Results by search “Wild Sheep Foundation” 874
Air Rifles Continue Hunting’s Quiet Revolution
I’ll never forget my first morning deer hunting on public land near my childhood home in southern Wisconsin, a state with more than 600,000 deer hunters. For nine days a year, the state could field the world’s seventh largest army. Since hunters are required to wear blaze orange during the gun deer season, come November the Wisconsin woods and fields take on the look of a never-ending pumpkin patch—a loud one at that.
As I sat in a makeshift stand consisting of a board wedged between two branches about 15 feet off the ground, dawn brought a nearly steady barrage of rifle reports on the order of an Antietam reenactment. Until that time, I had no idea whitetail deer could run that fast. A blast from a .30-30, .270, or .30-06 (all common calibers used for deer hunting) will carry for miles, like gunpowder-induced thunder. The notion of a quiet morning communing with nature in the deer woods was, instead, something more akin to a day at the
Wines to Pair with Fowl
Turkey, goose, pheasant? A free-range chicken, or even a capon? The time of the season seems to indicate fowl. We kind of like the idea, since it is out of the ordinary to roast a big bird for a festive feast, the kind of bird that can feed a dozen. With that comes wine challenges, though to say “challenge” is stretching the truth. That truth is almost any wine can match nicely with a big bird roast, plenty of vegetables, maybe a grilled romaine salad with parmesan and homemade croutons. Some choices: Evolve Cellars pinot blanc ($15), almost Alsatian in style with its crispness, but it is distinctively Okanagan as well, with its viscosity and herbal notes, surrounded by delightful stone fruit elements. A sensationally good sparkling wine, the Cipes Blanc de Franc ($45) from Summerhill Pyramid Winery, is a sparkling cabernet franc, which will turn heads, and have people coming back for more, so you may need to have two bottles. It is a delightful, fruit-driven wi
ELK RETURN TO NORTH CAROLINA
It took about 20 years, but elk have returned to the Cataloochee Valley in North Carolina. Once native to the Tar Heel State, eastern elk vanished in the 1800s due to human encroachment on key habitat. However, now, while exact numbers are still to be determined, elk are back in the Great Smoky Mountains in Southern Appalachian, the Citizen Times reports.
Wildlife biologist Joseph Yarkovich has been involved with the project since its beginnings and hopes to one day “have one large, contiguous population throughout the East Coast again,” but adds, “that’s still way, way down the road.”
For now, those involved with the elk recovery project are hoping to obtain an accurate population count.
“What we’ve been doing up until now is conducting a minimum count,” said Yarkovich. “The park in collaboration with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the North Carolina Wildlife Commission will coordinate for three days in a row to count as many elk as we can s
Russian hunter and a red deer. Hand-to-hand combat…
Many so-called animal defenders, after watching this video, would start to panic. "A bloodthirsty hunter mocks and torments a kind deer."
But only hunters and real experts in the field of fauna will be able to really understand what is happening on the video: None of the 3 hunters present are trying to shoot the deer. One hunter is trying to defend himself, and the hunter in white wants to scare the deer. The third one films the fight between a deer and a hunter on video and is very amused by what is happening.
It is obvious that the deer is in the rut, it has a mating season. At this time, they are very aggressive and, under the influence of hormones, attack everything they see. And the hunters, apparently, do not have the appropriate license to kill deer, and they do not want to break the law, they are just trying to protect themselves.
During the rut period, which is the mating season for deer, male deer (bucks) can become high
Moose Hunt in Icy Bay
DIY Moose Hunt in Icy Bay
For the last three minutes, “Young Guns” has been on a beeline to my cow call. My loud calls, bolstered by the use of Wayne Kubat’s “Bull Magnet,” which is essentially a fiberglass megaphone that allows me to amplify both cow calls and bull grunts, has drawn in this big bull from far away. At first, far in the distance, I could hear the faint vocalizations of a bull drawn to a cow. The rhythmic “Ooh-Waa” sounds are repeated by the bull every few seconds. Finally, at about 400 yards across the swamp, I get a visual on the bull as he milled around.
At first it appears that the bull is going to head off in another direction, but my persistent calling has him coming on a string. The topography of the location makes it so I won’t be able to get a shot until he comes clear of the brush that separates us, which will put him broadside at 20 yards. I experience a full adrenaline rush after so much communication with this bull, and have enough tim
Picking the Best Rifle and Caliber for Pig Hunting
Do you need a magnum setup or a fast-shooting semi-auto? Probably, your deer rifle will work just fine
Pig Reality
There’s a reason gun nuts love pig hunting. In southern states like Texas and Florida, hogs aren’t subject to many game laws, which means you can hunt them with about whatever you please. If you have a magnum rifle that never sees the light of day because, after buying it, you realized cracked clavicles are no fun at all, you can use it on pigs. In fact, some of the advice out there suggests that you need a really big gun for hog hunting, because you never know when a true Hogzilla might make an appearance.
On the other hand, plenty of would-be hog hunters show up with high-capacity semi-autos and visions of a mag dump against a marauding horde of pork. Those rifles are fun to shoot and plenty accurate enough, but unless you’re shooting from a helicopter, they rarely give you much of an advantage while pig hunting.
Tru
DON’T ABANDON OTHER FOODS
There’s no question deer migrate to oaks when acorns start falling, but even when a majority of their diet consists of acorns, they eat other food.
"I have a couple of food plots adjacent to some mature white oaks,” Giles said. “I see deer feeding in the plots all the time, even when there is a good acorn crop. They don’t spend nearly as much time in the food plots when there are lots of acorns, but they will certainly stop for a few bites of clover or oats on their way to or from acorns.”
The edges of bean fields also are worth hunting, but find an oak dropping acorns on the edge of that bean field and you’ve found a potential hotspot. Isolated fruit trees, native and planted, draw deer throughout the early autumn, too. Sandiford likes to find fruit-bearing persimmon trees near oaks.
“If you can get a combination of foods in a small area, you’ve got a real good place to hang a stand,” he said.
Hunting during an epic acorn crop can drive you nuts, but the
Deep Water Haunts
Bass fishing this time of year often corresponds with deep water. In much of the country, bass move offshore and school up to chase open-water baitfish. Offshore structure and cover like river ledges, deep weed beds, rock piles, wing-dams, and deep boat docks can all be dissected with a drop-shot. It particularly excels as a clean-up hitter. Once you catch a few fish from an offshore hot-spot using traditional cranking and worm techniques, pitch a drop-shot in and see what bites. It will often surprise you.
The key to this style of fishing is to get the boat near, or over your target. From there, let the bait down until it makes contact with the bottom, and begin a series of light shakes of the worm. You want the bait to move, but not the sinker. This sounds touchy, but it’s easy to get the hang of it. Most experienced drop-shot fishermen call this “shaking slack.” After a little practice, you’ll get the feel of allowing your bait to flutter and sink on a slack line,
12 Reasons Why Your Venison Tastes Like Hell
Is your deer meat tough, dry, and gamy? It shouldn’t be. Check out this list of 12 deer-butchering sins to find out why your venison tastes bad — and how to make it better
I’m often amazed at the people, deer hunters included, who tell me they just don’t like venison. That statement is usually followed by a qualifier: it’s tough; it’s gamy; it’s dry. And so on.
I’ve eaten a lot of good deer meat. But I’ve eaten some really bad deer meat, too. I’m only a self-trained butcher, but I’ve been processing five to six deer a season for the better part of 20 years. When it comes to cooking, I’m no Scott Leysath or Michael Pendley, either, but my wife, kid, and I do eat venison in some form two or three meals per week, year-round. I think we eat pretty good.
Some things consistently make venison really tasty. And some things will ruin the flavor, too. Here are a dozen of the worst offenders.
1. Poor Field Care
In the real world of hunting, things
DIY Moose Hunt in Icy Bay
For the last three minutes, “Young Guns” has been on a beeline to my cow call. My loud calls, bolstered by the use of Wayne Kubat’s “Bull Magnet,” which is essentially a fiberglass megaphone that allows me to amplify both cow calls and bull grunts, has drawn in this big bull from far away. At first, far in the distance, I could hear the faint vocalizations of a bull drawn to a cow. The rhythmic “Ooh-Waa” sounds are repeated by the bull every few seconds. Finally, at about 400 yards across the swamp, I get a visual on the bull as he milled around.
At first it appears that the bull is going to head off in another direction, but my persistent calling has him coming on a string. The topography of the location makes it so I won’t be able to get a shot until he comes clear of the brush that separates us, which will put him broadside at 20 yards. I experience a full adrenaline rush after so much communication with this bull, and have enough time to calm down my hear
Best Dog Breeds for Shed Hunters
A pro trainer weighs in on the traits you should look for in an antler-finding dog
At the beginning of every shed hunting season, I always imagine the treasure trove of deer antlers I will find. Then, reality sets in. I end up with a few good antlers, a bunch of dinks, and some weird stuff. This year, I found a ram’s horn. Last year, it was a toilet seat. At the end of it all, I always think about what a good year it would’ve been if I’d just gotten a dang antler dog.
That sparked a conversation with Dog Bone’s Jeremy Moore about the best dog breeds for shed hunters. “I don’t know if there is such a thing,” Moore says. “I think it depends completely on matching you with the right dog. It’s a stylistic and preference thing more than anything.”
So, if you were hoping for a definitive list of the top 10 shed hunting breeds, this isn’t it. The good news is, you have a real chance of getting the dog you already have – or the one you want – to start finding a
Find a Deadhead Buck? Keep it Legal
To you thousands of COVID-19 newbies that have joined our ranks to hunt deer in the fall and shed antlers in the spring, here is something you’ll find interesting. A “deadhead” is the commonly used term for a buck deer carcass that you might stumble across in the woods, with antlers still attached to the skull. Generally, such a buck has been dead for several months or even a year or two, and the carcass has been ravaged by time, weather, and predators. All that might remain are a grisly skull with antlers, a portion of the spine, and maybe some rib bones wrapped tautly with pieces of hide as black as used motor oil.
If the skull has been lying on the ground for more than a few months, you might see teeth marks on the antlers where squirrels and mice have gnawed them. Rodents are attracted to the minerals in antlers, and they also chew them to wear down their ever-growing teeth. The longer a deadhead rots on the ground, the more squirrels will carve
The best ways to keep your pets cool this summer
A lot of us are excited about the warmer temperatures, which means more time outside with our furry friends.
Experts say to keep our pets safe from the heat, walk your dog early in the morning or later in the evening when the temperatures are cooler. Limit their time outside when it’s especially hot out and keep them hydrated.
Never leave your dog inside the car, even if you have a quick trip inside a store. A car can heat up quickly in just a few minutes.
We have shoes to protect our feet but our pets don’t have that option, so don’t walk them on the hot pavement which can badly burn their paws. Instead, walk in grassy areas.
If they are overheated, cool them off underneath their armpits, chest, and ears. If they will drink water, give them lukewarm, not ice-cold water because you don’t want to shock their system and get them to a vet as soon as possible.
If it’s just simply too hot for those walks, there are plenty of ways to giv
Scottish Deerhound Hunting Dog: Traits, Training, and Global Use in the Field
The Scottish Deerhound is a legendary hunting breed revered for its grace, endurance, and noble demeanor. Originally bred in the rugged Highlands of Scotland, this sighthound was designed to pursue and bring down large game—most notably the red deer. Today, while its role has evolved, the Deerhound remains a capable and respected hunting companion in various parts of the world.
🦌 What Game Can the Scottish Deerhound Hunt?
Historically, the Scottish Deerhound was bred to course red deer, a task requiring immense speed, stamina, and precision. Its long legs and deep chest allow for powerful strides and sustained chases over uneven terrain. While modern hunting practices have shifted, Deerhounds still retain their instinctual drive and physical capability to pursue:
• Red deer and fallow deer (traditional quarry in Scotland and parts of Europe)
• Coyotes and wolves (used in North America historically)
• Wil
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