Snow Presents a New Challenge

With my college life in full swing I have not got a chance to hunt as much as I would like this fall/winter but I have been hitting the woods hard every weekend when I get a small break from class. I have hunted a few times during the weekday on the public lands here in Alexandria where I attend college but with schoolwork to do and clients to build websites for, I have been unable to hunt as much as I would like.

I have seen quite a few deer this year but none have come close enough for a good shot. I was on a spot and stalk early in the season and had a chance at a nice doe that was about 10 yards from me. I noticed her when I was approaching a chopped corn field from the woods I was walking in. As I approached the edge of the field with a lot of brush in front of me, she was walking closer to me and I just needed her to walk out into the field a few more yards so that I had a good shot at her. Of course she didn't and I didn't feel I had a very ethical shot at her with all the brush in front of me where she was standing and she turned around and disappeared back into the woods.

The beautiful fall colors have now turned into a white winter wonderland and this makes for a different kind of bowhunting. Along with your regular routine of staying scent free and well camouflaged, you need to be prepared for the cold winds and snow. Here in Minnesota it can get well below freezing and it is very important to be prepared for the worst.

First off, I feel that clothing is a key to success through a winter hunt. You’re going to want a good base layer, mid-layer, and outer layer or shell. I have had great success with products from Under Armour, Mad-Dog, and Scheels Apparel. There are plenty of great products out there, just find the most comfortable for you and don’t be afraid to try different Brands for each layer. I will tell you from experience though, your $12.99 long underwear from Wal-Mart are not going to keep you as warm as the $49.99 ColdGear Leggings you can get from Under Armour.

Second, scout the area you are hunting. If you are going to be on the edge of an open field you may want to use a ground blind or have your stand facing the opposite way of the wind. Over the weekend my father and I were hunting and it starting snowing early on Saturday morning and the day turned into a very windy, snowy day. So, we decided to get out the ground blind and set it on the edge of a chopped corn field instead of calling it quits. This worked great; it kept us out of the wind and blowing snow and still gave us a chance at harvesting a deer. Another thing to keep in mind is the travel to your stand. If there is a lot of snow be prepared for it physically or have a four-wheeler on hand.

Lastly, be prepared for the kill. The harvest of the deer or animal you are bowhunting that is! A good way to stay prepared is by keeping a backpack with you that has everything you need to finish the job. It’s also good to have a pack in case you become lost or stranded and need First Aid, food, or something else. I have heard great things about packs from Badlands and Eberlestock. (For more info about the Badland packs check out the Sage Creek Forums) Also, make sure you have a sharp knife, towels, extra water, rope, and anything else you find essential. Remember that cleaning a deer can get messy and dragging it back can get heavy! If the snow is thick don’t be afraid to call a friend for help.

Weekend 2

After not being successful during weekend 1 of rifle season I looked forward to weekend 2 all week. I did not hunt on Saturday morning and I do not think that was a bad thing. There had been a lot of deer movement during the evening all week and my father was lucky enough to harvest a nice size doe and a small doe just before dark in the middle of the week. He called me on Thursday and explained to me that he was getting off of his stand Wednesday night (which was the stand I sat in last weekend) and started walking towards his truck when he noticed something standing in a hay field. He looked through his binoculars and sure enough he spotted a nice doe. So he lifted his gun and looked for the deer through his scope. He spotted her and figured she was a couple hundred yards away and decided he had was going to go for the kill. He put the crosshairs on her vitals, took a deep breath, let it out and squeezed the trigger. She was dead. Another doe came out after that and he figured it was the does fawn, he shot her too. After he told me about this I got really excited. There was a chance I would see deer in my second weekend of rifle season.

I did not go out Saturday morning but I went out Saturday night. I decided to try out our ground blind that was setup on the edge of a woods, right next to a chopped corn field. My dad had shot a nice doe with his bow about a month prior out of the blind and the deer had come out near the blind at night on a few different occasions. But, tonight was not one of those nights. I was lucky enough to have a hen pheasant come within 3 yards of the blind and she was fun to watch as she chomped on corn. But that was all the action for that night.

Sunday was going to be a new day and my last chance this year with my rifle. I decided to skip church to stay out longer that morning because it was the last day and I had not filled my tag. I walked to my stand well before sunlight and I was warm and cozy in my hunting clothes once I got settled in my stand. I grew up without a heater in my stand. Just a wide open stand that blended in with the surroundings and thats how it will stay till I'm old. You learn to dress for the weather here in Minnesota. The sun came up and shined brightly. It was a beautiful November morning but, could have been more beautiful if the deer were traveling through my area of hunting land! I got down off my stand after a long morning hunt and went in for breakfast. Then I took a long nap to be rested for the evening fanally. I went out at about 3:15pm and knew this was my last chance, I had to make it count. As time went by nothing came and I began to get disappointed. I had worked so hard for two weekends to see nothing. It wasn't fair. I had stayed patient every day till now. The sun went down and it was getting dark. I counted the minutes till season would be closed. When out of the corner of my eye I seen something move. I slowly turned my head and squinted my eyes to see what had caught my attention. It was a deer! Finally! It was eating off the soon to be frozen grass and had no clue I was there. I had put out some Primetime Natural Doe Urine before I got into my stand that night and the wind was pointed directly at the deer. It was pretty dark and I could not tell what it was though. The deer brought its head up and pointed its nose in the air and then back down to eat more grass. I slowly moved my gun in the direction of the deer and tried to find it through my scope. I could not find it! I turned the power down on the scope and finally found the deer and turned the power back up. It was in my crosshairs now and I was ready. My father taught me years back what to do next and I did it perfectly. Take a deep breath, let it out slowly and squeeze the trigger. The shot went off and I kept looking through my scope. The deer was still standing! I quickly lined the crosshairs back on the deer and shot again. It was down! I waited for about 30 seconds and unloaded my gun. I got out of the stand and found the deer. It was a buck, my first to be exact and he was an old 6 pointer. His brown coat was speckled with grey and he had a nice size body. He is not a monster by any means but he is my first buck and I am happy to finish the rifle season successfully.

Weekend 1

I know this is supposed to be mainly a bowhunting blog but it is rifle hunting season here in Minnesota and for two weeks out of the year the rutting whitetails are at a major disadvantage. Well, I thought so anyway!

Postives/Negatives?
Rifle hunting is not like bowhunting in positive and negatives ways. I feel that rifle hunting is too easy especially because it falls during rut here in Minnesota, when bucks are going crazy chasing after hot does. Another thing about rifle hunting that I feel is negative is that you can sit in one stand the whole season and just wait for the deer to show up and they usually do. I feel this is a negative because I would rather have the challenge of bowhunting in which you have to change stands frequently and scout throughout the season because the deer are smarter. There are also positives. It is nice for the people who are older and do not have the ability to chase around deer in the backcountry anymore, they can drive their 4-wheeler out to there warm, heated stand and still have the enjoyment of nature and the outdoors and get a chance to see and shoot deer! It also nice to start the young children out rifle hunting. Its easier and because it is easier, you have a good chance of shooting a deer and that gives the child a better chance to enjoy hunting and to continue it throughout his/her life. My father started me out rifle hunting and when I turned 18 he introduced me to something that I'm now in love with in bowhunting. Another advantage to include to this list would be scent control. Yeah, I always took showers before going out to rifle hunt and kept my clothes hung out on the clothes line in the fresh air but not like I do when bowhunting. The rut helps this in Minnesota. Deer are so crazy during this time that they forget to use their senses. But, how can this be? These are deer we are talking about! They have some of the best senses of any animal right? Right, but not during rut. You probably will not need to pick up any scent protection spray before you head out to the stand during rifle season, which makes it a little easier.

Getting Ready
Its pretty easy to get ready for rifle season. Hang your clothes on the clothes line a couple weeks before the season opens and sight your rifle in or check if it is still sighted in from last year. Thats about it. Obviously, you are going to need warm clothes and the correct gear but getting ready for rifle season is nothing like getting ready for bowhunting. Rifle season is a two to three week thing and bowhunting is a year around thing. I spend time shooting my bow every week, year round and not to mention I do plenty of physical activity to stay in shape and get ready for the long season. A lot of the time when bowhunting I move to a different stand everyday to stay unpredictable to the deer and try to be as quiet at I can on my trip to the stand each day. During rifle season you can drive your 4-wheeler right out to your stand and the deer will not even care because they are worried about more important things, if you know what I mean!

Weekend 1
My weekend didn't really go as planned. I woke up very early each morning to get out to the stand well before the morning light. I like to get out there early so that I can get settled into my stand and also in case I kick a deer up on my way to my stand, it gives the deer time to come back to it's bedding area in time for the sun to shine. The first morning set the tone for how my weekend went. Wakeup early, see no deer, and go in for brunch. Go back out to the stand at 2:00, see no deer and go back in at dark. It was pretty discouraging. I didn't let it get to me mentally though, I will keep my hopes high and be back at it this weekend.

My First Post

I want to welcome everyone to my blog. This blog will focus on adventures/hunts that I take on and what kind of tactics I used and different ways I could have bettered myself.

Hunting is a great activity and I love it because I get to be in the middle of Gods great outdoors, with no one to tell me what to do. Everything is on my own. Yes, there will be times that I hunt with a group of people or my favorite hunting partner, my father. But, most of the time I will be DIY. Do-it-yourself is probably the best way to hunt, in my opinion. It's just you against the game, one on one. The game you are hunting uses it best defense as you the hunter uses your best tactics. Weather your on a spot-and-stalk or just sitting in the stand waiting for that P&Y whitetail, you need to bring your "A" game every time to be successful. Successful can be defined in different ways by different people though. You have your experienced hunters out there who are tackling the harshest conditions for that monster mulie and you also have the beginning hunter who is waiting in his/her ground blind for a nice doe with their brand new bow. Which ever situation you are in you can be defined successful if you fulfill your goals. I feel that is an important concept to take up when hunting. Set a goal, whatever you feel you can realistically complete and fulfill it. You will feel more accomplished and you will learn more while fulfilling it because you know in your heart that you can do it. Another reason to set goals is to help push yourself. You know your limits and if you push them slightly by fulfilling goals, you will become a great hunter.

My blog will be geared to help both type of hunters I mentioned above. My goal is for us to learn together and become the best hunters we can. Don't be afraid to give feedback and thanks for viewing my blog.

God Bless and Shoot Straight!