With spring brings a new year of hunting, starting with turkeys and black bears. Spring gobbler season started on the 10th of April and I was rushing a week before to finish getting my bow setup. First, I headed over to TightSpot Quivers right next door to Bozeman in Belgrade, MT and visited with Joe Jacks for a little bit and picked up the quiver I will be using for 2010. If you havent had the chance yet, check out the TightSpot Quiver in 2010. This quiver is great and it does exactly what the name says, stays tight to your bow. I went down the road a little ways in Belgrade and also picked up the new RedZone HD Sight by Montana Black Gold. I then made my way over to Wholesale Sports in Bozeman and had my friend and the archery manager Ben Guttormson help me setup the bow and get it sighted in. The BowTech was shooting great and the Easton Axis were flying true, now I just need to kill something!

DAY 1

My buddy Shane and I met up after he got off work on Saturday night (4/10) and we were headed off to Central Montana near Rygate to give the turkeys a try for a few days. We made the 3 hr drive east and got to his uncles ranch pretty late. We put a quick plan of attack together for the morning and we were off to bed.

The morning came quick and we headed to the river bottom where we would setup the ground blind. I had the video camera in hand and I let Shane have the first chance at a turkey.

I gave a few yelps on my Primos mouth call and we were off to the races. We heard a gobble off in the distance but it didn’t sound too far. So we waited patiently. Five minutes later I yelped a few more times and there was more gobbles. The turkey was getting closer. Shane got ready.

We heard a hen start clucking and the gobbler immediately shut up. That was the last we would hear from him. The beautiful Merriam’s hen did come in to our Montana Decoy setup though and danced in front of the camera at 30 yards for a little bit.

We saw a coyote and a nice group of deer on the ridge that morning but otherwise nothing else. We went back to the house for breakfast.

At about 12:30 we decided to head out and do some scouting and shed hunt. We ended up walking along the river and I found a set of sheds and we also found a couple nice deer rubs. We then decided to take a quick nap and get ready for the evening sit.

That evening we didn’t hear a peep. Nothing. Didn’t even see where the turkey’s would roost. We left the blind up and figured we would give it another shot in the morning. It would be my turn.

DAY 2

We were up bright and early for day two. Now that we were confident that birds were roosting close to our setup, we slipped in quietly when it was still dark. It was a very cold morning but I was pumped to be out in God’s creation hunting turkeys.

We started calling right away. Gobbles rang instantly and it warmed me up quick. As we continued to call we had some deer move through the woods about 60 yds away. We then heard more gobbles.

It sounded like the birds were once again moving closer and closer to us but we never did visually see them. All of a sudden, we heard a hen off in the distance. She began to cluck and then starting cutting aggressively. This is not what we wanted. The hen was in the opposite direction of our setup and the hen unfortunately did what they do best… called the tom away from us.

We continued to call as the morning got brighter and we heard more gobbles but our calling wasnt enough. The tom had a visual of the live hen and was headed away with his new found love.

We sat a while longer and decided to head in for breakfast. Once we were in for breakfast Shane got a call from his dad, asking Shane and I if we could help him unload a truck load of stuff he was bringing out to the ranch in the afternoon. We said no problem. That would ruin our plan to hunt that evening so we went out shed hunting again. We ended up finding about 12 or so sheds together this time and got a great hike in.

After that we decided to head over to the shooting range on the ranch and I sighted in my 7mm. I plan on hunting bears with my bow this spring as much as possible but being a Greenhorn out west, I would be satisfied with taking a bear with my rifle also.

We didn’t end up killing any turkeys on this trip but we had a great time hanging out together and just getting out in the woods hunting. Turkey and bear season runs well into the spring here and I will be back to update you on my season soon. You can also check out www.montanagreenhorn.com and www.realitybowhunting.com for videos of season updates.

Good luck and shoot straight!

On that note, Back 40 prostaffer Jake Oravetz and I decided to get together last weekend on some of my hunting grounds in Western Wisconsin to do a little shed hunting/scouting.  With the amount of snow on the ground (plus over 10″ of fresh powder that fell the day before) chances of finding bone were slim.  However, the chunk of land we scouted is due for some major changes this year.  A logger is on standby, and as soon as the weather cooperates about 50 acres of timber are going to the sawmill.  Jake and I wanted to scout potential bedding areas and food plots we plan to put in here.  If all goes as planned, another update on this property hopefully will happen in November with an Antler King fed Poper on the ground!

We fueled up with a bit of Wilderness Athlete, put on the snowshoes and warm weather gear, and hit the area hard for 2.5 hours.  While not mountainous by any means, Western WI hills slick with snow will test your abilities on snow shoes!  Jake was also testing out some new Under Armour that performed flawlessly in the cold, despite working up a good sweat straining through the snow and up the hills.  I have to give props to MSR for making the Denali Classic snowshoes.  If you are looking for a pair of snowshoes, look no further than these.  Though we didn’t find any sheds, preliminary information is pointing to a couple of promising stand sites for next fall….

Jake shed hunting in Western Wisconsin

The state of MN decided to make my areas I hunt a one deer area this year which means either a doe or a buck but no extra management tags, that alone effected the number of deer I was going to be drawing back on in 2009. I am not one to pass up an opportunity at a mature doe and having to let I don’t know how many of them walk by was not an easy task. I knew if I shot one early I would regret it all season long so I made a deal not to shoot a doe until the month of December rolled around. I had a food plot that was getting destroyed but I also had a work schedule that didn’t want to budge through out the whole month of Dec.

I actually had more encounters with mature bucks this season than any other season in the past, that right there is an accomplishment in itself, the area I hunt is not public but very pressured private land and honing in on a mature whitetail can be tough. Sometimes us as hunters measure success by the number of animals we down in a season, which I am very guilty of but if we actually would weigh out all of the experience and knowledge we gain in any given season every year would be a success. Hope you all had “successful” 2009 seasons and I am looking forward to 2010

In a perfect world we would never have a chance to get bored on stand because of non-stop deer activity.  While there are a few days a year when this is true, it’s the exception rather than the rule. I’m sure we have all felt the disappointment of sitting all day and not even catching a glimpse of a deer. That is hunting and that is what makes it so gratifying when we do connect on a big mature whitetail.

During the early and late seasons (Sept-mid October, and December-January), I typically sit the key hours of the day, early in the morning and late in the evening.  I’m usually hunting feed to bed or vice versa. The rut is a different monster all by itself, where all day sits are the norm. If you have never sat all day during the rut, you should make it a point in the upcoming season to do so.

I have had several encounters between 11:30 and 2:00 when most hunters are catching a snooze or are sitting at the café eating lunch. But pulling this off for 5-7 days straight can really wear on a guy (or gal).  Those 8-9 hour days on stand can feel like an eternity if deer movement is slow.   But you never know when the big boy will come strolling by your stand scent checking for does or scrapes.

Books and hand held video games

When I pack my bag getting ready for an all day hunt, I always make sure to pack either a good book or a hand held video game. I know bringing a game into the woods seems a bit cliché but believe me, it will help pass the time while waiting out Ol’ Mossyhorns (plus, you can definitely sharpen your poker and yahtzee skills in short order). There are several small pocket sized games you can pick up at your local electronics store for a very reasonable price.  Make sure to turn the sound off when in stand!

I sometimes prefer to bring a book to keep me relaxed, and what better way to keep up on the latest hunting strategies! I do recommend checking the weather for rain and snow before bringing a book into the woods.

Clothing

Hunting the rut can be a roller coaster of weather. Ten years ago you could almost bet that by the end of October in Minnesota, your warm weather gear was in the closet waiting for spring turkey hunting.  In more recent years, you have to keep a watchful eye on the weather channel, as a predictable weather pattern is about as predictable as the whitetails we all chase!  Regardless of weather you need to make sure you have the right equipment for the job. I’ve had excellent results with a good layering system and the proper shell for the elements. The clothing industry has grown leaps and bounds in the last few years, offering plenty of options depending on what you are looking for.

A good rule of thumb is you can always take off layers but can’t put more on.  I like to dress light walking in and put my heavier clothes on once I am in my stand.  Having a good pack makes this easier, and we will get to that later. Remember we are going in the woods before light and unless we fill that tag we won’t be coming out until dark so be prepared.

Personally I have my favorites that I wear while hunting. I like to use Under Armour as my base layer in cold weather and actually in warm weather also, they have two separate lines of clothing for hot and cold climates. In cold weather I wear either my Scent Blocker Road trips suit or in frigid temps I have found that Renegades line of Berber Fleece with wind blocker is invaluable. I have heard unbelievable results with Rivers West and also Sitka Gear.

Food and Drink

Sitting all day is definitely going to require some sort of food intake; we all know you need to keep fueling the fire. This is a topic that I feel gets totally ignored by whitetail hunters and the reason far too many hunts are cut short. How often has it happened to you? You’re on stand till about 11:30 or Noon and the stomach starts growling.  Pretty soon you talk yourself into climbing out of your stand and heading to the café to get a warm cup of coffee and some eggs. I know exactly how it feels as I have been there plenty.  I also know that during the rut any time of the day is a good time to harvest a deer.

Recently there has been an influx of food products targeted at hunters and outdoorsman. I have tried a few of the different brands and my personal opinion is that Wilderness Athlete is above the rest based on performance and taste. WA offers four different flavored bars and two types of drinks. I am not a scientific type of guy but I do know that WA’s products taste great and are good for you. They have even done the whitetail hunter a huge favor and put a 3 day hunt pack together so we know exactly how much we need to eat and drink to keep us going on stand.

Western bow hunters have been using WA for a few years now and I have heard nothing but great results. After using their product all last season I am a firm believer in them. Whatever you choose to bring on stand with you make sure it is giving you enough energy to make it through the day.

Back Packs

Back packs in bow hunting are almost as important as the bow itself. When I am choosing a pack I consider a couple of features.   Number one on the list is comfort.  What good is a pack if you don’t wear it’s awkward or can’t carry a load?   Number two is versatility.  Will the pack be able to carry all the things required for an all day whitetail sit?  Keep in mind hunting the rut you are going to try and shove a lot of goodies into your bag of tricks and you want to make sure that it is going to be comfortable and not take up to much room in your tree.

A big plus is a pack that has bed roll straps. Why do I need them if I am never going to use a bed roll? They work great for putting excess clothing in.  I put my warm clothes in them on my way into my stand; also if it warms up on stand and I need to shed a layer it’s an easy spot to store your extra clothes. There are several great bags on the market, but the one I chose several years ago was the BadlandsMonster Fanny. The Monster fits the criteria for everything I just listed and more. I can even put a hydration bladder in it if I wish. Badlands also has the best warranty I have found, guaranteed for life! That’s tough to beat.

These are four things that have helped me get through many seasons of the rut. Hopefully you can try even just a few of them and maybe it will be enough to help you sit a little bit longer on stand. Remember hunting the rut has many different twists and turns and maybe you have your own tactics for getting through the day on stand.  Remember, no piece of equipment can replace a positive attitude on the fifth day of a hunt!