Field and Stream - Deer Stands: Choosing and Hanging Tree Stands and Blinds 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

Hang-and-Hunt: A Mobile Treestand Tactic for Whitetails

Sarah Smith — Tue, 01 May 2012 11:13:38 -0400

by Dave Hurteau

Bestul should have done these videos. He introduced me to the nutty, nutty method called hang-and-hunt, which seems to be so popular with the bowhunting kids these days. When he told me—oh, ten years ago—that he routinely goes into an area, hangs a lock-on stand, hunts, and then breaks it all down immediately afterward, I said, “You’re a freaking nut.”

For hit-and-run deer hunts, I have always been more of a climbing-stand guy; that and it used to take me a half hour—on a good day—to hang a lock-on stand. But now that I’ve gotten a little faster, I’ll admit to seeing the upside of using a lock-on for one-stop hunts: Not limited, as you are with a climber, to straight, branchless trees, you can hunt from whatever perch puts you in the absolute best spot.

So, because the video editor lives closer to me, I (instead of Bestul) give you the first of three clips on how to hang a lock-on stand in no time flat so you can get in, get your deer, and get out. This first one is just a simple intro to hang-and-hunt; tomorrow I'll show you the equipment I like; and finally on Thursday, I’ll hang a stand in roughly seven minutes.

Anyway, my guess is that only a relative handful of you currently do the hang-and-hunt thing (because you have to be a bit of a nut to contemplate it in the first place). But why guess?

Instead, I ask you:

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

March Madness: The Final Four of All-Purpose Deer Rifles

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:20:35 -0400

by Dave Hurteau

So far this tourney has been like hanging with Gomer Pile: “Surpise”—the Kimber 84M gets booted in the first round. “Surprise”—the Ruger No. 1 makes the Final Four. “Surprise”—the Remington 700 obliterates the great Savage 99. I expected the 700 to win the last matchup, but not by such a wide margin?

Anyway, with the 700 and 70 predictably moving on, the Savage squeaking past the Weatherby, and the No. 1 upsetting the X7, our Final Four is set. So let’s tip it off. As usual, check out the bracket (you can click here to print out a copy if you want to fill it out by hand). Then vote for your preferred all-purpose whitetail rifle in each matchup below to begin the Final Four round and see which two guns will go head-to-head for the F&S All-Pourpose Whitetail Rifle Championship.

Division I Final Four
(1) Winchester Model 70: The rifleman’s rifle is back better than ever, and the Featherweight version is both easy to carry and deadly at long ranges. Jack would approve.
(2) Savage 11/111: One of several modern successors of the classic Model 110, this one features Savage’s proven AccuTrigger, the new AccuStock, and is nicely priced.

Division II Final Four
(1) Remington Model 700: Perhaps the most popular American bolt action ever made, even though it’s a push feed. Its time-tested accuracy has only been enhanced by the new X-Mark Pro trigger.
(7) Ruger No. 1: If you’re a really good hunter, this single-shot is all you need. A compact killer that looks as good as it shoots.

Kentucky vs. Indiana: A Sweet 16 Record-Buck Showdown

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:50:39 -0400

Bona fide hoops junkies circled this game with the glitter pen the instant this year’s NCAA tournament brackets were revealed: Kentucky versus Indiana.

This pair of college basketball bluebloods squares off Friday night in the marquee matchup of the Sweet 16. Featuring two of the most hallowed traditions and rabid fan bases in the college game, the Wildcats (with seven NCAA championships) and the Hoosiers (with five) have claimed the tourney’s ultimate prize a combined dozen times. Judging by their thrilling battle in December (which Indiana won on a three-point buzzer beater), the rematch could go down as an instant classic, with the winner well on its way to hoisting the Wooden Trophy in April.

But that’s not the only trophy competition represented by this heated border-rivalry: Both states are big buck strongholds that vie for bragging rights in the deer woods as well as the hardwood.

So let’s take a look at Kentucky and Indiana’s all-time top tines, as recorded in the Boone & Crockett Club record book through the 2010 deer season, the most recent year for which complete stats are available. Here are the top four typical and top four nontypical bucks from each state—truly a Sweet 16.

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.

Sarah's First Deer

Online Editors — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:27:01 -0500

by Sarah Smith Barnum

Editor's Note: Sarah works for both Field & Stream and Outdoor Life, and wanted to share the story of her first hunt with both websites.

In May of last year I was packing up my dorm room for the last time, getting ready to graduate college, and wondering how my summer internship would go—and where I was going to find work afterwards. I probably would have called sitting in a treestand, shivering my butt off and training a shotgun at a deer with a camera in my face a very unlikely possibility.

I grew up in suburban Connecticut with no idea what hunting was really like. All I had to go off was Disney and television stereotypes. If you are unaware of the power Disney movies can have to mold young minds, let me inform you—it can be disastrous. I was raised on these movies, like so many other girls. They not only made me believe I would, one day, get a fairy-tale ending , but even worse, that hunters killed animals and that made them all evil.

I started working at Outdoor Life back in August. The atmosphere here is unlike any other. Who else can say that they often hear turkey calls at work, or that their coworker was sharpening his knives at his desk again, in a non-threatening fashion, of course.

The majority of my coworkers are avid outdoorsmen, and coming into this job fresh out of college with no previous knowledge of hunting or fishing (unless you count a stick, string and some gum fishing) definitely made me feel like an outsider. I listened to people’s stories. The joy they got from the outdoors was palpable, and I wanted in.

So, when I informed my friends and family that I would be going on a deer hunt at Craig and Neil Dougherty’s property upstate with some guys from work (Michael Shea, our video editor, and Alex Robinson, our web content editor) this past December, the common responses were:

“You won’t be able to do it.”
“You would kill Bambi! You’ll be a Bambi killer…”
“You are so going to cry.”

One way to get me to do something: tell me I can’t do it. I had no idea how I was going to react when the time came, but come hell or high water, I was going to try.

We walked up to the stand at 2:30 p.m. From far away, the treestand didn’t look too bad, but when I got up close and saw how the wind shook it and that the ladder was pretty rickety, I started having second thoughts. I’m not afraid of heights, but I am really bad with ladders. After a less-than-graceful ascent, Mike set up the video camera and Alex took his tree climber and picked a tree in a location that let him serve as my backup in case I really messed up.

When I was in the stand, I just sat and listened. The wind whipped tears out of my eyes, and my nose ran like crazy. The treestand was swaying with the tree to which it was attached as the sun crept across the sky, the only indicator that time was running out. Usually, my mind runs wild with thoughts and daydreams, but out there—everything fell silent. Like a puzzle, the pieces all fit. That’s when the deer, a doe and her fawn, cautiously slipped into sight.

From afar they were magnificent moving targets that took my breath away, and made me a little bit crazy. The desire to shoot the deer was slightly overwhelming, but not unwelcome. I made my first shot, and thought I’d missed. I took another shot at what I thought was the same deer and it went down with a kick and a flick of its tail about 100 yards away. The sun quickly faded into the hills as we walked toward the place where we thought they’d been hit.

It was dark at this point and we needed flashlights. Neil Dougherty joined Mike, Alex, and I in our search. We walked up on the doe first. On her feet, she had seemed snooty, arrogant even—you could see it in her walk. On the cold, snowy ground all her personality was gone. She was empty.

The other guys, who are unfazed at this point by a dead deer, handled her in such an easy, nonchalant way—or so it seemed to me. I kneeled down next to her and pet her swollen belly. Probably a stupid thing to do because she was dead, but it was the only thing I could think to do to say, “thank you” while in the presence of all these stoic outdoorsmen.

The urge to cry was overpowering, but I wouldn’t let myself—not in front of my coworkers at least.

If that wasn’t hard enough, we soon found the second deer and I realized it was a fawn. When I saw how much smaller it was compared to its mother, I thought I must be an idiot to not be able to tell through the scope that this wasn’t the one to shoot. If I had known it was only a yearling, I wouldn’t have taken the shot. The lump that sometimes creeps up your throat and grips your tongue and tonsils with an iron fist slid up mine, threatening to choke me or force me to cry; but I held back.

When we dragged them in, I tried not to look at them. I watched how easy it was for the guys to haul them and hoist them up. Every stick and rock we swept the doe over added another knot to my stomach on our way to the shed and out of the biting cold.

Apparently, when someone has grown up hunting, they think differently than a non-hunter. They know that Mother Nature can be cruel and has a will of her own. They know that we are just a small part of the big picture, and that it’s natural to do our part. Animals die, and that’s OK. Fawns die, and that’s OK, too.

As a non-hunter who has just started hunting, I’m still grappling with the guilt I feel about the fact that I “killed Bambi” even though I know that the meat is not going to waste, and that I was helping manage a property that was overpopulated with deer.

I feel like I’m finally starting to see things, as they really are. It’s going to take some time before I come to terms with killing a yearling; and I will probably always feel sad when I see a dead animal, but that’s OK. It will take a while before I feel comfortable calling myself a hunter, but one thing I know for sure is that even if I feel sad; I don’t want to go back.

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 180-Class Pending B&C World Record 8-Point Buck!

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:46:12 -0500

On December 1, 2011, on the opening day of the second shotgun season in Illinois, Jason Sanders tagged what will likely be the largest 8-point whitetail in the Boone & Crockett record books. Sanders, a 38-year-old farmer and veteran deer hunter, was hunting on his home farm when he set his sights on this world-class buck of a lifetime.

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

Giant Illinois Buck Is Potential World-Record 8-Pointer

Sarah Smith — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:11:41 -0500

by Scott Bestul

The term “world-record whitetail” gets tossed around so much these days that it’s easy to ignore. But the buck pictured at left may well be the real deal.

On December 1st of this year, Illinois hunter Jason Sanders shot this gorgeous, high-tined monster, a deer that will likely appear in the B&C record books as the largest main-frame, typical 8-pointer ever shot by a hunter. Sanders’ buck nets 183-1/8 inches; the current world-record typical 8 (actually two are tied at the top) scores 180-3/8.

I learned about this deer through my good friend and veteran B&C measurer Tim Walmsley, who has measured some truly giant whitetails in his lifetime and readily admits that he can get pretty numb to big deer. This buck, however, has Tim truly pumped up. For more, check out his blog at Heartland Outdoors. To be honest, this picture, taken from above, does not quite capture the enormity of this buck’s rack. But stay tuned, as we will be covering this tremendous whitetail in greater depth soon.

The Best Shotguns of 2012

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:56:43 -0500

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...

The Best New Rifles of 2012

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:41:18 -0500

There were more exhibitors and more atendees at this year's SHOT Show than ever before. That means more guns than one could ever see, but we did our best to find the best. Here are David E. Petzal and John Snow's picks for the best rifles from the show floor.

SHOT Show 2012 From The Floor: Day 3

Online Editors — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 01:48:52 -0500

SHOT Show 2012 From The Floor: Day 2

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

SHOT Show 2012 From The Floor: Day I

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

Can Lyme Disease Threat Lead to Increased Acceptance of Hunting?

Sarah Smith — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:14:13 -0500

--Chad Love

Is the threat of Lyme Disease opening the door for more deer hunting opportunity and acceptance?

From this story on boston.com:

Beth Webb knew there was more to her boy’s stiff neck and fever than met the eye, but only when his temperature jumped to 107 degrees and he wound up in a hospital emergency room did she spot the telltale red bull’s-eye of a tick bite on his chest. Then more appeared. “As we were sitting there, bull’s-eyes were just popping up all over his body,’’ Webb said. Her son, Ashton, 7, went home from Newton-Wellesley Hospital with antibiotics and appears to have fully recovered, but the Dover family’s battle with deer ticks - and the Lyme disease they carry - remains in full swing.

Guinea hens, which eat ticks, patrol their yard. Tick checks have become part of the routine at soccer fields and playgrounds. And the Webbs are on the front line of a growing effort to curb the spread of Lyme disease through deer hunting. Not only does their yard back up against the Noanet Woodlands, a reservation once closed to all hunting but now included in Dover’s bow-hunting program, but the Webbs have allowed two hunters to set up tree stands on their property. “I have never been for hunting before. Not ever. But it has to be done,’’ Webb said. Now she serves on the town’s Lyme Disease Committee, which is considering asking the state’s Division of Fisheries and Wildlife to expand hunting in Massachusetts, even as the accidental shooting of a woman by a hunter in Norton rekindles the debate over its place in such a heavily populated state.

Thoughts?