EP105 When To Setup Mock Scrapes & Trail Cams For Deer Season

Show Notes:

The mock scrape and trail camera combination may be the single most powerful reconnaissance strategy for hunting whitetails that there is, at least for new hunters. On this episode I talk about the best time of year to get out there and setup mock scrapes and trail cameras, both for archery and rifle season.

Take Aways

  • Mock scrapes are great because they focus deer movement for a variety of reasons and they are essentially free.
    • For the cost of some string you can increase your chances of seeing whitetails on camera and in front of your hunting setup.
  • The best way to make good use of a trail camera is to assume it is terrible and will only get photos of what is directly in front of it.
    • If you have a better detection cone then great, but don’t count on it.
  • Setting up scrapes and cameras and checking them, going through the photos, and being outside in the summer can be almost as much fun as hunting. Enjoy every aspect of the hunt.
  • Remember deer often change their habits and locations between summer and late fall.
    • As the cover and food sources change, so do their travel and bedding areas.
    • Do not rely on scouting or camera data that is months old to determine where you hunt.
    • Regularly check trail cameras between August 1 and when you plan to hunt. I recommend every 2 weeks.
  • Stay out of the woods a couple weeks before hunting season starts, let the woods rest from human scent and interference.
  • Listen to this episode to find the best time of year to setup mock scrapes and trail cameras for whitetail deer hunting.

 

EP104 The 7 Basics of Deer Habitat Planning

Show Notes:

There are seven things every hunter needs to know about how to locate, assess, and improve deer habitat to have consistent success in the woods. On this episode I talk about what you can do right now to understand whitetail habitat, find it in the woods, and make adjustments to it to better your chances of success.

Take Aways

  • When deer move they move for a purpose, the more you understand those purposes the better you can hunt.
  • Every deer needs certain things, you need to find or provide them to have good deer movement.
  • People’s intuition is often different from a deer’s intuition. You need to learn how they think.
  • It does not take alot of time or money to improve deer habitat, there is alot you can do at little to no cost.
  • Listen to this episode to hear the 7 basics.

 

EP103 5 Best Areas For Crow Hunting

Show Notes:

Where you setup to hunt crows makes all the difference and determines not only if crows will come to you but if they will come close enough to shoot. On this episode I talk about the best types of places to setup in order to boost your odds of a successful crow hunt.

Take Aways

  • The two biggest factors for picking a good hunting location are acoustics and flight plane.
  • Crows will not come to your calls if they do not hear you, it is a 100% guarantee. Sure call volume is a factor but the sound needs to be able to travel to where the crows are.
  • Crows tend to fly above the tree tops along their approach, you need to consider if the trees are low enough to put you in range, or how you can modify your elevation to be within range when they come.
  • Concealment is also a big part of the hunt. Crows have great eyesight and you need to be well concealed. 
  • Wind can make it hard to call crows because the noise can drown out your calls.
  • Listen to the episode to hear about the 5 best areas for crow hunting.

EP102 What Hunters Need To Know About Recoil

Show Notes:

Recoil is one of the most vivid parts of shooting and hunting for many who are beginners. It permeates people’s thinking and memory and is often little understood and not properly managed. On this episode I talk about the effect recoil has on hunting, the science behind it, and what you can do to better manage it and be a more effective hunter.

  • Recoil effects accuracy, fun, shooter confidence, and health. The better you understand it the more effective of a hunter and shooter you can be.
  • Recoil is a measure of action and re-action, felt recoil on the other hand accounts for the real life factors that determine how it effect us.
  • Felt recoil is a function of bullet weight, powder charge, gun weight, shooter mass, and mitigating factors. Adjust any of those and you can change the felt recoil.
  • There is a macho factor that goes along with heavy recoil, nothing has perhaps done more to damage our sport and dissuade children and newcomers alike than this nonsense.
  • People often use more gun than they need for a hunt, which comes with more recoil than they need, which makes them a less effective marksman and a less effective hunter in many cases.
  • Whether you are hunting coyotes, varmints, turkeys, whitetail deer, elk, moose, or anything in between, do the best that you can to pick a firearm and ammunition combo that is the right balance of power and recoil to do the job well and be as manageable as possible.
  • There are three big things you can do to improve your accuracy and effectiveness with higher recoil firearms, they are covered in the episode.
  • Some people just should not shoot certain guns, the physics of their body size and composition hinder their ability to safely and effectively use high recoil firearms.
    • There comes a point where no amount of practice or pride will improve the situation, it’s science.

 

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