Send us your best whitetail stuff (and don't forget to attach pictures!)
Russell Graves - Believes whitetails shouldn't be photographed in the back of a truck with their tongue hanging out.
Location - Texas
Brian Strickland - Has 369,518 acres of land that you can hunt on. Call him at (555) 281-HUNT.
Location - Colorado
Tony Hansen - Is pretty confident Michigan will release at least 300,000 archers into the woods this fall.
Location - Michigan
Jake Fagan - He's really just here to hang out, so don't mind him.
Location - Georgia
Will Brantley - Loves hunting in a dorag because it makes him look Ramboish. Some may call it Little Man Syndrome.
Location - Tennessee
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Huge Texas Gator
Yeah, I know it's not deer hunting but you have to give this kid props. An alligator that was nearly the state record - killed with a .410.
This kid's my hero.
You can read the whole story HERE.
RG in Texas
This kid's my hero.
You can read the whole story HERE.
RG in Texas
Labels: News, Russell Graves, Texas, Videos
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Bowhunters May Need To Go Native during Archery Season
AUSTIN, Texas – An early and abundant acorn crop may force Texas bowhunters to seek out native food supplies during archery season, which runs Oct. 3-Nov. 6.
Reports from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department field biologists indicate above average mast crop production and an early acorn drop. Recent rains across much of the state have also helped generate forb production, adding to the availability of native food sources for deer.
By some accounts, the number of Texas bowhunters has grown during the last l5-to-20 years and those ranks are likely to grow even more now that crossbows are allowed during the archery-only season.
For the first time since 1975 when Texas implemented a Special Archery Stamp requirement, hunters will be allowed to use crossbows during the archery-only hunting season.
Previously, crossbows could only be used during an archery-only season by persons with an upper-limb disability. Recent legislative action gave authority to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission to allow any person, regardless of physical ability, to use a crossbow during the archery-only season.
One exception is that crossbows may be used in Grayson County during the archery-only season only by hunters with an upper-limb disability who possess a physician’s statement attesting to the permanent loss of the use of fingers, hand or arm in a manner that renders a person incapable of using a longbow, compound bow or recurved bow. Any licensed hunter may use a crossbow during the regular deer season.
Bowhunters are reminded that an archery stamp and a valid Texas hunting license are required. Hunter education requirements must also be met.
While recent rains will help improve current range conditions, whitetails in South Texas are battling through an extended stress period that started with last year’s rut, according to biologists.
“Last season the rut was later and more spread out than normal and this did not fare well for mature deer,” said Daniel Kunz, TPWD biologist in Alice. “By the first of February bucks were extremely drawn down and numerous reports of early antler shedding were occurring; an indication that bucks could be in poor shape. This will likely affect antler quality.”
Hunters should expect a reasonable number of 2 ½ year old bucks and 5 ½ to 7 ½ year old bucks as 2002-2004 and 2007 were good fawn production years resulting in good carry over, added TPWD biologist Dustin Windsor in Cotulla.
One region of the state that is entering the fall hunting season in prime condition is the Panhandle, according to Calvin Richardson, TPWD district biologist in Amarillo.
“The Panhandle deer herds---both mule and whitetail---are in great condition and should go into the fall in great shape,” said Richardson. “With harvest being down last year, we should have some older aged bucks carry over into this year's season. My guess is that both mule deer and white-tails are not going to have to move around much to find quality forage, so hunting feeders might not be as productive as in years that we have been dry.
“Probably, the only downside that I could imagine is that we probably are going to have a heck of a mosquito crop at the beginning of archery season with all of the playas full,” he added.
Bowhunters in 52 counties this season will be joining those in 61 existing counties having buck antler restrictions. Legal bucks in those counties are those with at least 1 unbranched antler (e.g., spikes and 3-pointers) or having an inside spread of at least 13 inches.
Newly affected counties include: Anderson, Angelina, Archer, Atascosa, Brazos, Brown, Chambers, Clay, Cooke, Denton, Ellis, Falls, Freestone, Grayson, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Hunt, Jack, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Kaufman, Liberty, Limestone, Madison, McLennan, Milam, Mills, Montague, Montgomery, Navarro, Newton, Orange, Palo Pinto, Parker, Polk, Robertson, San Jacinto, Smith, Stephens, Tarrant, Trinity, Tyler, Van Zandt, Walker, Wichita, Wise, and Young.
Archers should also note whitetail bag limits have changed in several counties across the state. Be sure to check the county listings in the 2009-2010 Outdoor Annual of hunting and fishing regulations for the county hunted.
Also, bowhunters taking advantage of opportunities on TPWD managed public lands under the $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit should take note that crossbows are legal on those sites open for archery season, unless otherwise stated in year’s Public Hunting Lands map booklet.
The crossbow restriction allowing only hunters with documented upper limb disabilities remains in effect in all six units in Public Hunting Region-4 Dallas /Ft. Worth (Cooper Wildlife Management Area, Sulphur Unit of Cooper Lake State Park, Caddo National Grasslands WMA both units, Tawakoni WMA and Pat Mayse WMA) and three of the 14 units in Public Hunting Region-5 Pineywoods (White Oak Creek WMA, Caddo Lake WMA and Old Sabine Bottom WMA).
“Most of these WMAs have moderate deer densities and because TPWD does not control the number of hunters for APH access hunts, we do not have direct control over the harvest numbers on these areas,” said Kevin Herriman, TPWD district biologist in Tyler. “We do not have data available that provides us with a clear understanding of what effect the use of crossbows will have on total harvest numbers.”
Herriman went on to add that on public hunting areas having drawn public hunts during the archery season where hunter numbers and harvest can be monitored, crossbows will be allowed.
“We will be investigating the effect crossbows have on their deer harvest,” he said. “Once we are able to better determine what effect crossbows will have on archery deer harvest rates we will re-evaluate the season restrictions on the WMAs that allow archery season through the APH.”
Reports from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department field biologists indicate above average mast crop production and an early acorn drop. Recent rains across much of the state have also helped generate forb production, adding to the availability of native food sources for deer.
By some accounts, the number of Texas bowhunters has grown during the last l5-to-20 years and those ranks are likely to grow even more now that crossbows are allowed during the archery-only season.
For the first time since 1975 when Texas implemented a Special Archery Stamp requirement, hunters will be allowed to use crossbows during the archery-only hunting season.
Previously, crossbows could only be used during an archery-only season by persons with an upper-limb disability. Recent legislative action gave authority to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission to allow any person, regardless of physical ability, to use a crossbow during the archery-only season.
One exception is that crossbows may be used in Grayson County during the archery-only season only by hunters with an upper-limb disability who possess a physician’s statement attesting to the permanent loss of the use of fingers, hand or arm in a manner that renders a person incapable of using a longbow, compound bow or recurved bow. Any licensed hunter may use a crossbow during the regular deer season.
Bowhunters are reminded that an archery stamp and a valid Texas hunting license are required. Hunter education requirements must also be met.
While recent rains will help improve current range conditions, whitetails in South Texas are battling through an extended stress period that started with last year’s rut, according to biologists.
“Last season the rut was later and more spread out than normal and this did not fare well for mature deer,” said Daniel Kunz, TPWD biologist in Alice. “By the first of February bucks were extremely drawn down and numerous reports of early antler shedding were occurring; an indication that bucks could be in poor shape. This will likely affect antler quality.”
Hunters should expect a reasonable number of 2 ½ year old bucks and 5 ½ to 7 ½ year old bucks as 2002-2004 and 2007 were good fawn production years resulting in good carry over, added TPWD biologist Dustin Windsor in Cotulla.
One region of the state that is entering the fall hunting season in prime condition is the Panhandle, according to Calvin Richardson, TPWD district biologist in Amarillo.
“The Panhandle deer herds---both mule and whitetail---are in great condition and should go into the fall in great shape,” said Richardson. “With harvest being down last year, we should have some older aged bucks carry over into this year's season. My guess is that both mule deer and white-tails are not going to have to move around much to find quality forage, so hunting feeders might not be as productive as in years that we have been dry.
“Probably, the only downside that I could imagine is that we probably are going to have a heck of a mosquito crop at the beginning of archery season with all of the playas full,” he added.
Bowhunters in 52 counties this season will be joining those in 61 existing counties having buck antler restrictions. Legal bucks in those counties are those with at least 1 unbranched antler (e.g., spikes and 3-pointers) or having an inside spread of at least 13 inches.
Newly affected counties include: Anderson, Angelina, Archer, Atascosa, Brazos, Brown, Chambers, Clay, Cooke, Denton, Ellis, Falls, Freestone, Grayson, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Hunt, Jack, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Kaufman, Liberty, Limestone, Madison, McLennan, Milam, Mills, Montague, Montgomery, Navarro, Newton, Orange, Palo Pinto, Parker, Polk, Robertson, San Jacinto, Smith, Stephens, Tarrant, Trinity, Tyler, Van Zandt, Walker, Wichita, Wise, and Young.
Archers should also note whitetail bag limits have changed in several counties across the state. Be sure to check the county listings in the 2009-2010 Outdoor Annual of hunting and fishing regulations for the county hunted.
Also, bowhunters taking advantage of opportunities on TPWD managed public lands under the $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit should take note that crossbows are legal on those sites open for archery season, unless otherwise stated in year’s Public Hunting Lands map booklet.
The crossbow restriction allowing only hunters with documented upper limb disabilities remains in effect in all six units in Public Hunting Region-4 Dallas /Ft. Worth (Cooper Wildlife Management Area, Sulphur Unit of Cooper Lake State Park, Caddo National Grasslands WMA both units, Tawakoni WMA and Pat Mayse WMA) and three of the 14 units in Public Hunting Region-5 Pineywoods (White Oak Creek WMA, Caddo Lake WMA and Old Sabine Bottom WMA).
“Most of these WMAs have moderate deer densities and because TPWD does not control the number of hunters for APH access hunts, we do not have direct control over the harvest numbers on these areas,” said Kevin Herriman, TPWD district biologist in Tyler. “We do not have data available that provides us with a clear understanding of what effect the use of crossbows will have on total harvest numbers.”
Herriman went on to add that on public hunting areas having drawn public hunts during the archery season where hunter numbers and harvest can be monitored, crossbows will be allowed.
“We will be investigating the effect crossbows have on their deer harvest,” he said. “Once we are able to better determine what effect crossbows will have on archery deer harvest rates we will re-evaluate the season restrictions on the WMAs that allow archery season through the APH.”
Labels: News, Russell Graves, Texas
Monday, September 28, 2009
A Kansas Stud Hits the Ground
This should get some of you guys going just a few days before most of us head to the whitetail woods. Brandon Adams of Buckventures laid a monster down on September 23rd during the Kansas muzzleloader season. Reading the story should remind us all that patience and having a solid game plan usually ends with a filled tag. Here is the story and some great pics.
http://www.buckventuresoutdoors.com/journal/m.cjournal/66/brandon-adams-scores-big-with-first-buck-of-the-season-sept-23-2009
Brian
http://www.buckventuresoutdoors.com/journal/m.cjournal/66/brandon-adams-scores-big-with-first-buck-of-the-season-sept-23-2009
Brian
Sunday, September 27, 2009
EHD Hits Michigan - Again
Well, last year about this time there was an outbreak of EHD in southeast Michigan -- Oakland County to be exact. This year, the disease is back. Tyler Ridenour and Desi Maynor from Midwest Whitetail-Michigan's team found several deer on their property and started asking neighbors about their area. Turns out lots of deer have been found.
The guys contacted the DNR who sent out a pathologist and he confirmed that EHD appears to have hit the area. He estimates a minimum of 250 animals died in the area -- perhaps more. This makes the outbreak one of the largest in recent memory for Michigan. There were several nice bucks found -- just a sad, sad state of affairs.
Check out Monday's episode of Midwest Whitetail-Michigan to see the full story.
Tony Hansen, Michigan
The guys contacted the DNR who sent out a pathologist and he confirmed that EHD appears to have hit the area. He estimates a minimum of 250 animals died in the area -- perhaps more. This makes the outbreak one of the largest in recent memory for Michigan. There were several nice bucks found -- just a sad, sad state of affairs.
Check out Monday's episode of Midwest Whitetail-Michigan to see the full story.
Tony Hansen, Michigan
Thursday, September 24, 2009
CNN and Bowhunting
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2009/09/23/pkg.30.point.buck.wluk
The 30-point bowkill in Wisconsin is amazing enough. But having a bowhunting story make CNN, and in a positive fashion, is pretty cool, too. Take a look.
Will
The 30-point bowkill in Wisconsin is amazing enough. But having a bowhunting story make CNN, and in a positive fashion, is pretty cool, too. Take a look.
Will
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
What You Want. What You Need.
Rackers:
Deer season is upon us. I just got back from a few days in Nebraska where the archery season opened on Sept. 15. No deer killed but I got to see some awesome ground and definitely plan to make a return trip when the weather is a little more cooperative.
In the meantime, I wanted to take a couple of moments to talk about the Whitetail Site. It's been a little over a year now since Realtree's Whitetail Site was launched and thanks to folks like you, the site has been a great success. Which isn't a suprise given our love for whitetails. But I'd like to know what you all think. Is there something missing from the site that you'd like to see? Is there any information or sections that are missing?
A new channel was just added to the video section. Brush Country Monsters is now available and for those who love Texas deer, it should be a big hit. So check that out. You'll also see we've got several other awesome Realtree-sponsored shows available including Midwest Whitetail, Closing The Distance, Whitetail Properties and Realtree's Monster Bucks.
Anyway, check them out and good luck this fall. The Rack Report will continue to provide timely blogs on deer and information from your neck of the woods. Let the big bucks fall . . .
Tony Hansen, Michigan
Deer season is upon us. I just got back from a few days in Nebraska where the archery season opened on Sept. 15. No deer killed but I got to see some awesome ground and definitely plan to make a return trip when the weather is a little more cooperative.
In the meantime, I wanted to take a couple of moments to talk about the Whitetail Site. It's been a little over a year now since Realtree's Whitetail Site was launched and thanks to folks like you, the site has been a great success. Which isn't a suprise given our love for whitetails. But I'd like to know what you all think. Is there something missing from the site that you'd like to see? Is there any information or sections that are missing?
A new channel was just added to the video section. Brush Country Monsters is now available and for those who love Texas deer, it should be a big hit. So check that out. You'll also see we've got several other awesome Realtree-sponsored shows available including Midwest Whitetail, Closing The Distance, Whitetail Properties and Realtree's Monster Bucks.
Anyway, check them out and good luck this fall. The Rack Report will continue to provide timely blogs on deer and information from your neck of the woods. Let the big bucks fall . . .
Tony Hansen, Michigan
Trophy and Tenderloin Report
According to the Internet (man, it's dangerous for a reporter to say that), the big Kentucky typical I posted on here a couple days ago is for real, taken by a bowhunter in Greenup County. I'd like to talk to the hunter and get a few more details--stay tuned on that.
Meanwhile, Mike Hanback's Big Deer blog has a report and photos of a 30-point Wisconsin giant, taken near Fond Du Lac. Definitely visit that site and take a look at that buck.
And finally, we have a little venison chilling at the Brantley household. And when I say little, I mean just that. I arrowed a yearling doe Sunday evening as she fed in a picked-over cornfield with a dozen other animals. If you really like good venison and don't mind some teasing from your buddies for shooting a tiny deer, take a good look at the next yearling that ambles by your stand (check for buttons to be sure it's not a little buck; they're usually easy to see), make a good shot, and trim every edible portion of that deer into steaks. That meat will be mild and tender, and probably won't last long.
Will
Meanwhile, Mike Hanback's Big Deer blog has a report and photos of a 30-point Wisconsin giant, taken near Fond Du Lac. Definitely visit that site and take a look at that buck.
And finally, we have a little venison chilling at the Brantley household. And when I say little, I mean just that. I arrowed a yearling doe Sunday evening as she fed in a picked-over cornfield with a dozen other animals. If you really like good venison and don't mind some teasing from your buddies for shooting a tiny deer, take a good look at the next yearling that ambles by your stand (check for buttons to be sure it's not a little buck; they're usually easy to see), make a good shot, and trim every edible portion of that deer into steaks. That meat will be mild and tender, and probably won't last long.
Will
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Crazy Stuff from East Texas
Check out this video from an East Texas TV station.
What do you think it is? Me, I think they are simply bugs overexposed by the camera's flash and trailing a blur due to the slow shutter speed.
-RG from Texas
What do you think it is? Me, I think they are simply bugs overexposed by the camera's flash and trailing a blur due to the slow shutter speed.
-RG from Texas
Labels: Russell Graves, Texas, Videos
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Early Season Kentucky Buck
Heading to the stand shortly myself. Saw an internet post about this one. No details yet other than it was killed in Kentucky, but that's one pretty typical.
Will
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Shaping Up
I got some trail pics from my lease in southwestern Oklahoma this past weekend and I was happy to see who was paying the feeder a visit. Looks like things are shaping up for a great fall.
Brian
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Slow Start
Kentucky's bow season opened Saturday, and what a slow start it was (at least for me). Folks argue on about moon phase and its effect on whitetails, but for me personally, a full moon in the early season combined with warm weather during the day has always spelled bad news for deer hunting--and that's exactly what we had for the opener. What's more, some of the corn fields I typically hunt during the early season are a long way from harvest time, due in large part to the rainy summer we've had. I don't guess that's a bad thing, but picked corn during the first half of September has always been one of my favorite ways to find bachelor groups of bucks.
On the flip side, I was able to finish some food plot work just ahead of a big rain. Hopefully they'll be lush and green by this time next month. And I expect the first report of a Kentucky giant to pop up on the Internet any day. This time of year is a busy one, both for work and play, but it's a good kind of busy.
Will (formerly in Tennessee, now back in Kentucky)
On the flip side, I was able to finish some food plot work just ahead of a big rain. Hopefully they'll be lush and green by this time next month. And I expect the first report of a Kentucky giant to pop up on the Internet any day. This time of year is a busy one, both for work and play, but it's a good kind of busy.
Will (formerly in Tennessee, now back in Kentucky)
Monday, September 7, 2009
Hunt Junkies e3.3
Bubba and I just finished up a weekend of dove shooting with our dad. In this episode, I do a little explaining about why dove hunting is so appealing.
Labels: Russell Graves, Texas, Videos
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Everywhere Acorns
Throughout the summer, it's been pretty easy to see a bunch of deer in an evening. You simply drive around the backroads and look for those lush green fields of soy beans.
Well, in the last few weeks seeing the same number of deer has been impossible. Spotting mature bucks? Even tougher. The vast majority of bucks here in Michigan (and throughout the Midwest) are still in velvet and running around in bachelor groups. It's a bit too early for those deer to really break up and start doing the things they do that drive us crazy trying to locate them during the bow season.
I'm not the only that's noticed the sudden lack of whitetails. I'm the host/producer of Midwest Whitetail-Michigan and oversee a prostaff of a couple dozen guys. Almost all of them have commented about the sudden disappearance of deer they'd been watching. I was miffed.
So, I did what every hunter should do -- I went to my office. Okay, so maybe we should all spend a little less time at the office but this is one time when going to work actually helped in the woods. See, we have a big red oak tree near the sidewalk that leads to our entrance. It's a sidewalk that is covered in bits of fresh, green acorns. Aha!
So I went to the woods to confirm my suspicions. The acorns are dropping -- and dropping in a big way. One of the areas I hunt is home to scores of big red oaks and the forest floor is littered with fresh nuts. Well, mystery solved. The deer haven't left. They're simply feasting on the freshly-fallen acorns. I don't have a ton of white oaks in the areas I hunt but I suspect they've not yet started to drop. They tend to run a bit later than do red oaks. And, of course, deer seem to prefer the acorns from white oaks over those of red oaks. But there is no doubt the local whitetails are absolutely pounding the red oak acorns here in Michigan right now.
I don't recall this many acorns dropping this early in the year. But it's happening and it's absolutely going to impact the places I choose to hunt when the archery season opens on Oct. 1. How about you?
Tony Hansen, Michigan
Well, in the last few weeks seeing the same number of deer has been impossible. Spotting mature bucks? Even tougher. The vast majority of bucks here in Michigan (and throughout the Midwest) are still in velvet and running around in bachelor groups. It's a bit too early for those deer to really break up and start doing the things they do that drive us crazy trying to locate them during the bow season.
I'm not the only that's noticed the sudden lack of whitetails. I'm the host/producer of Midwest Whitetail-Michigan and oversee a prostaff of a couple dozen guys. Almost all of them have commented about the sudden disappearance of deer they'd been watching. I was miffed.
So, I did what every hunter should do -- I went to my office. Okay, so maybe we should all spend a little less time at the office but this is one time when going to work actually helped in the woods. See, we have a big red oak tree near the sidewalk that leads to our entrance. It's a sidewalk that is covered in bits of fresh, green acorns. Aha!
So I went to the woods to confirm my suspicions. The acorns are dropping -- and dropping in a big way. One of the areas I hunt is home to scores of big red oaks and the forest floor is littered with fresh nuts. Well, mystery solved. The deer haven't left. They're simply feasting on the freshly-fallen acorns. I don't have a ton of white oaks in the areas I hunt but I suspect they've not yet started to drop. They tend to run a bit later than do red oaks. And, of course, deer seem to prefer the acorns from white oaks over those of red oaks. But there is no doubt the local whitetails are absolutely pounding the red oak acorns here in Michigan right now.
I don't recall this many acorns dropping this early in the year. But it's happening and it's absolutely going to impact the places I choose to hunt when the archery season opens on Oct. 1. How about you?
Tony Hansen, Michigan
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