Deer Season Preparation ( Part 7 ).

You know this day and time it seems everybody is producing some kind of product for hunting whitetail deer. The problem is you have to be a millionaire to be able to afford all these products or be and older hunter who has been collecting these products as they came out. Now let's talk just a bit about deer decoys. It started out that someone came up with the idea of a Styrofoam deer to practice archery shooting at and from there went on to field decoys. The field decoys were then improved year after year until present day decoys that look so much like deer that even the most experienced hunters have trouble telling the difference. Deer decoys work really well when properly placed in the field or woods and deer are present. Their lightweight and easy to pack into any hunting area and set-up fast. Though I don't use the decoys for practice or in the field myself, I would have to say I believe them to be an added advantage to any hunters inventory and arsenal in being able to take deer. With proper care and storage for the decoy most of them will last for years which makes the cost of one a great value and would pay for itself over time.

Deer Season Preparation ( Part 6 ).

Today there is a vast array of different types of deer calls on the market with each one claiming to bring in that monster buck of a lifetime. The problem is none of these calls can really tell you for sure if your even going to see a deer when you go hunting even if you use their product. There are alot of various factors that have to come into play before you can even see as much as a doe much less a buck. Then the buck you see may only be a spike,a yearling,a small six pointer or a non mature 8 or 10 pointer that really should be left for another year or two before harvesting. At best regardless of the type of deer call you purchase and use in your hunting area, a deer call can only claim to help better your chances of seeing deer ( when used properly ) provided that all the factors come into play during the time your in the field or woods hunting. What type of call does one buy to hunt deer? Well that brings into play alot of questions you have to answer for yourself. Are you hunting bow gun or muzzle loader season? Is it pre- rut,rut or post- rut season? Are you hunting fields, valleys, hills or woods? Is it a heavy rain falling, snowing, sunny or windy? These are all questions you should take into consideration before you purchase any deer call and you might even want to ask a few of the more experienced hunters in your area for advice on buying a good deer call and the type they use and their success in using them. Just remember this thought though, " What works for one person may not work for another ". Even though you buy a good deer call it only works when you've put all the factors together and have become effective in using it as it is intended. To much calling and you run the risk of running the deer off,not enough calling and you may not get the deer to come in to you and then using the call improperly and making the wrong call could run the deer out of the area also. Practice makes perfect and you don't have to be in the woods or field to do this and you don't want to go out and buy a deer call today and go straight to the woods with it before practicing with it either. A great number of hunters out there don't even use deer calls and do quiet well every year, so please choose wisely and put a great deal of thought into the type (s) of deer call (s) you buy before you buy your first one.

Deer Season Preparation ( Part 5 ) .

Selective deer Management began in the early 1900's by the Game and Fish Commission in hopes of creating a larger, healthier population of deer. Today there is an estimated 28 million white-tailed deer across the North American continient. Selective Deer Management is best described by me as the selective taking of undesirable deer to create a healthy herd with large, massive bucks of older age groups being produced through the planting of nutritional crops in near future years. Selective Deer Management has played a key role in helping to create a healthy herd that can now be managed by the hunter as to the type of deer the hunter takes. Though not every hunter uses Selective Deer Management on his herd this could be due to a number of reasons--- 1. the hunters herd is not believed to be large enough for selective deer management, 2. the hunter is not educated about selective Deer Management, 3. the hunter does not care to use selective deer management on his herd or 4. the hunters property is only a crossing point for deer and does not hold deer so the hunter sees no need for selective deer management. Whatever the case may be we as future hunters, old hunters and those wanting to be hunters should all educate and stress the case to everyone that Selective Deer Management does work for everyone and is for the good of all the deer herds big or small and should be used at all times for a healthy herd for all to enjoy, even the nature lovers.

Deer Season Preparation (Part 4 ).

Most hunters, when it comes time to buy their hunting licenses never give it any thought but the truth is any license obtained is obtained as a privilege not a right. This privilege can be revoked or suspended at any time for almost any reason. We as hunters have to be very careful not to do anything to lose this privilege as it can be lost from 1 year to a lifetime, depending on the severity of the offense causing the loss and we are then labeled as a poacher. Today the Game and Fish Commission has split the licenses up into individual license for two reasons-- 1. to build more revenue for the Game and Fish Commission's budget and 2. not all hunters hunt with all types of equipment. The revenue from license sales makes up about 90% of the Game and Fish Commissions budget with the remaining 10% made up from government grants and donations. With so many different types of licenses offered by the Game and Fish Commission, hunters have to be careful when purchasing their licenses and make sure to get the exact license they need. There are alot of rules and regulations for all these different types of licenses so please be sure to check over the new regulation brochure each year for any changes made to the type licenses your using. If your going out-of-state hunting through a guide service be sure to check with your guide service to see if your licenses are part of your hunt package or you have to purchase your licenses separate as an added expense for your hunting trip.

Deer Season Preparation ( Part 3 ).

Farmers spend alot of money each year on crops, fencing, farm equipment and even leasing more property as well as their livestock. We as hunters have a professional obligation to these farmers to offer our field of expertise in the eradication of their pest which eats 1000's of lbs. of their crops each year not to mention the damage to the farm equipment ( flat tires on their tractors from shed antlers ) and fences. Many hunters today hunt property with just one thing in mind--- taking deer for their freezer or a trophy for their wall with little or no regards to the farmer. The farmers prepare the fields, sow the seeds, spray the weeds, fertilize the fields, reap the crops and the hunters just reap the rewards the farmers have brought into the property. When a hunter ask for and gets the permission to hunt a farm, it should be received with an understanding between both the farmer and the hunter that the hunter will help around the farm and share any game taken from the farm. Farmers put in alot of long, hard hours in the fields and all of them I know never have the time for hunting so it's always nice when a hunter shares his bounty with the farmer and it helps ensure a place to hunt the following year most of the time. When asking permission to hunt a farm remember to be polite, respectful and generous of your time and bounty and I'll bet you'll find not only a place to hunt but a good friend for life. Once I get permission to hunt a farm my work for the farmer starts with my first scouting trip. As you scout your new hunting farm you'll be checking fence lines for deer crossing. These fence lines usually will have places that need repairs, repair them as best you can until you can ask the farmer to leave you some fencing material and return to repair them properly. Who knows with your help around the farm maybe one day the farmer can go hunting with you.