Talking about BuckHuntersBlog.com and The 10 Best Treestand Locations

I decided to do a review of the blog buckhuntersblog.com/the-10-best-treestand-locations because it is something that most hunters have on their minds once a year.  They have the desire to know where the best chances are going to be in shooting a nice deer.  I feel the same way every year.  It would be nice if the deer always walked down the same trails at the same time every day but more than likely they won’t be so inclined.  Any help that a hunter can take away from the experience of another hunter is valuable but the decision is on how valuable the information is.  Being open to new ideas is a strength for hunters and not a weakness so the need to hear out an idea is important.  It is also important to ask questions and be sure the information is valuable or not.

The article starts out with a situation that some hunters can find themselves in.  Some hunters, including myself, have gone on a hunting trip with others to a place they’ve never been and are expected to find themselves a good location to hunt for the weekend or a few days.  The blog is intended for situations like these and for those who are looking to set up tree stands for the new season of hunting.  I’m going to go through some of the suggestions and talk about some of the pros and cons of each one.  Information such as this can be very valuable for some hunters who are looking to make a good effort in finding the right tree stand locations.

The first location described in the blog is hunting over a beaver dam.  For most hunters this may seem odd but I know that this is a good location for hunters to try.  The only way one of these locations can work though is if the stream or river is too deep throughout most of the area and the deer are forced to cross it.  Deer are opportunistic, they will take the path of least resistance most times and if crossing over a beaver dam is easier than they will do it.  But like the article states, they have to be going to or from a place in order for it to work.  They are more than likely not going to cross a random beaver dam. It’ll be one that creates a funnel that the deer have to use in order to go where they want to go.

To read the rest of this article, please visit my website at http://whitetailconnections.webs.com/reviewofblog.htm

The Hunt of December 8, 2010

After a long wait between shotgun seasons and school, I was finally able to get back to bow hunting today.  I wasn’t able to make it out for the morning hunt due to some school work but I was determined to make the evening hunt.  The temperatures were hovering at around 28 degrees with winds blowing in from the southeast at around ten to fifteen mph.  The southeast winds are quite unusual for Illinois but for the property it makes for a lot of hunting options.

I drove out to the property and made it in by around one.  I wanted to be in the tree by two o’clock and ready to sit for the next three hours.  So I rounded up my gear and made my way out the woods.  The trick was going to be deciding on a tree stand with the right wind.  Most of the deer come from the northeast heading southwest so the east wind was there to help keep my scent from plowing through most of the woods.

After getting set up, I wasn’t even done putting my gear on when the first buck appeared.  There had been a substantial snowfall a week before so I could see him coming from a long way out.  I tried to hurry up while still watching my movements but he was closing in fast.  By the time he got within fifty yards I could make out some of his antler size and knew this was going to be a huge buck.  As he closed in, I could see that he had gotten his right ear nearly torn off.  It was dangling down along the side of his head swinging back and forth just below his massive main beams.  He was a solid 6x5 deer with a split brow tine on his left antler.  I didn’t get the opportunity to get a shot when he passed within fifteen yards but just seeing a monster like him makes any hunt worth the effort.

The One That Made It

When you’re a bow hunter, one of the greatest things you can see after gun season is a giant buck that made it through.  I just got a trail camera picture from the property I hunt that shows this exact thing.  We don’t allow gun hunting on the property for deer and it really hasn’t been a problem.  We shoot are share of nice bucks and there are already plenty of gun hunters taking part in the season in the area.  I’m in no way against gun hunting but for us, we don’t have the need for it.  We usually don’t have much trouble getting a nice buck to walk under one of the stands.

In just over a thousand acre stretch of woods that we hunt part of, there are already at least fifteen gun hunters taking part in one or both gun seasons here in Illinois.  So this season, more than likely, about ten out of the fifteen were successful in filling their tags.  Most were probably smaller does or basket racked bucks but for most of them, a deer’s a deer.  In our stretch of woods, I fully believe that gun season tactics like this are the major contributors to why the woods aren’t full of 140 plus inch bucks.

What’s amazing is that after seven days of gun hunting season, this buck was able to evade all of those hunters and more than likely will live through the season.  Most of the hunters in our area have had their fill of hunting by the end of second season so their will only be a few of us left to hunt deer like the one in the picture.  I expect that with enough diligence that we can have shot at this deer with a bow with the right amount of time and effort.  I was just glad to see that one big bruiser was able to pull through.

Coyotes

One of the most common questions and comments I hear from deer hunters isn’t about deer at all, it’s about coyotes.  These canines are a common enemy of deer hunters and many seek to eradicate them from every stretch of the woods they hunt.  I’ve often wondered if they deserve the reputation they get but time and time again, I see deer act extremely adversely to them and with good reason.   Coyotes are the primary predators of deer, other than hunters that is, in Illinois.  Many of the hunters I talk to say that they will shot every coyote that walks within shooting range.  The question is will any attempt to eradicate them meet with success?

I’m lucky enough to have a sister who graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in wildlife management who understands the concerns that hunters have with coyotes.  I talked to her about the problems I’ve had with them and asked her what she thought about systematically shooting them.  She had some interesting insight about my concerns and questions.  She said that when hunters try to put serious hunting pressure on them, they respond in the best evolutionary way possible.  They can actually sense the increase in hunting pressure and will reproduce more rapidly and with more pups per litter. 

I would have been skeptical of this insight coming from anyone else.  I don’t believe her just because we’re related but because she spent six months studying coyotes in the Welder Wildlife Park outside of Corpus Christi, Texas.  She did say that they are certainly a nuisance to deer and won’t be acting in the favor of deer hunters anytime soon.  So shooting few here and there won’t hurt but be prepared if you’re plan is to exterminate the herd.  You’ll be getting more than you bargained for.

WhitetailConnection.com

Deer hunting has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.  All the years I was too young to go on the trips with my dad and seeing him bring back these monster bucks from Pope County, Illinois.  I’ve always wanted to find a way to give back to the hunting community for all that I’ve gotten out of the lifestyle.  This blog has been one of those ways of giving back and hopefully all the viewers of the Whitetail Connections Blog have gotten something to take with them from reading some of the articles.

Another way I have been able to give back to the hunting community is through WhitetailConnections.com.  The website is a growing project to connect the white-tailed deer hunters of America.  The goal of the website is to have the best information, advice, and connections any deer hunter can want.  I wanted to build a website where hunters could share their experiences and knowledge while getting back more than they expected.

WhitetailConnections.webs.com/Articles is where you can read more on some of the experiences and knowledge I’ve gained over the years.  The article, The "How To" For Finding Public Hunting Areas is one I enjoyed writing.  I wanted to give hunters a perspective on different tactics on what to do if you’re in need of a new hunting location.

I also think it’s important for hunters to be connected to the retailers they shop at for the best hunting equipment available.  WhitetailConnections.webs.com/Retailers will connect you to shops like Cabela’s for your hunting needs.

So have a look and see what the Connection has to offer you at WhitetailConnections.com.

The Late Season Hunt Blog on Wiredtohunt.com

I was surfing through some blogs and came across another hunter at wiredtohunt.com who has the same idea going through their head as I did the other day: late season hunts.   I was just explaining the other day about this topic so I thought; why not add on some more?  This is a great time to be hunting and for those who are willing to go out when others won’t, rewards are out there to take.   He brought up some great points about why the hunt should continue even if the cold has set in. 

One of them was what he called “the second rut.”  I’m not a fan of the wording but he’s right about one thing for certain: the rut is still on even when it’s cold.  If you’re willing to wait it out, there are still going to be late blooming does who come into estrus late and the bucks won’t ignore them even if it’s cold.

Another was about the cold and the snow.  When the snow falls, those deer have food on the brain and they will be hitting the food sources.  The bigger bucks will be coming out last like he says, but all it takes is that one time you’re in the right place at the right time and one bruiser will come by.

One point that the author is missing is the decreased hunting pressure.  For those of us who spend some time or all of our hunting time on public ground, the cold keeps the weekend warriors at home and gives you the chance to make it big.  With less hunters in the woods, you’ll increase the odds that their won’t be someone walking in on you every half an hour till dark going to a tree stand.

Another point about late season hunting I’d like to add is the grouping.  Some hunters have a hard time believe that deer can herd up in big numbers late season.  I can tell you from years of numerous late season hunts that when the cold is in, the deer can swarm feeding grounds like locusts.  If the deer have a reliable food source to go to, they will come.  Being set up with the right wind in the right funnel should give you the opportunity to get close to some nice whitetails.

Let It Snow

Most deer hunters don’t like the phrase “let it snow.”  For many hunters, this is the signal that the hunting season is coming to a close for them.  But for those who are willing to bear the cold and snow, some of the best hunting of the year can be theirs for the taking.  Most of my hunting has been late season of the past few years since I have to put school work first every once and a while.  I’ve had some amazing hunts this time of year and some of the benefits of the snow can make the cold worth it.

What’s good about the snow is the visibility.  When you’re in the tree stand, you can see those deer coming from much further away if you’re really on the watch for movement.  The drawback to this increased visibility is that the deer can see better too.  We all know how calm the woods can be with no wind and a new snow on the ground.  If you’re doing jumping jacks in the tree, or just moving in general, those deer are going to see that movement from a long way away.

Another good part of the snow is the tracks.  If you’re hunting near the end of the season with snow on the ground, those deer tracks can tell you where to be if you’ve had a rough season.  I know I’ve said that you can’t trust tracks, and it’s true.  But these tracks are fresh.  You can bet that if the deer are funneling through a spot regularly on fresh snow then they’ll be back.  The reason you still can’t trust them completely is because they may have been through their regularly, but it could be happening at night and that isn’t going to do you any good.

You can make it big hunting it out through the snow.  The challenge with the snow is the cold.  The deer are still on the move and all they want to do is keep on eating.  The food is the key.  They want to eat, they need to eat, and you want them to think that way.  This way, the deer are at least a little more predictable in their movements and the snow only encourages them to find what they need buried in the snow.

Product Review: The Heater Body Suit

Here in Illinois, the temperatures are starting to dip to around the freezing point.  This doesn’t mean that the hunting season has to be over by a long shot.  The rut may be coming to a close but there are still plenty of deer to be had out there for those willing to battle the cold.  I figured this would be a good time to do a review on a product that was designed to keep hunters warm in even some of the coldest environments. 

The Heater Body Suit, available through heaterbodysuit.com, is made with late season hunters in mind.  It is designed to cover you from your feet up to your shoulders in what I refer to as a big sleeping bag.  The shape resembles a sleeping bag but with legs for mobility.  It enables you to more easily move around the ground or the tree stand.  The suit also comes with booties to put over your boots before putting your boots in the suit.  This helps keep the suit clean being that it doesn’t exactly fit well in a house clothes washer.  The only things you’ll have to wash regularly are the booties. 

The suit does come with drawbacks.  The cost will set you back between $334.95 and $344.95.  When I purchased mine I had to think a lot about whether the cost would be worth the amount of times it would be used.  The suit also has issues with its camouflage selection.  Most will be using the suit in either hardwood forests that are mostly void of leaves or pine forests.  I think the camouflage works as camouflage but it is most definitely not a soul reason for purchasing the suit.

As a product, I would rate it as 8 out of 10.  The goal of the suit is to keep you warm and it certainly does can do that.  I know from experience that the suit is what makes hunting in below freezing temperatures tolerable.  The cost and the camouflage are its only downfalls.  For those who don’t plan on spending a lot of time hunting late season, the cost may not be worth the investment.  But for those who see the potential in hunting late season, this is a product worth taking a second look at.

A Look Back At Some Oldies But Goodies

The Whitetail Connections blog has been running for a while now and I’m afraid some of the older articles may be starting to be lost in time.  So, I wanted to give a recap on a few of them.  This is mostly because I truly believe in them and what they stand for.  Hunting is an art, a pastime, a lifestyle, and a love.  Most deer hunters take pride in the fact that they participate in the sport and want to know the truths and riddles of it all.  I’m going to talk about a couple of the old riddles starting with the first one.

Getting Ready for Opening Day one of those I feel most passionate about but I see hunters time and time again not taking it seriously.  It’s all about practice, practice, practice.   You’re expecting to use a weapon to kill and end a life, no matter how insignificant it may feel to be, it’s still a life.  You should be able to respect the animal enough to take a clean shot with a weapon that you are confident in.

Undoing Scent Blockers is one I really like because of the simple truth of it.  These are things that hunters must not think about because I see them doing it all the time.  It’s a good simple read if you looking to dabble into the sins of making scent blockers useless.

I love talking about hunts like The Hunt of October 14.  This is an entertaining story about the evening hunt I had and the encounter with the nine and a half year old six point.  It’s always good to talk about a hunt afterward to help you recall all the events that happened, even if no one believes it anyway. J