With the archery season in full swing and the firearms season not far behind, a great number of deer hunters will be taking to the trees in hopes of bagging that big buck! Deer hunting is an extremely exciting pursuit, and it is easy to get caught up in all that excitement, preparation, and pursuit. While we focus so intently on the different aspect of the hunt, one of the most important things we cannot afford to overlook is safety!
An estimated 1 in 3 deer hunters will experience a fall.
If you are one of those hunters who risk climbing a tree without a safety harness, perhaps you have already had a breathtaking experience? Thousands of hunters each year, all across the country, are involved in tree stand related injuries. These injuries can result in permanent paralysis and even death.
One of the most important and wisest investments a deer hunter can make is in a TMA certified, full body safety harness. Safety harnesses and vests have come a long way and now offer hunter’s a wide range of comfortable, easy-to-use models.
Research shows that the majority of accidents occur while climbing into or out of the stand. Many harness manufactures also make safety lines and devices geared toward preventing these types of falls as well. Safety harnesses are a great way for seasoned pros and youngsters alike to feel confident and safe!
Remember – it’s important to follow all manufacturer guidelines with all tree stands and safety harnesses as well.
So, in all the excitement that surrounds getting into the woods after that big buck, remember one of the most important aspects — getting home! So have fun, be safe and good huntin’!
Now that Minnesota’s and Wisconsin’s bow hunting seasons are underway, thousands of archers will take to the woods in pursuit of North America’s most popular game animal — the whitetail deer! For those of us who just can’t get enough hunting, the bow season is a wonderful opportunity to take advantage of this time of year.
Archery season affords us the luxury of enjoying over three months of pursuing our passion — all the while, enjoying some of the best weather and scenery the year has to offer. Even though the season has begun, it’s important to reflect on the skills and preparation required, because you can drastically increase your chances of success by preparing for it properly.
Practice, practice, practice!
There is a big difference between target shooting and bowhunting. If you want to better your chances for closing-the-deal, you need to prepare specifically for those types of situations.
One of the most important and beneficial things to have in your archery arsenal is Confidence! The only way to achieve this is through practice and preparation! Continue Reading »
Food Plots: What you can plant now for a great fall plot!
Food plots are a great way to improve property and to grow and hold more wildlife. By providing precious nutrients, and attracting a wide range of critters, food plots can be enjoyed by hunters and all nature enthusiasts alike!
Often grown to attract, and hold deer, different plots may be utilized by wild turkey, waterfowl, upland birds and other wildlife as well. By growing food plots we can provide animals like deer with the nutrients most beneficial to them specific for any given time of year. In short, this means we can tailor our plots for our herd’s specific needs. We can provide them with valuable protein during the growing stages of spring and summer, vital for body and antler growth as well as lactation and healthy fawn development.
Of course we can also plant things that will provide deer with the much-needed energy, carbohydrates and protein it takes to recover from the rut in the late fall into winter. So whether you’re trying to develop a healthier wildlife population, or create a hunting hot spot (or both), now is the time to plant for a great fall plot!
There are so many choices when it comes to choosing what to grow in your food plots, that if you’re new to the process it can be a bit overwhelming. Food plots really are a labor of love, and if you just take a little time before hand to do some research, you can save yourself a lot of frustration later.
Important Considerations:
Region and climate
Soil type – What to plant
Size
Goals
Equipment
Once these considerations are made, the best bet may vary from person-to-person, region-to-region. In my area of Northeastern Minnesota, as well as the upper Midwest the period of time from late August to mid September is the time to plant for fall plots. Continue Reading »
On this trip, Chris and I took the canoe to a hidden lake near Minneapolis. There’s no boat landing and the lake is completely landlocked with lavishly designed homes. So we grabbed my canoe cart and proceeded to walk with our gear down a freshly paved bike path. There’s quit a few hidden gems like this one; perhaps in your backyard as well?
Back in September, 2008, Minnesota opened the first Dove hunting season. At that time, my daughter was 10-years old. September is a great time of year to get young children expose to the sport of hunting (especially before cold weather sets-in).
Now just think…You don’t have to:
Wake up at 4:30 a.m.
Fight for a spot in the cattails.
Invest in a boat, motor and trailer
Freeze your butt for one lonely Teal or Wood Duck
Simply stand in a grassy field or along a fence or wooded treeline. I use dove decoys. Clip them to a wire strung between two conduit poles or find a barbed wire fence or tree branch (make sure the fence isn’t electrified!) The decoys are much smaller and cheaper than duck decoys!
Doves will fly solo and in larger groups once migrating, which allows for some great shooting. Oh…and did I say they were fast?
Look for areas between small grain (wheat, sunflowers, switchgrass) and ponds. Gravel pits are a strong attraction because Doves eat grit to help digest the little seeds. They will travel between these areas starting around 9 – 10 a.m. then again after 3 p.m. until sunset.
Yes, it takes a few Doves to make a meal. I like to serve them as appetizers before a four-course meal of Pheasant, Grouse and Venison!
I’ve been chasing this particular buck for a number of years now, and I’ve never quite been able to close the deal with him. Had a number of close calls. (notice my stand about 20 yards behind the deer!)This pic was taken when the buck was 3-1/2. He’ll be 5-1/2 years old this year, so I’m sure he’ll be as big and cagey as ever! We have a number of bucks around that definitely carry the same genes….trail cams are so much fun!
Camera Crazy
If you’re a deer hunter, you’d have to be living under a rock not to have noticed the trail camera craze of recent years! Because of their unparalleled scouting benefits trail cams have made any self-respecting whitetail addict’s gear bag incomplete without them.
Scouting cameras have evolved from simple trail counters to 35mm cameras, and into today’s efficient and advanced digital trail cameras with a multitude of features.
The simple fact is that trail cameras have truly revolutionized the way we hunt and scout. Because of them, we can keep a keen eye on the prize 24-hours a day, 365 days a year! If you haven’t yet taken advantage of both the fun and the benefits of trail cameras, you’re missing out!
Where do I begin?
There is no question that because of increased popularity, an ever-increasing amount of companies within the hunting industry are throwing their hats in the ring. There are so many manufacturers and different features it’s easy to experience camera confusion and making a choice can be overwhelming. There is a wide range of varying features and as you can expect, prices.
As I outline a handful of popular models, my advice is to consider what’s important to you and keep in mind the aspects of different features in relation to your specific application. Continue Reading »
Josh and 2 friends from work fished Mille Lacs Lake out on the mud flats in 3 to 4-foot waves, while trolling cranks in 25 to 30-feet of water! “My buddy Joe got pretty sea sick,” laughs Josh. “We caught 4 walleye in 2-hours before we decided it was too rough. It took over an hour to get back to shore — worst boat ride ever!”
FML Outdoors Featured Catch of the Day
First fish 23-inches, 24-inches, 25-inches and finally a 22-incher, all released.
WOW! I can’t believe it! Just a few weeks ago, I announced to our members that the YouTube video, “Monster Fish Caught On Video” was within 25,000 views of a million! And TODAY it has reached 1-Million views! This is very exciting, especially when you think twenty hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute; in turn, users stream 75 billion videos per year. With all those videos, what do you think our chances were of making a dent in YouTube and reaching, 1 million hits?
1 of every 3.1 million YouTube videos ever receive 1 million hits!
Source(s): Book of Odds estimate based on data from: Wilson, Chris. Slate YouTube Study. 07/02/2009., Appendix Slate YouTube Study Data.
IMPORTANT! THIS MESSAGE IS TO ALL HUNTERS AND FISHERMEN.
Whether you have an upright or chest-like freezer — NOW is the time to protect its contents from melting and spoiling in the event you lose power or someone accidentally leaves the door open.
A Lesson Learned the Hard Way.
It’s was a very sad day — we just came home after a week vacation to an awful smell. We searched the house, sniffing the garbage can and refrigerator. We found some old moldy oranges. Thinking that was the odor…but as soon as I opened the door to the basement the stink grew more intense!
As I walked downstairs to the basement, I quickly found the source of the foul stench. I could see the freezer door open, as the light inside illuminated the adjacent wall. “Oh know!” I thought to myself. I opened the freezer door to find bloody venison and numerous fish fillets floating in their bags. Dripping on the floor and overflowing the drain — it was clear that the freezer door was left open for a whole week!
We had a lot of food packed into the freezer. There were days when it was hard to close the door. The door could have simply popped open allowing all the cold air to escape. Even with the freezer running constantly, it could not keep up with the warm air entering. If you find that your freezer is not working and the inside is above 40 degrees and you know it has been at that temperature more than two hours, then the food probably is not safe.
A Major Investment in Time and Money.
Here is what we lost:
Last years venison I had cleaned and cut-up and packaged within a 2-hours of shooting it.
Pheasants sought after in 2-feet of snow, hundreds of miles of driving and walking in -27º below temperatures.
Grouse flushed over my dog Abby just before getting stuck by a porcupine.
Walleye’s caught 12 miles out after traveling over a foot of water on top of the ice (scary).
And early spring crappies after waiting months for the ice to go out.
Well, this is exciting! Posted nearly two years ago, Fat Man’s Landings first-ever video climbs to 976,567 views and almost 500 comments! I’m very pleased to see so many sportsman still out there who can appreciate a day-on-the-ice! Keep your eyes on this video and other great stories only on FML Outdoors!
I’m pleased to welcome Jacob McIntosh as our contributing writer. Jacob has extensive hunting and fishing experience and will write about his adventures living in Northern Minnesota. I hear he has video and his family are great cooks! I’m looking forward to reading what Jacob comes up with! — FML Outdoors Editor, Scott Nelson
It’s That Time of the Year
With summer already on it last leg for the year and fall right around the corner, many outdoor enthusiasts are beginning to switch gears. Although there is still plenty of time to enjoy the warm weather, open water and all the fun that summer offers, I’ve noticed many (including myself ) starting to transition from summer mode to fall mode. Our thoughts and daydreams have gone from watching bobbers disappear beneath the water and tight-lining walleyes to falling leaves, cool temperatures, migrating waterfowl and if you’re a deer hunting fanatic like me, of course, big mature whitetail bucks chasing does up and down ridges on frosty November mornings.
My Obsession for Nature
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved nature and being outdoors. Like so many outdoorsman, I particularly love to hunt and fish. In fact, I will openly admit that I am a full-blown, 100% whitetail obsessed addict! Couple this with the deep passion for bowhunting and it really turns into a year-round pursuit. Lucky for me, my brother shares the same passion that I do!
Introduced to the outdoors by our father, we grew up in the woods and on the water and were hooked from the words “Bobbers-down!” Still, I don’t think that even my dad, or us for that matter, could have predicted the love we would have for it all and the wild obsession that it would grow into!
One of the most important and wisest investments a deer hunter can make is in a TMA certified, full body safety harness. Safety harnesses and vests have come a long way and now offer hunter’s a wide range of comfortable, easy-to-use models.
FML Outdoors.com 
