in the oak flats hoping for a bear to wander in. After many days in the woods I saw a great deal of deer and turkeys, but no bear. It wasn’t until last week when the muzzeloading season for bear opened that I saw the bear I was after. We estimate this bear to be over 400 lbs and possibly make the B&C book. The only problem was, I was sitting on the wrong end of the corn field, and was not about to attempt the 250 yard shot. So I sat in the tree watching, realizing that my chance at a bear this season was quickly ending. I reflected on the many lessons I learned while chasing the elusive bear. For starters I will plan to hit the oak flats earlier next year, and search out ones that are hidden deep in the timber. We are also planning to get a higher percentage of the fields planted in corn this year, being as it was the first time the land had been plowed in over 100 years, we hope each year will get better and better. Another goal is to fertilize specific oak trees that I noticed had a healthy crop of acorns in an effort to make them the preferred tree of game. All in all I had fun with the challenge of bear hunting and feel completely satisfied with my efforts despite not having taken a bear. But so goes bowhunting, if it was easy I probably wouldn’t be so in love with it. The one unfortunate part is that I’m left with only a week of good bowhunting before Maryland gun season opens. Stay tuned, I’ll be chasin them hard this week!

Posted by E. Jones at 10:00 AM | Permalink

Of course the name Mitch Rompola has come up every year on message boards everywhere since that famous November 13th 1998. Most everyone has seen the pictures of the “Potential World Record Whitetail” taken on this day. The controversy that surrounds Mitch Rompola, and this famous whitetail is unreal. I for one, loved the story and to read about all the “it’s a fake” theories, ect. Well I came across this video the other day, I don’t know much about it, other then it says that it is Mitch Rompola narrating and filming the recovery of this famous deer. I find it very hard to believe that someone could film, and have pictures of this deer if it was a fake. I know this is brought up every year, but I’d really like to know what the real story is, and if this deer is real, and is hanging on his wall, I think it deserves the credit. Click the link below to check out the Video and stop by the message board and chime in on the thread in the “Deer Hunting” Forum.

Original Link : Mitch Rompola's big buck Uploaded by: stevejohnson

Posted by S. Johnson at 11:00 AM | Permalink

In 1994 I began researching deer, using a journal and keeping a record of all my deer sightings, their location, sex, size and activity; along with their direction of travel, the temperature, wind-speed, wind-chill, humidity, dewpoint, cloud cover, precipitation, barometric pressure, moon position and moonlight. As a result of my seven-year study I realized there were several different meteorological conditions that both decreased, and increased daytime deer movement. I was most interested in the conditions that caused increased deer movement during the day. After analyzing my data, and correlating it with my observations over the years, I discovered several conditions that cause deer to move during the day once the rut has ended.

Light and Movement
During the fall, as the leaves begin to fall, most whitetail deer movement occurs at night, and most deer are seen during daylight hours at dawn and dusk, when they feel secure. Deer feel secure moving in low light conditions. It doesn't make any difference what time of day it is as long as the light conditions resemble those at dawn and dusk. When cloud cover, fog, light rain or snow reduces the amount of available sunlight deer feel secure moving and feeding during daylight. Throughout much of North America the sky is cloudy most of the time from November on, which often causes deer to move during the day.

Temperature Factors
During cold weather deer move less, because cold temperatures cause them to lose body heat. However, when prolonged cold weather keeps deer from feeding regularly; or when low food sources and cold weather cause them to loose calories and weight, they are forced to search for food, and they often move during the warmest part of the day, usually in the late afternoon or early evening, especially if there is cloud cover that may keep heat from dissipating.
In the northern states, when the temperature, dewpoint or wind-chill drop below 20 degrees, deer movement is often restricted to heavy cover, downwind sides of hills, low lying, or other protected areas, where deer can escape wind-chills. My research indicates that wind-chill is the determining factor in deer movement. Although I often saw deer during the day when temperatures were above 20 degrees I rarely saw deer in the open when wind speeds reduced 20 degree temperatures to wind-chills below 20 degrees. It doesn't take much of a wind to create a low wind-chill. A five mile per hour wind at 20 degrees produces a 16 degree wind-chill. A ten mile an hour wind at 20 degrees produces a 4 degree wind-chill.

Wind-Speed
High wind-speeds also decrease deer movement. Strong winds make it difficult for deer to hear properly, and if the deer are in wooded areas the wind blows scent around, bouncing it off trees, making it difficult to determine the source of the scent. In most areas wind-speeds between 10 and 20 miles per hour make deer nervous and cause them to stay in protected areas, or seek areas where there is less wind. Deer in the plains states, where wind speeds often average 15 miles per hour are more tolerant of high winds than woodland deer.

Food Factors
When food sources are scarce, especially after agricultural crops have been harvested, grazing plants have been depleted and mast and berries are gone, deer are forced to rely primarily on browse. If other preferred food sources are available deer will use them until they are depleted, then search for another source. Limited food sources in late fall/early winter often concentrate the deer, including older trophy class bucks, on the food sources.

Weather
During my study, when wind-chills were above 20 degrees, most deer sightings occurred from 4:00 to 8:30 PM, and from 5:30 to 8:30 AM. When temperatures were below 20 degrees, and when cloud cover provided low light security factors during the day, I saw deer feeding in open areas as early 2:30 in the afternoon; and they were seen returning to their bedding areas as late as 9:00 in the morning. Although bucks generally head back to their core areas before the does I often saw them as late as 8:30; from an hour to a half hour after sunrise. When the sky was cloudy, wind-chills were below 20 degrees and the wind-speed was below 10 miles per hour, most deer sightings occurred between 2:30 and 6:00 PM and between 6:30 and 9:00 AM.

Post Rut Bucks
Although early winter creates harsh conditions with low temperatures, rain and snow, it is one of the few times during the year when bucks carrying trophy racks may be seen together. Because the rut is over the bucks are no longer antagonistic toward each other, and they often begin to reform the bachelor groups they were in before the rut. They are also in search of high quality foods, in order to gain back the weight they lost during the rut. This combination of factors provides late season hunters the opportunity to see several bucks, including some that are trophy class, together on a regular basis.
On several occasions I have seen trophy class, dominant bucks like the three mentioned above, traveling together when the sky was cloudy and the temperatures were low. The largest deer I ever saw, a 12 point 200 class buck, was traveling with a button buck near a cornfield on a cold, cloudy day in December at 8:30 in the morning.
The Right Area
The key to hunting late season trophy bucks, as you can see by my hunt, is to be in an area where trophy bucks abound. That hunt took place in a lightly hunted region of southern Minnesota, where hunting is by primitive methods only. Because of the hunting restrictions, and the cold weather, hunting pressure is always minimal, and there are several bucks scoring between 140 and 170 in the area, making it easy for a persistent hunter to see trophy bucks.
When you are hunting late season deer you need to know where the food sources are, and know the trails the deer use during daylight as they move to and from the fields. The easiest way to find the food sources is to regularly scout the area by driving the farm country roads to locate fields that haven't been picked. Or you can get up high and watch the deer from a distance. Personally I like to watch deer from a portable stand or blind, or a high hill where you can stand and wait for the deer.

Right Place, Right Time
When you are hunting in the afternoon or evening, the farther from the food source you are, without getting too close to bedding areas, the better your chances of seeing deer during the day. Even though the deer may arrive at the food source well before dark, they are most alert near the food sources, where you may be detected. And, because bucks generally travel later than does, you will have a better chance of seeing them in protected areas, well away from the food sources, in the early afternoon.
When you are hunting in the morning try to position yourself between night resting areas/early morning food sources, and daytime bedding areas. Your hunting sites should be located along trails leading to buck bedding areas so you have an opportunity as the bucks return to their beds.
I often see deer bed and feed in overgrown fields of brush and saplings on the downwind side of hills in the morning. They often stay in these areas until daylight, then, as the sun rises, move to areas of deeper cover. When this happens you can setup downwind or crosswind of the trails the deer use as they leave. You can also setup near known buck bedding areas, provided you get there before the buck returns.
The time to hunt late season bucks is when the conditions are right. When foods are scarce, or a preferred food is available; and when there is cloud cover and the wind-chills drop, expect to see deer earlier in the evening and later in the morning than normal. After a winter storm lets up, or it has been cold, windy, or there has been heavy precipitation for more than a day and a half, causing deer to miss two or more feeding periods, and then the wind dies down, or the wind-chill rises, expect deer to begin feeding, and to continue for the next couple of hours.

Late Season Tactics
With the rut over and most of the does bred, bucks are not as willing to respond to calling, rattling, scents and decoys as they were during the rut. But, as long as a buck carries antlers it's testosterone level is still elevated, and it may respond to estrus scents and doe calls, which can be effective when used along rub routes and scrape lines; and near daytime staging areas, food sources and buck core areas. Because bucks are not traveling as much, or as willing to respond at this time, the key to attracting bucks is to be in or near areas bucks use during the day.
Estrus scents can be placed so they spread out downwind of your hunting position to attract the buck as it approaches a food source. Estrus can also be used on a scent line by leaving drops of scent on the ground along a line that crosses a deer trail and leads to your location. Although scientific research suggests there is no doe estrus call the "social grunt," which is used by does when they are trying to locate each other will get a buck's attention at this time. When a buck responds to scents or calls it may not be because of rutting urge, it may simply be because of curiosity.
Decoys can provide the needed visual stimulus to bring a buck within range after it has responded to scents or calls. Bucks are not looking for a fight at this time of the year, and because of this doe decoys work best. A decoy with antlers may intimidate or alarm a buck, causing it to leave the area. Mobility is a key factor in late season hunting. I use a collapsible bedded doe decoy because it's lightweight and rolls up for easy transportation. With their low profile bedded decoys should be placed in a semi-open area, preferably not on a trail. In several field tests I have seen deer skirt a bedded decoy on a trail, while walking right up to it in other areas. Place bedded decoys near a bush or tree where a deer would normally bed. Standing decoys can be placed in tall grass, brush or any other area where deer might be found.
Because deer, including bucks, are looking for food at this time of the year the combination of tarsal scent and deer urine on the ground, leading to a food scent, can be very effective. The tarsal and urine are non-threatening and may arouse the buck's curiosity, the food attractant then brings it within range. These scents may also attract does, which may be followed by bucks. When you use food scents choose those particular to your area; corn, apple and acorn scents work well in most areas.
Again, because the rut is over, bucks are not looking to exert dominance, or looking for a fight, and they seldom respond to buck scents, aggressive grunts, tending grunts and rattling. However, these products and techniques, when used in combination with doe or estrus scents to create the illusion of a buck with an estrus doe, may attract a buck that simply hasn't had enough of the rut yet.

If you are interested in more whitetail hunting tips, or more whitetail biology and behavior, click on Trinity Mountain Outdoor News and T.R.'s Hunting Tips at www.TRMichels.com. If you have questions about white-tailed deer log on to the T.R.'s Tips message board. To find out when the rut starts, peaks and ends in your area click on Whitetail Rut Dates Chart.

This article is an excerpt from the Whitetail Addict's Manual ($19.95 + $5.00 S&H), by T.R. Michels, available in the Trinity Mountain Outdoor Products catalog.

T.R. Michels is a nationally recognized game researcher/wildlife behaviorist, outdoor writer and speaker. He is the author of the Whitetail, Elk, Duck & Goose, and Turkey Addict's Manuals. His latest products are Hunting the Whitetail Rut Phases, the Complete Whitetail Addict's Manual, the 2005 Revised Edition of the Elk Addict's Manual; and the 2005 Revised Edition of the Duck & Goose Addict's Manual. For a catalog of books and other hunting products contact: T.R. Michels, Trinity Mountain Outdoors, E-mail: TRMichels@yahoo.com, Web Site: www.TRMichels.com

Posted by T.R. Michels at 09:00 AM | Permalink

Several environmental conditions; including amount and type of light and weather, and lunar factors, may affect game movement. The conditions given will apply to most antlered and horned game, with the exception that larger animals, because they experience less heat loss are more tolerant of; low temperatures, dewpoints and windchills; and heavy precipitation. Northern subspecies of deer, elk and moose that are larger than their southern relatives are able to withstand colder conditions. Elk, moose and caribou tolerate lower temperatures than deer and antelope. Sheep and goats, because they have thick coats, tolerate colder, wetter conditions.

Meteorological Conditions
The weather conditions each day dictate to a great extent when and where animals move. Knowing the best conditions in which to expect game to move and feed, and where to find them allows you to hunt more productively. The flexible parameters given apply to upper Midwest deer, but should apply to most areas with comparable weather conditions.

Available Light

Type Reaction
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Overcast Stay later in the morning Deer and elk move in low light because it makes them feel
and come out earlier in secure during daylight hours.
the evening than normal.

Sunny Leave open areas earlier
in the morning and come
out later in the evening
than normal.

Morning Leave earlier than normal. Dawn and dusk moonlight make game feel insecure.
moonlight

Evening Come out later than normal.
moonlight

All night May cause increased Moonlight allows game and predators to see and feed at
moonlight movement. night. Deer may move during the day to avoid predators.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Wind Speed Movement
___________________________________________________________________________________________
0-5 mph Best

6-10 mph Some

11-15 mph Limited During high winds animals have a hard time hearing and
smelling, they feed and bed on the downwind side of hills
30+ mph Minimal and woods. They often use benches 1/3 of the way down the
hill, in the calm pocket where winds are less. ____________________________________________________________________________________________
Shifting/gusty winds usually cause deer to seek cover but they nervously bed and move throughout the day.

Thermal Time
Currents
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Rising Morning Sunlight causes air to warm and rise. In hills or mountains game will bed uphill during the day to catch rising scent.

Falling Evening Darkness cools air causing downward currents. Game may bed low at night to catch falling scents. As they move uphill in the morning they catch the scents that are still falling.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Daytime Temperature or Dewpoint (temperature and humidity combined)

Degrees Movement
____________________________________________________________________________________________
0-9 Restricts movement to late In extreme cold game may move during the day in low light
morning and early evening. conditions when air is warm. They may bed in areas open to the sun.

10-19 Some late and early
morning movement.

20-49 Normal morning and
evening movement.

50+ Restricts movement to Winter coats make heat uncomfortable for game.
darkness and cool air.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Daytime Wind-chill

Degrees Movement
____________________________________________________________________________________________
-0 Restricts movement. The combination of wind and low temperature has the same effect as low temperature. Game feed and bed on the down wind side of woods and hills
0-9 May move late morning
and early evening when
temperatures are warmest.

10-19 Some movement.

20+ Good movement.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

During high temperatures or dewpoint, wind speeds that create a lower wind-chill or dewpoint may increase deer movement during normal movement times, especially if there is cloud cover.

Precipitation

Daytime
Type Movement
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Fog, drizzle Good movement. Light precipitation reduces the amount of light and makes game feel
lt. rain, lt. snow secure during the day.

Moderate to Minimal movement. Precipitation is uncomfortable and causes animals to lose heat.
heavy rain and
snow.

Heavy rain or Restricts movement. Reduces the ability to see and hear. Game seek cover.
snow, sleet, hail
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Barometric
Pressure Movement
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Rising Good movement. Foretells good, possibly milder, weather after a storm.
Game will feed.

Falling Good Movement. Foretells inclement weather. Game may be able to feel changes and
feed before the storm.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Because fish and birds have air sacs in their bodies they may have the ability to feel barometric pressure changes. Geese are known to feed and begin to flock two days prior to the arrival of a storm, then migrate with advancing cold fronts.
Hunters claim deer also feed heavily prior to a storm. During my study I found no correlation with rising or falling barometric pressure. I did find that more deer were seen when there were abrupt barometric changes. Deer were frequently seen feeding after storms let up, especially if they lasted a day or more. I found no evidence that deer began to feed prior to the arrival of a storm, suggesting that they knew a storm was approaching. Even if deer could predict a storm, the occurrence of feeding deer would be a better predictor of the storm than changes in barometric pressure would be of predicting deer movement.

The Daily Deer Movement Indicator
As a result of my studies I devised the Daily Deer Movement Indicator, which will help you decide whether or not to hunt each day, and where to hunt, based on the current weather conditions in your area. One to two hours before you hunt you check the current weather conditions, mark the appropriate scores on the Indicator and, based on the score, decide whether or not you want to hunt that day. The accompanying information on the Indicator then suggests the best places to hunt based on the weather conditions.

If you are interested in more deer hunting tips, or more whitetail biology and behavior, click on Trinity Mountain Outdoor News and T.R.'s Hunting Tips at www.TRMichels.com. If you have questions about white-tailed deer log on to the T.R.'s Tips message board. To find out when the rut starts, peaks and ends in your area click on Whitetail Rut Dates Chart.

This article is an excerpt from the Whitetail Addict's Manual ($19.95 + $5.00 S&H), by T.R. Michels, available in the Trinity Mountain Outdoor Products catalog.

T.R. Michels is a nationally recognized game researcher/wildlife behaviorist, outdoor writer and speaker. He is the author of the Whitetail, Elk, Duck & Goose, and Turkey Addict's Manuals. His latest products are Hunting the Whitetail Rut Phases, the Complete Whitetail Addict's Manual, the 2005 Revised Edition of the Elk Addict's Manual; and the 2005 Revised Edition of the Duck & Goose Addict's Manual. For a catalog of books and other hunting products contact: T.R. Michels, Trinity Mountain Outdoors, E-mail:TRMichels@yahoo.com, Web Site: www.TRMichels.com

Posted by T.R. Michels at 08:06 AM | Permalink

Whether you hunt on your own or with a guide, there are a few things to remember when you are hunting geese. A couple of guided hunts near the Rochester Goose Refuge near Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN are excellent examples of things to think about before you hunt. The hunts were scheduled well ahead of time, according to the dates when some friends of mine were going to be in town, and on days that the guide had openings. We hunted during the week before Thanksgiving, which is when the migratory Canada geese from Manitoba generally arrive in Rochester. Unfortunately, it had been quite warm in Manitoba, and less than 20,000 of the normal 35,000 migratory geese had arrived in Rochester. Many of those geese had been there for up to two weeks, and they had been hunted constantly during that time.

The geese normally began to fly off the lakes, ponds, gravel pits and rivers within the refuge by 7:30 to 8:00 AM. On the first day we saw very few geese, and they didn't begin flying until around 10:00 AM. When the geese did fly they landed in a picked cornfield within the refuge a mile from where we waited in our heated pits, surrounded by several dozen Big Foot full bodied goose decoys, and "Flag Man" Lander Flags and Pole Kites. The geese that did leave the refuge late in the afternoon flew west of us in several flocks, following each other in what goose guides refer to as an "express" on their way to a feeding field several miles from the refuge. The few geese we saw paid little attention to the calling and flagging of myself and the several other guides as they headed out to feed.
While up to 2,000 geese were still feeding in the picked cornfield a mile from where we waited in our pits three days later, several family groups of from 2 to 10 geese flew out of the refuge between 7:30 and 10:00 AM. Three of those flocks responded to our decoys, and our calling and flagging, at the same time, and tried to land in the field before we rolled back the doors on our pits and knocked down six of them. When I stood up to shoot, one of those flocks was no more than 15 yards away, and I had to wait until they flared and began to fly away before I dropped two of them with my first and third shots. One big gander was so close that I could see the surprise in its right eye as I stood up.

The differences in the meteorological conditions on those two hunts is what made the difference in the numbers of geese flying out to feed, the numbers of geese leaving the refuge, the numbers of geese that responded to our flagging, calling, and decoys; and consequently in the numbers of geese we shot. On the first hunt it had been 23 degrees in the morning, with a 10-12 mile per hour wind out of the east, with a wind-chill factor was hovering around 5 degrees, there were clear skies and it was the week of the full moon. The second hunt occurred three days later. It had been 27 degrees in the morning, the wind was blowing at 3-5 miles per hour out of the west, the wind-chill factor was 23 degrees, it had been cloudy all night, it was still cloudy the next morning, and it was still the week of the full moon.
While we were on the first hunt one of the guides commented on how few geese we were seeing, and how many geese they had seen last week, I told him that we were seeing exactly what I had expected under the circumstances. As large and winter hardy as they are, even Giant Canada geese rarely fly far to feed when temperatures or wind-chills are below 20 degrees, and they rarely fly at all when temperatures are below 10 degrees. In fact, noted goose researcher Dr. Jim Cooper tells me that when the temperature or wind-chills are below 10 degrees Giants can sit on a lake for 30 days without leaving. Cooper that if they fly out when it is that cold they actually expend more energy going out to feed than they gain in feeding.
Because the geese had been heavily hunted for almost two weeks before our hunt I also expected that they would have become hunter way, and shy of decoy, calling and flagging, which is why they paid no attention to the expert calling and flagging techniques of several professional guides. The geese had learned that if they didn't see and hear exactly what they should as they followed other geese to a feeding they field, there was probably something wrong with what they saw and heard. The fact that there were no clouds added to the wariness of the geese, because our binoculars, guns and even the carefully brushed-off decoys all reflected the bright sun, which the high flying geese could probably see a mile or more away. In situations like this all it takes is for one smart gander to sense that something is wrong, and he will lead the whole flock away from the most realistic decoy setup.
The reasons why the geese responded to our setup on the second hunt were because the wind-chill factor was above 20 degrees, and there was cloud cover. Cloud cover not only reduces the glare of the sun it also keeps heat from dissipating at night, which often results in warmer morning temperatures the next day. Cloud cover during the night also reduces the amount of moonlight. When there is a full moon, and there is no cloud cover, it results in enough moonlight that geese feeding late in the afternoon will often continue to feed well into the night, because they can see well enough to feel secure. This often results in the geese not coming out to feed the next morning. But, when there is a full moon that is obscured by cloud cover, the geese can't see well at night, and they usually stop feeding and return to the roost within an hour of sunset. Which results in the geese flying out to feed the next morning, provided the weather conditions are right.
Hunting Refuge Geese
One of the lessons that can be learned from this is that refuge geese become extremely wary of decoys, calls and flagging within one to two weeks of arriving at the refuge. If you are hunting "hunter wise" refuge geese, that stay within the refuge because there is enough food inside the refuge that they don't have to leave, the best thing to hope for is that the geese eat all the forage in the refuge, and are forced to leave the confines of the refuge to find food. You can also hope for an influx of new migrant geese that aren't as wary as the birds that have been on the refuge for several weeks. New geese often arrive at refuges when storms, cold weather, frozen roosting areas, or lack of food force them to leave their summer areas or fall migration/staging areas. Changes in meteorological conditions often cause refuge geese to become more active. Because geese may be able to feel changes in barometric pressure they may fly out to feed prior to approaching low-pressure systems that signal the arrival of winter storms. I've also seen refuge geese become less wary, or become confused about refuge boundaries, when it is foggy, or during the first few days after a new snow.
Hunting Urban Geese
Hunting urban geese is much like hunting refuge geese, except that urban geese seem to learn faster. Once they have been hunted for 2 to 3 days they become decoy, call and flagging shy. If they are heavily hunted they may begin using roost areas closer to towns or cities and restrict their feeding sites to areas where they can't be hunted. I've seen dozens to thousands of Canada geese roosting on lakes and feeding at parks and golf courses in small towns and large metropolitan cities. While the geese are in the urban areas you may be able to walk within 2 to 3 feet of them, and have then eat right out of your hand. But, when they fly out to feed, these same geese are the wariest geese you have ever seen. After hunting urban gees for a number of years, and watching the geese as they fly within gun range as we've picked up our decoys after a hunt, I've begun to wonder if the best way to hunt them would be to stand up in the decoys, face all the decoys toward the hunters, and pretend to be feeding the geese. It would probably work because it would look just like they were used to seeing in town. I have not tried it yet, but someday when I'm not guiding hunters I intend to try it.
Choose The Right Conditions To Hunt
Whether you are "do it yourself hunter" or you are hunting with a guide, there are conditions that are not conducive to goose hunting. Geese may not fly out to feed if the temperature or wind-chill factor is too cold. Geese may not fly out to feed in the morning if there was a full moon the night before, and there were no clouds. If it is too cold for geese to feed in the morning don't hunt. If the geese don't feed in the morning, and it warms up in the afternoon, the geese may come out to feed earlier than normal that evening.
When refuge or urban geese don't come out to eat because they are feeding within the refuge or city limits, wait to hunt until the food in the refuge or city limits is depleted and the geese are forced to come out to find food. When refuge or urban geese become "decoy, call and flag wary," put out fewer decoys (3-12), call less or don't call at all, and don't use flags when the geese get close. Then hope that new geese arrive, or that meteorological conditions change enough to cause the geese to become more active or confused about the location of refuge or city limit lines and heavily hunted fields.
Hunting With A Guide
If you are planning on booking a hunt with a guide, book your hunt during the first few weeks of the season, or during the first few weeks of when the geese arrive in that area, before the geese become wary. When you book your hunt ask the guide if you have the option of changing your hunting dates if the geese haven't arrived yet, if they aren't flying out in the guides direction, or if the meteorological conditions aren't right for hunting. If you have already booked a hunt with a guide, check to find out if the geese are there and if they are flying out to feed in the guide's area. If the geese aren't flying well or the meteorological conditions aren't right ask the guide if you can change the dates of your hunt.

If you are interested in more goose hunting tips, or more goose biology and behavior, click on Trinity Mountain Outdoor News and T.R.'s Hunting Tips at www.TRMichels.com. If you have questions about geese log on to the T.R.'s Tips message board.

This article is an excerpt from the Ducks & Goose Addict's Manual ($19.95 + $5.00 S&H), by T.R. Michels, available in the Trinity Mountain Outdoor Products catalog.

T.R. Michels is a nationally recognized game researcher/wildlife behaviorist, outdoor writer and speaker. He is the author of the Whitetail, Elk, Duck & Goose, and Turkey Addict's Manuals. His latest products are Hunting the Whitetail Rut Phases, the Complete Whitetail Addict's Manual, the 2006 Revised Edition of the Elk Addict's Manual; and the 2006 Revised Edition of the Duck & Goose Addict's Manual. For a catalog of books and other hunting products contact: T.R. Michels, Trinity Mountain Outdoors, E-mail: TRMichels@yahoo.com, Web Site: www.TRMichels.com

Posted by T.R. Michels at 08:03 AM | Permalink

I always look forward to the first good snowfall of the deer season. Snow on the ground not only makes the deer easy to see against the white background it also makes for easy tracking. The story of where the deer moved and what they did is very evident in new snow. So when we got 6 inches of snow on November 26 I was out in the woods, not hunting, just looking, yet anxious to find and follow the trail of one of the bucks in the area.

I decided to check near one of the primary scrapes that was regularly visited by several bucks. The scrape hadn't been reworked because it was after the rut. A buck had meandered through it, evidenced by the drag marks and large tracks. When I saw the tracks I began to follow. At first the tracks were blown over with snow, they had probably been made before the snow quit in the early morning hours. As I followed the tracks for a quarter mile winding through the oaks and pines I realized they were getting fresher. As they entered a thicket of buckthorn I was sure the deer was somewhere ahead of me, as yet unaware that I was following.
The wind was in my favor and the snow muffled the sound of my footsteps, but there was no way I could get through the brush without a deer hearing me if it was near. I didn't know exactly how close I was but because I wasn't hunting I didn't care. I just wanted to follow the trail to see where the deer went and hopefully where it bedded. The trail wound through the brush, up the side of a wash about fifty yards, and then into still thicker brush. I had to get down on all fours to crawl under the low-lying limbs and small openings the animal had gone through. I was amazed at how small the openings were and wondered how a buck could get it's body, nonetheless it's rack through the brush without getting hung up. Then I saw four of five long outer hairs and a tuft of shorter insulating hairs hanging from a long, downward pointing thorn. I guess the deer did get hung up once in a while.
As I examined the hair and then the tracks beneath I knew I was close, there was no new snow in the tracks. They were well defined, and the snow in the bottom looked like it had just been compacted by the hoof. I crawled beneath the bush a few more yards up the hill and stopped. The imprints in the snow were no longer the regularly spaced tracks of a walking deer. There was the bed, one set of tracks where the deer had stood and three feet away a cluster of four tracks where it had bounded out of it's bed. Still curious I followed the bounding tracks for another hundred yards before they gave way to the tracks of a walking deer, the drag marks again evident in the snow. I probably spooked the deer when I first entered the brush, breaking twigs and letting branches snap back behind me as I went. Once the deer got up the hill it felt more secure and began to walk again.
I searched the woods carefully before me, trying to spot the deer before I jumped it again. I continued to follow the tracks as the buck walked down a regularly used deer trail. Walking slower because I was close, trying not to make too much noise and stopping to scan the woods for deer, I found myself looking at the tracks of a bounding deer. I had spooked the deer again, probably as I had come over the rise at the top of the hill. The buck had either heard or seen me. As I followed the bounding tracks I knew I was only minutes behind the buck. It was probably within a hundred yards of me, likely closer. Fifty yards farther along the trail, which ran along the top of the ridge where the buck bedded, the tracks led into the buckthorn again, the same patch of brush where the buck had bedded. It had circled around and gone right back to the security of it's bedding area.
Knowing I was close and now knowing where the buck bedded, and not wanting to jump it again, I decided not to follow the trail any farther. I knew where the buck's daytime bedding area was, which would help me locate him later. As I crossed the ridge on the other side of the wash I realized that with the snow on the ground, and if I got in the right position with a pair of binoculars, I would be able to see the buck when it was bedded in the buckthorn patch. That would make it much easier to know when and where to hunt him. Because of the tracks in the snow I now knew where the buck entered his bedding area and the route he used for escape. Even though I hadn't been hunting and probably wouldn't have been successful if I had, it had been a very productive day. I would know right where to find the buck next time, and I would be ready.

If you are interested in more deer hunting tips, or more deer biology and behavior, click on Trinity Mountain Outdoor News and T.R.'s Hunting Tips at www.TRMichels.com. If you have questions about white-tailed deer log on to the T.R.'s Tips message board. To find out when the rut starts, peaks and ends in your area click on Whitetail Rut Dates Chart.

This article is an excerpt from the Whitetail Addict's Manual ($19.95 + $5.00 S&H), by T.R. Michels, available in the Trinity Mountain Outdoor Products catalog.

T.R. Michels is a nationally recognized game researcher/wildlife behaviorist, outdoor writer and speaker. He is the author of the Whitetail, Elk, Duck & Goose, and Turkey Addict's Manuals. His latest products are Hunting the Whitetail Rut Phases, the Complete Whitetail Addict's Manual, the 2005 Revised Edition of the Elk Addict's Manual; and the 2005 Revised Edition of the Duck & Goose Addict's Manual. For a catalog of books and other hunting products contact: T.R. Michels, Trinity Mountain Outdoors, E-mail: TRMichels@yahoo.com, Web Site: www.TRMichels.com

Posted by T.R. Michels at 07:00 AM | Permalink

This was going to be an evening in the whitetail woods to remember. My computerized scouting almost seemed to pay off already as I slipped down into the new found funnel that was littered with rubs, and a few scrapes. I tried not to get too close to the dirt trail as a walked through and the excitement of the evening to come was almost too much to take.

As I crept through to the other side of the funnel, so as to use the wind to my advantage I quickly located the perfect tree for my climbing treestand and was quietly perched 25ft in the air just before 3pm. I hadn’t been in the tree for 2 minutes when I hear a branch break in front of me. I quickly grab for my release and get an arrow knocked. I am far from being settled in, but this deer wasn’t waiting, he was headed right for the funnel, and 10 yards by my treestand setup. As the whitetail steps out from under the beech tree I quickly start the guesstimate the size of his rack. Good main beams, about an inch outside his ears on width, G2’s, G3’s and brow-tines, all of which are a little on the short side, light on mass, dark in color; and all this inside 5 seconds, not too bad. I quickly am able to decide this is a great 8 pointer, but about a year shy of what I am really looking for. I decide not to take the shot as he steps into my lane at 10 yards, I had time to get a great look at him and I really hope he can make it through the season. The potential of this buck is awesome, if everyone else hunting the area can do the same and let him walk, next year he’ll be a great whitetail for sure.
That evening while sitting in a brand new treestand location, I watched as 3 different 8 pointers pass by, along with 2 other smaller bucks and 4 does. This is one hot funnel for whitetails, but I don’t feel as though I have seen all the whitetail bucks traveling it. I will be perched in that stand location waiting on a giant whitetail again in the near future, and I’ll keep you posted on exactly what happens.

Posted by S. Johnson at 11:00 PM | Permalink

As I entered my treestand on Saturday morning, there was a cold light mist falling. I was hunting the downwind edge of a known whitetail bedding area. A cold front had moved through the night before and temperatures were nearly 35 degrees cooler than just 12 hours ago. I settled into my treestand nearly an hour before legal shooting light and about a half hour after getting set up, I heard movement to the southwest on the edge of the food plots.

I could see a deer, but couldn’t tell much else because it was nearly 50 yards away and it was still pitch black. I watched as he headed through the middle of the plot. When he reached my shooting lane at 30 yards, I could see a bright white mess of bone high above his head. With every step he took, he let out a low, short grunt. I couldn’t tell how many points or even begin to guess on a score, I just knew he was big and was a definite shooter. As the whitetail walked off to the north, I began to wonder what I could do to get him back. A few minutes after he disappeared, I let a couple grunt out of my grunt tube. Shortly there after, he came back towards the south. This time, he was a mere 15 yards from my location. I grunted as entered my lane. He stopped at just the right time. I drew back, hit my anchor, and looked for my pin. Unfortunately, there just wasn’t enough light to make the shot. I could have forced one on him, but with a whitetail deer of that caliber, I didn’t want to force anything or risk wounding him. As he walked off, I looked at my watch, and it was exactly a half hour before sunrise. In Illinois, this is when legal light starts, but with a thick blanket of clouds, it was a little darker than normal. After the sky started to brighten some more, I went through a series of rattles, grunts, and snort-wheezes, but was unsuccessful in luring the giant whitetail back into bow range. The rest of the hunt was filled with snowflakes and an empty stand of woods. The snow made for a beautiful sit that morning, but one more win for the whitetails and I returned home unsuccessful.

Posted by B. Hagemeier at 10:00 PM | Permalink

On the evening of November 5, I went out to a stand location I have been hunting actively all year. It is located near a food source. Well there is a whitetail buck that I estimate to be about a 145-150 class brute. I have been looking for this buck all season long. I have had pictures of him on my trail cameras from the first week I put them out in August until I took them out 2 weeks ago.

Well I hadn’t seen a deer all evening which is kind of unusual this time of year, but 5 minutes until last shooting light I heard the footsteps faintly coming my way. It was 5-7 steps then silence for a few minutes which seemed like an eternity. I had an instinct for some reason it was a big buck. I sat and waited and about 15 minutes after last shooting light I could see a silhouette. The body on this deer looked big from what I could tell. The buck was probably 30 yards away, when he turned broadside and every inch he turned the faster my heart began beating. Since it was after legal shooting light and I am not the type of hunter to just begin slinging arrows in hopes of hitting a deer, I could only watch. I couldn’t live with myself if I had wounded him and never found this buck. I just saw his white rack glowing in dark, I sat there for another 15 minutes waiting for him to leave. I was so close but yet so far on this nice 145-class Pope and Young whitetail buck. Its only a matter of time, things are heating up here I have seen bucks chasing hard these last few days. I will be in the stand every chance that I get for about the next month, in hopes of having this whitetail on the wall by next fall.

Posted by T. Briggs at 09:00 PM | Permalink

This is supposed to be the time of year when the whitetail woods are full of booners chasing does and deer all over the woods and hunting is at it's peak. Such was not the case this weekend where I was hunting.

Friday morning dawned cold and clear. It was the coldest morning of the hunting season so far. Temperatures dipped below the 20 degree mark and winds were calm. With temps that cold this time of year, I just new I was in for a good hunt. As I entered my stand well before daybreak, I noticed a large blob in the field. It was too hard to make out at the time, but as the woods began to awaken I was able to make out what it was. Not 100 yards from my stand sat a tractor and disc. The stand is easily seen from the field. The farmer that farms this ground can not stand that I get to hunt it. He was part of a crew of hunters who poached a nice 8 pointer, I had been watching for 3 years, from the road last shotgun season. I was able to watch the whole incident unfold from my stand last December. This was only the beginning of my run ins with him. Needless to say, I didn’t see a thing while in the stand. I did notice that the scrape I was set up on had been worked recently. While slowly hunting my way out, I did watch an up and coming 10 pt. chase a doe through the pasture. I watched them for probably 10 minutes, but the closest they got was 100 yards.

That afternoon I decided on hunting the other side of the farm to get away from the tractor. As I approached my stand, I could see the corn field had been disced. I’ve hunted this farm for five years and they always no-till beans in the spring. They have never worked the stalks in the fall. With that food source gone, I didn’t see a whitetail deer.

Saturday, I decided to sleep in a little bit and head out on a mid-morning hunting trip. With the full moon on Sunday, I thought maybe I would catch some mid-day movement. I was settled in at 9:30 AM. Six hours into the hunt, the farmer shows up again. He pulls into the field and hops in his tractor, worked in the corn field for a half hour, and then decided to stop. He left the tractor in the corn field and walked through the timber to his truck and left. About an hour later, he shows back up. He let his truck idle for almost a half hour on the side of the field then someone got out of his truck and went to the tractor. The truck left, and tractor started up again. The tractor went back and forth through the field until 530 when it was too dark for me to see. Just as I left, he made the last pass in the field and left.

By this point, I was so furious; I decided to not go hunting on Sunday. I figured I would let things settle down an extra day before I came back for next weekends hunting trip. I went out just before noon to check and move trail cameras. The scrape I had set up my infrared camera on is getting worked over pretty hard. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to turn the camera on. Just one thing to add to a great weekend of hunting, Not!. I went over to my food plots to check them and they are still getting used heavily by the local whitetails. I’m sure activity in them will be on the increase since the large corn field is gone. I planted some sorghum on the edge of the plot for added security this summer. Well I guess the farmer didn’t like it being next to the lane, so he mowed it off. He also cut the brush on the other side of the lane the deer like to bed in, as well as an overgrown drainage ditch that connects this timber with another. These moves will majorly effect all my hunting locations, bedding areas and whitetail movements for the rest of the year.

At a time when deer hunting is supposed to be at its best, I had my worst weekend of hunting ever. Nearly 20 hours in stand without seeing a deer. Hopefully he will stay out of there this week and things will return to normal. I’ve got one more weekend before shotgun season when the whitetail hunting really gets turned up.

Posted by B. Hagemeier at 10:00 AM | Permalink

2006 Election: What it means to you and your Hunting

As a hunter, you might think that this 2006 congressional election has little to do with you and hunting. But in fact, there are a few issues that can affect you directly. To make a better choice next week at the polls, here’s what you need to know:

CPR: The nation’s current craze with bio-fuel may threaten decades of work done to preserve wildlife. The Conservation Reserve Program sets aside millions of acres that act as natural habitat for the surrounding fish and wildlife. If our government puts biofuels in the front interest above CPR a large portion of that land will be lost in the pursuit of fuel alternatives. Make sure your political candidate supports actions in the Farm Bill, which state that fish and wildlife concerns will remain part of biofuel program planning.

Public Ground: Already scarce, public hunting ground can use any support it can get. Organizations like the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership have offered a program that could help public hunting land stay available. The program, Open Fields, offers federal funding to make private hunting ground open to the public. Several similar other programs have already been successful in 12 other states. Open Fields will be presented inside the Farm Bill under the conservation section. While the bill will probably pass, we should still make sure our politicians support the entire bill-including the Open Fields program.

Energy: Several new regulations, including 2005's Energy Bill, have taken away many regulations Land Development would have to abide by to protect wildlife habitat while persuing energy development. However, even more recent court decisions have helped preserve wildlife by ordering developers to return to old regulations. Even though these laws are in tact now, the current push for energy reform my have Congress writing new rules to fit their development. See if your candidates agree that energy developers should comply with fish and wildlife protections.

Hopefully these ideas have given you something new to think about before you vote next week. When you cast your ballot, simply ask yourself, will this person protect my right to continue hunting? So many hunters feel that the government and all it’s key players are a foreign subject to their life. However, our continuous involvement in politics will insure a guaranteed future for our pursuit of the hunting and the great outdoors.

Posted by T. Fanning at 10:00 AM | Permalink