|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
heartlandhunters.com
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
| heartlandhunters.com |
|
This edition of the Heartland Hunters Newsletter Sponsored By: |
|
Volume 3 Number 1 Winter 2011 |
|
| _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ | |
|
Cold Weather, Hot Action By Steve Bemke, Heartland Hunters Pro Staff The early season has come and gone, the rut seems a distant memory and the weather just keeps getting colder. It’s not uncommon for deer hunters to call it quits after November when the rut winds down and the temperatures drop. However, if you are sitting in the warmth of your home on your favorite couch watching the football game; well, I can’t say that I blame you, but you are missing out on some of the best hunting of the year, as well as a possible deer of a lifetime. Many states have longer, more liberal deer seasons now that extend well into January that include opportunities such as bow, muzzleloader, and antlerless seasons. As the winter grows longer and food becomes scarce, deer will flock to food sources in order to maintain energy to survive these tough times. If you have food sources in your hunting area, this is a huge bonus and will greatly increase your success. The colder it gets, the hotter the action as deer need to eat to replenish the energy and calories they are burning to stay warm. This includes mature bucks that can be found visiting these food sources during day light hours. During the morning hunts, try to avoid setting up directly on food sources to avoid spooking deer when getting to your hunting location. Instead, try to get between their feeding area and bedding areas. However, if that is not an option, and the winter is particularly rough, you can gamble a bit on the set up as it is not unlikely for deer to throw some caution to the wind and return later to continue feeding. When hunting in the evening, focus on placing your set-up at their kitchen table. Don’t expect all the activity to happen the last hour before dark like earlier in the season. Deer will need to eat more often and can be found feeding all day long. So be ready, as the deer can move into your set-up minutes after you are settled in. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked to my stand in the early afternoon to have deer feeding right under my stand before I arrive at 1:30 or 2:00 in the afternoon. |
If you are hunting public land or an area where there is not an obvious food source for deer to feed, focus on finding trails leading to heavy cover or bedding areas. Deer will hang out in thick cedar areas or deep ravines to avoid the cold winds. Also focus on south facing slopes. These areas get the most sun and retain more heat for deer to stay warm.
Once winter settles in, deer aren’t going to move more than they have to. It’s simply about surviving. Eat, drink, rest. This holds especially true for big mature bucks. If you know of a good secluded food source, expect that buck to be bedded near by. Stay quiet and be cautious of the wind when getting to your stand, as the buck of a lifetime may only be bedded a 100 yards or so away. Also as a quick note; if you are able to close the deal on a buck this winter, handle the antlers carefully. It’s not uncommon for them to break off as they get closer to shedding them. Worst case, a good taxidermist can fix them up like new. But what about enduring the cold weather? Sitting on a cold steel stand can be a challenge. The good thing is; there is a lot of great cold gear on the market these days to make even the coldest of winter days comfortable. Stay away from cotton clothing as it retains moisture well and any perspiration that it collects will rapidly draw heat away from your body. For a base layer, stick with a close fitting synthetic polymer that wicks away moisture. Wool is a good insulate for top layers and will help keep the wind at bay. Also, don’t go out to the stand on an empty stomach. You body generates heat by burning calories. Ever wonder why sometimes you seem hot when you go to bed after stuffing yourself with a late night pizza? Think of your body as a wood burning furnace; when you eat, you are adding wood and stoking the fire. Eat a good high carb or protein based meal like whole grain cereal, sausage, eggs and stay away from sugary snacks like candy. Most importantly, never let them see you sweat! Avoid over heating when walking to your stand. Sure you’ll feel warm for a good 15 minutes, but once your sweat cools, you are in for a wretched time as the cold air and moisture will give new meaning to the word frosty. Nonetheless, nothing keeps you warm like a surge of adrenaline. And if you are in the right place, you’ll have plenty of deer action to keep your mind off the cold this time of year. With a little tenacity and the proper preparations, you can enjoy a successful weekend in the winter deer woods. Not to mention that it can be one of the most memorable times. There is nothing quieter, more peaceful and serene then the snow covered woods in the dead of winter. Not to mention, a heavy horned buck walking into view with frosted antlers! |
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
|
|
Cass Creek Electronic Game Calls Lure game in close with authentic sounds of real animals. Cass Creek Electronic Hunting and Game Calls offers a large selection of hunting game calls. For all your hunting needs. Cass Creek hand held game and hunting calls are battery operated and include a built in speaker or can be connected to external speakers. Use Cass Creek hunting and game calls to create the illusion of "moving sound" which can increase the effectiveness of your calling. If you are looking for electronic hunting and game calls -Cass Creek has it all!
|
 |
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
|
Eat'n Crow By Leonard Wolter, Host Hidden Creek Adventures TV No this article isn't going to be chocked full of recipes on the delicacies of crow meat. As a matter of fact I've never personally eaten one. Not to say that I wouldn't try, I just haven't been that hungry yet. What we will be discussing is crow hunting in the Midwest. Most of my time has been spent crow hunting in Missouri. Hunting crows is a great winter sport. Just about the time all the other hunting seasons have ended is the best time to be crow hunting. The American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) is a distinctive bird with iridescent black feathers, black bill and black legs. They are 16" – 20" in length with each wing being about 11" – 14" in length. Males are larger than females. When it comes right down to it, crows look a lot bigger than their bodies are. I would compare their bodies to a small teal. Not a big target! There is a season on crows in all states. The typical season in Missouri runs from November to March. They fall under federal regulations because they are migratory birds. In the state of Missouri only a small game hunting permit is required to pursue them. There is no bag limit and electronic calls are permitted. Now that we have gone over all these particulars, I let you in on how I like to hunt them. I usually start hunting crows in January and February. By now the large groups of birds we are seeing have migrated in. Crows are very wary and intelligent birds. Once you start shooting into a flock of crows you better start hitting them, especially the lead bird, or soon they will all be gone. So keeping this in mind, mobility is of great importance. I like to make a stand, do some calling, hopefully some shooting, and then move on. If you have the luxury of many large farms in a local area that is great, I don't. |
What I like to do is head to some public ground. This can be Missouri Department of Conservation ground or just as good is Corps of Engineers land. These set-ups are perfect, plenty of land and parking areas. Get a map before you head out, locate the parking areas, and set up a plan of mobility. One of my favorite Conservation areas lies in a giant circle with parking areas all around it. Once I get to a parking area, I hike in about 100 yards and set up. Once that stand is used up its back to the car and off to the next parking area. Depending on the size of the area, this can take up to a half of a day and keep you in fresh birds the entire time. Now let's talk about equipment and techniques. Full camouflage is a must. A face mask and gloves are a good idea. Decoys are a great idea. They do a good job of keeping the crows attention away from you. Since the majority of the birds will be flying, a shot gun is the weapon of choice. As mentioned before, crows are not real big so 6 – 7 ½ shot is sufficient. I take along both an electronic call and mouth calls. There are stands when the electronic call can do no wrong, then the next stand won't work at all. I've then switched to a mouth call and done just great. Try them both. Well good luck on your next crow hunting adventure. They are not easy birds to hit. Keep in mind their bodies are a lot smaller than you would expect when you see them in flight. Check us out at: www.hiddencreekadventures.com .JPG) |
|
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
|
|
Opening Day By, Bill Ernst Deer season was upon us and Missouri rifle opener was fast approaching. As all of us get the jitters and excitement boils from within, as the days approach before we get to take to the woods. We have all spent countless hours fumbling through our gear, time and time again, reassuring ourselves that we are prepared and are mentally ready for the task at hand. You see this year, my dad, Jim, was making the trip to Missouri from North Carolina to hunt opening day with my son, Ethan and myself on our hunting grounds. Our work schedules had been rearranged, travel plans made, and a lot of preparations had been done on our property. Ethan has always shown an interest and had been excited to help me with chores in the woods. From planting food plots, scouting, filling feeders, and checking the trail cams. He was eager to take to the woods this year with another chance to hunt with his grandfather, the same man that let me tag along as kid in the woods. He was proud of all the work he had accomplished and was confident his grandpa would be appreciative of the effort and successful with his hunt. The opening morning, dad arrived bright and early. Excitement was in the air as we loaded up for the short drive to our hunting blind that Ethan and I had set up weeks prior. Arriving at the property, we quietly exited the truck and grabbed our gear. Slowly we eased down the lane and into the woods along a path that would carry us to our blind location. As we sat in the dark, it was hard for us not to talk or get excited. My father would ask a question, I would try to quietly answer as my son would listen and burst into excitement, eyes as big as Oreo cookies yelping answers to my father. If all else failed that day, the excitement shared between us all was enough to fulfill the trip. Despite the cold damp morning and the cloud cover, the sky began to brighten and we saw our first deer movement. We glassed the opposing trails and the creek bed. |
We could see deer moving in and out of the thick cover trying to judge the deer hastily before they disappeared. Deer management is a priority on our property and we were trying to be selective. I had seen some good quality deer lately and had some nice trail cam pics of resident deer on the property. Most of the pictures we could compare from years past and see the progression of generations of deer much like the generations of hunters that were in the blind. The sky was well lit now and shots were echoing in the distance. Several deer approached the clearing and mulled around in the thicket a bit. As they took turns stepping in and out of the clearing, dad would locate them in his scope and I would glass with my binoculars, but none would offer a clear shot. As soon as a good management deer would step into the clearing and dad was preparing to squeeze off a round, they would disappear back into the cover. Within an instant, a mature doe stepped out. I whispered to dad if he could get on it, take the shot. No sooner had I finished the order, dads Browning .270 barked. I followed the deer through my binoculars as it jumped and staggered into the woods and out of sight. With all the excitement, we took a moment to gather ourselves and tell each other our different versions of the story. After giving the deer time to expire and the remaining deer in the area to clear, we departed from our gear in the blind and began the pursuit of dad’s fallen game. It didn’t take long to find the blood trail. Only 20 yards from where the trail began, we found his deer. After taking the priceless picture of my dad and my son together with the deer, my job had just begun. I have guided in the past and continue to on a part time basis. The thought of ‘after the shot’ doesn’t cross many people’s minds, but something I was familiar with. I went to work, field dressing it, dragging the deer to the truck, loading it for the ride home to skin and quarter it. My wife and stepmother even helped out in packaging the meat. We had a full day that opener with only one deer down, but the memories are forever and countless. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, time spent in the woods with friends and family is precious and priceless. Try to make yourself include a young one in your ventures. They are our future and the two of you will never forget the moments Bill Ernst Mossy Oak Pro Staff |
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
|
3 Shot Products By, Steve Edler 3 Shot Products has been an innovator in the Outdoor Industry creating some of the most useful and unique products on the market, everything from boot and glove dryers to customized lanyards, and Yes …. These products are made in the HEARTLAND … Missouri…. The Boot Dryers - These dryers are time tested by the waterfowl hunters of the Midwest …. Elsberry, St. Charles, St. Peters, Old Monroe, Vandalia IL., Granite City IL, and 3shot’s garage. The 3shot dryers are built tuff with all PVC materials to resist water and extreme hunter abuse. The box is made of ¾ inch Azek PVC decking and all the pipes and fittings are white PVC. Each unit comes with a 1 – 12 hour timer that allows you to turn the dryer on leave, and come back the next day to dry and ready to hunt boots. Each unit comes with a boot hanger allowing all boots to line up with the pipes on the dryer. If you mount the boot hanger at 80 inches from the ground you can dry WADERS/HIPS/and KNEE boots. You can also install short pipes and dry short boots, running shoes, soccer shoes, football cleats, and you can even dry your GUN CASES. |
Testimonial - Wore waders for 3 hours while working at duck club during 85 degree weather … took off waders and dumped out sweat, Installed waders on dryer and within 3 hours the waders were football shoes completely dry.
The Lanyards - created with good old fashion parachute cord like the ones you see in the BIG FANACY hunting stores. Except, personalized with your name or initials. These make GREAT gifts for the hard to buy for hunters who have everything. You can choose from many cord colors. Some like to use the colors of their Alma mater... (Black & Gold for MU). The lanyards come in 2 styles … 4 strains and 8 strains; the 8 strain is the same only BIGGER and tougher.
|
| _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ | |
Cass Creek Electronic Game Calls MegaAmp Coyote Call There are times when hunting or photographing wild game that you not only need realistic, natural calls to bring the game in close, but greater volume to overcome distance or loud noise levels such as wind. The new MegaAmp™ from Cass Creek Calls delivers on both counts! This new model features an over-sized, extreme volume speaker system to help you project the natural calls greater distances. The easy to use point and play design and simple trigger pull operation also features an ‘instant interrupt’ so you can instantly control the sound and direction. Like all Cass Creek Calls the MegaAmp produces authentic animal sounds recorded in the live in the natural environment from the particular animal in different situations. |
The first model in this series is the MEGA AMP COYOTE Call. Bust the wind with this new call from Cass Creek ™. Altus Brands, LLC also owns Pro Ears electronic and passive hearing protection/amplification products, BenchMaster Rif le Rests, Rifleman hearing protection, Crossfire Slings, Bughats, American Bison Leather and Woodland Whisper. For more information go to www.casscreek.com
|
| _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ | |
This Newsletter is Sponsored by Cass Creek Electronic Game Calls
|
|
| _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ | |
For a Complete List of Events Please Click on the Link
|
For a Complete List of our Partners Please Click on the Link |
| _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
|
To contact us, Please send us an e-mail at: webmaster@heartlandhunters.com |
|
|
|
|
