All | Hunting | Fishing | Gear & More
End of Fishing Season Things to Do
End of Fishing Season Things to Do By Steve Weisman How quickly our fishing seasons come and go. Spring and summer are gone, and fall is coming to a close. Sure enough, soon the ice will be on lakes, and we’ll be heading into ice fishing season. However, there are some end of the open water season things we can do that can have huge benefits for both equipment and our fishing when the next open water season rolls around. If nothing else, a written list of what needs to be done by spring is a wise thing to do. Obviously, taking care of the equipment is paramount. For a long time, this was something I either overlooked or put [...]
Ice Fishing Preview
Ice Fishing Preview By Ben Leal December is around the corner! And with any luck, we will have a chance to get out and start punching holes and feeding our ice fishing addiction. There have been times when we’re on the ice by Thanksgiving, but in most cases, except for Northern Iowa, we’ll still have ice that’s pretty unsafe to fish or not at all. Good news though! December brings continued cooling weather, with average daytime highs ranging from 28 to 37 degrees and lows from 9 to 21 degrees. Ice making weather for sure. Safety First Before we dive into the ice fishing preview, let’s review some of ice fishing’s safety aspects. First off, there is no such thing [...]
Common Myths Concerning Deer Movement
Common Myths Concerning Deer Movement By Ryan Graden In 1953 Iowa held its first modern deer season for hunters and there has been a deer season of some sort ever since. In those passing years, we’ve learned a lot about deer behavior, habits, nutrition, needs, and more. Experts in wildlife biology have used that information to help us understand more about the species, thus, giving us the knowledge of how we can better pursue this quarry when the season comes. Yet, after all those years of study and conclusion, sometimes we just cannot reason with 100% accuracy certain deer behavior and movement. Most of the time the information that we have does prove to be helpful and will lead us [...]
It’s the Rut, Now What
It’s the Rut, Now What By Noel Gandy Every November there seems to be an epidemic of folks who call in sick to work. Their affliction: Buck Fever! Men and women across our state have their eyes set on a trophy whitetail and this is one of the occasions to capitalize. November marks the prominent rutting period for whitetail deer in our state and one stands a good chance of finding a “lovesick” brute who has thrown caution to the wind. There are definitely tips and tricks that can be utilized to wrap your tag around a mature buck. However, there are also some mistakes to avoid that can help you up your odds. You Can’t Kill Him from the [...]
Whitetails 365: Enrich Deer Habitat with Hinge Cutting
Whitetails 365: Enrich Deer Habitat with Hinge Cutting By Aaron McKinney Practically every timber in Iowa could benefit from hinge cutting to create cover and browse for whitetail deer. Hinge cutting is when a tree is cut, about waist high, partially through. The tree then falls with the top of the tree resting on the ground, and the severed trunk suspends the tree horizontally off the ground. The trunk “hinges” downwards. Because the tree is only partially cut, it still stays semi green for a couple of years. It will also send up tender shoots, which creates a tender food source for deer. Hinge cutting one of the most underutilized ways to immediately create and improve deer habitat. We will [...]
Planning Spring Food Plots for Wildlife
Planning Spring Food Plots for Wildlife By Nathan Graham When most people are planning a food plot for deer and turkey, we think of fall food plots. We think of brassicas, purple top turnips, and radishes. Maybe we even consider planting some winter wheat or rye. All these annuals are planted in the fall. Have you ever considered planting spring crops to diversify your food plot and attract neighboring deer and birds to your area? Clover If you have limited space or have limited time, plant clover. Clover trumps just about everything when it comes to summer and early fall attractiveness. From October until basically snowfall is too thick deer will be all over your clover field. When winter roars [...]
Create A Deer Haven with Timber Stand Improvement
Create A Deer Haven with Timber Stand Improvement By Ryan Graden I would have to say that a good portion of my deer knowledge has come from years and years of watching any hunting show that I could get my hands on. Yes, admittedly, maybe I spent too much time doing that, but there was information gained and it has proved valuable from time to time over the years. I’m not exactly sure what show it was that I watched in the last few months, but one of the hunters was talking about what they do through the spring and summer that helps them prepare best for the coming season. The host said something that I thought was very valuable [...]
Analyzing Sheds: What Can They Tell You
Analyzing Sheds: What Can They Tell You By Noel Gandy Two thunderous shots from a shotgun filled the timber. I anxiously scanned as far as I could see to the north, the direction in which I heard the shots. This was Iowa’s opening day of shotgun season. I was in high school and this was the 8th shotgun season that I had enjoyed with my Dad. I, as most kids, had confidence that my Dad put a good shot on a big Iowa whitetail. Shortly after his two shots sounded, I saw a wide-racked nine point buck headed my way. I took aim, squeezed the trigger of my Knight muzzleloader and the buck disappeared behind a sulfurous cloud of smoke. [...]
Killer Bobcat Calling Techniques
Killer Bobcat Calling Techniques By Troy Hoepker From our parking spot we could see the magical place where we wanted to be, high on a hill overlooking the most beautiful predator habitat you’ve ever seen. It would be a half-mile hike to get there but we knew the long walk was worth it. There was never a shortage of coyote and bobcat tracks and seeing all of them on the way in left a predator caller’s heart full. My calling partner, Mark Johnston, placed the caller on an open knob between a large cedar-choked vastness to the south and a skinny wooded draw to the north. A predator would have to commit to exposing itself if it wanted to see [...]
Butchering: It’s In Your Blood
Butchering: It's In Your Blood By Kent Boucher One of my favorite conversation starters is to tell the tragic story of my name. My first name “Kent” is the same as my dad’s middle name. What’s so bad about that? Well nothing, except that he got the name from his grandmother’s preferred brand of smokes. As for my middle name, well it’s a great one that has been used in my maternal line for hundreds of years. The only trouble is my version: “Nickolas” was accidentally misspelled from what should have been “Nicholas.” And that leaves me with my last name “Boucher.” This name has French Canadian roots, and was historically pronounced the same way Adam Sandler’s was when he [...]