Never before has a hard-sided blind offered the inside comfort, luxury AND the natural, full ‘panoramic’ view of hunting outside. The Hawk® WatchTower Blind features ‘game changing’, game viewing Panoramic Vision Windows – oversized 30”x30” windows wrap the blind from door-to-door for a full 300-Degree of Virtually Uninterrupted Vision. Each Panoramic Vision Window is constructed of premium, lightly-tinted polycarbonate and features a 9”x28” hinged tempered glass window that can be rotated to horizontal-or-vertical shooting orientation; the hunter can easily customize each window orientation at any time for unmatched versatility.

The WatchTower is constructed with ThermalFusion™ Insulated Metal Walls for superior heat retention.  Hawk CHAOS™ Camouflage on textured UV-protected aluminum exterior for long-term weatherproof integrity and the extremely heavy-duty rotomolded roof is near ‘grizzly-proof’.   Includes a complete Tower Kit with SafeTread™ Ladder, Metal Cross Braces, Double Safety Handrail and Walk-In Landing Platform.

MADE IN THE USA

WATCHTOWER  MSRP: $2499 Read more

By Glen Wunderlich

New Year’s Eve celebrations take on many forms but there is typically a common denominator:  abundant wishes of all good things for the coming year.  (Oh, and you thought the answer would have been adult beverages.)   But, longtime pal and hunting partner, Joe Reynolds, bucked the time-honored tradition of dancing and horn tooting for one last chance at taking what had become an elusive late-season whitetail doe.

The generous deer seasons had combined for some 90 days already, and for various reasons along the way, Joe found himself getting serious on the final afternoon of 2017.  Now, that doesn’t mean ol’ Joe was about to get unethical – just that he wasn’t about to pass on an adult doe; he also could not afford more mistakes, as explained below.

October 1^st, opening afternoon of archery deer season, the veteran hunter was drooling over three respectable bucks a bit out of range for his Parker crossbow, when from cover stepped a worthy 9-point buck in range.  As the archer attempted to get into position, the buck detected movement and vanished as fast as you can say “Poof!”

Fast forward to the final weekend of deer season in Shiawassee County – the final Saturday to be exact.  Joe was toting his fine-shooting CVA muzzleloader, which had been readied a few weeks prior for Zone III muzzleloading season.  Things were looking good, as a group of does ran onto the stage in front of him right in his wheelhouse near 100 yards.  The long wait was over, as he squeezed the trigger on the chip shot; however, the modern muzzleloader omitted a feeble pop, as Joe literally watched the bullet fall harmlessly in the snow in front of him.  That was that.  A dud.

His last chance would be New Year’s Eve afternoon, but that morning he agreed to test my new Ruger American in .450 Bushmaster caliber in an effort to eliminate equipment failures.  A target was placed precisely at 100 yards and the only shot taken punched the paper at 12 o’clock two inches high.  Perfect.

On stand, Joe radioed to let me know several does had entered the field within range.  Once again, a human blunder sent the deer to cover, and for the first time all season, Joe’s confidence was shaken.  Heck, only 30 minutes remained in his season and the brassica field was vacant.  Meanwhile, I kept an eye on the clock.  Fifteen minutes, ten minutes, eight minutes, five minutes and then bang.

Joe radioed that the large doe targeted gave the unmistakable rear-leg kick – a sure sign of a well-placed shot – as it sped to the woods.  Daylight turned to darkness, as we followed an easily identifiable blood trail to the expired animal in short order.

Joe Reynolds brings home the venison

The perfectly placed 250-grain Hornady Flex-Tip projectile was on the mark at 129 yards and there was nothing left to do but field dressing and muscling the prize to the garage.  There, we would light a wood fire to keep the animal from freezing, as the temperature had already sunk to -6 degrees.

What remained of New Year’s Eve left ample time for celebrating the reward of persistence and yet another memorable deer season.

MISSOULA, Mont.  – Long considered the “The Book” of big game records, Boone and Crockett Club’s “Records of North American Big Game” is the nation’s most complete big game records book, cataloging the greatest big game specimens taken in North America. The Boone and Crockett Club is the world’s foremost authority on native North American big game and its 14th edition is now available for purchase.

With the addition of 5,000-plus new entries and nearing the 1,000-page mark, for the first time in history, this new edition is split into a two-volume set for easier reading and handling. These one-of-a-kind records books continue their long-standing reputation as the official keeper of big game records of North America and features more than 32,000 trophy listings, including B&C final and gross scores with detailed measurements, plus hunter, location and year taken. Read more

2018 spring turkey hunting applications can be purchased now through Feb. 1! You can purchase your application online at E-license or anywhere hunting licenses are sold. Read more

By Glen Wunderlich

Record low temperatures have a way of reminding us why we prepare.  No longer do we old timers have reason to exclaim our superior toughness for fighting off the effects of some forgotten winter of yesteryear; anyone reading this has now been there.  Cold is still cold.

When the founder of the Boys Scouts of America, Robert Baden-Powell, was asked about its motto, “Be prepared,” the question was “for what?”  The answer was “anything.”

Obviously, that covers a lot of territory but the bitterness of this season’s seemingly perpetual clippers has either demonstrated one’s readiness or lack thereof.   Those “could-haves” and “should-haves” become as obvious as winter itself.  For the late-season deer hunter, being prepared has its rewards, however.

Having equipment that performs in extreme conditions can mean the difference between filling the freezer and explaining away an unfilled tag.  Using too much or the wrong type of oil on a gun’s action can cause failure in the cold, for example.

Muzzleloaders being brought in from the cold into warmer confines can spell misfires, unless powder charges and primers are refreshed.  Heck, why are you saving these components anyway?  They don’t store well from season to season anyway.

Stand hunting has become popular ever since the rules were changed to permit elevated blinds.  And, this is when they’ll pay off.  I mean who’s going to plunk their tailbone onto a bucket without some type of shelter?  Even a portable shelter can get the job done, as long as it isn’t neglected and subsequently collapses under the weight of snow. 

Hunters that prepared by planting food plots will now experience the fruit of their labor.  Turnips or beets are readily available for deer now requiring more fuel than ever before in their relatively short lives.  They will come now with daylight to spare – many from afar.  They too must prepare for an endurance test heretofore unknown to them. 

Preventing a deer from freezing after field dressing is also a necessity under most circumstances.  It must be cooled but not frozen before processing, and that’ll take some forethought, as well; to do otherwise is to contribute to these oft spoken words:  “I don’t like venison!”

And, so the time has come for the Boy Scout/hunter to earn his hunting merit badge.  Very few will bear the brunt of Mother Nature’s extreme cruelness in these final two days of Michigan’s late antlerless firearms deer season but those prepared have another chance – a chance to test wills and skills.

 For hunters in Macomb, Wayne, and Oakland Counties:  Shed bucks may be tagged as antlerless deer through January 31; however, the DNR encourages hunters to harvest does on antlerless licenses when possible.  More here…