Posted in Big Game, Hunting, Outdoors, Whitetail Deer, tagged Bucks, Hunting, Outdoors, Rut, Whitetail Deer on November 21, 2010| Leave a Comment »
The phone rings…It’s Matt Kohout of Minneapolis, “Say, I was watching a doe when off to my right, I see this buck 20 yards away! It spooked and ran away. I hope he comes back!”
Congratulation Matt for being in the right place — at the right time!
FML Outdoors picture of the Day
Posted in Big Game, Chasin' Tail TV, Outdoors, tagged Bow Hunting, Chasin' Tail, Deer Hunting, FML Outdoors, Minnesota, Rut, Whitetail Deer, Wisconsin on November 18, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Well, being midway through November and with Minnesota’s second week of the firearms deer season in the books, I thought I’d post an update of how our season is progressing.
This past weekend we struck out! I have hoped for gray skies and snowflakes for a long time and on Saturday, I finally got my wish! However it didn’t pay off the way I hoped it would. Saturday it rained, then sleeted, before finally gently falling flakes began to blanket the woods. (I’ll quickly tell you something about myself) I LOVE hunting in the snow!!!
Sunday morning was beautiful but slow. We hunted hard all week and weren’t able to make anything happen. The weather has been less than ideal for sometime now, but it’s one of those things we just can’t control. So we’ve been doing the only thing we can — putting our time in! I really had high hopes for the fresh snowfall, since this usually gets the deer moving.
I’ve been keying in on does and their core areas. Knowing that it’s only a matter of time before a lovely lady brings a big boy in tow. We are seeing A LOT of does! That’s partially what is so frustrating! We’re seeing does every time we hit the woods, but rarely encountering bucks. For the most part, the bucks that we are seeing are really young. They’re also the ones we’ve seen chasing and harassing does the most, which is common early in the rut. Young bucks sometimes jump-the-gun a bit, but by now, big mature bucks should be on the hot does. I don’t think we’ve ever had a year quite like this? Big buck sighting have been scarce so far this season.
SO…here’s the plan…I feel like it’s time to get a little aggressive. We aren’t connecting with the bucks we’re looking for.
Justin has spotted “Big 10”, one of our top target bucks a number of times in the last two weeks. He’s kept in tight with one particular doe and has been disinterested in everything else and we haven’t been able to get him into bow range. So it appears he’s got himself a little girly friend! He’s got a doe on lock down and we’re going to sneak right into that doe’s core area — an area I typically try not to disturb. Depending on the weather and wind, Justin will set up in one spot in this area and I’ll set up where I think he’ll travel to evade him if he does. Other than that we’re going to continue to have faith in our traditional hot spots and bounce around to a few other areas.
Wisconsin has been slow too! We haven’t been over the border for a few days now. We want to give a couple of our areas a break. A lot of these deer are very cagey. They’re not used to farm equipment, or tractors running for example, they’re really un-pressured but very weary and bust you easily. If you give a big woods buck a reason to bust out of an area, it can be a loooong time before you see him again (if ever) in that particular area. So we’re keeping it quiet over there for now. The WI firearms opener is this weekend and Justin has a pocket full of tags and I have some tricks up my sleeve and you can bet we’ll be out there again!
Oh! — did I mention the temporary doe restriction in a select few areas has been lifted? Yep! My dad is licking his chops so we’ll be looking to take a couple does coming up too! So that’s how we’re approaching the second half of November. We hope your season is going well and would like to wish all of you the best of luck out there as well! Thanks for tagging along, stay tuned and good huntin’!
Posted in Hunting, Outdoors, Photography, tagged Birds, Chickadee, Nature, Outdoors, Wildlife on November 17, 2010| 1 Comment »
I don’t know what changed this year…but usually every deer season a little chickadee will land on my hat or gun. This year I had three chickadees, at different times of the day, land directly in my hand. One even rested on my thumb and proceeded to peck!
FML Outdoors picture of the Day
Posted in All Videos, Big Game, Chasin' Tail TV, Hunting, Hunting Videos, Outdoors, tagged Chasin' Tail, Deer Hunting, FML Outdoors, Minnesota, Whitetail Deer, Wisconsin on November 17, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Posted in Hunting, Outdoors, tagged Bucks, Deer, Estrous cycle, Hunting, Rut (mammalian reproduction), Whitetail Deer on November 17, 2010| Leave a Comment »
If you’re a deer hunter, you know there is no better time of the year to be in the woods than during the rut! It’s that magical time of the year that fills deer hunters’ dreams, that vacation time is scheduled around and when family and good friends join together in shacks, cabins and family farms to share in the camaraderie, tradition and excitement that is deer hunting! There are a number of factors that determine the rut and can influence its three main phases. Year after year however, one aspect remains the same — it is the most action packed, explosive time to be in the woods! Not to mention the days encompassing the rut can be a hunter’s best chance at connecting with a big, weary but wise whitetail! (more…)
Posted in Chasin' Tail TV, Hunting Videos, Outdoors, tagged Chasin' Tail, Deer Hunting, FML Outdoors, Minnesota, Monster Buck, Whitetail Deer, Wisconsin on November 9, 2010| 1 Comment »
Posted in All Videos, Big Game, Chasin' Tail TV, Hunting, Hunting Videos, Outdoors, Whitetail Deer, tagged Deer Hunting, Halloween, Rut, Wisconsin on November 6, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Posted in Outdoors, Pheasant, Small Game, Upland Gamebirds, tagged Brad Finstad, Erik Paulsen, FML Outdoors, Hunting, Minnesota Twins, Pheasant, Pheasant Hunting, Pheasants Forever, Scott Nelson, Southern Minnesota, Target Field on November 6, 2010| Leave a Comment »
(From Left to Right): FML Outdoors Editor Scott Nelson, Brad Finstad — Chief author and negotiator of the bill to authorize the building of Minnesota Twins ballpark — Target Field, and U.S. Congressman Erik Paulsen
Le Sueur, MN
Posted in Big Game, Chasin' Tail TV, Hunting, Hunting Videos, Whitetail Deer, tagged Deer Hunting, Minneota, Rut on November 5, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Posted in Big Game, Hunting, Whitetail Deer, tagged Buck, Deer, Minnesota, Opening Deer Season, Rut, Trail Camera on November 5, 2010| Leave a Comment »
My friend just posted this buck and doe in Northern Minnesota. His camera caught these two at 1:45 a.m.!
Posted in All Videos, Big Game, Hunting Videos, Outdoors, tagged Chasin' Tail, Deer Hunting, Minnesota, Monster Buck, Whitetail Deer, Wisconsin on November 2, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Posted in All Videos, Chasin' Tail TV, Hunting Videos, Outdoors, tagged Deer Hunting, Hunting, Minnesota, Weather Report, Webisode, Wisconsin on October 28, 2010| 2 Comments »
Jacob McIntosh reflects on today’s weather as hunters prepare
for Opening Deer Hunting.
Posted in All Videos, Bear, Chasin' Tail TV, Hunting, Hunting Videos, Outdoors, Whitetail Deer, tagged Bow Hunting, Daily Report, Deer Hunting, Hunting, Minnesota, Monster Buck, Outdoors, Recreation, Weather, Whitetail Deer, Wisconsin on October 28, 2010| 1 Comment »
Join FML Outdoors Pro Staff writer Jacob McIntosh and brother Justin, both avid hunters living in northern Minnesota, as they bring us closer to the action with daily video reports from the Northwoods called, “Chasin’ Tail.”
See and hear weather reports, learn about deer movements and watch daily trail camera activity, so you can be better prepare for this opening deer season!
Posted in Camping, Fishing, Hunting, Outdoors, Whitetail Deer, tagged Canada, Deer Hunting, Lake of the Woods, Northwest Angle, Ontario, Storm on October 27, 2010| Leave a Comment »
The week before Halloween my friends and I usually travel to Ontario, Canada, near the Northwest Angle. We would hunt deer on the many islands located on Lake of the Woods.
There was one year we got stuck 30-miles out when a storm blew in like the one this week. With 50-mile sustainable winds, we had 4 to 6 foot waves as we fought our way back to deer camp! We took two boats, a 17-foot Alumacraft and a Bayliner runabout. I was driving the Alumacraft, while wave-after-wave would crash over the bow; only to land on the motor behind me.
We pulled ashore twice to start a fire and wait for the wind to subside. The squalls would raise the lake to our face — drenching our souls and leaving a chill I still feel today!
Posted in Big Game, Hunting, Hunting Videos, Outdoors, Whitetail Deer, tagged Bow Hunting, Fighting, Monster Buck, Whitetail Deer on October 26, 2010| Leave a Comment »
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