freaknadmin

2020 Western Hunting & Conservation Expo Opens on February 13

Salt Lake City, Utah: The 2020 Western Hunting & Conservation Expo (Hunt Expo), presented by the Mule Deer Foundation and Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, will open its doors next Thursday February 13 offering the avid hunter and outdoors enthusiast plenty to do and see. Hunt Expo runs from February 13 to 16, 2020 at the Salt Palace …

The post 2020 Western Hunting & Conservation Expo Opens on February 13 appeared first on Hunting and Conservation News.

TenPoint® Crossbows Available in Popular TrueTimber® Viper Western Pattern for 2020

Posted from: https://huntinglife.com/tenpoint-crossbows-available-in-popular-truetimber-viper-western-pattern-for-2020/

INMAN, S.C. – February 13, 2020 – TenPoint and TrueTimber announce both the TenPoint XR-410 and Titan M1 crossbows will be available in TrueTimber Viper Western pattern in 2020. Bow hunters across the nation have the opportunity to utilize the impressive performance of TenPoint Crossbows with the versatility and concealment TrueTimber guarantees. “TenPoint has been …

The post TenPoint® Crossbows Available in Popular TrueTimber® Viper Western Pattern for 2020 appeared first on Hunting and Conservation News.

Follow FreaknHunting on Instagram @ http://instagram.com/freaknhunting
Catch us on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/freaknhunting
For the hat trick, we’re on Facebook @ https://facebook.com/FreaknHunting/

Southern Ground Hunting – You Don't Need An Outfitter! How To Hunt Public Land Bucks On A Budget with Jacob Emery

Posted from: https://sportsmensnation.com/podcasters/southern-ground

This week we’re talking with Jacob Emery, of “The Huntin’ Grounds TV”. Jacob is your every day average guy. Like a lot of us, he works hard to balance work & family life with his addiction to chasing big bucks any chance he gets. In episode 66, Jacob talks about his last two seasons where he capitalized on multiple public land bucks, including 3 Tennessee studs. We’re breaking down his tactics, but the overall theme of this podcast revolves around taking advantage of the endless hunting opportunities we have across the US on our public lands. If you’re like us, you grew up watching hunting shows on tv, where it seemed like if you wanted to be successful you had to have a bunch of money to pay an outfitter. That’s simply NOT TRUE! Jacob proves year in and year out that if you have the drive, you can do it on a very small budget.

Southern Ground Hunting is powered by Simple Cast.

Seasoned raccoon

Posted from: https://www.growingdeer.tv/2020/02/14/seasoned-raccoon/

Ingredients: Marinade (pick your favorite) 1 raccoon Seasoning rub (onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper) 1 cup Allegro Hickory Smoke marinade 3 tablespoons of liquid smoke Directions: Season raccoon pieces with seasoning rub. Pour hickory smoke marinade and liquid smoke into slow cooker. Place meat on rack in slow cooker over liquid. Cook on … Read more

Black Hills Energy Earns NWTF Energy for Wildlife Award

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—The National Wild Turkey Federation presented Black Hills Energy with the prestigious Energy for Wildlife National Achievement Award at the 44th annual Convention and Sport Show. The NWTF selected Black Hills Energy as this year’s award winner based on how its work strengthens the organization’s Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt. initiative. Black Hills …

The post Black Hills Energy Earns NWTF Energy for Wildlife Award appeared first on Hunting and Conservation News.

TenPoint® Crossbows Available in Popular TrueTimber® Viper Western Pattern for 2020

The post TenPoint® Crossbows Available in Popular TrueTimber® Viper Western Pattern for 2020 appeared first on Hunting and Conservation News.

Why And How To Scout Deer In February

Posted from: https://bigdeerblog.com/2020/02/why-and-how-to-scout-deer-in-february/

Hunting from one stand on and off for a month last fall, I saw 12 different bucks. Most were small, two were borderline shooters that I passed and one 9-pointer was 150-class. Hot after a doe one day, the giant rolled off the ridge across from me and crashed down into a slough, out of muzzleloader range and moving too fast for a shot. All I could do was sit and gawk his tall tines, brassy like butter knives in the sun.

The season came and went, and I never saw him again. I didn’t shoot any buck from the stand, and that is all right. Getting skunked sometimes is part of the game.

Just the other day I went back to those woods. I needed some exercise, and the chilly air would clear my head. I walked to the stand and took off east. I went a mile and didn’t find much. I circled back and checked the hollow below. When I had hung that stand last summer, I had expected the funnel to be red-hot, but no.

I pressed on. Ninety percent of buck hunting is knocking around the woods, finding sign (old and fresh), thinking, working the puzzle. It takes days, weeks, sometimes months or even years to get the deer patterns right.

To the west of the stand I hit pay dirt. A muddy trail crossed a creek and intersected with two more paths up on a nearby ridge. They were still active and pocked with fresh tracks, and they even smelled musky of deer. I stopped counting at 27 rubs, still shiny some 4 months after they had been blazed. Bucks had pawed scrapes all over back in November and December; the dirt ovals were still visible before the spring green up.

Things were starting to fit. I thought back to those deer I had seen months earlier. Most of them had been off to the west, either coming or going to or through this very spot. I found a hickory tree where the northwest wind should be good next fall, and I flagged it with orange tape. I’ll move my stand over here this summer, and I’ll sit in it on the black-powder opener in November. I’ll see deer and there’s a decent chance I’ll smoke one.

That is how just one day of post-season scouting in February or March can help improve your hunting for the next year. Here are some specific things to look for when you’re knocking around the woods this weekend.

Trails

Cut a deer trail and follow it as far as you can. A fresh path in the mud comes and goes to a late-season food source. But the older, fainter trails are more important. They lead to and from corn, beans, acorns and the like that deer hit back in the fall while you were hunting. If you missed those trails then, remember them and hangs stands nearby next season. As you walk a trail, note low spots, corners, creek crossings and other good funneling spots for bow stands.

Rubs and Scrapes

From your scouting and hunting last fall, you know some areas where bucks rubbed and scraped. Forgot those and poke around for secluded, sign-blazed hogbacks and bottoms you didn’t know about. As I alluded to earlier, those months-old rubs and scrapes are easy to see and find. Bucks are habitual, and they will rut there again next fall. Now you have other options for stands.

Hunter Sign

When I’m hunting I try to avoid other people. On a post-season scout, I try to find their stand spots and nail down the paths or ATV trails they use to come and go. I assume the hunters will be back next fall, and so I will avoid those spots. But, I look for strategic ridges, bottoms or funnel points where I can hang a stand and shoot a buck that one of those guys might inadvertently push my way. Gotta play off the pressure, man.

Shed Antlers

Of course you ought to keep your eyes open for sheds, cool souvenirs and your best tangible evidence that a buck was recently in a spot. Freshly cast antlers are where you find them, but your best bet is along a muddy trail that wends between a late-winter or early-spring food source and bedding area. Find a chunk of 4- or 5-point bone (both sides if you’re really lucky) and you know that shooter you saw last season survived the hunting season. Or maybe you never saw the buck that dropped it–that is a thrill to know he was there! If the winter was mild and if he doesn’t get hit by a car over the summer, there’s a good chance he’ll be back on your land next season. With all the new stuff you’ve just learned about your spot, you just might be sitting pretty in a stand waiting on him.

Quick Tip: Use a map, compass, sketch pad and your imagination to visualize how bucks worked the old trails or scrape/rub lines you find. Keep in mind that mature bucks like to quarter into the predominant wind when they can. The more you nail down how deer use the common winds in your zone, the more bucks you’ll see and shoot.

The post Why And How To Scout Deer In February appeared first on Big Deer.

2020 NWTF Show First Look

Posted from: https://www.bowhunting.com/blog/2020/02/14/2020-nwtf-show-first-look/?pk_campaign=feed&pk_kwd=2020-nwtf-show-first-look#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=2020-nwtf-show-first-look

The 2020 NWTF show is here! Join us for a look at the latest in turkey calls, decoys, and gear designed specifically for turkey hunters…. Read more…

The post 2020 NWTF Show First Look appeared first on Bowhunting.com.

Bowtech Archery Revolt Bow

Posted from: https://bowhunting.net/2020/02/bowtech-archery-revolt-bow-2020/

Introducing The 2020 Bowtech Revolt Bow

The new Revolt bow from the leading contemporary bow engineers at Bowtech Archery was crafted for today’s varied types of bowhunters.

Bowhunters who hunt the West for mule deer, elk, and antelope prefer a bow that is compact enough to carry through the Aspens and Pines and slip through thick brush in the high-country terrain out West.

revolt compound bow from bowtech archery

Accordingly, the Revolt is a short bow with a 30-inch a2a (axle-to-axle) that has a dual cam with a chasm-like 7.25-inch brace height that is perfect for this country — and produces 335 fps IBO.

Also, it fits perfectly inside the popular ground blinds that are in use today all over the U.S.A. And, of course, it’s right at home in a treestand. It’s smooth enough on the draw that it doesn’t lurch away from the shooter’s hand when the cams break over.

But, the big story here is one of the more innovative features on any 2020 bow, Bowtech’s new DeadLock cam tuning and locking system that allows the cam to be adjusted. It slides back and forth on the axle slightly via a simple limb-mounted lock. When it’s tuned perfectly, another set screw is tightened down so the cam position is locked in on the axle and the bow stays tuned.

The Revolt’s hybrid grip that places a thin piece of rubber between the metal of the riser and the hand. I think it’s the best in the business.

In sum, the Revolt has it all, with a price tag to match: MSRP: $1,200. Get more information at www.bowtecharchery.com.

3 Signs Your Hunting Ego Is Too Big

Posted from: http://www.midwestwhitetail.com/3-signs-your-hunting-ego-is-too-big/

Editor’s Note: This guest blog post, titled “3 Signs Your Hunting Ego Is Too Big” was written by John R. Kirby.

While a healthy hunting ego is important, great hunters self-regulate theirs to maintain an appropriate balance.

A buddy of mine — who asked to remain anonymous so as not to offend any clients — works as a hunting guide out West. He deals with a large variety of hunters. “I can typically identify a massive ego within the first few minutes of a hunt, and often before we ever leave the lodge,” he said. “Dealing with big egos can not only ruin a hunt, but that person can negatively impact the entire camp. The best hunts, no matter the hunter’s skill level, are with hunters who are open-mined. Even though I am in the back country over 100 days a year, I still learn from my clients and the ones without egos learn from me.”

Unfortunately, not all hunters leave their egos at the door. Here are three signs of those who don’t.

Lose the ego and show some humility. (Midwest Whitetail photo)

1. Defensiveness

The first sign is defensiveness. One day, I saw a man at an archery shop about to shoot his new bow. The stiffness of the carbon arrow more closely resembled a rope than an arrow, though. Luckily, the 30-year veteran bow shop owner stopped him before the shot broke. The man responded defensively to the owner who most likely saved the man much embarrassment and agony. That shot could have resulted in any number of painful outcomes.

2. Talking Too Much

Another symptom — talking just to hear themselves talk. Consequently, they aren’t good listeners. We learn nothing when we don’t hear others speak. Much of my knowledge came from listening to other hunters. I’ve learned the value of new hunters’ perspectives, too. A person’s experience and age don’t define their knowledge. When someone talks, listen. Soak it all in. Sift through it. Use what you can.

3. Hindering Others

The third and worst sign of an inflated ego is ridiculing or hindering others. Hunter numbers are rapidly declining. We need to be inclusive and accessible to new hunters. They need the opportunity to ask questions and deserve thoughtful answers. They shouldn’t be ridiculed or made to feel inept because they’re unaware of the simple things that experienced hunters take for granted.

The Way to Be

A common denominator among highly proficient hunters is they’re consummate students who perpetually polish their craft. They’re the teachers and the students, happy to drop knowledge when asked and quick to listen for new information. These folks are on their way to becoming, or already are, great hunters.

They’re ready and willing to learn from anyone who can contribute. Admitting you don’t know something isn’t always easy, but pretending to know something can be dangerous, especially in hunting. The best hunters are on a lifelong quest to master what they know is unmasterable.

This country is loaded with incredibly skilled hunters who all took different paths to becoming adept at chasing whitetails. I can almost guarantee that the majority of them share the commonality of learning from and sharing with others. They always look for an edge, but they never trip on their ego.

Don’t Miss: 5 Ways Small Farms Hunt Bigger

The post 3 Signs Your Hunting Ego Is Too Big appeared first on Midwest Whitetail.