It’s September 28^th and Grant and I have already been lucky enough to get a great buck on the ground! Last week we took a trip to the great state of Kansas, where Grant had been drawn for the early muzzleloader permit. The conditions were very enjoyable, with temperatures generally only reaching the mid to upper 70s. Unfortunately, the night time temperatures weren’t getting much lower than 60 degrees, meaning the deer still weren’t moving a lot during daylight hours.

The first two days of our hunt were slow, with only a few encounters. The main highlight happened on the evening of day two when the landowner, Grant, and I made a quick approach to a field right before dark and found a bachelor group of bucks. One was a nice looking buck, but after some further examination he was only three and a half years old. During day three a front was coming through and was causing the winds to shift from southeast to northwest. Great news for us! But also with this cold front, the night time temperatures were predicted to drop to the upper 30s! Now we had a westerly wind and what was predicted to be the coldest night of the fall. Now we were in the game!

With the weather changing and a westerly wind, Grant and I could enter into a proven (and favorite) spot. This small field had large wheat fields to the west, a bedding area to the east, and it was surrounded with large oak trees. The large oak trees had produced acorns in the past helping Grant harvest a nice buck just two years earlier (GDTV 48).

Grant’s 2010 Kansas Buck

On the third night the wind was predicted from the northwest so Grant and I eased to the field edge from the southeast. While making our approach down a small road we were noticing scrapes and rubs, something we hadn’t seen much, if any, of prior to that evening. Our hopes were high and they started to get higher when Grant and I sat staring across the field listening to the constant sound of squirrels and turkeys in the woods surrounding the field. This meant one thing. We had found the main food source for the squirrels and turkeys. We just hoped it was the same for the deer, and judging by the amount of deer sign walking in it certainly was. That evening ended with only a couple doe sightings but the temperatures weren’t forecasted to drop until that night.

The next morning the temperature stepping out of the truck was 35 degrees, the coldest morning so far this season. The wind was almost non-existent, so we knew thermal winds would play the more important role. We approached from the north and set up on the northeast end of the field, letting the thermal winds pull our scent downhill and away from the field. The morning was crisp and cool but was surprisingly slow until 8 o’clock. By this time the sun was up and starting to shine on the field, causing the thermal winds to begin shifting towards the field. Not good for us. We quickly decided to ease along the edge of the field to the south side, putting the wind back in our faces. Before I completely give the story away I’ll mention the three key elements to our success and let you watch it all unfold on the next episode.

Locating small game species was essential to this hunt

Locating small game species was essential to this hunt

Not ruining the spot before the conditions are right

We didn’t hunt the field until the wind was in our favor, we could have gone in on day one of the hunt and contaminated the area with our scent, ultimately leading to no success.

Locating the food source by finding the squirrels and turkeys

When Grant and I entered on night three we could hear the turkeys and squirrels in the woods, but we never entered the woods to make sure there were acorns on the ground. We trusted our ears and left the woods untouched.

Using a Scent Control System

As you watch the hunt unfold, you’ll notice the deer placing their nose in the air trying to catch wind of something. That something is us, the predators! I mentioned the thermals switching on us as the morning progressed — this buck knew something was up but could never put his nose on it. Literally! If it wasn’t for a constant use of Dead Down Wind products and our ScentMaster system this hunt would have never been a success.

While sitting in your stand this week take some time and listen for turkeys and squirrels and see if you can locate their feeding area. Chances are that is where the deer are feeding also!

Dreaming of Giant Whitetails together,

Adam

Literally 1,000’s of bucks, does, and fawns have been found dead during the past few weeks from South Dakota to North Carolina. The likely cause of death is EHD (Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease) or BT (Blue Tongue).

EHD likely cause of this buck’s death

For more information about these viruses read the epizootic hemorrhagic disease fact sheet.

The only known method to stop the deaths from EHD is a killing frost that will kill the flies that carry the virus from deer to deer.

I’ve received several questions asking if hunting should continue given the extent of EHD. There isn’t a black and white answer that covers all areas. In my home state of Missouri, there have been no deer found that were suspected to have died from EHD or BT in some counties. In other counties more than 100 dead deer have been found.

Dead deer tend to decompose or be consumed by predators/scavengers rapidly during the warm days of late summer. Hence, the number found and reported is likely a gross underestimation of the total killed by the viruses. It is doubtful state agencies will have the resources to survey deer herds in localized areas. Certainly they won’t be able to survey the herds before the 2012 season (which has already begun in some areas).

There are exceptions. South Dakota’s Game, Fish, and Parks department is offering a refund for 2012 deer licenses. They state they may make further adjustments as needed. However, this action won’t be required by most states. The impact of the virus will vary by location. This is why each hunter and/or land manager needs to assess the impact in their area and set their harvest objectives accordingly.

Whether there is a die-off or not, deer herd harvest objectives should be based on the ratio of deer to the amount of quality habitat available. If you hunt/manage deer in areas with lots of row crops, then food is rarely a limiting resource. If you hunt in areas that are primarily timber and/or pasture, then the deer population must be kept smaller so the number of deer doesn’t exceed the habitat’s ability to produce quality food.

I have a friend that owns and hunts 75 acres. He’s already found 5 dead deer (including the largest buck that he knew was using his property). Based on camera surveys and observations, probably 1/3 of the deer that used his property have already died. It is 20 days before it normally frosts where he hunts. It is very possible that another 1/3 of his herd could die before a frost kills the flies that carry the virus from deer to deer. It may be best for my friend to not harvest deer this year – depending on what happens during the next few weeks.

That prescription should not be automatically accepted for other areas. However, it should serve to make hunters and landowners aware that this year may not be business (deer harvest) as usual. I strongly recommend all hunters and landowners to observe the number of deer in their area. Visit with neighbors and other local hunters and get their observations.

My friend has already taken steps towards helping his deer herd recover. Yesterday while out checking for deer sign, he shot a coyote. Predation can have a larger impact on suppressed deer herds compared to those that are near the habitat’s capacity. If you’ve never been a predator hunter, this is the year you should seriously consider becoming one.

I’ll be using my Duke Traps and Fox Pro caller this year. I expect to have a busy year as I have a lot of friends that may need a bit of help removing some stress from their surviving deer herd.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

Whitetails enjoy the taste of acorns

It’s September 14 and we’re only one day away from the opener of Missouri archery season! SAWEEEET!!! The wait is almost over, and all the preseason preparation is about to be put to the test. There are the months of shooting your bow, hanging and trimming treestands, washing your clothing, planting food plots and possibly looking through thousands of Reconyx images, all for the hopes of tagging a trophy buck! Now that the season opener is knocking at our door, I’m sure we’re all drawing out a game plan. If you’re in an area that has a great acorn crop you’re probably planning on heading into your best oak stand. Those of you in areas dominated by crop fields, you’ve probably spent the summer glassing bucks in velvet and will find yourself sitting on the edge of the field somewhere with high expectations. As of a week ago Grant and I were planning on being in the woods listening to acorns fall, but with recent scouting our plan has changed!

Throughout the summer we’ve located several big red and black oak trees with lots of acorns on them. As the acorns have matured and began to fall we’re noticing more and more uneaten acorns lying on the ground. While working this morning spreading some Deer Trac, I noticed a lot of fresh browse on young soybeans and wheat, and a very large amount of tracks around. This certainly fits the definition for M.R.I. (Most Recent Information) so Grant and I will find ourselves staring at a nice Eagle Seed Buck Monster Wheat food plot on Saturday afternoon hoping for the chance at a hit list buck!

Young soybeans and wheat

Good luck to all my fellow bow hunters who will be hitting the woods this weekend and in weeks to come! Be safe and always have fun!

Dreaming of Giant Whitetails together,

Adam

Last week I explained the importance of hunters reducing scent on them and their gear so they don’t alert mature bucks. This week I wished to share the system I use to accomplish this goal.

A good scent control system should reduce enough of the scent of a hunter and his gear so that bucks will approach the hunter close enough to allow for an ethical shot. It’s not just mature bucks that we need to worry about alerting. Spooking a doe or immature buck can alarm a mature buck enough that they won’t approach the area.

Given the wariness of most mature bucks and knowing that strange scents, or scents they associate with danger can cause them to go on high alert or change their path of travel, it’s critical that the scent reduction program covers gear and hunter from the time they go to their stand until they kill or exit the hunting area.

To accomplish this, Adam and I use the Dead Down Wind system. We wash our clothes with their soap. I use Dead Down Wind because it is enzyme based – not a bactericide. Dead bacteria often put off strong odors (ever smell a swamp?). I wish to break existing bacteria down and limit certain types of bacteria from growing on me and my gear.

Doing laundry with Dead Down Wind ScentPrevent laundry detergent is an essential part of my scent reduction system

It doesn’t do much good to reduce the scent and odor causing agents on your body and then use a towel that is full of perfume, fabric softener, etc., which will simply apply a scent that is just as alarming to your body. Hence we buy some towels that are only used to dry ourselves when we are preparing to hunt. They are laundered, stored, etc. just like our hunting clothes.

Likewise, it does no good to remove odors from hunting clothes and then store them where they can absorb household and other smells that will alert deer. I prefer to air dry our clothes outside. If we are staying at a friend’s house we may use the dryer if there isn’t a place outside to air dry our clothes away from sources of odor (such as cars, lawn mowers, etc.).

Once our clothes are dry, we store them in a ScentMaster box. This clever device is a closed air system with a strong fan and air heater. It recirculates 130 degree air through the box and a large carbon filter. The warm air insures the clothes are totally dry and is not a friendly environment for smelly bacteria, mold, etc., to grow. This is a great method to store hunting clothes, and remove some odor that may have built up between hunts.

Applying Dead Down Wind ScentPrevent field spray before hunting leads to greater success at harvesting mature bucks

We’ll tote the ScentMaster box to our hunting location and change into our hunting clothes just before walking to our stand. Before we get dressed, we use the Dead Down Wind field spray to ensure our bodies, clothes, and gear are scent free as possible before heading to the stand. If we’ve been backpacking and/or camping we use the Dead Down Wind foam as an infield shower. The foam dries rapidly and is a great substitute for a shower.

Likewise we use the Field Spray to remove odors from our Nikon binos, range finders, etc.

Adam and I have filmed and killed several mature bucks while using our system of reducing scent. It’s certainly not fool proof. Such claims to the contrary are most likely false. But for most hunting situations, it’s proven to be very effective.

We produce a new episode each week – 52 weeks a year. We don’t have time to go on three hunts and only show the results of the best. You can see for yourself how well our scent reduction system works each week by simply watching GrowingDeer.tv.

Growing (and hunting) Deer together,

Grant

Unless you hunt in the desert, limiting the odor from you and your gear is one of the most important aspects of repeated success to harvesting mature bucks. Odor molecules travel better in moist air. Our dog, Crystal, can find sheds and follow blood trails much better when the humidity is higher. One time during a morning hunt I shot a doe high (GDTV 98). I tried to find the doe and lost the trail about noon. As the heat of the day increased the humidity dropped. Tracy, my wife, started Crystal on the trail from where I shot the deer. Crystal followed the trail as far as the blood was visible. Then she lost the trail.

Scent trailing this doe was difficult in the low humidity.

We continued searching until late afternoon. Crystal wasn’t making any progress. All at once Crystal picked up the trail and I had my hands on the doe within minutes. What changed? The humidity increased as the air temperature dropped.

Tracy with Crystal trailing the doe shot during early bow season.

Ever wonder why bucks primarily move during the night, early morning, and to a lesser extent during the late afternoon? Look at the normal daily humidity pattern.

Given this, it’s extremely important to limit any odor possible. To accomplish this, I use a system for scent reduction. Not one magic product, but a system to reduce all odors from me and my gear. A bit of time spent on limiting odor can substantially increase deer hunting success rates!

Growing Deer together,

Grant

Giant buck standing near a road in Missouri

It’s August the 23rd. I’m starting to have that feeling that can only be compared to the night before Christmas when I was a child. There wasn’t much sleep happening because the excitement was almost too much to bear. Plus, what little rest I did get was filled with dreams completely engulfed with new toys, stockings and reindeer. Years later I’m still dreaming about deer, but this time it is whitetails! Lately I’ve become so entangled with the upcoming season opener (September 15th) that I can’t even go to sleep without thinking about it. The good news is, I’m not alone. In fact, just this week Grant shared with me that he has started his usual preseason dreams about hunting whitetails. This is something that is often true with deer hunters.

To make this problem worse, last week I received a photo from a close friend of mine with a GIANT buck he had seen standing alongside the road in Missouri. At first glance, you’ll probably do the same thing I did and assume it is a fake or in a pen. After some questioning, I finally came to believe his story. Check it out!

Woodland prescribed fire

Did you notice the second buck standing behind that monster? At first I overlooked him. That buck isn’t too shabby either. He was just dwarfed because he was standing next to a GIANT! Out of respect for the landowners and hunters in that area I won’t give any specifics. This definitely gets me pumped for deer season.

Even with all this talk of deer season we’re still continuing to manage the wildlife habitat here at The Proving Grounds. This week we had a little fun with a woodland/glade prescribed fire. With a “summer burn” or “late growing season burn” we are helping the wildlife by stimulating the future growth of forbs and killing the many small saplings that have tried to take over the glade. Our goal was to kill as many small saplings as possible while not killing any large, mature trees in the process. We safely accomplished our goal and now are planning our next fire for (hopefully) sometime next week.

It’s that time of year! Whether you’re out scouting fields for bucks or practicing prescribed fire keep your eyes peeled and a camera handy. If you see a buck like my friend, you don’t want to miss an opportunity for a photo! If you do capture a cool photo, and want to share it, head over to Facebook and post it! We would love to have our Facebook page covered with photos taken of giant whitetails so we all could dream together! With a little luck maybe those dreams could become reality for all of us!

Dreaming of Giant Whitetails together,

Adam

Warning: This blog contains information about prescribed fire which is a management tool for trained professionals using the appropriate tools for the situation. 

Two weeks ago I shared how I:

• Determine if mature bucks are in the area
• Learn which mature bucks move more during daylight
• The locations of food, cover and water within their range

Those are good steps to patterning and harvesting a mature buck. However, stopping there doesn’t provide me enough information to locate a deer blind with confidence I’ll be able to tag a mature buck. The final two steps in my scouting process include:

• Which habitat features (food, cover, and water) are most huntable under specific conditions
• Characteristics of targeted bucks

There are rarely large gaps in a mature buck’s survival strategy. Therefore my hunting strategy is to position myself at the right place and time to be able to take advantage of the few weaknesses in a mature buck’s plan to survive.

Deer need food, cover, and water daily. However, mature bucks often use the cover of darkness or areas where the wind swirls (is in their favor from all directions) during daylight hours to use these resources. Rather than simply hunt the sources of food, cover, or water within an area a mature buck is known to use, I determine which of these resources allows me to approach, hunt, and leave without alerting deer. Mature bucks primarily use large feeding areas at night during the hunting season on most properties. The more limited the food source (late winter, etc.) the more likely a mature buck will use it during shooting hours.

Deer spend more time using cover during daylight hours than any other time! Many hunters rarely hunt cover, but it’s my preferred resource to hunt. I wish to hunt where the deer are! I prefer cover that’s on an opposing slope when hunting with a gun. This allows me to see into the cover from a distance. This was the perfect strategy during the 2011 Missouri gun opener. I rarely hunt directly

Grant Woods with hit list buck “Tall 8”

in cover during archery season. Patches of cover should be much larger than bow range (even for an Olympic archer). Hence, I prefer to hunt travel corridors very close to cover during the morning. I can get close to cover before daylight with much certainty that the bucks will be out roaming. I approach the travel corridor, hugging the cover so I don’t alert deer that are feeding, etc. close to the cover. I spend the morning waiting on deer to return to the cover. This was a very successful strategy for me when I saw Clean 12 at Three Yards last fall!

The buck Clean 12 is harvested by Grant Woods

Once these stand locations are found, I target bucks that have showed signs of being aggressive or bullies. These are bucks that dominate feed or Trophy Rock sites! Such bucks are probably more likely to respond to grunt calls, rattling, or decoys. It’s easier to attract a bully than a buck that simply wants to slide by without causing a fight.

By using these five steps, I’ve been able to pattern and harvest multiple mature bucks. I suspect if you will give them a try, you’ll have an opportunity to tag a mature buck this fall!

Growing (and hunting) Deer together,

Grant

Land & Wildlife Expo 2012

It’s August 10 and The GrowingDeer.tv Team and I are attending the Land and Wildlife Expo and QDMA National Convention here at the beautiful Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tennessee.

It’s been a fun couple of days in seminars, touring the indoor expo and meeting the GrowingDeer.tv fans. With all the activities and excitement going on, one thing hasn’t escaped my mind. Wednesday morning before we left for Nashville, Grant and I were going through Reconyx cards and we discovered that Split Brow has been frequently using a camera survey location DURING DAYLIGHT!! These are the first images of Split Brow during daylight hours. Even better, he’s present multiple days, morning and evening, all during daylight. If any of you follow Grant on Facebook you may already know that Split Brow had an eye punctured during November of 2011. So now I find myself wondering:  Has age and injury made Split Brow more susceptible to harvest? I HOPE SO! Because he has been nothing but a ghost in years past! One thing is for certain, it’s that time of year to be fine tuning your bow, treestands, and preparing your camouflage so when that big buck makes his appearance under your stand you’re 100% confident.

Split Brow at a camera survey station August 2012

Grant will continue with the part two of Scouting for Mature Bucks next week!

Dreaming of Giant Whitetails together,

Adam