Sighting In

I was helping out at the Lincoln Ike’s Hunter Sight In day today and am amazed at how many people only shoot their deer rifles once a year and then are frustrated when they can’t make the shot.  Sighting in is important (even if the gun shot well last year) but so is shooting throughout the year to keep your edge. 

If you have not sighted in your rifle for the November 13 opener its not too late.  You owe it to the deer and the time you have invested in the hunt.  Here are a few tips:

1. Sight in from a bench for the most steady hold possible.  You want to see what the gun will do not how skilled you are.

2. Use sandbags or a good rifle/handgun rest.

3. A quick method for sighting in is to fire one round at the target center at 100 yards.  Now see where the bullet actually hit.  While holding the crosshairs on the bullseye, move use the scope turrets to move the crosshairs now over to the bullet hole.  Now fire another round at the bullseye.  You should be on!

4. Now fire a three shot group (always three shots…then make adjustments). 

5. After a three shot group, clean the bore prior to the next group.

6. When making scope adjustments, remember most scopes move the point of aim 1/4″ per click at 100 yards.

7. Once sighted in, take a few shots using the type of rest you will use in the field.  Your groups will open a bit but that is okay.  As long as you can keep all shots fired into a 9″ pie plate you are good to go.  If everything is working, you should expect groups no larger than 3″ from the bench at 100 yards.  Don’t forget the eye and ear protection!

You will be amazed at how good it feels to head to the deer woods with the confidence of a well sighted in rifle that you know how to shoot well!  That is a skill to be proud of!

Get Em’ Out There

Rawly

Experts work with hunters to prep them for deer season at the Lincoln Ikes

Sighting in requires a good rest and sometimes a bit of coaching

2010
11/07
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Deer Hunting
Hunt Preparations
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Pheasant Opener

By all accounts I think most hunters were pleasantly surprised at the number of birds they saw in the field this weekend.  Having crops out of the field helped a lot in many areas with the corn harvest around 75-80% and beans over 95%.  Hunter numbers were down across the state but harvests were good.  Best numbers for pheasants were in the southwest.

Bird numbers in the southeast reflected the effects of a harsh winter and hunter pressure on private land was low.   There are a lot more birds out there for the hunting and a whole season ahead of us!  My advice…try some of the excellent CRP-Hunter Access lands that allow public access to private lands.  Many of these have good bird numbers and are worth the walk.  You can pick up a Map Atlas booklet that shows locations by county at any NGPC office or permit vendor or online at www.outdoornebraska.org

Be safe! 

Know your target and what lies beyond

Wear blaze orange

Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot

Muzzle control – point that thing in a safe direction…always

Know where members of your hunting party are at all times

Get Em’ Out There

Rawly

Two happy hunters on opening morning!

CRP-MAP lands rock!

2010
11/06
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Grouse Nirvana

After  a long week hosting the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Conservation Ed Training Academy I took the weekend to head out west with my father-in-law to chase grouse.  We had a blast!  I think grouse hunting is just plain awesome and truly enjoy chasing these psychotic sandhill chickens.  You will walk a ton (like I need that kind of impact to my cholesterol level) but in some of the best scenery in the state.  Grouse can pop up at any time and give you little warning but when their numbers are large it is a blast (yes pun intended). 

Grouse can be a challenge for some and generally we have luck when the weather gets a bit cold and they tend to huddle up on the protected side of hills from the wind.  On warmer days, the shady side of hills is best.  They are not like pheasant and do not care for thick cover grass but rather favor more choppy sand hills with mixed grasses that have been thinned a bit by grazing.  Give it a trip or two and you’ll get the hang of it. 

We also enjoyed a bit of waterfowl in the sandhill potholes and of course had no intention of going through an entire pheasant opener without chasing them too!  Life is good!

Get Em’ Out There

Rawly

Last night of camp with a tired old dog (the lab was tired too)!

Did I mention I like a BIG fire?

Finally a critter he was familiar with

Every morning was a gift!

Not a lot of trees in them there hills...

2010
11/04
CATEGORY
Camping
Family Outdoors
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Prairie Chickens
Prairie Grouse
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Doe Down

This would have to be the shortest hunt I have ever made.  I asked Hershy if he would fly solo on the Nebraska Outdoors Radio show so I could spend an evening in the deer woods.   As it turned out, I left the office later than planned (what else is new) and found myself walking to my stand around 5pm.  Once I arrived to the my ash tree throne, I noticed I had left my safety line in the truck.  Walked back, found the line and back to the tree.  Once safely fastened to that herbaceous beauty I call a tree stand, I brought up my bow and knocked an arrow.  As I was knocking the arrow I noticed a big doe entering the woods to my left.  As luck would have it she chose a trail that would place her 20 yards in front of me but she would not stop walking.  With heart pounding and eyes wide open, I gave out my best baahh.  She stopped dead in her tracks and I let the Montec loose.  A beautiful double lung shot!  She ran under 20 yards and started for the ground.  I truly appreciate not having to blood trail any critter.  I canceled my tag and left the stand with a huge smile on my face.  I think my hunt took a total of 15 minutes but what a time!  We are now enjoying the first batch of black pepper and sweet bourbon jerky from that deer and what a treat! 

Tele-check – I absolutely love this system.  So easy to check in deer now and allow time for taking care of the meat.  Good move!

I keyed in on this stand as it sits in timber at the edge of a crick bed adjacent to a CRP field that is excellent bedding as well as harvested corn and bean fields.  I will be back in this one soon!

Get Em’ Out There

Rawly

Sometimes things just work out!

2010
10/24
CATEGORY
Archery
Bow Hunting
Bowhunting - Field Report
Deer Hunting
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Blog Upgrade and Migration

The Nebraska  Game and Parks blogs will be migrating to a new and improved platform. We know our subscribers will enjoy the new look and enhanced functionality. All of our blogs will be moved into one great online news magazine called NEBRASKAlandmagazine.com. In order to make this transition, we need to delay our posts and your comments for a few days. We will not be posting articles or able to post your comments between Oct. 13-20. You can still access all of our blogs from their respective blog names or you can simply bookmark NEBRASKAlandmagazine.com and find them there. We value your blog comments and appreciate your holding  any comments until our new site is live. Thanks for your patience. We’ll be back in touch in about a week.

 

See you out there….

 

2010
10/12
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Pre-hunt Prep – FIELD REPORT/ARCHERY DEER: From Sam

(…we wanted to see what our archers do “behind-the-scenes” to help prepare themselves for the hunt – successful deer hunting goes well beyond just going to the woods, especially for the bow hunter…so we asked Sam what he does to get himself ready – here is his reply…hershy)

I spend a lot of time preparing for a hunt. Most of the things I do for pre-hunt preparations focus around scent control. I wash my clothes in scent shield’s scentless laundry detergent. When they go in the dryer, I also put in an earth-scented dryer sheet. After everything is clean, I put all of my clothes in a scent controlled bin with scent killer and activated carbon. When we get to our hunting spot, I spray them down with earth scented scent-killer. But even more important than masking your scent, is playing by the wind. Playing the wind means simply being up wind of where the shot should happen. We set our tree stands up so that we have an opportunity to hunt up wind from the deer trails & crossings.

During the Rut, we use doe urine as an attractant for the bucks. We spray the scent on cotton balls that are placed on the trails. Hopefully the bucks smell it and come in looking for a doe in heat and give us the opportunity to get a good shot. Keep in mind, like anything else, they don’t ALWAYS work. But sometimes, they work like magic.

Another tactic that will also increase your chance of success is being as quiet as possible going to the stand and moving as little as possible so that you don’t spook the deer if they sneak up on you. I have had countless deer see me before I see them. Most people think that deer can’t see all that well, but they can see movement very well. Just simply moving your head can spook a deer from farther than 30 yards!

Also, I spend countless hours in the back yard or at local ranges practicing with different scenarios so that I am ready for any shot opportunity. No matter how much preparation you go through for a hunt, you aren’t ready to take a shot if you haven’t practiced and tuned your bow. Make sure your broad heads are sharp and screwed in to your arrows well. We add silencers to our bows to make them less noticeable to the deer’s ears.

Sam

2010
10/12
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Archery
Bow Hunting
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Nebraska Outdoors Radio Show

We have another great show lined up for you this Thursday evening from 6-7pm on 1240 AM KFOR Lincoln.   Our guest will be Dr. Dick Winter, a sporting dog enthusiast and trainer who will cover some of the finer points in preparing your dog for the upcoming season, training, etc.  We have had fun with him before so don’t miss it!

Get Em’ Out There

Rawly

2010
10/12
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Do Deer Really Study The Moon?

Much has been said about deer movement in regards to the various phases of the moon and I will offer my limited observations on this.  Now some may say….”Jeff…how can you comment on the moon having never been to the moon before?”  These observations come from the physical phenomena of being able to look UP.  Looking up, I have been able to notice when the moon is fully visible and what my hunting conditions have been like the next day or so.  Very scientific. 

Some researchers, such as Charles Alzheimer, have powerful data suggesting the full moon triggers rutting activity in deer.  From his research, some have concluded that the first full moon after the autumn equinox, the hunters moon (Oct. 23, 2010), triggers rutting activity, while the second full moon after the autumn equinox hovers around the time rutting activity peaks (Nov. 21 for 2010).  We have long known that day length is a primary trigger for changes in testosterone in deer, stimulating rutting behavior.  What we are not as clear on is how the moon may impact these changes.  One could argue it makes sense because wildlife tune into such constants that are consistent for thousands of years.  Maybe there is something to these sci-fi theories? 

Before you completely discount moon phases on animal behavior, keep in mind many law enforcement and medical facilities have documented strange behavioral abnormalities during nights with full moons.  Are we influenced by the moon?  The maternity ward at some hospitals would suggest so!

My own experience has told me that on full moon nights, morning deer movement will be subdued but mid day activity will be higher.   This may be because deer take advantage of moon lit nights and feed longer, therefor are not as active in the 6am – 10am range?  It would make sense that deer who have not been active since say…4am would need to get up and move around by noon or so the next day.    Regardless, I subscribe to the theory of hunting when you can, regardless of what the lunar tables and telescopes suggest.  One constant is for sure…you can’t shoot a deer if your not out there!”  I wonder what impact Saturn has on deer?

Get Em’ Out There

Rawly

Phases of the moon - can they predict deer behavior?

Must be a full moon fight?

2010
10/12
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You Might Be a Deer Hunter….

Are you the real deal or just some TV watching couch potato deer hunting wanna-be who thinks camo is trendy? 

You know your a deer hunter if…

If you ever paid more for a rifle scope than you spouse’s wedding ring.

If you’re kneeling beside a 10 point buck…in your drivers license photo.

If your job has nothing to do with hunting but you have a picture of a deer on your business card.

If your personal license plate is BUCKGUY, DEERMAN, 10 POINT or some configuration.

If you own at least one pair of blaze orange boxers.

If you have no idea where the meat dept. of your local super market it.

If you think Fred Bear’s likeness should be carved into Mount Rushmore.

If you send your aunt Millie (who is the local president of the PETA chapter) a package of deer liver each Christmas…by third class mail.

If you wear blaze orange or camo to the office on casual Fridays.

If you leap to your feet when Bambi’s mom gets shot and yell “she had it coming!”

If your video library consists of Monster Bucks volumes I-V.

If your kids says Santa’s reindeer on up on the roof and you grab your gun or bow.

If your bumper sticker says “my kid shot a buck while your honor student was in school.”

If you think 4:30 a.m is a perfect time to get up.

If you take all your vacation and sick days during deer season.

If you send Christmas cards with pictures of deer on them to all your non-hunting friends (if you have any).

If you own eight coffee cups, six sets of cocktail glasses, a ball point pen, a pocket knife, thermometer, clock, 10 t-shirts, four pair of under shorts, 25 baseball caps, four belt buckles, a deck of playing cards, a waste basket and mouse pad all with pictures of deer on them.

Last but not least…If you name your first born “buck” even if it was a girl.

By Bruce Cochran

So the next time your confronted by that deer hunting braggart who likes to let the world know how serious he/she is about deer hunting….ask him/her if they have ever missed opening day of deer season.  When they smile with a sneer and say “well I missed the first four hours of opening day about 20 years ago due to open heart surgery”….laugh in his face as he is an imposter, a phony, a latte-sipping, volvo driving, FM radio-listening, quiche-eating civilian.  definitely not a real deer hunter like you and me.

So the next time  your confronted by that deer

2010
10/12
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Nebraska Pheasant Outlook

I have heard a lot of discussion lately on the outlook for pheasants in Nebraska this year.  Much of the state will be similar to last year with the hot spot likely in southwest Nebraska.  Several things are impacting our numbers right now.  First, the winter we survived was an unusually tough one with cold temps and prolonged deep snow.  That was hard for most wildlife to survive and undoubtedly had an impact on pheasants.  They can scratch through some snow but not several feet!  Second, we had a really cool and wet spring/early summer which likely did not help pheasant recruitment this year.  Such weather impacts insect populations and is not ideal for young chicks.

My suggestion is to understand these impacts and enjoy the season.  In areas of quality habitat, you will find birds and your dog will be thrilled.  In areas of poor habitat,  hunting may be more difficult.  The key in all this is having quality habitat for pheasants to survive weather outbreaks such as our last winter and spring.  The Commission and Pheasants Forever have been working with landowners for several years now to enhance pheasant habitat and the benefits of such efforts are starting to pay off.   More and more landowners are changing practices to benefit pheasants and we hope such efforts will continue. 

Don’t get discourage as the birds are out there.  Find good habitat and you will find roosters.  Enjoy each outing with friends and dogs and appreciate the birds that they bring to you.

Get Em’ Out There

Rawly

What its all about!

2010
10/12
CATEGORY
Family Outdoors
hunting
Hunting Forecast
Pheasant Hunting
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