Don't Miss High

This tip was forwarded by Rex Howell. Thanks and sorry for the lack of posts. It's been a busy winter. This tip came from Buckmasters.

Don't Miss High
Ninety percent of the shots missed at deer are high. If you shoot at a deer and he just stands there looking at you, chances are good that the shot went high. When you get excited about taking the shot, you're more likely to jerk the trigger, and that makes the shot go high.
When I aim at a deer with a bow, I aim at the lower one-third of my target area, which takes care of any tendency to shoot high.
Bowhunters talk about whitetails "jumping the string," which means they're reacting to the sound of the bow. I've learned about this the hard way because I've had a lot of bow shots go just over deer. I've looked at slow motion video of those missed shots, and the deer don't really jump when they dodge an arrow. They simply react to the sound so quickly that they duck down and turn to run. As they do so, the arrow misses high.
By putting my sight on the lower one-third of the deer's lungs, it will usually be a good shot, even if the deer ducks before the arrow gets there. If the deer doesn't react to the sound, I'm still in the fatal zone by aiming low, and my exit wound is lower in the deer's body, so I'm more likely to have an immediate blood trail.
If you're hunting with a shotgun, there's even more of a tendency to shoot high because most shotguns don't have nearly as crisp a trigger as a rifle. It takes a pretty good pull to make the shotgun go off, and you wind up shooting high.
--Jackie Bushman

Fishing Under the Ice

Most fisherman drop their lines towards the bottom once the ice hole has been punched, but you may want to try fishing right below the ice near the very top.

As the season progresses and oxygen levels get lower the baitfish, plankton and other goodies that fish eat will spend more time near the surface. This also means that your target fish are also likely near the top, especially during the morning.

You will need to blind fish in this manner because your sonar won't be very effective at this close range.

Good Smelling Plastic

No one can deny the success that GULP and similar plastic baits have had. The problem I have with them is the cost. One way that I am now trying to mimic the concept was hatched in my mind while enjoying a can of sardines. Why throw away the juice of the sardines? Why not pour the left over juice into a container of plastic jigs? After a few days of soaking, in the fridge, the baits have taken on a nice aroma that should be attractive to fish, hopefully, more so than the mock smells the commercial baits are soaked in. Oil from any canned fish or even oysters should be great for making your own fish attracting plastic baits.

PETA - The New Slaughterhouse?

New Data Shows PETA Killed 97 Percent Of Dogs And Cats In 2006

WASHINGTON, DC- Yesterday the nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom formally petitioned Virginia's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), requesting that the government agency officially reclassify People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) as a slaughterhouse.

An official report filed by PETA itself shows that the animal rights group put to death nearly every dog, cat, and other pet it took in for adoption in 2006. During that year, the well-known animal rights group managed to find adoptive homes for just 12 animals. Not counting pets brought to PETA for spaying or neutering, the organization killed 2,981 of the 3,061 “companion animals” it took in. According to VDACS, the average euthanasia rate for humane societies in Virginia was 34.7 percent in 2006. PETA's "kill rate" was 97.4 percent.

“It is absurd to classify PETA as a ‘humane society’ when its employees are slaughtering nearly every companion animal they bring in,” said CCF Director of Research David Martosko. “PETA has killed over 17,000 pets since 1998. Given the group's astonishing habit of killing adoptable dogs and cats with such ruthless efficiency, it's only fair that the state of Virginia refer to PETA as a slaughterhouse.”

Don't Double Freeze Your Catch

If you are an ice fisherman and plan on keeping some fish for future use by freezing them don't just throw your fish out on the ice after catching them. If your catch freezes and then you thaw them to clean and then freeze them again you will end up with mushy fish. You wouldn't buy frozen fish at the store, bring them home, thaw them out and then freeze them again so don't do it to your personal catch either.

Take along a cooler or pail to keep your fish in. Add enough water to cover them and they won't freeze. Using a stringer in an extra hole will also work. Taking a little extra care on the ice will pay big dividends at your next fish fry.

25 Ultimate Vacations for Outdoorsmen

Looking for a great place to go on a vacation as an outdoorsman, check out this link.

A Little Motion Goes A Long Way

We have all seen the motorized bunnies that shake all over the place in an effort to attract predators. These do work but they can be a pain to lug around and set up, not to mention the cost of buying your robotic bunny.

A much simpler method and one that is just as effective is to tie a turkey tail feather to a small rod that you can stick in the ground with ease. A fiberglass driveway markers works great, but you will need to paint it before using. This turkey tail feather will provide just the right amount of movement to help attract that wily predator when you are calling.

Squirrels or Deer

When you come across acorns that have been eaten in the woods don't get too excited about what you may have found until you do a little further investigation. 

Deer love acorns but so do squirrels. I know a hunter that has hunted over acorns with high expectations, only to be let down by the lack of feeding deer and all of the annoying squirrels running around his tree.

To tell if it was deer or squirrels eating those acorns take a look at the left behind portions of the acorn. Deer will snap the cap of the acorn off with their teeth and then eat the rest of the acorn. A squirrel will either take to whole acorn or will leave behind chewed acorns. They will look like someone took a bite out of the acorn. If you are finding mostly chewed acorns and not the caps, either change locations or go get your squirrel gun.

Improving Arrow Penetration

To improve arrow penetration, reduce wind drag and make your arrows easier to remove from the target during practice, apply a thin coating of either a gloss tire gel or a quality auto wax. Personally, I use Klasse sealant which is a high tech auto glaze. It last longer, is essentially odor free and is the slickest product I have found. 

Cold Feet

There is nothing worse than cold feet that has been caused by of all things, sweaty feet. If the conditions are right and your choice of socks were not, you will end up with sweaty feet which will lead to cold feet in a hurry.

The best way to prevent this, other than proper foot gear, is to use an antiperspirant on your feet. Make sure to use a scent free product. You don't want the heat of your feet carrying the fhu fhu smell of your antiperspirant all through the woods.