Don’t Give Up on Mid-day Hunting

Photo courtesy of Apple Creek Whitetails

 

Most hunters are gone by 11:00 am, and most of the deer know this.  A mature buck will often get out of his bed and feed for a few minutes around mid-day.  This is an excellent time to catch a buck feeding or looking for does. Staying in the stand will produce more opportunities than eating luncn.

Jim

http://jimcollyer.com/

Grab a copy of the book here

It’s the Off-Season

Even though the Whitetail season continues throughout much of the South, for most of us the season is over and we are in the off-season. The long wait for next season has begun, leaving many of us wondering what to do until deer season begins next fall. An excellent way to fight winter doldrums is to hunt coyotes. It’s a great way to hone our hunting skills.


Coyotes are as wary and cagy as any whitetail. I particularly liked to hunt coyotes in the snow. They leave tracks and can be patterned. Successfully hunting coyotes requires the same skills as successfully hunting whitetails. The best way I know to practice whitetail hunting is to hunt coyotes.

* Note: Coyotes spend the better part of daylight hours in cover, just like whitetails. I’ve killed more coyotes in the timber than I ever have in fields.

As a bonus, you can discover a lot of whitetail hunting spots while hunting coyotes.

Good Luck and Good Hunting,
Jim
http://jimcollyer.com/

Crash and Return

I’ve been rattling whitetail deer for over 30 years. In fact, my biggest buck to date was killed responding to the horns.


Horn rattling back in the 1960's was pretty much limited to the Texas brush country. In the 1970s hunters began to experiment with horn rattling throughout much of North America. Some had good luck, most did not.

Horn rattling is most effective immediately prior to and immediately after the prime rutting period. Even though I’ve rattled and several whoppers, it’s not my favorite method of calling. Horn rattling can be a little too aggressive for the more timid big buck.

Big bucks are increasingly wary in areas where a lot of hunters are pounding antlers together. However, in areas with little hunting pressure it is still one of the most effective ways to harvest a big buck. Just remember the buck always approaches from downwind in hopes of catching the scent of the bucks he believes are fighting. It’s important to have a good shooting lane downwind from your rattling position.

I begin by crashing the antlers together. Then I twist and work the antlers together in an effort to imitate the sounds of two bucks sparring. My entire rattling sequence only lasts about 15 seconds. I try not to rattle more than once every 10 to 15 minutes because the last thing I want is a buck to catch me rattling. It’s happened more than once and every time the results have been less than desirable.

Today, I rely more on bleat calls and grunt calls. I still carry rattling horns with me, but use them more as a last ditch effort.

Many times I’ll have a big buck approaching my stand and for no good reason at the last minute he’ll turn and walk out of range. As soon as he is out of sight, I’ll crash the antlers together for a few seconds. Often, if the buck is not on a hot doe’s trail, he’ll immediately return to investigate and I’ll be waiting.

This is a tactic I called “Crash and Return”.

http://jimcollyer.com/

Good Luck and Good Hunting,
Jim

Sneak Preview

Several weeks ago I told you I would have an announcement concerning my new book, Buck Naked: The Straight Dope on Trophy Whitetails.

Here it is!

Within the next two weeks Buck Naked will come out with a second edition. We’re giving the book a complete new look. A new and exciting cover as well as new interior images.

The new cover and exterior images were provided courtesy of Apple Creek Whitetails. The good folks at Apple Creek live and breathe whitetail deer. Currently they are running one of the most prestigious and successful deer hunting ranches in Wisconsin. My deep gratitude goes to everyone at Apple Creek Whitetails for their help in making my book even better.

For the very best in Wisconsin trophy hunting contact:

Apple Creek Whitetails Ranch
Hunting Operations Manager
Attention: Chad DeBauch
14109 County Road VV
Gillett, WI 54124
Toll Free: 877-431-HUNT
(4868)

If you are fortunate enough to have a copy of the first edition, hang on to it. History has shown us first edition hunting books dramatically increase in value in just a few short years. The idea to come up with an improved cover and interior was suggested by several members of the publishing community and, of course, the hunting box stores.
Be sure to check your e-mails over the next couple of weeks as we will be announcing a launch day for the new book, Buck Naked.

There are still a few copies of the original book available through Amazon, but when they're gone, they're gone. If you want an first edition, you better order today.

Get a Copy Today
Until then,
Jim

Decoying: What it takes to be successful

Photo courtesy of Apple Creek Whitetails

In my opinion there are three consistencies to successful decoying of trophy bucks. They are; Location, Concealment and Decoys/Calling- all equally important.

Location:
Location is key for more than one reason. First of all if there are no deer in the area that you are hunting than obviously your chances are slim to none that you will be successful. So it will be very important to do your homework and thoroughly scout your area beforehand. Ideally we are looking for a small field or clearing field deer are using consistently prior to the hunt. We want to set up in the exact spot the deer have been traveling through during daylight hours. And finally, we have to be the only hunters with permission to hunt that particular spot.

Concealment:
How well you are concealed while you are hunting is just as important as your location because it gets very frustrating watching a buck coming in and then flare off because he sees something or someone he doesn’t like. The technology available in this area of the hunt has expanded immensely over the last 10 years. The field ground blind has made a huge impact on the way we hunt deer today. Treestands work well, but not as well as ground blinds when it comes to decoying big deer.

Decoys and Calling:
In this section we will look at my favorite aspect of the hunt and that is Decoys and Calling! I think a lot of guys spend way to much time calling. Everybody has there own opinion on this subject but I am a firm believer calling is only to draw attention to the decoy. Once the buck has seen the decoy, shut up, you’ll be better off. Secondly, I do believe that you need some type of movement in your decoy. I use a decoy with an electronic tail wag.

Using the Wind:
Just like all decoying it is important to face your decoy into the wind. We want the buck to smell what he’s wanting. A buck likes to circle downwind and smell the object of his desire before he approaches it. If he can approach the decoy from the rear all the better. Lastly, I use an ample amount of "doe-in rut" urine, 8 to 12 ounces minimum.

Learn more here
　

In conclusion, there are many factors that go into producing a successful hunt. It is very important to stay on the front edge of what is happening in the field these days. A little leg work in the off season can go a long way.

Good Luck and Good Hunting,
Jim
http://jimcollyer.com/