1. When field scoring a buck before I shoot, make sure I go directly to the G-4 tine if it has one. If it has one, make sure it is at least 4” tall because chances are if it is, it will be in the 150” range. If it doesn’t, it better have tall eye brow tines or it will most likely be under size for my taste. FYI, I choose to do this because I would rather let a 140” walk and grow. I simply don’t need another 140” buck. Years ago I would have loved to shoot a 140”, so it’s a personal goal for me! There’s nothing wrong for anyone to shoot a 140” or less deer! I thought I’d better add that to be politically correct (and because I actually believe it) !

10. Rubber gloves for field dressing. I used to be all rough and tough but in my tender old age, I hate having blood and guts stuck under my finger nails all day long when I’m away from fresh water. They’re cheap!
Now if you want to consider some other stuff, here’s some stuff you may want to look at! A company called Big Game Drag Glove makes, you guessed it, a big game drag glove that really gives you a mechanical advantage when dragging your dead deer. They’re priced very reasonable and make easier work out of moving your deer. Check them out at: http://www.biggamedragglove.com If you want to film your bow hunt on a budget, pick up a Bowpix bracket so you can mount your digital camera to your bow. It is a good alternative to hauling a huge camera and bracket! http://www.bowpix.com . If you hate bugs like I do, pick up a Thermacell! They work! In fact, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like them. OK, now I’ll get someone to email me to say differently :-(

Bottom line: Start thinking now! I’ll post some other stuff in the near future. Happy hunting!

I found one of my “magic” spots early on and it seems to be THE place for me. I’ll hunt it from the ground but because of its surroundings, I placed a climbing stand close by. The buck I’m going to hunt doesn’t move more than an estimated 80 yards all day from where I placed my stand. It was very difficult getting in there and I’m sure he either saw me or winded me while working there. If he did, he didn’t bust, so that was a good sign. This place is so thick with briars, brush and trees, I literally had to cut my way in. My son asked me: “Dad, with all of this timber along this bean field, how did you decide to place it at that particular location?” As we sat in my truck and looked down this 3 acre section of bean field, I asked him to look down the timber line and tell me what you see different. After looking for about 30 seconds, he nailed it, much to my surprise. He said: “There’s a little bit of change in the timber line, is that it?” He was right! It was hard to tell but there was an area where the bucks had been eating or “browsing” the leaves and stems from the trees making the trees to appear that they were trimmed with a hedge shear. That’s all it took for me (along with my 200 yard rule) to decide on hunting that spot this season. After placing a trail camera there for the last 4 weeks, my suspicions came true. Monster city! Looking beyond that point, big buck sign from the past several years was more than evident. BINGO! Now there’s nothing guaranteed in this business, so we’ll see what unfolds here. 

I did notice a few trees that were freshly rubbed with velvet hanging off of them. It won’t be long where they’ll all be showing bare bone. I also noticed a few scrapes that caught me by surprise! Once looking at those scrapes, I realized a mistake I had made a year or so ago when replying to an email from one of my readers. He asked me about these early season scrapes and I responded to him by saying that they must have been from last season. Strike one for Marc! I was wrong! This was one trait I failed to recognize in my years of bow hunting, so to right the wrong here, yes, they do scrape now and then early in the season. Why they do it, well, there are several reasons but nothing that needs to be addressed to help you with your bow season. My apologies!

With the cooler weather and the crops coming out earlier this year, I think we’ll be seeing more activity soon! In fact, I was surprised to see several farms harvesting corn yesterday in Fulton, Peoria and Schuyler counties. If you haven’t got your favorite places ready to go, better get out there! I do recommend finishing up soon so your hunting grounds can settle down a bit before the season gets here.

Won’t be long!

One interesting thing I noticed in the woods today was the rubbed trees. I didn’t have my camera with me or I would have taken some pictures. I found a few trees that were shredded with velvet stuck to them. I jumped a buck in the woods around 11:00 a.m. and as he started to run, I simply started walking in the opposite direction. It puzzled him, so he stopped to look at me. Sometimes if you act nonchalant and uninterested, they won’t feel threatened. He just watched me walk out calmly and ended up not spooking. I hate spooking deer because they catch on so quickly and often stomp their hooves leaving danger scent for the others to smell. Once they do that, that spot is marked as a caution area for some time. I don’t want to start the season with educated deer!

Enjoy the pictures!

That’s my prediction. Of course, now that I’ve said it, I’ll get skunked. That’s OK if I do because my prediction is for all hunters in Illinois. I’ll tell you why I think we’re going to have a great year. With last year’s standing corn issues, we most likely won’t have that problem this year as the weather is cooperating and the crops should be out in decent time. Even if you don’t think deer live in the standing corn, they most certainly will run and hide in it when spooked! With several million square miles of corn standing last year, they had plenty of places to stay put. When they have so much cover, it’s inevitable that they’ll live and grow a bit more.

Here in central IL. I’ve noticed an increase in deer for the first time in almost a decade. Places that I monitor for activity are jumping with 2.5 year old deer. In areas that won’t hold deer past gun season, that’s a major improvement. In an area where hunters don’t use any management whatsoever, that’s an even greater sign. Places that held 3.5 and older deer are now holding record class deer. Add the fact that many hunters were complaining of not seeing many deer last year, that’s an incredible thing! There is only one reason for this: Last year’s corn!

Maybe this is Mother Nature’s way of increasing the herd when state management won’t? The same happens in reverse when too many deer run wild: Mother Nature sends EHD, Blue Tongue and other diseases to take over. We either manage these animals or nature will do it for us! Heed this warning Chicago land! Let the bow hunters control the deer heard in these urban areas!

All indicators are pointing for some real giants to be harvested this year, so get out and see what’s in your neck of the woods. I for one, am excited just to be able to shoot does this year! I’ve been backing off does here in central IL. for years just to let the herd grow a bit (only to watch the bordering properties massacre what’s left). Since I’ll be adding west central IL. to my list of places this year, I’ll happily shoot the does over there since not too many hunters will. I absolutely love to shoot does and the food will not go to waste!

OK, my predictions are in. I haven’t seen such a difference in 8 of the counties I’ve been scouting in the past 9 years as I have this year, so here’s to a great year!

If you’re not ready for the fall hunt, you have better get with it! Opening day is NOT the time to begin the thinking process. Remember, some of the best deer hunting is in the first 2 weeks of October, so don’t let it pass you by! I’m going to post my annual “Hit List” soon on what products I’ve tested this year that were the best in their field, so you don’t have to guess. I’ve tested some really great stuff and some not-so great stuff but because I’m kind, I’ll only post the great stuff, unless I feel a company is trying to swindle you, then I’ll be all over it

If you’re a tree stand hunter, start shooting from an elevated position for practice. I shoot from all sorts of positions when I practice. I like to shoot from a back yard deck that’s elevated, from the sides of gullies, small hills overlooking trails, bottom ground shooting upwards, etc. You NEVER know where that next deer will come from, so be prepared! Know your arrow and its flight path! No second guessing.

If you’re like me, it seems like I always make some really stupid mistakes in my first few trips into the woods! You would think after nearly 40 years in the timber, I would remember what NOT to do. I think it’s inevitable for me to screw something up, so I try to focus each year what I did the previous year and to avoid a similar situation. Mistakes or not, I’m looking forward to another Illinois season!

How about you?

Dear Marc, 

On behalf of Governor Tim Pawlenty, we invite you to attend the 2010 8th Annual Minnesota Governor’s Deer Hunting Opener in Little Falls, Minnesota.
Now that’s what I’m talking about! I’m all for a Governor who promotes hunting for all. This isn’t just about hunting with an outfitter either. It’s about getting people into the woods and giving them a place to hunt. It’s about listening to what the hunters need and to make every effort to deliver. It’s about getting the next generation involved and educated. Minnesota is doing it right. This is going to be a 2 day party and celebration and oh yes, hunting!

What I especially like about this idea is the fact that the Governor is actually involved. When you get the Governor involved, it means something more than just a speech while he’s standing at a podium for a news clip. I was once told that Governor Jim Edgar was a great Governor primarily because he took the time to get involved. As I understand it, he was one of the few Governor’s who actually attended many of the outdoor events and shared his joy with the people who participated in the outdoor activities. When you have someone at the top supporting the outdoorsmen/women, it means a lot! It solidifies the tradition and confirms the fact that these are not just ways to generate revenue but rather to continue OUR heritage. Good for Governor Tim Pawlenty (and for Jim Edgar)!

I was told that this event will pay special tribute to the military and servicemen/women also. So in summary, this will be a flat out celebration with many things to do and see throughout the 2 day event. Way to go Minnesota, I’ve always wanted Illinois to have a special day or two set aside to celebrate what a great state we have to hunt deer and turkey in. You know, with some sort of recognition from our leaders, maybe the rest of the non-hunting world wouldn’t look so down on us. I think it’s time to have a Governor or DNR supported bash! What do you think?

It never fails, when you give advice, it always comes back to haunt you! After mentioning to the boys to “lead the clay pidgeons” or to “shoot them right out of the hole”, when it was my turn, it was me that needed to do the “leading , etc”. Nevertheless, it was all about fun and it was fun we had! Thanks to the people at Northwoods for putting on another great event!

My first impression was the multitude of old timers I spoke with during my lifetime. I’ve met some real knowledgeable men in my days who knew the land (and the animals they hunted) with surprising knowledge. I loved talking to the old guys because they had nothing to prove. They weren’t out for fame or fortune and their eyes just twinkled when speaking of a particular hunt. I could tell they really loved their sport! I was always impressed by how much they knew and the tactics they used. Their English was a bit off and their clothes were not correctly matched but they loved life in the outdoors. Maybe that was why I was so drawn to them.

Then, I started thinking about a guy I once knew who always had a plan B when trying to get his buck. Since plan A rarely worked, I was impressed that eventually he always seem to make it work. I liked the fact that he never gave up. I never had much sympathy for anyone who didn’t have any fun hunting when getting skunked, but this guy would just smile and say “I’ll get him another day”. I could tell he just enjoyed being outdoors.

What started out as a simple question became a real real brain twister for me. Eventually, I found him though!

This person loves the outdoors enough that he really doesn’t care if he scores every time he heads out to the timber. He enjoys watching the leaves turn colors in the fall, watching the sun come up and go down, listening to the birds chip when they wake up, the animals feeding and so forth. When he does harvest a deer, he gives thanks, uses all of the meat from the animal, places the remains in a spot so the other animals can feed from them and then feels grateful for such a wonderful event. In addition to the hunt, he sometimes goes out of his way to take another person who isn’t so fortunate, with him, in an attempt to give him/her the joy that he feels (even if it means no harvest for him). This person takes the time to explain to children the importance of hunting and managing wildlife for the sake of future generations. When time permits, he will voice his concerns/comments for all to listen, hoping it will benefit other hunters sometime in the future. He’s the type of guy who truly enjoys seeing someone else harvest an amazing animal with absolutely no jealousy or envy whatsoever. In fact, this person gets more pleasure from watching a child’s face light up when in the wild, that he would if it were him.

So in essence, the best whitetail hunter in America lives somewhere not too far from us! He’s the guy who we don’t hear too much about. He’s rarely, if ever, on TV. He could be your Grandparent, father or mother, brother and maybe a combination of them.

Do you know who he/she is?

On another note, I just finished writing chapter 5 out of 14 in my new book this week. I don’t think I’ll ever get it finished! Man, that’s a lot of work, especially if you have a lot to talk about. Next comes all of the pictures. I wish I knew how to draw good as that would save a bunch of time. Oh well, maybe by next year I’ll have it finished???

Below are some pictures that Paul Rients sent me of a fawn and a turkey! Enjoy! Hopefully, I’ll have some more from my cameras later this week.

Here’s some from my Kansas location:

For some reason I think this is going to be a banner year. Despite the controversy regarding last year’s standing corn, I do think some of the bigger bucks were harboring themselves in it thus avoiding death. If that’s true, we should see some real monsters this year! I’ve got one really nice stud of an 8 pointer here on one camera but the best pictures yet were destroyed! One of my SD cards went corrupt as soon as I plugged it into my computer and ate every one of the pictures. One of those was an absolute monster that was already in the B&C club! Of course, it would be THAT SD card that burnt! My luck!!!

Anyway, enjoy the pictures and keep sending them to me. We all love to see them…bucks or does!

Here’s what I found on mine:

John Currie sent these:

Jeff Lampe will be happy to hear that I sold the beast! Sitting at the Deer Classic having to explain the history behind Goliath became old and even punishing. We agreed not to ever bring him back! So it’s bye bye to the old fella. He’ll have a good home and the bow kill heads that are on my wall, will now be happier and feel a bit larger. We’ll be giving him a going away party this weekend.

It’s been really hot the last few weeks, so the deer movement has slowed accordingly. Here are a few trail cam pictures from some readers. Hopefully when the heat lifts, we’ll see some better pictures coming in! Keep sending them to me when you get them!

And last but not least….

Here’s a few from my last trip to the cameras.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to get some major bedding areas figured out before too long. I’m working 2 different (and brand new) properties this year, one here in IL. and one in Kansas, so I’ve got my work cut out for me to say the least. Opening days, October (and September for Kansas) will be here before too long, so now is the time to stir up the woods!

If anyone has any interesting trail camera pictures, you can email them to me and I’ll post them in a blog as they come in!

They also have some other interesting topics to choose from, so you may want to look some of them over. Deer and Deer Hunting magazine is in a class of it’s own and their forte’ is offering instructional and “How-to” articles. They have a lot to offer!

FYI, I receive none of the proceeds from the webinar. I just enjoyed doing it for them as it fits their instructional platform. I highly recommend you invest the ten dollars in this webinar if you are even remotely considering ground hunting! You’ll learn a lot and I’ll have to type less emails explaining these methods

CHICAGO — The Chicago City Council on Friday approved what city officials say is the strictest handgun ordinance in the United States.

The 45-0 vote came four days after a Supreme Court ruling made it almost certain that Chicago’s handgun ban would be overturned. The high court ruled Americans have a right to own a gun for self-defense anywhere they live.

The new city ordinance bans gun shops in Chicago and prohibits gun owners from stepping outside their homes, even onto their porches or garages, with a handgun. It will take effect in 10 days.

The ordinance also:

— Limits the number of handguns residents can register to one per month and prohibit residents from having more than one handgun in operating order at any given time.

— Requires residents in homes with children to keep them in lock boxes or equipped with trigger locks.

— Requires prospective gun owners to take a four-hour class and one-hour training at a gun range. They would have to leave the city for training because Chicago prohibits new gun ranges and limits the use of existing ranges to police officers. Those restrictions were similar to those in an ordinance passed in Washington, D.C., after the high court struck down its ban two years ago.

— Prohibits people from owning a gun if they were convicted of a violent crime, domestic violence or two or more convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Residents convicted of a gun offense would have to register with the police department.

— Calls for the police department to maintain a registry of every handgun owner in the city, with the names and addresses to be made available to police officers, firefighters and other emergency responders.

Those who already have handguns in the city — which has been illegal since the city’s ban was approved 28 years ago — would have 90 days to register those weapons, according to the proposed ordinance.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court held Monday that Americans have the right to own a gun for self-defense anywhere they live, expanding the conservative court’s embrace of gun rights since John Roberts became chief justice.

By a 5-4 vote, the justices cast doubt on handgun bans in the Chicago area, but signaled that some limitations on the Constitution’s “right to keep and bear arms” could survive legal challenges.

On its busy final day before a three-month recess, the court also ruled that a public law school can legally deny recognition to a Christian student group that won’t let gays join, jumped into the nation’s charged immigration debate by agreeing to review an employer sanctions law from Arizona and said farewell to Justice John Paul Stevens, who is retiring after more than 34 years.

A short distance from the court, the Senate Judiciary Committee began confirmation hearings for Elena Kagan, nominated by President Barack Obama to replace Stevens.

In the guns case, Justice Samuel Alito said for the court that the Second Amendment right “applies equally to the federal government and the states.”

The court was split along familiar ideological lines, with five conservative-moderate justices in favor of gun rights and four liberals opposed. Roberts voted with the majority.

Two years ago, the court declared that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to possess guns, at least for purposes of self-defense in the home.

That ruling applied only to federal laws. It struck down a ban on handguns and a trigger lock requirement for other guns in the District of Columbia, a federal city with unique legal standing. At the same time, the court was careful not to cast doubt on other regulations of firearms here.

Gun rights proponents almost immediately filed a federal lawsuit challenging gun control laws in Chicago and its suburb of Oak Park, Ill., where handguns have been banned for nearly 30 years. The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence says those laws appear to be the last two remaining outright bans.

Lower federal courts upheld the two laws, noting that judges on those benches were bound by Supreme Court precedent and that it would be up to the high court justices to ultimately rule on the true reach of the Second Amendment.

The Supreme Court already has said that most of the guarantees in the Bill of Rights serve as a check on state and local, as well as federal, laws. Monday’s decision did not explicitly strike down the Chicago area laws. Instead, it ordered a federal appeals court to reconsider its ruling. But it left little doubt that the statutes eventually would fall. Still, Alito noted that the declaration that the Second Amendment is fully binding on states and cities “limits (but by no means eliminates) their ability to devise solutions to social problems that suit local needs and values.”
Justices John Paul Stevens and Stephen Breyer, joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor, each wrote a dissent. Stevens said that unlike the Washington case, Monday’s decision “could prove far more destructive — quite literally — to our nation’s communities and to our constitutional structure.” The ruling seemed unlikely to resolve questions and ongoing legal challenges about precisely what sort of gun control laws are permissible.

The response of the District to the court’s ruling in 2008 is illustrative of the uncertainty. Local lawmakers in Washington, D.C., imposed a series of regulations on handgun ownership, including requirements to register weapons and to submit to a multiple-choice test, fingerprinting and a ballistics test. Owners must also show they have gotten classroom instruction on handling a gun and have spent at least an hour on the firing range. Some 800 people have now registered handguns in the city. Anticipating a similar result in their case, Chicago lawmakers are looking at even more stringent regulations. But the new regulations themselves are likely to themselves be the subject of lawsuits, a fact noted by the dissenting justices Monday. Already in Washington, -- -- -- Heller, the plaintiff in the original case before the Supreme Court, has sued the city over its new laws. Heller argues that the stringent restrictions violate the intent of the high court’s decision. So far, a federal judge has upheld the limitations, but the case has been appealed.

Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, said his politically powerful group “will continue to work at every level to insure that defiant city councils and cynical politicians do not transform this constitutional victory into a practical defeat through Byzantine regulations and restrictions.”
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an ardent proponent of gun control, said the ruling allows cities “to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and terrorists while at the same time respecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.” New York does not ban guns, but restricts who can have them. The court also was split between liberals and conservatives in its 5-4 ruling against a Christian student group that sought official recognition from the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law. The Christian Legal Society requires that voting members sign a statement of faith and regards “unrepentant participation in or advocacy of a sexually immoral lifestyle” as being inconsistent with that faith. But Hastings said no recognized campus groups may exclude people due to religious belief or sexual orientation. The high court upheld the lower court rulings saying the Christian group’s First Amendment rights of association, free speech and free exercise were not violated by the college’s decision. “In requiring CLS — in common with all other student organizations — to choose between welcoming all students and forgoing the benefits of official recognition, we hold, Hastings did not transgress constitutional limitations,” Ginsburg said in the court’s majority opinion. “CLS, it bears emphasis, seeks not parity with other organizations, but a preferential exemption from Hastings’ policy.” Justice Anthony Kennedy joined the four liberals in the outcome.

Alito wrote a strong dissent for the court’s conservatives, saying the opinion was “a serious setback for freedom of expression in this country.” “Our proudest boast of our free speech jurisprudence is that we protect the freedom of express ‘the thought that we hate,’” Alito said. “Today’s decision rests on a very different principle: no freedom of expression that offends prevailing standards of political correctness in our country’s institutions of higher learning.” In his final appearance on the bench, Stevens read aloud a brief letter to the other justices, after Roberts read one to Stevens.

The 90-year-old justice pointed out how times had changed since he joined the court in 1975. Then, he said, he would have addressed his remarks to his brethren.
Now, with two women as justices, he called them his colleagues.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

When I hatched these eggs 11 days ago, I was told it would take 4 months to tell if the poults are hens or Toms. I don’t think so! At 11 days old, they strut to the sound of my 13 year old daughter’s voice. They’ll even fight and try dillegently to gobble! Funny thing, they’ll only strut to a female’s voice.

Tracking hoof prints in mud can be deceiving. Most hunters find prints and exclaim “Giant tracks” when observing tracks in fresh mud. Oh yes, they get distorted and spread apart appearing to be from a larger deer than they actually were. Take your time and look them over carefully to determine what was distorted and what wasn’t. From there, try following them to see where they’ve been going. What’s really nice about this, is the fact when they move nocturnally, you now can see where they’ve been going! Lets face it, they don’t just disappear in broad daylight! They actually go somewhere! So get out and find where that “somewhere” is. This is what I love about whitetail hunting. It’s always a puzzle. In fact, sometimes I get a bit discouraged when I drop a buck in its tracks because I love the thrill of tracking so much! Now would be a great time to do some summer scouting to see where these hidden places are.

Once you have an idea where they may be bedding, try setting up a trail camera somewhere in the near vicinity. You may have to relocate the camera a few times but you would rather do it now as opposed to right before the season begins! If you spook them out now, they’ll come back! Take every opportunity you can to collect data for this year’s hunt!

Plan for excitement when October gets here if you’ve done your homework. Until then, get out in the timber every opportunity you get!

It all started about a month ago when Jeff Lampe came over to my house to drop a head off to get mounted. After taking care of the normal paper work, we started to converse about PSO in general. One thing lead to another and ultimately, we discussed what to do with the posters who try to stir up trouble and post hate mail, so to speak. We agreed that when these things get started, good and bad things happen. On the business side, more traffic is generated which in turn creates more interest. On the negative side, some of our most valuable posters get sick of the nonsense and refrain from coming back. One thing for sure, we don’t want to generate traffic from negative comments nor do we want to have a website where you have to drink 4 cups of coffee just to stay awake while reading here. So I took it upon myself to open up a very controversial subject…politics! Yikes!!!

After careful thought, I began to compose an article related to the subject but I just couldn’t find a way to deliver it. Then low and behold, the article referring to the oil spill hit. Perfect timing! I plugged in the comment “I’ll bet nobody is saying drill baby drill now”.  After I printed that, I thought to myself: How long will it take for someone to bite? I know, I’m a dog but it was time for me to see how a politically stimulated comment would fly here. Why was I wondering? Because I have had dozens of emails, comments, etc. delivered to me where hunters say, “Hey I voted this way but I will get murdered if I say that publically”. Now that’s a shame. I’ve seen some pretty nasty forums where people do every thing but threaten to kill you when speaking of politics. Was I trying to stir up trouble here on PSO by making those provocative arguments? Not at all! I just felt a sense of change among the outdoorsmen/women and wondered how it would weather here on this site. I played devil’s advocate several times in the comment section, enough to stir up anyone’s blood and I have to say, it was the most controlled, educated arguments I think I’ve ever heard…EVER on a internet based media source! What does that say for us? It says that we, as hunters have evolved, at least to a civil point, to respect other’s views and ideas. It also says that most of us are willing to listen and to comment freely without feeling stifled by bitter remarks in return. After typing more provocative remarks, I have to admit, it actually got ME thinking more about the subject. Believe it or not, big corporations PAY individuals to do this! These are “Think Tank Groups”. Through discussion, advocacy and contemplating the individual thoughts, a summary of ideas are captured and put in place.

So, PSO made history right here in Illinois. Congratulations to all who participated and felt comfortable enough to express your true feelings. This could have been a tough one for us all but instead it actually made us stronger. One thing for sure, I have more respect for the people I’ve met here than I have on any other website. Hopefully, we can repeat history again in the future!