Since I don’t have it in my budget this year to purchase a nice portable ground blind, I decided to take matters into my own hands by creating one for under $20. How you ask? 
Follow along…

 



Materials Needed:

1)      Eight 2”x4”x5.5’ pieces of wood (more for support if you feel necessary)
2)      Approximately 20 -1.5” Wood Screws
3)      Drill
4)      50 Ft roll of Rabbit Fence
5)      Staple Gun
6)      Large Zip Ties

The Process:
Step 1: Cut the Lumbar into 5.5 foot sections, this height is big enough to allow for two people and gives you enough room to comfortably draw back your bow while seated.

Step 2: Attach the wood together making a square structure 5.5’wx5.5’hx5.5’l using the wood screws

Step 3: Wrap the blind, starting at the bottom and working your way up with the rabbit fence.  We were able to wrap the whole bottom once and it was the perfect height for the bottom portion of the window. Use an abundance of staples to secure the rabbit fence to the wood to improve the stability.   

Step 4: We then used the remaining fencing to make a roof.  Allow fence to overhang about 6 inches to complete the top portion of your shooting window.  We left 2 sides open for shooting windows and entirely closed two sides (except for a small entry door in the back) however this is where you are able to customize the blind for your need.

Step 5: Use zip-ties to attach grass sticks, bushes to blend your blind into the surrounding terrain.  Where my blind was placed was surrounded by tall cattails and swamp grass, so these are the materials I used.  This is the most tedious part of the process but also I feel the key to the success of the blind.  A quality job on thatching the blind in will ensure you go undetected at the moment of truth!

 

Step 6:  Be sure that the windows are clear of any debris and do a short walk around to see it as the deer would.  If something pops out in your eyes, the deer are likely to see it too!

I hope you enjoyed this tip. If you want more great tips for the average hunter, follow us on our adventures through our blogs, webisodes, twitter or facebook.

This is my first blog but what a good way to star! I finally got the picture I was looking for. Trail cams have been out for weeks, numerous pictures of small bucks, does and fawn. Then this guy shows up and it didn't take me long to give him a nickname "Cactus". I feel this should fit him well due to number of points this guy has developed over the last couple months. Antler growing season is winding down but I feel he is going to add a little yet due to the mass he carries out to the end of some points and main beams. This is defiantly a buck I will be in pursuit of come fall. Stayed tuned for more to come. 

Concealed Carry (CCW) – Is It For You?

Well, The Wisconsin Concealed Carry Law (CCW) will be going into effect on November 1, 2011. I won’t get into politics or personal opinions, but this is a law that quite a few people have been fighting to get passed for a long time with Illinois currently being the only state without a CCW provision.
Deciding “to carry” is a huge decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. It is a decision that is more than just getting a permit and holster and becoming another armed citizen albeit, a legally armed citizen. I’m not an expert nor am I a lawyer, but I know that if a weapon is drawn or heaven forbid ever needed to be fired, there will probably be legal and psychological issues to deal with. I read that for every bullet fired, there will be a lawyer attached to it. Given that you do everything by the book and are legally justified in protecting yourself or a family member, you will most likely spend many months or even years tied up in the courts and/or in therapy because you took another human’s life.

We as hunters, especially the younger hunters will have already taken and passed a Wisconsin Hunter’s Safety Course and are pretty good at handling guns and pointing them in a safe direction checking to be sure a gun is unloaded and safe to handle. These traits have become second nature to all of us. Having a photo ID, a clean record about $50.00 and a Hunter’s Safety Certificate and being 21 years or older will be enough to apply for and probably receive a CCW license. I highly recommend going the extra mile and enrolling in a Concealed Carry Class where you will not only learn safe gun handling skills, but more importantly the legal aspects of CCW. You’ll learn among other things where you can carry, what to do when approached by the police, when and if you’ll be allowed to defend yourself or a family member and how to avoid conflict or a confrontation so you won’t be put into a situation requiring the use of deadly force.

Finally, and I may get some flack for this, when you make the decision to carry a weapon, you must have already made the commitment that given the right/or wrong circumstances depending how you look at things, you will be prepared to use the weapon with the likelihood of taking another’s life. You do not use the weapon to “scare the bad guy” and if the threat to you or your family member is real, you will not shoot to wound. If you draw a weapon to bluff or scare a perpetrator, there is always the chance that you could be over-powered and your weapon could be stolen from you or even worse yet, used against you or the family member you are trying to protect. The advantage that you have with a CCW permit and carrying a concealed firearm will be lost if you hesitate or have second thoughts about using the weapon because the element of surprise will have already passed.

Please consider all the legal, moral and psychological responsibilities before you carry a weapon with the proper CCW permit. The consequences could be life altering for you and your family and the families of others and shouldn’t be taken lightly. 

Let us know how you feel about CCW whether its here or on our facebook page...

Well everyone I finally have another pic of the Virgin Buck.  After waiting a month he finally shows his face again going from a 8 pointer to a main frame 10 with a kicker and a drop tine to make it a sick 12.  Their also was a decent 8 pointer probably a 3 year old that was tagging along with the Virgin buck.  Were guessing the Virgin Buck will score around 155 to 160inch.  With that said i cant wait to get a shot at this buck in less than a month.  Also one more week till were out in the fields slinging steel at some big honkers.  Hunting season is right around the corner man do i love fall.

Well after a few weeks out in the woods it was time to check the trail cams for the second time.  I run 3 Moultrie Game Spy M80X Mini Camera that have 3 settings on it trail camera, video, and plot watcher.  It's a nice small camera that allows you to use it in several situations.  When checking my camera's I had some high's and low's, the big buck I had on camera early in the year didn't show in the past 3 weeks.  I was hoping to watch this big boy grow.  Oh well, I hope he shows up in the next month so I can see him fully developed before the season starts.  The good news is I got some pics of a new buck and some plot photo's of another big boy.  I set one of my cameras on plot mode to see where the deer were coming and going from and got some great pics of a 10 pointer coming out at dusk, and a bachelor group of 3 young bucks cruising the hay field.  After seeing where all the deer were coming and going from I set my camera to trail cam mode and got a few pics and video's of a 8 pointer that might grow to a 10 yet this year.  I was pumped to see these deer are coming and going by a small island in the field where I'm going to put up a ground blind.  Hopefully you guys get to watch me shoot my first deer out of a ground blind.  So here are some pics of one of the new bucks on the hit list along with Old Jenky, a doe that has a messed up front leg which is surely getting whacked if it crosses my path this year.  Also got a real sweet pic of a doe with 3 fawns.  Well enjoy the pics.

Well its that time of year the antlers are growing and I'm hopping to get some video and pics of the bucks in velvet on my property.  I just went out and bought three trail cams and have one on each chunk of woods i hunt.  The first time I pulled my cams I only left them out in the woods for 4 days.  I know i was a little antsy but was hopping to have a pic on the camera's.  I did two small buck's probably 1 1/2 years old nothing special.  So i set one of my cameras back out in a funnel between two big chunks of woods where i have seen deer before.  Both of the woods are surrounded by corn and i cant wait for the hunting season to start because i feel the deer will be more active because its so far off the road and surrounded by corn hiding them from the view of the road.  Well after letting it out for two weeks in this funnel i got 36 pic's so i was excited to see what i had.  I ended up getting a nice 8 pointer on cam and two other small bucks with a couple does.  I now need to think of a name for this bigger buck because he will be one of the deer I will be after this fall.

Most hunters spend the summer months preparing their food plots, improving their land and improving their marksmanship for the long grueling season.  What about preparing your body? 

Hunting despite what some may think, is a grueling hobby.  I’m willing to bet a lot of people can’t walk a mile through a mucky marsh in waders hulling two dozen duck decoys, shells, and a shotgun! My Team Members and I are fairly fit individuals, having run cross country and track at the collegiate level, and there are days in the field when we find ourselves hunched over, hands on our knees, with the old ticker pumping! Here are some exercises we do to make sure we are ready for the season. I’ll keep them simple; things you can do with little or no equipment.

Exercise One: Chair Dips
The chair dip works the triceps, traps, deltoids and pectoralis minors.  Place a chair behind you and place your hands on the seat part, extend your legs straight in front of you.  Bending at the elbows lower and raise your body 10-15 times, rest, and repeat.

Exercise Two: Push-Ups
Push ups are a great exercise to strengthen your lats, chest and shoulders and can be performed in a variety of ways.

• Push-Up 1 Normal Stance: Arms shoulder width apart, toes the same and pointed toward the ground; perform 10-15 pushups once
• Push-Up 2 Wide Stance: Arms a bit wider than shoulder width. Same protocol as Push-Up One.
• Push-Up 3 Tight Stance: Arms noticeably closer than shoulder width apart. Same Protocol as Push-Up One.

Exercise Three: Squats
Squats are another exercise that can help you strengthen your legs, back and core. Keeping your back straight, bend your knees lowering your Torso closer to the ground.  Make sure that your knees don’t go to far in front of your toes since this is know to put added stress on the knees. Perform 10-15 repetitions, rest and repeat.

Exercise Four: Lunges
Lunges are great way to work the legs and lower back muscles.  Start in the standing position legs shoulder with apart.  I like to keep my hands on my head to force me to balance a bit.  Start by taking a step forward with your leg bending at the knee. Do the same with the opposite leg.  Repeat this exercise for 10-15 times on each side then rest and repeat. In order to increase the level of difficulty, place dumbbells in each hand with arms at the sides. 

Exercise Five: Planks
Planks are a great exercise to strengthen your arms but more importantly your core muscles.  Strong core muscles will help stabilize your entire body improving your balance in the tree-stand as well as giving you a sturdy base when shooting.

• Plank 1: Facing the Ground forearms underneath your body, and toes towards the floor in the push up position, hold your body up for a minimum of 45 seconds. Increase if your feel its too easy
• Plank 2: Put your right foot and right forearm on the floor, hold yourself up facing sideways for 45 seconds. 
• Plank 3: Repeat Plank 2 but on the left side.

Exercise Six: Bent over Rows
Bent over rows is an exercise that stimulates the muscles most similar to shooting your bow.  I like to bend over with one knee on a bench or chair. Personally I use a resistance band for this exercise because it forces you to use your stabilizing muscles as a bow would, but a dumbbell would suffice.  Pull the dumbbell or band in the upward motion as if you are starting a lawnmower 10-15 repetitions per side, rest, then repeat

Don't forget the Cardiovascular Exercises...
I recommend doing some sort of activity that will raise your heart rate for an extended period of time, 30 minutes at a time at least 3 days per week.  Watching hunting videos doesn’t count!  Depending on your age and ability level this could mean running, biking, swimming, elliptical machines, stair steppers (especially beneficial if you hunt hilly terrain) or just plain old walking at a brisk pace. 

It doesn’t matter what you pursue in the fall, exercise is essential.  I guarantee if you follow these tips you will be able to pull your bow back smoother, quieter, and hold it longer improving your chances at harvesting that big buck! These exercises will also help make hauling your gear, climbing your stand or pulling that trophy out a whole lot easier.  Did I mention that exercise, both strength and cardiovascular varieties, is proven to decrease your risk for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, relieve stress and help you sleep better?  

Suddenly the day that you’ve been anticipating for what seems like forever is suddenly right around the corner.  If you’re like me you’ve been counting down the days till the 2011 opener since closing day last season. You glance at the calendar and quickly realize that you have less than a month until bow season opens(in most states) and your “hunting to do list” which has been patiently waiting on the back burner is staring you down.  Here’s how to make the most of the short time you have left before the opener.

Get those stands hung:

The most important thing that you can do, if you have the opportunity to hang permanent stands get them up!  This last weekend I went out to the property that I hunt and hung several sets, keeping in mind that I will have a camera man with me at each locale, I make certain I have plenty of back cover.  As the lush green leaves transform to the beautiful shades of fall and eventually make their descent to the ground so does that amazing backdrop you thought you had breaking up your outline.  A good tip is to place the branches you trimmed for your lanes behind you in the tree.  This will help break up that human outline that today’s whitetails are trained to pinpoint.

Plan your Entrance and Exit Routes:

Over the years I hadn’t given much thought to this, but after repetitively spooking deer upon transit to and from my stands I decided a change was needed.  The new property that I hunt has a 3 foot deep, 8 foot wide, mote-like irrigation system surrounding the woods in its entirety (a real inconvenience to say the least).  There is one permanent bridge allowing access however the deer seem to know that this is the only place for humans to gain access and believe you me, they keep a keen eye on it.  This summer I built multiple small bridges that allow me stealth like access from the fields to my stands.

Another thing that I have done for the first time this year is create a trail system to my stands. I used a small weed-eater and in some cases a hand saw to clear an inconspicuous path to and from my stands.  This reduces noise caused by crunching leaves, breaking sticks, or the unforgiving sound of briars snagging your clothes. You can even bring a leaf blower or rake to do a final clean up ensuring a low key passage.

Make a Wind Map:

After reading the latest addition of Field and Stream Magazine they talked about creating a wind map.  To do this get aerial maps of your property (I prefer to print them off of Bing) and mark your current stand locations, your transit routes, deer travel corridors, bedding areas and food sources.  Before heading out for a hunt get the current wind forecast and be certain to hunt the stand that favors the forecasted wind. Remember, especially for early season to get in-between the bedding and the primary food choice or water source for your most likely chance at a shot.

Shoot with your Broad-heads!

Remember to practice with your broad-heads before heading to the stand.  Sure you may have flung thousands of arrows over the course of the summer, but you may find out, as I did this summer, that your broad-head patterns a bit differently.  My broad-heads tend to shoot a couple inches lower than my practice tips.  Though it may not seem like a lot, it could be the difference between the heart of a “booner” and a clear miss!! I actually adjusted my whole site to compensate for the drop at their respective distances.

I hope these simple tips help you in your final preparations for the hunting season.  Let us know what you’re doing to get ready!

2011 Wisconsin Waterfowl Season's Set

MADISON, Wis.  – The Natural Resources Board set 2011 waterfowl season dates and bag limits and approved creation of a third waterfowl hunting zone at its August meeting in Spring Green.

“Waterfowl hunters can look forward to a full 60-day duck season with a six-duck daily bag, and an 85-day exterior goose zone season,” said Kent Van Horn, Department of Natural Resources waterfowl ecologist. “It was a good year for duck production in Wisconsin and across the continent. Overall conditions were very good for breeding ducks. The continental breeding duck estimates hit a record level at 45.6 million ducks making 2011 good year to be a duck hunter.

“As always, the most successful hunters will be the ones doing the early season scouting, locating the smaller isolated potholes that can attract waterfowl when hunting pressure is high in other areas and securing permissions from landowners well in advance,” added Van Horn. “I’d like to thank the thousands of hunters who participated in the development of our new duck hunting zones and wish all waterfowl hunters a successful and safe season.”

2011 waterfowl season structure
During the 60-day season duck season, the daily bag limit is six ducks in total. The six-duck total may include no more than four mallards, of which only one can be a hen, three wood ducks, two redheads, one black duck, two pintail, two scaup and one canvasback. In addition, five mergansers to include not more than two hooded mergansers. Coot daily bag of 15. (For duck species not listed such as teal and ring-necked ducks, the combined total with all other species may not exceed six ducks).

•Northern Zone-Sept. 24 at 9 a.m.-Nov. 22.
•Southern Zone-Oct. 1 at 9 a.m.-Oct. 9, and Oct. 15 –Dec. 4.
•Mississippi River Zone-Sept. 24 at 9 a.m. – Oct. 2, Oct. 15-Dec. 4 (12 day split Oct 3-14),
 

Youth Waterfowl Hunt
The youth waterfowl hunt will be Sept. 17-18. Youth may harvest Canada geese in all zones during these 2 days. All bag limits and tag requirements apply for the zone hunted. These days overlap with open goose seasons in most areas so adults will also be able to harvest geese but not ducks during the youth hunt.

“The youth waterfowl hunt is important to the future of waterfowl hunting and I encourage all waterfowl hunters to take a son, daughter, niece, nephew or family friend out for this weekend,” said Van Horn. “It’s a great time to share your experience with a new or prospective waterfowler, outside of the regular duck seasons, when there are fewer hunters competing for spots and when warmer weather can be anticipated.”

Canada geese
The state is apportioned into two goose hunting zones: Horicon and Exterior. Other goose management subzones within the Exterior Zone include Brown County and the Mississippi River.

•Early Canada goose: Sept. 1-15.
•Exterior Zone: 85 days. Daily bag of two Canada geese.
•North Zone: Sept. 16-23 and Sept. 24, (9a.m.)-Dec. 9.
•South Zone: September 16-30, October 1 (9 a.m.)-Oct. 9 and Oct. 15-Dec. 14.
•Mississippi River Subzone: Sept. 24 (9a.m.)-Oct. 2, Oct. 15-Dec. 29.
Horicon Time Periods: Hunters with Horicon zone permits will be issued six tags for the time period that they are awarded. The daily bag limit will be two geese with a possession limit of six.

Horicon : 92 days Period 1 Sept. 16-Oct. 30, Period 2 Oct. 31 –Dec. 16

Other Geese: Brant and Light geese Seasons will be the same as for the Canada goose zones/subzones. The daily bag limit will be one brant and 20 snow, blue or Ross' geese. White fronted geese season will be the same as Canada geese for the Exterior zone and within the Horicon zone the season will be from Sept. 20-Dec. 16. The daily bag limit will be one.

Third Waterfowl hunting zone added
The new three-zone season structure adds a third waterfowl zone to the existing northern and southern duck zones. The new third zone consists of the Mississippi River from roughly Prescott to the Wisconsin – Illinois border, west of the railroad, and is identical to the current Mississippi River Canada goose subzone. What is now identified as the Mississippi River Zone for duck hunters will open Sept. 24 – Oct. 2; reopening Oct 15 through Dec. 4. Goose seasons in this zone will continue through Dec. 29.

Mentored Hunting
Wisconsin’s mentored hunting law allows any registered hunter age 18 and older to introduce anyone age 10 and older to hunting without the mentee first passing a hunter safety education course. It’s a great way to generate excitement and interest in adding hunting to a lifestyle. Interested hunters can learn more at the Mentored Hunting Law page of the DNR website.

Article courtesy of the Wisconsin DNR for more info on the upcoming waterfowl season!  http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/wildlife/hunt/waterfow/ 

Yesterday was a good day in the Whitetail World for Pat and I. I can't say anything about the deer Pat has on his Cam. He will be sharing it with you soon and you won't want to miss it. As for me a couple weeks ago coming back from shooting carp Pat and I saw a nice group of bucks where I hunt, I knew they were good deer but it was just before dark and it was kinda far away to get a good visual. Well last night Pat and I went shinning to see what was out there. We like to shine in this particular spot because you can see from the road and there is no trees near by for a camera. When I hit the Light I saw that there were a few deer in the field and two nice bucks I'm guessing 130''s. which Is not huge by anymeans but a deer that I would be tickled to shoot. One buck is wide and the other has huge tall forked brows. Check them out see what you think. I appoligize that the images are a lilttle blurry I took them off the video camera.