North Dakota Hunting Articles
Setting Goals for Hunters
It's hard to believe that another year has come and gone. 2011 is long gone ...we're well into 2012. And with a new year comes hopes of better days ahead. It is a time when the slate is wiped clean, and we have the opportunity to make the new year better than the last. Many of us began 2012 with resolutions. For some, those included plans to eat healthier, exercise more, and hopefully to weigh less. For others, it may have included a promotion, a career change, or maybe the beginning of a new business venture. Very rarely, though, do you hear any of us diehard hunters talking about our hunting resolutions for the new year.
Winter Scouting
For the deer hunter, winter is a long period of nothing but waiting. The fall hunt is over and there is little activity related to hunting deer, plus it seems like the new season is such a long way off. Around here, winters are tough, so even the fun stuff like getting out and shooting the bow or going to the rifle range is out of reach. There is one thing winter is great for, and it is a way to stay connected to your favorite hobby. Winter is the best time to get out and scout to see what the deer have been doing at your hunting spots.
For the Traveling Sportsman
Every year thousands of hunters across the continent book outfitted hunts. Some are booked in their home state or province; others require considerable travel by air. For those with the means, exotic trips abroad are a unique privilege. But regardless of where a hunter goes, the research, booking and travel aspects are imminent. Simple or complex, logistics are a part of the game. I've seen it more than once with first time traveling sportsmen.
Rattling & Calling Whitetail Deer
"Clatter-clack, clatter-clack- clatter" ...as the sound of antler on antler resonated through the woods I sensed something was about to happen! Almost instantly I heard grunting and glimpsed a magnificent buck approaching from my left. Intent on seeing what the commotion was all about, he maintained a brisk pace. At the same time, another, slightly smaller buck could be seen ghosting in from my right. The situation couldn't have been more perfect.
Pronghorn: The Perfect Beginners' Big Game Animal
Imagine you were given the assignment of designing a perfect big game hunt for novice hunters. Your objective would be to make the hunt fun and exciting so the new hunter would come away with a lifelong love of hunting and the outdoors. It would be great if the hunt had some exotic appeal, something a little out of the ordinary so the new hunter wants to keep coming back for more. A high probability of success would be essential. No matter their age, beginning hunters don't want to wait several years to harvest an animal.
The Truth About Prairie Whitetail
Dakota whitetail. Just the name inspires images of big boned, heavy racked deer standing alert at the edge of a cottonwood bluff while the last vestiges of yet another spectacular prairie sunset fade overhead. But is there really such a creature or is this simply a fabrication of our imagination bordering on elitism. After all, big-bodied whitetails have been taken throughout North America.
Tips for Better Coyote Hunting
It's the rush of a lifetime! I'm talking about calling in coyotes. If you've ever had a wild dog come blistering in to your set up, then you know what I mean! While many hunters shoot coyotes as incidental species during big game or even bird game hunts, there are those among us who thrive on targeting predators exclusively. For coyote hunting fanatics, predator seasons are all about the rush; more specifically duping a wily coyote, prompting them to race in to inspect the prospect of an easy meal or perhaps a potential breeding partner.
Deer Hunting and Weather
Every time we step off the asphalt into the country's wilderness, we carry with us a considerable store of outdoor lore, some of it based on personal hunting experience, some on information gleaned from our peers and our mentors and some on what we have read and heard in magazines and on programs. Our moment-to-moment decisions, regardless of how big or small, are based on this accumulated storehouse of both conscious and subconscious knowledge.
Rattling 101
Rattling is one of those techniques that you either have complete confidence in or completely lack confidence in. It's true that there are few hunters these days who steadfastly maintain that rattling is little more than a gimmick and that the technique only works in Texas where the countryside is supposedly crawling with whitetails. They're convinced that no self-respecting northern whitetail would ever fall for the trick and that the fad will eventually blow over.
Planning Your First Western Hunt
The rangefinder read 202 yards. That was far longer than any shot this Kentucky boy had ever taken at an animal, but it was a shot that I had practiced routinely in the weeks leading up to this hunt. I slowly slipped into a sitting position and rested my Sako .308 across the shooting sticks. As I steadied the crosshairs of the Simmons scope just behind the front shoulder, I took a deep breath to settle my nerves. With the bark of the Sako, I watched as my first Wyoming antelope fell in his tracks.
The Bear Facts - 25 Things Every Black Bear Hunter Should Know
Despite divided opinion about the political correctness of bear hunting, it is something every hunter should try at least once. But a word of caution, if you want to make the most of your outings, there are a few key things you should know. The more knowledgeable you are, the better your chances of tagging a trophy.
Could You Survive Alone?
The man was in deep pain and knew his right leg was broken. While the bone had not pierced the skin, the foot was bent at an unnatural angle. He removed his sheath knife and cut his pants up past his knee, because he knew the leg would start to swell soon. He leaned back on the dark green moss and thought of how dumb he had been that day.
Passing it on: Youth and Beginner Hunts
Bringing a newcomer or youth on to the big game hunting scene is different than doing it alone or with your fellow long time hunting partners. Instead of just getting an animal or trophy being the goal, you are passing on important skills and a heritage. Whether your newcomer is young or old, you are also developing a relationship.
A Guide to Butchering Deer
Many deer hunters cringe at the thought of having to butcher and prepare a deer for the freezer. While I am far from an expert at the task, I do know the basics of getting my animal from the field to the freezer. It is not that difficult of a task, as long as you take it slowly and know how all of the bones fit together.
Field Dressing a Deer
The wind was light, but the air was cold as I walked from my tree stand to where I had hit the big buck with an arrow. I saw the arrow go through the animal’s body and knew it was a good solid hit the minute I released. Most bow hunters have the feel of a good shot or of a bad one, you just know if the arrow was released properly and you know if your form was good as well. In this case, I knew I would soon have meat on the table.
Tools of the Trade
While working in what my wife calls the "sporting goods department", but I call a garage, I received a phone call the other day. "He’s out playing with his toys, hang on" I over heard her say, as a bodiless hand thrust the phone at me through the cracked door. Muffling the receiver I yelled in pointless defense, "This is gear. Toys are for children."
Beginner's Guide to Big Game Handgun Hunting
If you desire to hunt with a handgun, without doubt, you need to do your homework. Many hunters who carry a rifle are not comfortable shooting with a handgun. Indeed, there are many reasons why one should hunt with a rifle but once mastered, a change of venue may be just what you are looking for. That's not to say hunting with a rifle is a cakewalk, it can be very challenging and in the favor of the game sought. When you pick up a handgun and decide to hunt big game, the bar is placed even higher.
The Rut Trap
Whitetails have extraordinary eyesight. Their ability to hear the subtle snap of a twig is uncanny, and their sense of smell is remarkably acute. Simply put, whitetailed deer are the perfect forest dweller. Throughout most of the year, their ability to elude danger is impeccable. With this reputation, they are the perfect big game species.
What Trophy Should Really Mean
When we hunt we must work hard, we obey the law, we are ethical, and we are reverent. Every animal taken - young or old, buck or doe - is a "trophy". They are gifts of the land.
An Introduction to Trail Cameras
You've seen his tracks and they're huge! Nearby scrapes and rubs suggest he could be a monster buck. Now it's decision time. Which stand do you sit? If only you could lay eyes on him, or better yet, figure out when he uses that particular trail . . . you'd have it made!