By Denny Chambers   Sat, Jul 03, 2010

Where I Hunt

I, like many hunters, do not hunt out of my back yard. Many of us often drive several hours to get to our little piece of paradise that we call our “Hunting Camp”. For me it is a two hour drive from my front door to the front door of our camp house in Tunnel Springs, AL. Like many other hunter, my camp is in a small rural community that is “out in the sticks”. Many of the small towns that we hunt in are often sparsely populated communities that look like places that time has forgotten. However, many of these communities were thriving, prosperous communities at one time. Tunnel Springs is one of these types of communities.

Tunnel Springs, AL is located in the northern part of Monroe County Alabama about 12 miles north of Monroeville, the county seat. Tunnel Springs began in the 1780's as a settlement along an old stagecoach route between Montgomery, AL and Baldwin County, AL. The settlement was first known as “Long Street”, and then later it was referred to as “East's Store”. The name changed once again to Kempville, for one of its early settlers. Around 1900 a new section of railroad was built by a construction company out of Nashville, TN. This section was too connect the Louisville and Nashville lines in Selma and Repton Alabama. While building this new section of the railroad, an 840 foot tunnel was dug through one of the many hills of Tunnel Springs. The construction crews started digging the tunnel from both ends at the same time. When the crews met in the middle, they were only about 1/2” off, from each other. This was a fairly amazing feat of construction in those early days of the 20th century.

After digging the tunnel, an underground spring flowed out of the side of the tunnel, and before long the town had taken on a new name. It wasn't long before there was a Post office which took on the name Tunnel Springs. The town prospered for 60+ years, with many businesses and a local news paper. In the 1960's the town began to dry up, and by 1970 the Tunnel Springs Post Office shut its doors. The town’s main business now, is timber and hunting. Tunnel Springs is still populated with many descendants of the original settlers. Names like Nettles and Falkenberry can still be found living in the area. The Philadelphia Baptist Church right off of Hwy 21, is one of the oldest remaining land marks of the area. The congregation for the church started worshiping together as early as the 1840's, while the church wasn't constructed until the 1870's. The railroad that was built through the tunnel, and ultimately gave the town it's name, is now a dead rail line, and the old tunnel is nothing more than a tourist attractions of sorts, and a home for bats. Many people still come to see the old tunnel...if they can find its hidden location in the woods of Hwy 21.

About 2 miles north of Tunnel Springs is another even smaller community known as Scotland. Scotland was founded around 1818 when 3 closely related families (Murphys, McCorveys, and McMillans), all children of immigrants from Kintyre, Scotland, moved down to Monroe County, AL from Robeson County, NC. Upon moving there, they formed the community now known as Scotland, which was mostly made up of a school and a Presbyterian church. Our hunting club, Scotland Ridge Hunting club, along with our two sister hunting clubs hunt the majority of the old Scotland community. There is very little left of this old community. The most prominent piece of history still standing there is the Old Scotland Presbyterian Church, which is registered as a state landmark. This old church was organized in 1823, and originally located at a place called the “Ridge”, for which I have no knowledge of. I hope I can fill this in on a later date. In 1835, the church was moved to its present location in Scotland, and was originally called the Flat Creek Presbyterian Church, named after a well known creek that flows through this area. It is not known exactly when the church changed its name to the Old Scotland Presbyterian Church, because the records of the church prior to 1860 were lost. The oldest documentation of the church is from 1860, which refereed to the church as the Old Scotland Presbyterian Church. Looking though the cemetery at the church you will find many members of Company H, 17th Alabama Infantry Regiment, also known as the Scotland Invincibles. There were a lot of men from this area who fought as part of the Scotland Invincibles during the Civil War. While there is not a lot of obvious signs of the original community still present, the land we hunt has many tell tale signs about the people who use to live in the old community. In our day to day hunting and scouting, we have found many old home sites, many that have nothing more left than crumbling old chimney. There are still remnants of old watering wells and rusty old barbed wire fencing that once kept livestock in their rightful place. There are still many very old pieces of farm machinery that lay in old fallen barns and that have even grown into trees, and became one with the forest around it.

After hunting this land for a little over 2 years now, I can understand why settlers picked this location for their homesteads. The land here is full of tall ridges and deep creek bottoms with creeks that flow year around. The woods are loaded with many different varieties of oaks, beech woods, poplars, and pines. In the spring the woods are full of blooms from mountain laurels, red buckeyes, and umbrella magnolias. The whole area is also abundant with all types of wildlife. I, like many of the club member of Scotland Ridge Hunting club, hope to be able to hunt this land for many, many years to come.

I hope you have enjoyed this history lesson on the small communities that I currently hunt. I hope others will share the history of their little piece of paradise that they call their “Hunting Club”.

By TalkHunting Magazine   Tue, Aug 31, 2010

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By TalkHunting Magazine   Fri, Jul 30, 2010

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We publish educational and informative articles and blogs to help improve your hunting experiences. Our Pro Staff have a wide range of hunting skills and experiences and will share them with you here at TalkHunting Magazine. We also do product reviews, outdoor show reviews and reviews on anything outdoor related that we think might benefit you.

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By TalkHunting Magazine   Fri, Jul 30, 2010

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By Denny Chambers   Wed, Jul 07, 2010

While attending the 2009 World Deer and Turkey Expo in Birmingham, AL, I made a point to try to visit all the vendors that were sponsors of TalkHunting.com. One of the vendors that I got to meet were the guys from Peep Eliminator. They had a small range setup and let me shoot one of their bow that had the Peep Eliminator sight on it. I really like the way this worked and it felt comfortable shooting their bow setup up with the Peep Eliminator. I was able to pick up a bow I had never shot before, and put three arrow in a target that were all touching each other. I decided then that I would like to try this on my bow. Well my wish came true that very same month, as I won a Peep Eliminator from TalkHunting.com. By the time I got my hands on the sight it was getting close to Alabama's bow season, and I had already spent a lot of time tuning my bow, and didn't really want to start over that close to deer season starting. So I decided to put the sight away, and get it setup before the 2010 bow season. Well the time has come now to get the sight setup on my Bowtech 101^st Airborn.

Before we get started with the actual install, lets get the items we need together to do the install. First of all, if you have a peep sight installed on your bow, do not remove it from the string just yet. It will help with the sighting in of the Peep Eliminator sight. Next make sure you have 1/8” and 5/64” allen wrenches. Also you may need some additional allen wrenches and other tools for the screws in your front sight as well as any quiver mounts that may need to be taken off as part of installation of the Peep Eliminator sight. You will also need some petroleum jelly for the installation.

First item that we want to do is to unpack the parts to the Peep Eliminator, and do an inventory to make sure we have everything needed to complete the install. In my kit there is the mounting bracket, a T-bracket, 2 rubber gaskets, a rubber vibration grommet, 4 - 6/32” screws (2 longer, 2 shorter), 4 larger screws for the mounting bracket, the V notch rifle sight, a metal block and a backing plate.

Next we want to remove the front bow sight from the bow, to make room to install the mounting bracket.

Now that the front sight is removed, we need to insert the rubber vibration grommet into the T-bracket slot. To make this easier to install, place a small amount of petroleum jelly on the grommet to allow it to slide easier in to the T-bracket. Once installed be sure to wipe of any excess petroleum jelly.

Next align one of the rubber gaskets up with the screw holes on the bow so that the mounting bracket can be installed.

Install the mounting bracket onto the bow with one of the 5 pairs of threaded holes extending in front of the bow as seen in the picture to the left. The Peep Eliminator sight give you several screw slots in which to mount your sight. You may have to adjust the sight to a different screw slot after you have completed the installation to get the proper fit you need for your bow, so remember not to tighten the screws down super tight until you are sure everything is in the proper place.

Now that the mounting bracket is installed on the bow, insert the T-bracket into the mounting bracket and snug down the set screws to hold the T-bracket in place. Ensure that the slot in the T-bracket is clear of the string and cable to allow the V notch rifle sight to be installed. The V notch rifle sight should have at lease 3/4” clearance from the strings and cables.

Next slide the V notch through the metal block, with the set screw in the block facing the bow shooter. If you have a light bracket, install the light bracket onto the V notch so that it will be between the metal block and T-bracket. Slide the V-notch with the metal block (and light bracket if needed) through the long slot on the T-bracket, and secure it to the T-bracket using the backing plate and 6/32” screws. The sight should be mounted about 1” from the bottom of the slot in the T-bracket. If you are installing the light bracket, you will want to use the longer 6/32” screws that are provided in the package, otherwise use the shorter 6/32” screws.

Now you can re-install your front sight onto the Peep Eliminator mounting bracket, selecting a pair of the 5 sets of threaded screw holes. Be sure to first place a rubber gasket over the selected screw holes, then install the front sight on top of the gasket.

Now that your front sight is mounted you will need to adjust the front sight to compensate for the offset of the mounting bracket. If you mounted your sight to the inside of the mounting bracket, then slide your pins in 3/8”. If you mounted your front sight to the outside of the mounting bracket, then you will need to slide pins out 3/8”. This should get your vertical alignment very close.

Now that the entire assembly is done, make sure you have all of your screws good and tight, except for the one on the V-notch rifle site. The V-notch rifle site will need some addition adjustment, as will your front site, so for now just keep those screws snug, but not too tight.

It's time now to start sighting in the Peep Eliminator. To start off draw back your bow just as would have normally done with your peep sight. Looking through the peep you will want to align the Peep Eliminator sight so that the top pin is in perfect alignment with the rear V notch rifle sight. Once you have the top pin and the V notch rifle sight aligned while looking through your peep sight, then you can then remove the peep sight completely. Then move the rear rifle sight to the outside or to the inside of the string just enough so that you have clear vision of the V notch with the front pin sitting perfectly in the V notch.

Now per Peep Eliminators instruction you now want to draw your bow back with both of your eyes closed, while keeping your  head perfectly erect and facing your target. Bring your string to your you normal anchoring point. Remember not to tilt your head, unless your Peep Eliminator is set up on the inside of your string. Now open your shooting eye, and you should have clear view of the top pin sitting perfect in the V notch rifle sight. If not, move the V notch rifle site until you do have perfect sight of the pin sitting dead center int he V notch. Now you can start sighting your bow in at 10 yards, adjusting only your front pins. If after adjusting your front pins, you can no longer see clearly through your rear V notch rifle sight, then move the rifle sight out 1 or 2 lines. Once you are on target at 10 yards, start moving back until you are at the desired distance for your top pin.

Now to sight in your other pins, simply drop your anchor point slightly until your next pin appears dead center in the V notch rifle sight. You will want to start with next pin almost touching your first pin, then adjust it from there.

I hope this “How to” helps to get you setup to shoot your Peep Eliminator bow sight. For more information about Peep Eliminator and the products they offer, please visit them at www.peepeliminator.com, or call them at 618-526-4427.

By Jeff Love   Sat, Jul 03, 2010

It should be impossible to get lost in the woods these days. The technology we have now has given us so many different electronic wonder devices to tell us exactly where we are and tell us how to get to where we are going.  If you do an internet search for GPS, you will get literally millions of web pages that have many different navigational devices for just about any situation. There are units that will give you turn by turn directions to help you find that great restaurant you heard about in the next town, find the location for your child's sporting event, or find your way on your next epic vacation.

There are also many different hand held units that can be programmed from your computer to help you find that high lake way up in the Wilderness area, plot and stake out your Placer Mine Claim, or determine what ridge to hang your tree stand on. All of these GPS units have their use and if you take the time to learn how to use it you will be able to easily find your way anywhere you need to go.
There are even web sites dedicated to using the GPS units for outdoor adventures. Geo Caching is a growing past time where people go out and hide trinkets in small plastic or metal containers. They then make a note of the GPS location and upload the location information to a web site such as Geo Caching .com to try this out you log in to the web site and search for caches in your area. You then enter the coordinates into your GPS and go search for the Cache. Some of them have signup sheets so you can leave your name to show others you have found the cache. After you have found the cache you can go back to the web site and post your find. You can create and hide caches of your own as well.

Now myself I am more interested in safety while I am out in the woods and in keeping things light. I have looked at many of the GPS units and although I can see one that has built in maps that can be used to track my path from my vehicle to my super secret hiding spot and all points in between, the price for these units can get expensive and many of them use a lot of batteries. They are the size of a hand held radio and take up a precious room in the back pack. I don't really need to track every turn in the trail I am taking into the woods, and I always carry a paper map of the area I am going into as well, so I do not need all of these features. When I go I to the woods I have a very simple, easy to use, and yet reliable GPS unit in my pack.

The Bushnell Back track is a compact, lightweight, simple GPS device. The Back Track will mark three different way points that can be used to mark the location of your truck, your camp, and your kill. The display is basic and easy to read. All that is on the display is a icon for the Satellite that flashes until the signal is picked up, a battery level indicator, an icon of a house, a car, or a star that are for the three different way points. Once a way point is set there will also be distance readout to show how far you are from the way point, and an arrow pointing in the direction of the way point.

The Bushnell Back Track runs on 2 AAA batteries that will last for 20 + hours of continuous use. There are only two buttons on the Back Track. The Power / Mode button is on the right side and is used to turn on the unit and change from one way point to the others. The button on the left is used to turn on the back light at night and to set the way points. When you are ready to set a way point, turn on the unit and wait for the satellite to lock on. Next press and hold the way point button until the unit sets and shows all of the arrows around the outer edge lit up and 0 for the distance. You now have set the way point and as long as you are within 500 miles of that point the Back Track will point you back to that spot. I have used mine for a few years now and have never had any problems with it. I have used it to find my truck in a crowded parking lot, I have used it to find my way back to my trail camera that I set up on a ridge, and I have used it to check the distance from my house to many hunting and fishing spots around the state.

The last feature of the Bushnell Back Track is the digital compass. I have found this feature to be the most useful when hunting. I will regularly use the digital compass to check that I am heading in the general direction that I had intended to go. I have also been able to identify landmarks I could use to navigate by knowing where North was.  The digital compass is as simple to use as the way point navigation. Press the mode button until the compass comes up. The display will show the arrow pointing north and instead of the distance the direction the device is pointing is shown. The Bushnell Back track is small enough and light enough to fit in your pocket, or you can use the lanyard that comes with it to hang it around your neck. If you are looking to try Geo Caching or you want to plot out property boundaries, or you are staking a mining claim then the Back Track is not going to work to well for you. If you are looking for a simple easy to use GPS then the Back Track is just the unit for you.

By Brent Sawyer   Sat, Jul 03, 2010

With my upcoming trip to the Spanish Fort Hunting Camp, I am feeling the pressure to confidently score a buck “on the hoof,” as they say.  In South Louisiana, up until recently, we would think we were lucky if we were to see a 120 class deer.  Though our herd is plentiful, our deer are relatively small in comparison to most of the country.  Alabama’s Spanish Fort Hunting Camp requires that a buck score no less than 135 to be considered a shoot-able buck.  A 135-class set of antlers looks a lot different on a southern, 160 pound deer than it does on a 200 pound deer.  While my eye is pretty good on my home turf, I find myself a little less confident in foreign regions.

Scoring a deer is simple enough when you can run a ruler up and down the spread.  Making the call on the fly is a skill that takes practice and refinement.  To start, it helps to have some base comparisons.  In the Southeast region, a typical buck will measure anywhere from 13 to 16 inches from ear tip to ear tip when they stand at attention.  An ear averages 6.5 to 7 inches in height and approximately 3 inches wide.  If a set of antlers is narrower, on the inside, than a buck’s ears, then you can bet he won’t make that shooter status.  However, if you can see a gap between the main beams and his ears, then you need to start checking him out a little closer. 

If you haven’t already done so, you’ll want to get a count of upright tines.  To reach 135 inches, expect to see eight-points or better.  For an eight-point to make it, he’ll have to have some length, height, and mass.  A ten-point will reach that score easier.  Estimate the heights of each tine and add them together.  You can try to guess every tine, or work with one side and then double it.  This only works on symmetrical racks.  On a ten-point, say you have three uprights measuring 10, 10, and 4 inches equating a total of 24 inches plus a 1 for each point.  Add in the brow tine, say, 4 inches, giving you 38.  If we double this we have 76.  Now, for the main beams, you’ll want to look at the distance between the points and the buck’s nose, and also the curve of the beams.  The more curve, the longer it will measure.  Measure the distance from beam to beam on the inside of the spread.   

For this study, we will say it measures 16 inches.  You now have a sum of 88.  Add the mass, a measurement of the circumference at the spaces between the G1 and G2, the G2 and G3, and so on.  In order to make a 135-class deer, each beam needs to measure at least 18 inches in length.  Along the Gulf Coast states, a rough average would put the main beam measurements between 70 and 80 inches for everything but the upright tines.  This makes things a little quicker and easier in the field.  If I see that a buck is a large bodied deer, and the antlers still look to be shooter size, I may estimate 80 inches for the main beams and then add the uprights and brow tines.  If he is an average-sized deer, I would want to check a little closer and estimate closer to the 70 inch mark. 

A good idea is to study pictures of deer from the area you are planning to hunt.  You can then compare age structures and antler growth of bucks from each year’s growth.  If photos are available of the deer specific to the property you are hunting, it is a good idea to pre-determine with the owner which deer are to be considered mature and harvestable and which type of deer they prefer to walk.  At home, the consequences of an error may weigh heavy on your conscience, but on a guided trip, the consequences weigh heavy on your pocket book.  To avoid these kinds of misfortunes, hunters need to do their homework and discuss the land-owners’ expectations so that the eye can quickly and accurately judge size and score of a roaming buck.

By Luanne Bragg   Sun, Jul 04, 2010

Let me start this article by saying thank you all for your patience for my missing submission of my last article, and your well wishes for my recovery from the automobile accident.

CUR Dogs—Part 2

AMERICAN LEOPARD HOUND (Leopard Cur):  This breed is believed to come from dogs that were brought by the Spanish and then crossed with native dogs in what is now the Southern United State and Mexico.  The breed migrated north with the settlers and initially used to hunt bear.  On November 1, 1998 the United Kennel Club recognized the breed and on May 1, 2008 was officially renamed the American Leopard Hound.

This breed is larger than most Cur dogs.  The body should be longer than tall, the long legs allow the dogs to move quickly, over all types of terrain.  Their heads should be broad with a heavy muzzle of medium length.  Their ears should be set high on their head and drop in a “hound” style.  The tail should be straight and set low.  The coat is thick but not long and should be close to the body.  This Cur, like most others, is an all-purpose hunter and is bred to tolerate the elements.  These dogs are driven to please and are known to be easy to train.  Their sense of smell is also said to be the most acute of the Cur varieties.  They are quick in their reaction time and have an uncanny ability to keep dangerous game at bay, without getting injured.  Although the Leopard Hound has been trained for all aspects of hunting game they excel at big dangerous game such as bear, cougar and wild boar

The Leopard Hound should have a spotted (marled) coat and can range from yellow, black, brindle, red and mouse colors.  They may also carry white points and have a white collar.  No more than 1/3rd of their body can be white.  The breed can range in size from 21 to 27 inches at the shoulder and weigh from 50 to 75 pounds

TREEING CUR:  This Cur is a powerful, agile tree dog of small to medium size.  As in most cur breeds the body should be longer than it is tall.  The head should be broad and the muzzle slightly shorter than the head.  The ears should drop from the side of the head and not be of excessive length.  This Cur breed is the one most likely to have a bob tail but is not necessary.  Their coats are short and fit tight to the skin.  This Cur might be small but it is fast.  It is a hard hunter using scent and sight to locate game.  Most Treeing Curs do not bark on a track but only when the quarry has been located and “treed”.  This breed can start out a little stubborn but is easily trained once an “understanding” has been arrived at.  These small dogs can be aggressive and can make good watch dogs.

This cur can be any color or any color pattern.  It should stand between 18 and 22 inches tall and weigh between 30 and 50 pounds.  Most Treeing Cur’s are very heavily muscled.

There are as many Cur breeds as there are uses for them.  I have only touched on five in these articles.  To name just a few others there are the Camus Cur, Canadian Cur, Catahoula Cur, Florida/Cracker Cur, Henderson Cur, Kemmer Stock Cur, Parnell’s Carolina Cur, and Tennessee Treeing Brindle Cur.

NOW, there is the Feist…these breeds are just a plentiful as the Cur’s, there is one difference between a Cur and a Feist.  The Feist is a direct descendant of predominantly terrier/small hound cross breeds.  To give you an idea the following is one type of Feist:

TREEING FEIST:  The word “Feist” is an ancient one referring to a Small, often noisy, dog.  The Treeing Feist is a small, highly active dog.  The body should be blocky from head to tail and down its legs.  The coat should be tight, short and smooth.  The build makes this a powerful dog regardless of its smaller size.  It is thought that the original Treeing Feists were bred in the South and were the result of crossing rat terriers and beagles.  This breed is most often used to hunt squirrels, raccoon and opossum.  They hunt using sight and scent and do not open until the game has been “treed” or “holed”.

This Breed should have a bobbed or docked tail and they can be any color or color pattern.  The Treeing Feist should be between 10 and 17 inches tall and weigh between 12 and 30 pounds.  They gained their name because they are truly feisty little dogs.

There are as many different types of Feist breeds as there are Curs and as many different uses, one thing that is common among all Feists, they are heavy with terrier traits. American Leopard Hound, Treeing Cur, Treeing Feist...

This article was researched from the breed web sites and the UKC standards.

By Nick Stallings   Sat, Jul 03, 2010

Western KY Hunter

Hello everyone, welcome to the July Member Spotlight once again, this month we shine the spotlight on Western KY Hunter. He (Western KY Hunter) has been a member of Talk Hunting since July 2008 he is a global moderator and has reached state record status. Thank you for participating in the Member Spotlight
 
1.    Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Ron Larkin’s I am 43 yrs old I was born and raised in White Plains KY I am married and have three kid’s boy 22, and two girls 16 and 10 years. I am part owner of Triple L farms we raise cattle, on our farm of 1500 acres along with hay and a couple hundred acres of roll crops also owner operator of 12 chicken houses we raise nearly 2 million chickens a year. I started River Oak Outfitter 5 yrs ago we have deer, turkey and hog hunts on my farm. I’ve been hunting since I was 12 yrs old
 
2.    What is your favorite animal to hunt, and why?
Wild turkey but whitetail deer is a close second. I would have to say wild turkey because it's your ability to try and out smart the bird your after you are doing just the opposite of what nature intended the tom gobbles and the hens come to him we are calling the tom to us the hen, that takes a lot of luck, skill and being in the right place.
 
3.    What is your favorite firearm, and why?
My favorite I call Old Bessie, which is my Remington 870 shotgun, in 3 inch Magnum, that I turkey hunt with. I have harvested a lot of Wiley toms with old Bessie when old Bessie barks you can count on meat on the table.
Second is my Remington 30-06 model 7400 auto loader that I deer hunt with.
 
4.    What is your favorite hunting method, and why?
Run and gun during spring turkey season, you can cover a lot of ground that way and find a hot gobbler that is willing to work to your calling.
 
5.    Who is your favorite author, and why?
I don't have a favorite author I like reading hunting story's
 
6.    What is your favorite food, and why?
Mexican, Italian heck I love it all. I really love Mexican, it sticks to my ribs I'm not hungry 30 minutes later like when I eat most other foods. I guess that’s why I'm a fat boy LOL

7.    What is your favorite quote?
"We really need to do this"
 
8.    If you could have dinner with anyone person, who would it be?
Clint Eastwood he seems to be the kind of guy that doesn't take any flack
 
9.    What is your favorite non hunting or fishing activity?
Going on vacation with my family and going to my daughter's volleyball games and soccer games and watching sports on TV and life.

10.  Tell the members about your most rewarding, memorable adventure in the outdoors.
Being with my kids when they took their first deer and catching their first fish.

11.  Tell the members about your funniest mishap in the outdoors.   
Taking a first time turkey hunter and seeing their face when they harvest their first turkey I tell them when they shoot get on the bird fast I’ve had people roll fall dive do most anything trying to get to that bird most of the time their legs are asleep from sitting on them and sleepy legs don't work real well do they WV.  LOL
 
12.    What talk hunting member would you like us to ask these questions to next month?
NotRite

By Kimberly Fox   Sat, Jul 03, 2010

Greetings brothers and sisters!

This month’s topic is sports related;  I am going to step into the world of baseball where a life changing moment happened last month. I’ll talk about how a great man showed forgiveness and humility when he could have really “pitched” a fit.

On June 2, 2010 the Detroit Tigers faced the Cleveland Indians in a baseball game.  Armando Galarraga was the pitcher for the Tigers, and he consecutively got 26 players out. He was on the verge of joining an elite few who had achieved a “perfect game”. A perfect game entails every batter in a 9 inning game being struck out or gotten out by catching a fly or tagging out. Nobody is walked and nobody gets on base at all. Galarraga was on the 27th batter when the young rookie hit the ball and ran toward first base. The first base player stepped out to get the ball, and Galarraga ran to cover first base. He put his foot on the base and caught the ball. The runner was clearly out by at least a second, but Jim Joyce, the umpire, called the runner safe. There is a big difference between baseball and all other sports. There are no instant replays and the calls cannot get reversed. The umpire’s word is final. As soon as the replay was shown on the big screen, Joyce was visibly shaken as he realized the mistake he had made, and the implications behind the decision. The perfect game was ruined.

Armando Galarraga could have pitched a big fit and shown himself to be an angry man who had virtually been robbed. Instead he smiled and walked back to the mound. He pitched to one more batter, who got out, and the game ended. Jim Joyce came to Armando after the game and admitted his mistake. He was in tears and apologized profusely. Armando exchanged hugs with him and forgave him on the spot. His reply was “Nobody is perfect.” The next day, Jim Joyce was the umpire behind the plate. As it turned out, Armando was the one who was to deliver the starting line-up to the umpire. The fans were in a major uproar and said some vicious things about Joyce; however, Galarraga smiled at him and patted him on the shoulder. This was a very visible sign to the world that he had forgiven Jim Joyce.

I know of a large number of people who fall into the category of “nobody’s perfect.” That group includes every person who is alive on this earth. Man is full of sin. The book of Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” It is because of the fact that we all have sin that we are not perfect. It took One to come and die for us so that we would one day be free of the bondages of sin.

2 Corinthians 2:5-11 (NKJV)
5 But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some extent—not to be too severe. 6 This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, 7 so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. 8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. 9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. 10 Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Paul wrote about someone who had caused him grief in this passage. He also refers to punishment in verse 6. In this case, punishment means a warning or censure. In the long run, it was a sample of tough love. The results were fantastic because the man, who received the tough love, repented. In verses 7-8 Paul is asking the church to forgive the man and to accept him. He had been corrected, so forgiveness was to naturally follow along. In verse 11, Paul tells us that Satan is always out to cheat a believer out of true forgiveness. He wants to divide and conquer the church, so he will do it in any way he can.

Although I am unsure of Armando Galarraga’s religious background, we can still compare the situation to Paul and the man who caused him grief. The man grieved Paul; he was punished and then forgiven. Jim Joyce surely grieved Galarraga. His punishment was that he had to face the man he had cheated and to endure the harshness of the fans. Armando Galarraga forgave him just as Paul had the church forgive the man who had grieved him.

Jesus is another One who forgives. Whenever we commit sin, all we have to do is ask Him to forgive us and He does. If you go back and ask Him if he remembers the thing you just asked forgiveness, He says no. If you have sin in your life, ask Jesus to cleanse you. If you do not know Him as your Savior, all you have to do is ask Him to come into your heart and believe that He is real and that He loves you. People think it is hard to be saved, but that is one of the easiest things you will ever do and one that is the most fulfilling.

Have a blessed day!
Love in Christ!
~Kim (canam) Fox

By   Mon, Jul 05, 2010

by TalkHunting Member Brad "Hawghunter65" Gordon

Many in the south and a few in the north may have heard of “Godzilla the Hog” but only a small number of citizens in the fair state of Arkansas ever heard of “The Hades Hog.”  Those that know of his existence rarely talk about this mystical hog due to the distasteful details of his life and for the unfortunate few who have run afoul of him and come into close contact with Hades often even hesitate to speak of him.  Hades inhabits and still roams the Ouachita Mountains northwest of the fair city of Little Rock but was also rumored to exist during the Quapaw Indian days according to tribal legends.  Many a long ago brave while out hunting or proving his manhood has lost his life to this man killing hog through a Hades ambush while attempting to obtain bacon, ham and/or tusks from this hog with bow or lance.  No local person in present day has been able to fare any better and many have paid dearly with loss of property, limb or life.  How could a wild hog live to be two hundred years old or older?   Well pull up a chair, get a large drink or beverage and listen to the story I was told recently by two of Arkansas’s fine citizens.

This is but one sordid present day story of Hades that I obtained one stormy night from a pair of hog hunters in the rural town of Sims close to Lake Ouachita in a bar located just inside of the city limits.  I arrived at about 9:00pm that fateful day and stopped after driving for almost 8 hours straight to get a burger and a beer. Shaking off the rain from my coat and umbrella that was coming down in torrents and almost sideways from the wind, which made more driving unsafe in my opinion I entered the establishment.  Immediately, my nostrils were met with the mixture of smells which contained stale beer, cigarette smoke, the odor of hard working men, and wet dogs.  Stepping gingerly to the side of the door I surveyed the room and saw two bedraggled men standing at the bar conversing with the bartender with 4 dogs lying at their feet, two of the dogs were wrapped in several bandages and lay flat on the floor.  The two least wounded dogs rose at my entrance and attached hard eyes at my personage and their lips curled into silent snarls as they began to flank me from both sides with heads down and tails wagging.  The two men turned and one of them spoke but one word to the closing pit bulls, “down.”  Both pits returned warily to their master's feet and lay down gingerly watching me with hard surveying eyes looking for any weakness.

Still standing by the door the other man spoke and said, “Come in stranger and have a drink with us, eat and listen to our story of the day's events we were just telling Clayton the bartender and owner here.”  The same man spoke again and introduced himself as JJ and his fellow companion as Rufus.  I spoke and told them my name was Shelton Keys and I was a free lance writer, and what a surprise it was for me to meet gentlemen of such outstanding character in such a fine establishment on such a dreadful night.  JJ snorted and Rufus laughed out loudly at my statement and then said, “Don’t be so sure of our character there friend.”  “You see we are hog hunters and some folks don’t take kindly to our profession due to our friendly dogs you almost just met here up close and personal.”  It’s a sad night for us JJ stated as we lost many good dogs today due to that Hades hog that our strike dogs found today and Rufus here almost became buzzard bait himself.  Set down with us, get your paper and pencil out writing man, and buy us a couple pitchers of this “fine establishment’s” beer and listen to our tale of woe.  If it’s a story you are seeking you come to the right place tonight on this terrible night unfit for traveling for such a good man as yourself.  The few pitchers of beer has been known to loosen our tongues, but tonight we speak only the truth in telling you this story regarding the hated Hades hog. 

With careful surveillance I eased into a chair at the table they had selected and motioning to Clayton ordered pitchers of beer and a burger plate for me and my new two companions, who still eyed me carefully looking me up and down while accepting gratefully.  The two large pits followed their master JJ and lie down beside his chair like two silent sentries' always on duty and ready for a fight.

We poured mason jars full of draft beer from the pitchers, and both JJ and Rufus drank thirst fully and soon drained without too much difficulty the two pitchers I had ordered.  I caught Claytons eye and ordered again and told him to keep them coming as my two new companions were beginning to relax a little and regard me less suspiciously.  JJ begin to speak and tell me the day's events that had unfolded for them when they had started out at 5:00am driving the back trails of Brushy Mountain in the Ouachita Mountains with their 92 Ford truck carrying their 10 hog hounds.  Rufus was equipped with a .44 Ruger carbine and a .44 Ruger revolver and JJ was packing heavier with his .45-70 rifle of unknown make from his grand pappy and his new .500 caliber Smith and Wesson revolver.  Both men assured me that these guns always had been plenty of hog stopping power in their opinion until today’s events.  About 6:00am while still dark the two men begin their days hunt.  Driving up into the local mountains on a dirt road the two men drove slowly hoping to cut hog sign that had crossed the road.  The two scent striking hounds riding on platforms that JJ had welded onto the trucks front bumpers suddenly jumped off and disappeared off to the left side of the truck leaping down a steep grade barking as they ran.  Rufus quickly released 6 more of the bay pack hounds that ran barking down the steep grade after the scent striking dogs in a full chorus of hound music.  JJ and Rufus parked the truck on the side of the road, grabbed their GPS location on their Garmin's and grabbing weapons loaded up, and then followed the pack’s music with head lights as quickly as possible stumbling at times down the steep mountain grade.  Both men ran with a leashed catch dog each which I learned were the two large pit crossbreeds lying on the floor next to us at the table.  The catch dogs were mostly pit with some American Bulldog cross breeding thrown in to increase their body and leg size.  Improvements noted by JJ and Rufus’s catch dog philosophy of big jaws, immense bite strength to hold a hog with, and increased leg length to get to the hog faster to prevent damage to the bay hounds.

The pack was in full chorus when the first signs of disaster struck, one of the scent strike dogs began bay barking followed quickly by the second striker with the rest of the bay hound pack closing rapidly on the stopped hog.  Rufus estimated the distance at only about 200 yards and was considering releasing his catch hound when one of the scent strikers screamed in agony with the scream being cut off in mid voice.  Rufus and JJ listened without releasing the catch hounds as the hog began to run again and the pack took off in hot pursuit.  Quickly resuming their own pursuit of the chase which now began to go up a mountain side the two men followed.  This pursuit lasted almost an hour with the hog leading the men and dogs hither and dale up and down the mountainside without leaving its familiar home territory.  Again within a few minutes the bay hounds sounded that the hog was at bay and both men could hear the hounds barking rapidly which without the catch dogs released quickly became a full pursuit again of the hog.  The men wondered as this was becoming a unique chase for each as never before had they encountered a hog of this stamina and patience that seemed to be just toying with them and their famous hog hounds of this region.

As daylight broke both men realized after checking their GPS instruments that they were a mere quarter mile from their truck.  Returning to their truck for water and food they both wondered how big this hog was and how it seemingly was able to just stay ahead of them and their catch dogs.  Doubts then began to form in their heads at the length of this chase as it was approaching over two hours in length and the hog had been put to bay twice without even a chance to release the catch dogs.  While at the truck, listening to the hounds they knew the chase had began to develop into more of a straight line and both realized that the hog was heading towards a large river and swamp to try and rid him of the hound pack.  Jumping into the truck and driving as fast as possible with the catch hounds in the jump seat behind them in an attempt to try and intercept the chase before it arrived at the river.  Arriving too late at the river as the hog was faster than them with the straight line it had taken; they heard the hounds baying on a small island in the middle of the river.  Immediately upon leaving the truck again with weapons in hand they observed the sounds of the fighting hounds and hog as the sounds carried easily over the slow moving water.  Several of the hounds yelped in pain as the hog’s tusks met their flesh and the hog squealed in return as hound teeth scored his tough hide more than once.  The men couldn’t release the catch dogs as they themselves could not swim the river and debated among themselves what to do in this situation as they had no boat and none were in close proximity to borrow.  The hog decided the issue for them by tearing through the pack and existing off the opposite side of the island.  Neither of the men had yet glimpsed the hog and again they were frustrated as the hog entered the water swimming away.  The pack followed closely behind just a bit hesitantly from the damage the hog had inflicted on them and they entered the water after the swimming hog.  The pack was beginning to slow as the pursuit had been relentless over tough terrain and at least 3 times the hog had bayed to catch his breath or lure the hounds into his tusks to weaken them from blood loss or injury.  Rufus and JJ now came to the realization that this hog had been hunted by hounds and men before and was intelligent and cunning as he fought a retreating campaign of running, short rests, and inflicting maximum damage to the pack.  He had taken on water by swimming the river and appeared refreshed as he ran deeper into a swampy area of treacherous terrain.  As if to prove them right, he bayed again and the men heard the yelps of the pack as he inflicted head butts and tusk slashes to the hound pack within their hearing range.  Again the fight broke as the hog slashed and bulled through the pack running away from the hounds.  The two men began to wonder if the local legend they had heard from boyhood was true but neither spoke the hog’s name to the other least they jinks themselves.

As the pursuit approached its 5^th hour that morning the men considered their options not knowing how many dogs were left, but hearing their barks estimated that almost 1/3 of the pack was either dead or out of the fight lying bleeding or licking their wounds somewhere in the tough Arkansas terrain they had covered over the last several hours.  Listening to the direction the chase was headed in and looking at a map the men decided to attempt again a cross country intercept if the hog stayed on course they could cross the river at a bridge about 3 miles away and follow a two track into the deep swamp.

Arriving at their destination they were pleased to hear the pursuit less than 300 yards away leading away from them.  Again they grabbed weapons and catch dogs and moving as quickly as possible took up the pursuit of the phantom hog again.  Within minutes the hounds bayed again and rapidly closing the distance as quickly as possible the two men approached the fight in the thick swamp and brush.  Within 50 yards of the fight they released the catch dogs and listened with fear as hounds yelped in pain and the hog screamed in anger from the bites and nips of the dogs darting in and out.  One of the bay hounds grunted in pain and they watched in amazement as a male bay hound was hurled through the air almost 20 yards to crash to the ground disemboweled.

Breaking through the thick cover they came upon a scene they had never witnessed before as they broke the heavy cover they later estimated that the immense black boar hog weighed well over 500#.  Seeing the men enter the opening the huge hog attacked and promptly hurtled through the pack brushing off the two catch dogs as nonexistent and came with tusks lowered straight for Rufus. The pack wheeled after the boar and as Rufus dodged behind a large oak tree the Hades hog attempted to follow and came head on with the rest of the dog pack, hooking left and right he ripped the shoulders of two bay hounds hurtling them through the air to land in the brush.  Hades bellowed with frustration as one of the catch hounds latched onto his right ear and swinging the dog off his feet slammed the dog against an oak trunk dislodging the catch hound by knocking the wind out of him.  Hades wheeled looking for Rufus or JJ to press the battle home to the two men and JJ let loose with the .500 S&W firing one shot at the top of Hades head that had lifted his nose to focus on JJ at about 10 feet.  The huge hog quivered, fell and screaming with rage regained his feet and stumbling came for JJ just as the bay hounds closing on both sides swarmed over the hog.  The remaining catch hound seizing the moment grabbed Hades by the nose and the huge hog went down again in a tangle of dogs.  Neither man could shoot the hog again in fear of hitting one of their dogs.  The remaining catch dog still in the fight yelped with pain as Hades drove one of his bottom tusks through the hound's upper lip forcing the dog to loosen but not lose his grip from the pain in his mouth.  Hades rolling up came to his feet and neither JJ nor Rufus could fire again from the sudden move as Hades regained his senses from the heavy pistols impact.  Hades slashed his head sideways in an attempt to injure Rufus, but he succeeded only in flattening Rufus to the ground along with the catch dog, as Hades and the other dogs swept past both men fighting on the run.  Hades with catch dog intact rolled into another tree trunk putting the catch dog between his great weight and the trunk forcing the other catch dog to lose consciousness and finally his grip from the impact and the pressure of Hades great weight.  The fight disappeared into the swamp as Hades forced himself into even thicker cover, and fighting a cunning delaying action would stop and rush the hounds that would retreat and then press forward when Hades ran.  The men now came to understand with dread that this had to be the famed Hades hog of Indian legends. 

The two men discussed as they ran how the hog could had survived the shot and  came the realization that Hades was almost at their height and when JJ fired he had taken the heavy slug on the top of his head missing the brain due to the angle of the shot.  Listening to the chase and still able to hear the remaining dogs in the fight who were still barking followed by yelps and dog screams of pain the men noticed that the hog was headed back towards the river and taking dead aim at the river’s island again.  The two catch dogs limped back to the men and the two whined nervously as the chase faded almost out of hearing.  Rufus and JJ looked at each other and began to comprehend the gravity of their situation and most of all the serious nature of this chase.  Never before had they hunted a hog of this size and tenacity that possessed the deadliness of this hog to either the dogs or to them.  The hog seemed to be enjoying the chase and not even the worst for wear even with a bullet hole in the top of his giant head.  The sun was at its zenith and the hog was still running, fighting, and weaning the pack down to less than half its original size.  

The men retreated again to their truck and motored down the two track to cross the bridge and hearing the pack hit the island with Hades again stopping to water, fight and rest.  Grasping suddenly if they were unable to catch up again and dispatch this hog, he would eliminate the bay hounds and possibly the catch hounds seeing the way he had so easily fought them, even with a heavy bullet to the top of his head.  In frustration, they listened as the battle on the island was in the Hades hog favor as he couldn’t be reached by the men and could dispatch their dogs or cripple them at will.  Finally, with only two dogs left baying, the hog bailed off the opposite side of the island away from the men and back into the swamp or so it seemed.

The men assessed the situation and knew that at least six of their dogs were either dead or wounded somewhere in the terrain they had covered over the last several hours.  The two catch dogs were beat up and not at their best fighting skills and they couldn’t even catch up now with the remaining two hounds to call off the chase.  Rufus and JJ decided to go to a fellow hog hunters house and see if they could borrow more hounds and see if the hunter, a man called Gates would join and help in the chase.  Rapidly getting into their truck with the two catch hounds in the jump seat they took off bouncing along the two tracks as fast as they could go without losing control of their vehicle.  Finally, hitting the asphalt they sped as fast as their truck would go heading for Gate’s home and his precious dogs they needed so badly to bring the Hades hog to his demise.

Cruising at close to 90 mph down the two lane highway posted at 55 mph they were less than 2 miles from the Gates place when they passed Mama's BBQ pork billboard and you might have known the county sheriff was behind it.  Peeling out in hot pursuit with lights and siren going full blast they were forced to come to a halt just short of their destination.  Try as he might Rufus couldn’t talk his way out of a speeding ticket which was going to be $100 plus court costs according to the sheriff.  Topping manners off one of the catch dogs snapped at the deputy tearing his cuff off when he reached to give the ticket to Rufus and the second ticket given was for not having a deadly weapon under control.  Roughly $75 plus court costs in total.  The Hades hog hunt was starting to now get financially serious with traffic tickets, dog replacement and vet bills coming.  Leaving the scene of the incident, Rufus and JJ drove the speed limit with the deputy following them right to the Gates place.

Now the hog hunter Gates was a rangy tough old son from stock right out of Tennessee.  Gates was a hog hunter who had more experience chasing and killing hogs than either Rufus or JJ put together.  It was told that he was close to at least 70 years of age but even he wasn’t sure as he was born in hill cabin with his father aiding his mother in his birth.  Gates listened to the men relate and tell their tale of the day's events nodding occasionally and spitting streams of Red Man to the ground every few minutes.  Hog men don’t let each other down and finally he said, “enough you two, let’s go kill that Hades son of a gun.”  Relieved JJ and Rufus helped Gates load his truck full with hounds and even put some in their vehicle’s back end with the number coming to about 15 total.  Gates walked over to a separate shed and pen combination and telling the two men to stand back took down two leashes and entered the shed.  Exiting the shed the two men gazed in astonishment at the two dogs that were led out of the shed.  Both dogs weighed at least hundred pounds apiece with the male outweighing the female by over 20 pounds.  The two dogs possessed huge jaws and massive chests with scars of combat covering their heads and shoulders they blinked in the bright sunlight and strained at their leashes.  Rufus asked Gates what they were and he replied, “Argentinean Dogo” toughest meanest hog catch dogs he could afford.  They were of the mastiff family and Gates had gotten them after a past encounter with the Hades hog about a year ago when the big hog had killed his other two pit bulldog crossbreed catch dogs and five of his bay hounds.  Gates carried his favorite weapon for hog dispatching, a 12 gauge sawed off to 20” barrel with one slug in the chamber and 5 slugs in the magazine.   The gun was real serious hog knockdown medicine at close range. 

It was past 2:00 pm and close to 90 degrees in the shade when the men in their two trucks arrived again deep in the swamp stopping upstream from the bridge and hearing only a single hound in pursuit listened as the chase appeared to be slowing down considerably from previously in the day.  They decided to release the 15 bay hounds with Gates and JJ following the hounds with the new catch dogs, and Rufus heading for the river's edge where he thought he knew the swamp crossing that the Hades hog was using to swim to the island to fight the dogs and thin the pack.  Things seemed to be going as planned when suddenly Gates and JJ heard the giant boar stop to fight deep in the swamp almost 300 yards away.  The fight was a crescendo of violent noise assailing the ears as hog and hounds tore into each other.  First, the hog would squeal in pain and then a hound would yelp or scream in pain as the Hades hog dished out terrible punishment without mercy cutting the numbers down of the new pack that pursued him.  Gates and JJ almost got to the fight when the hog broke from the fight hearing them crashing through the thick cover and water attempting to get close enough to release the two dogo catch hounds.  Hades ran for another couple of hundred yards and again a fight ensued with this pattern repeating itself for the next couple of hours.  Gates was beside himself as his pack was being systematically cut to pieces by either maiming or killing them by the Hades hog.  Both he and JJ couldn’t get quite close enough to the fights to release his catch hounds as the Hades hog seemed never to tire and seemed to pick his defensive positions without mistake which allowed him each time to melt back into the swamp before the men arrived.  Finally, Hades circled and broke again for the island passing Gates and JJ just out of sight in the thick cattails as if to mock them even more at less than 50 yards.  As the pack swept past in hot pursuit, Gates knew that less than half of his original pack remained and some of his best hounds that were left were wounded as they were still game but bringing up the back of the pack.  The men followed as fast as the terrain would allow hoping to push the Hades hog to Rufus who was waiting in ambush.

Rufus hearing the chase start to come his way had climbed a small tree on the rivers bank for a better line of sight and waited with anticipation with the loaded .44 carbine.  His plan was if conditions allowed him to catch sight of the giant hog, he would start shooting and not stop until out of ammo or Hades was down fit only for bacon making or smoking hams.  Rufus figured with the toll that Hades had cost them in hounds and money, that a hog with multiple gunshots wounds in his vitals would be small payment for all the damage incurred this memorable day.  The chase closed within less than a 100 yards and Rufus knew he had guessed correctly on the trail that Hades was using.  Slowing raising his carbine he thumbed off the safety and watched as the brush and grass jerked as Hades approached along with the pack.  Suddenly, the remains of the pack and Hades were at the base of the tree in full engagement, with Hades constantly backing into the small trunk of the tree he was in which forced Rufus to hang on for dear life without shooting.  Hades, whirling left and right inflicted damage to any dog that got within the range of his tusks.  Spinning around without warning, Hades looked Rufus right in the eye and ran full speed into the tree causing Rufus to lose hold of his beloved carbine and grab the trunk with both hands.  With a hate filled glare Hades rammed the trunk again trying to dislodge Rufus from his grip and put him under his tusks.  The remaining five dogs still in fight pressed forward and one of the females grabbed Hades by a hind leg causing the hog to drop and roll to the ground right next to the female and ripping upward disemboweled the gallant bay hound in one swipe.  Letting go of Hades the female was finished and the rest of the pack retreated back a few feet.  This allowed Hades to come back to the small tree and standing on his hind feet was able to reach almost 8 feet off the ground, Hades quickly surprised Rufus by promptly ripping a deep gash in Rufus’s lower right leg almost 12 inches long and to the fibula bone.  Rufus let out a scream that Gates and JJ even heard and Hades with almost a snarl on his face dropped to the ground and entered the water for the island. 

The remainder of the pack followed swimming respectfully almost 25 yards behind Hades and upon reaching the island Hades drank gazing at the slower swimming pack as they swam closer battling the rivers current.  Hades turned away from the pack and shaking the water off his hide listened while retreating to Rufus still hollering for help and trying to hang on and tie a belt with one hand around his lower leg to slow the bleeding.   Hades eased about 20 yards into the island’s defensive position he knew so well and waited for what was left of the pack.  The pack burst up onto the island without drinking and plunged into Hades at full speed with the instincts that were bred into them from generations of their line.  Hades attacked the pack lead dog and bowling him over slashed another dog from shoulder to flank.  Whirling to and fro like the demon he was and with his incredible speed he opened his mouth and grabbed the lead dog that was down by the throat and tore his throat open when he flung the dog to the side. Only two injured bay dogs now remained and with valor both fought side by side as Hades dispatched them without mercy quickly and efficiently within a minute of each other.  All three men heard the pack go silent and knew what it meant.  Gates began to cuss and curse Hades to damnation and worse realizing his pack was not just out of commission but dead.  Hades surveyed the carnage he had created that was left on the island from this and the other previous fights, and seeing Gates and JJ arrive to assist Rufus who was still bleeding profusely in the tree watched for a few minutes and then left the island away from the men.

Arriving on the opposite shore Hades shook himself, drank long from the river and then deciding to cross the trail looked up and down the two track.  Trotting down the two tracks towards the bridge he spotted the men’s two trucks and watching closely for any sign of the men approached the two vehicles warily.  Rufus and JJ’s two catch dogs in the cab of the first truck watched with hatred as the immense hog trotted up their truck and Hades ripping his head sideways promptly deflated both tires on their vehicle.  The two catch dogs were beside themselves and began to bite large chunks of Rufus’s truck seats away in frustration not being able to get at the hog.  Hades hatefully glared at both of them and putting his front feet on the truck running board pressed his snout against the window and showing his tusks blew mucus and saliva at the dogs.  This of course incited the dogs further and they renewed their efforts at the truck’s seat destruction.  Hades then went to Gates truck and disabled two of its tires for good measure.   Returning to the other truck and ensuring that both catch dogs were watching promptly lifted a hind leg and urinated over the driver’s side door and running board.  Satisfied with his deeds of the day Hades then plunged into the cover next to the two trucks and disappeared ready to fight another day with only a few dozen canine puncture marks in his tough hide and a headache from the heavy pistol bullet that he incurred previously this renowned day.

It was almost 5:00pm when the Gates and JJ were able to carry Rufus out of the swamp after crossing the bridge and arriving at their trucks.  The three men began to curse with vigor when they saw the flattened tires and only two bay hounds left that even wounded had found the trucks. Rufus howled as loud as his hounds when he saw the destruction of his truck seats and began to curse even louder than before.  The straw that broke the camel’s back was the large puddle of damp hog urine still on the running board and in the dirt beneath the driver’s door.  The day’s toll had been enormous in dogs, property destruction and monetary sums yet to be determined for the men.  Gates swore that if it was the last thing he accomplished on this earth it would be to turn loose his catch dogs on Hades and eat his liver.  Rufus and JJ glanced at Gates and were believers in what he said but both weren’t so sure themselves if they ever wanted to tackle Hades again.  Rufus reminded the other two men that a doctor was probably needed soon in his future to repair and stitch up his leg before Hades killed him with either blood loss or infection.  Quickly the two uninjured men took the tires off Rufus’s truck and replaced Gates deflated ones and throwing the six remaining dogs and Rufus into the bed of truck headed for the local doc’s office.  This promptly started a dog fight with the two pits attacking one of the dogo’s of Gates and Rufus’s leg restarting to bleed badly again with the dogs fighting over the top of him in the truck bed.

Hence, now past 2:00am of a new day this fateful tale of the Hades hog ended with Rufus and JJ downing 10 pitchers of beer with 6 whiskey chasers between them, 4 burger and fry baskets, and the remaining 4 out of six dogs present that had survived a double patty burger sandwich with mayo each all on my bill.  Both pit catch dogs in their gratitude still snarled with curled lips when I approached them with their burger reward.  That’s appreciation for you, pit style. Believe it or not, all you have to do today is travel to Sims and look up Rufus and JJ for validation of this account.  Oh, by the way I counted the fresh stitches in Rufus’s leg and he’s right, there were 217 of them and with enough IM penicillin on board, beer, whiskey chasers, and Vicodin available for his pain he did feel like a new man.  JJ just shook his head and smiled at his friend.  Clayton kicked us out after last call at about 3:00am and told me he had a small room in the back for a small fee of $50.00 as he was concerned about my welfare as I shouldn’t drive after my minor consumption of alcohol.  He didn’t even seem slightly concerned about Rufus or JJ’s alcohol consumption or their welfare though.  Lastly, he reminded me the breakfast bar was at 8am for again only a small token of monetary value and then I could be on my way.

By   Sat, Jul 03, 2010

by TalkHunting Member David "KraQr" Culver

I have always wanted to treat myself to a hunt in a known trophy area. This year I will get that chance.

This will be my first time actually doing a semi guided hunt with an outfitter. I am extremely excited and can't wait for it to get here. I have researched the area extensively and the timing coordinates with another hunt I will already be on in NE Arkansas. This will greatly help in traveling over to Kansas.  This will make it a 5 hour drive vs. a 17 hour drive from Florida.

With an outfitter you are paying for an experience.   This will be a chance to sit in the woods in a blind or stand with the hopes of seeing a deer. Hopefully a big monster deer for me to take home and will become the start of my trophy wall. You can check success rates, talk to references, look at statistics, and track past weather patterns but in the end it is an experience that you are paying for. No one can guarantee you a big deer unless it's in a pen or drugged.

Do I want a trophy? Absolutely I do. I have hunted for a long time and still have no "wall hangers" to show for it. I want a bragging wall too like so many of my friends; I want a display of my conquest. I want to have a token of my efforts and the thought that I had the ability to conquer the wild.

But, if I don't find that trophy all is not lost. It is not the outfitters fault (hopefully). It's all about the hunting experience. Deer patterns change, weather can change, food sources change, some things you just don't have control over and Mother Nature has a mind of her own. I cannot wait until that opening moment in that stand with my senses peaked and my nerves anxiously waiting to see what stands beyond the darkness or behind that bush.

I am as excited as a kid at Christmas to be in SE Kansas in a blind this fall. Cold, Hot, Raining, or Snowing, I will be perked up with eyes wide open and looking around like a raccoon in the trashcan. I am hoping for an opportunity to score big.
But if not, I will have experienced a day of peace, a moment without phones ringing, cars screeching, and TVs blaring. A moment as nature had intended. At peace, relaxed, having a moment of enlightenment that can only be achieved while not having a worry in the world.

I'm coming to SE Kansas Mr. Buck. While I will enjoy every single moment of quietness, peace, and tranquility that nature has to offer, I hope I get to interrupt that serenity just for one brief moment with a loud bang from my gun and a crashing into the woods. The smile that will forth come will be equally as enjoyable as anything nature can share with me.
Again, I'm coming Mr. Buck, I'm coming very soon.

By   Sat, Jul 03, 2010

by TalkHunting Member Steve "Labsteve" Hearing
Hunters Edge Labs

Well here it is the middle of summer and so much to do. Our precious hunting partners are enjoying their time off and we are busy with all our summer activities. Vacations and house projects are first and foremost at this time of year with little thought of the upcoming seasons of bird hunting.

Don’t wait until August to all the sudden come to the realization that either you or Fido is prepared for the upcoming season. If you haven’t been following a regular training regimen, now is the time to get ready!

First, evaluate the general health of your dog (and yourself). Fido has been eating and lounging around a lot and probably has put on a few pounds. Obesity in hunting dogs leads to all kinds of health issues and can put an end to a promising hunting season before it gets going. A checkup at the vet (or the doctor) before restarting training exercises is a good idea.

Second, I start with my own pre-training evaluation. I start with the basics, heel, sit, stay, wait, and come to see what my buddy remembers and how he is going to obey. In many cases, I see faults and have to correct those before going on to more training.

Third, after correcting any basic faults, I start with basic retrieving drills, singles and doubles.  Once these are being done with the usual accuracy, I move on to training drills such as the wagon wheel configuration of throw dummies.

Since it is usually hot here in Michigan in July, I try to only work my dogs in the early morning and late evening to avoid overheating. I have plenty of water available and limit training times to around 15 minutes. Because I have labs and they spend a lot of time with me hunting waterfowl, I try to include as much water retrieving as possible. It is good practice and helps keep the dogs cooled off. Be sure to watch your dogs for any signs of heat exhaustion and quit work as soon as any symptoms are noticed. My dogs have a huge desire to train and will not quit unless I make them even when their tongues are dragging on the ground.

I always start my training off slowly and work up until I get to the level that I feel the dog is capable of. Just because your buddy quit last season acting perfectly is no guarantee that he will pick up where he left off. Bringing your dog back up to the last season’s excellence can take months and should not be rushed just so you can hunt next weekend. This will inevitably end in disaster and frustration.

On another note, I also am spending this time scouting for wheat and corn fields that will be prime time during the early goose season. I make contact with farmers and secure hunting rights for that season if birds do appear. Developing those relationships is not just a hunting time activity. The decoys that I should have painted and gotten ready still have not been touched. I wait for a rainy day and try to get those knocked out before I need those on opening day.

Remember, now is the time to get ready. Don’t wait until the last minute to get ready and your hunting season will get started off right. 

By   Sat, Jul 03, 2010

by TalkHunting Member Jan "Yledaf" Fadely

I could barely hear Dick Stull, over the noise of the old ratting school bus, as he asked for the third or fourth time, “Come on let me go with you to the old barn.”  “I’m just going to check the traps under the corner of the floor where the foundation is broken and then walk on home from there,” I told him.  “I know,” he answered, “but I’ve never seen a live coon up that close before and I’m sure you probably caught him last night.”  “Well, that was my plan anyway, when I set the traps there.  He’s a big one too.  Lucky I saw him going into that hole on the way home from squirrel hunting a couple of days ago,” I replied, adding “the hide should be worth ten to twelve dollars now that it has gotten colder.  Come along then if you want to go.  “Charlie,” I hollered over the noise, “let us off at the old net drying field please.”  Charlie replied, “You know I’m not supposed to do that.  You’re supposed to stay on the bus until we get to the transfer place at the old school.”  “Yeah, but you’ll do it for one of your favorite students, right” I asked.  “Just don’t make a habit of it and I hope you get that big old coon.  Save a lot of little pheasants and rabbits if you do,” he answered somewhat gruffly, trying to sound stern and proper. 

Charlie was the custodian and bus driver for the old Catawba Island, Ohio, 1st thru 8th grade school that Dick and I had attended up until that year.  It was 1947, my freshman year in high school, in Port Clinton, Ohio, and that, now required us to ride back and forth every school day.  It was a ride of about 10 miles one way and it took a lot of after school time away from us, but living on Catawba was well worth that slight inconvenience.  We were privy to loads of outdoor activities right out our back doors, hunting, fishing, trapping and just the ability to enjoy nature that the kids in town didn’t have at their fingertips.

I had spotted that old coon sneaking into the hole under the corner of the old barn, long abandoned by some forgotten farmer, two days earlier while heading home from squirrel hunting in Beaver’s woods, about a half mile north of that barn.  I had noticed tracks of a really humongous coon in the woods several times that fall.  I figured he’d go at least twenty pounds and his hide should be about prime, as it was early October and we had experienced some cold weather for a few weeks.  I was looking forward to showing his hide off to the traveling fur buyer when he came around later that winter to buy my stretched and dried hides.  I had started trapping in earnest two years earlier the first winter after my parents purchased a twenty acre peach orchard on Catawba Island, in the summer of 1945.

Our neighbor who owned the orchard across the road from ours was Ira Sexton, a white haired, blue eyed, tough old man in his seventies that really resembled Santa Claus.  He was born on Catawba, was a farmer, former market hunter, shooting 100’s of ducks per year then salting them down and shipping them in wooden barrels to the New York City markets, and was my mentor and tutor.  He taught me how to set my traps after giving me about fifty of his since old ones he no longer used them.  He showed me how to make dry land sets for coon, fox, and mink using homemade stink baits to attract their attention and how to make open water and under the ice sets for muskrats, our main source of hides. 

In his trapping and hunting hay day, they also use fox terriers or other small dogs to sniff out muskrats in their den holes within the banks of the shoreline, creeks, etc.  The dogs would dig into the holes and normally, the muskrats had an escape hole allowing them to enter directly into the water rather than coming out onto dry land.  When the muskrats would swim out from the den the men would spear them using a spear made out of a long six foot quarter inch steel rod, with a three or four foot wood handle, that was sharpened to a fine point.  They did this also through the ice until it became too thick to penetrate.  The first muskrats I ever saw were swimming under about one inch of clear ice the first freeze up in 1945, on a small pond in our orchard that we used for spray water.  I ran down the road to Ira’s house to ask him what they were and thus began my education and long time association with this fine gentleman.

World War II had just ended when I started trapping and the fur prices were very high for three or four years after.  In 1945, I was receiving $5.00 for a prime muskrat pelt and $1.50 for a small one we called kits.  This price held up until my junior year in high school and I never trapped again after the prices dropped down to about $1.00 for a prime muskrat.  It was great while it lasted.  My father was working as an industrial engineer along with having the orchard during those years and during the 1947-48 trapping season I made almost as much money trapping as he did working all year as an engineer.

After getting off the bus, Dick and I trooped through the weed field, jumping a couple of cock pheasants and some meadow larks on our walk to the barn.  The cackle of a rising cock bird always startled me as they rose into the air and that sound still rings in my ears today.  Their speed always amazed me causing me to miss many times over.  Those birds are history now as their habitat has been taken over by marinas along the shorelines, condos, trailer parks and sub divisions taking away other areas where they once thrived. 

Finally arriving at the hole, we were excited to see the old piece of firewood that I had nailed the chains on the traps to, as a drag, pulled right down tight across the opening.  “Man, you’ve got him,” yelled Dick.  “Well you don’t have to wake the dead over in the cemetery,” I answered.  “I can see for myself, you know.  Let me see if I can pull him out slowly and not get him too excited or mad.  Right over there under that apple tree is the old maple rocker arm I use to club them with.  I hid it there when I set the traps.  It is smooth and doesn’t damage the hide.  Get it for me,” I directed him.  “Be right back,” he answered.  “Dick, you pull the log and traps out of the hole slowly and I’ll club him as soon as his head is clear,” I said.  “No way,” he responded, “I’m not going to get bit by that thing.” “Thanks much,” I replied, as I took the club from him while slowly easing the log back from the hole.  “Looks like he’s got two feet in one trap and two in the other,” Dick mused.

“Hey,” he muttered, somewhat startled and apprehensive, “when did coons come in black and white?”  “Oh heck,” I responded.  “It’s a skunk not that coon!”  By this time, I was holding the log at arms length, chest high and the skunk was tangling down with his head very close to some things that were very precious to me.  “Oh well,” I went on, “they can’t spray you when their feet are off the ground someone told me.”

With that brilliant comment the skunk, with a definite and forceful message, let me know that my astuteness and wisdom was flawed.  As a foggy spray filled the air, our nostrils, eyes, and saturated our clothes and shoes with a perfume that only a skunk could love, I knew that I was really in the doghouse this time.  I had on my new letter sweater, new corduroy pants, and ankle high boots, all now smelling like a road killed skunk that has filled you car with fumes so strong that it makes your eyes and nose run uncontrollably.
Dick was jumping around like a wounded rabbit screaming and hollering, “I’m dead, I’m dead.  My dad is going to kill me.  I’ve got on the only pair of leather good shoes I own.  Fadely, this is you fault,” he added, with his lower lip quivering and jutted out so far I almost couldn’t see his nose.  “Well, you begged me to come along,” I responded through my coughing and wheezing.  “But I thought you were going to catch a coon, not a skunk,” he whined.  “So did I, but I’m going to kill him and skin him out anyway.  Get at least five dollars for him.  Here hold the log while I club him over the head,” I instructed. 

Well – that didn’t work out too well either.  At the whap of the club the old skunk let go another barrage and now we were really floating in skunk oil.  “Nuts to you Fadely, I’m out of here,” said Dick, as he dropped the log, skunk, traps and all and took off running for home.  I continued to club the skunk until I was thought it was dead, threw it into a old gunny sack I had hidden along with the club and started walking on home.  By now I could smell absolutely nothing and I thought to myself, “Gee that skunk spray doesn’t last too long.  Guess it’s going to be okay after all.” 

Was I surprised at the sound coming out of my fathers red face when I walked into the kitchen at our farmhouse carrying the skunk in the bag,  “What the "censored Word" have you got in that bag?” roared my dad.  Being a somewhat typical smart aleck 14 year old, I answered, “A wood "censored Word" and it shot me!”  “A what?” my dad asked again.  Just then the skunk decided to let dad know firsthand and sprayed inside the bag.  “Take that darn thing out and get rid of it!” dad screamed at me.  I ran out the door to the middle of the back yard and started to dump out the skunk.  “Way out!” dad hollered.  “Take it down to the grape vineyard.”  Needless to say, supper that night was eaten in the dining room, not the kitchen and even that was not too pleasant with the odor still lingering in the house.

Well, my guess about being in the doghouse was correct.  I slept in the barn for the next three nights on an old army cot set up in the empty haymow, until most of the smell wore off.  Dick’s mom washed his only pair of leather shoes in tomato juice and buried them in the backyard for two days trying to get rid of the smell.  He wasn’t allowed to attend any assemblies at school for the rest of the semester as every time his feet got hot and sweaty, out would come the skunk odor.  As for me, I had remembered too late the wisdom imparted to me by old Ira, about skunks, some time before.  He had said, “Son, if you ever get a live skunk in a trap, don’t hit him over the head.  It’ll just make him mad and he’ll cut loose.  Hit him hard over the middle of the back breaking his spine.  That way he’ll not be able to spray you.”  Well – those words of wisdom momentarily forgotten had certainly led to another doghouse day.  Not for the first time and definitely not the last.  But more about that will have to wait for another time.

By Robert Householder   Fri, Jul 30, 2010

We give away prizes each and every month! Our sponsors donate tons of prizes and we, in turn, give it all away to our forum members every month.

Prizes donated by our sponsors are given away to our active members by drawings every month. To qualify, you only need to be an active "Spike" member on our forum with 50 or more posts (see rankings). The more posts you have, the more drawings you are eligible for.

Here are the July 2010 Prize Winners drawn from our forum membership. To see what they won, visit http://www.talkhuntin.com/main/prizes/  and match up the prize pack numbers.

Congrats Winners!!!!

JY1001 - tncowgirl
JY1002- savagegal
JY1003 - honesttjohn
JY1004 - whtelk
JY1005 - ordindy1
JY1006 - HUNTINGNY

By Robert Householder   Sat, Jul 10, 2010

TalkHunting, in association with 180 Outdoors, is hosting 2 turkey hunts in the great state of Kansas at 180 Outdoors in April of 2011. These turkey hunts are heavily discounted and only TalkHunting members are eligible. There are 11 total spots available and are on a first pay, first reserve basis. This is a great opportunity to hunt in Kansas for a very low price as well as a chance to spend some quality time hunting with other TalkHunting members.

(BOOKED UP) The first 3 day Hunt is scheduled for April 15 - 17, 2011 and will be for a total of 6 TalkHunting members. One of the six will be the winner of the Turkey hunt we are giving away in December of 2010. The remaining 5 spots will be available to TalkHunting members for the incredibly low price of $480 each. This price covers lodging and meals for the member and allows the member 1 turkey harvest.

An additional fee of around $100 for the license and tag will have to be purchased once you arrive in Kansas. If you would like to attend this hunt, a deposit of $240 must be paid before January 31, 2011. The first 5 members that pay their deposit will be locked into a slot. See details at the bottom of this page on how to reserve your spot.

First Hunt:  (BOOKED UP)
April 15-17  2011
1 of the 6 slots remaining
Confirmed Attendees:  Dec Winner, Hunt Master, wvwhitetail, Bugfixer, SRHunter, Snortweeze

The second 3 day Hunt is scheduled for April 29  - May 1, 2011 and will be for a total of 6 TalkHunting members. These 6 spots will be available to TalkHunting members for the incredibly low price of $490 each. This price covers lodging and meals for the member and allows the member 1 turkey harvest. An additional fee of around $100 for the license and tag will have to be purchased once you arrive in Kansas. If you would like to attend this hunt, a deposit of $245 must be paid before January 31, 2011. The first 6 members that pay their deposit will be locked into a slot. See details at the bottom of this page on how to reserve your spot.

Second Hunt:
April 29 - May 1  2011
6 of the 6 slots remaining
Confirmed Attendees:

Click here to reserve a spot and come hunt with us!

By Robert Householder   Sat, Jul 10, 2010

Come on a Trophy Deer Hunt in Alabama with Hunt Master at Old Spanish Fort Hunting Camp

Come deer Hunt with Robert "Hunt Master" Householder in Alabama!

TalkHunting is giving away 1 bow only trophy deer hunt in Eastern Alabama through TalkHunting outfitter, Old Spanish Fort Hunting Camp. Will you be the lucky member to come hunt with me? This will be an exciting deer hunt at Old Spanish Fort Hunting Camp where the bucks are everywhere! It will be a great time and while we wish everyone could come, only one lucky member will be drawn....

This hunt will include lodging for Friday and Saturday night with some serious deer hunting all day Saturday and Sunday.

Outfitter: Old Spanish Fort Hunting Camp

Hunt Dates:  November 5 - 7  2010

Limits: 1 buck (135 or larger) and 2 does per hunter

Winners will be drawn: Sept 1st 2010

The winner will have to supply:
Transportation to and from Old Spanish Fort Hunting Camp in Holy Trinity, Alabama
An Alabama Hunting License (out of state 3 day license is $120. License buyers born on or after August 1, 1977 must have completed a hunters safety course. License can be bought upon arrival in Alabama or online)
All food and drinks (cabin has a kitchen)
Bow & Safety Equipment

Click here to Enter into the Drawing:

By   Mon, Jul 05, 2010

By Bill Winke

Even though my family owns more land, the best hunting on our farm the past three seasons has occurred in the 40 acres around our house. It’s almost bizarre how many big deer we have seen and shot in that small area, even though we live in the house and have two young children who play in the yard almost every day during summer.

The biggest shed from the farm, the largest deer I’ve ever seen from a stand and the biggest buck my high-school buddy Mike Sawyer has ever shot came from that 40-acre block. Unbelievably, I spent the better part of two seasons hunting that measly 40 acres and was there almost every day. It never went bad.

I think there are four reasons why it has been so good.

Food, food and more food

Because I spend so much time around the house, working from a home office,

I naturally see the most — and often the biggest — deer in this area. It’s because I am looking every day. I guess I tend to concentrate food in the places where I have been seeing big deer, so naturally, the cream-of-the-crop food plots end up in my back yard.

When we moved into the house and bought the farm (so to speak), there was only a small two-acre plot in this 40-acre area. It was played out by early November — just enough to give deer some idea that they could occasionally find food there. The first thing I did was add another 21 acres of food. Every open field on the 40 acres had standing crop or Imperial Whitetail Clover planted the next fall. That really pulled the deer the first winter, and they definitely knew they had found something special. I knew that, too.

One thing you quickly notice about deer when you start planting food plots is how much their lives are governed by habit. It is interesting how the same family groups use the same trails and feeding areas from one year to the next. You can put in a new plot, and they seem to miss it the first year, even though it’s only 100 yards from other plots they have used heavily in the past. But by the second year, you will notice they are hammering it just as hard as others.

In most areas, it takes about a year for the deer to fully incorporate a new food plot into their daily movement patterns. But after they do, deer will flock to that area every year at certain times. I was talking with a friend about that recently when he smiled and said, “I used to feed the deer shelled corn on one of the properties I owned. I did it during the winter after the hunting season so they would be using the farm more during antler-dropping time. They would flock in there every December and stay through March. Then I stopped feeding them there. They still flocked in and stayed until March for two more years before they gradually stopped showing up.”

I am getting to an important point: They will learn to come to your back yard gradually through a couple of seasons, but after that becomes a part of their routine, they will come as much out of habit as for the food. You can create a captive audience of deer simply by making your back yard the center of their universe. You do that largely with food.

When I increased the acres of food in that area, it fully ingrained this pattern. Even after I started to plant food on other parts of the farm, deer still used the area around the house consistently.

I’m going to come back to what I think you should plant and where you should plant it in a bit. First, let’s discuss the other two reasons why I think the back yard is so good.

Sanctuary

Two blocks of timber straddle our house. We rarely hunt these, so they serve as mini-sanctuaries within the 40 acres. Although they don’t hold very many deer, they hold a few, and they produce security for other deer that come and go. I’m not sure why. Maybe they like to keep an eye on us, but the biggest bucks often show up very close to homes. Possibly that’s just a matter of common sense. People usually don’t like to have gun-hunting near their homes, so these blocks of timber go almost unhunted and undisturbed.

We try to use the property, but the children have been young enough until now that they didn’t roam the woods much during summer, so the deer had those areas to themselves. I have even seen bobcats when hunting the edges of those sanctuaries, so they are like little pockets of wilderness within an otherwise tame world. As the children get older, I expect these woodland pockets to be infiltrated by pirates, cowboys and bank robbers. Then, the hunting will suffer, but that’s fine, too.

I’ve done a lot of timber-stand improvement in the areas around our house.

I figured that if the deer were lying there looking at us every day (and us looking at them), they wouldn’t hang around for very long. So I hired a small crew, and we cut down all the junk trees in those woods near the house. That was four years ago. Now, those areas have the thickest cover on the farm — and some very productive oak trees. That provides much improved security for nearby deer.

The back yard is also good because we don’t have a roaming dog. In fact, we don’t have a dog at all. If we get one — and our son is asking for a puppy — it will not be the roaming variety. We might use underground fencing to keep it confined to certain areas, but it will not roam the woods. That would be a surefire way to keep deer out.

Better Hunting Strategy

When you only have a small area on which to focus, you tend to hunt it smarter. If you don’t, you soon see nothing. When we bought the house, we had a limited amount of acres, and I learned to hunt them very well. I spent dozens of hours during the off-season trying to figure out the best places for my stands and the best entry and exit routes so I could get in and out of that small area consistently without spooking deer.

I used ditches, tree lines, the levee of the pond below the house, the children’s swing set — you name it — to cover my comings and goings. I remember telling my friend how to find one of my stands, and he started laughing. It went something like, “You sneak around the end of my shop, get down low and keep the LP tank between you and the corner of the yard ... .”

You get the picture. It is much easier to come up with the ultimate hunting strategy when you’re focusing on a small area.

In other words, if you want to have great hunting in your back yard, you must hunt it very carefully and spend the time needed to devise a foolproof plan. They are still wild whitetails, and they still react to intrusion by changing their behavior. As long as they are moving naturally, you have a great chance of shooting one, but after they become defensive, the jig is up, and deer become nocturnal.

Most hunters know how to play the wind when hunting a stand, but many make the mistake of not paying nearly enough attention to the route and method they use to get in and out of that stand. When hunting a small area, the entry and exit is much more important than the stand location. You must learn to hunt the stand so as few deer as possible — zero is best — ever realize you’re hunting them.

Sometimes, you must be creative. I use ditches a lot to sneak in and out of my back-yard honey hole, and I use the nearby county road a lot because deer are used to some activity in that area and ignore it. By creative, I mean you must find ways to use normal human activity patterns — ones deer have come to accept as nonthreatening — to camouflage your travels. Deer get used to these disturbances and don’t pay them any mind.

Though I hunted several areas of North America, including some great spots,

I saw the biggest buck of the 2003 season within 200 yards of our house. When he showed up, the children were fighting in the back-yard play area, and my wife, Pam, stepped out on the deck to yell at them. The buck never even looked that direction. I almost laughed. So much for the pristine hunting experience.

Unfortunately, the buck’s movement that day didn’t bring him within bow range, but it was an important lesson. Deer ignore disturbances after they get used to them. I guess the children fight often enough in the back yard that the buck could ignore it. Hmm, maybe these deer know more about our children’s habits than we do.

Here’s another example: Suppose a neighbor goes out every day at a certain time to cut firewood on the property bordering you. He might often mention seeing deer that trot away from his approach. No doubt, they drift back quickly after the chainsaw grinds to a stop and the truck or tractor pulls away. It’s routine, so why shouldn’t they? If you could ride with him when he goes to cut wood, there’s a great chance you could climb into a sensitive stand in a bedding area that you would otherwise never be able to hunt. Let him bump the deer out naturally, and when he leaves, you will be there to greet their return.

Stuff like that is fun to devise, and it works amazingly well. Anything you can do to match normal human activity works great. After all, it is a back yard. Deer have patterned the people. Put that to good use.

Also, consider exactly where you sit when hunting your food sources. Because everything is compressed, you don’t necessarily need to sit right on the food. In fact, it makes sense not to in most cases. Instead, set up on travel routes where deer will be past you and out of sight when it’s time to climb down. Otherwise, you must arrange for a diversion to move the deer off the field naturally so you can sneak away.

You might be thinking that a diversion — such as someone driving up on an all-terrain vehicle — that nudges the deer off the food source so you can sneak out is the best strategy. It is, but only if used very sparingly. Deer might tolerate a little of that without changing their patterns, but you can’t get away with that every evening. They don’t like to be disturbed, and if it happens regularly, they will simply wait until after the ATV comes and goes before they step out to feed. It’s better to hunt the deer far enough from their food so you can get out of there quietly and undetected when it’s time to quit.

What to plant and where to plant it

I could write a book about this if I were smart enough. It’s a vast subject. But I’m going to sidestep the blizzard of sophisticated options here and just focus on the basics. You need summer food and winter food. As long as you have both in good supply, you will turn your back yard into a feed trough. Again, keeping things simple, Imperial Whitetail Clover is an ideal summer food. Deer will flock to its tasty, high-protein leaves. When it comes to winter foods, a combination of Imperial Winter-Greens and basic agricultural crops — such as corn and soybeans — are great choices.

Just a word of caution: Don’t plant corn unless your plot is big or your deer density low, because deer will wipe it out in midsummer, and you won’t get any winter food for your investment. By the way, Imperial Clover is way better for deer than corn during the critical summer antler-growing months.

Now, let’s tackle the question of where to plant. The simple answer is any place you can. Your back yard is only great if there is food there. The standard equation is to plant up to 10 percent of your hunting area into food plots, but if you can plant more, you will be rewarded — especially during the late season, when neighborhood deer have few other options. I probably have about 20 percent of my back yard in food plots right now. Some years, it’s as much as 30 percent. When we bought the place, I put 50 percent of those 40 acres into deer food — every acre of open ground I could get. No wonder the place became a deer haven within one year.

If you have limited acreage, the best way to overcome that disadvantage is to plant tons of food. Ideally, you will have something very attractive for deer to eat all year without a day when the grocery shelves are empty. I would plant a third of my acreage in summer food — such as Imperial Clover — and two-thirds with winter foods, such as a combination of Winter-Greens and other winter sources.

If you have enough open acreage that you can choose where to plant, focus some of your most attractive food sources in hidden corners where deer feel safe coming out in daylight. Otherwise, just plant everything you can. It is a very good use of your deer-hunting budget.

Here’s the kicker

The ideal whitetail world doesn’t have to be confined to your back yard.

You can create it anywhere. In fact, if you break your hunting property up into 40-acre units and then manage and hunt them in the focused method I’ve described, you will learn that every part of your property can be as good as your legendary back yard. In fact, you will soon have far more great stand sites to hunt than you have time to hunt, which is a good situation.

Unfortunately, human nature suggests that we often take the easy way out when we think we can get away with it. We tend not to do this much work on a large scale. We might go to the ends of the earth to keep deer from detecting us when hunting 40 acres around our house, but we might walk to and from stands by the easiest route when we think we have the luxury of burning out that stand and moving to the next. That’s fatal thinking. It produces sloppy hunting and sloppy deer management. Sloppy hunting rarely results in trophies.

Much of the reason that our back yard has been so good is all the food deer have learned to find there. It’s the neighborhood breadbasket. However, it has also been good simply because I have hunted it more carefully than other areas of the farm. That’s a lesson I will take to heart and apply everywhere I can. My back-yard success might be a good lesson for you, too.

Printed with permission from the Whitetail Institute

By   Mon, Jul 05, 2010

By Neil Dougherty

As a professional wildlife consultant I am faced with the task of improving the quality of deer on land across the country. Looking back at hundreds of thousands of acres of properties, one universal problem can be found on most of them —too many deer for the amount of food produced within the property. One solution that most land-owners recognize is to plant food plots to increase the amount and quality of food.  However, although food plots are one of the best management tools, they alone are not the answer when it comes to managing a property correctly. Most landowners fall short when it comes to producing or enhancing native food sources. Native foods represent half of a whitetail’s diet. One often overlooked key to successful property management is to dramatically increase the quality of native foods.  Not only will it make your deer healthier it will also enhance your hunting.       

First off, let’s get one thing straight. Deer are eating machines. Each whitetail will consume between one and 1.5 tons of food annually. Let that sink in for a moment. The 10 deer you just saw on your food plot are consuming in the ballpark of 24,000 pounds of food annually. It’s no wonder that most deer landscapes suffer from overbrowsing.   

It’s important to understand that most of a deer’s food exists within six feet of the ground. Deer feed on forbs, leaves, grasses and browse stems. Hard masts like acorns are also a favorite, as are soft masts like apples, lichens and mushrooms. The first one to three inches of new growth on a branch or twig provides the best browse; the first inch provides the most digestible protein, and the farther down the stem the deer eats the poorer the food quality. Stemmy browse contains a high percentage of hard-to-digest lignin; it is of little benefit to deer. Although deer require browse, the average protein level is quite low for most forms of native food. For example, red maple is a highly preferred browse species. Based on plant analysis from our New York research facility, the average protein content of red maple browse is around five to six percent. That’s a far cry from the 16 to 18 percent protein deer require in their overall diet. Think back to the 10 deer on your food plot. Some 12,000 pounds of their diet will average below 10 percent protein. This protein deficiency more often than not results in reduced capability of maintaining above-average body weights and antler sizes.      

When limbs within reach of deer are repeatedly browsed off, trees shift their growth energy elsewhere, and new growth sprouts above the deer’s reach. The food source disappears or worse, dies. To see this condition in the extreme, examine woodlots where livestock have fed. Virtually nothing is left at ground level. When you see condition like this in the woods, you have real herd management problems: too many deer, too little food. Natural regenerating brambles and young tree stems are all very good food sources, but they grow at ground level and require lots of sunlight to prosper.  Sunlight is the key, but an over-abundance of deer can eliminate browse in even the sunniest areas. 

You can keep track of browse impact on your own property by erecting a browse enclosure in the woods. Fence off, with a six-foot fence, a 25-foot by 25-foot area of woods that have recently been opened up. Be sure the area around it is in the same condition. Deer will browse around it, but the inside will be untouched. If your deer density is high, in a matter of months you will begin to see the difference and in a matter of years the cage will be thick with brush while the areas outside of the cage will remain “brush bare.” If your deer numbers are “under control” the outside of the cage will not be dramatically different from the inside.

Constant monitoring of the deer’s impact on the forest is one way to develop a doe harvest strategy for a property. If your deer are negatively impacting your forest then it’s time to harvest a few does. Keep in mind that every time a doe is harvested nearly 4,000 pounds of food will not be consumed the following year. If you find that a few of your camp buddies are reluctant to shoot does, try locating the woods exclusion-cage where all the hunters can see it. This will make them aware of the impact deer make on native habitat and can motivate even reluctant shooter to get with the doe harvest program. 

Evaluating browse use helps estimate the amount of food available in your area.  The next time you are in your woods, measure the amount of browse consumed by your deer. Look at a plant and see if the one-inch tip is browsed off or if three or four inches of stem or twig are torn away. The entire stem might be consumed by deer during a severe winter or during a severe drought. If you find gross browse consumption, you need fewer deer and/or better food sources. Increasing the amount of deer browse helps correct the problem. When you produce enough browse tonnage and other sources of nourishment such as food plots, your deer will begin to use only the tips of the stems of woody plants growing in the woods. 

Growing-season browsing is often an indication of too many deer or not enough low-lignin food sources like Imperial Whitetail Clover. Planting more food plots and/or logging roads will often help correct this problem. Remember, land managers want their deer eating high-protein food sources during the developmental months, March through August.    

The best time to evaluate browse impact is at the end of the growing season.  Woody plants browsed during the growing season typically start to rot at the site of browsing. As the tip of the plants dies, it starts to dry and rot back to the main stem. The more time that expires after the browsing event, the more stem rot is in evidence. Nipped stems dry at different rates across the country depending on temperature and moisture.  The following can be used as a rough guide in most parts of the country. Nipped stems dry rot at one-quarter inch in30 days; one-half inch in 45 days; one-inch in 60 days. Use this scale to determine when a stem was nipped.  If you find heavy mid-summer browsing, you should be concerned as deer normally are light browsers during spring and mid-summer. The tons of browse consumed during the summer months will more than likely be much lower in protein than the daily average needed to generate large healthy deer. In this scenario of over-browsing, planting more high-quality food plots and reducing deer numbers will pay huge dividends in a relatively short period of time. 

Wildlife habitat should be thick enough to make it difficult for people to walk through, and almost impossible to sneak through. Brambles and underbrush hide deer and make noise when people move through, allowing deer to slip out the backside unseen.  Concealing cover can be anything from timbered treetops or underbrush near a small rise or ridge, to a dense stand of pines or spruce. A quick escape route helps deer feel comfortable in these areas. From past experience deer prefer to stay within sixty yards of thick cover so they can disappear in two or three seconds. Native food also plays into a hunting strategy.   

Deer, like fish, are drawn to structure. The fish structure analogy is helpful when thinking about deer. If you have a wide-open, one-dimensional forest or woodlot, you must drop trees and create structure. Plants will grow where daylight reaches the ground, producing different levels of growth and cover. When creating structure, first consider creating areas around natural or existing food sources. Mapping out a structure plan will allow land owners to enhance deer movement patterns on their property. If laid out correctly, the plan will help you pattern bucks as they move from cutting area to cutting area and then to your food plot. Many hunters experience success hunting directly over areas where trees have been cut down. Newly-regenerating growth in freshly-timbered areas represents important food sources for whitetails.    

Aggressive cutting creates what I like to call “browse-cuts.” These are akin to clearcuts, but because clearcuts have developed a bad name, I prefer to call them browse-cuts. Browse-cuts are also smaller than clearcuts, which got their bad name because they often cover 100 acres or more. 

It is difficult to remove too many trees in a browse-cut. More often than not, landowners are too conservative with the saw, and leave too many trees, which shade the ground after a year or two of growth. I prefer to drop almost all the trees in the cut, from 18 to 20 inches in diameter down to small saplings. Many trees can be converted into saw logs or firewood but we always leave some cut trees behind, especially treetops. It might be more important to get structure into the area than to harvest every stick of firewood.  Leaving treetops in the cutting area is the quickest way to create ground structure. Tree tops also keep deer from browsing young and tender regenerating shoots. By the time the tops rot, young trees have established root systems and are better equipped to handle heavy deer browsing. 

Another technique used to thicken up an area is to create living brush piles.  Living brush piles are created by dropping small trees or shrubs without cutting them clear through. This is done by felling small trees with a cut that doesn’t sever it from the stump. The tree will lie on the ground and remain alive for perhaps a few years, providing thick cover and nutritious browse. Shrubs and small trees in the 2-4 inch range respond better to this treatment than do larger trees. This technique is often referred to as hinge cutting. Hinge cutting is a great way to maximize the amount of food tonnage and provide cover for wildlife.

Native food plays a critical role in developing the ultimate deer property. As a consultant I look at a forestscape and develop a number that represents the amount of food available to deer per acre. Poor properties with dense, sun-robbing tree canopies can have as low as 150 pounds of food per acre available for deer at ground level. Deer are forced to spread out to neighboring properties in order to find enough food to survive. Even with food plots, this type of terrain will struggle to maintain higher-than-average body weights and antler sizes and will maintain lower than average deer numbers. On the other hand, by using some of the above listed techniques the amount of food per acre in managed sections can increase to well over 1,000 pounds of food per acre. Food-per-acre numbers that high, coupled with food plots will hold more deer on a property and help ensure that animals have the best types of food sources available. Bigger healthier deer with smaller home ranges will result, and that’s a recipe for better hunting.

Printed with permission from the Whitetail Institute

By   Sat, Jul 03, 2010

This is a story not only of a young man’s “Outdoor Wish” coming true, but about the generous outdoor folks that make each child’s dream come true.  Young Tanner suffers from Leg Perthes which affects the growth of his left hip and has required multiple surgeries to help him just to be able to walk. After many surgeries, Tanner has had to learn to walk all over again.
 
The Shriners Hospital contacted Benefit4Kids when they learned about the young boy’s dream to be able to hunt something other than the Illinois deer. Ron Salee, a B4K affiliate in Illinois contacted the president of Benefit4Kids, Al Baggett and they both set off to find an outfitter to provide Tanner with an Elk hunt. Due to some unforeseen issues, the elk hunt fell through. Benefit4Kids then went to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (REMF) for some help. Dick Anderson, the owner of Ridgerunner Outfitters LLC, was concerned about the tough terrain that would be required for an Elk, but so he came up with another alternative, a bear hunt. Tanner eagerly agreed.

Ron Salee, his family, and their local conservation club went to work raising money to help support Tanner who is only the second wish kid from IL that Benefit4Kids has worked with. They were able to help raise over $6,000 dollars to help offset the cost of the trip. September arrived and Tanner and his parents arrived in Idaho’s Clearwater National Forest for the bear hunt. Local organizations and businesses had heard about Tanner’s Outdoor Wish and also stepped up with support, gifts, and souvenirs for his trip. Tanner’s hunt began and after a miss on Thursday, Tanner was successful with taking a nice adult Black Bear weighing over 200 pounds the following day.

This is just a typical story about how businesses, organizations, and individuals support Benefit4Kids and help provide “Outdoor Wishes” to terminally ill and life limited kids nationwide. To find out more about Benefit4Kids or to read other of the wish kid’s stories, go to www.B4K.org.

Benefit4Kids is a 501(c)3, 100% non profit, 100% volunteer organization with its primary mission to provide “Outdoor Wishes” to terminally ill and life limited children nationwide.

By Steve Hearing, Benefit4Kids

By Kolpin Powersports   Sat, Jul 03, 2010

Some say patience is a virtue, I think it is a blessing. Though I have been hunting since I was legal age to do so, I never have gotten that “trophy buck”. Don’t get me wrong, I have placed my tag on a few nice (and tasty) whitetails and I even won the “Big (little) Buck” contest in eighth grade but I had never experienced that rollercoaster of emotion that hits you square in the forehead when your arrow finds its mark. That is until now – let me tell you how family, management practices and too much patience finally paid off.

This year marked my fourth year bow hunting and I hoped that this season I would finally arrow my first buck with the bow.  I need to explain that my “buck-less-ness” was not for lack of trying as my fiancé Randy has been managing our leases for the last several years and has always put me in the best stands depending on wind, scouting and such. No, my “buck-less-ness” was all of my own making - you see I am too patient and have been ribbed for it many of times over the years. I was teased earlier in the season for passing on a small basket 6 pointer as I needed to just get one under my belt. I admit that I felt a bit of regret after letting him pass by, but I think I would have felt more regret for taking him before he had a chance to grow into the trophy we’ve been managing for. Now, if we were in desperate need of venison for the freezer my internal debate would have had a different outcome. This has been the same story for the three previous seasons. My patience didn’t have anything to do with waiting for Bullwinkle; nope I was just waiting for the opportunity when I felt it was right. In the meantime, I have been entertained by countless squirrels, fox, and coyotes and of course a few dandy whitetails that never came within range.

Prior to the opening of the WI 2009 Archery Season, my fiancé Randy decided that a new food plot was needed on a 50 acre piece we lease. Before we got to work we did a soil test and then contacted Whitetail Institute as we have been utilizing their Imperial Clover in our management practices for years and wanted some professional feedback on what seed would be the best choice for this location. Due to the other food sources available on the property, we determined that Whitetail Institute Wintergreens would be the ideal food source to hold the deer on the property once the corn was harvested.

Now it was time to get a little dirty and get to work! Because of the size of the plot and access, we used our Honda Rancher ATV and Kolpin Dirtworks system to work up the virgin soil and prep it for planting. For both Randy and I this part is almost as fun as the actual hunting – who wouldn’t enjoy hopping on an ATV and tearing up some dirt?

Finally the 2009 Wisconsin archery season was upon us … countless hours of practice with my Mathews bow over the summer and I was definitely ready to go! The first month of the season brought one passed opportunity on the 1 ½ yr old 6 pointer that I mentioned before and only a handful of does even close to being within range. It was starting out as a strange season for Randy, I and the rest of our hunting party as we just weren’t encountering any of the deer we had been patterning in the late summer and early fall, actually we weren’t encountering ANY deer. Blame it on the crazy, wet weather or all the standing corn – either way it was rather discouraging. 

As our season continued into late October, I tried to remain hopeful that the upcoming rut would expose the deer herd I knew existed and the wintergreens we planted would help hold them to our property. Randy continuously set me up in the best stands throughout our property in hopes that I’d finally be in the right place at the right time. The time finally came, but my patience and inexperience were a handicap. I was set up in a pine tree overlooking an opening in the woods about 100 yards from our wintergreen food plot. I had never sat in this stand before and was unsure of which direction the deer tended to travel through the opening, well I learned quickly when a very large heavy buck surprised me over my left shoulder. He slowly walked a trail right to me but I swear he was staring into the bottom of my soul with every step he took! I was able to get my release on my string but not able to pull up my bow to draw as he continued to glare right at me (or so I thought). I let him pass in hopes that he would continue on the trail right underneath me and I would have an opportunity to draw and get a shot off when he reached my right side. Needless to say that was not what he had in mind and he disappeared underneath me at a split in the trail that I did not know was there.

After close that evening I told my tale to Randy and realized I had probably missed out on my chance of having a trophy buck within range because I was once again too patient.

A few nights later I was finally able to get into the stand again. Randy was determined that I get another opportunity to close the deal and set me up in the oak stand that overlooked our new wintergreen food plot. As I settled into the stand I was doubtful that I would see anything with all the noise coming from the lake houses that sat back only 70 yards from the food plot. But once again Randy knew what I didn’t, he had noticed with the cold weather that the deer had begun to feed heavily on this plot and that the neighborhood noise would not be a factor as the deer were accustomed to it.

With plenty of time to think in the stand I was determined not to let myself be schooled by a big buck again, so I used the range finder to determine my shot range and began to wait. All of a sudden I noticed movement across the wintergreen plot in a gap of tall grass … it was antlers, very tall antlers and they were attached to a monster buck! As the adrenaline began to flow everything I had been taught kicked in – I knew the buck had no clue I was there so I steadied myself in my stand and got my bow ready, now all I had to do was wait. And wait I did … ‘his majesty’ (that is what I have nicknamed him by this point because of his regal rack) decided to just hang out at 60 yards for what seemed like an eternity but in all reality was about 15 minutes. By this time I had calmed myself down and was fully prepared if he decided to come my way, and if he didn’t, well I had just spent an evening in the stand watching a magnificent whitetail so it was a win-win situation either way. Finally, a young forker stepped out of the scrub brush about 35 yards in front of me and began to make his way along the edge of the plot right to me. This was all the incentive ‘his majesty’ needed and he finally began to make his way around the food plot on the same path as the young buck. The young buck walked right past me at 20 yards and entered the woods and trail that wrapped behind my stand … now the game was on.  I figured ‘his majesty’ would continue on the same path and that would put him right in my shooting lane. With the branches in front of me as cover I pulled back and waited for him to step out to my left. Seconds felt like hours when he finally stepped out in front of me, I softly grunted and he stopped almost broad side at 18 yards. I was ready and I felt good so I let my arrow fly and heard a smack that I swear sounded like a rifle hit. I looked up to see my arrow sticking out of him as he quartered away and began to run around the other side of the food plot and back through the gap he entered in. Through tree branches I could see him stop for a few seconds in the green field then take off again. I heard him enter the corn with a loud crash and that was it.

This is where the rollercoaster ride of emotions truly began for me. Sitting there I replayed the last minute in my head, I knew I had hit him and was confident when I let my arrow go but I kept seeing that arrow sticking out of him and then no arrow when he turned so I began to think I must of hit him square in the shoulder and the arrow just fell right out. I berated myself up and down for having the perfect opportunity and screwing it up, and then I prayed that I did not wound this beautiful animal. This was not what I expected to be experiencing after shooting at the buck of my life. I sat until a few minutes before close then got down to see if I could find my arrow – sure enough there it lay, but only about half of it! The broad head and about 7” of my arrow were missing, I had even blown my knock right of the shaft. The adrenaline started pumping again so I headed back to the truck to wait for Randy as he had been hunting another part of the same property. While I waited I called my father to explain what happened and get his advice (plus I was just itching to tell someone about ‘his majesty’). As fathers tend to do, he calmed me down and explained that the arrow was probably sheared off when the buck turned and that it sounded to him like I made a well placed, fatal shot. Now I was actually shaking - did I place a good shot or not? Did I get him or not?  I think I was beginning to talk to myself out loud because Randy approached the truck looking at me like I was crazy. I quickly explained to him what had transpired and a grin began to creep across his face. He decided we should give the buck an hour or two and go get the lanterns ready.

The next hour and half were the longest of my life as I retold the story about 5 times and prepared to track my deer. The extensive search party of Randy, myself, my father and several friends was assembled and ready to go, seems everyone was as excited as I was at the prospect of tagging my first buck with the bow. I lead the way to where I had left the half of my arrow and explained the path I watched the buck take. As we entered the green field where ‘his majesty’ had stopped we finally found a few specks of blood. This was the next crest and plummet on my rollercoaster of emotion … I figured the lack of blood meant a shoulder hit for sure and that I may have only wounded him. My father decided to cross the field to see if he could find where the buck entered the corn field and sure enough he did.  Shining in the moonlight was bright red, bubbly lung blood smeared all along the corn stalks, as you have probably figured out by now I had just rounded another corner  on my emotional rollercoaster and was flying high again.

The entire search party moved forward through the corn while I stood at last blood. While they searched to for a clue to the buck’s course, I realized that there was blood on both sides of me in the corn. I relayed the message to my friend Jack and as he lifted the lantern to peer over into the next row, there lay his majesty three feet to my right in the fence row! When I heard him hit the corn he was taking his finally steps, he had gone only 100 yards. The first words out of Jack’s mouth cannot be repeated, but let’s just say everyone was as surprised as I was at how beautiful this buck really was. 

The next hour or so was a blur as I was congratulated, pictures were taken and ‘his majesty’ was transported home. But I will not forget in those moments the pure joy and pride I saw on my father and Randy’s face when they realized that my patience and their support finally paid off – big time!

The rollercoaster ended on a high note for me - what an awesome evening and great memory. All the time spent putting in food plots, clearing stands and being patient in the stand paid off. That is what all the work is for – harvesting a healthy, mature buck – and my first buck with the bow is a something I will never forget.


Sarah "KolpinLady" Hudzinski