Back 40 Outdoors >> Do-It-Yourself Hunting

Posted on: June 24th, 2010Fast and Light Hunting: Back 40 Style

I’ve long been fascinated with the “fast and light” modus operandi of some of the units in the American military.  The Navy Seals, Recon Marines, Green Berets, and especially the Army Rangers.  My grandfather was a member of the Army Rangers during the Normandy invasion, and visiting the battlefields of the Normandy Coast only fueled the fire to learn as much as I could about these brave fighting men.  In my studies, the one thing that pops out at you is the utter mobility of these units.  Utilizing these tactics and light gear, I’ve applied some knowledge to the animals I hunt. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted on: March 2nd, 2010Spring Scouting for Whitetails

Noted whitetail expert and Back 40 Prostaff member Chris Eberhart penned this short piece detailing the finer points of post season scouting for the upcoming whitetail season.  Check out the new scouting service offered by Chris by clicking here.  Enjoy and use the article!

Spring Scouting

By Chris Eberhart

Despite what it might look like outside momentarily winter is winding down and spring is right around the corner. That means it’s time to think about spring scouting. For anyone who is serious about regularly tagging mature bucks the few weeks between snow melt and green up are some of the most important “hunting” weeks in the entire hunting year.  What you do now will set the stage for success this fall. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted on: February 19th, 2010Bowfishing on Ice: Back 40 Style

Back 40 prostaffer Kevin Biermeier and friend Alan Miller recently put a hurting on some carp in an open hole on a local river.  The carp congregated where they could find a little swimming room, and Kev and Alan were there for the party!  In Kevin’s words “We went to a secret honey hole and in a little over 2 hours the two of us shot another 70 fish.  We took on some new tactics as you can see in the photos.  I hate to think how many fish we would kill if we shot seriously for two hours.  Can’t wait to get the boat out and shoot some under the lights after ice out”.

Posted on: February 18th, 2010Hunting Whitetails: Hunting in the morning..

This is a great article written by Back 40 Prostaff Member Chris Eberhart about hunting whitetails in the morning.  Very informative, and these methods have led to some monster bucks for Chris:

Understanding Morning Whitetail Hunting

By Chris Eberhart

A clear sky of brilliant stars slowly faded to gray and was replaced by burning orange sunrise. Awakening birds chirped, and distant turkey’s raucous morning rise let the whole world know the day had begun.  Clouds of frozen breathe rose in front of my face from my comfortable slow breathing, and a coat of thick white frost covered the meadow grass below me.  There is nothing quite like the magic of sunrise while bowhunting in the morning. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted on: February 11th, 2010Snow, Cold, and Snowshoes

I’ve been slacking quite a bit lately writing for Back 40, chalk it up to winter!  Recently I discovered that snowshoeing (who knew they have been around for thousands of years) is my new favorite activity when the snow gets ass deep.  It has opened up a whole new world of places to visit in the winter, as here in the upper Midwest without proper transportation winter activities seem to be relegated to the ice fishing house.. Read the rest of this entry »