Turkey Food Plots...

Turkey Food Plots I don't think are thought of in the same way as A deer food plot. I am not even sure if as many hunters would be willing to do the work it takes to put a successful food plot in for Turkey. I would think it wouldn't be considered as exciting as planting a plot for Whitetail but hey, I a m a die hard Whitetail Deer Hunter. Nothing is more exciting to me as hunting that species. Maybe ,In fact I'm sure that there is hunters that feel the same way about hunting Turkey.
   that being said, I saw a TV show this morning that showed a very effective food plot for Turkey. chufa! That's right Chufa. Chufas is a grass like plant that has a nut underground that grows much like peanuts. This plant grows Seeds or nuts on the end of its root system called tubers. One Chufa plant will  produce 20 to 100 tubers.This is the part that is gold to turkeys. They love to scratch the ground and dig them up. Yes, in fact deer do like to graze on the grass and wild hogs as well will root around and feed on the nut/seed as well. The spring is the best time to plant chufa. You do not have to have a large perfect food plot for this plant. Many will plant any open area on there property that is from 1/4 acre to 1 acre. A really good spot for this plot is on power line runs. They will always be open,there is cover on both sides for safety and with your chufa food plot it only makes since that Turkey as well as other wildlife will make your plot part of there every day diner menu.

Canadian Muley with a bow

Gross non typical score - 259 1/8
Gross typical frame - 211 7/8
Net typical frame - 207
Total net non typical - 254 4/8

Here's his story...

Saturday morning- saw buck feeding out in field with 3 other bucks, watched
him for over 1 hr in my spotting scope, got some pictures through the
vortex, which are attached. I knew from the first second I saw him he was a
true giant but never had him pinned at what he actually scored! I watched
him bed down, went in for the sneak through the standing flax, Got within 43
yards but when he stood up he walked straight away and I had no shot with
the bow.

Saturday night, went back to the field just to make sure he was still around
and he was right where I saw him last. Left him for the night

Sunday morning- Went out with Mike Gebhard and he was in the same field and
the night previous, waited over an hour for him to bed once he did, we
tried the stalk again, well we did get in closer, got within 32 yards waited
a bit and he stood up and did it to me again, walked straight away! NO
SHOT!!! My heart sank for a second time in 2 days ! What an amazing buck
to watch at 32 yards!

Monday morning - I had to be responsible for a couple days and go harvest so
I did a drive through the area on the way to the farm and he was again in the same field! There was no wind so it wasn't as hard leaving him there to
go harvest.

Tuesday - WINDY and I was harvesting!!!

Wednesday - planned on going to office in AM then harvesting in PM but I had
to try and find him if I could, I was more then a little consumed by this
buck! Well he was in the same field again, he was the most predictable buck
I have ever seen, which I was good with. I again spent some quality time
with my vortex spotting scope. This time I made sure I knew which way he
bedded down so I would be broadside when he stood up. I left my truck at
8:15 and went for the stalk. Half way in the smaller buck with him stood
up and ate for a bit so I layed down and let him bed up again. Well this
time I got to 28.5 yards and he had no clue I was there, wind in my face,
laying broadside to me, now just the patience game, he put me to the test,
I was there for over 2.5 hrs kneeling in mud waiting for him to stand. The
smaller buck got up again and milled around for probably 20 minutes then the
moment of truth, he finally stood up! I was ready and drew and put an arrow
in him!
He didn't go 130 yards and 5 minutes later he was dead, I didn't get back
to the truck till 12:45 so safe to say I didn't make it to the office or
harvesting at all that day.

He was one of those deer that actually grew as I walked up to him!

RUT REPORT ,For Western New York As Of November 1st, 2010

November 1st,2010
In Ontario county the rut is on. I went out hunting yesterday evening, about 15 minutes before dusk I saw a small buck terrorizing this mature doe. He would not let her stand still. They went right by me and was crashing through the woods. I would have to say she was very close to being ready to breed. The Buck was to small to take but if I would have had more light I'm sure that she left a pretty good smelling trail that better bucks very possibly could have taken to.
  If you live in New York or any where for that matter, please share your information about what kind of Rut activity you are seeing. Each one of us has limited information about where the rut is at. If we can get 10 different Comments on the activity you and others are seeing than it could be a lot of help to many. 
  November 2nd, Really exciting. Good luck to everyone and hope to hear from each and everyone of you. 
Friday November 5th,2010
   Again, Went out hunting this morning, Saw a one and a half year old buck chasing a mature doe. The doe was not reseptive but he sure thought she smelled good. any to offer to this please leave your comments below. Just like you looked at this for info on the 2010 whitetail rut report so are others. Your input is important. Good Luck!!!

Buck Decoys- The Truth About Them

Buck Decoys-The Truth About Them. I would have to venture a guess and say 90%(if not more) of the every day Whitetail deer hunter do not own and have not thought about using a buck decoy. I am not sure why this is but I can not recall it ever coming up in conversation with another hunter. I'm not sure they are even  readily available at say Gander Mountain or Dicks.
   This being said lets consider something else. How many times have you seen a trophy buck, out of shooting range or could not slow the deer down long enough to get an ethical shot or for whatever reason could not close the deal? I know more than half of the time I saw a true trophy class deer and did not close the deal. Hell,maybe 90% of the time. We have all heard it and it stands true, Trophy bucks did not get to be trophies because they are stupid. They are intelligent and as bone collectors and hunters of trophy animals we need every tool in our arsenal to harvest these once in a life time whitetails.
  Okay,here is the scoop on the buck decoy. If you did not know, bucks run in bachelor groups through the summer. By the time these bucks are working on shedding there velvet the pecking order has been established. The bucks that use your area as there home range are familiar with the other bucks in the area. They know which one is the dominant Buck and who is who, so to speak,and basically have established the pecking order. When you put a decoy out it you are introducing a new buck that they are not familiar with. Using a little buck scent in combination(Put directly on decoy)can be very effective. Don't misunderstand me, There is certain times and conditions that a decoy will work best. Often times when I'm hunting like a soybean field or an open area I love to use them. The big, smart bucks will hang up in the woods until dark, then come to feed in the bean field. You might never know they are there. By putting a decoy out it can draw that buck to investigate. In general I would have to say open areas is when decoys are going to be most effective. I think you get my point.
   Two of my best bucks taken, a decoy made the difference and help me close the deal. Hunting a open field during bow season, It gets difficult to get the bucks to come in bow range. The decoy will peak his curiosity and he will have to come check it out.

Rain Stops-Hunt those Scrapes, QUICK!!!

Rain stops, Can't get to my stands over that scrape that Whitetail Buck made, quick enough. What am I talking about?
 In the fall the weather is different than summer. Summer time it will be burst of thunderstorms but very seldom will it rain straight all day,or even 2 or 3 days for that matter. But in the fall, This is exactly how it is. these slow moving cold fronts will move through and it can rain for 3 days straight. 
  Many times I have seen bucks have a pattern where every evening an hour before dark they will begin go to there scrapes freshening them up. But these 2 days of rain will disrupt this pattern. Often these bucks will stay in bed and wait it out.
  BUT, I swear deer have a six sense, They know the rain is done. And 2 days of steady rain washes away the strength of those scrapes. That being said, the minute the rain is done, those Whitetail Bucks are going to be up and on there way to freshen up those scrapes. the important thing is the key word is minute it stops raining.
   If you know the rain is about done and expected to pass through, you need to be on stand waiting for it to stop. It does not take long for them to get up and head for these scrapes. if you can be there in the rain anticipating it to stop that is best.
   So, if it is going to pour out for a day or two, be on stand over that scrape from that  buck, waiting for it to stop, when that buck comes through to freshen up his scrape after the rain has washed it away, You, will be ready.

Bow Season Opens In Two Weeks!

Bow season opens in 2 weeks and I am Stoked!!! All I can do is eat,sleep and think bucks. I will go to my stands this weekend and check deer activity. I do know I have a decent 21/2 year old 9 pointer moving through one of my spots but only trail picks of him is @ about 3:00AM in the morning. That being said there has to be a bigger more dominant buck in the area. I am hunting a pond where he is so it is the main water source in this area. I have not checked that trail camera in about 2 weeks. I figure I will leave it out until a day or 2 before opening Saturday. It’s hard not to check it every time I go out there but I do resist.
I have another spot that is only about 12 acres but it has about 300 behind it and again, I believe what makes it so promising is the fact that a creek runs right through it and the only way to get from the large track of woods to the north to the 300 acres to the south is to go through where I am. It is promising. Anyway, Will write more Soon.