I swear they know!

Today I was out of bed by 4:00 am. preparing for my trip to Canada. Low and behold, I looked out my bedroom window as the sun came up and saw 5 deer and one monster buck. In know this buck as I’ve seen him before. He’s a nice 150-160 class buck but today he didn’t have his head gear on! I think he shed his antlers over the weekend and now for some reason, he decides to pose for me for over 30 minutes! I have hunted this same nocturnal buck with no luck in the day time but I really think this old boy knows I’m going to leave for a trip today, so he wants to tease me! What he doesn’t know is the fact that he’s now safe…with me anyway. He might not be so lucky with the other hunters who hunt the same 100 plus acres down the road.

So here I am in Canada seeing deer almost everywhere I go. Unfortunately, I’m not hunting up here. Yeah, I saw deer in Mich. also. Indiana, Yep.

It must have been a good day to hunt!

Your 2010 scouting begins now

2010 will be here in a few days and with that comes the last month for hunting here in Illinois. It may be the last month for hunting but it’s surely the beginning of your 2010 scouting! There is nothing like taking advantage of the fresh snow for finding where these sneaky little creatures live. Pressured or not, tracks in the snow don’t lie! Their behavior now will most likely mimic their early season actions in October. I absolutely love scouting or hunting in the snow.

You’ll be surprised to find where these tracks will lead you! Some of the most elusive deer will find their way in-between downed timber, in small crevices and so forth. Snow opens the door to a whole new and exciting opportunity in addition to being one of the best classrooms mother nature can provide. It won’t be here for ever, so make time to scout your hunting grounds while the ground is still covered.

Snow can also be a bit deceiving. I’ve scouted with many hunters who have mistaken tracks for a “herd of deer”, when in fact it was only one deer making the path. Whitetails, being repetitious in feeding this time of year, can beat down a path over the same area while traveling to and from their favorite food source. Take your time and look at the size, how recent each track was left and which direction the hooves were pointed. Each track tells a story!  Last but not least, keep your eyes opened for shed antlers! Finding sheds in an area will identify a favorite route used by that buck. If its a mature buck, he may be worth tracking in the future.

So grab your boots and get to work! You may even be able to ambush a late season whitetail while scouting.

Merry Christmas to all!

By now, you should be getting ready for the big day tomorrow! From here on, it’s family time only for me. After wrapping a few gifts, cooking some turkey, etc, I’ll be in serious Christmas mode!

Another year has almost gone by and another one will be here soon, so make the best of it now! I wish all of our PSO readers a Merry Christmas and hope you take the time to enjoy it!