An Outdoorsmen’s Cure for March Malaise

For most hunters and anglers, March is a wasted month. Coming after big game and ice fishing seasons and before spring fishing, it’s full of rain, mud and restlessness.  But with a little creativity, March can be a cornucopia of outdoor delights.

Take shed hunting. No matter where you are in deer country, now is the time to explore every nook and cranny to find the dropped antlers of the wall hanger you want to target come fall. In the north, snow is melting, revealing the polished tines before mice and squirrels chew them up. Take a walk on the sunny side of slopes where deer hang out in January and February or near winter food sources. It’s a great way to get out of the house for a healthy hike and locate new spots for stands.

And while you’re out there, March is the perfect time to locate flocks of winter turkey and travel territories just before spring season. The soft ground and remaining snow capture plenty of tracks and give you a good idea of how many birds are in your hunting territory. Take a couple calls along and practice the clucks and yelps you’ll hear as the birds talk to each other.

You can even go to the dogs in March. Your retriever, pointer or trailing hound has been sleeping by the fire, gaining weight and losing its edge. Get Rover in the field for some off-season refresher courses before the summer heat. That’ll give both of you a head start on toning up for the fall seasons. Game farms are still open in March for a variety of upland bird shooting, which will help you keep your shooting eye.

And speaking of shooting eye, if you take part in trap, skeet or sporting clays events during the summer, now’s the time to reload a passel of shells, recondition guns, practice your swing and polish last year’s trophies.

Is March looking more exciting? We haven’t even got to the fishing yet. Crappies get an urge to be caught in March. Up north the big slabs are concentrating just under the softening ice, and there is nothing better after a frigid February than a sunny, 30-degree March day when you can pull eager fish through the holes. Where the water is already open, early spawning beds are loaded with aggressive crappies.

If you’re a fly fisherman, your spring season is almost at hand. Time to get out the vise, thread, hooks and feathers and whip up a new batch of Caddis flies, Royal Coachman, Wooly Buggers and streamers and repair rod ferrules and holes in the waders.

Instead of being too long and boring, perhaps March is too short.  So put the outdoor magazines away, turn off the TV and write your own March story.

This story first appeared on http://www.unionsportsmen.org/.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - An Outdoorsmen’s Cure for March Malaise

Inside the Factory Fred Bear Built

Even though he didn’t start bow hunting until he was 29, Fred Bear defined what it meant to be an American bow hunter. Even though he passed away over 20 years ago his influence on hunting culture have can still be felt today.

Today Bear Archery carries Bear’s legacy into future by making some of the best compound bows on the market. This video offers a rare glimpse inside the Fred Bear Factory and a look at how they manufacture compound bows.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVPgw0_sESE

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Grand Slam Birds: Which Subspecies is the Hardest?

So I got your attention with my snappy title. Any successful turkey hunter who has gone after the Grand Slam has an opinion as to which subspecies is the hardest. My opinion is that they all are hard, but each in their own different ways. Noticed I said they were all hard but I did not specify which one was the hardest. I am sure if I sat down with other avid turkey hunters we would have some great discussions on this topic but since I need to write this article I am going to build my case for each one and then rank them at the end.

I currently lease properties that allow me to hunt three of the subspecies every year in Florida (Osceola), Georgia and Mississippi (Eastern), and Texas (Rio Grande). I got 2 of each bird during my 2009 season. Why do I do it? Well, because I enjoy the different styles of hunting involved with each subspecies.

Side Note: I have included the National Wildlife Turkey Foundation’s (www.nwtf.org) subspecies turkey map so you can visualize where each subspecies is located as I discussed them. The NWTF site has great information about each subspecies for the beginner and besides, they have been and are great stewards for the wild turkey.

Osceola

Let’s start with the subspecies where the hunting season opens up first, the Osceola. The Osceola is only found in the state of Florida and the fact that they are only found in Florida starts them off on the difficult scale. The environment in Florida is normally hot in March and April, with mosquitoes the size of dinosaurs. Out-of-state hunters have to find an outfitter, public lands, or a lease in order to hunt them. In my opinion, Osceola are modified Eastern turkeys that have evolved over time. They have longer legs to adapt to the Florida swamps and other terrain. They also have a tendency to not gobble a lot once off the roost. I can remember only a few times where they were fired up and gobbling their heads off for a given period of time. The mornings that I was present during these gobbling sessions, I harvested birds. My hunting style is very similar to how I hunt Easterns, but with them not gobbling on the roost it can be difficult and frustrating.

Eastern

Chances are if you consider yourself a turkey hunter, you hunt Easterns. They are the most abundant species of the grand slam birds. They are also the hardest in my opinion. Whoops, I let the cat out of the bag! Oh well. Taking an Eastern bird every year proves that you are an avid and successful hunter. In my opinion there is no other warier bird than the Eastern. What do I mean by wary? I think evolution has caused them to develop this keen sense of danger due to hunting pressure and the fact that they live in populated areas where people are present. Therefore wary to me means a smart bird that is constantly looking out for danger and is always alert. You probably hear the word wary mentioned about whitetail deer. Turkeys are the same way. The hunting terrain for Easterns is normally not a big factor on how you hunt these birds.

Rio Grande

Now, I love hunting Rio Grande turkeys. As I mentioned before, I have a lease in Texas just for hunting them. They are no way as wary as Easterns and Osceloa in my opinion, due to the non-dense population areas they are found on. The first time we got the lease I swore they have never been hunted. My hunting lease is on the Pecos River where the Rocky Mountains start. It is very hilly and rocky with creek bottoms that have open cattle fields. This openness makes it difficult to “Run and Gun” so we hunt out of tents placed strategically along their feeding corridors and roosting trees. Another factor is that Rios cover a lot of ground every day foraging for food. When you see them fly off the roost they are normally going somewhere fast. So, if you do not get them right off the roost they might be a couple miles off your property by noon that day. Finally, another difficult factor is that it is hard to hunt turkeys when you are constantly looking for snakes. I know snakes are found everywhere you hunt turkeys, but in Texas they grow them bigger. When I refer to them I mean diamond back rattlesnakes. Besides my turkey calls and decoys, my snake boots are my number one hunting accessories when hunting Rios.

Merriam

Merriams are a lot like Rios, meaning they are less wary due to lack of civilization. I hunted Merriams in the Colorado Mountains and these birds acted like they had never seen a human before. We could drive up on them in trucks and they would stand there and look at you. Once you got out of the truck they would run. You let an Eastern or Osceola see a truck or even hear one they will be in the next county before they stop flying. Hunting in the mountains to me was the biggest challenge. I was okay as long as I was going laterally or down the mountains but going up the mountains made me huff and puff like the big bad wolf in the three little pigs’ story. When turkeys would gobble, I would say let’s go for the one down there or over there. It was always hard to say let’s go up the mountain to get that one. Better yet let’s wait till another one gobbles. If you hunted Merriams in the mountains you know what I am talking about. The cold temperatures were another factor. Opening day when I was hunting in Colorado was 18 degrees Fahrenheit and five inches of snow on the ground. I was amazed to watch these beautiful birds gobbling and strutting in the snow.

Rankings

Now that I have built a case for each subspecies here is my rankings and a summary of why:

1. Eastern – Very wary birds to hunt due to surrounding population and hunting pressure.
2. Osceola – Less wary than an Eastern, but has a tendency not to gobble; therefore, hard to initially setup on. Limited places to hunt.
3. Merriam – Tougher environments to hunt in due to elevated terrain and/or winter hunting conditions.
4. Rio Grande – Wide open country with them traveling long distances during the day once off the roost; plus the possibility of rattle snakes.

So basically you can sum up the birds in two types of hunting groups. There’s the wary, pressured group, the Easterns and Osceolas, and the environmentally-challenged group, Rio Grandes and Merriams.

Now that you know my rankings, go over to my Facebook page or Twitter account and post your comments. Please feel free to disagree with me and voice your opinion. Or better yet, bring up points or experiences that I might have missed. I love a good healthy discussion about turkey hunting – a sport I am very passionate about. Good luck this spring!

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Grand Slam Birds: Which Subspecies is the Hardest?

Hot Spot Outfitter Spotlight: Kansas’ Blue River Whitetails

With today’s outfitter’s get-rich-quick mentality coupled with amplifying quantity versus quality, weld has been forged on the wallet of several thousand hard working hunters in search of a legitimate deer operation to spend their well-earned dollars. With outfitters sprouting from every nook and cranny of the country, it’s time to separate the wheat from the chaff.

In these difficult economic times we face, hunters looking to find an operation that provides one-on-one attention, reasonable expectations, and a proven track record is an absolute necessity before even entertaining cutting a deposit. I firmly believe that as a “client,” there should be virtually no room for shards of doubt or speculation in the booking process. On the very same token – you cannot expect a 150” buck served to you on a silver platter, that’s just not realistic when hunting free range whitetails. At the end of the day, you must find an operation that is not only genuine, but works with you to provide a fair opportunity to fill your tag and conquer your dream.

My hope is to help guide you in the right direction before throwing your greenbacks into the flames. I want to set the record straight and speak for every hunter in the country stashing their savings for a hunt this fall and give a few outfitters a well-deserved shout out for their relentless ability to deliver incredible hunts year-after-year.

Blue River Whitetails

I’ve had the great opportunity to hunt at a place that has not only proved successful for me the last five years, but currently maintains a 100% turkey slaying record and a world-class whitetail rate that’s very near that. The birds are plentiful, the landscape’s spectacular, and the privilege to hunt side-by-side with a hunting guru is truly a blessing.

My Kansas go-to-guy is David Schotte, owner of Blue River Whitetails. Schotte runs a superb family oriented operation and has been doing a successful job putting his clients on both species year-after-year.

Schotte relies on Moultrie trail cam pictures to scarf big buck activity and insight. As we all know, trail cameras significantly reduce hunter error and keep human pressure and activity at the extreme minimum. This is exactly how Blue River Whitetails is able to provide their big buck hunting clients an unheard of 70% success rate with a 150” average!

The time and efforts Schotte put toward planting food plots, installing waterholes, building brush blinds, and strategically placing cameras all boiled down to that very moment; his clients grinning behind a set of gnarly antlers.

There truly is no greater feeling than the gift of accomplishment coupled with the fruitful passion of the outdoors. Together, they are a winning combination that defines the pinnacle of a hunter’s success. The fond memories of bonding with great company and waking up to a buffet of wild game is a dream come true.

If you are in search of a place to hunt spring turkey or fall deer; look no further than www.BlueRiverWhitetails.com.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Hot Spot Outfitter Spotlight: Kansas’ Blue River Whitetails

“Let’s Hear it From the Girls!”

Calling on all women in the field to share your stories, pictures, thoughts…women need girl talk!

Why is it a passion of mine is to encourage everyone to support women in the outdoors? Short story long, I have only been huntin’ and shootin’ things since 2000, and without a weekend workshop at Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, Becoming an Outdoors Woman (B.O.W.) along with my husband’s encouragement later that year, I may not having the wonderful adventures I am having now! It is still fresh in my memory and very much aware that it takes information, encouragement, and inspiration to enable some people to step outside of their comfort zone and try something new. I was lucky enough to have all three, and  I now strive to make those available to all who are curious. It may not be for every girl, but I am thankful that I had the chance to decide it was for me! As I always say about shooting, “You may like it, or you may not, but I‘m here to tell you, it’s worth a shot!”

I want to appeal to you girls out there that have already taken the leap of faith into the outdoors, be it hiking, four wheeling, fishing, camping, shooting, hunting, watching wildlife and capturing them on camera, etc. You are outdoors breathing that fresh air, loving life, and it is only fair that you take the time to inform, inspire, encourage…and share your experiences!

There are many ways to tell your tale, review a product, share a tip or show your trick. You may write on your own website; submit newsletters to various websites; also send content onto a few outdoor websites may approve a story. There are many social platforms available, but it is important to remember that if you take the time to write it, you want people to be able to find it and read it! So in addition to what you are doing now, I personally want to recommend and enlighten you about OutdoorHub.com. This organization is on track to be the online Mecca of information, the hub of all outdoor information/new/stories/photos and will link all aspects of outdoor information and products across the world. I know the history and capabilities of one of the founders in this organization and have every confidence that the company will live up to their name and goal to be the main hub for the best in resources for outdoor information, services and products!  Accepted and approved by P.O.M.A., they verified their credibility and can only create confidence in their missions and goals.

Outdoor Hub is actively seeking real stories from real people in various sports, with different platforms to offer, they will talk to you and decide where your words belong! They are currently providing outdoor content to over 12,000,000 people, growing steadily as I type. They have staff that work with you for editing, and also full time website masters that work continuously to help people find and actually read your story and allow you a link back to your own website! Thankfully they realize that not everyone is a professional writer and have developed carefully written guidelines that have been a tremendous help to me in my efforts to blog, write, and just share in general. Just ask and they are yours. Email them at content@outdoorhub.com. These are great people, a wonderful organization, and I am sure that once you begin working with them, you will totally agree. I say these things wholeheartedly and without reservation. Please contact me and I will give you all the direct contact info.
I am sincerely hoping that this information has encouraged and inspired you to begin sharing your stories somewhere…. ANYWHERE!

If you have any questions, I look forward to hearing from you!

BeckyLouOutdoors@gmail.com

“Camo can be Classy”

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - “Let’s Hear it From the Girls!”

Just a Few Turkey Facts

Turkey season is fast approaching among us hunters and huntresses. I find it intriguing to know some facts about the wild turkey. I know some of us just go out and shoot a bird, but do you actually study them? I decided this year I would do some research on the wild turkey and share with you some important facts.

I think it’s amazing that Benjamin Franklin’s first choice for the United States’ National Bird was the wild turkey. The turkey was well liked by the Native Americans as well as the Europeans. It was the choice for Thanksgiving Dinner. It’s also the largest game bird in North America.

In the early 20th century wild turkeys were no longer roaming over the land. They had been killed off by hunters and many of their woodland habitats were destroyed. It’s thanks to the conservation programs we have now that wild turkeys are not extinct. We now have five different types of turkeys that are grouped in slams for turkey hunting.

These are five slams:

1. Grand Slam: Eastern, Rio Grande, Merriam’s and Osceola (Florida Birds)
2. Royal Slams: Eastern, Rio Grande, Merriam’s, Osceiola, and Gould’s
3. World Slams: Eastern, Rio Grande, Merriam’s, Osceiola, Gould’s, and Ocellated
4. Mexican Slams: Rio Grande, Oscellated, and Gould’s harvested only in Mexico
5. Canadian Slams: Eastern and the Merriam’s are harvested in the Provinces- Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, Manotoba or British Columbia

The male turkey is also known as the gobbler or the tom. They usually have large red, featherless red- head, red throat, red wattles (warts or abnormal growths) on throat and neck. The long fleshy skin that lay over the beak is called a snood. When they get excited the blood rushes to the head and neck causing the snood to expand and may even conceal the eyes and the beak.  When they’re ready to fight the head and neck turn blue. The Toms are known to have beards and the longest beard reported through the National Wild Turkey Federation is 18 inches long.  They also have little reddish-yellow to grayish-green legs and a black body.  The male is substantially larger than the female, and his feathers have areas of red, purple, green, copper, bronze, and gold iridescent shade.  The primary wing feathers have a white bar through them. The bird can have up to 5000-6000 feathers on them. Their wings expand up to­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ 47-59 inches. The adult males weigh 16-24 lbs. The record-sized adult male, according to the National Wild Turkey Federation, weighed 37 lbs.

The female turkeys are smaller in size weighing 8-12 lbs. Their color is dark dull gray and sometimes black. They camouflage the nest very well. The hens can lay 10-14 eggs and the incubation period is 28 days. Some beards are found on 10-20% on hens.

Turkeys are known to be omnivorous. They eat fruit such as juniper and bearberries in addition to seeds, insects, frogs, roots, acorn and nuts. They even eat small reptiles such as snakes, lizards, and frogs. They eat spiders and other insects that are found on the ground or in trees. They eat grain that is grown out in the field. They also eat tall variety wild grasses.

The sounds they make are yelps, gobbles, clucks, purrs, putts, whines, cackles, and kee-kees. Their gobbles can carry up to a mile. In the spring time they’re announcing their presence to the hen and other males. The males are polygamous and mate with as many hens as they can. They attract females by puffing out their chest, dragging their tails, and expanding their wings. This known behavior is called strutting.  Their color also changes around their head and neck. The mating season is March and April. The female hens yelp to let the gobbler know their presence. The immature turkeys are called jakes and they often yelp.

The turkeys nest up in a tree along streams at night to protect themselves from other preying animals. They have very poor night time vision. Turkeys have very good eyesight and hearing at daytime. They’re also extremely fast runners.

Wild turkeys have a pecking order, it’s usually the oldest to the youngest.

I enjoyed learning about the wild turkey that I will be hunting this spring. Remember it’s not about the kill, but the fun of hunting and enjoying wildlife. Seeing all the wildlife up close and personal and studying them is exciting to me. You just need to sit back, be patient, and observe. You will be amazed at what you see.

If you’re looking at registering your Wild Turkey this year with the National Wildlife Turkey Federation please check out this link http://www.nwtf.org/all_about_turkeys/records_FAQ.html

Have fun and be safe on your wild turkey hunting excursion, and remember to always use common sense while you’re hunting.  Practice your turkey calling off-season so you can be prepared doing the turkey season. To improve your hunting skills watch videos and turkey hunting shows to help you become a superior turkey caller.

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Get to Know the Whitetail Properties Team: Part One

Whitetail Properties is an organization of land management specialists and expert hunters in business to help buy or sell hunting property or farm land mostly in the Midwest and southeast United States. Whitetail Properties TV was created to demonstrate to hunters and farmers how to manage their land through an exciting hunting show. Get to know some of the members of their team with the bios below!

Dan Perez

Dan Perez, of famous Pike County, Illinois, has bowhunted whitetail deer since he was old enough to draw a 40 lb. bow. Since then, he’s harvested in excess of 350 whitetail deer. Over the past thirty years Dan has focused his attention on exclusively bowhunting mature trophy bucks.

This Specialization has earned him 50 bucks that exceed Pope and Young’s qualifications. Exclusively hunting these old monarchs has provided him a much greater opportunity to study and refine his proficiency as a big buck predator. Hence, all the information Dan conveys on Whitetail Properties TV as well as during his seminars, book and magazine interviews and bowhunting DVDs have been learned firsthand. This intimate relationship Dan has with big buck habitat has provided the basis for his new seminars, “First Time In” and “Holding, Growing and Hunting Big Bucks on a Small Tract”. These two seminars elucidate how to successfully hunt big old bucks in highly pressured areas.

Dan has spent the greatest part of his life pursuing trophy animals with a stick and string and introducing people of all ages to bowhunting and the great outdoors. Back in the nineties Dan was a very prolific outdoor writer, his pen often appeared in “Bowhunter,” “Bow & Arrow Hunting,” and “Bowhunting World,” to name a few. For over 17 years he was the Midwest regional Sales Manager for Precision Shooting Equipment. This lifelong romance with the outdoors led him to an even deeper relationship with every aspect of God’s Country: dirt, trees, leaves, water, production land and wildlife.

Today Dan co-owns and brokers Whitetail Trophy Properties Real Estate, specializing in hunting properties and farm land in the great states of Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska Kentucky and Oklahoma. Along with this Dan is the co-owner and host of the remarkably popular program, Whitetail Properties TV. You can reach Dan at dan@whitetailproperties.tv.

Gabe Adair

Born and raised in the heart of south central Iowa, Gabe has roamed this whitetail Mecca since he was a young boy. Gabe has become an accomplished bow hunter with several outstanding bucks to his credit. His outdoor passion has carried over into a very reputable guide service in southern Iowa and northwest Missouri chasing big whitetails, spring snow geese, and wild turkeys. Gabe’s knowledge of the area as well as his understanding of the habitat it takes to grow and hold big whitetails has made him one of the leading recreational land specialists in the area.

Gabe has made quite a name for himself in the outdoor world through his appearances on Chasing the Flight TV and Whitetail Properties TV as well as his field production with Knock Em Down and cover photo placement with North American Whitetails.

If you are in the market for land in south central Iowa, get in touch with Gabe Adair: gabe@whitetailproperties.tv.

Jason Cleveland

Jason Cleveland saw his dad shoot his first deer with a bow in 1976. Five years later, at age twelve, on that same island on the Mississippi River, Jason shot his first deer with a bow… and the passion for the outdoors began. Since then he has avidly hunted whitetail deer, mule deer, elk, turkeys, upland birds and waterfowl. He lives to be outside.

His education includes a degree in agricultural business with a minor in sales management as well as twelve years in sales. Guiding deer, upland bird, waterfowl hunts and fishing trips has also taught him the fine tuning of an ideal experience for an outdoorsman.

Jason has been involved in wildlife management on family-owned hunting properties for over fifteen years. Five years ago Jason started bringing his dreams into reality by purchasing his first hunting property. Since then he has been personally involved in buying, selling and managing several thousand acres of hunting property.

With the combination of education, experience and overall passion for hunting and the outdoors, Jason is armed and ready to match you with the property of your dreams.

Looking for that perfect place in eastern Missouri? Get in contact with Jason Cleveland: jcleveland@whitetailproperties.tv.

Pete Alfano

A native of Pike County, Illinois, Pete has lived the outdoor lifestyle most of his life. His pursuit of bowhunting trophy whitetails has led Pete across seven states. His love for hunting and the outdoors has also led Pete to previously own and operate two successful hunting lodges, producing hundreds of satisfied customers over the years

Pete has a love for the land, land ownership, and land development. He has owned and managed numerous different properties throughout the years, giving him the first-hand knowledge and personal experience to develop and maintain a world-class hunting farm.

Pete has turned his knowledge and passion for the outdoors into a career in the outdoor industry were he has written many articles and has an extensive list of trophy whitetails harvested on film to his credit. Pete’s hunts have aired on Whitetail Properties TV and Realtree’s Monster Bucks volumes 16, 17, and 18.

Buying, developing, and maintaining your own piece of property is a passion of Pete’s and his goal has now turned to helping others find their own piece of paradise to fulfill their dreams. Let Pete put his extensive knowlege to work for you to help you find your dream!

If you’re looking for land in Pike County, Illinois, then contact Pete Alfano: pete@whitetailproperties.tv.

Tom McFarlane

A native of Minnesota, Tom McFarlane has been a dedicated outdoorsman all his life. He has hunted big game in 22 different states and provinces, of which 17 have been in search of whitetails. With these travels, he has not only become an expert on whitetail behavior and habitat in the Midwest, but much of North America. Tom has invested massive amounts of time into research, management, scouting, and hunting strategies. With numerous Boone and Crockett class whitetails to his credit, Tom knows what the recipe is for targeting, developing, and sustaining a world class whitetail property and its herd.

Tom has owned and operated several businesses including a tree nursery company, and part ownership of a golf course. With these businesses he also has experience in the development of investment properties and city planning. He is a certified pesticide applicator and has thorough knowledge of grasses, soils, fertilizers, and trees. In the outdoor industry he has published several articles and has extensive experience in outdoor multimedia, including television. For several years Tom has also served as a consultant to hunters, allowing them to use his knowledge as a tool to pursue something better.

Looking for that perfect piece of land in south central Kansas? Get in touch with Land Specialist Tom McFarlane: tmcfarlane@whitetailproperties.tv.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Get to Know the Whitetail Properties Team: Part One

Hog Attack: Coming Face to Face With a 200lb Beast

I knew this was going to be a long and exciting day. We reached the hunting cabin the night before, set up all our gear and played with my new toys from Christmas. It would be my first wild boar hunt with a brand new bow and some arrows. With my deer and bear hunting experience, I figured it was going to be a breeze.

As the sun peered from the top of a distant mountain, we began our adventure with snow on the ground, a light 3-5 mph west wind, and a brisk 35 degrees. It was a clear Saturday morning, and the woods were completely silent. While walking, the guide told my father and me about the tendencies and habitats of wild hogs. All I heard was “charge and attack.” I figured he gave this little pep talk to everyone because “no way could a little hog attack me.” Being a stubborn Navy SAR Diver, I asked the guide to point us in the direction and let us do a stalk hunt. The look on his face was just awful. As my father and I charged up the hill, I faintly heard our guide’s wish of “good luck” fade into the distance.

I nocked an arrow and we walked for hours, looking for trails and signs of hogs. How hard could it be to find tracks? These things destroy hundreds of acres of land and even eat fresh meat such as deer and other animals. At 8:15 a.m., I notice movement in the valley and, from the corner of my eye, I saw more movement. It was a whitetail deer cruising by. We stopped on what was clearly a game trail where heavy tracks made a blazing path in the thick woods of Upper New York State. The area we were hunting was primarily old evergreens, where many older logs had fallen. I remembered the guide saying that hogs love to lay under them for protection.

It felt like days of walking up and down the mountain with little sign of fresh tracks. But suddenly, we saw hogs running from the foot of the valley to the other side of the mountain. There were at least 30 little piglets and six boars of 150-300 pounds. We decided to split up and conduct a mini drive. My dad would go around the top of the mountain they just passed over, and I would go the opposite way to post. As my old man disappeared into the mountain, I could hear his footsteps crackling the ice and branches. I was trying to tip toe as I approached a fallen tree and was taken by surprise by three hogs bedded down. I couldn’t get a good visual to determine if they were mature hogs, so I continued on, paying more attention to fallen trees and brush piles. I could hear my dad in the distance, so I whistled my location.

I came upon another long, old log with a perfect cover of brush and limbs over it and thought there had to be a hog or two under it. Boy was I right; there were six to eight. I picked one of the larger ones and knew I wouldn’t get a better shot. The hog was trotting. I drew back and let an arrow fly, but I had clearly misjudged the distance. The arrow flew right over the hog’s head and, before I knew it, I was face to face with the 200 pound hog. As he trotted towards me, I could see my dad’s face in the distance and heard him yell, “shoot it, shoot it.”

I panicked for two seconds, knowing I couldn’t outrun this thing. There were too many fallen trees and branches, deep snow and mud banks to pull a Carl Lewis. My heart was racing. The hog must have heard my dad because it suddenly stopped at 30 yards. With my heart pounding, I tried to get a second arrow out of the quiver. I could barely hit a target at 20 yards with my new bow, and I had to hit a boar at 30 yards with my heart thumping and my hands sweaty. I pulled myself together, aimed and released an arrow. The hog let out this noise the entire mountain heard—a sound of desperate anger and defeat.

I killed my first hog and was both relieved and prouder than ever. With big smiles, my father and I exchanged high fives. This was no ordinary hog hunt; this was something special—a bond between father and son and the sacrifice of a hog for the meat and excitement.

Back at the cabin, news and much laughter spread fast about my close encounter with this hog. The ride home gave me time to reflect on the amazing weekend. To those who are thinking of going wild boar hunting, go for it. It’s a thrill you will never forget. Just listen and pay attention to your guide.

Jason Delgado is an avid angler, who also regularly pursues trophy game such as deer and bear.  A member of the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance from Mason Tenders District Council PAC, this was his first wild boar hunt.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Hog Attack: Coming Face to Face With a 200lb Beast

Whitetail Properties: Land Managers, Skilled Hunters and Award-Winning Show Hosts

Hunting becomes a whole new ballgame when the hunter owns the property. Land management along with expert hunting skills come into play to harvest the biggest bucks with the most points. Whitetail Properties TV is a television series that showcases all there is to know about managing the property that the show’s cast owns.

Whitetail Properties is an organization of land management specialists in business to help buy or sell hunting property or farm land mostly in the Midwest and southeast United States. The show, Whitetail Properties TV, was created to demonstrate to hunters and farmers how to manage their land through an exciting hunting show.

On top of all the exciting hunts, there are plenty of new developments surrounding Whitetail Properties TV. The show just took home the 2011 Sportsman Choice Award for Best Animal-Whitetail Deer, awarded at SHOT Show 2012. More recently, Whitetail Properties became the latest author on Outdoor Hub where they will have a platform to publish content surrounding the show, land management, hunting and more.

The video segment below shows a preview of two exhilarating minutes of plentiful buck hunting on the property as Jason Cleveland hunts from his Banks Blind.

Catch the sixth season of Whitetail Properties TV at 8 p.m. E/P every Tuesday during The Realtree Hunting Camp block on the Sportsman Channel.

Sponsors who make this show possible include Bear Archery, Bad Boy Buggies, Banks Blinds, BIG&J Industries, Boss Buck, Hadley Creek Outfitters, Reconyx, Nikon, Hunter Safety System, Lone Wolf, Scent-Lok, Tink’s, QDMA, Trophy Ridge and Whitetail Institute.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Whitetail Properties: Land Managers, Skilled Hunters and Award-Winning Show Hosts

Larry Potterfield on MidwayUSA’s Sponsorship of the Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience

We caught up with MidwayUSA at RMEF’s Elk Camp 2012 in Las Vegas to discuss Larry and Brenda Potterfield’s role in helping high school students learn about conservation, ethical hunting standards, and wildlife research.

Through the Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience program, MidwayUSA has donated money to 6 key conservation groups, enabling these groups to educate students on the importance of wildlife conservation and the role of the hunters, outfitters, conservation groups and local governments in the sustained use of wildlife around the world. Students also get to participate in various shooting events at some of the conventions.

To learn more about this exciting program, see MidwayUSA Sponsors the Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience at the 2012 DSC Convention.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Larry Potterfield on MidwayUSA’s Sponsorship of the Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience

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