Field and Stream - Bow Hunting Whitetail Deer RSS

The 35 Best Photos From Field & Stream's 2012 Spring Trail Cam Contest: Round II

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:15:02 -0400

Who says trail cams are only fun in the fall? Set yours out this spring, then send us your best photos. You could win a new Bushnell Trophy Cam HD (MSRP $323.95).

Here's how it works. This contest will have three rounds. The first, Round I, began, March 12, and closed on April 12. Round II ran from April 12 to May 12, and Round III from May 14 to June 14. We're giving away three Bushnell Trophy Cam HDs (MSRP: $323.95) in each round, one cam each to the top three entries, as chosen by our editors.

Congrats to users luna, mod70 and Semibald, who each have won a Trophy Cam for their shots in Round II.

So go set your trail cams up already. And have fun! --The Editors

Click here for more info on the prizes.

Click here to enter ROUND III of the 2012 SPRING TRAIL CAM CONTEST

Hang-and-Hunt: Hang a Treestand in 7 Minutes

Sarah Smith — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:00:21 -0400

by Dave Hurteau

Okay, a few things about this video:
1.) I didn’t choose the music.
2.) To appease safety police, I’ll point out that hanging a stand is not a race (no matter how much it appears to be one in this video). You’ll note that I used a harness and climbing belt all the way up and hooked into a safety line at the top (despite it slowing me down).
3.) Yes, it’s a fairly straight, easy tree. But by using a lock-on stand, I’m able to get myself up into the crotch, where there are a few branches for cover—something you can’t always do with a climbing stand.
4.) Each climbing stick is 32 inches. I put them about 24 inches apart. Adding two tree steps the same distance apart gets the base of the stand at about 216 inches, or 18 feet. That’s high enough for most hunts; if I think I need to go higher, I add a couple more steps or bring a fourth stick.
5.) Okay, okay, I’m not totally ready to hunt at the end—but you get the idea.

Hang-and-Hunt: What You Need to Hang a Stand Fast

Sarah Smith — Wed, 02 May 2012 09:42:46 -0400

by Dave Hurteau

So, the responses to my last post reveal first and most importantly that I was right and that only about 25 percent of you do the hang-and-hunt thing. So with this second video, which runs through the gear you need, I invite you to give the method a try*; it’s a handy thing to have in your bag of tricks even if you don’t need to pull it out very often.

What’s more, being able to hang a stand and get yourself ready to hunt in just a few minutes with only one trip up the tree is a good skill to possess, whether you plan to break down the stand afterward or not. To that point, you may notice that one of the last items I mention in this clip is a safety line, which may have you wondering, "Why put up a whole line (instead of a simple tether) for a one-stop hunt?"

It’s because while I may go into a hunt planning to pull the stand immediately afterwards, I frequently change my mind. Maybe I saw lots of deer, didn’t get busted, and want to give the spot another try. This way, a full-blown safety line with a sliding prussic knot, which isn’t much harder to install than a simple tether, is waiting for me at the bottom of the tree when I come back.

In any case, stay tuned. About 70 percent of you who don’t currently hang-and-hunt said you would if you could hang a lock-on stand in seven minutes. And, having now teased this thing nearly to death, I will finally show you how tomorrow.

*At your own risk, of course; I can only be responsible for the stupid things that I do

The 50 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos from April 2012

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 02 May 2012 09:25:49 -0400

Each month, Field & Stream editors review the hundreds of photos submitted by readers to our Trophy Room. If your photo is chosen to be printed in the Game Faces section of the magazine, you’ll win a Rapala Fish ‘N Fillet knife!

Submit your photos here!

Here are the other best reader photo collections from this year:

January 2012

February 2012

March 2012

Best Ground Blind Ever?

Online Editors — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:40:06 -0400

by Scott Bestul

After three decades of hunting from elevated stands, I’m learning to come down from the trees. I’ve been using ground blinds for deer — with varying degrees of success — in the last few seasons, mainly when taking my kids with me to the deer woods.

While I love the portability and easy setup of most pop-up blinds, they have their drawbacks. In my experience, the blind has to be out there for a while so deer can get used to its presence. Otherwise, they can get pretty jumpy. Or the setup has to be near perfect: Plenty of brushing in and other prep to camouflage the game-spooking silhouette of most blinds.

So I perked right up when a bowhunting buddy from Alaska tipped me off to the Nature Blind. Designed by a Hollywood set designer, the Nature Blind mimics a gnarly old tree trunk that, I’m convinced, would hoodwink any whitetail. The thing looks darn comfy (it has a carpeted floor, insulated walls, plenty of shooting windows, and can hold 2-3 people comfortably), appears weatherproof, and seems to have all the hunter-friendly features you’d expect in a quality blind.

Of course, no product is perfect. The Nature Blind weighs 300 pounds, which means that moving the thing requires at least a couple helpers and — at minimum — an ATV with a trailer. Oh yes, and then there’s the $3,500 price tag. The only way I’m going to own one of these is if Hurteau gives me a massive raise, or if I find that wealthy, ailing uncle we’re all searching for. Sigh … Guess I’ll just keep zip-tying branches to my pop-up model.

The 50 Best Photos From Field & Stream's 2012 Spring Trail Cam Contest: Round I

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:22:02 -0400

Who says trail cams are only fun in the fall? Set yours out this spring, then send us your best photos. You could win a new Bushnell Trophy Cam HD (MSRP $323.95).

Here's how it works. This contest will have three rounds. The first, Round I, starts today, March 12, and closes on April 12. Round II runs from April 12 to May 12, and Round III from May 12 to June 12. We're giving away three Bushnell Trophy Cam HDs (MSRP: $323.95) in each round, one cam each to the top three entries, as chosen by our editors.

Congratulations to users Kim Doucette Kelly, Isham C. Shelby and Stephen Schimacher who each will receive a camera for their entries in Round!

So go set your trail cams up already. And have fun! --The Editors

Click here for more info on the prizes.

Click here to enter ROUND II of the 2012 SPRING TRAIL CAM CONTEST

The 50 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos from March 2012

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:00:43 -0400

Submit your photos here!

Here are the other best reader photo collections from this year:

January 2012

February 2012

Enter The 2012 Spring Trail Cam Photo Contest to Win a $323 Camera from Bushnell!

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:59:09 -0400

The 2012 Spring Trail Cam Photo Contest

Who says trail cams are only fun in the fall? Set yours out this spring, then send us your best photos. You could win a new Bushnell Trophy Cam HD (MSRP $323.95)!

Here's how it works. This contest will have three rounds. The first, Round I, started March 12, and closes on April 12. Round II runs from April 12 to May 12, and Round III from May 12 to June 12. We're giving away three Bushnell Trophy Cam HDs (MSRP: $323.95) in each round, one cam each to the top three entries, as chosen by our editors.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER YOUR PHOTO IN ROUND I!

Meanwhile, click through this gallery of the best photos from last year's Spring contest.

The 45 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos of February 2012

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:46:15 -0500

Submit your photos here!

Here is the gallery of the best reader photos from January 2012.

The 199-Inch Wisconsin Buck of Patience

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:21:31 -0500

Bill Hedl, 44, of Pennsylvania headed to Wisconsin’s famed Buffalo County for his annual bowhunting trip with friends. He spent a majority of the time patiently waiting on his tree stand, passing up shots on does and small bucks. Hedl was waiting for a trophy buck and he finally got a chance almost two weeks into his hunt. Here is his story.

The 50 Best Shots From The 2011 Field & Stream Fall Trail Cam Contest

Online Editors — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:03:25 -0500

Here are the editors' picks for the 50 best entries in our 2011 Fall Trail Cam Photo Contest. Congrats to KSwhitetails who took first place with his "Bobcat catches a turkey in flight" shot and will receive the grand prize: a pair of Steiner 10x42 Predator Xtreme binoculars.

Congratulations to all this year's winners and thanks to everyone for the hundreds of great submissions.

You can check out the top photos from each round of the contest here:
ROUND I
ROUND II
ROUND III
ROUND IV

The Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From January 2012

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:06:52 -0500

Submit your photos here!

Here are the monthly Best Reader Photo Galleries from last year:
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November

The Best New Knives of 2012

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:04:49 -0500

There were a staggering number of companies, big and small, showing off their newest knives at SHOT Show this year. We waded through the crowds and pulled out these selections as the best new knives of 2012.

The Tale of a 21-Point, 200-Class, Double-Drop Iowa Monster Buck

Online Editors — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:11:41 -0500

Jesse Jans first encountered this dandy Iowa drop-tine from only 10 feet away, then spent a year pinpointing the big buck’s movements. Once he did, the North Liberty accountant told a hunting buddy over lunch one day that he’d have the 21-pointer on the ground that afternoon. Then—like Babe Ruth calling his homer in the 1932 World Series—Jans delivered. Here’s how...

Wyoming Game and Fish Department Lobbies for Deer Baiting Bill

Online Editors — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:48:48 -0500

by Scott Bestul

As a rule, deer biologists tend to hate baiting. But in a likely unprecedented move by a state game agency, the Wyoming Game & Fish Department is asking the state legislature to help them legalize baiting in the state. According to this AP story, biologists are struggling so mightily to control whitetail populations that they’re looking to add another strategy to their toolbox.

It’s important to note that in this case, officials intend to limit the use of bait to urban areas or other deer-control hotspots. Their hope is to be able to lure deer to spots where the animals would be more vulnerable to harvest, and to areas where shooting is safer. No plans seem to be in the works to legalize baiting on a broad basis at this time.

This is an interesting move, and one I’ll keep an eye on. I’ve talked to urban deer control specialists that recognize the effectiveness of baiting and rely on it as a valued tool. Still, I can’t help but wonder if, given a taste of baiting, the state’s deer hunters will ask for an expansion of the practice down the road.

Your thoughts?

SHOT Show 2012 From The Floor: Day 2

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:34:22 -0500

Ray: Planning for Next Season

Online Editors — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:52:41 -0500

Rut Reporter Brandon Ray is an expert on the region. Ray was born in Dallas and shot his first deer with a bow in Central Texas at the age of 15. The full-time freelance writer manages his family’s Texas Panhandle ranch, is a licensed New Mexico guide, and last year took a 184 gross P&Y non-typical trophy. States covered: TX, OK, NM.

I'm already thinking about next year's deer season before the current one ends. And as we prepare to say adios to the 2011-2012 season, here are two things worth doing.

Because of drought across the region in 2011, winter forage is even more reduced than normal in the southern and middle sections of the region. In the northern extremes, where crops like wheat often help deer through the winter, production is way down. To help deer, and specifically rut-weary bucks, through the cold and stressful days of a long winter, I keep my bait areas and corn feeders running until spring.

Right now, I have four such locations running. I feed whole corn and alfalfa hay at all these locations. The feed is expensive and costs more this year than past years – 50 pound bags of whole corn are selling for $10-13 each and bales of alfalfa are going for $12-14 each – but I think it’s money well spent.

I keep a trail camera at each one of these sites, running into early February, to keep track of which bucks survived the season. More on that later.

The free feed obviously helps does, fawns and bucks through the winter, but I think it also encourages mature bucks that might have otherwise drifted to other properties to stay put. And when feral hogs find the feed, hunting wild pigs gives me something to do to keep my skills sharp when deer season is over.

The other thing I do every year, post-season, is to make a list of survivors: bucks that will likely be big and old enough to be considered shooters during the next season. I start with my number one and number two picks and work down from there. Using notes from my journal, I jot down what time of the season I saw those bucks most often, morning or evening, and where I specifically saw them. This information is invaluable come next season.

Most of the big bucks I’ve killed over the years were the result of a multi-season campaign. All that data compiled from two to three years of sightings helped me to pinpoint when and where to target a certain buck. Maybe he was most visible in the early season and then disappeared later. Better hunt that one early. Or maybe he was nocturnal early in the year and then showed himself come the rut. This information becomes more obvious through multiple years of observations. It works.

While you ponder these thoughts, I’m headed to the stove to stir my venison stew. I can’t wait for next season!

SHOT Show 2012 From The Floor: Day I

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:48:40 -0500

Trivia Question: What Bow Did Bo Duke Shoot?

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:36:21 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

We all have our embarrassing secrets. I’ll spare you mine, for the most part. But for the purposes of this blog, I will admit to one: As much as I would like to trace my interest in archery to the likes of Hill, Bear, Pope, or Young, the truth is that the real greats were all before my time. No, being a product of the television generation (an embarrassing admission itself), my initial fascination with archery was sparked by the exploding arrows of—cringe—Bo and Luke Duke.

Here’s Bo, the handsome devil, in fine form. I have blacked out the name of his bow in Photoshop. Now, can anyone tell me what model he’s shooting? Of course, in doing so, you will be admitting that you are either a hopeless bow geek or a fellow fan of “The Dukes….”

Vibration and Hand Shock from Compound Bows in Super Slow Motion

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:39:01 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

If you saw David Maccar’s recent post “High-Speed Video: .308 vs. Soup Can” (if you didn’t you should) then you know that we recently had the use of some spectacularly sophisticated high-speed cameras.

For this video, we wanted to see something that is normally only felt: hand shock and vibration from a bow. At 19,300 frames per second, two things jump out at me:

1. The advantage of parallel limbs

Many of you understand this, but for those who don’t, this clip shows why parallel limbs were such an important innovation in the early 2000's and why they are standard equipment on most hunting bows today. On the older D-shaped bow (a PSE Baby G ), the recoil of both limbs is directed away from the shooter, which causes the bow to initially jump out of the shooter’s hand. On the newer bow with parallel limbs (a Quest Prime by G5), the recoil of the top limb goes up, that of the bottom limb goes does, and they are cancelled out. No more jumping bows.

2. How far bow companies have come in reducing shock and vibration

In order to compare today’s bows head-to-head for shock and vibration you have to close your eyes while you shoot and really concentrate. The difference between today’s bows and yesterday’s, however, is obvious—even, well, shocking. You can see it here. The Prime shows virtually zero hand shock compared to the Baby G. Even top-end bows from only three or four years ago can send a small jolt through your hand compared to today’s best, which are wonderfully, spectacularly smooth. For now.

The Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From 2011

Dave_Maccar — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:15:14 -0500

Every month readers submit hundreds of photos to our Trophy Room. They include everything from grip and grin shots of some beautiful animals and fish to remarkable nature shots taken on fishing and hunting trips. These are the web editors' picks for the best reader photos of 2011.

Our Trophy Room is always open, so Submit your photos here!

Here are the monthly Best Reader Photo Galleries of 2011:

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Field & Stream's Best Photo Galleries and Blogs of 2011

Dave_Maccar — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:53:52 -0500

A lot of interesting stories came across the web desk at Field & Stream last year. These are the web editors' picks for the 25 best stories of 2011, in both photo gallery and blog form. Click through this gallery to see what you missed or take another look at a personal favorite.

For all past blogs, click here.

For all past photo galleries, click here.

The Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From December 2011

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:44:10 -0500

Submit your photos here!

Here are the monthly Best Reader Photo Galleries of 2011:
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November

First Shots Photo Collection

Online Editors — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:59:48 -0500

A collection of jaw-dropping hunting and fishing photos from Field & Stream's "First Shots" magazine section, updated with the most recent shots.

Ray: Hunting Through the Weather Extremes

Online Editors — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:38:07 -0500

Here is more proof that the weather and the rut can be at opposite ends of the spectrum in Texas. Last week, on Dec. 20, it was 25 degrees in the Panhandle town of Amarillo. The wind was out of the north at 25 mph and the wind chill was nine. A blizzard came through northeastern New Mexico, the top of Texas and western Oklahoma the night before, dropping up to 10 inches of snow in some parts. If you were hunting bucks at the top of the region then, you should have been hunting the food.

The weather was a bit different in the town of Pearsall in South Texas, where the high was 65 degrees with sunshine. Pearsall is the headquarters for Los Cazadores, one of the biggest deer scoring contests in the state. I talked to one of the clerks at the store in Pearsall. Most of the crew was out hunting, and the clerk said, “The bucks are chasing and the rut is on down here! Big bucks are coming in at a steady pace to be scored for the contest.” If you want to see pictures of some of the biggest bucks taken in South Texas this season, including some 200-inchers, go to www.loscazadores.com. It’s prime time for bagging an old buck in the thorns.

If you need some inspiration to get yourself off the couch and in the woods this month, consider John Bain’s story.

John broke his neck playing in an alumni football game on July 18, 2010. He was 20 years out of high school football. The injury was totally unexpected and his left side was paralyzed. Thankfully, it was just temporary. He said, “After four days in the hospital, two artificial discs, two other repaired discs, a carbon fiber plate, three screws, great doctors and a true blessing from God; I walked out of that hospital.”

John is no whiner. He is as fit as most guys half his age, and he got to work getting back in shape immediately. The main motivation for his recovery: shooting a bow come opening day of deer season that was just two and a half months away.   He first started with short walks, and worked his way up to four miles per day. Then he did some light weight lifting, and was eventually able to shoot his light draw turkey bow, a 60-pound Mathews.

On opening morning of the 2010 bow season, John punched a well-placed broadhead through a fancy 156-inch buck, a main-framed 9-pointer with 13 total points. It was the biggest buck ever taken off the eastern Texas Panhandle lease. And it was the biggest buck of John’s hunting career!

And then, despite a tough early and mid season in 2011, John did it again. This time, he arrowed a fine 120-inch management buck in early December, the buck in the photo above. This 8-point buck was taken from an elevated stand near a corn feeder. John had been playing cat and mouse with the buck for most of the season. John seemed just as excited about the smaller buck this year as his giant from last season. When you’ve had an accident that could have ended your bow hunting days completely, success of any kind is suddenly that much sweeter.

After his accident last year, John appreciates the sport of bow hunting now more than ever. When he recounts the story of his accident and his long recovery, it’s understandable why he gets a tear in his eye. Fate could have certainly gone a whole other direction. The simple task of drawing a bow or shooting a rifle should never be taken for granted. Neither should deer hunting. John has had two good back-to-back seasons. May the road to recovery continue my friend!