Field and Stream - Finding Deer to Hunt RSS

Too Many Deer Destroying Bird Nesting Habitats?

Sarah Smith — Mon, 21 May 2012 11:18:01 -0400

--Chad Love

Are too many deer in the woods hurting biodiversity? That's the thought-provoking argument set out in this New York Times op/ed piece, which argues there are so many deer in the United States today that they are literally eating critical migratory bird habitat into oblivion.

From this story in the New York Times:
"...But one of the biggest contributors to the decline in migratory bird populations has gone largely unnoticed: white-tailed deer. By 1900, deforestation and unregulated hunting had reduced deer populations in the Eastern United States to tiny remnant clusters surviving in remote sanctuaries. But subsequent protective laws and aggressive habitat management allowed deer to bounce back. To this day, wildlife managers slice intact forests into sunny woodlots that maximize the number of deer and the frequency of encounters between deer and hunters. Private landowners are encouraged by wildlife agencies to crisscross their forest acreage with tasty plantings of clover and wheat in support of what is now a burgeoning population of perhaps 50 million white-tailed deer — in some places as many as 75 deer per square mile.

According to the piece, deer are basically turning the nation's woodlands into one giant, sterile and barren browse line, which destroys the nesting habitat for many ground-nesting and near-ground nesting birds.

From the story: Take a quick drive through forested terrain and see for yourself the stark browse lines, missing orchids and denuded shrubbery. The conclusion is inescapable: There are too many deer, and they are endangering the rest of our flora and fauna, including valuable timber and invaluable songbirds.

The author does mention hunting, but argues deer hunting is becoming less effective as fewer young people take up the sport because the deer population is growing larger than the population of hunters charged with controlling it. One suggestion was to fence off large tracts of land from deer so that vegetation can recover.

Thoughts? Are there too many deer out there for the number of hunters hunting them? Do state wildlife agencies need to take a look at changing their management philosophies? Or do we need to focus on getting more hunters in the woods?

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

Release of Next Twilight Movie Postponed to Re-Shoot Hunting Scenes

Sarah Smith — Mon, 07 May 2012 11:20:06 -0400

--Chad Love

I'm willing to bet that (for the male readers, anyway) whatever knowledge you may have of the "Twilight" books and/or movies was gained through the reluctant and incidental osmosis of a wife, girlfriend, sister or daughter. It's about clowns, right?

At any rate, it seems the release of whichever film is next up on the schedule has been delayed because the director had to re-shoot some important hunting scenes, apparently because he wanted to get the scenes of deer-hunting vampires as close to reality as possible.

From this story on shockya.com:

Kristen Stewart has revealed that the recent reshoots for ‘Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2′ were focused largely on the romance drama’s hunting scenes, Cinemablend is reporting. The news comes after director Bill Condon announced last month that he was bringing the cast back to Vancouver to do some reshoots for the final film in the successful franchise...Stewart also said the main reshoot she worked on was her character, Bella’s, first hunt as a vampire. She said “The first hunt is always so important. I just wanted more of it. We all wanted more of it.” The reshoots came after Condon’s first entry in the ‘Twilight’ series, last year’s ‘Breaking Dawn Part 1,’ received the worst reviews of the franchise. They were done because Bella’s transformation into a vampire is a major part of the story. As seen in ‘Breaking Dawn Part 2′s trailer, Bella hunts in the woods for animals to feed on, as she wakes up after her transformation into a vampire hungry for blood.

We all knew this was coming, didn’t we? The reintroduction of benevolent, good-looking vampires to our western states is going to absolutely decimate our deer and elk herds. Do you know how many elk the average vampire takes in a year? But the pro-vampire groups don’t care. They falsely portray these killing machines, with their strong cheekbones, flawless skin and smoldering good looks, as kind and gentle souls who reluctantly take only the weak, old, and infirm ungulates so that they may live in harmony with us, their bipedal sunshine friends.

Not only is that a gross mischaracterization of the vampire's true nature, but what about the animals that are attacked and bitten, but get away? Not only will our deer and elk herds decline, but the ones that remain become undead themselves, and have you ever tried to shoot a Nosferatu elk? Let me tell you, it 'aint easy. We better mobilize and get all over this one before it gets all over us. I'm not necessarily anti-vampire, mind you, but I do think they need to be controlled and managed just like any other crypto-zoological game animal. They've been doing it for centuries in Europe, and they don't have issues with their vampires...

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.

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

Tips For Better Food Plots From a Farmer

Sarah Smith — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:13:55 -0400

by Scott Bestul

I learned something important about food plots last summer; if you want to learn how to make stuff grow, ask a farmer. The clover plot I’m kneeling in here is Exhibit 3203 in a file I keep titled, “I’m not slow, things just take me a long time.” I’ve been planting clover with varying degrees of success for the past several seasons. Last summer, I asked the guy who owns this property—who happens to be a neighbor and bowhunting buddy—for help in establishing a clover plot in this little field. Alan, a successful farmer, jumped right in with both expertise and equipment. Here’s what he taught me.

1.) Manure is your friend: There’s a bunch of fertilizer options out there, but dairy cows pump out a fine organic product. Plus, a lot of farmers are looking for places to spread the stuff. Alan’s dad backed up a spreader and loaded this field up--twice.

2.) Timing is everything: Alan decided to plant the clover late last summer. This insures most weeds are done throwing seed for the season, which reduces competition and lets the good stuff get a head start.

3.) Mowing: The clover jumped out of the ground last August, and was growing pretty well. Still, there were problem patches where weed seeds managed to sprout and succeed. Rather than spray these spots (expensive and possibly harmful to clover) Alan just brought in a mower in and clipped the entire plot. The weeds died, the clover bounced back, and when spring came, the clover did so well that it is now crowding out everything else. There are clearly a few dandelions in the field, but overall, this is one of the best pure clover stands I’ve ever been able to pull off.

The cool thing, of course, is that deer and turkeys are just hammering this spot. Several areas in this plot show signs of heavy grazing, and I’ve glassed a couple of strutters following hens around the clover, especially when the afternoon sun hits it. And you can believe this or not, but I honestly don’t care if I ever shoot a buck or a bird here. I just like knowing it’s there for wildlife whenever need be. Besides, it’s just pretty to look at and it’s fun to know I had a hand in producing it--with a lot of help from an expert.

Make Mock Scrapes in Spring to Score Big Bucks in Fall

Dave_Maccar — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:31:53 -0400

by Scott Bestul

Knowing that bucks visit scrapes year-round, savvy hunters often make mock ones well before the rut. Now is not too early. In fact, early spring is an ideal time because the lack of foliage, compared with late summer or early fall, makes your fakes more visible to bucks.

Make sure the licking branch is obvious; it should be living, 5 to 6 feet high, have a bent or broken tip, and be located at the edge of an opening or near a pond or stream.

An active mock scrape will pull velvet bucks to a trail camera placed nearby all summer long, and it can start a buck-movement pattern that can help you score in fall.

Make Mock Scrapes in Spring to Score Big Bucks in Fall

Dave_Maccar — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:31:53 -0400

by Scott Bestul

Make sure the licking branch is obvious; it should be living, 5 to 6 feet high, have a bent or broken tip, and be located at the edge of an opening or near a pond or stream.

An active mock scrape will pull velvet bucks to a trail camera placed nearby all summer long, and it can start a buck-movement pattern that can help you score in fall.

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.

Two Deer Chase Down Terrified City Slickers in Manhattan

Sarah Smith — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:14:20 -0400

--Chad Love

What do you call a deer on the loose in New York City: a Brooklyn Bambi, a Bronx buck, a masticating Manhattanite or maybe an Upper West Side ungulate?

From this story in the New York Post:

Yo, Bambi, welcome to New York! Two wayward deer bounded through an upper Manhattan housing project yesterday, romping across its courtyards and stunning its residents. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Marcus Bryant, 20, a ConEd worker who lives in the projects. The panicked animals even chased onlookers at the Marble Hill houses, at West 225th Street and Broadway.

Although part of Manhattan, the area sits just across the Spuyten Duyvil Creek from the rest of the borough. Cops shot one of the deer with a tranquilizer and moved it to Van Cortlandt Park. The other remained on the lam.

Seriously -- a deer chased onlookers? What is it with New York already? Does the NYC attitude infect absolutely everything? You take a couple sweet, innocent little forest creatures, drop them in the middle of New York City and five minutes later -- they're like "you lookin' at me?" and going all "Taxi Driver" on everyone in sight. Man, seems like a nice place to visit, but I sure wouldn't want to live there.

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.

Poll: Is Hunting Deer Over a Small Food Plot Fair Chase?

Sarah Smith — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:14:11 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

So in the last poll, I asked if hunting over bait is fair chase. Now, the corollary question: Is hunting over a small food plot—not a large nutrition plot but a “hunting” or so-called “kill” plot—fair chase?

Shed Poaching Jeopardizes Antler Drop Hunting

Online Editors — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:48:07 -0500

At the tag end of a balmy week in March that finally began pushing the snowpack off the southern Iowa landscape, Steve Snow was driving a back road bordering his farm, planning to go shed hunting, when he spotted the parked rental car. Boot tracks led from the vehicle onto his property. Snow followed but lost the track. Frustrated, he called the police, who traced the license plate, and with the man’s name, Snow bombed back into the woods, shouting: “I’m coming after you, Larry!*” “I know what you’re doing!” “I’ve got the cops, Larry!”

With no response, Snow went back and waited by the car for hours. Cold and exhausted, he eventually asked his son to relieve him—and 20 minutes later, a figure came slinking out of the darkening woods, lugging a pack loaded with shed antlers. When Snow returned, livid, the trespasser confessed to a strange but fascinating plot: Two days ago, he’d flown in from another state, rented a car, and booked a motel with plans to spend his vacation hunting for sheds—on land he never intended to ask permission to enter. Snow insisted he lead him to the motel, and there, covering the entire bed, was hundreds, perhaps thousands of dollars’ worth of whitetail bone.

Bone Collectors Gone Mad
The incident speaks to a fast-growing problem widely referred to as shed poaching. While that’s not literal (poaching is usually defined as the illegal killing of a game animal), the practice of trespassing to find sheds is becoming such a serious issue in some areas that poaching seems an apt descriptor.

On deer hunting websites, there are threads devoted to foiling or catching shed poachers. A recent post, for example, advised landowners to hang a trail camera 8 to 12 feet high in a tree and place a dummy shed in the frame “so you can get a photo of the scumbag and prosecute him.” A week later, on the same site, a new problem popped up: “So I have my cameras out and I’ve got a photo of a guy…but he’s wearing a ski mask.” Some landowners have taken to posting trail-cam pictures of shed poachers on the Internet or in storefronts, in hopes that someone can provide a positive ID.

Who Are These Guys?
None of this surprises Glenn Sanders, a recently retired warden with the Illinois DNR. “Trespassing for sheds in my area got serious about 10 years ago and has only gotten worse,” Sanders says. “It’s like a spring migration that follows the melting snowline north.” According to Sanders, the offenders typically fall into one of three categories: those (like the man on Snow’s property) who do it solely for the money, selling sheds on eBay, Craigslist, or at auction; unscrupulous outfitters who use big sheds found on others’ property to advertise their own business; and a comparative handful of taxidermists who use them to make and sell shoulder mounts.

I’d add a fourth category from my own files: a new breed of whitetail fanatic who sees shed hunting as a sport unto itself. Some don’t even chase deer much with gun or bow. But come late winter, they hunt hard for bone—often ignoring property lines.

Solutions
The knee-jerk remedy is to ban the sale of antlers. With whitetail sheds fetching exorbitant prices (the current auction record is over $19,000 for a matched set), making antler sales illegal would end some of the activity. But in a recent survey on fieldandstream.com, respondents voted overwhelmingly (66 percent) against such a ban. The consensus was that honest shed hunters and sellers shouldn’t be penalized for the actions of crooks. I agree.

The only approach that can work is a combination of things. First, trespassing penalties, hopelessly inadequate across much of whitetail range, need to be stiffened. Second, extra fines should be added for trespassers in possession of antlers—perhaps commensurate with the market value of the bone taken. Finally, we are in desperate need of a shed hunting ethic. It’s a tall order, I know, but it is possible to effect a change with a few simple slogans repeated loud and often. Here are my suggestions:

#1 - “Trespassing is trespassing.” Many in the shed hunting community figure, It’s only a horn. It’s not the same as trespassing to hunt deer. It is the same. So this phrase should top every shed hunting website, in bold, and be chanted at shed hunting events.

#2 - “Give deer a break.” Ultracompetitive shed hunters start pounding turf as soon as the hunting season ends, which can be extremely stressful to deer when they’re already at a weak point. That’s why several western states have a shed season to protect animals until the worst of winter has passed.

#3 - “Respect your fellow hunter.” Most of us already do this during hunting season. You see someone else legally hunting “your” spot, you move on, right? It should be the same with shed hunting. None of this will stop the worst offenders, but the shed hunting community at large could benefit from a few simple rules to mitigate the mania.

Note: *Name has been changed.

Shed Poaching Jeopardizes Antler Drop Hunting

Online Editors — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:48:07 -0500

The spring hunt for cast antlers has turned ugly--even criminal. Here's what needs to change.

Poll: Is Hunting Deer Over Bait Fair Chase?

Sarah Smith — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:13:46 -0500

by David Hurteau

There is a difference between ethical hunting and fair-chase hunting. Fair-chase is typically ethical. But ethical hunting is not always fair-chase. For example, there is nothing unethical, as far as I can tell, about baiting deer.

You lure them, you shoot ’em, you butcher ’em, you eat ’em. From an ethical standpoint, this meat is far better gotten than our morally acceptable (by most) supermarket meat.

And yet, there remains a lively debate about whether baiting is fair-chase. I know we’ve asked this question before. But bear with me; I’m going somewhere with this. So: Is hunting deer over bait an example of fair chase?

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

Likely The Biggest Pure Kentucky 8-Pointer Ever Measured

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:08:22 -0500

Eleven days after an Illinois hunter tagged the pending Boone & Crockett world record 8-pointer, 32-year-old Kevin Peak shot another great 8 that should take the title as the biggest Kentucky 4-by-4 ever officially measured and recorded in the Boone & Crockett record books.

Trail Cam Photo Trips Up Kansas Poacher

Online Editors — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:35:32 -0500

by Scott Bestul

Two weeks ago I received a photo of this giant whitetail rack, which was brought to the Monster Buck Classic, a Kansas deer show held the last weekend of January. According to buzz, the huge antlers would threaten the Sunflower state’s record in the typical category; no small stuff when you consider that mark sits at 198-2/8”. But details on the buck’s harvest were sketchy so I decided to sit on the story until further details emerged. Yesterday I learned that waiting was the right call.

According to this report from the Wichita Eagle, Topeka resident David Kent—the man who brought the antlers to the MBC show—has been charged with at least four violations, including killing the deer with a rifle during a closed season and spotlighting the animal.

Kansas wardens confronted Kent after viewing a trail camera photo of the buck taken in Osage County in early November of this year. Osage lies in east-central Kansas; Kent claimed he killed the buck in the northeastern part of the state. Kent confessed to poaching the buck after an interview, and the antlers have been confiscated. Interestingly, this is the third potential state-record buck that has been poached in recent years.

Serve Deer Heart This Valentine’s Day

Sarah Smith — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:27:51 -0500

by David Draper

This Valentine’s Day, I suggest you skip the fancy and expensive restaurant and instead cook a nice meal from your heart. Venison heart that is.

Though I don’t see it happening as much today, there used to be a time when deer hunters would carry a couple of gallon-size Ziploc bags with them into the woods. The deer’s liver would go in one, and into the other the hunter would slip the heart. Most interestingly, of all the times I’ve seen someone save a deer’s heart, the act has been so carefully conducted it felt almost reverential. So it’s only natural that serving such a sacred piece of the animal should be an act of love, hence my belief heart makes the perfect Valentine’s Day dinner.

There’s a deer heart destined to be the centerpiece of my dinner tomorrow night, though I haven’t quite finalized my plans for cooking it. I was leaning toward a take on Fergus Henderson’s Stuffed Lamb’s Hearts from his book The Whole Beast, but am now thinking about a spicy, skewered Peruvian kebab, if only because of the name—Anticuchos de Carazon.

Some of the ingredients for authentic anticuchos, such as aji amarillo (a type of Peruvian yellow pepper) and anchiote are a little hard to come by here in western Nebraska, so this recipe may be less than traditional, but no less tasty.*

Carazon de Venado

Ingredients

Marinade:
-3 Tbsp. canola oil
-1 anaheim pepper, seeded and diced
-1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, diced
-4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
-1 tsp. salt
-1 tsp. red pepper flakes (or 1 tsp. ground cayenne)
-2 tsp. cumin
-2 tsp. black pepper

-½ cup red wine vinegar
-½ cup water

-1 venison heart, cut into 1-inch cubes and trimmed of all fat, sinew, arteries, and other nasty bits and rinsed it well.

Directions

1.) Combine the marinade ingredients in a small food processor and pulse to form a thin paste. Whisk the pepper paste into a bowl containing the vinegar and water until everything is well mixed.

2.) Transfer the marinade to a gallon-size plastic bag. Add the cubed deer heart to the bag and seal, pressing as much air out as possible. Marinate 4 to 8 hours, turning the bag at least once halfway through.

3.) Remove the cubed heart from the marinade and thread the pieces onto metal or bamboo skewers. Grill over a hot fire for 3 to 5 minutes, flipping once, until just cooked.

*My girlfriend, T. Rebel, is pretty carnivorous and generally open to trying whatever experiment I happen to be cooking up, though when I told her about this recipe she said, “It sounds like heartburn to me. Or maybe heartbreak.” It’s up to you to gauge how your significant other will view a Valentine’s Day dinner of deer’s heart. I am not responsible for the chilly consequences of serving it to someone less adventurous.