GET IN SHAPE FOR THE BIG HUNT!

As various seasons open, hunters dust off their equipment and restock their supplies. The dreams are big...the anticipated thrill of the hunt is all-consuming as they plan this fall's strategy to bag their limit, or even "get the big one".

Meticulous preparation goes into planning the contents of the pack. It's not unusual to find 10-15 pounds of accessories and gadgets guaranteed to make the hunt a success. Layer upon layer of top-of-the-line insulating clothing will ensure relative comfort when waiting quietly in frigid temperatures. Thick, tall, heavy boots protect feet and ankles and provide warmth.

It's time. The hunter, carefully dressed in layers of insulated clothing, straps on the 25 pound tree stand, hoists the pack (15 pounds), grabs the trusty gun (8 pounds), and heads toward "The Spot". "The spot", referred to in fishing as "the honey hole", is commonly found far away from the truck, and requires crossing ditches, navigating through thick brush, and trudging up and down hills.

Ever thought of the amount of physical stress this places on your body? Throw in the 100-200 pound deer that you're dragging back to a pick up point. Definite cardiac stressor!

Sure, the adrenaline from the thrill of it all keeps you going! But, admit it, today's occasional hunter can rarely boast the level of physical fitness of the previous generation. Do yourself a favor this year and prepare for that big hunt!

Start by evaluating your activity level and your level of fitness. If you routinely participate in an exercise program, congratulations you should be ready for the hunt! If you have a desk job and a daily date with the tv you may require a little extra boost to get you physically ready for your trek in the woods.

Work on increasing your daily activity. Here are a few relatively painless ways to increase exercise and overall cardiovascular strength during your work day. (Always best to have your physician's approval whenever starting an exercise program.)

~ Walk up and down stairs. It's easy walking "Down", so do that regularly. Try to walk "Up" a flight or two several times a day. Pretend this is practice for climbing out of ditches and trudging up hills.

~ Park your car several blocks away from your destination and walk. Pretend you're walking to your "spot". The further you're used to walking, the more energy you'll have for climbing that favored tree when you do fianally get there.

~ Carry items whenever possible. Leave the cart at the store if you can manage carrying the bags of groceries. If you have wrist weights, start wearing them for periods. Boost your arm strength so you'll be ready to carry your gun and pack.

~ If you have ankle weights, start wearing them to work. Boost your leg strength and get your body used to the added weight of those hunting boots.

Anything you can do to increase your activity will help you later. In addition, spot exercises to strengthen your arms, shoulders and back, abdomen, and legs can only help as you carry yourself and all that equipment to the site of your stand.

One other point. As hunting season draws near and you do your scouting, dress as you plan to on your actual hunting trip. This will give you and your body a chance to get used to the thicker, heavier clothing.

We rarely hear of hunters collapsing with fatal heart attacks in the woods, but, as you can see, it can be an intense cardiac stressor, not to mention a lot of hard work. So much time and money is spent preparing and purchasing all the right equipment. Invest some time in preparing your most valuable tool -- yourself! Until next time....Maggie.

The dove, a tricky flier which easily evades even skilled hunters, is a favored upland bird. The dove not only provides a challenging hunt, but a rare delicacy to any table. A devoted hunter working in the path of these migratory birds may bag enough to share, but with the number of great dove recipes available, you may decide to just freeze the extra into meals for later.

Due to the small size of doves, many hunters choose to save only the breast meat. The breasts are meaty and make even servings. Portion size varies, but plan on 3-4 breasts per person.

To clean dove for just the breast meat, hold the bird on its back in one hand. Grasp the outside wing with the other hand and give a good twist; the wing will snap off. Repeat with the other. Lay the bird again on its back in one hand and poke your free thumb into the body cavity just below and up under the breastbone. All in the same movement pry the bird apart by moving the two hands apart. A quick jerk will separate the breast from the rest of the bird. All that's left to do is pluck the breast feathers or peel off the skin and wash.

See a variety of dove recipes!
http://www.backwoodsbound.com/zdove.html

There's no better way to explain the sportsman's role in conservation than to show off the end results. Clean air. Fresh water. Abundant habitat. Thriving Wildlife. Results which were fought for--and paid for--almost exclusively by sportsmen and sports- women. National Hunting & Fishing Day was established by Congress in 1971 to recognize these extraordinary efforts. But the message still needs to be told.

So on September 22nd, show off the results of more than 100 years of the sportsman's commitment to conservation and the environment. And invite someone to an open house as big as all outdoors.

Created by Swanson Russell Associates Magazine Public Service Announcement

ARTICLE: "Deer Vehicle Collisions - You Are At Risk!"

The fall months see an increase in deer-vehicle collisions as we near the deer breeding season or "rut". The "rut" peaks around mid-November and can run well into December. Deer at this time of the year are less cautious and more unpredictable as their instincts for breeding takes over their behavior.

Here are some suggestions to help you avoid colliding with a deer.

1. Be extra cautious while traveling in the late afternoon through the early evening hours and in the hours before sunrise. Deer are active throughout the night but seem to be more active during these times.

2 Slow down and be prepared to suddenly stop in areas where deer might be present.

3. Always be aware deer may be present throughout wooded areas, crop fields, and areas with dense vegetation.

4. If another car is behind you and you see a deer, tap your brakes to help alert the other motorist to the presence of the deer. If the deer is on the road try flashing your lights and/or honking your horn to encourage the animal to move.

Although I mentioned deer in these suggestions, they can apply to all wildlife; rabbits, raccoons, opossums, etc.

Avoid harming local wildlife while protecting your vehicle and yourself; slow down, be especially cautious while driving at night, and stay alert.!
James Burns

“Deer Hunting Made Simple”

I am writing this article to try and help deer hunters out there who are not being successful in their pursuit of America’s favorite big game animal. I know you are out there because I talk to people year after year who do not bag a whitetail deer. I am not a trophy hunter so this article is not about hunting 5 ½ year old monster bucks. However, if you pay attention, a trophy deer just might come your way.

I have harvested at least one whitetail deer a year for the last 9 years in a row, and I have done this by following one basic rule. The basic rule is to use good old common sense. I see too many hunters who try to put whitetails on the same intellectual level as a human. They conjure up images of whitetails being cunning and planning creatures that could sit down and beat you in a game of chess. Well, let me tell you a little secret. whitetail deer are not smart or dumb. Whitetail deer are just animals that use their senses and instincts to survive in their environment. We as hunters beat ourselves at our own game and then we elevate the deer into a crafty creature with the brain of a NASA scientist to ease the pain of our failure.

Let’s talk a little bit about some common sense rules that you need to follow when hunting whitetail deer. I do not own a scent lok suit. I think that all the new activated carbon clothing designed to fool the whitetail's nose are wonderful products and if you can afford one, you should buy it. But, the American Indians hunted whitetail deer with homemade bows and arrows four hundred years ago without special clothing. They did, however, pay attention to a common sense rule that your grandfathers probably tried to teach you and that is to keep the wind in your face. This is one of the easiest rules that too many hunters ignore, and as a result are not successful.

Another rule that I see broken all the time is the approach hunters take when deer hunting. Let me give you an example: on an early October bow hunt, I saw hunters attempting to hunt cornfields from field edges. The deer were really feeding heavily on this food source and on the surface it seems like a good plan. These hunters should have spent more time learning about deer behavior. As we all know, at this time of year deer come out late afternoon or early evening, feed through the night and return to their bedding areas for the day. These particular hunters went crashing through the corn fields at 4:30 am to get to their stands, no doubt scaring deer they never saw into the next county and then wondering why they didn’t see a deer all day. The common sense approach would be to get to your stand mid afternoon, so you could be in place to intercept deer coming to the fields later in the day.

The last common sense rule is one that gets written about all the time. Where do you set up to hunt whitetail deer? Common sense will tell you that in order to be successful hunting deer, you have to be where the deer are, not where they were. Tons of articles have been written about hunting food sources, rub lines, scrapes, etc., and all of them have merit. I take a little different approach. One of the best deer hunters I know is co-owner James Burns’s father Country Bob Burns. Years ago he taught me to hunt deer trails. Not just any trail, but the trail that has the freshest sign on it. The freshest tracks, deer droppings, bent over grass, etc. I was smart enough to pay attention and take his advice. This one simple common sense rule has allowed me to harvest whitetail deer year after year.

The three common sense rules I discussed, keeping the wind in your face, thinking about your approach to hunting as it relates to deer behavior, and hunting where the deer are should be enough to get you started on the right track.

Next month, we will talk about stand discipline, calls and rattles, deer lures, and scent elimination.

Remember, deer hunting is a wonderful pursuit, all you have to do is use some common sense and keep it simple.

I’m Kenny, and I hope I have all of you in my corner.

Visit us today! Select a dove recipe to make for dinner, make up a new caption for our "Crazy Captions" photo, review the huntin' tips, stock up on Backwoods Bound Chili Seasoning Mix, shop at our affiliates to restock your hunting pack or pick up a new deer call, post an announcement for that local fishin' tournament or share information on our bulletin board, check the weather, browse through our guides section to start planning your next dream fishin' trip, visit yourself or your Backwoods Buddies in the photo gallery, check out the most recent photos in the "Backwoods Beauty" section, and don't forget to pick up a state antler plaque to mount those great antlers from that buck you're bagging this year.. Wow!! As you can see, you've helped us come a long way from when we started this site! Thanks alot!

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