So I went to the Virgina Outdoor Sportmans Show this past weekend in Richmond. It was a good show with a great mix of vendors, guides and gear. And like I said earlier I am a gadget freak and I knew this wasnt good to be good for my wallet. Always interested in knives and came across VA Blade (http://vablade.com) and who could turn down another knife right? I think I might have found one of the best knives so far. Take a look…
What I like about it is its lightweight and packs easily. The other thing is the ring in the handle that allows you to continue to have control of the knife, and grab the hide without having to set the knife down all the time. Its easy to keep in your palm and not worry about your knife getting slippery and constantly drying the knife handle off. More control means faster proccessing of the game. It isnt just deer, but this knife can be perfect for rabbit, ducks, and more – small game and big game. The gut hook is a plus where most other knives of this style lack a gut hook.
Its got a great edge to it and we will see how well the edge holds up – but so far its got a lot of upsides to it. Is it the perfect deer knife – maybe…
We have all been pre-scouting and come across a game trail that looks like a highway. These are the things that get get us excited – we know the deer are using this corridor and we want to know more! Most people would be inclined to place a game camera across the trail to see whats happening. Chances are you will end up with plenty of pictures – however those pictures will most likely be of beautiful trees, plants etc – but no deer. The reason for this is that most trail cameras have a trigger Continue reading »
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I dont know about you all but I am a total gadget freak – it doesn’t matter what it is – its the accessories and the add on’s and the extra’s. I am always willing to try something out and see if I like. So I went shopping this past weekend as I have a great local store, a Gander Mountain and a Bass Pro Shops – all within about 5 miles of each other. Kinda makes it tough to not buy something from all of them. Here are the cool things I picked up that you might be interested in as well. Bear in mind some are gadgets and some are more like toys (a little more expensive)!
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Its early season and most guys dont often think about hunters safety or treestand safety measures but its as good as any time to think about these things. Trail cameras and bucks in velvet tend to be whats on everybody’s mind. But here are some preseason hunters safety ideas to help keep you safe this season.
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Here is the wide 6 point buck we have been following for a while. Has real nice heavy mass and a solid width – think he will be somewhere around 20″ wide or so.
As everyone starts hitting the woods and thinking about this years stand locations just remember its still warm outside and come hunting season you will be wearing more layers and bulkier clothing. When setting the distance between your screw in tree steps, like the ones below, a good way to judge distance is to space them roughly from your elbow to the tips of your fingers apart. This way when you have on heavier clothes in wont be uncomfortable to take larger steps – his will also keep you safer when climbing.
EZY Climb Tree Steps – Click here for more details
So I recently put out one of the new Moultrie M-80 game cameras. I have a secluded pond covered with deer tracks with a mineral site off to one side. I have plenty of bucks moving through the area but my issue is understanding where they come in and come out of the areas around the pond. The game camera on the mineral site only shows me what is in its proximity. In the short video clip attached the mineral site and game camera is on the far left side of the screen. None of the activity seen in the video will be picked up on that particular camera because the deer dont pass in front of it. This is why using a camera with plot time lapse video is important – to truly understand the bigger picture.
Remember this – these initial views are only for the plot stalker mode – trail camera mode to come.
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The majority of the samples were collected during the fall firearms season from seven counties in northeast Iowa, which is the area nearest to the CWD outbreaks in Wisconsin and Illinois.
The DNR also focused on collecting samples in south central Iowa, north of the area where the positive CWD deer was found in the captive facility in Missouri.
Since 2003, Iowa has tested 38,031 wild deer and 1,350 captive deer and elk. All tests have been negative.
If you are looking for great cover, provide browse for deer and want a shrub that will provide fruit for wildlife then you should consider planting Elderberry. Elderberry is a fast growing plant in full sun and great for edging to provide cover and often found flourishing in clear cuts or hinge cutting areas when the tree canopy is opened up.
Immature wild elderberry plant
Elderberry plant post fruit – there are still a few berries on the plant.
Many people consider food plots but dont always consider other beneficial tree’s shrubs and plants. By developing areas that benefit wildlife you will attract and retain wildlife much better than just planting food plots. One way to do this is to plant beneficial shrubs and woody plants that not only provide cover but also browse material.
The buttonbush is a great brushy shrub that enjoys damp areas and soil that is not well drained which include stream edging, lakes and low lying areas that do not drain well.
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