A Camera’s Killer Sense: Trail Camera Pictures from the Field

Trail camera pictures clutter my computer’s desktop and congest my electronic photo library; thousands of whitetail pictures filed into hundreds of archived folders, which are then saved to several sub-folders. I’ve managed to sort through the good, bad and the ugly to find some of my very favorite images of 2011.

Below you will find some neat snapshots taken from a slew of Moultrie cameras at a good friend of mine’s whitetail outfitting operation. Mark Schuh, owner Schuhter’s Outpost in Buffalo County, Wisconsin – where big buck photos are of plenty has made trail cameras his virtue and prized possession to putting his clients on mature whitetail.

Early seasons bucks are simply incredible. Their sleek muscular body combined with the light summer coat and fuzzy antlers makes for a stellar shot, especially if he has headgear like this buck shown above. This near 200” buck was photographed throughout the entire summer and into hunting season before making a presence on some lucky hunter’s wall last year. This particular photo of him was captured during a morning as he browsed through one of Mark’s hunting plots consisting of Evolved Harvest’s ProVide, a mixture of forage clover and chicory.

The next photo is of a deer I was lucky enough to kill during the Wisconsin archery opener. He was nicknamed “High Tower” and for a good reason. This 4-½ year old production of Buffalo County’s very finest had skyscraping tines that blossomed out of his gnarly main beams. His knack for deception and clever skill set deemed him one of the most sought after trophies on Mark’s deer infested farms.

We were able to capture him on trail camera several times before sneaking into his living room with perfect wind conditions and successfully put an arrow into him at 20 yards. I’m now able to look at the handsome shoulder mount on my wall and share fond memories with friends thanks to analyzing photographic evidence of High Tower’s uncanny travel patterns chronicled from a stealthy trail cam.

My last photo of choice is Mark’s late season muzzleloader kill. This 11-point Boone & Crockett animal loved the camera, but duped every hunter that tried slapping their tag on him. During a fresh snowfall and severe drop in temperature, I was able to film Mark killing this world-class whitetail after pinpointing where he was the night before by checking cameras.

Trail cameras provide an immense amount of data about whitetail’s daily characteristics and lifestyle trends. It’s almost like breaking into the mystical culture of North America’s most popular big game species. I find it even more alluring that photos script into unforgotten memories, which tell stories. I will always find a photograph to be truly spectacular in so many ways. I urge everyone to use these tactical devices to help improve your own hunting insight and increase the storage on your very own memory bank!

Got any good trail cam pics to share? Post them in the comments below!

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Using Scents for Bear Hunting

What is Bear Bait?

Bear bait is basically a pheromone or flavor scent used to attract bears to specific locations. Baits based off of pheromones can be used to mimic a female bear in heat or the urine smell of another animal. Baits based off of flavors are used to attract a bear by mimicking smells of foods that they like. Bears will eat all kinds of fruits, vegetables, meats and breads. This makes flavored based baits the most common product available or made privately at home. Pheromone based baits are usually produced by a company but can yield better results.

The use of bear scents might not be legal in the jurisdiction you’re hunting in. You should review all local bear hunting regulations to make sure you can legally bait bear. You’ll want to also make sure that you’re careful with pheromone bear baits and follow their directions exactly. Pheromone bear scents and attractants can send a bear into a frenzy and make them aggressive.

Pheromone Based Bear Baits

Pheromone-based bear bait can be a very powerful tool when bear hunting. This type of bear lure is designed to attract a bear via their curiosity or sex drive. Pheromone-based bear baits can usually bring out a trophy worthy bear. This is due to the fact that some of these baits will get a bear to not only come into an area but also patrol it and chase out other bears. This means usually the bigger, stronger bears will be the ones hanging on in the baited area.

Depending on the time of year pheromone bear baits can be even more productive. During mating season when male bears are looking for sows they will be more susceptible to pheromone baits. Bear baits made out of pheromones can be spread on logs, trees and brush; you should never apply to yourself or your clothing. You should avoid trying to make your own pheromone bait.

Flavor Based Bear Baits

Flavor-based bear baits are another great tool when your hunting bears. This style of bear attractant is going to attract bears based on their hunger drive. Bears are active eaters and need to eat a lot, so using the hunger drive as a way to attract them to a specific area is a good idea. You’ll find that different types of bear will be more attracted to certain foods and flavors. You can lure out quite a few bears, but the actual size of the bear will vary.

Just like pheromone baits, the time of year will have an impact on how effective flavor-based bear bait will be. During the end of the season and prior to the onset of winter, bears start to eat more to bulk up for hibernation. Flavored bear baits can be spread on logs, trees and brush; you should never apply to yourself or your clothing.  Some hunters have secret bear bait recipes that they make at home while others choose to buy a quality commercial product from companies like Boarmasters.

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3D Hunting Supply “Tames the Game”

At age sixty-four you might find Doug Tyler laying bricks and cinderblock on a local construction site. Yep, he’s a full-time mason and has been at it for most of his adult life. He doesn’t wear a pocket protector or don a lab coat, but what he has done is spent the last 10 years developing a cover scent based on “White Oak Acorns”. He knew that this type of acorn is one of the greatest food sources for many game animals and that if he could perfect the scent they gave off naturally, hunters would benefit. Doug worked hard to refine the new cover scent over the next four years all the while holding down his full-time masonry job. While field-testing his product on a bow hunt, several does walked in from downwind and lifted their heads to face his position. Doug was nestled high in his tree stand and instead of running off, both does turned and walked directly towards him and eventually passed by without sounding the alarm. Right then he knew his cover scent was ready to go public. Tabbed “3D Hunting Supply” this new cover scent is a hot commodity you won’t want to leave home without.

Darrell, along with his brother Dale, have helped combine forces with their dad to market the 3D name to the masses. After five years of using the product something amazing happened, says Darrell Tyler . “My brother and I began to notice while spraying down with the all natural cover scent mosquitoes and other insects never bothered us. See if any other cover scent on the market does that!” Being curious about that myself I couldn’t resist as I had an up coming TV show to shoot in south Florida. Let me tell you there is nothing like a pesky mosquito bothering you while trying to pull focus.

I am currently producing a new series called Skull Bound TV on the Sportsman Channel and hoped to capture a two part series while on location gator hunting and bow fishing along the shores of Lake Okeechobee. The mosquitoes where thicker than gravy and I knew this would be a perfect “in the field test” for 3D’s new product! With one application of the 100% natural acorn scent those pesky critters faded away allowing us to bow fish gators, gar and mudfish. Both Jana and I were hooked! I knew if it worked in the mosquito-infested swamp it would be awesome on a midwest whitetail hunt. Jana Waller, Skull Bound TV’s host, would be hunting whitetails in the famed Brown, Pike and Schuler counties in Illinois!

White Oak Acorn Scent has in intense smell that immediately brings to mind a fresh stack of pancakes at the local waffle house. You almost want to eat it while applying it to your clothes, shoes and hat! Truth is it’s one of the best cover scents on the market and an incredible insect deterrent. Jana was able to take a great buck down wind of her stand in Illinois during the 85 degree October doldrums and I harvested a great 11-point buck while hunting in Wisconsin last fall. Proof is in the pudding, they say, well in this case the proof stacked up some amazing trophies for both Jana and I while filming our new series this past fall.

3D is a family affair. Doug, Darrell and Dale are about to quit their day jobs and pursue the American dream of entrepreneurship. They say the mother of invention is necessity and thanks to Doug’s hard work and dedication, 3D Hunting Supply’s White Oak Acorn Scent is a necessity you’ll want the next time you head out to pursue that giant whitetail buck, hog or bear. The list is long and the possibilities endless when the game you’re hunting can’t smell you.

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Easy to Carry As the Clothes On Your Back: Built-in Bug Repellent

A new outdoor product that’s starting to hit the shelves insect-repellent clothing, gear you wear without having to spray yourself with additional insect repellents. There’s options for the hunter, hiker and intrepid explorer. We’ve compiled a list of a few companies and clothing lines that each provide their own versions of anti-bug products.

• Craghoppers uses its NosiLife technology to create its insect-repellent clothing. The system, originally used by hospitals and bedding products against dust mites, uses a type of Permethrin, a synthetic pyrethroid to ward off mosquitoes and other bugs. It’s safe for mammals but toxic to all insects. Craghoppers claims NosiLife’s active ingredients drop mosquito bites by 80 to 90 percent and that the effect is permanent on the company’s website.
• Rectec offers a different system of insect-repellent made specifically for the hunter. Rectec’s ET Edge Realtree camo shirt and cargo pants feature a mosquito repellent finishing in a system based on green nano-chemistry that does not harm human skin.
• Columbia Sportswear makes a variety of bug-repellent clothing for men, women and children that have received positive reviews from users that have worn them for at least a few weeks or a season. The company uses their own registered Insect Blocker technology. It’s odorless and bonded tightly to fabric fibers so that it’ll be effective through 70 washes.
• 6 Legged Tees is the newest player in the insect-repellent clothing field. The company uses similar technology to Craghoppers by treating their shirts with a process that binds Permethrin to a shirt’s fibers. 6 Legged Tees makes eco-friendly designer, screen-printed shirts for outdoors enthusiasts who hate getting bit by bugs.

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Howle’s Hints: DIY Gun Stock Repair

On guns with wooden stocks and forearms, small, shallow dents can be removed from the wood with a wet cotton washcloth and steam iron. Place the wet cloth over the dent and apply the steam iron to the area. The steam entering the porous wood combined with heat expands the wood which helps pull out the dent. Repeat the process until the ding is removed.

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Hunting with a Smart Phone

Everyone these days has a cell phone. A lot of us even have a smart phone such as an iPhone, Blackberry, Droid, etc… Now, you that have these smart phones might be missing out on some features that your smart phone is capable of that could help you when you are hunting. Some of you might be impressed and will go out and get a smart phone once you have read this article. I, personally, have an Apple iPhone 4S. I will be using my phone to illustrate my points in this article. All of these examples can be duplicated on the other smart phones with similar applications and similar phone features. One more thing to note is that you need to have cell service in the areas you hunt.

I am an avid whitetail deer and turkey hunter and the weather is a key factor in hunting these challenging animals. The Weather Channel has the foremost site for producing weather information. I have tested other weather applications but I like theirs the best. Besides, when you need instant weather what channel do you turn on? They have developed a weather application to run on all smart phones.

The first thing I do is check the 10 day forecast to plan my hunting trip. It shows me the trend and pattern of developing weather patterns.

Then, the day of the hunt, I check the hourly forecast where I can see the temperature, wind direction, and wind speed that correspond to the hours I plan to spend in the woods. This helps me decide what stand location I want to go to. Also many of my hunting times have been adjusted according to this data. I check this data while in the woods to see what is happening around me and I have sometimes changed locations due to the wind not being suitable for a particular location.

Finally, I use it when rain clouds are in the air. You can toggle to the radar tab (Explore Map) and see a storm view of where you are hunting. You can then determine if the weather is going to miss you or if you need to get down and seek safety immediately. It also allows me to stretch my hunts to the last minute before I know the weather is going to set in.

As hunters we know how the weather affects the game and, as you can see, how useful a smart phone can be to deliver this information in a timely way. Of course, all of us hunters are trying to increase the odds in our favor and this type of technology can do it for you. If you have an iPhone and want this application, you can search “Weather” in the iTunes App store. Other smart phones can download other versions of this software from the Weather Channel’s Website.

Now that you know the weather you need to figure out where you are going to hunt. My phone has Google Maps with built in GPS so I mark my stand locations ahead of time so I can find them in the dark. This is handy because I don’t have to carry my GPS hand held unit anymore because I always have my phone. I also mark other important items such as trail camera locations, rubs and scrapes on my phone.

Now that you are on the stand safely, I have heard of hunters taking books and magazines to pass the lull times during their stand time. I have done this, but with new smart phones you can now have so much more. Also, it is a lot more compact and easier to carry. (You can even read Outdoor Hub articles and interact with our GREAT Website: OutdoorHub.com while on stand!!!)

I am going to go over how I use my iPhone for entertainment while on stand.

Games – I have a several different games installed on my phone. These games range from card games such as Solitaire, Blackjack, etc. to strategy games such as Chess, Checkers, etc. Smart phone are becoming the new game systems and more games are being developed for them. One thing to note is most of the games I play are games that have pauses in them so I can look up and scan my surroundings to make sure nothing gets by me while hunting. You don’t want to get engulfed in a game and miss a deer walking by.

Multimedia - I use my phone to listen to my favorite artist’s MP3s and to my favorite podcasts. I also can watch recorded TV shows and movies. I just recently installed the Sirius/XM application where I can listen to satellite radio over my phone. This is how I listen while on stand: I stick one ear bud speaker in my ear and keep the other ear free to listen for game. I can’t count how many times I have watched deer or turkeys while listening to my iPod. This is great way to pass the time.

Internet Surfing – Everyone who surfs the Internet has favorite Websites that they go to everyday. Whether it is sports, news, tech, gossip, etc… you can read these Websites while sitting idle on stand. You can even write articles like this while sitting up a tree or hunting in the field.

Email – I sometimes check my email while on stand. This can be good when family and friends email you BUT it can be bad if it is business and there is a problem. Problems can distract you from hunting and I try not to check my email on really good hunting days. I have had to get down from a stand to go back and get on the computer or phone to solve a problem. Not fun!

Text Messaging – I never did much text messaging until I started texting while hunting. It is a great way to communicate with other hunters while on stand. Text messages start flying back and forth such as: Where we going to eat after we get down? You seen anything? Did you shoot? I just got the BIG one! You can also use it to keep in touch with other people who are not hunting. I have taught so many people how to text message just for hunting. Even the older generation who are sometimes technologically challenged are now avid texters.

As you can see, these entertainment tools allow me to stay on the stand longer which always increases my odds of killing the big buck I am after.

Now that you are entertained, you can review trail camera pictures of bucks that you have captured so when a shooter buck walks out you can recognize him and take him immediately. This review can be provided by your hunting club like your own FBI most wanted posters. It can help you nail down a buck you want to shoot or maybe let go.

I also store property maps on my phone. Use them with Google Maps and it can be one of your most useful tools to figure out that big buck.

Now that you have been prepared all during your hunt with your smart phone, let’s say you take that big buck. Use your smart phone to take pictures of him so you can immediately email or text them to your hunting buddies. Better yet, have a hunting buddy take pictures of you and your trophy.

In conclusion, I have shown how smart phones can be used to give you a technologically edge while hunting. They are very powerful and with new features being added all the time, they will remain part of my standard hunting equipment. I recommend they become part of yours. Go over to my Website for some exciting hunting videos at Toxiegivens.com

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What’s in Your Turkey Vest?

I know “what’s in your turkey vest?” is a rhetorical question but it makes you think about your own turkey vest and what equipment you have in it. Since there is no way for me to know what you have in your vest, I am going to talk about what’s in my vest and what equipment I use. I got the idea of writing this article when I started to pack my vest for the upcoming season. I am always adding things to my vest especially when I talk to other turkey hunters or watch them in action on TV. I hope this article will help out new turkey hunters and might even offer suggestions to an old veteran hunter that he or she might not have thought of before.

Obviously you need to start with a turkey vest. Turkey vests have evolved from being simple thin-layered vests with a couple of pockets to having zillions of different size pockets hidden all over the place with comfortable flip out seats. Some of the new vests come with instructions to explain where all the pockets are located and what equipment can go in them. This year I have even seen a new vest that comes with mesh materials on the back that you can pull over the top of you to make yourself into an instant portable blind. Wow! What evolution the hunting industry has come up with!

Now that we talked about the importance of a vest you are asking yourself, “what do you put in it first?” It is not what you think: no calls or shotgun shells but instead my Thermacell with all of its refills and a can of bug spray. My theory is to be successful in the woods, you need to be comfortable and any type of bug buzzing around your head is not going to allow you to be comfortable. Any experienced turkey hunter has forgotten their bug repellant at least once and knows what I am talking about. Along these same lines, I carry a portable rain suit. No one likes wearing wet clothes and a good rain suit can make your life more comfortable in the wet woods.

Next I gather all my calls and put them in my vest. I use primary box calls and I like to carry many of them because of their different sizes and makes. They provide me with different tones and pitches. I have had times when I had a gobbler stalled out at 60 yards not wanting to come in and just by switching to a different call I pushed him over the top and he came on in for the shot. I also carry box calls that do not use chalk and are waterproof for those rainy hunts. Another good rainy day call that I carry is a slate call and sometimes I use it to simulate fighting hen purrs. My last calls consist of shock calls such as my gobbler, crow, coyote, and owl calls.

I also believe in a good pair of binoculars. I pack these in my vest so I will have them there when I need them. I also like to carry a laser range finder. If time permits, I will range my decoys and various surroundings to get an idea of how far I can shoot. Knowing this range can be the difference in harvesting a bird successfully versus shooting too early when you thought he was in range. In my experience judging distances in large open fields can be misleading and a range finder can alleviate this common error.

Another must carry for me is my portable GPS. I hunt some big tracts of land and sometimes when I am chasing a gobbler, I can get turned around and can lose my bearing. By having a GPS unit in my vest, I have the confidence to worry about the gobbler instead of constantly worrying about my location.

With the evolution of the turkey vest, bigger pockets in the back have allowed me to carry soft turkey decoys without adding much additional weight. I personally like to use the real mounted turkey decoys but in my experience you do not always have them on you due to their bulkiness and weight. But I do have a couple of soft decoys stuffed in the back that I can quickly deploy if the opportunity presents itself; especially during those “running and gunning” hunts.

Now I am going to talk about the items I call the accessories. My number one accessory is a half roll of toilet paper. You never know when Mother Nature strikes you and any good woodsman is always prepared. Another must-carry is a couple sets of gloves and a head mask. Turkeys have unbelievable eye sight and everything you can do to combat that is a must. I also normally pack 10 shotgun shells in my vest which I feel is more than enough plus extras for those unexpected situations. I like to carry a couple of flashlights. I carry a LED flashlight for early mornings because it has a tendency not to be as bright and I carry a more powerful flashlight for coming out of the woods at night. I also like to carry a monopod gun rest in the back of my vest. You never know how long you might have to hold your gun while the gobbler moves into position and this can help you with those long periods of time to steady your shotgun. My final accessory and one that I added last year is a set of brush trimmers. These are handy for making ground blinds and can be used quickly to trim shooting lanes when that gobbler has responded to your call and is on his way. The trimmers also store very easily in my vest.

There are other things I carry that deserve to be mentioned but these are the little things that support all the other equipment. These are: box call chalk, a turkey tote for carrying out a bird, extra batteries for my red dot sight and flashlights, a sewing tape measure for scoring your harvested turkey, bottle of water, goggles for keeping dirt and debris out of your eyes in those windy hunts such as in Texas, a hand towel for sweat and other things that might need wiping, and often some type of snacks for those all day hunts.

So, in conclusion, everything you put in your vest has a purpose with a goal of helping you be successful in harvesting that big Ole’ Tom. Now that you have read about what is in my vest, add your comments below and discuss with me and other fellow thunder chicken hunters what you have in your vest. I look forward to learning new possible items that I can add to my vest.  One more thing, go to my Website for exciting turkey videos at ToxieGivens.com. Good luck this season fellow turkey hunters!

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Howle’s Hints: Cleaning Your Hunting Gear

If you get blood on your favorite hunting jacket or pants from handling harvested game, pour hydrogen peroxide on the blood stain before it sets in. The peroxide will foam and bubble the blood stain right out of the fabric, then, simply wipe the area with a damp cloth. Apply the peroxide and wipe until the stain is completely gone.

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Interview: Mark Drury on Choosing a Bow Setup

Today, Mark Drury and his brother Terry are two of the industry leaders in TV production and video production. The Drurys have produced more than 200-feature-length videos in more than two decades. They’ve also produced more than 250 TV episodes that air on Wildlife Obsession, Dream Season and Bow Madness on the Outdoor Channel and Natural Born Killers on the Pursuit Channel. If you find this interview informative, you may also be interested in part two of this interview, covering taking big bucks and proper herd management.

Question: Mark, what was the first bow you ever had?

Drury: It was a PSE Nova.

Question: What bow do you shoot now?

Drury: I shoot the X-force Omen Pro and the X-Force Dream Season EVO.

Question: Why do you like the Omen Pro and the Dream Season EVO?

Drury: I like the Dream Season EVO, because of its smooth draw, zero felt recoil, a well-defined back wall and good speed. It’s a really smooth hunting bow. I like the Omen Pro, because I have a bad left shoulder. I can’t handle pulling a lot of weight. I pull 53 pounds on my Omen and 55 on my Dream Season EVO. The way I have that Omen Pro set up, I’m shooting 321 feet per second (fps).

Question: In the past, archers believed that the heavier-weighted bow you could pull, the bigger the deer you could shoot. I interviewed the legendary archer Howard Hill, and he was pulling a 100 pound longbow. Many archers brag about pulling 65 to 85 pounds. But you probably take as many big deer as anyone I know. How does only pulling 53 pounds equate to your ability to take those big bucks?

Drury: I’m shooting 5 and 6 year-old Midwestern deer that may weigh 300 pounds live weight and 225-245 pounds field-dressed weight. I’m shooting a Rage 2 Blade Broadhead, and it passes all the way through every deer I shoot.

Question: What arrow are you shooting?

Drury: I’m shooting a Carbon Force 100. No longer does a bowhunter have to think he’s a tough guy and pull a lot of heavy weight to take a big buck. Why pull and hold a heavy weight when can you pull less weight, hold it longer and still get an effective shot? Without PSE, I wouldn’t be able to shoot 321 fps with a 53 pound bow.

Question: How far are you able to take deer with that bow setup?

Drury: I shot a mule deer in Alberta  in 2011 at 62 yards. I made a double-lung hit, and the arrow was stuck up in the dirt on the other side of the deer. That broadhead and arrow blew all the way through him at 62 yards with a 53 pound bow. PSE has really changed the dynamics of strength versus speed and accuracy. The difference to me in the bows I’m shooting now and those heavyweight bows I once shot is like the difference in shooting a pellet gun and now having a .223 centerfire rifle. That’s how dramatic the difference is. There’s just no comparison to the ease of shooting with lighter poundage today, compared to the difficulty of drawing, holding and shooting when we used those bows with more poundage.

Question: How do you decide which of your two bows to use?

Drury: I’ve been hunting a lot with the Omen Pro, because it’s the fastest of the two bows.

Question: What other advantages have you found in using these PSE bows?

Drury: By shooting less poundage, I move less when I draw, because I can pull the string straight back without having to raise the bow up and push with one hand and pull with the other to get the string back. I just get on target with my bow and then pull the string straight back. Then I’m ready to shoot. I have no excess motion when I’m drawing the bow.

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Best Gifts to Give in 2011: Life Saving Gear

The best gift you could give a person is life, right? If it’s one thing that kills a buzz around a campfire or destroys a Christmas morning it’s the story of a hunter that fell from a tree stand, the duck boat that capsized or the elk hunter who didn’t come out of the mountains. Let’s be honest: we as hunters love to pursue the adventure and we oftentimes do so alone. Had it not been for a life jacket three years back this trapper would have been found at the bottom of the Osage River. If you’re looking to give the gift of safety this holiday season, here are some suggestions for you.

Hunter Safety System
The Hunter Safety System has saved more lives than I can count. They are the leaders in the tree stand safety industry and have proven time and time again that their product top notch. If you have a hunter in the family who uses tree stands then make sure he/she has one of these vests because besides safety the pockets and overall design make this system the right system to have in my opinion.

Read two in-depth reviews of the Hunter Safety System by Outdoor Hub Contributors by clicking here or here.

Inflatable Life Jacket
“You’ll never need that vest” is a quote I’ve heard from a bunch of hunters. The truth is anyone who is around water should be prepared with a life jacket, especially if you have waders on and heavy winter hunting clothes. Whether you’re a duck hunter or a kayaker everyone should have a life vest that’s compact but fits your body well. Inflatable life jackets truly are must have and you should buy two this holiday season, one for yourself and one for the outdoorsman or woman in your life.

Personal Locator Beacons
If you have someone on your list that likes to hunt, fish, camp, backpack or just someone who knows how to get lost, you have to consider buying them an ACR Personal Locator. There is no way to stop that outdoor junkie from going out alone into the wild, so why don’t you ensure they can at least call for help no matter what cell phone coverage they have? The ResQLink locator uses satellites to transfer location information to rescue teams. It’s small, waterproof and perfect for anyone that challenges the great outdoors.

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