SHOOTING FOR THE STARS

By: Travis Travillian (Pro Staff at Kentucky Outdoors Shop)

October 3rd 2015

’m always online looking at these big whitetail

deer everyone is getting to show off. But the

truth is... I’ve NEVER killed a deer, not even with

a truck. It’s not that I’m a bad hunter, but I set a

very high goal for myself. It has to be a Buck. I

don’t believe in killing doe’s, fawns, or even

spikes. My uncle introduced me to the world of

hunting. Taking me squirrel hunting and Turkey

hunting. He took me deer hunting a couple of

times and always said, if you see a buck shoot it,

leave everything else alone, let them reproduce

and grow. It’s called Wildlife Management, and

your uncle bobby would hate to get up this

early to unlock the gate for a small deer. I’ve

passed up many deer with in shooting range,

just to feed my addiction to killing The Biggest

Buck in Laurel County Kentucky. If that means

that I never get to kill one then fine. But deep

inside of me wants to get one, and I think it’s a

lot worse holding that down than the big buck.

I’m 26 years old and I know I have plenty of

time to get one. Especially what happened last

year. I always hunted my uncle’s massive farm,

and I’ve spent a lot of money in Corn, and other

deer feed or attractants in the last 5 years, Just

waiting for a big buck to come to me. It’s the

saddest story of my life so far. In the morning in

fall of 2014 I got called into work... As a

Corrections Officer I am committed to go in as

expected of me, so I ended up missing the hunt.

After work I drove out to my uncle Ricks house

and as I walked into the garage I seen this

massive 12 point buck hanging upside down

being gutted and skinned. I said WOW that’s a

buck! And the reply and laugh I got back was,

Yeah Shawn killed it at Bobby’s. Then it hit me

like a ton of bricks. He killed my deer. After

getting some details before I showed my

frustration learning he killed it about 85 yards

from my tree stand. I then decided to not spend

another dime hunting bobby’s farm. Now in the

2015 hunting season I am hunting in my back

yard in the woods behind my pond. I wrote in

another article that after moving into a new

place and not seeing a deer all year long, I

bought some Wildgame Innovation’s Deer Corn

and a bag of powdered Deer Cane. I put a trail

camera out and made a THROW-N-GROW food

plot for this fall. I have a Doe and a yearling

fawn in my spot every night, and some time’s

day. Maybe I am a selfish but I now see the

Irony of my ways. I don’t want to kill either one

of those deer. I want the buck that is going to

be chasing after her when the rut comes in. I

have a crossbow that is currently under repair

at the archery shop down the road from my

house. It should be done in a few days. I also

have a .223 if the rut comes in later than

planned. I will get a buck. It may not be the

biggest in the county but I will get one.

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The Solunar Effect on Whitetail Deer

Article from: http://www.deerfeedingchart.com/

Most deer hunters agree that the moon

and sun have a tremendous effect on

deer activity and feeding. Major

feeding times occur when the moon

peaks overhead and when the moon is

directly beneath a location on the

Earth's surface. When major deer

feeding times coincide closely with

sunrise or sunset, an optimal scenario

is created for deer hunters due to

increased deer movement during the

best hunting hours.

Get the most out of your deer hunting

time in the woods and enter your zip

code above to get free deer feeding

charts for your location. The charts

will forecast deer activity and show

you the best days and times to hunt

deer. Days when a major or minor

feeding time occurs close to sunrise or

sunset will have a higher rating. Days

when deer feeding times occur further

from sunrise or sunset will have a

lower rating.

Many Solunar forecasting services

choose the new and full moon periods

as the best times to hunt, however,

during these periods, major feeding

times are always in the middle of the

day and deer are often nocturnal.

Based on our experience in the field,

we designed our Solunar charts to

focus on lunar periods with major

feeding times near sunrise or sunset.

You will notice that these periods

occur when the moon is

approximately 25% or 75%

illuminated.

Using Solunar data is only one factor

in deer hunting success. Remember to

pay attention to buck activity, signs of

the whitetail rut, wind direction, and

local weather conditions. Good luck

and be safe on your deer hunting

adventures!

Train Your Dog to Recover Deer

By: Jason Houser

Unfortunately, not every deer shot by

hunters will be easy to recover. Maybe the

hit was too far back or too high. Perhaps

there’s not much blood sign to follow. I

learned many years ago that there is still a

very good opportunity to recover your shot

deer by letting your dog follow the sign to

your prize. Yes, this might sound weird, but

a properly trained dog just might be the

extra help you need.

Why can’t a dog be trained to follow the

scent of deer blood? The answer is that he

can. With just a few minutes each day in as

little as one month, any dog, no matter the

breed or size, can be trained to be a

bloodhound. The trick is to train your dog to

follow the scent of blood, not the scent of a

deer. You do not want your dog chasing

every deer it smells.

A dog wants nothing more than to make his

owner happy. There is no question that a

dog that is well cared for and treated with

respect 365 days a year is more likely to

perform well for his handler the few times

you might actually need him.

Start the training by teaching the dog basic

commands like stop, stay, and slow. It’s

good to be able to control the dog while in

the woods. After your dog has mastered

these commands, it’s time to start training

your dog to trail blood.

I start working with my dog a couple of

months before deer season begins. I use

blood from a deer that was killed the

previous year that has been kept in the

freezer. (Blood can be kept in an air-tight

container in the refrigerator for several

weeks or in the freezer up to one year. Shake

well before using.) A couple of days before

you are ready to start training, take the blood

out of the freezer to thaw. By the time

hunting season rolls around, your dog will

be more than ready to trail the scent of

blood.

A hunter has two ways to obtain the blood

for training. Either from a previous kill, or

blood obtained from a butcher shop. Drop

the blood for a couple hundred yards or so

along a trail in a zigzag fashion. Use more

blood when you first start training your dog

than what you will use as the dog advances

in his training. At first, you might have to

use as much as two pints. As your dog gets

better as a bloodhound, a few drops every 7

to 8 yards is enough.

When starting out, use a short lead that is no

more than 10 feet long to control your dog

while on the trail. Keep your dog calm by

rubbing him and talking to him in a gentle

voice.

Allow your dog to smell the blood. If you

have to put the dog’s nose down to the

blood, do it. But be gentle. Repeat the

command “search” a few times. Eventually

he will be able to associate the word search

with the smell of blood. Let your dog follow

the blood trail while you control the pace.

Do not let him run. A slow walk is best until

the dog has trailing understood. Continue to

follow the blood trail until the dog has a

grasp of what it is supposed to be doing.

Just like when you take a young child

hunting, you don’t want to let your dog get

bored with the experience. If the dog is no

longer having fun, he will not want to go

back out and try it again. As soon as the dog

shows that he’s tired, stop for the day.

The dog has to know when he’s reached the

end of the trail during the training. Saturate

a rag with deer blood to simulate a dead

deer. Place the blood-soaked rag at the end

of the blood trail. When your dog finds the

rag, reward him. Pleasing you pleases your

dog. When he knows how to make you

happy, he’ll want to do it again and again.

Work with your dog 15 minutes a day for a

month. By the end of the month, your dog

will be pretty darn good at the art of trailing

deer. Two months of this and he will be as

close to perfect as you can hope for. After

your dog has been out of action between

seasons, remind him of what to do by having

him run a couple mock blood trails.

While on the blood trail, if your dog starts

moving erratically, his tail stills, and he

stops smelling the ground, chances are that

he lost the trail. Take your dog back to

where you know there is blood and let him

go at it again. When he begins to bark and

growl, your deer is close by. Keep in mind

that the deer still might be alive, so be ready

for a follow-up shot.

While you’re hunting, make sure your dog is

well cared for. Supply your dog with a bed

and blanket for comfort. Keep this in the

floor of your truck while you are hunting.

Your beloved dog is sure to be thirsty after

spending time on the trail. Have water

available for your dog when you return to

your vehicle so he can quench his thirst. A

dog that is warm and well rested will

perform better when the time comes, much

more so than one that has been left out in the

cold.

This is a new approach to find a wounded

deer. Other hunters may think you’re a little

nuts at first. This will quickly change when

they begin to see the results. It won’t take

long for your dog to be the most popular

amongst your hunting buddies. Don’t be

surprised if your friends unexpectedly want

to babysit your dog one night shortly after

sunset.

Faked N.C. State “Record Buck”

By: Travis Travillian (Pro Staff at Kentucky Outdoors Shop)

I’m sure all of you have read or heard about the North Carolina man who claimed to have killed

a state record non-typical, white-tailed deer with a bow. The man’s name is Nick Davis and he

admitted to faking the news and actually going as far as screwing in a set of antlers from

Pennsylvania on the deer killed in North Carolina.

Nick Davis, of Elkin, N.C., admitted to N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission officers that the

story was 100% a fake, according to The North Carolina Sportsman. A week after that story was

broken by the Sportsman magazine; it has reported more developments about the situation that

gives legitimate hunters a black eye and a little angry.

During its investigation of the case, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission officers

charged Mr. Davis with four state violations. They claim he used a rifle during archery season to

kill the young deer that was used in the ruse with the fake antlers. Nick Davis also killed a deer

in the 2014 season but did not report it as per state regulations. He also was charged with

unlawful possession of an illegally killed deer.

Wildlife officials were flooded with telephone calls and emails from hunters who doubted the

story. Once officers began investigating, they uncovered the unreported 2014 buck and obtained

confessions about the illegal activities from Davis. This is a bad thing to do. The antlers and the

body didn’t even come close to matching up, and I don’t know how N.C Wildlife Officials

missed it in the beginning. Nick did accomplish one thing… All the attentions he wanted, He’s

getting. I hope nothing like this ever happens again. That’s not hunting Nick… It’s Poaching.

And that kid is very illegal.

This is what a

fake is. Below is

a dead deer

with fake

antlers.

10 Reasons Why You Aren't Finding More Shed Antlers

By: Mark Kenyon

February 25, 2015

Want to Make the Most of the Shed Rally? Use These Tips.

While the end goal is to find one of these, they aren't always located in such an easy-to-find

location.

Shed Envy. It’s a common condition felt this time of year by avid whitetail hunters across the

country and it has the potential to reduce productivity at work, spoil appetites and ruin an

otherwise good day.

The cause? A lack of shed-hunting success, followed by frequent viewings of the monster sheds

your friends are finding and posting on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. And that trend is about

to get a whole lot more active when the Shed Rally kicks off on March 7 -- see below for details.

If you find yourself stressing about the possibility of enduring another case of shed envy this

year, we’re here to help. With the advice of a few expert shed hunters, we’ve compiled this list

of 10 reasons why you’re not finding more sheds. Study up and then hit the woods. And, this

year, you just might be the envy of the Rally.

Reason 1: Lack of Focus

A surprisingly large number of people fail to find sheds simply because they’re not really

looking. Sure, you might be out in the woods "hunting" sheds, but I’d venture to guess you’re

spending a lot of time talking to buddies, looking at rubs, watching for deer running in the

distance or checking your iPhone.

Todd Pringnitz, founder of Wicked Tree Gear and a guy known for finding Iowa sheds, has

noticed this mistake often.

“I’ve shed-hunted with a variety of hunters over the years and some of those have been

wanderers,” Pringnitz said. “But I’m more methodical, and I can’t tell you how many sheds I’ve

found within 20 feet of someone else’s boot prints. You have to be methodical, unless there is

just no sign, and then it’s time to move fast until you find sign again.”

Reason 2: Your Timing Is Off

Shawn Luchtel, co-host of Heartland Bowhunter, believes many shed hunters don’t find more

sheds because they are simply looking too early.

“I run my trail cameras year-round to constantly monitor deer patterns and to see how the herd is

looking. This also gives me a great idea of when the majority of the bucks have shed,” explained

Luchtel. “Looking for sheds too early is a mistake for a simple reason. If sheds aren’t on the

ground yet, you won’t be finding them. Also, looking too early can possibly spook the deer to

neighboring properties, giving them a chance to shed elsewhere.”

Reason 3: There Aren't Any To Find

You can’t find sheds if they’re not there, and, like it or not, that's the simple reality.

Some properties lack the habitat quality needed to hold deer during the late winter months when

antlers drop. That said, it’s important to be realistic about what kind of deer are living in your

area and to adjust your shed-hunting expectations accordingly. If your only shed-hunting spot is

on a small, heavily hunted parcel in Michigan, you’re likely never going to find as many sheds as

someone hunting on a managed parcel in Iowa. If that’s your situation and you’re serious about

finding more sheds, you might need to start traveling to more shed-friendly areas.

Using optics and looking from different perspectives can help you find more sheds.

Reason 4: You’re Looking for Full Antlers

You’re not finding more sheds because you’re looking for antlers, full antlers to be specific. This

might seem counterintuitive, but think back to when you first started deer hunting. When you

first started out in the woods, you were likely searching for a full deer in the middle of the

timber, and many times you wouldn’t spot a thing. Eventually though, you trained your eyes to

register the flat line of a back, a flicker of a tail, or the black and white pattern of a deer’s face

and nose. Once you began looking for pieces of deer, your sightings skyrocketed. The same

principle applies to shed hunting. It’s not often that you’ll be able to see a full antler sitting in the

open, instead you’re more likely to see just the tip of a tine sticking out of the leaves, or the

curve of a main beam in the grass. Train your eyes to look for these parts of an antler and you’ll

be much more likely to spot sheds in the real world.

Reason 5: You’re Not Focusing On Food

If the area that you’re shed-hunting isn’t located near a primary winter-time food source, you

simply won’t have deer spending time there and that means you won’t be finding sheds.

If you want to increase shed-hunting opportunities for future years, keep this in mind when

planting food plots on your ground and make sure to provide adequate winter nutrition. Another

option could be supplemental feed.

“If legal in your state,” explains Dan Perez of Whitetail Properties, “supplemental feeding can

help hold deer on your property during shedding season and give deer a much-needed boost

during late winter when food is scarce. Just like food plots, areas near supplemental feeding sites

are great places to look for sheds.”

Reason 6: You’re Not Using A Dog

If you’re not using a shed-hunting dog, you’re missing out.

According to Jeremy Moore, shed dog trainer and founder of the DogBone Shed Antler Training

System, “a shed dog can literally cover the number miles you walk times ten.”

"A dog’s nose is estimated to detect and process scents between 1,000-10,000 times better than a

human nose, and when trained properly, a shed dog will locate and retrieve sheds by using both

their noses and eyes," he said.

Not every property has what it takes to produce shed antlers. But those that do require a

systematic approach to the hunt.

Reason 7: You’re Looking in the Wrong Spots

Many first-time shed-hunters hit the woods with the goal of walking every square inch of a

property, but then burn out before they can accomplish the goal.

Their mistake is trying to look in all of the spots, instead of in the right spots.

“Deer typically shed their antlers in the places they spend the most time – those being bedding

and feeding areas,” Heartland Bow hunter’s Michael Hunsucker says. “Late season deer tend to

group up in these areas, as they concentrate on whatever food and cover remains available.

Concentrating your efforts on these spots, as well as trails in between, can be an effective

strategy for finding more sheds.”

Reason 8: You’re Not Changing Your Perspective

It’s amazing what you can see when you take a look at things from a new perspective. This is

true in everyday life, but also when shed-hunting. If you only ever look for bone at your natural

eye level, you’re likely to miss a lot of sheds. Try changing things up and you’ll be surprised at

what you might see.

Stand on top of a downed tree, and get that higher perspective. Crouch down in the catcher’s

stance, do some scanning, and see things from down low. Occasionally, this new perspective,

with a little luck, will bring a hidden shed into view.

9. You’re not utilizing Your Optics

Shed hunting isn't much different from actual deer hunting in that there are certain pieces of gear

that will greatly improve your chances of success. For shed hunting, high quality optics are

probably the most important of these items.

“Having a quality pair of binoculars can help save you time when you spot a potential antler

from afar, eliminating the need to walk all the way there to confirm whether it’s a stick or bone,”

said Hunsucker. “Driving and glassing agricultural fields with your binoculars can also be an

effective way to cover large amounts of ground in a short time.”

Heed this advice and let your binoculars do more of the walking for you, you’ll find more sheds

and save energy for the walking that you do need to do.

Reason 10: You’re Not Walking Enough

Some people seem to think that if they walk a woodlot for an hour or two, they should find a

boatload of sheds, but that’s just not going to happen for most people. Shed hunting isn’t easy

and to really stack up the sheds, you need to put in serious time and work. To find piles of sheds,

you need to walk lots of miles. When all else fails, just keep walking.