Pacific Northwest Bowhunting

L.L. Bean Pathfinder Seat

2010-12-26T20:58:00.000-08:00

Back when I was a kid and began joining my dad on annual deer and elk hunting trips, I used to pack along a small square of standard hardware store visquane plastic, a tip I picked up from my dad. He used to carry a piece for sitting on stumps. It was a simple and effective way to keep your fanny dry. Cold but dry.

Back then hunting was pretty straightforward, we'd set out at daylight, hike, sit, glass, look, hike, and repeat. It was rifle season and weather in October and November was either wet, cold, or both, with or without snow.

Since those early days I've explored other alternatives without too much effort. I've used the zip-off cushion from my turkey vests, and on occassion strapped a 9"x20" closed-cell foam gardening pad to my pack. These options were a step up from the simple visquane moisture barrier because they offered some padding, and more importantly, insulation from the cold. The downside to these foam solutions is their physical size and inability to compress. They must be carried in your pack or strapped to the outside.

Enter the L.L Bean Pathfinder Seat. My wife surprised me with this handy pad for Christmas this year and it has already earned a place in my pack.

Akin to a Therm-a-Rest(R) for your rump, it packs a lot of features in it's 4 oz. self-inflating package. Constructed of durable, abrasion resistant 70-denier nylon, it is waterproof and can be deployed quietly in seconds. It stows away with ease into a draw string stuff sack (included).

True to form this time of year it was 37 degrees and raining hard today. I conducted a simple water repellency test and found that the underside laminate shed water more readily than the top side. Once thoroughly wet, I wiped the pad with my sleeve and leaned it against a wall indoors. It took about 10 minutes to dry completely. I would recommend a coating of Kiwi Camp Dry, Aquaseal(R), or other waterproofing treatment suitable for nylon.

Dimensions: 16"L x 12"W x 1"D. Packed size 6 1/2" x 3".

For more information, see: L.L. Bean's product page

It's 3" x 6 1/2" compact size easily fits into a side pocket of most packs.

Self-inflating valve enables quick deployment in the field. You can also blow it up manually or top it off for a firmer pad.

The Pathfinder pad goes from this...

...to this in seconds, providing a warm, dry place to sit anytime, anywhere.

View of the underside after sitting on my soaking wet deck. The water beaded up and shook off pretty well.

While the product is indeed 100% waterproof, the top surface laminate could use a waterproof treatment prior to extended wet weather outings.

Deer Season Ruminations

2010-12-22T21:14:00.000-08:00

The late archery seasons are nearly at their end save Washington’s late deer season that, in some units will conclude at dusk on December 31st. I chose to bowhunt the rifle season with a rifle tag, which really turns the screws on available hunting days but it’s become my preference for timing key blacktail rut phases.

No doubt with the close of another year, there are likely a long list of “shoulda-woulda-coulda’s”. I have a few myself. There was the 110-class blacktail that I bumbled into while still-hunting in late October. That blunder cost me a slam dunk opportunity on a P&Y buck. He was feeding alone behind a clump of blackberries, with his head down. I stepped out and got caught 10 feet away. The next mistake came only moments later when I got sloppy and quickly turned back to circle around the 4x4 as he fading into the ferns. A smaller buck (above photo) I’d been capturing on a trail camera was head-down nosing my back-trail. Seems my scent drag worked a little too well because he didn’t look up until he was just a few feet from my contorted stance; arrow in one hand, legs crossed in mid-step while trying to turn unnoticed. He was less than amused. I felt dejected but reveled in the late season action and opportunity to learn. I had two bucks inside 8 yards in less than 2 minutes!

Then there was the pair of testosterone laden fork-horns who responded aggressively to my rattling and calling. I called in the first buck within minutes of my first calling sequence. As he closed to within 10 yards of my crouched position, I heard another buck approaching with a purposeful gait in the frosty fall litter. For the first time in 20 years of observing blacktails, I witnessed this second buck snort-wheeze repeatedly as he closed the gap on the first buck. Mind you this was playing out 10 yards in front of me on the ground. The first buck bristled and turned broadside in a show of dominance. The second buck was intent of proving him otherwise. Though I had an arrow nocked and could have drawn multiple times on either buck, I decided to cash in on this rare opportunity to observe live bucks sort out their differences at close range.

They squared off and began sparring with moderate intensity. All the while I sat, scanning the perimeter for a larger buck. As the two bucks pushed and shoved each other, they moved closer. At one point the rear leg of one buck was less than three feet from the tip of my nocked arrow. With the buck bracing himself for more leverage, I enjoyed a rare view of his underside all the way to up his lower jaw, a perspective I’ve never had during any hunting season. For me, the rush of that morning hunt surpassed the certain finality of tagging one of those bucks.

Fast forward a couple weeks and there was the Friday afternoon I picked up my 8-year old daughter, Abbey, from school for the final hours of daylight. 20 minutes after getting my custom-painted blacktail decoy placed and settling into the blind, she proceeded to call in her first buck with a series of doe bleats and an impressive rattling sequence. As the fork-horn buck cautiously emerged from the tangle of brush 18 yards beyond the mesh shooting window, I was more focused on sharing the moment with Abbey than getting my bow drawn. The buck didn’t see the decoy and no amount of calling was going to keep him interested. He melted back into the thicket as darkness swallowed up our small opening. A missed opportunity for sure but a priceless evening in the deer woods with my daughter.

Two days later while still-hunting in another area about a dozen miles away, I slipped up on a nice little 3 point buck as he fed. I pushed the envelope a bit knowing I had only one more day to put a buck on the ground. He dropped his head to feed and I made my move, closing the gap to 20 yards – 20 yards free of arrow obstructions. As slowly drew and anchored, my mind raced. Sometimes I have to tame my thoughts once I’m drawn and anchored on an animal. “Finally, I’m going to fill this tag…it’s been a good year”, I thought. Just as I was about to change the mood in this little piece of landscape, another buck I didn’t see popped his head up! Holy smokes, another 4x4!

In an instant the 3pt became little more than a distraction, and ironically, an obstacle. His body completely blocked any possible shot at the bigger deer, and I am thankful that I didn’t shoot. Given their respective positions, my arrow would have passed through the 3pt and hit that 4pt, likely in the neck.

As it played out, I had no clear shot opportunity on that bigger deer. He moved away from the 3pt and another 2pt that fed nearby so I circled and tried to call him in. He came to about 40 yards but expected to see a doe. He became disenchanted and resumed feeding into some blackberries as I crept forward. I closed the gap to 22 yards and came to full draw. He snapped his head up, standing broadside. I hoped my movement would cause him to reposition himself for a better view, offering me a shot. It didn’t happen. I let down, backed out quietly, and drove home energized for the final day of my deer season.

The next morning I was back in the area and called in a doe with a 2x2 buck in tow. I tagged that buck and it was a good way to end the season with just a few hours to spare.

Ironically, today when I went in to pull a treestand in one of my hunting areas I watched a pretty nice 3x3 pushing and chasing a doe. They were about 50 yards from my tree for a good five minutes and it was fun to just watch this time.

Deadline for Pope & Young Recording Period and New Record Book

2010-12-22T12:52:00.000-08:00

December 31, 2010 is the deadline for entries to be submitted for the 27th Biennium, as well as for inclusion in the 7th Edition all-time record book, "Bowhunting Big Game Records of North America, 7th Edition."
Just a reminder to everyone that the 27th Recording Period (2009-2010) is nearing its deadline. In order for your animals to be included in the 27th Biennium, you will need to have them measured and the entry materials in the mail, postmarked no later than December 31st (AND in our office no later than January 7, 2011).

This is also the deadline for entries to be included in the upcoming edition of the all-time record book (published every six years). Again, entries MUST be entered by December 31st (meaning postmarked no later than December 31st AND in our office no later than January 7th) to be included in this book.

The 7th Edition all-time record book will be published this winter and will be unveiled at our convention in Minnesota (April 6-9, 2011). It will be available for sale starting at that time.

The end of the Recording Period marks the deadline for animals to be entered and eligible to be invited in for the 27th Biennium Panel Judging Session and Awards Recognition and display during the Convention.
________________________________________

Established in 1961, the Pope and Young Club is a non-profit North American conservation and bowhunting organization dedicated to ensuring bowhunting for future generations by preserving and promoting its heritage and values. The Club also maintains the universally recognized repository for the records and statistics on North American big game animals harvested with the bow and arrow.

Pope and Young Club
273 Mill Creek Road - PO Box 548 - Chatfield, MN 55923
Phone: (507) 867-4144 - Fax: (507) 867-4144
Web site: www.pope-young.org - Email: admin@pope-young.org

Outdoor Fathers – An Interview with Monte Perron

2010-12-01T13:27:00.000-08:00

http://www.outdoorfathers.com/

Every once in a while you cross paths with someone who stands out in a crowd; someone who is thinking about the big picture and doing something about it. Such is the case with Monte Perron of Raleigh, North Carolina.

Social Networking is a powerful tool in today’s world of communication and business. Facebook is the vehicle that introduced me to Outdoor Fathers.com, and I liked what I saw. After a few email exchanges with OF founder, Monte Perron, I knew we were cut from the same cloth, so to speak. I wanted to learn more about him and his drive to be the best father he can be and how the outdoors fits into that mission.

So I sat down with Monte to hear his story in a short interview. The following is the transcript of our talk:

PNWB: Monte, how did you get started in the outdoor lifestyle?

Monte: I have always been interested in the outdoors. When I was a child I loved being outdoors and seeing wildlife. In fact, when I was 8 years old, I lived near the Mississippi River and had a long walk on a dirt road to catch the school bus. One November morning, I saw 4 wild turkeys on my “bus walk” and was overwhelmed with excitement. In recent years I have reflected on that sighting and realized that my reaction was not that of a normal 8 year old. I am sharing this because I feel that my love for the outdoors is something I was born with. The ironic thing is that an abusive childhood made it nearly impossible for me to pursue my passion. I had to wait until my sophomore year in college to get started hunting. Physical education was required in college, and I opted for a “Casting and Gun Handling” class. I was taking it in the fall; and a high school friend was taking it as well. I became aware that the gun deer season opened during our Thanksgiving break, and suggested that we go hunting while we were out of school. I could not have picked a better hunting partner; that became apparent to me when I took a deer on the second day of our hunt. My friend was as excited as I was, and proved it with his enthusiasm in tending to my first deer. He was the youngest of 6 siblings and the entire family made a big deal out of my success. I have great memories of that event. That deer got me hooked and I have continued to pursue my passion to this day.

PNWB: It’s clear that hunting is very important to you. How did having children affect your life and your outdoor pursuits?

Monte: For me life comes down to priorities, and because of that, the addition of children to our home was a smooth transition. Prior to the arrival of my first son, Evan, I was self employed and hunted a lot. I was able to hunt so much because I positioned myself to be able to provide for my family and still have the flexibility required to be in the woods. That did not come easy. My first three years in business I only hunted a few days. By the time Evan was born I had worked myself into a circumstance that allowed me to hunt and still do well in business. That flexibility coupled with the fact that I live in an area with 60 deer to the square mile made it possible for me to hunt, spend time with my family, and be responsible vocationally. Family is real high on my priority list so spending time with them is real important to me. I remember passing some little league baseball players on a journey home from a turkey hunt when Evan was two, and thinking that Evan could be playing ball in a few years. I also remember thinking that I would be supporting him instead of hunting. Why? Because he is higher on the priority list.

When my sons were very young I realized that they wanted to spend time with me. Guess where we spent much of that time? In the woods. If I was into music we would have spent our time making music. If I was a sports fanatic we would have been playing or watching sports. The fact is I love to hunt, and they wanted to be with me, so we spent our time in the woods.

PNWB: What was your motivation behind starting Outdoor Fathers, and what do want your audience to take away from your site?

Evan and his first deer

Monte: Evan took his first deer at age 7 and I decided to write a book on how I got him interested in hunting. As I got into the book it evolved into a book about fathering and fathering skills. That book has become the segue to Outdoor Fathers. Since then, I have had numerous things that have inspired me to start and promote Outdoor Fathers. The first was a respected friend that recognized something in me that I did not recognize in myself. He helped me realize that I had something that I needed to share; I am very grateful for his encouragement. The second event of note happened at a social gathering that my family attended. During the course of the evening my wife and I ended up in a small group talking about children. I began to share some of the tactics I had used in raising our sons, and it became apparent to me that those around me were genuinely interested. I also realized that I was sharing things that were not obvious to the parents who were part of the conversation.

I experienced a similar event in a conversation with a respected customer who I consider to be a friend. You cannot fake the interest he showed in the fathering tactics I shared with him. The point is not about me. The important thing to realize is that good parenting has gotten lost over the last couple of generations. I have two amazing sons and it is a sad testimony that common sense parenting skills are so highly regarded. If I were the norm among fathers there would be no need for Outdoor Fathers. I realize that I cannot make anyone do anything, but I believe I can help and inspire some, and that is what motivates me. I know there are fathers out there who care, and those are the ones that can and will make a difference. We can make a better world with better people; I believe that starts with better parenting.

On the hunting side I am genuinely concerned that we are losing numbers. It is amazing to me that our numbers are not growing strongly. Television and video is the most powerful marketing presence available. Hunting shows have enjoyed tremendous growth over the last decade, and we are still only holding ground. To illustrate, let me give an example. Years ago, Clint Eastwood did a movie called Dirty Harry during which he boldly carried a 44 magnum revolver and touted its superiority. Gun makers could not make 44 magnums fast enough after the release of that movie because of “Dirty Harry's” endorsement. I believe that without today's media presence we would be in great decline, so I am grateful to those who have taken the risks necessary to produce shows that promote hunting. In conjunction with this media effort, state wildlife agencies are making unprecedented efforts to recruit new hunters. These efforts include liberalized bag limits, increased doe harvesting, more public land, and special youth days. Sadly, both efforts are falling short. Both are commendable, but IMO, the biggest problem we have is a “daddy problem” and only fathers can solve that. From the very beginning I have encouraged fathers to become part of the solution. Hunting fathers that do will be helping to solve both problems. That is what Outdoor Father's is all about!

PNWB: Well, I couldn’t agree more. So let me ask you - how important do you feel the outdoor lifestyle is in raising kids today?

Monte: In my case it has been extremely important. One of the biggest reasons is that it is a replacement for TV. I know that sounds trite but I believe that my boys and I have a great relationship in part because we have spent so much time in the woods. Being in the outdoors void of any electronic distractions has forced us to communicate which in turn has fostered an intimacy that has solidified a relationship with each son. I know them and they know me. Hunting has also provided an opportunity for me to instill confidence and responsibility to them when they harvest and help tend to an animal.

PNWB: Do you see any barriers to kids and young adults entering into the shooting sports, hunting, or fishing?

Monte: Yes, I see two that are obvious to me – anti hunters and the “daddy problem”. Anti hunters concern me because they are part of a cause. Much of their funding comes from passionate people who have made a conscious decision to support their cause. It is an active decision. By contrast, funding for state wildlife agencies comes from hunting license sales and taxes on hunting products. The hunter is not making a conscious effort to support a cause; he/she just wants to hunt! They are not joining the fight; they are simply doing what is needed to be legal and prepared to hunt. The fact is many do not even know that we are in a fight. When you couple this with a liberal media that seems to be more supportive of the “antis” - it disturbs me.

I touched on the “daddy problem” earlier. Generally speaking I believe that we are about two generations removed from effective fathering. I recently read an excerpt from the book Fatherless America by David Blankenhorn which stated that:

"The U.S. is becoming an increasingly fatherless society. A generation ago, an American child could reasonably expect to grow up with a father. Today, an American child can reasonably expect not to."

Although that statement does not apply to my family now; it is a grave concern to me because of the impact it has on our world. I was a fatherless child, and I am acutely aware of the consequences. I have been determined not to let that dysfunction continue to my sons.

The encouraging thing is we can do something about both concerns. We just cannot continue to do the same thing and expect different results. First of all, hunters must become willing to react to opportunities to get new people involved. I know for a fact there are lots of people that would go hunting if invited. Who is going to get them started if we don't? The thing is we have to be willing to give both time and effort. We have to find a place in our attitude to stop thinking about our hunt, and our stand, and our trophy deer, and our opportunities. We need to dedicate some of our thoughts and efforts to helping the kid across the street get his first deer, or our 40 year old co-worker get off to a good start, or the single mom find a place for their kid to hunt. The list is endless, but we need to become sensitive to it. It can be our greatest opportunity, or our greatest neglect – we get to decide. The 'daddy problem”, on the other hand, is a little more complex because it is not possible to make another father want to be more effective. I am encouraged because I believe that fathers who care can influence other fathers simply by association. In my own case, I was positively influenced by watching good fathers as a child. Their influence was significant in spite of the fact that it was not possible to see it until the next generation. I know that sometimes I am “preaching to the choir”, but I believe that if the choir keeps singing others will join in. That is what keeps me going.

PNWB: Monte, if you had just one minute to mentor another parent on raising children, what would you say to them?

Monte: I have heard it said that children do not come with instructions. I believe that if a child came out of womb with one piece of paper that said - “Love Me!”, and the parent was committed to learning what love meant, they would have a great chance of doing a great job of raising that child! Having said that I believe that the parent's premier responsibility is to understand what it means to love their child. Here's a hint – you won't find it in Hollywood!

PNWB: I want to thank you for your time and the chance to talk about a subject you’re obviously very passionate about. Are there any final thoughts you’d like to share?

Monte: First of all, I want to thank you for the opportunity to talk about this subject that I dearly love. This is a work of passion for me and because of that it is easy for me to commit the time and effort that has been required to make it work. IMO, both areas – hunting and fathering skills – fit together like a glove. My vision is to make a difference by empowering fathers and encouraging outdoor pursuits.

I know that there is an emphasis on hunting at OF, but I think the most important thing is the encouragement to fathers. There is value here for fathers that do not hunt as well. If I were asked if it were about hunting or being a good father – I would have to respond with – YES!

The future of Outdoor Fathers looks promising. Our Facebook page is growing daily, and I am beginning to book speaking engagements to promote this mission. I am more excited about this than any endeavor I have pursued in my adult life. I am very grateful for every person who shows support. Once again, Tom, thank you for doing just that.

For more information, please see: http://www.outdoorfathers.com and “Like” Outdoor Fathers on Facebook.

For all you dads out there, I hope this will inspire you to make time and be there for your kids, and to get them outdoors!

2010 Washington Blacktail

2010-11-30T21:02:00.000-08:00

I'll keep this post brief. I was fortunate to have filled my blacktail tag during the final hours of the short Washington late rifle season*, November 18-21 (Thursday-Sunday).

Rubs lines like this in October
are one of the best indicators
of a dominant buck in the area.

I hunted a few hours during three of the four days. In total I called in and had shot opportunities inside 20-25 yards on six bucks during the last week in October and the recent four-day late season. Soft doe bleats were more effective than rattling for me this year but I was into rutting action on every hunt as a direct result of active calling and the use of scents. I encountered only two bucks that got my heart rate up this fall. Neither presented shots, both were still-hunting spot and stalk, and both about 110" class 4x4 bucks on public land.

The first good buck I encountered was on October 23rd and he briefly entered my life as a result of careful still-hunting, maybe a bit too careful. I literally walked up on him in the rain to about 10 feet behind some brush. I stepped out into a small opening and dang - there's a shooter blacktail feeding 10 feet away. His head was down so I quickly took a step back. Sheilded from the buck by a wall of blackberries, I quickly nocked an arrow and drew my bow. But at that range he heard my movements. As I leaned forward at full draw, I was face to face with a hefty buck strung taut as my bow and ready to bolt. End of that deal. I had to laugh at my fumble on a gimme P&Y buck.

The next big deer was encountered on Saturday, November 20th in a different area. After letting a couple rigs roll on past my located, I called him into about 30 yards after stalking to an initial 60 yards. Expecting to see a doe, he hung up. As he turned to move away I quickly slipped up on him taking full advantage of the wet, soft ground. I got to full draw at 22 yards and evaluated every option to thread an arrow into his chest. Unfortunately there were just too many small limbs that I felt would deflect my shot. I won't take risky shots on game so I let down and tried to pull him back. He knew better. There wasn't a doe anywhere in sight so he just moved further down slope into the thick stuff. I quietly backed out hoping to find him on Sunday morning.

The next morning I got into the area before daylight and set up for some calling at daybreak. I started with a few soft doe bleats, then followed with an abrupt ground-pounding rattling sequence. I wanted to shock the still, crisp morning with some action! And it worked. Immediately, a doe came barreling into my location looking for the source of the ruckus. She was pacing all around me rubber-necking high and low while I crouched in some blackberries. A few moments later I heard another deer approaching and got ready. My buck came right in on a fast walk and admittedly, even at full draw I scanned the area for a larger buck. But, the clock was ticking and I wasn’t about to pass this buck given there was only a couple hours left for the season. He'll eat well.

Given the choice, I'd fill all my blacktail tags on the last day of the season. This maximizes learning opportunity throughout one of the most active times of the year for the mysterious blacktail buck. I tagged this buck around 4:00 PM on 11-21-10.

I witnessed some incredible action including snort-wheezing for the first time and sparring bucks just 3 yards in front me - on the ground! Both forkies but a great learning experience to see how my calling turned a quiet morning into two bucks sparring at point blank range within about 10 minutes. I love creating action from thin air. For me, this is what makes bowhunting so special - getting into the minds of the animals I hunt.

Ironically, I had a run in with a really nice 100"-class 3x3 nosing the ground on a fast trot coming straight to me on a trail as I was dragging out my buck. He was intent on following my scent trail from 6:00 in that morning, which by 3PM was covered in snow. He busted me dragging that buck and turned inside out trying to put air between us. Instinct took over and I grunted loudly with my voice and locked him up at 20 yards. Two more soft bleats and he took a few steps to take a better look while moving slightly away toward a brushline. I pretended to draw my bow to see if I’d have had a shot and sure enough, it was a 25 yards broadside slam dunk. He just stood there looking at me and he didn’t move again until I picked up my buck's antlers and started dragging him again. He just couldn’t resist taking another look and it would have cost him had I not already tagged out. He was much bigger than my buck and I just had to laugh. Maybe next year…

In the coming days I'll be back to explore the details of my deer calling sequences, and the careful use of scents to tip the odds in your favor.

Stay tuned!

* I was bowhunting with a rifle tag, during the rifle seasons, which is legal in Washington state provided you follow the rifle season dates and appropriate regulations. I took my required orange off for the photo because I don't like my bowhunting success photos filled with orange.

Blacktail Rutting Action!

2010-11-07T00:05:00.000-07:00

A mature buck pushes a doe past one of my cameras on 10/17/09

The following sequence of photos illustrates the alure of hunting blacktail deer during the final week of October. Typically, this is a magical time in the blacktail woods, where bucks feel the primal urge to perpetuate their species.

Washington's archery season dates fall outside of this timeframe so I elect to purchase a modern rifle deer tag to coincide with this hightened pre-rut activity. Hunting with a bow is legal during rifle season provided you have purchased a rifle tag and follow the appropriate regulations.

Last Saturday morning I called in two bucks with a soft doe bleat. The first buck, a fork-horn, showed up quickly and paced around my location. Once he caught wind of my James Valley Lethal Weapon scent drag, he became very intent on finding me. He approached to a distance of around four feet. I was wearing two layers of Scent Blocker clothing, head to toe and was crouched in front of a brushy tangle of snowberry and salal. He circled my location several times and never winded me.

This rub appeared overnight, as many
blacktail rubs do.

Within minutes I spotted another fork-horn buck coming down a different trail. He was grunting softly the whole time and when he got within 15 yards he started to snort-wheeze. This was the first time I've ever witnessed this vocaliztion from a blacktail buck. The first buck moved toward him with an aggressive posture and his hide bristled. I had an arrow nocked but was not interested in shooting either of these bucks.

As the second buck got within 8-10 feet of the first buck, he let out two more snort-wheezes as they squared off in a stiff-legged two-step! They lowered their heads and side-stepped around each other slowly, then began to spar. What a treat! I was only a few yards away with a front row seat to a great learning opportunity. Anytime I can observe bucks in a natural state, sign me up! They pushed and shoved for a bit and at one point I could have literally poked an arrow into the hind leg of one of the bucks as they moved toward my location. They simply never knew I was there. Eventually, with their differences settled and deciding they make better buddies than enemies, they left together without further incident.

I have determined that the bulk of blacktail does are bred around November 12th, plus or minus a couple days. My data to support this has to do with trailcam photos, observed deer behavior, and counting backwards about 205 days from the first fawn sightings in the spring.

Blacktails do grunt but based on my observations over the years, they don't grunt loudly or with the tenacity of whitetails. Most bucks will grunt when on the scent trail of a doe or even when trolling for hot does. It's soft and difficult to hear from any distance. If you are working a grunt call, scale it back unless you are fighting loud windy conditions. Less is more with blacktails.

Fawn bleats and doe bleats are excellent calls to use anytime from October through December. The blacktail rut timing and rut phases shift slightly from year to year but these sounds are acceptable under most any condition.

I discovered an interesting behavior back in Iowa in 1993 while filming the Wilderness Sound Productions video, Wily Whitetails. I was filming my friend Rich Thompson during a daylight-to-dark stint in treestands. We had two fawns come in bleating loudly. The doe had been pulled away by a buck and they were left alone. Their bawls and bleats carried through the hardwoods. Moments later a hefty 9-point buck came marching onto the scene and Rich made quick work out of putting an arrow into his chest.

A couple days later, Larry D. Jones and I were on stand in another area. After telling him of this fawn situation, we discussed the sound tonal qualities and frequency of the calls. While on stand, mid-morning we whispered back and forth and let out several calls trying to mimic the two fawns. We'd make adjustments to the call reed and let out a few more loud bleats. As Larry was making a couple calls I scanned the area looking for deer. Out of nowhere I spotted a mature buck on a dead run from a brush-lined irrigation ditch! Larry barely had time to grab his bow as I flailed to get the camera up and on the buck before he was under our stands. Larry sank an arrow through the P&Y brute in short order.

Two mature mid-west whitetail bucks both fell victim to loud fawn bleats during the peak breeding phase. I've not had this kind of response to fawn bleating on blacktails but calling does work in the right situation. I've rattled in plenty of bucks and never had a deer respond negatively to soft bleats and grunts. Don't be shy, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

I passed up this buck last weekend after he followed a James Valley (Lethal Weapon) scent drag literally to within about 5 feet. Here

he is intent on this doe but she won't stop long enough for him to get too close. These were taken on October 23rd.

You can see here he is lip-curling, or technically this is called the Flehmen response. Bucks draw back their upper lip back when examining scents left by other animals either of the same species or of prey. It helps expose the vomeronasal organ and draws scent molecules back toward it. This behavior allows animals to detect scents such as urine of other members of their species or clues to the presence of prey. Flehming allows the animals to determine several factors during the rut, including the presence or absence of estrus.

The doe has moved out of frame to the right and the buck continues on the exact path, scent checking as he progresses.

A buck will relentlessly follow a doe through the pre-rut phase into the breeding phase unless he is challenged by a more dominant buck. This is precisely why rattling, doe bleats, and light buck grunting during the pre-rut and into the breeding phase can be so effective.

Field to Freezer - Meat Care & Processing Tips

2010-10-06T00:07:00.000-07:00

This post is all about the proper field care and do-it-yourself processing of game at home. I won't get too deep into the details throughout the entire process because that could fill the pages of a full-length book. Instead, I'll share some of the key points in carcass field care, the basics of meat cutting, and how to properly wrap or package game for years of great tasting meat. I've added a lot of photos and a video clip to help illustrate the details explained throughout.

Many hunters choose to take their game animal to a processor, which is fine most of the time provided a reputable meat cutting outfit is utilized. To many, the whole task seems daunting and they fear they'll screw it up somehow. Understandable, but if you strip the whole process down to the basics - removing all edible meat from the bones, cutting it up, grinding it up, and wrapping it up - it's really not a big deal.

BUT!...

You need to have a plan, some basic tools, and the time to do it right. Time seems to be the limiting factor for most people. Still, there are ways around that without compromising the end result.

Proper Field Care – Planning for Success

Here in the west, the whole idea of having a meat care plan is a serious matter. The temperatures during early bow seasons across the west often exceed 90 degrees and elk, for example, are not typically shot along roadways where they can be easily loaded up and driven to a meat locker. Having said that, it always amazes me how frequently I do see photos of elk loaded whole in pickup trucks, with the hide on, in 80+ degree weather. This is a sure way to waste precious game and is worthy of a formal game violation, in my opinion. Wanton Waste is illegal and negligence is no excuse. Ok, I’ll put the soapbox away now.

Animal Down - Now What?

In practice, you need to expect to tag an elk or deer and work backwards from there. Once you've got an animal on the ground in warm weather, the meat spoilage clock is ticking. You have two main objectives - cool the meat as quickly as possible and keep it clean! Remember this and you’ll come out ahead every time!

There are several ways you can do this but if you're faced with decisions, stick to these core tasks. For example, I called in a bull for my dad in eastern Oregon one year. It was very hot that day and there was no way we were going to get that bull out and on ice in time. So, we proceeded to completely bone out the elk (remove all meat from the bones) and place the meat king-size pillow cases. (I like to use pillow cases because they are dirt cheap from Goodwill, they have a tight weave to keep out dirt and flies, and they simply work better than most commercial offerings.) I then made trips down to a clear running stream and proceeded to submerge the meat in the 40-degree water. We were lucky because the streambed was rocky and provided a silt-free environment. After spending a few minutes damming up the creek a bit, I had created a nice sized pool. Within the hour we had every ounce of elk meat cooling in a make-shift 40 degree meat locker. Once the meat is cold, you have bought yourself a lot of time. In this case, we made a run into town (2 hours) and loaded our large coolers with ice. Then we simply packed the chilled meat back to camp without the anxiety of meat spoilage concerns.

Now, some people freak out about getting meat wet so I’ll clarify why that can be a concern. Bacteria thrives with moisture and heat. If you are hanging meat in open air, then you want to keep it dry. When you submerge meat in chilly water, there is no bacteria concern, in fact, it’s no different than layering your meat on ice in coolers.

You don’t have to completely debone elk in many cases but in my experience, I have yet to find a good reason to get into the guts. I’m not into liver or heart much, but that would be the only exception. I usually bone-in quarter the animal (typically elk or bear) and get the meat hanging in the shade where evaporation can begin to cool the meat. I always split the hams in this case because the large muscle mass really holds in the heat, even in cool weather. To do this I simply make a deep cut all the way to the femur and physically pull the meat apart to create an open exit path for heat.

Rockie and Corey Jacobsen have done a fantastic job documenting this “gutless method” on their site, www.elk101.com, and have granted me permission to reference it here. This is invaluable information for any big game hunter tackling large game such as elk, moose, and larger bears.

As for keeping meat clean, I am careful to keep the inside of the elk hide clean so I can use it as a place to work but I always keep a queen sized cotton sheet in my pack for a clean place to work. If I’m in an area with lots of blow-downs and/or fallen limbs I’ll construct a simple grid-frame then spread the sheet over it. This provides an elevated platform or sorts which aids in cooling while I’m working.

Back in my truck I keep two very large Igloo coolers (Costco) full of approximately 30 bags of cubed ice (for elk). The coolers sit atop a foam pad and are wrapped in three unzipped sleeping bags for added insulation. It's amazing how long ice will keep like this even in direct sunlight, though I try to keep them in the shade. If I don’t fill my tag, big deal. I'm out about $35 but this insurance policy ensures my elk will not spoil and that's a very small price to pay.

Home Sweet Home

Ok, assuming you are now home with a big game animal, whether it be whole or quartered on ice in coolers, let’s begin turning your successful hunt into successful table fare.

I have two young daughters and a very busy family life so time is always a premium for my wife and I. If you don’t process your own game meat due to a time constraint, it’s possible you are of the belief that it all must get done immediately upon arriving home. This is simply not the case. Provided you can keep meat cold, you have at least a week or more to complete the processing task. By cold, I mean around 38-42 degrees. A late season deer hanging in a barn where daytime highs only reach 45-50 degrees is generally fine because the air is cooler inside a structure. Early bow season meat must be kept in coolers on ice, in a refrigerator, or in a meat locker because the ambient air temperatures are too warm.

My 2007 bull was killed at 3:30 on a Sunday afternoon, 8 miles behind a gated road in southwest Washington. I had to be in Seattle by 9AM the next morning for a two-day Design Management conference. In short, I took my bull with me to Seattle on ice in coolers for two days. It was ice cold when I got around to unpacking on Wednesday. You do have time.

The topic of aging meat is huge and well-beyond the scope of this post. Generally, aging is a good thing but certainly not required. I generally do not age my game meat because I prefer to cut and wrap it as soon as I can get the job done. If I had a better set up for aging meat, then I probably would to some degree. Aging is essentially allowing the muscle tissue (meat) to begin decomposition, thereby making the meat more tender. The process of hanging meat allows more blood to drain as well.

Setting Up Your Work Space

I have processed deer and elk in the kitchen many times but now I prefer to work in the garage where it is generally cooler and I have close access to my freezer and extra refrigerator.

I made a low shelving unit serves as my work station. I cover it in 3 mil plastic sheeting (visquane) to ensure a clean work area. A kitchen counter works fine too but you’ll have a cooler of meat and another cooler with a few inches of ice. Believe me, this amounts to a “kitchen take-over” so you may want to consult your family first.

You will need a large cutting board and at least one 6” boning knife. If you own a kitchen knife block unit full of knives, there is at least one boning knife in the set. If you don’t own a boning knife, they can be purchased for around $20. I prefer the RH Forschner-Victorinox knives because they have a poly handle, exceptional quality, and they hold an edge very well. I have the flexible curved model and straight blade version but prefer the curved design for working around bones.

You will need some method of keeping your steaks, burger trimmings, and scraps separate. I like to use large stainless steel bowl for my burger trimmings and cookie sheets for my steaks. I use another large bowl for scraps.

You can grind your own burger or take all your burger meat to a meat cutter for grinding. I prefer to grind my own and have recently upgraded to a 1HP Cabela’s grinder. I love this unit but it may be overkill if you are only processing small amounts of burger. For elk-sized animals, it is perfect.

Making Meat - Making Sense of Meat Cuts

Another topic hunters seem to have anxiety over is an understanding of the various cuts of meat, especially if you’ve got 300 pounds of unrecognizable boned out elk meat randomly piled into coolers. I’m here to tell you that it’s not all that complicated to sort out. Neck meat, backstraps, and tenderloins are self-explanatory by their physical shape. That only leaves rib meat, front shoulders, and hind quarters. All the shank meat from all four legs gets ground up. The muscle groups for hind quarters are larger than anything found on the fronts, so it all is pretty logical when it comes down to it.

Here’s how I approach it, starting at the front of the animal working toward the rump:

Neck Meat – Burger

Front Quarters – Burger, Jerky, Stew meat, Shoulder blade roasts (elk only)
Backstraps – Roasts or Steaks
Rib Meat – Burger
Tenderloins – Keep Whole (see Wild Game Marinade post for details on how to prepare)

Hind Quarters – Steaks and Roasts

All trimmings go into the burger tote.

When working on both front and hind quarters I generally cut up a manageable sized chunk of meat at a time, separating out steaks, roasts, burger trimmings, stew/jerky meat, and scraps.

For the backstraps (prime rib), I cut them into 6-8” roasts so I can grill them whole with a meat thermometer (again, see Wild Game Marinade post). Neck meat, rib meat, and clean red meat trimmings will all go into burger. For the best tasting burger, trim away all fat and most of the thick gristle/sinew.

Unlike beef fat, venison (deer & elk) fat has a strong flavor most people don’t care for. The good news is that unlike beef, deer and elk deer store fat around organs and in single layers on top of the muscles under the skin. This makes it relatively easy to remove during processing.

So, as you begin making progress you’ll start to fill bowls or totes with steaks and burger meat. It’s important to keep your meat cold as you work. You can use a spare refrigerator or a cooler partially filled with ice. I like to place my steaks on a cookie sheet so I can easily move them from coolers or my spare fridge.

Once I have completely processed all the meat I will then clean up a bit and prepare for wrapping the steaks and roasts. Once all the steaks & roasts are wrapped and in the freezer, I’ll set up the grinder to grind all the burger. The final step will be wrapping the burger.

Grinding Burger

Grinding is a simple process but there are some key things to consider before running your hard-earned game through a meat grinder.

First, wild game is very lean and lower in fat and cholesterol than beef – by a long shot! And because venison is so lean it needs some fat to help hold patties together during cooking. But, you don’t want to add just any fat or suet to your burger. And there is nothing in stone that says you have to add fat to your ground venison. Some people like to grind a portion of their burger coarse with no fat added. This is excellent way to prepare wild game for chili, spaghetti sauces, etc.

While pork fat can we used with excellent results, I recommend adding 5-7% beef fat to your burger for two primary reasons. The most important reason is that beef fat can be cooked rare. This allows you the freedom to cook and eat your burgers rare and moist as opposed to pork fat which requires full cooking and often turns out too dry. The second reason I prefer beef fat is the flavor benefits. We all know how tasty beef fat is. At a low ratio fat/red meat, you gain this flavor enhancement. In fact, at this ratio you will not need to drain the pan when frying or deal with pesky BBQ flare-ups.

Your local butcher shop or fine meat counter is your source for high-quality beef fat. I have found that if you call ahead or stop by and explain that you will be grinding your own burger, they will hand select the best clean trimmings. I specifically ask for New York or T-Bone trimmings because these are the best steak cuts and the fat from these cuts is pure white and very dense.

Red meat and fat grinds best when it is very cold, near freezing is best, so if you haven’t kept your trimmings in a cooler on ice, you may need to chill the meat for a couple hours before you begin. I like to have a clean cooler on hand to hold the burger once I start grinding. I grind into a tote, then dump it into the cooler.

Before you begin, lubricate your grinder screw, plate, and knife with food grade mineral oil. This will aid in the grinding process. Install the coarse plate for the initial grind and eyeball the distribution of beef fat in small amounts as you go. The goal is to evenly distribute the fat as you work through the initial grind.

Once you’ve run all the meat through you should have a cooler or totes with the coarse mixture. Next, change swap out the coarse plate for the fine plate and re-grind the meat. You’ll need to use a pusher to keep the ground meat moving down the throat of the grinder. ***NEVER put your hand or fingers down the hole!*** As you continue to grind, you’ll see the finished product flowing from the grinder plate and if you’re like me, you’ll have to refrain from firing up the BBQ right then and there! If you’ve followed this process to the letter, this will be the best burger you’ve ever eaten.

Wrapping Meat – The Final Critical Step

Today there are several ways you can prepare game for the freezer. Vacuum sealers are very popular and I own one as well. They do one thing very well – remove all the air, which is the primary cause of freezer burn. But in my experience, nothing beats wrapping meat and burger in Stretch-Tite (Costco) food film and a high-quality, wax or plastic-backed butcher paper. The mess, fuss, and expense of the vacuum sealer when dealing with a whole elk is not worth it to me.

With my wrapping method (video below) I have eaten elk meat that was in excess of five years old and unless I looked at the date on the package, I’d never had known. As I mentioned, the critical step is removing the air during the plastic wrapping. The video below demonstrates how I do this with consistent results, with burger or steaks. I will sometimes do a double wrapping on larger roasts.

I used to use a black Sharpie to write on all the finished packages of meat but that was time consuming. About 15 years ago I had some rubbers stamps made for all the cuts I typically process: Hind Qtr Steaks, Backstrap, Tenderloin, Burger, Jerky Meat, Shoulder Roast, Hind Qtr Roast. I have stamps for Elk, Deer and Bear, and I also bought a date stamp because I like to mark each package with the harvest date.

Packing your freezer

I rotate my game meat from bottom to top so the oldest meat is on top. I also keep it organized by specie and cut. I usually have lot of burger so it often gets a whole shelf or more in my large upright freezer.

So there you have it – this is how I turn a punched tag into incredible table fare for my family. I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have: tmryle@gmail.com.

Good Processing!
-Tom

Bull down - time to get busy.

Hanging backstraps and bone-in quarters immediately upon removal expedites the evaporation cooling process.

Splitting the hams all the way to the femur speeds the cooling of these massive muscle groups and reduces the possibility of bone souring.

Layering meat on ice ensures quick cooling of your game meat. I can
ice down a whole elk in these two large coolers.

Hind quarter of my 2010 bull elk. Following the outlines of the major muscle groups with a quality boning knife is pretty simple.

Working with a smaller portions makes the job easier and allows you to keep the rest of the meat cold.

Fat on deer and elk is not marbled throughout the meat like beef. Instead it is layered under the skin, which makes it pretty easy to trim away.

This is a front quarter of a blacktail buck. Once trimmed of all fat, this will be turned into polish sausage.

A nice row of well-trimmed steaks. Cutting meat is not difficult if you take your time and enjoy the process.

I stack my steaks on cookie sheets so they can be easily transported from the cutting table to the refrigerator or cooler with ice.

Another view of how I trim my steaks. Removing all fat and silverskin (thin connective tissue membrane) ensures the highest quality.

A few hours' work, ready for the grinder - my elk burger starts off as well-trimmed red meat free of fat and sinew.

My garage meat cutting set up. I've finished cutting and am getting ready to begin grinding burger. Notice the open cooler at left ready to receive loads of burger. I have also set up my wrapping station. Nothing fancy but it does the job.

Ready to begin. The beef fat at right was trimmed from New York beef steaks only hours earlier. I only needed a small portion of what is shown here. The butchers are great - not only do they cut and save the fat for me; they also package it up nicely too.

Starting to grind and incorporate the beef fat.

First pass through the coarse plate with the 5-7% beef fat incorporated.

After the initial coarse grind, switch over to the fine plate for the final grind.

Final grind. You need to "push" the burger into the throat to keep it flowing.
Never stick your hand into the throat - use a pushing device.

Getting ready to wrap. I have pre-cut a large stack of butcher paper and taped down the Stretch-Tite dispenser carton to keep efficicent. This way all I have to do is pull out another length when I'm ready for the next wrapping.

I package about 20# at a time. Once I've got them all wrapped in plastic, I wrap them all in paper, stamp them, and load them into the freezer before starting on another 20# load.

Freezer tape or regular masking tape works fine. I tear off a lot of tape ahead of time so I can wrap quickly.

Butcher paper - Step 1: start with the corner at right and roll the meat forward once.

Step 2: Tightly pull the sides across, overlapping them.

Step 3: Tightly roll forward to the tip of the paper and secure with tape.

Rubber stamps make marking packages a snap. They can be ordered
from any office supply store or you can purshase a set from LEM Products.
My date stamp only went to 2009 so I had to add the 2010 with a Sharpie marker.

Burger gets its own shelf in my large upright freezer. This meat will last in excess of five years and maintain its freshness and taste.

Oregon Coast Roosevelt Elk Hunt

2010-09-16T11:58:00.000-07:00

Stan glassing a large clear cut in Western Oregon, 2009

September 16:

I leave tomorrow night for a challenging hunt in the Oregon Coast Range. Rain is predicted throughout the next week which will add yet another challenging dimension. As usual, I'll be hunting with my hunting parnter Stan and Chris, another co-worker from Intel.

Contrary to popular belief, the weather is normally very hot this time of year in the Northwest. Yes, it rains a lot but typically from about July 5th through late September, you can count on 80-100 degree temps on a regular basis. Al Gore might even want to add this tidbit to his cool PowerPoint show on Global Warming!

We are using bike trailers to haul extra gear in addition to our panniers and packs. With three of us coordinating on gear, we are doing our best to avoid duplication. We will have our trucks well-stocked with dry clothes, food, treestands, and other gear. When an elk is down, we will tag-team the event to get the meat out and on ice. Once at the trucks we'll re-stock supplies as needed.

So, that's the approach. We are dialed in and ready to rock. Much of this game is mental. Waking up to pounding rain will test our attitudes for sure but I think we're up to the challenge.

More to follow when I return...

9/25 UPDATE:

I'm home and it feels good.

I filled my tag on a nice 4x4 bull despite this hunt being one of the most challenging of my life. Facing driving rains, fog, and seemingly endless miles of biking with heavy loads in Oregon's steep coastal mountains tested mental toughness and resolve to get the job done.

I'll be back soon to share the story and a pile of photos of the hunt. We all had opportunities to tag elk this season, which was a blessing.

10/5 UPDATE: Hunt Details

It took us quite a while to get within striking distance of the herd master and his cows. With heavy fog and continual rain visibility was often nil, so we relied on our remote location and lack of hunting pressure to keep the herd content on their clear-cut bench until we could travel the mile loop around to the ridge.

I was hunting the steep coastal mountains of Oregon with my hunting partner Stan Woody and our friend Chris Combs, both of Portland, Oregon. Stan had located a small herd led by a huge bull the evening before and elected to leave them alone until morning. We determined that our best approach was to utilized the logging road network to close the distance and get the wind right, which required a long hike.

We worked our way around and once within ½ mile or so, I started checking the wind to ensure our final approach would not be spoiled. It turned out the only way to get down to the timbered bench was to drop into a large cut and as we made our way to the bottom, it was clear we’d have to move further downwind. Our plan was to drop into the big timber, descend the steep fern-covered slope to a point just above the creek, then start working our way into the wind and uphill toward the herd. With three of us hunting together, we had to stay focused on our collective movements.

Not 20 yards into the big timber, I spotted the flank of a single elk about 100 yards down slope to my right. As his head turned slightly I could make out the baseball bat girth of his left main beam. I alerted Stan and Chris but we were pretty much stuck given the wind and thick vegetation. Any further movement would likely tip him off. At this point we didn’t know if this was the herd bull or a satellite bull. Either way, he was a shooter.

He started moving down and across the hill below us. I lost sight of him but Stan and Chris, being 20 yards ahead of me, could see him. They waved me forward and pointed him out. At this time he began working over a 14” diameter Douglas Fir tree, which really turned up the adrenalin! Stan stayed back as Chris and I slipped forward and down an elk trail that would angle us downhill and directly above the bull.

As the bull worked over the big fir, I dropped quickly down the trail to within about 60 yards. Chris stayed a little higher to watch over a small rise in case the bull circled away from my location. Once I had an arrow nocked and was ready I signaled to Stan to proceed with a few soft cow calls. Knowing this bull was a frustrated satellite bull, I figured the first indication a cow was nearby would pull him uphill to investigate. He looked and started to come up but something didn’t sit well with him and he never committed. I wish I had video or photos of him working over the tree. He was a P&Y class 5x5 or 6x6 but it was just too difficult to tell for sure given our focus was on setting up. He was a full-framed bull and that’s all that mattered!

We gave this bull plenty of time to sneak in but he simply vanished. Knowing we had a larger herd bull nearby we didn’t waste any time moving on. As we dropped further downhill we discovered the rub made by the satellite bull. While I was taking photos, Chris and Stan crept along an elk trail that ran across the hillside and would put us within reasonable distance of the herd. To the best of our knowledge they were still out in the cut or just inside the timber edge 2-300 yards ahead. We had the wind so it was just a finesse game from here on out.

Not five minutes later I spotted my bull feeding below us but it was clear Chris and Stan hadn’t noticed him. They had their eye on the prize ahead I think. I hissed to stop them because they were in plain sight of the bull as he ambled along with his head down. They immediately saw the bull and dropped to the ground. The bull snapped his head up but didn’t seem too bothered. I had several trees between me and him so like the Wile E. Coyote cartoon where he tried to snatch up feeding sheep, I snapped from one tree to the next, closing the gap to around 40 yards. As the bull kept feeding uphill in the swale, I readied for a shot. He took a couple full steps forward with his head down which put him in clear view. I eased back to full draw and he caught a bit of my movement. He stared in my direction for a minute or so as fatigue started degrading my focus. But he broke stride and turned quartering away and facing uphill. In a second I had my pin locked on his ribcage and released.

The arrow got near full penetration as the bull lunged uphill. He only made it about 60 yards before tumbling back down and coming to rest at the base of a tree. Incredibly, my arrow was intact protruding out the opposite side for easy removal. I figured with all the rolling, the arrow would have broken off immediately.

So, that’s the story – another Oregon bull on the ground. The big guy still roams for another day.

Much has been written about special hunting partners over the years. The most common theme has something to do with “unselfishness” and though I hesitate to do the same for fear of watering down the cliché, it simply fits. My hunting partner, Stan Woody (Portland, Oregon) and I have been sharing bowhunting adventures for nearly 20 years now. We’ve wallowed in sweet success and fought tears of pain through some tough times in the woods. This was a tough hunt for many reasons but we made it happen and enjoyed another elk season making memories. He does virtually all the scouting for our Oregon hunts and he spends countless hours biking roads and researching hard-to-reach hunting grounds. He’s tagged a lot of bulls as a result but he’s always putting me first at every opportunity, and I can’t thank him enough.

Laying out my gear. I packed for a foul weather bike hunt but to stay flexible we also planned for truck camping to hunt some other
spots, just in case. It adds up to a lot of stuff!

Preparing for the added load in my panniers and the additional load of a full trailer, I opted to start the trip with Slime tubes. They are heavy but worth the weight.

Laying out food - planning and packing is half the fun!

The Oregon Coast Range is as rugged and steep elk country as you'll find anywhere in the United States.

This blowdown served as an adequate tarp fixture.

Our modest camp on state land consisted of tents and tarps as we planned for a full week of rain.

After a night of little sleep due to monsoon rain and wind, we implemented plan "B", which was a large A-frame style tarp roof. This
worked out much better but I couldn't help thinking about trees falling on us each night.

It rained and it rained and it dumped rain. Chris' Jet Boil was our only form of comfort because it could turn freeze dried meals into
home cooking under the nasty abandoned gray tarp we dragged up from a log landing.

Water poured from the skies but obtaining drinking water from creeks was
nothing but hard work and a lot of hiking. So, with simple downspouts
made from string, we collected several gallons of water from our tarps and
then filtered it for drinking. Worked great!

Chris hard at work filtering rain water from our tarps into our water jug.

This photo pretty well sums up this coastal hunt and challenge it provided. Stan's poncho is inflated as a gust of wind howls up the clear cut. One minute you had visibility; the next you were engulfed in pea soup fog.

Chris and Stan (L to R) on our hike around to where Stan spotted the big herd bull.

The bench that is dead center in this photo is where the big bull and his cows were feeding. If you look closely you can actaully see
a couple elk in this photo (click on it to enlarge).

Making our way around meant traversing clear cuts. Wet logs and many obstacles to navigate.

Here's the monster rub created by the first satellite bull. Watching him make

this rub was something else!

11 miles from the truck; probably 2-3 from camp. Nothing but hard work for 24 hours following this photo. I would never have shot
a bull this far back in without the help of Stan and Chris. It simply would have been irresponsible because one guy could never get the meat out before it would spoil.

After we pulled my bull downhill to a better spot, Chris and Stan surveyed the edge of the cut. The herd and his cows were still there!

Immediately upon removing the quarters and backstraps they were hung to cool. If I am not removing all the bones from the hinds, I always split the hams to aid in cooling the large muscle mass. If you don't do this, bone sour will likely set in causing your meat to taste gamey and/or spoil.

My girls made me "good luck" bracelets a couple years ago. I take them on every hunt and take photos with them hanging on tines so I can show them when I get home. This year, my 6-year old Kate drew me and Stan a couple elk drawings to keep with our tags.

The Badlands 2200 in action.

The Oregon coast consists of two extremes - uphill and downhill. Pushing heavy loads is no picnic but you can see a shadow on the ground. We were grateful to have a short break from the rains for the big haul out!

Stan and I with my entire bull out in one long 11-mile ride.

Bike cam - almost down to the truck!

You have to have a well-thought out plan to deal with success. For us it
means having coolers in the truck full of ice, ready to go. I bring extra
sleeping bags and cover the coolers for added insulation.

On the ride back into camp late that afternoon we came upon a hillside chock full of huckleberries. We took a break and chowed.

An endless supply!

What a day, over 20 miles of riding out and back. As the evening wore on, we were blessed with an amazing sunset.

Just before sundown.

The next day was a new day. One elk on ice, two more tags to fill.

Chris spotted a bull with cows down in this cut. I hung back with a Montana Decoy. Can you find Chris? The elk are just out of frame over that crest of the hillside. They gave us the slip but we could easily follow their tracks across the road into some big timber.

The elk trails are cut up and easy to find in the timber.

Chris next to a large rub. We've found bigger...much bigger.

A convenient wallow. This one had me a bit obsessed. I kept visualizing hearing a bull splashing about and using that root ball as my cover to stalk in and shoot him at 5 yards. It never happened but the daydream was as etched into my brain by the end of the hunt.

Dumping rain, loaded up for the 13 mile ride out. The close of a great week with good friends in the mountains.

Mountain Bike Hunting

2010-09-02T00:10:00.000-07:00

The Pacific Northwest is home to hundreds of thousands of acres of managed forest lands, many of which are owned by private timber companies that were founded on the rich timber resources that blanket this region. This fertile land is also prime habitat and home to Roosevelt elk, black bear, Columbian black-tailed deer, cougars, and many other species pursued annually by hunters. State forest lands, BLM & DNR lands, and plain old private lands are intermixed throughout and can be pinpointed on various maps. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is the best resource for determining land ownership, but this information can also be obtained via state/county resources and by calling timber companies, provided you have adequate Lat/Lon or other description data available.

State lands are not gated but may not be well marked with signs. But they are open to the public so there's no issue with hunting them. Timber company lands are usually easy to identify because most access points are gated, and these gates are painted different colors according to the company ownership. That fact isn't too important because public access is usually permitted with limited regulation, such as no overnight camping, building fires, and the use of motorized vehicles behind the gates. A key point to note - during the early bow seasons in Washington and Oregon wildfire potential increases and timber companies are quick to restrict all public access until adequate rains soak the forests. Hefty fines are issued to those who don't respect these restrictions.

To unlock the thousands upon thousands of available hunting lands, one must physically get to it. Enter the mountain bike.

Many veteran mountain bike bowhunters would likely agree that their bike is there most important piece of "gear" behind their bow. The reason is simple - the bike enables you to access prime hunting grounds much more efficiently than by walking. Horses can be used but they require a lot of overhead and hassle in comparison to silently unloading a bike and putting on the miles.

My hunting partner and I have used our bikes for many years to hunt Washington and Oregon's coastal mountains. Over the years we've used various types of bow racks, lights, and basically continue to evolve our set-ups to serve our needs best. Several years ago, my partner Stan added pannier racks to his bike in order to not only carry more gear and meat, but also as a means to reduce his hunting pack weight by stowing game bags, etc in them. This way he had them if he got an elk down but wasn't carrying them around day in and day out on his back. Instead he was able to keep his pack lean with essentials only, then return to his bike for field care tools.

The following is a description of my current bike set up. It works out pretty well but I am swapping out the tires this week for a tighter knob/tread pattern to further reduce punctures under load. Miles upon miles on sharp gravel roads is hell on tires, especially under heavy loads.

2006 Specialized Hardrock Comp hardtail. I don't like rear suspension because I feel it robs energy that I want transferred to the ground when I pedal. I use conventional toe-clips to accommodate my hunting footwear. The tires are 2.20" for extra load distribution. I also have TopPeak front fender to keep mud and water out of my face.

I use a Pack Rack bow rack mounted to my handlebars. I carry a couple sets of snubbers in case one breaks. I also invested in a VistaLite halogen lights with three nightstick Ni-MH 2200mAH batteries. I have a 5W and 10W on the bars and one more 5W light for my helmet or hat It attaches with Velcro and works really well. A bit pricey but well worth it. I also have a set of bar ends to change up my posture and leverage while riding long distances.

I have a $30 Planet Bike computer to track mileage, temperature, etc. It's nice for planning purposes or figuring out ride times and taking notes.

I have a heavy duty Blackburn pannier rack and Axiom waterproof panniers. They are HUGE and can haul a lot of gear and meat!

Once filled, the top of the panniers and the rack itself become a great place to strap down your hunting pack or extra gear.

Jerky!

2010-08-10T14:57:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't like jerky? Ok, vegans and vegetarians put your hands down.

I make a lot of jerky throughout the year. I love it, my kids love it, and it's a healthy high-protein snack that is great to pack along on any outdoor adventure.

I have used a wet marinade recipe for many years consisting of equal parts Soy Sauce, Worchestershire Sause, Teriyaki Sauce plus fresh garlic, and a variety of spices. It works well for smoker or oven drying.

For no-mess dehydrator drying, I've turned to dry cures from Hi Mountain Seasonings because they are very easy to use and produce excellent results. Everything is spelled out in a well-designed instruction sheet and there are a variety of flavors to choose from. They even provide a shaker bottle in each kit.

Here's how I go about it:

Cut meat into 1/4" thick pieces. These can be strips as shown or if you're using
a roast or larger cut, they can be like thin steaks. Cutting across the grain makes

it easier to tear off a bite.

Next follow the instructions and mix the correct amout of cure with seasongs.

Apply evenly to both sides but don't fret about precise coverage.

Next stack the meat tightly and wrap in plastic wrap or pack tightly in a Zip-Lock

bag, squeezing out the air. This ensures good cure and seasoning mix contact.

Three pounds of lean elk jerky ready to cure in the refrigerator for 12 hours.

For this batch I decided to use my Little Chief

electric smoker and some mesquite chips. I

wrap this smoker in cardboard to keep the

heat in.

Three racks loaded and ready to go! Drying

time will vary so check it regularly after a few

hours. Enjoy!

Getting in "Elk Shape"

2010-08-09T11:26:00.000-07:00

Stan takes a moment to locate a mid-day bull.

Back when I turned 30 I went to my doctor - a new doctor I had not seen before - for a routine physical. I'll never forget the moment he said, "Tom, you seem to have gained some weight recently." Not sure how he knew this, I tried to explain it away by telling him that I usually gain a little winter weight, but quickly shed it once summer comes around, which was the truth...up to age 30.

Then he told me that males begin to experience age-related changes around age 30. Your metabolism slows, your eyesight begins to decline, among other depressing truths. To compound matters, physical activity tends to wane as careers and families become heavy priorities that eat up every waking hour.

If you’re like me, you enjoy food and lots of it. Experts frequently talk about "emotional eating" but rarely do I hear anyone talk about eating for the pure enjoyment of flavorful food! For me, this is my weakness and slowly I gained weight like the ticker chart of bullish stock - ups and downs annually but steadily climbing over several years. Not really the sort of dividends I was after.

Grab a pencil...I'm about to share with you an incredible formula for losing weight and getting in shape. You’re going to love this because it will not require reading a thick book, listening to CDs, counting calories, or joining some expensive program. Nope, this is drop-dead simple, it works for everyone at any age, and best of all it is FREE!

Ready?...

Eat less, move more, everyday.

It's really that simple. I don't care how much you eat, when you eat, where you eat - if you simply reduce the intake and exercise regularly, you will lose weight. And if you replace poor quality food with high-octane food, you will see faster results and feel better at the same time.

My partner Stan with the business end of

a 9th-day bull. Are you prepared to make

multiple trips with 80-100# loads after

5-10 long days of hunting?

With archery elk seasons just a few weeks away, there's still time shed some pounds and get your lungs and muscles tuned up for the hunt. The following is a simple routine I've used to get my body back in "elk shape", which I define as getting your body tuned up for the rigors of all things elk hunting under the hot sun of late August (Oregon) and September. Going day after day on little sleep, biking countless miles of dusty logging roads, hiking in and out of clear-cuts, and traversing dozens of steep, fern-choked drainages will suck the life out of you if you're not physically and mentally prepared. Top it off with a successful hunt and the demands intensify exponentially as you must deal with expedient meat care and transport out of the field.

I'll go over my meals first because your body needs food to perform. And as you exercise more, your body needs high quality fuel to draw upon, starting with breakfast every single day. Next, I'll share my typical workout routine. I have an office job so it's not always easy to drop everything to workout. To be successful, you must prioritize your workouts and block time on your calendar to ensure you hold yourself accountable.

Before we begin, I suppose I should add the "see your doctor before starting any exercise program" disclaimer here because we're all different and only you and your doctor can determine which work-out routine is best considering your age, health, and physical condition. I'm not a dietician either but common sense is nearly all you need here.

A Daily Meal Guideline - What I Eat and Why

Here's the general approach I take with regard to my daily meals. Again, this is more about eating LESS, not eating exactly what I eat. It's proven that 4-6 small meals throughout the day are better for your metabolism than 2-3 big meals. Healthy snacks serve to fill the gaps and keep your main meal portions under control. I dropped 15 pounds in a few short weeks following this general plan and by exercising a few days per week, 30-40 minutes each session.

Breakfast - You need to eat breakfast everyday as it plays a role in getting your metabolism ramped up, not to mention your body needs fuel in the morning for optimum performance throughout the day. I like to start each day with protein. I have low cholesterol and low blood pressure so I will eat a hardboiled egg or two on a regular basis, or I have low-fat yogurt mixed with about a 1/3 cup of granola. I like fresh fruit so a banana or some blue berries go down the hatch as well.

Snack - A handful or almonds or peanuts or an apple or another piece of fruit or baggy of carrot sticks/veggies.

Lunch - 1/2 sandwich consisting of lunchmeat, mustard, and whole grain bread. I don't eat big lunches anymore and I use my post-lunch exercise routine as a forcing function to keep my meals lighter. One workout spent burping up a large spicy chicken lunch special from the local teriyaki joint is all it takes to get my point.

Snack - more nuts or I keep my mouth busy with sunflower seeds.

Dinner - Grilled chicken, salmon, halibut, elk, deer, etc, steamed veggies (eat as much as you want), and another side. My wife and I try to create balanced dinners because it’s the last meal of the day. Plus, we want to role model sitting down as a family each evening to share a hearty home-cooked meal for our kids.

Snack (optional) - I stay up late just about every night so every once in a while, I'll have a light snack around 9:30 or so. Many experts ban eating after 7PM or something like that. Well, I'm more of a realist and believe that getting in shape doesn't have to be miserable. Snacking on carrot sticks or some popcorn aren't going to hurt you.

What's In A Workout?

As I mentioned, I work in a typical cubicle office environment and I tend to spend many hours per day sitting in front of my computers. Finding time to work out is always a challenge given the number of meetings and constant state of change that occurs throughout a given day or week. Therefore, I keep my workouts simple, accessible, and doable. And I try to work my whole body over the course of each week. The main thing to remember is you don't need a gym membership to get in shape. You simply need to be resourceful.

For example, my office building is five stories high and like all buildings there are multiple sets of stairs that connect the ground floor to the roof. One day I discovered one of these stairwells in a lonely corner of the building, away from much, if any, human activity. Perfect.

I run (10) sets 3 days per week. I alternate sets of doubles (two stairs at a time) and singles to mix it up but that is not important. Walking alone will burn calories like a California wildfire. You can also add a pack and some weight or carry a couple 5# dumbbells to work your shoulders and arms.

I also like to hammer out 20 elevated push-ups after every third set. This gives my legs a short rest while engaging my upper body in a vigorous burn, all the while keeping my heart rate up.

Not that it matters but I can complete this workout in about 18 minutes. I state this only to point out that you can do a lot with very little, and in small blocks of time. You just need to get up and do it!

On the opposite days I like to do a 7K route from my office down to the beach and back. It's a nice run through the woods and I don't really push it too hard. It keeps my muscles loose and provides some good cardio stamina over time. If you don't like to run, you can ride a bike but be sure you're riding some hills or varied terrain to actually get a workout.

On one weekend day each week I put on a pack loaded up with anywhere between 50-70# of dumbbells (wrapped in towels) and get into the woods. This is my fun workout because I'm out hiking with a pack on; setting up or checking trailcams, scouting, and otherwise not thinking about working out. I'm just covering ground and working my body in the same manner that elk season does.

If you do have access to a gym, that's even better. I happen to have an on-site gym at my office so occasionally I will work in some upper body workouts after doing the stairs. It gets busy so I don't use it often. Instead I do push-ups, sit-ups, and a variety of dumbbell workouts at home in the evenings.

Parting Thoughts

Each person must decide how much work they need to do in order to get tuned up for hunting season. And remember, even if you’re already at an appropriate size and weight for your age, that doesn’t mean your body is ready for the challenge of getting an elk or other big game critter out of the woods.

Eat less, move more, everyday. With each meal, eat less and with each day find a way to exercise even if it’s a dozen push-ups, sit-ups, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, etc. Just move more; it adds up! Use my routine as a simple example and design a program that's right for you. Before you know it you'll be losing weight and feeling great!

I’ll leave you with a quote from a doctor I once interviewed for a project at work. He said, "If you could bottle up the health benefits of 30 minutes of daily exercise, it would cost a lot!”

Tillering a Cherry Tree Branch

2010-08-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

Two winters ago I pruned my ornamental cherry tree; the maroon colored variety you often see in and around neighborhoods and some business parks. It was getting a bit out of hand so I knocked it back a bit. I don't care much for this tree because it clogs my roof valleys and gutters each fall. But it provides excellent afternoon shade of our front porch in the summer so for now, it remains in tact.

A few of the limbs had sizable shoots growing straight up, which is the norm with any fruit-bearing tree. I decided to keep a few of these nicer shoots to make walking sticks for my girls and I.

One of the shoots was pretty interesting as it had a sweeping "S" shape to it. I thought it might be neat to attempt tillering a selfbow from it so I glued the ends and left it to season for two years.

A few weeks ago I came across it while shuffling some things around in the "archery bay" of my garage. I looked it over and decided it was time to start turning this stick into a shootable bow.

12% moisture content is about perfect
for bow-making

My digital moisture meter read 12%, which was about perfect for most bow-making. So I began removing wood. I used an aggresive rasp and a Stanley(R) SureForm to do the bulk of wood removal. Once I was able to see some bend in the limbs by floor tillering (bending limbs against the floor) I slowed down, narrowed the limb tips to 3/4" and worked the fadeouts near the handle.

You'll also notice I left the bark on. I did this because I think it adds to the simplicity in a very literal way. You can clearly see this bow was made simply by removing everything that didn't look or behave as a bow should. The limbs have some twist but I'm not too concerned about it for this project. You can see how the string tracks from nock to nock bisecting the handle perfectly. Also, I've made the belly flat to reduce compression fractures or chrysals, as they are commonly called.

Right now it pulls 65# @ 25" draw which is a bit stout yet so I’m going to finish it around 58# @ 27". I'm working it down slowly so when I hit 27" draw, I won't have any finish sanding to do. You never pull a selfbow past the final draw length or draw weight, especially if it's un-backed.

I found this wood is resilient and easy to work with. I had it strung for over 2 hours and it had zero string follow when unstrung. Makes me want to cut the whole damn tree down and split it into staves!

A few key tools for removing wood

I made a tillering tree with a pully so I can stand back to see better plus I can

work the limbs easily

Eyeballing down the length of the limb can reveal hinges or stiff spots

The string tracks dead-center through the handle section

Rough tiller

68" tip to tip, 65# @ 25"

Dad's Legendary Smoked Salmon

2010-08-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

This is my dad's legendary recipe and process for smoking salmon. I don't have any photos to share at this time but this creates amazing results.

A single recipe should be enough for approximately 25# of live weight fish.

2 ½ Quart water
½ Cup brown sugar
½ Cup white sugar
1 Cup pickling salt (non-iodized)
¼ Cup regular Johnny's seasoning salt
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp black pepper

Soak 8 to 24 hours in a large glass bowl or ceramic brining pot. Rule of thumb: 8 hours for a 3# or 24 hours for a 25# salmon, depending on the thickness of the pieces. Thinner fillets require less brine time that thick steaks.

Rinse and place pieces on paper towels, pat dry and allow to air dry until slightly glazed. A fan can speed this up but is not necessary. Brushing with Rum or Brandy will really improve the appearance, but is not necessary. It also has no effect on the flavor.

Spray your smoker racks with Pam or olive oil to prevent sticking. Place skin side down and put the larger pieces closer to the heat. Smoke 12 to 30 hours, depending on the thickness of the fish, the dryness desired, and type of smoker used. I suggest keeping a notebook of smoking times for different sized batches for future reference. Sample occasionally after the first 12 hours until they are done to your liking. Some people like it dry while others like it moist. I like dryign the tail fillets to a jerky-like state while the steaks I like to be moist.

Remove skin before storing or freezing.

Serving suggestion: mix with mayonaise or cream cheese to make a spread for crackers. Adding diced chives or fresh dill is a nice touch.

Enjoy!

Bow Season Is Almost Here - You Choose The Topic!

2010-08-04T10:50:00.000-07:00

That's right, with bow seasons approaching quickly here in the Pacific Northwest, I'm taking requests on topics for my next few posts to help you get dialed in. I have several posts in the works as well, including:

~~- Getting in "Elk Shape" (about physical conditioning)~~ DONE

- Finding Elk in New Areas (finding elk from maps alone, scouting on the fly)

- Hot Weather Meat Care (method to successfully process big game in hot weather)

- Calling Bears & Cougars (overview of how to tap into a predator's feeding response)

- Treestand Tactics (20 years of successful treestand hunting tips)

- Bow & Hunting Arrow Tuning (getting your hunting bow and arrows dialed in)

- What's in Your Pack? (my hunting packs, what's in them, why, and tips)

~~- Mountain Bike Hunting (setting up your bike for serious hunting)~~ DONE

- Product Review: Moultrie D-55 Trail Camera

- Product Review: ThermaCELL

So please comment on these or suggest your own topics. Those that receive the most interest will be addressed first but I'll do my best to respond quickly and get you the information you need for the upcoming season!

Hart Mountain, Oregon Antelope Hunt

2010-07-30T15:54:00.000-07:00

My hunting partner finally drew the Hart Mountain antelope archery tag in Oregon. He left last night for a 6-day hunt, which is all the time they give you for this tag. He will be calling me daily to provide updates, which I will post here. When the hunts over, I'll twist his arm for some photos as well.

His hunt starts on Sunday, not today...just got that update.

Stay tuned...

8/4 Update

Well, no word from my hunting partner. He told me via email the other night that he could get "one bar"(of signal) on his blackberry after an hour drive, one way, from his hunting area. So, my guess is that he simply hasn't had much to report yet.

He had a day and a half of scouting time before the opener on Sunday, so I'm expecting a call tonight after his third full day of hunting. The terrain in this region of Oregon is varied, with high bluffs, wet seeps, and expansive sage flats. He was going to do some spot and stalk hunting this first couple/three days to observe and learn, then use the Double Bull blind on waterholes or seeps that are getting regular use. He had this to say, "I saw lots of really nice bucks (nothing huge but lots bigger than mine), roads are horrible, gas is expense and a long way away and it is hot. Lots of antelope running around, seems like lots of water holes around as well so it is really just a matter of where to setup I think."

8/6 Update

I'm starting to think he has withered up and turned to jerky in the blind. His hunt ends on the 8th so I may have to wait until then for a blow-by-blow account of his hunt.

8/7 Update

I just heard from his wife who got a brief report last night. He saw a lot of animals on the first 3 days and passed a few up. Then his radiator cracked and he’s spent the last 4 days trying to get into some dinky little town.

He was able to seal off the leak in the radiator so he’s going to try and go back into “hell on earth” as he describes it, and try and hunt the last 1 1/2 days of this season. He’d rather have an unsuccessful hunt but know he did all that he could given his circumstances than to turn away now with time left in the season and lots of “what if’s”. More tomorrow, I'm sure...

8/9 Update

Well, we've all had our share of misfortune while pursuing our passion for hunting. Such was the case with my hunting parnter, Stan. With his permission, I've cut and pasted his email below, summarizing the hunt from his perspective. He was reluctant to publicly share this but left it up to me. Stan is a very accomplished bowhunter and one of the toughest people I know. I felt the circumstances that plagued his hunt would be valuable for other hunters planning adventures in remote places or without a partner to help should things go awry.
___________________________________________________________________

"You might wonder how my hunt went. Well sparing you all the painful details, after waiting 15 years for the tag I didn’t shoot a buck.

I will have to eat a lifetime of tag soup for not preparing better for the unknown. The first few days I had the same hunting as Dyrk (Eddie) seeing does, fawns, and young bucks not to mention badgers, wild horses, coyotes, hawks, elk and deer. Lots of animals just no antelope bucks beyond 12” and with 5 days left I felt comfortable waiting for something bigger.

Then I was way out on the south boundary and my radiator blew a hole out the side of it. I limped the truck back towards camp emptying every ounce of water I had in the radiator until I was totally out and the temp was redlined. I got out and hiked about 7 miles and eventually ended up getting a ride to camp with another hunter and his wife.

Long story short, the next day I stopped at every available water source using 90 gallons of water and limped the truck into a town called Lakeview to get it fixed only to find out the radiator wasn’t fixable and would be another 2-3 days to get a new one ordered, which would end my hunt. A truck in the desert in August without a radiator is useless, as you know. I thought maybe I could slow the leak with some radiator fix so I dumped in nearly a gallon of three different types of radiator fix which did slow the leak. So I bought a bunch more water containers enabling me to carry 30 gallons of water and headed back up to hunt.

Everything was fine until I hit the gravel road and the hole blew out again only worse this time. I again limped the truck back to Lakeview and had to call my hunt over w/o any transportation back up the mountain.

I learned the hard way that planning for the unplanned is sometimes the most important part of your hunt and that even though you CAN hunt alone sometimes it isn’t the best plan."

Wrist Strap For Thumb Release

2010-07-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

Last year I purchased a T.R.U. Ball Release. In a word, I love it. However, I didn't really like the V-Lock wrist strap option (http://truball.com/V-lock.html) so I decided to make my own.

I found one of those Croakies(R) sunglasses straps in one of my miscellaneous gear bins. It is made from a high-quality braided cordage and had a slip-adjuster already in place. Perfect!

After shooting a few arrows and examining my form in a mirror, I figured out that the strap should connect to the body of the release at a point about 1" to the outboard side of the caliper axis centerline.

I simply drilled a hole and countersinked both sides to eliminate sharp edges and reduce wear on the cord. Then I threaded the cord through the hole and melted the end to the point where a molten blob formed. Next I pressed the end against the metal table of my bandsaw to flatten it, creating a hard "stop" to keep the cord from pulling back through.

Done deal - bare bones simple and it works great!

(click on photos to enlarge)

Stopping Game For A Shot

2010-07-29T13:24:00.000-07:00

When a deer, elk, bear or other game steps into your shooting lane you’ve got to execute a good shot to ensure a quick, humane kill. Shooting at moving game isn’t advised as it can lead to poor shot placement.

A good tip is to make a soft doe bleat with your voice – at full draw - when you want to stop the animal. I’ve never spooked game doing this and it nearly always stops them in their tracks. Good luck!

Economical DIY Archery Target

2010-07-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

I've always been a DIY (do-it-yourself) kind of guy, and I am somewhat of a hoarder when it comes to stuff. When I come across "stuff" that nobody seems to want or see value in, I tend to keep it, just in case. I always seem to find some nook or cranny in my garage to store it until the opportunity to employ it into action presents itself.

Such was the case here about 12 years ago. I was touring a manufacturing line at work. I was there to observe technicians as they assembled the products that I (and team) designed. As I was doing this I noticed a couple people unpacking some sheetmetal computer chassis' near the warehouse. They were tossing all of these really nice double-thick dimensional (14"x30") pieces of corrugated cardboard into a huge recycle bin. This was a huge distraction for me as my mind started racing for a use for all that pristine cardboard.

Within minutes, I had designed an archery target in my head. I walked over to inquire about getting some of the stout sheets of cardboard. They said, "no problem - have at it." I hauled a pile out to my truck.

Later that evening at home I started surveying my stash of resources.

The cedar 4"x4" post I used for the base support was a discarded remnant found in a field, of all places. The castors were left-over samples from a design project. The 2"x12" used for the base and top compression plate was left-over from another house project.

All I needed was the all-thread rods, nuts, and washers which were purchased for about $10.

The result is a target that has stopped thousands of arrows* and is easy to roll out of the way when not in use. Every year or so I give the nuts a couple turns to compress the cardboard a bit. And I have yet to swap out the upper layers.

*It's common knowledge but cardboard targets are not intended for broadhead use.

Wild Game Marinade

2010-07-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

Wild game can dry out quickly due to the low fat content. I love to marinate all my game with either of these simple recipes. The first was just an extension of using plain merlot red wine. You simply whisk red wine, a couple table spoons of extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic (crushed), and thyme and marinate steaks for an hour or so. Grill on hot grill for a few minutes per side. Killer results everytime.

The second recipe is one I picked up while watching a cooking show. The host was marinating some quail and mentioned that the recipe was also fabulous on venison so I jotted it down and have used it ever since. Here you go:

1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp minced fresh thyme

2 cloves fresh crushed garlic

2 tbsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp Worchestershire sauce

A few shakes of your favorite seasoning salt (I use Johnny's or Cabela's)

Marinate meat in a glass bowl or Zip-Lock bag for 2-8 hours (not critical) and grill to your liking. I cut all my deer and elk backstraps into 6 to 8 inch "logs" so I can grill them whole then slice before serving. This seals in the moisture and keeps the meat from drying out.

Elk Tendloin

For best results, I brown the outside on high heat, then insert a meat thermometer into the end running lengthwise into the thickest portion. After searing the outside to seal in the juices, I turn off one burner and move the roast to that side. I turn up the other side to high and cook with indirect heat until the thermometer reads 150 degrees.

Then I remove the roast from the grill, tent with foil on a plate, and allow the internal temperature to climb to 160 (beef/medium) on the countertop. Slice and serve with fresh steamed veggies and potatoes. Try this with any cut from any specie - you'll enjoy it!

A general tip for wild game - if you use olive oil in your marinade and mist your meat with an olive oil mister while cooking, you keep your meat from drying out and it adds a wonderful flavor.
Enjoy!

Interesting Buck

2010-07-19T14:35:00.000-07:00

I was itching for some exercise last night so I put on the halogen headlamp and did a couple mile night hike. I decided to check a couple cameras that have been out for a week or so. I captured photos of this buck on two different cameras about a mile apart, which I made note of on my scouting map.

If you click on these photos you can get a better look at his bases, which are generously bumpy. I'm more interested in unique antler character than P&Y score or number of points so if given the chance, I'll gladly tag this buck later this fall.

The most interesting part of my hike was walking up on a bear at around 25 feet. It woofed loudly and plowed through the chest-high ferns as "HEY!" unconsciously erupted from my throat. All went silent so I noisily made a wide loop around the area and headed for home.

Can't get that rush laying around watching TV...

(that distracting bright spot is a fern blade that moved directly in front of the flash)

My 2009 Columbian Blacktail Mount

2010-07-14T16:53:00.000-07:00

This will be a short post, but I wanted to share some photos of my latest mount. I had Charlie Smith do the work and he does a fantastic job on blacktails! Many of the standard off-the-shelf forms don't fit the capes of these deer very well so Charlie modifies them as required to best replicate the skull structure of these secretive west coast deer. Check out his work at http://www.charliestaxidermy.net/

(Click on each photo to enlarge)

The Invaluable Trail Camera

2010-06-26T13:33:00.000-07:00

Many years ago when I began bowhunting on my own, I immersed myself in learning more about the game I pursued. The goal of arrowing an unsuspecting buck at 20 paces was lofty for sure. Knowing that deer normally travel on trail networks throughout their range, I would often smooth out muddy spots along game trails in order to see when an animal had passed. I’d check these spots for tracks periodically and note the direction of travel, relative timeframe (if known), and I’d study the prints in attempt to assess the size/sex of the animal. Based on my scouting data I’d hang stands or construct ground blinds accordingly. It worked and I enjoyed some success as a result.

The original string Trail Timer.

Later, in the early 90’s I used small single-event string timers to help determine when and where game animals traveled. These string timers are still available today. They are light, small, simple to set up, and best of all, inexpensive. Although these simple devices are handy they leave much to the imagination. Was it a bear, deer or coyote? A buck or doe - who knows?

Today I still practice my simple mud-smoothing tactic but I’ve transitioned from the simple string timers to modern-day trail cameras to provide rich detailed data.

In recent years the market has been flooded with a variety of commercially manufactured trail cameras aimed specifically for hunting purposes. I’m not going to get into a buyer’s guide here because that would be a huge undertaking. Instead, I will share some information, tips, and considerations gained over the past several years while deploying several trail cameras year-round.

Choosing the Right Camera

Often you hear the word “addicting” associated with trail cameras, and for good reason. With each new set-up the waiting and anticipation can be maddening, especially when you’ve set up on a hot wallow, churned up trail, or a tucked away feed area. It’s exciting and for many hunters it’s a way to keep your head in the game all year long.

But before you run out and buy a trail or game camera, as they are commonly called, you need to decide what your budget is and what level of performance you’re after. For example, do you want five inexpensive cameras out there capturing low-resolution photos of game simply to inform your hunting strategies or do you want one camera that shoots high-resolution photos and video with exquisite clarity and detail? Do you have $100 or $500 to spend? Infrared or white flash? Answering these questions ahead of time will help you narrow the field of choices.

A great resource in researching the variety of makes and models is provided by Trailcampro.com. See the 2009 Trailcam Shootout. Trailcampro.com has tested a selection of cameras every year since 2006 for performance metrics of image quality, trigger speed, motion sensor detection, and other notable features. You can view the results for all previous years as well. It’s worth your time to review their data before purchasing any trail camera, new or used.

Commercial vs. Homebrew

As I mentioned above, I am not going to explore the myriad of commercial offerings here. I will say there are many great units available covering a wide range of price and performance preferences. Several companies offer systems that send photos directly to your cell phone as they are captured in the woods, such as the SmartScouter™ Cellular Surveillance System. Talk about instant gratification!

In recent years there has been a surge in the number of people who are opting to get more involved in trail camera design by building their own custom solutions. These home-made units are commonly called “Homebrew” trailcams and in my opinion, they are second to none in terms of cost, system quality, field performance, and image quality. Not to mention the personal satisfaction of creating your own custom camera rig. I purchased two used homebrew cams from experienced builders before I dove in headfirst to build one. It turned out better than I expected so I am building an exact copy of the first. In addition to these I have commercially manufactured cameras as well. I use them all but save my homebrew cams for special and/or very secure places.

There are dozens of web sites dedicated to the design and construction of homebrew trail cameras, and several sites offering turn-key circuit boards, controller boards, and other specialized components ready for you to assemble. Most require that you purchase a digital camera but they do provide schematics and instructions on performing the wiring modifications needed for each camera supported by their circuit boards.

In short, if you are mechanically inclined and have a steady hand to perform minimal intricate soldering, you can build a high-quality 8.0 MP trail camera for around $150. If you’re interested to learn more or take on a new project, here are a few notable sites worth checking out:

My Sony W80 Homebrew. I used Bondoglass to create a heavy 3D texture and

painted it to match the bark of mature Douglas Fir trees.

White Flash vs. IR

Many people claim that the bright white flash from a trailcam is enough to run a reclusive buck out of the area. So, they opt for an infrared (IR) unit instead. I have used both extensively and can say with 100% certainty based on my experience that the white flash has little to no effect on deer behavior, or any animal for that matter. I have discussed this topic with many veteran trailcam fanatics and they all report the same conclusion. When choosing a camera, rest assured that you can light up the eyeballs on a Booner buck repeatedly without worry of spooking him. Deer and elk rely largely on their sense of smell to determine danger, so while the bright flash may be annoying, it’s not viewed as a threat to their safety. I have thousands of photos of bears, deer, and elk at point blank range to back up my claim.

Setting Up Your Trail Camera in the Field

Heading out into the woods with your trailcam is always fun and filled with anticipation. But before you hastily strap your camera to a tree and walk away, there are some key considerations to address.

My IR homebrew "mossed in" and ready

for action. Notice a piece of moss fell

and exposed my Python cable lock.

I chose this lumpy maple to disguise

my camera. Unless you are looking

for it, it blends in pretty well.

Security - The first and most important factor in where you set up is security. Never assume “nobody will go into this hole” because they will, and they do. And it’s quite possible that the next time you return to check your camera, it will be gone. It happens every day, and when it happened to me - on private land no less - I was ‘road-rage’ angry. My homebrew IR camera was full of bull elk photos because I didn't swap the memory card during the previous check. Not only did I lose my camera but I was robbed of all my scouting effort which was much more valuable than the replacement cost of the trail camera itself.

I can’t stress enough the importance of hiding your cameras well and avoiding easy view or physically access locations. They will be found and stolen. It’s sad, but it’s a fact you need to deal with.

I always secure my cameras to trees with Master Python locks because they are simple to use and difficult to cut. I hang my cameras on large diameter trees only and cover with them moss or other vegetation to hide them well. There are after-market lock-boxes out there but most are made of thin-gauge sheetmetal that aren’t worth a hoot, in my opinion. I know a guy who is building some nice heavy-duty boxes for the Moultrie D40 and Game Spy 5.0 models. For around $50, they are a great buy.

The Sun - Bright sunlight can cause false triggers and fill up memory cards with white over-exposed photos. It’s a real let-down after a three week soak in the woods to discover a card full of white photos.

When choosing a tree to hang my camera I always look up to evaluate the sun’s trajectory across the sky and aim my camera north to northeast with plenty of shade trees around. Regardless of the time of year, you need to avoid prolonged periods of direct sunlight on your trail camera. If you do this, you’ll never get false triggers from the sun.

Weather – Extreme cold or heat can cause performance issues with some trail cameras. I have had my homebrews (Sony cameras) out in 15-30 degree weather for weeks and never experienced a performance issue. My commercial models don’t perform as well. My guess is the camera unit itself isn’t as high-quality as the Sony consumer-grade cameras I have in my homebrews.

So be aware of the weather forecast and decide if you want your camera to tough it out or take a break until milder weather returns. I’ve never had an issue with rain with any of my cameras. The homebrews are built inside Pelican waterproof cases, and they are very dependable if you do your part to seal the modifications well.

Positioning your camer at 30-45 degrees off trails you're sure give

your camera time to power and get the shot, even on fast-moving

animals.

Positioning – I try to hang my cameras between three and four feet from the ground and roughly 10’ from where I expect the camera to be triggered by an animal. I look closely at the angle of the camera as it’s cinched up against the tree trunk and shim it as needed with small sticks to ensure it’s aimed correctly. I also set up at 30-45 degree angle from the trail so the motion sensor picks up movement in time for the camera to snap the photo. My homebrew cameras have exceptional timing but I’ve found that setting up 90 degrees to a trail often results in tail or rump photos unless you set up further away. By setting up at an angle, you increase your odds for some great full frame photos.

Settings – Most all cameras have settings for multiple shots, delays, video or still photos, etc. Again, it all depends on what you want with your set up. If you’re set up on a feed area and you can’t check your camera for a full month or more, you’re better off setting your camera on a 3-5 minute delay so you don’t fill up your memory card with the same doe and fawns feeding along. However, if you are able to check your cameras weekly or even bi-weekly, you can be more liberal in your settings provided you have a large memory card. I typically use 512MB or 1GB in my 3.2 MP homebrew, 2GB in my 4.0MP cameras, and a 4GB in my 8.0 MP camera. With the cost of flash memory on the steady decline, you can pick up memory cards pretty inexpensively. I often buy from Surplus Computers and have found their prices to be exceptionally low. Their customer service is great too.

Bears are very curious and can wreak havoc on your camearas

if they see them or smell them. Latex or Nitrile gloves are good

insurance against bear damage.

Bears – Yes, bears. A flash from a camera or the sound of a shutter is all it takes to divert a passing bear toward your camera. And bears love to taste-test things with the curiosity of a crow pecking at a shiny coin on the street. Bears can and will destroy your camera if it is not secure and scent free. Even at that, they will often give it a go. I ALWAYS wear Nitrile gloves (from Costco) since a bear nearly ate one of my cameras. The scent of lunch on my hands from earlier that day was a rookie mistake on my part. Since wearing gloves and keeping my cameras scent free, I’ve never had another issue with bears trying to eat my cameras.

My camera survived this mauling, but not without a heavy coating

of bear slobber and teeth marks.

GPS – It might seem trivial at the time to log the specific location of your set up, but it’s very important. I once lost a camera that I placed in a fairly familiar location. I got busy with work and before I knew it two weeks went by, then three, then four. It was springtime and by the time I got out to check it, the ferns had grown up 3 feet or more not to mention the surrounding vegetation. Everthing looked the same. I looked for that camera for another five weeks before I found it! Had I logged a GPS location at the time I set it up, I’d have had no issues finding it.

Storage (HDD) Considerations

Each and every time I return from checking my trail cameras, I enter the house with child-like excitement. I can’t wait to download my photos and sort through them. The problem came quickly because I was doing this all year long with multiple cameras. In short order I amassed over 10,000 photos which put a pretty sizable dent in my Mac’s HDD. If you’re going to get serious about this trailcam business, you may want to invest in a large capacity USB mobile HDD to store all your photos. This will keep your home PC free from the heavy storage burden of your new outdoor addiction.

On a related note, it may be difficult at first but keep only those photos that are good quality and meaningful. 87 photos of a doe feeding don’t really do you much good and only serve to fill up your hard drive. Keep a couple of the best photos and delete the rest. Trust me, over time you’ll be glad you did.

When you download your photos, create a logical label for them so you can go back and find what you’re looking for. For example, my labeling scheme is: CAMERA NAME/TYPE, LOCATION, DATE RANGE. For example: Sony P41 Homebrew - Upper Ridge - 3-10 to 4-1-10. This has proven to be a good method because I can quickly can and scan and sort all my photos.

Summer is upon us and the fall hunting seasons are fast-approaching. If you haven’t taken part in the use of trail cameras to augment your summer scouting, you might want to give it a try. It’s a fun family activity and a great way to see what’s on the menu this year. Good luck!

Here are a few sample images from my ever-growing collection of trail camera photos:

This sow and her three cubs was a welcome surprise on my IR cam. I got a couple dozen photos of them in the ferns.

The scrappy 2x3 on the left made the rubs in the background. I have a 30+ photo sequence of him in action.

I really wanted to tag this buck last fall but after my buck ran him off I never had the chance.

This is the first and only bat I've captured with trail camera.

My 2009 buck just before he shed his velvet.

My 2009 buck just after he shed his velvet. He consistently used a trail I'd cut through the ferns to avoid spreading my scent all over. Once he showed up on MY trail, I cut another one to stay off his chosen route. I had two stands set up for him on that ridge but I unexpectedly crossed paths with him while still-hunting a thicket just over a mile away.

This buck was holed up with this doe for days and I was lucky enough to get this rut action shot from my Sony W80 Homebrew cam.

Moments after this photo was taken, my camera got a mouth massage from this bear.

This is a buck I've been after for over two years now but he always gives me the slip. I have one shed from '06, his match set from '07, but have yet to find either of his '08 or '09 sheds. His match set was found within 50 yards of this location.

The coloration of IR photos is really neat sometimes. This phots was taken in bright August sunlight.

This buck toted this stick around for days. It didn't seem to bother him at all.

Here's the same 4x5 from above, just after taking a tine to the right eye during the 2008 rut.

I set this IR cam up on the trunk of an apple tree on an abandoned farm I had permission to hunt. I really enjoyed finding dozens of photos of this porcupine sharing in the feast with multiple deer.

I've found coyotes to be a treat when setting up in thick cover. They rarely provide good photos but this one did.

This is my 2009 buck in the summer of 2008. He was a solid typical 3x3 but I opted to let him walk that year.

Spring Turkey Birthday Hunt

2010-06-18T21:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the generosity from some new friends, I was able to join them this past spring for a special hunt with my oldest daughter, Abbey. It was my birthday present for her as she's always asking to go hunting with me. She turned 8 in February.

In a word, it was fantastic and I can’t thank Matthews, Matt, and Cameron enough for a very memorable weekend for my daughter and me.

We were on birds all three days but things just didn’t pan out until Matthews made arrangements to get us on a new property for our final Sunday morning hunt. We were up early and exited the trucks to the repeated thundering of gobbling up on the ridge. These three guys repeatedly helped carry the yard-sale of stuff needed to facilitate an 8-year old.

We had my blind & decoys up around 5:30 or so and I soon joined in with the calling to hopefully pull the flock out of the trees down our way. We were set-up a bit further than I’d have liked but it was getting light fast and I didn’t want to push it too hard.

Abbey was pretty into it but very tired so I pulled her boots off and tucked her into a sleeping bag where she rested for the better part of an hour, despite the onslaught of gobbling. I kept an eye out and eventually we had a lone hen clucking/purring around the blind, followed by four whitetail bucks sporting velvet nubs.

A couple more hours past and after a short exchange about "luck" (and our lack thereof) Abbey decided that she should put a tail feather she’d found out the opening of the blind to attract turkeys. About five minutes later - “BOOM!” – Cameron nailed his bird up on the hillside above us. I immediately started cutting and yelping to pull the scattering birds our way to regroup. Moments later I spotted a bunch of heads bobbing around in confusion so I let out a few soft clucks and purrs while pointing them out to Abbey. They started coming our way so I handed her the hearing protection muffs and whispered, “Put these on – quick!” I turned around to see them on a dead run into the decoys 8 yards out…hen, hen, hen, jake, hen, jake, hen, “BOOM!”

I was elated! Abbey was right there watching over my shoulder as I squeezed off the shot. By the time Abbey and I were done hugging and celebrating, I could see Matthews running down the hill toward us, followed by Cameron with his bird over his shoulder.

What a morning – my daughter later told me it was the best weekend of her life. I couldn't agree more!

There are a lot of great guys out there and I just want to say that Matthews, Matt, and Cameron are up near the top of that list. These guys went out of their way to help make this a special weekend for me and Abbey. For example, we were on a tight schedule on Sunday (school night, six hours from home) so while I was trying to pack and get all the loose ends tied up (little girls pack a lot of stuff!) they cleaned my bird, removed the fan and prepped it for drying, made Abbey a breakfast of wild boar sausage, potatoes and French toast! Unreal hospitality and generosity.

Thanks guys! – we’ll get some plans set up so I can return the favor on elk this fall!

Abbey and her lucky feather!

Cameron and Matthews with Cameron's bird

Me, Abbey, and Cameron with our double on the hill

Abbey and her "Birthday" turkey

Bear Peels

2010-05-26T16:34:00.000-07:00

It's springtime and a great time to get outside! Aside from chasing turkeys and shed hunting, spring is when I tune up my trailcams and begin the process of locating bucks for the coming season.

It's also a great time to locate bears. Here in Washington you must apply for and draw a spring bear tag. Spring tag or not, April and May are prime time for scouting bears for the general fall season which begins in August.

I spend time in creek bottoms where skunk cabbage thrives - a key food source. Bears love to eat the succulent white roots and feed on the other grasses that flourish in the damp bottoms. And they leave plenty of tracks in the muddy soil. In my experience a front pad that measures 5 1/2" across equates to a Pope & Young-class bear (18" minimum after 60 days drying time).

Another tell-tale sign of spring bear activity is droppings and bear peels. Bears peel bark of various tree species to get at and eat the soft cambium layer. I located this recent peel last Sunday; ironically 10 yards from a tree that is normally wearing a trailcam. They tend to favor Douglas Fir and Big Leaf Maple, and due to the linear fiberous make-up of Maple bark they sometimes peel long vertical strips 10-12 feet up the trees.

Many hunters have difficulty distinguishing the difference between a bear peel and porcupine damage. Bears will peel off large strips of bark while porkies bite off small pieces, resulting in a littering of potato chip-like chunks and teeth marks that are very concentrated (below).

Another clue is the marks on the tree itself. As bears scrape the cambium layer from the trunk, then use their front teeth only. This creates a series of small bite-like markings where individual teeth can be discerned.

This activity obviously kills trees and this leads to another key scouting tactic - glassing hillsides for dead standing trees. Some hunters call these "blaze" trees. Here's one in progress. You can see how the needles quickly turn reddish brown as the tree dies. By mid-summer this tree will be quite visible standing alone amidst the Douglas Fir covered ridge.

These dead trees won't lead you to a bear necessarily, but they will help get you focused on key areas.

A couple more detail photos (click to enlarge):

Ten Tips for Great Field Photos

2010-05-20T22:57:00.000-07:00

The adage ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ is quite fitting when considering the pinnacle moment of a hunt when we kneel down beside a fallen game animal.

But few bowhunters are formally trained photographers. To many, the whole “photography thing” can be downright daunting. F-stops, apertures, light metering, a myriad of lenses, and a host of other variables can paralyze the average bowhunter like a bad case of target panic. Rest assured, taking quality field photos by yourself is easier than you might think. Herein I will suggest 10 tips that will enable you to capture your hunting successes with all the confidence of a well executed bow shot.

Getting Started

Properly presenting a harvested animal in a photo does take a bit of effort but with some planning and the right equipment, anyone can take excellent photos suitable to share with fellow hunters and non-hunters alike.

Unfortunately, many hunters wait until a harvested animal is at rest in the bed of a pickup before taking pictures. These photos lack both respect for the animal and the emotion of the hunt. So the first step is a commitment to packing a camera with you each and every time you go afield. We all know that shot opportunities can be bestowed upon us when we least expect it, so it is essential to make sure your camera is with you and ready for duty at all times.

Whether you’re a flatlander hunting farmland whitetails or the adventuresome sort who enjoys the solitude and challenge of remote places, the equipment you’ll need is virtually the same:

1. High-quality digital camera

2. Tripod

3. Memory Card(s)

4. Batteries (one comes with the camera, but it’s good to buy a back up)

5. Camera case

6. Hand-pruners

7. Folding saw

Choosing a camera

There are two general categories of cameras for both digital and traditional roll film; Single Lens Reflex (SLR) and the compact point-and-shoot variety. SLR’s are larger, more sophisticated, and employ interchangeable lenses. Point-and-shoot models are compact all-in-one cameras that provide the average user an excellent set of features suitable for many situations. For our purposes, the digital point-and-shoot unit is an excellent choice due to its compact size, features, and ease of use. There are many high-quality makes and models to choose from in the $120 - $250 price range. There isn’t space here to elaborate so I recommend you visit with a local camera dealer or a friend who can provide you a personalized recommendation.

Ten Tips for Great Field Photos

Tip 1: Plan ahead. Make sure you have fresh batteries and enough memory. Buy a compact soft-case to protect your camera from the daily ride in your pack. Most cases have pockets for an extra battery and memory cards which help keep everything together. A gallon-sized freezer bag will provide additional moisture protection. Pack several paper towels to clean up any visible blood. Pick up a small, lightweight tripod and practice with your camera’s self-timer feature. Many cameras allow you to choose the time delay which will provide you ample time to get ready.

Tip 2: Prepare the kill site. No matter where you hunt there will likely be some site preparation needed before you can capture high-quality field photos. Here in the Pacific Northwest many hunters carry hand-pruners to aid in navigating the dense vegetation. They are also an invaluable tool for preparing a kill site for photos. Use them to quickly snip limbs, brush, grass, and weeds. A small folding saw will make short work out of larger limbs. Look for those long strands of dry grass between your camera and your quarry. They are distracting, especially when lit up with a flash after dark. Also be aware of blood on the ground or vegetation as this will show up in photos.

Tip 3: Consider the lighting. Before you begin shooting photos you need to size up the situation and set up for the best lighting. For deer-sized game, you can usually turn the animal facing the sun. For larger, heavier game, such as moose and elk, you may not have that option. Use your clippers or saw to open up the area as best you can, taking note of the sun’s position. Note the heavy shadow over my face in the antelope photo and the awkward body position of my buck. The blind in the background is a nice element but by turning into the sun, this could have been a much better photograph.

An overcast day provides excellent lighting by evenly diffusing sunlight. Bright sun overhead or behind will cast dark shadows, especially under hat brims. Using your flash will help reduce the dark hat shadow hiding your smiling face. If you can, position your photo to be facing or slightly quartering into the sun for best results.

Night shots can be a bit tricky. Most point and shoot digital cameras have great auto focus and auto light metering features that are typically part of the “Program” or “Auto” mode. These features work in sync to allow your camera to focus on an object in total darkness by projecting a red light onto the subject. On most cameras this is done by pressing the shutter release button half-way down. Metering off the head of the animal will provide good focus and appropriate depth of field. Most cameras have a red-eye reduction feature that is useful for night shooting as well.

Tip 4: Composition – Capturing the essence. A well-composed success photo will have all the elements of a good story. The subject matter will be prominent and in crisp focus. Key supporting elements, such as a hunting bow, will be casually included and carefully placed not to distract from the primary subject. Creating this balanced visual collage of man, beast, and tools is called composition, and it is key in producing great field photos.

The rule of thirds is the general principle that your subject matter should reside within one of the four intersections of a tic-tac-toe grid overlaid on your photo. Some camera’s viewfinders have this feature built in like the crosshairs of a rifle scope. Another trick when composing your shots is to consider leading lines or natural elements in the frame that leads the eye to the main subject. These can be subtle elements such as a treeline or skyline.

Long legs of the deer family can clutter the foreground of a photo so it’s best to tuck them back away from the camera lens. Some folks like to tuck the animal’s legs underneath in an “African pose” to create a more regal presentation.

Composing photos with antlers or horns against a clear sky or sunset backdrop create stunning visual interest. Remember to keep the antlers from obstructing your face. You might try this if the conditions are right on your next hunt.

It bears repeating, watch for those pesky blades of grass and twigs that always seems to plague success photos. Ensure you have a clear path from lens to subject.

Tip 5: Capture the emotion! Each year we bowhunters put forth substantial energy obsessing about the forthcoming hunt. Countless hours tick by as we research new hunting grounds, apply for special permits, and fret over our gear with excited anticipation. We juggle priorities and commitments, and we’ll drive all night to get a jump on the rising sun. Yes, bowhunting is a passion of the heart and soul.

Yet I find it ironic that with each passing season I see many field photos depicting hunters with droopy, glum faces. Some folks even look mad.

Be aware - the expression on your face is telling a story. It’s good to show some excitement or look down at the animal with respect and admiration.

Tip 6: Show Respect. It’s not uncommon to thumb through an old timer’s hunting album to find the hunter straddling game or standing next to a field dressed buck in the bed of a pickup. They are nostalgic for sure, and for many, they are prized family heirlooms. But today we have many strong social and political forces at play; forces that would have you out of the woods and hunting banned if they had their way. We need to be cognizant of the image we portray, including our success photos.

Here are a few ways you can show respect for your quarry with your success photos. Do not sit on the animal. Instead, kneel beside or behind. Do your best to wipe or rinse off excess blood and/or compose your shot to crop out unsightly blood. Remember that a flash will light up blood on ground cover and vegetation so do your best to reduce the amount of visible blood in your photos. One trick is to shoot black & white photos (B/W setting) to virtually eliminate blood from your photos. This can be particularly handy for mountain goats or Dall's Sheep given their hides are white. Often the tongue will be hanging out of the animal’s mouth. You can simply cut it off or tuck it back inside.

Tip 7: Take both horizontal and vertical photos. All too often people seem to forget that you can turn your camera 90 degrees to achieve vertical compositions. Some situations are much better suited for a vertical orientation so look at the shot both ways. Experiment and leverage the freedom of digital photography. You can view your photos instantly on the LCD screen and delete any that don’t have promise.

Tip 8: A tripod is required. Many hunters are quick to pack a camera but fail to pack a tripod. You know who you are – balancing cameras on rocks, logs, your pack, and anything else that might work.

Today there are a variety of great tripods available for every budget. The Joby Gorillapod Go-Go is perfect for the weight and space conscious hunter. Its unique ball-and-socket design allows you to position your camera just about anywhere, even on tree limbs or a clump of brush.

Tip 9: Environmental Considerations. Most of the technical gear we use is designed for the onslaught of abuse we impose on it. Most consumer-grade digital cameras were not, however. They must be kept dry and free from dirt and dust in order to function properly. I have found that by keeping my cameras in semi-hard shelled zippered cases, they ride safely in my pack day in, day out. For an added dust/moisture barrier I often put the case inside a gallon Ziploc® freezer bag.

Tip 10: Keep Shooting! Don't hold back - digital photography technology is like a banana clip for your shotgun. I will take a lot of photos that I know will turn out well, and then a bunch of experimental shots just to have fun with the process and learn about additional camera features.

For some folks an annual bowhunting outing is a leisurely affair with friends and family; a tradition that forges relationships over generations. For others it’s the personal test of endurance, stamina, and mental toughness that comes from a backcountry bivouac hunt. Regardless of our personal motives and aspirations, one key element remains constant – the hunt is meaningful. Therefore, it makes good sense to capture this goodness as a means to relive, share, and reflect. I hope you’ll try these photography tips on your next hunt and enjoy the memories for years to come.

(Note: Some photos originally published with this article are not included here)

GPS Tips

2010-05-19T22:07:00.000-07:00

Among the many equipment choices available today there is one piece of electronic gear that is embraced by both traditional and modern bowhunters – the GPS receiver. For many, a handheld GPS unit is their silent hunting partner, their navigator, and keeper of all secret places. I couldn’t agree more.

The technical breadth of information on the Global Positioning System – GPS for short - far exceeds the bounds of this column; however, I’d like to share some basic GPS tips that have enhanced my field success over the years.

Pre-Season Scouting

How many times have you ventured into a new area and stumbled into a hot bed of sign? It could be a secluded bedding area or a concentrated cluster of jaw-dropping rubs. It happens all the time. And finding your way back to the area can be difficult, especially if you’re off the beaten path. By simply logging a quick GPS waypoint (location) you can find your way back from any direction – an important point when considering the wind and terrain topography.

I use my GPS receiver constantly to learn and map out new areas. I log rubs, water sources, feed areas, bedding grounds, and any other notable features. This data is easily transferred to my maps for future reference. You can also download your waypoints to your computer for better record keeping and editing.

Finally, always leave the first waypoint available for your vehicle or camp. This will make retrieval much faster when it is time to head back.

Help Is On the Way

It was pushing 80 degrees and I was standing over a bull elk over two miles from camp in Oregon’s Hells Canyon Wilderness. No shade, no water, and no help presented the grim recipe for spoiled meat. I quickly logged the kill site and proceeded bone out the young bull. Knowing my hunting partner Stan was in the area, I scrambled to a high vantage point and radioed to him. I gave him my Latitude/Longitude location coordinates and it wasn’t long before I saw him coming on a dead run with two pack frames, water, and other necessary items. Stan was able to enter my location into his GPS unit, obtain a bearing and distance, then use his compass to stay on track, saving his batteries. Thanks to the simple use of GPS coordinates, we made short work of getting my elk on ice.

Mapping Unmapped Roads

Hunting the Pacific Northwest, logging roads are an integral part of the landscape. No matter where you are chances are there’s a logging road nearby, and there’s nothing more frustrating than popping out on a road not shown on your map. One way to minimize this occurrence is to plot unmapped roads during the pre-season. Bike or hike the new road, logging a waypoint every 100 yards or so (longer intervals for straight sections). Later, in the comfort of home, use your GPS unit to navigate from waypoint to waypoint noting the bearing and distance. By using a ruler, compass, and the scale legend on the map, you can achieve accurate results. When you’re done plotting the points, simply connect the dots to create the road on your map.

General Navigation & Safety

Let’s face it; no one wants to spend an unplanned night in the woods. This should be motivation enough to follow these five safety rules:
1. Never entrust your life to an electronic device
2. Become familiar with your particular make/model prior to embarking on any involved field exploits
3. Become skilled with map & compass navigation
4. Carry extra batteries at all times
5. Always let someone know where you will be hunting

By adding GPS to your skill-set, you’ll not only broaden your knowledge about navigation and map reading, but you’ll breathe a bit easier when a bull elk bugles 30minutes before dark, three miles from camp.

(c) Tom Ryle 2003

Blacktails - The Next Level

2010-05-18T10:53:00.000-07:00

For me, years of frustration and zero success on mature blacktails forced a change in mindset and approach. In recent years I’ve slowed down and taken deliberate steps to learn about blacktails year-round. No longer is my scouting limited to a few weeks prior to the opener of bow season; instead I’m constantly scheming and developing adaptable strategies to hunt specific bucks that I locate in early spring and keep track of throughout the summer into fall.

Herein I’ll briefly share a few key factors that have helped me break the ice on mature blacktails, but first let’s first briefly examine the evolution of a typical blacktail deer hunter.

I’ll suggest there are several levels of maturity amongst serious blacktailers of any weapon persuasion be it center-fire rifle, muzzleloader, or bow. One begins with the simple goal of just seeing deer during the season. To call these deer ghostly has become almost cliché but hey, if the shoe fits.
After figuring out the nuances behind finding deer, the next quest is tagging one – any deer. At this stage, you revel in your success and feel a great sense of hunting prowess having finally tagged a blacktail deer. As one begins to sharpen and hone his/her skills, continued success naturally follows. The next phase is what I call the “plateau” – the relatively consistent filling of tags on any deer, which with a bow usually means fork-horns and does. I surmise that is the bulk of the archery harvest in western Washington and western Oregon, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

But in order to advance to the next level in this blacktail conundrum, you must be willing to do two things. Let everything but mature bucks walk; and abandon nearly everything you spent years perfecting up to this point. In other words, you’ve got to change your approach to get into the head space of mature deer. You have to begin hunting them differently. This is easier said than done because no doubt you’ve invested a lot of time to achieve regular results.

Despite being last in line from a user group standpoint, many archery-killed blacktails fall to the arrow during our lengthy late season. Speaking specifically of the coastal strain (west of I-5), mature Columbian Blacktail bucks are arguably amongst the most refined survivalists in the deer family. Maybe that is a stretch, but somehow I don’t think so. And I’m not alone. I recently asked noted author, television host, and Oregon-based blacktail expert Scott Haugen for his opinion and this is what he had to say:

"Consistently taking a mature blacktail buck is the greatest accomplishment in North American big game hunting. Their dense, rugged terrain and secretive lifestyle make them a challenge to tag, let alone see. I'm fortunate to make my living in the outdoors and hunt around the world; the best hunters I've spent time with in the woods are those who were raised in the blacktail woods."

- Scott Haugen Host, Trijicon's Game Chasers - Outdoor Channel
Associate Editor, Hunt Alaska Magazine
Columnist, Salmon, Trout, Steelheader & Fish Alaska

Public Land - Pressure or Paradise?

Often it is written, ‘hunt areas others don’t’, or something to that effect. It has taken me a few years to fully realize the value of this sage advice.
Over the past few years it has become my core tactic on blacktails. And what I’ve discovered is a key element to my success. Many of these areas are very thick and border key edge habitat generally preferred by deer. With the aid of on-line County Assessor public records, I can literally scout whole counties from home on my computer. Additionally, I use Google Earth and Microsoft’s Virtual Earth (now Bing) to view more angles and detail.

Most of my best deer areas are on public land. The area is literally overrun with people year-round yet I never see anyone in the woods during hunting season. The myth that the only great hunting is on private land is far from the truth. The key is doing your homework and concentrating on smaller more intimate locations. These tiny out-of-the-way areas can be a welcome refuge for an old buck looking to duck out of the rat race come hunting season. Think small and challenge yourself to scout the most ridiculously obvious spots you drive by dozens of times each year. You may be surprised with what you find.

As for private land, once I have located a dozen or more potential hunting properties I will contact the landowner with a letter sent via US Mail. Letter writing in general has become a lost art and some folks just like getting mail. I’ve also found that knocking on doors works well in certain regions, but here in the Pacific Northwest it has not proven very effective for me. I believe this is due to a grossly misinformed demographic with respect to hunting in general. In my experience people tend to have a love-hate relationship with deer, or they simply love them and would never allow hunting of any kind. A well-written letter is less intrusive and less confrontational for both parties.

In any case, I have dialed in my letter to achieve a near 100% response rate; and around 40% ‘permission granted’ rate. I should also note that your odds increase dramatically when pursuing access to a property where the landowner resides out of state. They are often eager to have someone local to keep an eye on things. In my letter, I offer this benefit in addition to removing dumped garbage, posting signs, etc. I don’t expect something for nothing so I’m happy to frequent properties with my kids to clean up, fix fences, etc. It’s simply a win-win situation for everyone.

Drive-by Bucks Are Everywhere

“Obsessive” is likely the best word to describe my approach to uncovering deer hunting hotspots. All year long I am constantly thinking about finding that out-of-the-way draw, creek bottom, fern ridge, or thicket. I scan the roadside ditches for deer trails and I keep a notebook handy year-round to log deer sightings throughout my travels. Seeing a doe now and again may not seem noteworthy in June but over time these random sightings can tip you off to core home ranges, travel routes or feed areas preferred by does. And later in the year, as the breeding season commences this information becomes very meaningful.

Additionally, I keep mental notes of new construction and development activity. These large-scale disruptions have two primary effects on deer. First, depending upon the size and location of the project, new construction can displace deer, alter their core home range, or concentrate their movement patterns in a new way. Secondly, depending on the project schedule, these projects can open up large areas in the fall only to become a hot new food source during the following spring and summer. I’ve seen housing development sites get cleared, plumbed, and wired for power only to sit idle for two or more years. These sites are likely not huntable but the adjacent easements and properties may be.

When researching potential places to hunt, be sure to check with your state’s zoning maps. Many on-line GIS/mapping tools allow you to view different zoning overlays, such as city/county lines, wetland easements, firearm restriction zones, and other pertinent data. Keying in on firearm restricted areas are key spots for bowhunters to investigate because they may be huntable with a bow. Every state is different so be sure to understand the zoning laws where you plan to hunt.

I’ve found that there are a lot of firearm restrictions around rural areas that provide prime habitat for blacktails, thus creating the potential for a population of virtually un-hunted deer during an otherwise pressure-cooker time of human intrusion into the larger deer woods.

Trail Cameras Don’t Lie

I started employing trail cameras into my blacktail scouting strategy during the summer of 2007. To say this was an eye-opening experience is a gross understatement. In fact, after three years of running up to four cameras year-round throughout my hunting areas, I’ve never actually seen any of the umpteen branch-antlered bucks I’ve photographed. They are like ghosts, hence the proverbial nickname of the Columbian Blacktail - the Pacific Ghost.

They go about their daily routines without so much as a fleeting glimpse year in, year out. The clues they leave are readily apparent but you can forget hanging a stand over sign and expecting results. Small bucks and does, maybe. Mature bucks, no dice.

It wasn’t until I located a particular young 3x3 that I began to change my thinking about how these deer travel, and when. Though camera activity varies month to month and year to year, I started keeping track of specific bucks by taking notes and plotting locations on aerial photos. With this approach I never know when I’ll be granted a key piece of the puzzle. For example, a weathered shed antler might resemble that of a buck on camera a half mile away. I note every detail so I don’t miss a potential connection. In some cases, it has taken over a year to figure out the relationship between specific bucks’ movements or activities. The puzzle pieces can be few and far between but persistence and an open mind can reveal connections most hunters could never make.

Everything I’d read about blacktails stated they live and die within a square mile or so. I tend to believe this, especially in the thick confines of the coastal habitat I primarily hunt, however blacktails do travel far and wide to partake in the breeding ritual.

Find Core Rut Zones

As most hunters know, the approach for hunting bucks during the rut is different than during the early season. Bucks will wander far and wide in search of receptive doe groups. As they do this they will enter other bucks’ home territory and introduce competition for breeding rights. This is your main avenue into the blacktail psyche, if you will. Not to oversimplify here, but your goal is to get yourself positioned between a love-sick buck and a receptive doe at any point along his path, during legal shooting light.

Your approach should stray from hunting sign and instead hunt rutting areas (located the previous late fall and winter) that hold resident does. These are the same does you should have been keeping track of during your summer scouting and early season hunting. Unlike bucks, does will remain in their core areas and continue to use their trail networks. Bucks will scent-check these trails regularly to keep current on breeding status of the does using them. They will also learn of any other buck activity in the area and this is where the careful use of scents can pay dividends. I’ve lured bucks right to my stands using scent drags on many occasions. Rattling antlers can also be a very effective tactic. Years ago I rattled in a hefty 4x4 for my college hunting buddy, Mark Koley during a nasty storm. He missed that buck and I’m sure it still haunts him.

The best time to scout for these core rut zones, as I call them, is immediately following the close of late deer season. This is when you can really get in and figure out where does are hanging late in the year and it gives you the opportunity to locate areas with a high concentration of fresh rubs. I’ve found that these core rutting areas are peppered with rubs. I’m not talking about a rub here and there; I’m talking about densities that make your jaw drop and your knees weak. Many of the trees will show many years of scarring which is a tell-tale sign that the area is a traditional rutting ground. This is where you want to be come October through November.

Lunar Effects

Part of my game-changing approach has included studying the published research conducted by Charles J. Alsheimer and Wayne Laroche. I also studied Jeff Murray’s tools; the Deer Hunters’ Red Hot Rut Guide and the Deer Hunters’ Moon Guide to see how and if the Moon phase influenced blacktail deer movement and behavior. My investigation led me to believe there is reason to consider the moon phase and photoperiodism valuable. I spoke with Jeff Murray about blacktails specifically, and he half-jokingly reminded me that they are deer too! He advised to note the longitude where I hunt and make the necessary time adjustments when using his guides. I did and found the deer activity to be in sync.

After mapping all the data sources and compiling the dates, times, moon phases, and locations for peak activity, I devised a plan for the last full week in October. Along with my own notes and observational research, this would prove to be the week to tag a good buck.

There a many skeptics as to whether lunar factors have any significance in deer hunting. I went into it with an open mind and have learned a lot. It’s fascinating stuff. And while I can’t say it has changed my entire approach to hunting blacktails; it has provided one more data set that may well influence where I hang a stand, or more importantly, when I hunt it. For example, I killed my largest blacktail to date only 3 hours into the season utilizing this new-found information; coincidence?

Blacktails are a tough nut to crack, no doubt. Try working in some of these ideas into your own hunting strategies and hopefully you’ll take your blacktail hunting to the next level. Good luck!

Over the years I’ve spent considerable time ruminating about deer behavior and bowhunting strategy with notable deer hunting experts: Larry D. Jones, Boyd Iverson, Jeff Murray, Dave Holt, John Eberhart, Scott Haugen, and others. These guys spend an inordinate number of days each year pursuing game and I would like to thank these fine men for their willingness to openly share their invaluable knowledge, expertise, and insights.

(c) Tom Ryle 2010

Washington Blacktail, Rattled into 15 yards

2010-05-10T23:44:00.000-07:00

I'll be looking for this buck come the 2010 late season.

Here's my YouTube version which is higher resolution:
http://www.youtube.com/user/bow4elk#p/a/u/0/-htBH7rr5GE

Just getting started

2010-05-09T21:40:00.000-07:00

This blog will be dedicated to bowhunting the Pacific Northwest so check back often for information, tips, and tactics.