Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
WEST HARTFORD, CONN. – Colt Manufacturing’s most coveted hunting revolver is the Anaconda, chambered in the truly awesome .44 Rem Mag.
Today’s Anaconda is a hunter’s dream and has been entirely re-designed to utilize an oversized Colt Python action. This double-action revolver features a Linear Leaf Spring Action for a non-stacking, smooth-as-glass trigger pull, and it boasts a solid stainless-steel frame for strength and durability. Read more
Pulaski, WI — Maverick® Hunting is offering exclusive savings of 15% sitewide for Cyber Monday.
This special offer will apply to all of Maverick’s high-quality hard-sided blinds and hunting products, including the company’s original turnkey design, the 6-Shooter, and its biggest, most versatile model, the Maverick XL. Maverick blinds feature a rotomolded polyethylene construction, which is extremely durable, UV-stabilized, and paintable.
This Cyber Monday promotion is only available Monday, November 28, 2022.
To learn more and browse Maverick’s full lineup of hard-sided blinds, visit maverickhunting.com.
By Glen Wunderlich
Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)
Our first snowfall of the season had obliged this seasoned deer hunter with a contrasting layer of ground cover every hunter desires. The sun had set and primetime had arrived. That last half hour of light, when the whitetails move into their feeding areas, is as predictable as the setting sun itself. The travel routes and timetables were well established, as I waited with high expectations.
A doe and two fawns appeared across the field but were not interested in pausing for a nutritional clover salad. They simply strolled out of view in short order but had me on high alert when two more does marched by without stopping. The high winds and snow cover were not inviting them to feed, whereby I would be blessed with living decoys.
With ten minutes of daylight remaining, a whitetail with sizeable headgear had gotten the memo and began a 200-yard trek on course with the others. I watched and waited, as it closed the gap moving steadily at a right angle from me. Like the others this evening, it never altered its mission to cross the entire field directly, and, as a result, I was compelled to pass on the moving target.
The very next morning, I took a position overlooking swampland on one side and the same clover field in the opposite direction. My thought was to intercept a buck – and, hopefully that big boy – after it had had enough fun during the cover of darkness and would be returning to the seclusion of the tall timber on that same travel route I knew so well.
Whether it was the same buck seen the evening before, I’ll never know, but a good buck was spotted along the predictable path. I had measured all the scattered trees in the field and knew that the range was between 130 to 140 yards.
I was thrust into thinking afield. Would this qualify as a legitimate attempt – one that would meet my strict guidelines for touching off a fire-breathing blast from my rifle in .450 Bushmaster caliber? The question I asked myself was not if I could do it 9 of 10 times but could I do it on my first try? Try is the operative word and there is no “try” in my book. Accordingly, my doubting permitted the beast to walk.
Even though I possess credentials as a Department of the Army marksman, I had never attempted a 140-yard shot at a six-inch moving target in low-light conditions. Therefore, I passed on a questionable opportunity – an opportunity to miss and thus educate, or worse yet, injure, maim, or cripple a majestic and revered animal.
With this buck’s travel pattern and timetable understood, I would get closer to its path for the afternoon session. I hid in a crude blind fashioned from a hollowed-out hill of dirt slightly above ground level. The bright sun did its disappearing act below the treetops at 5pm with my appointment pending. A few minutes later a doe burst on-scene and the reason became obvious: A large buck was chasing it.
The peacefulness turned frantic, as the doe sped off with the buck trailing. However, for whatever reason, the big boy did a U-turn and posed broadside for a moment at 105 yards. Without hesitation, I focused on an aiming point that would guarantee an ethical kill, while not destroying a large portion of meat. It meant the animal would run upon the bullet’s impact and I was fine with that result.
I saw the strike of the 250-grain Barnes copper bullet through the low-power, variable Zeiss scope and it was “fait accompli”. But, that fact didn’t prevent me from adding to the excitement with a phone call to my friend, Joe Reynolds, who had offered the services of his tracking dog.
Even though the trail was obvious in the snow, the dog’s nose is what drove him to the prize in a bit over eight minutes: a huge 10-point buck!
10-Point Buck, Shiawassee County, Michigan
It seems the more dues I pay afield, the luckier I get.
YouTube video of the tracking chore here: Glen Wunderlich Takes Huge Michigan Whitetail Buck with .450 Bushmaster – YouTube
This week we have three uniformed Mississippi game wardens in the studio, reminding us to be safe this hunting season with stories of other hunters who weren’t. After years of repetition it’s easy to become complacent, get in a rut and take for granted the things we need to do to stay safe in tree stands and around firearms. This podcast is a shocking reminder to wear your safety belt, unload your weapon before you cross a fence, let someone know where you’re going, wear a life jacket in the duck boat, and much more. It’s one you will want to share with younger and new hunters and a great refresher for the seasoned. Listen, Learn and Stay Safe. Read more
Pulaski, WI — Now boasting an even better design, the Booner 5-Panel Blind provides hunters with 360-degree views.
Measuring 75″ x 72″ and 75″ tall, the Booner 5-Panel provides plenty of room for hunting gear and a friend. It’s available in three different window configurations — all horizontal, all vertical, or a combination of both — with clear or tinted plexiglass windows to accommodate gun, crossbow, and vertical bowhunting.
Pre-drilled holes allow for quick assembly, and the weatherproof blind is built to stay outside year-round thanks to rain-tight seams plus a patented overhanging roof. Featuring enhanced ribbing and an improved door support, the vacuum-formed high-density polyethylene construction is extremely durable, UV-stabilized, and paintable.
To learn more about the Booner 5-Panel Blind and browse the full lineup of hard-sided blinds, visit maverickblinds.com.
By Glen Wunderlich
Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)
The first week of firearms deer season is well under way and the never-ending preparation has been supplanted by the deadline: opening day. My longtime hunting partner and friend, Joe Reynolds, couldn’t be with me on this day we’ve focused on for the entire year because of some physical issues, so I’d go it alone for now.
A small 7×8-foot hunting shack we’ve dubbed “The Housetrailer”, built atop a tandem-axle trailer, would be my home for the anticipated excitement. In recent past the tiny building has been more of a get-away to relax and to watch nature close-up. Situated on a ridge overlooking a swamp to the east and my neighbor’s clover field to the west, I hiked the half mile in the early morning darkness and settled in with my Thermos full of coffee and a full dose of optimism.
If it sounds comfortable, it is; in fact, it has been purposely outfitted so that, when hunting, a person could hunt the entire day without leaving. With a northeast wind, my focus would be into the wind toward the treacherous swamp’s edge. The swivel chair allowed me to check the field, as well.
From Heaven came a deer hunter’s greatest advantage: the season’s first snowfall. As the white stuff blanketed the ground, my neighbor sent me a text asking if I saw the buck in the field. I hadn’t but soon spotted the long-tined 8-point buck at a distance of 263 yards. No doubt, it was a good buck but one I had seen on trailcam photos and had decided to let to grow, if I came across it afield. It was beyond my range limitations anyway, so I disregarded it and concentrated on the swamp side of the Housetrailer.
A bit later, looking toward the field, I was startled by two quickly approaching does heading directly toward me at a scant 40 yards. Hot on their tails was that buck I had ignored previously. If action like that doesn’t test the capability of one’s heart, nothing will. I remained vigilant for another look at the buck but it vanished like smoke in the wind.
A group of 4 antlerless deer began to head down a nearby trail, when I noticed a trailing adult doe come to a halt at 50 yards. It certainly couldn’t detect my scent, because it was upwind; however, I was mistaken. The seasoned animal had picked up the scent from my rubber-bottomed boots along the path I walked to the shack hours before. It finally joined the remainder of the group but did so in alert mode. I made a mental note to use cover scent on my boots next time.
I had a few more whitetail encounters before the day was finished but none as enlightening as one provided by a rather chunky fox squirrel. As mentioned, the Housetrailer has been used as more of a daytime respite from the daily grind of politics, inflation and other woes of the world. For well over a year, I have fed the wild birds at the site and seemed to have found a durable galvanized metal feeder to stand abuse.
When I found it on the ground, I realized that some animal was out-foxing me and I set out to stymie its penchant for bird seed. I had assumed it was jumping from a picnic table onto the feeder, so the table was moved.
The feeder was hung from a small branch of an oak tree with a drop-down wire of some three feet. I figured that no squirrel would climb onto the precarious branch, let alone find a way to the feeder below tethered to the wire. Wrong! Before my eyes, a huge fox squirrel climbed the tree then onto the small branch with the feeder’s support wire between the squirrel and a nourishing meal. The fat rodent then slid head-first down the wire like some circus performer directly onto and into the feeder, where it got breakfast.
That $20 deer-license was worth the price of admission to one of life’s greatest shows, and this was only the first day!
There’s no need to slow down at sundown with X-Vision Optics new XANB55 Hands-Free Deluxe Digital Night Vision Binoculars. With 1-3x magnification, the hands-free binoculars offer full color daytime observation up to 400 yards and up to 200 yards in total darkness. The 2-megapixel wide angle display provides crystal-clear imaging and clarity on the move. The device enables you to capture photos and videos which can be played back on the unit or easily shared with any compatible device so you can show off any adventure to your friends and family.
The performance, dependability, and versatility of the hands-free night vision binocular is second to none. The device comes with a protective travel case, micro-USB recharging cable, and head mount. The night-vision binocular is equipped with 3 levels of screen brightness and 4 levels of IR brightness. Its ability to automatically transition from daytime full color to IR night vision means no slowing down at sundown. The device is dust and water resistant to a rating of IP52. The X-Vision Optics Deluxe Digital Night Vision Binoculars are perfect for any harsh environment with its durable exterior that is built to last. Read more
HELENA – On Tuesday, a District Court in Lewis and Clark County issued a temporary restraining order impacting some of Montana’s wolf hunting and trapping regulations. The changes go into effect immediately.
The changes outlined in the temporary restraining order are as follows:
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will make legal arguments in this case at a hearing scheduled for Nov. 28. The court has set the temporary restraining order to expire on Nov. 29. Read more
POST FALLS, ID— Hunting for deer is one of the most popular pastimes in America. Deer hunters take many routes to fill their tags ranging from prowling the Back-40, to sharing deer camps with friends and family, to solo hunts on public lands. According to one US Fish and Wildlife Survey, more than nine million hunters spent on average of two weeks or more hunting deer. If you hunt deer and fill your tag, are you prepared?
Buck Knives offers these tips if you will be hunting deer in the days and weeks ahead and if you are thinking about purchasing a new knife for your deer hunting adventure.
*Select the best possible rifle, riflescope and binoculars, ammunition and other gear you can afford—and handle well. Be certain you can tame or manage the firearm’s recoil and shoot accurately. Adjust your binoculars to your vision, and focus on other key details to get the most from your hunting gear. If you sighted in your rifle or slug gun during warm weather, check to be certain you can see through your riflescope with the correct eye relief when you add more layers of winter clothing.
*Stay aware of wind directions. Deer can see and hear well, but when they detect human odor in the faintest wind, they are on high alert. Move and hunt with the wind in your favor and remember that winds can swirl in mountainous terrain. Read more
Join in the time-honored tradition of deer hunting in Michigan. Get ready for a terrific time in Michigan’s beautiful forests and fields. Firearm deer season is open Nov. 15-30.
Starting with the fall 2022 deer seasons, online harvest reporting is required for all hunters who successfully take a deer.
You will have up to 72 hours after taking a deer to report your harvest, and there are two ways to do it electronically:
Answers to frequently asked questions about deer harvest reporting are available. The process is outlined in this video on how to properly tag and report your deer.
Assistance for those who need help with reporting or experience technical difficulties is available at a variety of locations around the state. Reporting assistance is also available by calling 517-284-9453 during normal business hours and on Nov. 19 and 20 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Reminders:
You can buy deer licenses anywhere DNR licenses are sold. Find a local license agent.
Kill tags purchased online at eLicense take seven to 14 business days to arrive in the mail. You must have kill tags in your possession before hunting. To ensure you can hunt in a timely manner, purchase your license at a local license agent.
View additional hunting and license information at Michigan.gov/Hunting.
Before you head into the field, be sure to check the latest hunting regulations in your area by looking at the 2022 Hunting Digest.
For on-demand digest access that travels where you do, without the need for internet access, download DNR hunting and fishing digests right to your phone through the DNR Hunt Fish mobile app!
The sections below refer to specific pages of the 2022 Hunting Digest for more information on these topics.
Baiting and feeding is banned in the entire Lower Peninsula and the Core Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance Area in the Upper Peninsula.
Our new harvest reporting system should make it easier for you to understand if you are in a location where the DNR is looking for volunteers to submit their deer for testing. If you are in one of the disease monitoring zones, you will see a message on the harvest report confirmation page asking you to submit your deer head for testing, along with locations where you can submit your deer head or sample for testing. The submission is not required for a reported harvest but is strongly encouraged to help meet our disease monitoring goals. You can also find a list of disease sample submission sites.
Check stations will be focused in places where we need to gather physical samples for bovine tuberculosis and chronic wasting disease (CWD). This allows us to maximize our use of staff resources for disease monitoring purposes. Harvested animals must be reported using the online harvest reporting system.
Support from hunters and landowners in this year’s CWD monitoring counties is requested to inform the state’s CWD monitoring plan. Early detection of the disease is an important part of the state’s management philosophy.
Hunters who harvest a deer in Clinton, Dickinson, Eaton, Gratiot, Ingham, Ionia, Jackson, Kent and Montcalm counties, where CWD has previously been detected, can submit deer heads for testing via a drop box or submit lymph nodes with a free lymph node shipping kit. More information on this program is available on the CWD info for hunters webpage.
Testing in Isabella and Hillsdale counties, the state’s other two counties where CWD has been detected, is available to hunters at an area disease sample submission site.
In the remainder of the state, if you want your deer heads tested for CWD, you may submit them to a participating U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved lab at any time for testing. You will be charged a fee to have your deer heads tested. See more information about testing for a fee.
Find out what to expect for this year’s deer hunting seasons, including harvest reporting, disease monitoring and regional forecasts, in the 2022 deer hunting preview.
Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453.