HUNTING TIP #1 ( TRAIL MARKERS )

How many people have a hard time finding there stands in the dark? Well here is an idea I came up with. Go to Wal-mart or K-mart and buy some cloth pins and reflective tape. Cut the tape in 2 inch x 1 inch strips and place them on the end of the cloth pins ( the end you press together. ) Now when you walk to your stand, place them every 4 steps. At the end of the season you just take them down for the next year. It's better than buying the strips or marking tape every year. Not only that, you don't have to worry about someone finding your stand in the day time, because the pins don't stand out except with a flash light and only at night.

HUNTING TIP #2 ( WING NUTS )

If you have a TREE CLIMBER this is a must. Ever lose your wing nuts? well here is the fix for this. Take all your wing nuts off and drill a 9/64th hole in one end of each wing nut. ( make sure you wire brush it to get all the burs off so you do not cut your finger later.) Get you some nylon string the small fishing kind 175 lbs. test and cuta piece 8 to 12" long. Double it and stick it through the hole, then loop it so it doesn't slide on the string. Now take your back blade off your tree climber and next to the bolt on the side out side the stand drill a 9/64 th on both sides and again knock the burs off. Now run both pieces of string through the each hole and tie a knot in them and melt the loose ends so it does not come loose. There now you can not lose them or having to keep extra's with you.

HUNTING TIP #3 ( Hand Warmers )

Got this off a post while searching for hunting web sites. Take 2 potatoes and put them in the microwave for 10 minutes take them out then rap them up in tin foil and put them in your pockets for instant hand warmers it will stay warm for hours. And if you get hungry well that is just 1 more hunting tip!

HUNTING TIP #4 ( MINERAL LICKS )

Here is a real simple recipe for mineral mix: 30% salt, 35% beef mineral mix (without salt), 35% Dairy mineral Mix (without salt) Any co-op can mix this for you in any weight you want! Deer need mineral all year long, this mix will help doe, fawn and buck. The process of growing antlers begins the day after they drop, and always remember that 98% of the mineral ingested by deer will be used for bones and teeth etc. A deer will eat about 1 ounce of mineral per day as long as the salt is not above 30%, salt works for deer just like it does for you. A little enhances the mineral, too much will cause them to stop eating the mineral before they have enough to do their bodies good. Always place the mineral on clay or harder soil, or the salt will wash out into the dirt and deer will eat the dirt for the salt and avoid the mineral. If it rains alot, freshen your mineral mix with plain salt. Do this because mineral is bitter, and salt makes it tast better.......Always wear rubber boots when mixing your mineral site or freshing it......if legal place mineral to the side of your stand that you do not approach from, it may draw you some deer.

HUNTING TIP #5 ( EMPTY SPRAY PAINT CAN )

When hunting using a ground level box blind, hang an empty paint can in the blind about where your head would be. The wind will aid in the movement of the paint can, and deer will be used to having some movement in the blind. When you arrive at your blind to hunt, take the paint can down.

HUNTING TIP #6 ( CANISTER )

 Go to you local film shop and ask for a few empty film canisters. Now get some cotton balls and paper clips, take the paper clips and stick them through the cotton balls. Make sure the paper clips will hold the cotton ball tightly, now bend the paper clip so that it has a hook in it. Put 3 or 4 of them inside and put the lid back on them, just before you hunt pour the scent of your choice into the canister and put the lid back on it. Now when you get to your spot open it up and hang it by the paper clip on a branch Then when you get finish hunting you take them down and put them back in the canister for the next hunt. If you have problems finding the put a small piece reflective tape on the paper clip.

HUNTING TIP #7 ( WHITE RAGS )

Some people might have heard of this! If you hunt in towers or box stands, take 2 white rag and tack it on to 2 corners of the stand on the outside. This way the deer will get used to seeing movement an after a while the deer will not look up at it anymore. I have also heard of people putting dummies in their treestand to get the deer use to seeing an object, very helpful in bow season.

HUNTING TIP #8 ( FINDING THE WIND )

 I have a hunting tip that may be of some use to our fellow hunters. My tip is this. You know that wind direction is critical. Ok well here is a simple solution instead of buying those scent sprays. Get a thin piece of of yarn and tape it onto your stabalizer and this provides you with a source of wind direction all the time instead of finding your spray bottle.

HUNTING TIP #10 ( TREE STAND PROBLEMS )

Some climbing tree stands use 1/4 X 20 bolts for tree size adjustments and use the large knobs to tighten them. I had a problem with the bolt dropping off onto the ground when attaching the stand to a tree. This can be distressing when it's dark and 6:00am at your hunting spot. I solved this problem by replacing the normal adjustment bolts with 1/4 X 20 eye bolts of the same length. I tie a cord around the frame and the other end through the eye of the bolt. Now even if the bolt were to fall out during setup or adjustment, I just retrieve it from the end of the short length of cord securing it to the stand.

HUNTING TIP #11 ( THE MIRROR )

I don't know who thought of this one, but we use it a lot. "Old rear view mirrors screwed inside or out of your deer stand (wherever you think is best), sure eliminate a lot of unncessary turning and moving around for us". Kind of lets us watch our backs without having to move around and make noise. May sound funny but it works. I don't know about you but I need all the help I can get.

Hunting Tip of the Week

1.On call-shy gobblers, take a buddy with you. Locate him on the roost & one of you get on one side & the other on the other (far enough apart not to shoot one another!) Only one of you call, the other sit there quietly. A lot of times toms will fly down in the opposite direction of the hen/caller. This works really well in areas that provide natural funnels like lakes, rivers, beaver ponds, roads, planted pines, etc... They will help eliminate different angles in which he can comfortably fly down.

2. If you're struggling with henned up toms, try gobbling first thing in the morning. The theory is to attract the hens off the roost &,  ultimately, let the hens draw in the boys.

3. On a gobbling bird, always cover as much ground as you think you can without bumping him... minus a hundred yards

Missing Birds

I've been receiving a lot of feedback & questions about "missing" turkeys. Apparently, there's a bunch of ya'll that saw flocks of turkey while deer hunting & now that it's time to bust some heads, ya'll are having trouble finding a bird. This is not uncommon. Your turkeys probably haven't been poached, or died of disease/starvation, I hope they haven't been raptured, or were abducted by aliens. Your turkeys have more than likely just moved during their Spring migration. This is an often overlooked fact that can be very critical to the success & failure of Turkey Hunting. Flocks migrate in the Winter & the Spring due to food source. Sometimes their home-range can change as far as 5 miles. Don't give up as a gobbler will cover a very large area during the breeding season. My advice to you is to scout in places that offer a more abundant & higher quality of food for your birds. Keep in mind fairly large fields where the hens can scratch around & the toms can strut their stuff. Also be aware of larger bodies of water as turkeys love to roost over water. They feel more safe from their common predators from this position.
"To avoid disappointment, raise your expectations & expect nothing"

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