I was asked by some clients/friends to go along with them on a pheasant hunt in Nebraska a few years ago. Not really having anything going on, I accepted. This trip turned out to be the biggest disaster I have ever been on. I have to admit though, if it weren’t for the less then stellar outfitter it might not have been as fun.
Continue reading "Nebraska Phesants, Kind of... " »
Well if you read my review of the GlenDel target, you know it’s time to be practicing! There are about hundred, thousand things you should be practicing right now to get ready for the upcoming fall. Whether that is shooting your bow, building up arm strength for long holds, waiting on that perfect shot or just practicing your patients, practice takes on many meanings as a hunter.
Continue reading "Summertime Prep " »
My brother, who is a cat hunter as well called me yesterday to tell me about a cat that had been getting away from him. He said that he had run the cat 17 times and each time the cat would get away. By the end of our conversation I had agreed to meet him at his house this morning at 5:45AM. Sometimes if you take different hounds that do something just a little different it can make the difference in the cat getting away.
Continue reading "Bobcat Hunt 5-28-10" »
My alarm went off at 4:45AM this morning, time to get up and go cat hunting. Even though this time of year is hot in Texas, the hounds have to be run. With a huge cup of coffee in my hand I was out the door and headed to my kennels by 5:00AM.
Continue reading "Morning Cat Hunt" »
2008 would prove to be a year that will be burned in my memory for a long time. Like most years at Mellon Creek Outfitters we enjoyed 100% opportunity in all areas of hunting with kill success in 98% range. However, this year produced some of the funniest events that I’ve ever been around. In particular one stands out.
Continue reading "The Shaking Wire" »
Gathering ordinary items has never been a serious fad of mine. Collecting rare coins, ancient stamps and varieties of old books doesn’t compare to the sting that motivates me to find the priceless antler of a big buck!
Continue reading "Pickin Bone" »
I have already written about taking my first deer, and since turkey season isn’t far I’m going to let you all know the story behind my first turkey harvest. I had been turkey hunting for about four years and had never had a real “great” hunt or opportunity to put my tag on a bird. A close hunting buddy Nathan Coulter and I, had watched videos all winter/spring and talked to veteran turkey hunters; gathering every bit of information we could to try to make this spring different than the others and put a bird on the ground.
Continue reading "First Successful Turkey Hunt" »
I hope everyone remembers that magic moment they harvested their first deer, Very clearly down to the very last detail. I’ll cover mine with you right here, you can laugh at some of it, and smile a little along the way.
Continue reading "Our first deer, never forget it" »
I know that’s not exactly how the traditional saying goes, as I’m substituting a kitten in place of lion to describe the month of March. At least, that's how I'd like to see March unfold, with a beginning, middle and end less like January and more April-ish.
Continue reading "In like a kitten and out like a lamb" »
When planning and preparation meet opportunity, is it luck or destiny when it comes to hunting whitetail deer. It’s my opinion that it’s a little bit of both. In my 35 years of hunting whitetail deer I’ve evolved from little or no planning and preparation to where I am today which some would consider over planning and preparation.
Continue reading "Whitetail Deer Hunting Dynamic" »
Story By: Michael Stefanik It was the evening of October 23rd and I was preparing my hunting gear to hunt one of my stands in the morning. This was the first time I would be hunting this stand this year. The weather forecast was dismal! The forecast called for torrential downpours on and off all day. Great, I have never had any luck in weather like this. At least, this would give me an opportunity to try out my new tree umbrella. I had a long week at work and I couldn’t wait until morning to get out there, no
Continue reading "Rare Rainy Day Piebald Buck" »
5am came earlier than normal it seemed and the thought of getting up and heading out into the 20 degree weather is enough to make any hunter at least consider rolling over and staying tucked under the covers. After 15 minutes of rolling around, knowing I would be upset with myself if I didn’t get up I climbed out of bed and put the coffee on.
Continue reading "Last Day of the Gun Season" »
My broad heads seek early season whitetail like a man The forest’s canopy is choked with heavy green foliage wrapping around limbs, while the floor’s scattered with gold nuggets of prized acorns. There’s no better time to hunt Buffalo County, Wisconsin than right now!
Continue reading "Hunting with Bluff Bucks Outfitters" »
Fall hunting seasons vary in length, and most hunters will say that none are long enough. The problem, however, is more about season overlap than it is about season length. So many things are going on at once that it’s hard to find time to do everything.
Continue reading "Slow down and enjoy the fall" »
Last week I discussed a situation where a friend and I were denied permission to hunt on land that wasn't posted. From ducks to deer, if you’re a freelance hunter there's a good chance you have, or will, encounter a situation when your request for permission to hunt a tract of private land is not granted and the best option is to move on. As the saying goes, nothing ventured, nothing gained, but every hunter should respect the landowner’s right to determine who goes on their property.
Continue reading "landowners provide walk in public hunting access to private land" »
My spring 2009 turkey season was about to start and with a few final checks before the opener, I was ready. For the past few weeks I had been scouting my properties for the up-coming season. I was able to roost birds at all three properties during my scouting trips in the evenings and I was able to pin point a couple strutting zones during my morning trips. With a day before the opener I was still a little unsure of which spot to hunt the opening morning.
Continue reading "Tagging Out on Turkeys: Spring 2009" »
Turkey Season came to an end without a bang, but we still had a blast chasing those birds this spring. The season is just over a month long here in Maryland, but seemed to end too quickly this year.
Continue reading "Spring Turkey Season Recap" »
Kansas has consistently proved to be one of my favorite turkey hunting hot spots from across the country. Beefy Rio and Eastern birds throw down some of the most incredible strut, gobble, and fight action I’ve ever seen. For the past four years I’ve strutted my way down to north central Kansas to hunt with my dear friend David Schotte of Blue River Whitetails.
Continue reading "Last Chance Turkey Hunting" »
Well... Bad luck prevailed again this morning... Hunting before heading to work is great, but being a little rushed to get to work creates tough decisions that don’t seem to be going our way…
Continue reading "If it wasn't for Bad Luck...." »
Speckled flickers of sunlight accented the needle-like tips of the white pines as the morning wakes the forest. I rest, hidden in camouflage. My body’s limbs match the forest floor, eroded bark, and thick vegetation. I evolve into the wonders of nature awaiting a sneak ambush upon my feathery opponent, the wise tom.
Continue reading "Morning Love..." »
Tireless hordes of excessive feather chasin’, bone crushin’ outdoor hunting fanatics packed the Alliant Energy Center last weekend for the Madison Deer and Turkey Expo. Madison is home to one of the largest deer, turkey, and outdoor tradeshows in the country. The 3-day event draw crowds from across the Midwest that has an infinite amount of outdoors love. The Madison and Turkey Expo is a place where exhibitors and consumers do business, make purchases, and create lasting memories.
Continue reading "Wisconsin Deer and Turkey Expo Review" »
With the onset of April, our summer calendars being to fill with weddings, reunions, centennials and other celebrations and vacations. Before that calendar gets too full, you might want to look at a few opportunities that could help enhance future outdoor opportunities for your family – or yourself.
Continue reading "Summer Camps" »
Spring turkey season is days and not weeks away. The turning of the calendar means you'll need a new 2009 fishing license, and snow geese continue to roll through the state.
Continue reading "Signs of spring are all over these days." »
As school years descend ever so gradually toward spring and summer vacation, a new crop of seniors begin a transition toward the next step in life.
Continue reading "Looking for direction" »
This winter began in much of the state even before the opening shots of last fall’s deer rifle season, and some are joking we'll still be ice fishing on Memorial Day. While some long-range forecasts predicted a fairly hostile beginning to winter, no one could have guessed we’d have record snowfall in much of the state through the month of January
Continue reading "Finding some good" »
Regardless of what the calendar says, North Dakota’s current winter began during the days leading up to the opener of last fall’s deer season. Now it’s the backside of January and it’s colder and snowier. Young and old alike seem to have one eye looking out for the present, and one eye peeking at the calendar to gauge how much of this we have left.
Continue reading "Working through winter..." »
Written by: Old Pole It’s day one. We woke up from our little nap after the four of us were driving nearly two complete revolutions of the hour hand on the clock. Camp is at nearly 7000 feet. We are going to be hunting a lot higher than that for the next four days. There are six of us in camp that are trying to bag an elk. We have a guide, and his hired hand. They assure us a good season. I hear the wood stove getting stoked about an hour before we were supposed to start moving. The
Continue reading "The Elk Perch" »
Hey everyone, It's been a while since I last made a journal entry on HuntOnly, but I've been doing my best to spend a good amount of time in the woods this year. I've been bow hunting pretty hard since the opener in mid September. Up until this week I was hunting food sources, either oaks, cut fields, or food plots. I was having decent success, with seeing plenty of deer, but never one of the bigger bucks I'm after. Everything has changed greatly in the last two weeks. Starting in the middle of last week (Oct 21) I noticed
“Can you see the one on the far left?” I whispered. “Yeah,” Tyler answered. “I think I can get through the branches. I’m on her front shoulder. Here goes.” It is said that the Lord works in mysterious ways. I can verify that statement with my son, Tyler’s, 2006 NY muzzle loader season. But to digress momentarily; Those of you who have read my articles know that I espouse hunting and fishing as much as possible and as cheaply as possible. It is a practice I have followed for 45 years. That is not to say that if you can
Continue reading "Youngsters Hunting..." »
It’s getting to be that time of year again. The season ended just a few months ago, but for diehard whitetail hunters such as me, the offseason is a short one. It’s time to get the trail cameras back in the woods and take care of spring food plots.
Continue reading "Whitetail Season Begins" »
I can hardly believe the season is over in less than a week. It seems like just yesterday I was preparing to hunt in my favorite early season spots and complaining about hunting in 60 degree weather. Well the season has certainly flown by, but not after being very eventful. Spending countless hours in the woods has taught me some valuable lessons this season that will stay with me for years to come. As gun season came and went, I was feeling discouraged about not taking a deer, and after Christmas I decided it was time to get even
Continue reading "Late Season Whitetail Lessons..." »
Now that gun season has kicked in I’m starting to switch to some other types of hunting. I only gun hunt a few days a year, so I try to find some other ways to pass the time until bow season starts back up. Two years ago a good friend of mine introduced me to predator hunting and ever since my first time out, I’ve been hooked. Nighttime predator hunting is a thrill that is completely different than any other hunting I’ve experienced.
Continue reading "First Night Out – Fox Hunting" »
Over the last few years of duck hunting my philosophy has drastically changed. When I first got serious about duck hunting I was all about hunting in big open water. Several hunting buddies and I would meet at the local waffle house at 3:30am and drive almost 45 minutes to a local river where we would take a 30 minute "body beating" boat ride to our blind (which was not what most would call a "hot spot" for ducks). All of this seemed like a lot of work for the small amount of birds we saw each morning.
Continue reading "Change in Waterfowling Approach..." »
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.
Continue reading "Shotgun Hunting Season" »
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.
Continue reading "Bear Hunting Season..." »
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.
Continue reading "A Night in the Whitetail Woods…" »
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.
Continue reading "So Close to Monster Whitetail..." »
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.
Continue reading "Minutes Too Late on an Awesome Whitetail..." »
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.
Continue reading "Bad Weekend in the Whitetail Woods..." »
Friday afternoon was definitely a hunting trip to remember. Conditions were horrible for being outside, but great for deer hunting. There was a gusty northwest wind and it was raining as I entered my ladder stand.
Continue reading "Brute Whitetail Encounter..." »
As the sun comes up on yet another October 30th, I can’t help but remember my hunting trip on this day, 2 years ago, when I was able to arrow my biggest buck to date. The Pre-Rut is in full swing and the 35 degree temps have the whitetails moving everywhere. As daylight starts to break and I can just begin to see the pins on my sight, I hear that familiar sound of the squirrels hitting the leaves for the first time this morning.
Continue reading "November Whitetail Rut..." »
It seems that for the last few years I am always finding myself looking for some more sun block during the duck hunting season. I can’t keep enough of that SPF-100 around. Last fall I sat on top of my pit over looking my decoys like a weathered lifeguard, it was miserable. Obviously not killing birds wasn’t enough torture, so I let a large group of mosquitoes drop into the deks and consume my face.
Continue reading "Opening Day Ducks..." »
The long awaited time of year is fast approaching, and as much as hunters are trying to guess which days spent hunting will be best, the bucks are starting to make their rounds, guessing which doe will be the first to come into estrus. Yes the Pre-Rut is upon us, and that magic few days of hunting the whitetail rut will be here before we know it.
Continue reading "Pre-Rut Is Here...." »
I’ve been hunting hard the last 3 weeks, spending at least 4 days a week in a tree watching and observing the whtietail activity on our farm. This year we are faced with a very atypical situation, unseasonably cool weather, and this has got the deer fired up.
Continue reading "Fun in the Whitetail Woods..." »
Saturday morning I made my first hunting trip to the main property I have access to. The corn was still standing, but I was made the decision I was hunting it anyways. I chose a stand that was 100 yards downwind of a bedding area.
Continue reading "Whitetail Woods Starting to Heat Up..." »
What is going to become more apparent to you as you read more of what I write this hunting season will be the enormous black cloud that hovers just above my head. I’m not talking good ducky day black cloud. No, oh no. I’m talking jet black-everything that can go wrong today will- kind of cumulus.
Continue reading "Black Cloud over my Hunting Season" »
Saturday was a cool blustery afternoon. I was hunting the farm where I videoed the two big bucks the week before. This time I was set up in the area we saw them come out. I was in a nice staging area full of rubs and a few scrapes.
Continue reading "Another Shooter Buck..." »
The hunting day started off like any other, with a lot of excitement and optimism of the day ahead. This morning was a special Duck Hunting trip to Maryland’s Eastern shore that began about 3 O’clock in the morning. It was a two-hour drive to our spot and we were meeting a couple other people at 5am. My partner showed up right on time, and we pulled out of the driveway at exactly 3am.
Continue reading "Bad Opening Morning to My Duck Hunting Season..." »
Well I had been waiting for this past weekend for a long time. I heard earlier in the week that the temperatures where suppose to get down into the lower 40’s which should make for some great hunting, but when the weekend got here it was actually a low of 45 and a storm front was approaching. I was so pumped to get in the woods, when Saturday morning rolled around I was in the stand 30 minutes before daybreak.
Continue reading "First Whitetail of the Season..." »
It’s the third week of hunting season here in Georgia and I haven’t seen much activity thus far. I have only seen 11 deer and been out nearly 20 times. It’s frustrating for me this time of year. The deer just don’t seem to move down here early in the hunting season.
Continue reading "Early Season Motivation..." »
My weekend started Friday afternoon about 4. I was late getting to the farm, but luckily I didn’t have far to walk to where I was going to be hunting. I had never hunted this property before. Its a 3 acre piece of a 300 acre tract of timber that my fiancés father owns.
Continue reading "Full Moons are "No Good" for Whitetails...??" »
Worry and happiness comes over me as I stumbled onto hunting permission for 300 acres just down the road. Happiness because now I have a totally new piece of property to spend time hunting on, which will allow me to put less pressure on the other properties. Worry because it’s October 1st. and I have not set foot on this property yet.
Continue reading "Computerized Scouting works on Whitetails…" »
I sprung out of bed faster than I ever have this morning. No more than my alarm sounded, I was in the shower getting prepared for the season’s first hunting trip. I had all my equipment in my truck the night before so all I had to do was take the twenty minute drive to the cut corn field edge I had planned on hunting.
Continue reading "It's Good to be Back in the Whitetail Deer Woods..." »
October 1st of the 2006 Hunting season found temps in the high 70’s in MD, not the type of weather we think of when the whitetail rut comes to mind. However the whitetail bucks in the area are already gearing up for what is sure to be an awesome time to be a Bowhunter.
Continue reading "First Mock Scrape of 2006..." »
Many hunters have debated over the use of fawn bleats as a way of calling deer. Some argue that it spooks the deer and ruins future hunts, while others make the point that it works remarkably well. Fawn bleats are used with the intention of calling does directly to the hunter.
Continue reading "Fawn Bleat in the Early Season..." »
This past month has proved harder to hunt than I could have ever expected. Let alone to keep a journal about it. Every week I would run home, try to work on my blind, hunt, then fix whatever I broke trying to hunt out of the blind I am still building- only to rush back up to school.
Continue reading "Working Hard and Rushing for Hunting Season..." »
Well everybody, we are almost at the two week point here in Maryland, and what a great two weeks we’ve had. The weather has been perfect for early season hunting, the strong arctic cold front made it feel like mid-October last week, and I was thoroughly enjoying it. I have been able to make it out in the woods six days so far and have been seeing plenty of deer.
Continue reading "Good Start to the Deer Season..." »
Well everybody, we are almost at the two week point here in Maryland, and what a great two weeks we’ve had. The weather has been perfect for early season hunting, the strong arctic cold front made it feel like mid-October last week, and I was thoroughly enjoying it. I have been able to make it out in the woods six days so far and have been seeing plenty of deer.
Continue reading "Good Start to the Deer Season..." »
I had gotten permission to hunt some property in NE Texas just a few days ago, 684 acres to be exact. 60 percent is in pasture, mixture between hay fields and corn. The other 40 percent is wooded. The owner told me he had a lot of hogs tearing up his pasture and asked me to go wreck havoc on them. So, I called a buddy of mine, Case,y who loves to hunt the piggies almost as much as I do to set up a hunt.
Continue reading "Texas Pig Hunt..." »
Anticipation is at an all-time high on opening morning. As I gather my gear and load it into the truck, thoughts of the big bucks caught by the trail cameras all summer long run through my mind. The adrenaline already running through me is the feeling that drives most hunters out of bed at 4 o’clock in the morning. As I arrive at the property I will be hunting, the excitement and possibilities of the hunt are almost too much to handle.
Continue reading "Decisions for Opening Morning of Bowhunting…" »
After watching, waiting, and scouting all summer long, the season is finally upon us. Tomorrow is opening day, do you know where you going to be watching the sun come up? I know where I’ll be. There is a sweet little spot where a thick bedding area opens up to large oak flat. The beauty of this spot is the fact that it is on the tip of a peninsula, surrounded by marsh and thick cover. The deer ease in out of the bedding areas and feed most of the morning on the sweet acorns from the numerous white
Continue reading "The Oaks Have It, The Whitetails Love It..." »
The anticipation of the approaching archery season is better than the night before Christmas. I’ve been scouting since April, my stands are hung (hopefully in the right places) and my food plots are planted. My cameras have been getting pictures of countless numbers of deer, some of which would look great on my wall. The long hard hours through the summer heat are behind me, now it’s time for freezing, lightless mornings. As I prepare for another season, I can’t help but recall past hunts and the excitement that fills me when I see antlers moving through the brush.
Continue reading "Here we Go, Bowhunting Season is here..." »
It’s 100 degrees outside with flashes on the TV warn the general public about the humidity. One would think all these factors would be enough to detour any rational person from heading out on a hiking adventure with 50 pounds of corn and a 20 pound pack on his back filled with the latest scouting camera technology. For the truly addicted whitetail hunter there is no detouring the upcoming season and things must get done whether it’s 100 degrees outside or not.
Continue reading "Scouting for Whitetails" »
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