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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

Late Season Turkey Tip: Tag The Tom That's All Show and No Fight

Sarah Smith — Wed, 09 May 2012 08:52:48 -0400

YOUR QUARRY: Hen Magnet

Psychological Profile: Mature and full-fanned, this bird has a beard that brushes the ground and long, needle-sharp spurs. But it’s all for show. He’s a lover, not a fighter. Hen Magnet is physically capable of being the top tom, but he just doesn’t have it in him to do battle. That, or he has figured out that he simply doesn’t have to. By ingratiating himself to King Strut—a sort of sidekick, if you will—Hen Magnet has put himself in the perfect position to service hens his boss doesn’t get to. If you’re an elk hunter, you’ll recognize him as a “satellite” gobbler. 

Modus Operandi: Not wanting to ruffle the King’s feathers, Hen Magnet does not sound off nearly as much as his boss, and when he does he makes a short, high-pitched gobble. His game plan is to hang back while the King’s throaty gobble pulls in hens. Only then does he look for his opportunity to sneak off with a mate.

The Plan: The secret to tagging Hen Magnet is to play to his ego. He’ll be roosted fairly close to the boss bird. Listen closely in the early morning and you’ll notice that when the dominant tom gobbles, all the hens answer him. When Hen Magnet gobbles, nothing. This is your opportunity. You need to jump in and make him believe you’re the one hen who thinks he is the real stud of the neighborhood.

The Setup: Wait for the birds to start talking at first light and ignore the one that’s gobbling the hardest. That’s the King. Hen Magnet will be squeaking out one gobble to the boss man’s five. Set up tight to the quieter turkey so he doesn’t have far to travel to find you, and stake out a single hen decoy to pique his interest.

Best Calls: Don’t make a peep in response to the boss’s frequent gobbling. Wait for Hen Magnet to sound off, then climb all over it with aggressive yelps and cutts. When he makes that first gobble after his feet hit the ground, cut him off with more excited cutting. He’ll walk straight to you.

For More Late Season Turkey Tips, click below:

Tips for Tagging Tough Late-Season Toms: The Alpha Male

Turkey Tip: Tagging Late-Season Toms That Travel in Pairs

From the April 2012 issue of Field & Stream Magazine.

Late Season Turkey Tip: Tag The Tom That's All Show and No Fight

Sarah Smith — Wed, 09 May 2012 08:52:48 -0400

For More Late Season Turkey Tips, click below:

Tips for Tagging Tough Late-Season Toms: The Alpha Male

Turkey Tip: Tagging Late-Season Toms That Travel in Pairs

From the April 2012 issue of Field & Stream Magazine.

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

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.

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.

Shoot Me Down: Rubber Boots Stink for Deer Hunting

Sarah Smith — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:07:30 -0500

by Scott Bestul

Watch enough hunting videos or outdoor television, and you can’t help but notice an integral part of the modern deer hunter’s uniform; the high-topped rubber boot. Said to trap stinky foot odor and reduce a hunter’s scent trail as he heads toward his stand or blind, rubber boots have been the footwear of choice for an entire generation of whitetail nuts.

Well, I’m here to tell you they stink.

I hate rubber boots. They’re tough to get on and impossible to take off. They’re hot as blazes in the early season and cold as ice as soon as the mercury drops. They’re usually ill-fitting and clunky to walk in. And scent control? I’ve got a year-old pair of rubber boots that were liberally washed in no-scent soap the day I got them and have enjoyed a permanent residence in my outdoor shed ever since. They still smell like a Goodyear tire to my 50-year old nose.

Four falls ago, I decided to start wearing leather (or combo leather/cordura) boots, and I’ll never go back. My feet are comfy and warm, and I don’t have any more deer spooking from my scent trail than I did when wore rubber boots. So there you have it. Stand with me or shoot me down. The person who makes the best argument for or against can guest blog the next Shoot Me Down.

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.

Nose Jammer Put To The Test, Part I

Online Editors — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:37:04 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

If you’ve been following along, you know that I’ve taken a few lighthearted pot shots at Nose Jammer, a spectacularly popular new vanillin-based “olfactory nerve overload system” in an aerosol spray. Well, I got a chance to test it last fall, and am finally getting around to reporting my findings.

For years, a contingent of deer hunters has trumpeted the efficacy of using vanilla extract as a cover scent. So except for making me hungry, I have no major problems with the fact that when you spray Nose Jammer in the woods, it smells like you've opened a box of vanilla cookies. What cracks me up, though, and what I’ve been specifically poking fun at, is the name of the product and the claim—written right on the can—that it “Jams Big Game Animal’s Ability to Smell.”

Maybe it’s just me, but I find it comically flabbergasting that a thing so almost certainly unproven and probably unprovable can be written right on the can. Right there. In bold. Which brings me to my test.

But let me first commend Nose Jammer’s maker, John Redmond (by all accounts a good guy and fine deer hunter), on this point: He obviously believes in his product. I can only assume that it was he who sent me (a proven cynic) an unmarked and unsolicited box containing two cans of Nose Jammer to try.

And I gave it a fair trial. The long and short of it is this: It seemed to confuse some deer—in some cases long enough to make them linger where they probably shouldn’t have, especially had I been using a gun instead of a bow. In other cases, the deer just bolted.

My initial two encounters reflect this. The first, at a casual walk, a small buck got straight downwind of my stand and got his nostrils full of the stuff at about 50 yards. His reaction was obvious; he stopped dead and sniffed the air for the longest time. He’d retreat and then come back to the spot to sniff some more. He eventually snorted and trotted off. About a half hour later, a doe and a fawn hit the Nose Jammer scent stream at about 70 yards. But that old nanny wasn’t fooled for a second. She instantly bounded off; blowing, with fawn in tow.

Now to me, those first two encounters alone should prove that Nose Jammer does not jam a deer’s ability to smell. So why say that it does? It may indeed be a comparatively effective cover scent. So why not say “The Most Effective Cover Scent You Can Buy”? That, too, might be impossible to prove. But unlike the current claim, it’s not so easy to disprove.

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

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 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.

Shoot Me Down: The Whisker Biscuit is Still the Best Rest for Bowhunting

Sarah Smith — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:00:06 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

First, we have a new high-speed video to show you, which is cool on its own merits. It illustrates, like you’ve probably never seen before, the most common complaint about a Whisker Biscuit arrow rest: “Too much fletching contact.” Check it out.

It’s plain to see that there is indeed a mountain of such contact. No one could argue otherwise. So much so that, as I say, it’s just crazy that a Whisker Biscuit can be so accurate.

Yet it is.

You’ve seen me shoot with one out to 70 and 100, and here is a YouTube video of Brian Quaca shooting with one at 136 yards. That should be proof enough, but I’ll also mention that I just finished testing the new Mathews Heli’m, which sported a Whisker Biscuit rest. I shot 25 3-shot, 40-yard groups that average 2.75 inches each. That won’t scare any tournament archers, but it should put plenty of fear in any deer.

Throughout the year, I set up and shoot bows with a variety of rests because it’s my job to do so. But if it weren’t, I would shoot nothing but a Whisker Biscuit for hunting. It is vastly more accurate than it needs to be for the field; nothing secures an arrow better; and it is wonderfully simple, with no moving parts or mechanisms to malfunction and ruin my hunt.

So there you have it. The Whisker Biscuit is still the best rest for bowhunting. Stand with me or shoot me down. Whoever makes the best argument, for or against, will be invited to spout his own brand of nonsense right here as my guest.

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.

Poll Question: Do You Use Lead-Free Ammo for Deer?

Sarah Smith — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:13:17 -0500

by Scott Bestul

The latest headline in the ongoing lead-vs.-lead-free debate comes from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, which last week reported that veterinarians at the University of Minnesota Raptor Center expressed frustration at what they describe as the continuing toll that lead bullets wreak on eagles and other raptors. Vets at the Raptor Center say that 17 eagles were brought to them with lead poisoning last year alone, down slightly from a 25- to 30-bird average. Most of these eagles, vets contend, ingested lead while feeding on hunter-killed deer carcasses. Lead-poisoned eagles can become blind, too weak to fly, and/or suffer internal damage and seizures.

Some hunters are getting on the lead-free train. Mark Johnson, executive director of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, says that education is the key to reducing the number of lead bullets that hunters use in their rifles, shotguns, and muzzleloaders. “As time goes on,” Johnson says, “More and more deer hunters will start using nontoxic bullets, and that will be good for the eagles.” (VOTE BELOW)

All of which begs the question: Where do you stand on this issue? Which of following best describes your position?

[A] I already shoot lead-free loads in my deer guns.
[B] I would shoot lead-free ammo if it were cheaper and more available.
[C] I would shoot lead-free ammo if it were as effective as lead.
[D] B & C
[E] I will never shoot non-toxic ammo.

SHOT Show 2012 From The Floor: Day 3

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