Caught my limit of Trout for the day

Well, yesterday true to my word I went Trout fishing right after I got Tyler on the bus. It was a beautiful morning with clear skies and plenty of sunshine with a morning nip in the air. First let me say it has actually been a few years since I went trout fishing. Don't ask me why but, I just always had other stuff to do. Now that I am seeing things differently I don't want to miss a thing.

After grabbing my fishing pole and my modest tackle box I left home and stopped down around the corner to see my buddy Ralph who just happens to own a bait and tackle shop. I got a dozen night crawlers, a container of meal worms and a new spinner to replace the one I lost awhile back. Even though I asked how much Ralph would not let me pay so to Ralph I say again Thank You.

I headed to my first spot which usually does well but, after an hour with not even a nibble I decided to head out and go down stream a couple of miles.

This is called the Mt. Hope River which goes all the way through the town of Ashford and Mansfield and ends up feeding the Mansfield Resevoir.

There is a lot of good places to fish with easy access. This is one of my favorite places.







This river is stocked by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection 2 to 3 times a year.

I have always had good luck fishing this spot but, I am very happy to say that yesterday was the first time ever that I actually caught my limit of 5.






These are all Brown Trout.













This is obviously me. You can't tell but I am smiling. Never have I ever caught my limit before so this is a day to remember, at least for me it is.

My next thing to accomplish is to take my son Tyler fishing for the first time. I am hoping to do that this coming weekend depending on the weather of course.

These 5 brown trout are going on the BBQ grill this weekend. I first official cookout of the year, rain or shine.

I will be adding the recipe I think for Savory Sunday so don't forget to check back.

A special note to The Hunter's Wife - Don't feel so bad, that new spinner by buddy gave me is in the tree over hanging the river so you are not the only one. At least I caught a fish on it first. LOL.

Try my Luck at a bit of Trout Fishing

Starting today we are suppose to get out of this pre-summer heat wave were in. I don't mind some heat but, I don't do well in a lot of heat like I used to. They are calling for mid to upper 60's for at least the next week with a few showers mixed in. That is certainly better than the 90 degree heat we had yesterday.

I think in between the showers if time permits I am going to do a little trout fishing. I have to be honest I haven't fished in quite some time. I will have to blow the dust off my fishing pole and check the tackle box to see if anything is growing in it,hahaha.

I do remember that sitting on a stream or river bank fishing for trout can be very relaxing except for the skeeters. That will give me another way to check out that "Thermacell" I bought for turkey season.

I'm no master angler by any means but the biggest trout i ever caught was a 2lb. 16" Brown with the most beautiful orange spots the a big curved bottom jaw. I had him mounted.

I figure if I can get out a couple times to shake off the cob webs than maybe when I take Tyler out I won't look like a total idiot, like I said it's been awhile.

The plan is to get a couple to put on the grill this weekend. Trout on a BBQ grill over coals is mighty tasty. I think that could lead to "Savory Sunday's" post for this week, what do you all think.

April 18th was the opener for fishing here in Connecticut. I don't usually go out in the beginning because I don't like to have to shuffle for a place to fish. Usually after the first couple of weeks the majority of the people fishing have had enough so it opens up a lot of good spots. I always did better when the temps were cooler so the next couple of days look promising if I can break away for a couple of hours.

Tuesday's Tip's & Technique's - #35

Protecting your firearms from Humidity:

With the warmer weather days lurking around the corner for a lot of us I felt it was a good time to mention about Humidity. Humidity can be very bad for quite a few things especially our prized and expensive firearms.

I recently had hand built a hidden gun cabinet which being hidden does not have as much ventilation as the average gun cabinet in an average home. So I went a purchased what i think will at least help protect my guns from rust which is caused by humidity.

Model 365 Mini-Dehumidifier

• Compact unit attracts and holds moisture through water
crystal technology to protect gun safes and cabinets
• Protects 30-60 days before recharging is necessary
• Self-contained unit requires no wiring or extension cords
• Indicator window lets consumer know when to recharge
• Recharges easily in only a few hours
• Releases moisture trapped in water crystals

This particular model is so easy to use that it only makes sense to have one. I purchased mine right at Cabela's for the low price of $24.99. Cabela's review system gives a great score of 4.4 out of 5 which is impressive in itself. If the crystals are blue it is active and if the crystals are pink it needs to be recharged which is as easy as plugging into a standard 110 outlet for about 24 hours.

I am very please with mine and I know you will be to.

One Week to go before the Turkey Opener

Well, there is only 8 days left until the Connecticut turkey season opener. This is only my second season hunting the birds but, I am looking forward to it like I do when I am getting ready for deer season.

I know I have been going over a few new items I bought for this season but with only a week left I might as well check everything closer than before. I can honestly say I still need to figure out exactly how a couple of things are going to work, up until now I just figured they would work not that they will work.

The post from this past Saturday really got me wound up after seeing all those tom's and getting as close as I did. I plan this season to be good for me wether I tag a bird or not. I am really looking forward to spending a few morning in the woods.

I plan to bring my camcorder with me so hopefully I can record some wildlife. If I am able to accomplish that than the only other thing I would have to do is figure out on to get it on my blog. Without getting the cart before the horse let's get something on film first.

Savory Sunday's - #11

Being that turkey season is either already here for some of us or shortly will be here I thought I would stick with a few turkey recipes like this one.

Ground Turkey Breast Casserole

Ground Turkey Breast Casserole ingredients list:

1 lb of ground turkey breast, cooked.
12 cups of frozen mixed vegetables, thawed.
2 cups of mashed potatoes.
1 can (10 ¾ ounces) of cream of mushroom soup.
1 cup of grated cheddar cheese.
½ cup of onions, chopped.
½ cup of bell peppers, chopped.
¼ cup of water.
1 teaspoon of salt.
½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.

Instructions for Ground Turkey Breast Casserole:

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Prepare a two-quart casserole dish with cooking spray; set aside.

In a suitably sized skillet, cook the ground turkey breast, onions, and bell peppers until no pink remains in turkey and vegetables are tender.

Stir in mixed vegetables, soup, water, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour into prepared pan. Spoon mashed potatoes in mounds around edge of casserole.

Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until heated through.

Top with cheddar cheese and bake for another 5 minutes.

Entertaining morning to say the Least

Today Heidi and I decided to divide and conquer so to speak. She took Tyler and headed one way to Manchester Mall to pick up a few things and I headed in the opposite direction to Sears to get a new walk behind lawn mower. They had a decent one on sale and quite frankly we needed one not that we have a lot of grass but we do have grass.

I of course borrowed Heidi's nice digital camera (I borrow every chance I get) just in case I see something. Well, this morning happen to be a entertaining one. I started down on of my scenic routes and wouldn't you know it there was turkeys. The funny thing was there were 4 toms and only 1 hen that I could see, So what I did was pull off into an entrance road to the field and watched.

This was the first picture. At this time I didn't know how many hens there were but, you can definately tell how many toms though.

I am guessing they were about 100 yards away at this point.








By now they had moved out of the field and I could clearly tell there was only one hen which was out of the picture but close by.

At this point all the tomes were within shotgun range.

35 yards +/-

Same goes for the next picture as well.


















You didn't think you were going to get away with out seeing at least one deer picture did ya.

I caught this one browsing it's way across a small pasture just a few miles down the same road.

What a ride this morning, it made my day to see what I saw and be able to take a few pictures.

I hope you all like them.

Lightning Strike kills Nine Deer

I was checking Mike Hanback's site after reading something he left on Twitter about deer being hit by lightning. It is sad to see a deer after being hit by a vehicle but after seeing nine after a lightning strike, it just makes you think of Mother Nature a bit more.

Journal Star photo:
Frances Holmes, 8, center, and brother Jimmy, 10, gaze at dead deer in a crop field northwest of Peoria on Tuesday. Nine deer apparently were killed early Sunday by a single bolt of lightning, a happenstance that animal experts describe as rare.

BY PHIL LUCIANO

Peoria Journal Star

Killing time before church Sunday morning, Frances and Jimmy Holmes walked outside their rural Peoria home and spotted white tufts sprouting from a nearby field.

“We thought they were birds,” said Frances, 8.

But as she and her 10-year-old brother walked out to investigate, they discovered a gruesome sight: eight dead deer, apparently felled all at once - probably by lightning. Later, not far off, they found another lifeless deer.

The siblings looked over the rotting corpses under Tuesday morning’s dreary sky. Wet, cold rain pelted the animals, stretched out in hues of brown, gray and white in the middle of a crop field.

Frances said softly, “It’s just sad, nine deer lost.”

It’s also very unusual, according to animal experts.

“Every year, you hear about a farmer losing a cow to lightning,” says Lauren Malmberg, director of the Peoria Animal Welfare Society. “And it happens sometimes to one deer. But I’ve never heard of more than one.”

In the wee hours of Sunday, rain fell on and around Mount Carmel Way, a thin ribbon of pavement that stretches off Southport Road, northwest of Peoria city limits. Mount Carmel Way pushes past a handful of dwellings before ending at a bean and corn field owned by Steve and Kate Smart.

Read the complete story on Prairie State Outdoors:

A Renewed Admiration for the Outdoors

Heading to sears the other day to pick up a new belt for the vacuum cleaner I decided to take this other route. I found it to be more scenic and a quieter less traveled ride. It winds through some real old farm land out in the country. I started taking this route when I needed to go to Home Depot or Walmart or Sears.

It was a beautiful morning with the sun shining and a cool crispness to the spring time air. I had just turned onto Tower Hill rd. in the town of Mansfield when Heidi and I saw a small group of turkey's in this field to our right.

There was one tom that kept strutting around with his fan out which was real nice to see.

More and more since I had decided to expand my outdoor hunting activities to include the Eastern Wild Turkey I have noticed so much more. Before I was so intent on searching for deer that I would overlook a lot of what else was out there.

Whitetail deer are still on the top of my list but I am really liking the added pursuit to my outdoor activities. I wanted to share this because it seems I have a new found love for the outdoors or maybe I should call it a renewed admiration for the outdoors ya, that is it I like that.

I had gotten so accustomed to doing certain things to achieve my goals that until I was kind of oblivious to what else was around me. Then I was made to slow down and from that point on I started to realize that there was so much more that I wanted to not miss anything.

My word of advice would be, "There is nothing so important that we can not just slow down take a deep breath and look around once in awhile". You would be amazed at what your really missing.

Want to Follow me, I'm now on Twitter

I am sure some of you might have seen the Twitter button in my side bar. Yes, it true I have joined the ranks. I figured why not, it might be fun and it might be another way to chat with a lot of you all.

It is nice to see what everyone is up to once in awhile. So please if you care to follow me than feel free to stop and say hello.

http://twitter.com/rickkratzke

Malformations seen in south-end deer

This was an interesting article and to some extent something I didn't know. I had heard about bucks being not sterile and their antlers some how deformed but never really heard about the cause until I came across this article.

By HARRY DODGE
Writer for The Kodiak Daily Mirror

Something odd is happening to Kodiak’s deer population. Jake Jacobson, a registered guide and avid deer hunter, first noticed abnormal bucks on Kodiak’s south end 15 years ago. That abnormality has grown increasingly more common in the years since, Jacobson said.
The bucks in question lack a scrotum or evident testes, have the body conformation of a doe and, in most cases, possess abnormal antlers. Antler abnormalities include non-typical points, retention of velvet, and unusually sharp points. The bases of shed antlers are markedly concave, while in normal antlers they are convex.

Jacobson shot a buck in 1994 that exhibited these abnormalities. The following year he shot three such bucks, and in 1996 he shot six.
During deer season, Jacobson is a transporter for hunters on Kodiak’s south end, and he started examining deer taken by his hunters. In the last six years, 74 percent of the 40 to 50 bucks taken annually exhibited the abnormality. The great majority of the bucks came from the Aliulik Peninsula.

In 1999 Jacobson began to collect tissue samples from affected bucks. He sent samples for analysis, first to the Arctic Institute, then to Guelth University in Ontario.
Colorado State University became involved in the study in 2002. Researchers analyzed tissue and blood samples from abnormal and normal bucks taken by hunters on the Aliulik Peninsula and from other parts of Kodiak.

The abnormality is called cryptorchidism, in which the testes remain in the abdominal cavity rather than descending into the scrotum. Bucks with the condition are sterile and do not go into rut. The incidence of cryptochidism in normal deer populations is typically less than 5 percent.
Of the bucks taken from the Aliulik Peninsula, 72 percent were cryptorchid, while 12 percent of the bucks taken from other parts of the archipelago exhibited the condition. Lesions and testicular carcinoma were also present in many of the testes sampled.

Read the complete story:

Tuesday's Tip's & Technique's - #34

Using paper Targets for Sighting in Scopes:

When I sight in my scopes I like to try and use the most realistic and the most life size targets I can find. It really helps when you are aiming at a target that you are going to encounter in the woods.

Champion Traps & Targets has turned a new page in paper target design with their latest development, the X-Ray line. With its bright, high-definition X-Ray image, this revolutionary sight-in tool provides hunters with a realistic figure to accurately adjust their favorite firearms.

The deer target will be a huge 25” x 25” to provide hunters and shooters with plenty of surface area to sight-in their rifles. The target will also include crosshairs on the heart of the buck that will allow hunters to hone in on the vital zone. This feature also serves as a great educational tool for beginning hunters.





Champion offers an extensive line of paper, metal and clay targets sure to accommodate all types of shooters. Whether you are looking for top-quality, high-performance clay targets or a realistic target to accurately sight-in your firearm, Champion has what you need. Our new X-Ray, InSight, Critter Series and VisiShot™ paper targets shed a whole new light on target shooting. These visually innovative targets make shot recognition a breeze and are especially helpful when teaching new shooters where to place their shot.

Drop Tine Buck caught on Video

Here is something that I found on Youtube that you have just got to see. I sure wouldn't mind getting a glimpse of this buck while out in the field. The video is short but also breath taking at the same time.

Is this the Picture of the Year?

I saw this in Deer and Deer Hunting's Forum "Picture of the Year" and I just had to share it with you all.


It sure does pay to carry a camera and binoculars with you whenever you are out in the woods. According to Deer and Deer Hunting's website the forum member "Coach" just happen to see this while he was out in the woods and was able to snap off a picture.

Whitetail Woods receives Review By Dayne Shuda

Not so long ago I was contacted by Dayne Shuda from "Dayne Shuda.com / Hunting Business Marketing" about possibly featuring one of my posts on his blog. I kindly answered his request with three posts that I thought might be interesting to him. I guess he found one he liked because I just received an email stating that he did a post and had included one of my posts.

10 Examples of Remarkable Hunting Blog Post: Part 4

The post that Dayne feature was one of a interview that a local paper did with me. The title to that post was "My Views on the Proposed Rate Increase in Hunting Fees". Now Dayne had really looked at the posts and had came up with a lot of great comments about it which I am very appreciative of.

Dayne started this series a little while ago about Remarkable Hunting Blog Post and is doing a great job at it. I like how he if you want to call it this, disects your posts and tells you what each section is getting out of it. By doing that I think it is a inspirational as well as helping to expand our thoughts as a blogger.

So I just wanted to thanks Dayne for the piece he did and I am taking a lot of what he said under advisement for future posts.

Savory Sunday's - #10

Turkey and Spinach Wraps

Turkey and Spinach Wraps ingredients list:

1 pkt cream cheese.
8 x flour tortillas.
5 oz spinach leaves trimmed.
1 lb thickly-sliced deli turkey.
1 jar salsa.

Instructions for Turkey and Spinach Wraps:

Spread the cream cheese on the tortillas.

Put some spinach and then turkey on each tortilla.

Drizzle some salsa over the top.

Fold in one end and roll up the tortilla to form a wrap.

Take part in the Great Outdoors game Show

Yesterday I took part in a "Great Outdoors Game Show" from Scott Linden Outdoors radio show. I was originally contacted by them after they were given my name as someone who might be interested in participating. Thanks to Albert at "The Rasch Chronicles" (who gave my name) I said what the heck and a slot was created for me.

It was a lot of fun and the questions were really not that hard. If you are interested I would definately give it a try. I am told that my slot will air in about seven weeks. When I am notified of the airing time I will try to let you know.

From Scott Linden's website:

My radio show has a “Great Outdoor Game Show” every week: three questions, everyone wins, we all have fun (why else do it?). I need a few contestants!

You win a little box of goodies or a bigger box, depending on what we have laying around in the way of gear and how many questions you got right (I help with the tough questions). Subjects are anything in the way of outdoors, hunting, fishing, camping, and wildlife. We record the show on Wednesdays, and arrange a 15 minute block of time in advance for your national radio debut (300,000 listeners).

If you’re up for the challenge and a good time, just drop me a line at scottlindenoutdoors@gmail.com with your phone number and we’ll schedule a convenient time for us to call you. Thanks!

Refinancing can be a real Pain

For the past three and a half months we have been trying to refinance our home and I have to say it has been nothing short of a pain in our backsides.

See for the past six years we have not been able to get any kind of mortgage other than one where the first two years are fixed and then it goes adjustable after that. So to make a long story short we have had to refinance every two years for the past six.

This time I said enough is enough. This time it is going to be a fixed rate or nothing. We have been either waiting or jumping through hoops since January and it looks like it is finally coming to an end.

I will admit part of the problem is our credit score is not as good as some banks would like to see and the economy is not all that great right now as I am sure a lot of you know so with that being said it has been a long road.

We finally got a lender to give us a thirty year fixed mortgage at a decent rate but it wasn't easy. According to our broker yesterday she said today we should hear from the lawyers office sometime today about a closing date. I really hope she is right this time. This has been a lot of sleepless nights wondering what our next mortgage payment was going to be because it has been adjustable since the beginning of February.

Just a quick word of advice and that is if you want to refinance it would be easier if your credit score was good and if the economy wasn't so bad and everybody wasn't trying to do the same thing your trying to do.

Taking the Scenic Route

Coming back from my brother's the other day I had decided to take a route home that I call the scenic route. The reason why I call it that is because you are usually gauranteed to see something.

Here are a couple deer that were browsing on the side of a hill. What these two pictures don't show is there was actually a total of seven deer all together. These two were the ones that came out the clearest. Rough time of day to take pictures I'm afraid.

Added to my Turkey Hunting Arsenal

In a previous post about spring turkey season I had mentioned that it was going to be my second season at trying my luck turkey hunting. I had briefly spoke about being more prepared than last year because of a few things that I had learned from last year.

Along with the new Thermacell for the skeeters and the new Trekker 100 ground blind plus the new custom made Box call from Ed at "Gobblers End Turkey Calls" I went in search of turkey decoys. From talking to other hunters and watching a few turkey hunting video's I come to realize that a decoy or two would only benefit me.

I started looking through catalogs and such but not knowing much made it difficult. One day I was visiting the forum at "CT Hunting n Shooting" and one of the members had posted about a sale on turkey decoys at "Wing's Supply". I replied with thanks and went to check out the site.

I had looked at a wide variety of decoys that they had for sale and the prices I felt were very reasonable. I didn't want something that was going to fall apart or rip with ease if it got caught on anything but, on the same thought I didn't want to pay all outdoors either. This is what I decided on.

"Dual Trouble" Breeding Pair Collapsible Turkey Decoys (994005BP)

Dual Trouble Breeding Pair Collapsible Rubber Turkey Decoys feature:

• True to Species Pose
• Extreme Iridescent Paint Scheme
• Movement Maximizer Stake Insert
• Elongated Cavity Opening Eliminates Decoy Spinning
• Lightweight and Collapsible
• Peg-Leg Decoy Stake
• Distinctive Taxidermy Eyez
• Bonus Primos DVD - The Best of 20 Years The Truth Spring Turkey Hunting

List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $15.00
You Save: $14.99 (50%)

I recently received them via USPS. They were packaged very well, I certainly was impressed. They are made of collapsible rubber like the description says and appears they will hold up to just about anything but, the only thing I don't like right now is they were in a box smaller than the actual size of the decoy they don't fully come back to looking realistic meaning a few extra creases here and there.

What I did to get away from that was to fill the cavity with supermarket plastic bags which are light so they won't make the decoy feel heavy and it helps to make them look more real than flat and bent.

I think they will work just fine and I'm counting the days.

Tuesday's Tip's & Technique's - #33

Get That Rifle "On Paper"

Bore-sighting a bolt-action rifle is easy, and you needn't buy a collimator or another device made for that purpose.

After checking to make sure the rifle is unloaded, place it in a rest, on sandbags, or even on a cardboard box notched at two ends for that purpose. The rest must be sturdy enough to hold the rifle in place while you make scope adjustments.

Next, remove the bolt, and while looking through the barrel, center the bore on a target at 25 yards.

Keeping the bore aligned with the target, turn the scope's horizontal and vertical adjustment dials until the crosshairs are centered on the target.

The rifle should now hit "on paper." At the range, fire a three-shot group at 25 yards and adjust to hit the center of the target. The gun should now shoot 2-3 inches high at 100 yards, depending on caliber. Shoot a group at 100 yards and fine-tune the adjustment.

--Larry Teague, Editor / GunHunter Magazine

This great tip had come from Buckmasters:

Can you name that Moon?

The Moon, we all know how it effects the weather and the tides and how it effects the wildlife. The moon is a powerful object that dictates to a lot of us what we should do and when we should do it, that goes for the Whitetail Deer as well. It has shown us that the deer will typically move at or around a certain time and they will eat at or around certain times.

The "Old Farmers Almanac" tells me that the native American Indians (Algonquin Indian tribes) in particular had special names for each full moon. So there is a lot of history here.

Historically the Native Americans who lived in the area that is now the northern and eastern United States kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to the recurring full Moons. Each full Moon name was applied to the entire month in which it occurred. These names, and some variations, were used by the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior.

Our Moon Phase Calendar provides the exact date and time of full moons. Click on the month names below to see the calendar for that month.

Month	Name	Description
January	Full Wolf Moon	This full Moon appeared when wolves howled in hunger outside the villages. It is also known as the Old Moon. To some Native American tribes, this was the Snow Moon, but most applied that name to the next full Moon, in February.
February	Full Snow Moon	Usually the heaviest snows fall in February. Hunting becomes very difficult, and hence to some Native American tribes this was the Hunger Moon.
March	Full Worm Moon	At the time of this spring Moon, the ground begins to soften and earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of robins. This is also known as the Sap Moon, as it marks the time when maple sap begins to flow and the annual tapping of maple trees begins.
April	Full Pink Moon	This full Moon heralded the appearance of the grass pink, or wild ground phlox—one of the first spring flowers. It is also known as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Fish Moon.
May	Full Flower Moon	Flowers spring forth in abundance this month. Some Algonquin tribes knew this full Moon as the Corn Planting Moon or the Milk Moon.
June	Full Strawberry Moon	The Algonquin tribes knew this Moon as a time to gather ripening strawberries. It is also known as the Rose Moon and the Hot Moon.
July	Full Buck Moon	Bucks begin to grow new antlers at this time. This full Moon was also known as the Thunder Moon, because thunderstorms are so frequent during this month.
August	Full Sturgeon Moon	Some Native American tribes knew that the sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most readily caught during this full Moon. Others called it the Green Corn Moon or the Grain Moon.
September	Full Corn Moon	This full Moon corresponds with the time of harvesting corn. It is also called the Barley Moon, because it is the time to harvest and thresh the ripened barley. The Harvest Moon is the full Moon nearest the autumnal equinox, which can occur in September or October and is bright enough to allow finishing all the harvest chores.
October	Full Harvest Moon	The Harvest Moon is the full Moon nearest the autumnal equinox and is bright enough to allow finishing all the harvest chores.
November	Full Beaver Moon	For both the colonists and the Algonquin tribes, this was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. This full Moon was also called the Frost Moon.
December	Full Cold Moon	This is the month when the winter cold fastens its grip and the nights become long and dark. This full Moon is also called the Long Nights Moon by some Native American tribes.

Note: The Harvest Moon is the full Moon that occurs closest to the autumnal equinox. It can occur in either September or October. At this time, crops such as corn, pumpkins, squash, and wild rice are ready for gathering.

Easter Egg Hunt 2009

We had our local Easter egg hunt at the firehouse this morning. I really wasn't sure if they were gonna have it because the weather was looking pretty wet.

My wife Heidi had to work this morning so it was Tyler and I who went. It was good the rain held off and there was a huge turnout which is nothing new for the egg hunt. They separated kids in areas by grades so after Tyler was checked in we headed for the 1st. grade area.

Just like a battle line in a civil war action the kids with mom's and/or dad's were lined up and ready to go.

The foreground was 1st. grade kids which is where Tyler was and the other end was 2nd. grade kids.







When the whistle blew they were off charging to the other end picking up eggs as they went. Some grabbed a lot and some only grabbed a few but they all found some.

The eggs were real hard boiled eggs but if you found a labeled plastic one you were able to claim a special basket.

Tyler didn't find one but his friend had two so Tyler was given one which was a nice thought.



Tyler at home with his prize. His own Easter basket with of course the assorted goodies that come with.

Tyler had fun and I had fun watching him. They are moments that only happen once.

Happy Easter from Us to You.........

I am taking Easter Sunday off from blogging to spend it with my family so I wanted to take this moment to say,

Happy Easter from my family and I here at Whitetail Woods.

Deer Resistant Landscaping - Will it help?

My wife heidi bought me a book to go along with a project I plan to be starting soon. I have a very large hill to landscape for our neighbor and with the continuous traffic of whitetails coming through our yards on the way down to the lake I didn't want to plant to much food for the deer and neither did my neighbor who is paying for the materials.

This is the book she bought me and I have to say it is a very good book full of excellent information.

"Deer Resistant Landscaping" by Neil Soderstrom is not only for deer although that is the main focus. It also includes tips for 20 other pesky mammals like chipmunks, gophers, squirrels, moles, voles, rabbits etc.

It gives you ideas with picture/diagrams on netting and fencing as well as types of plants and bushes that the deer do not prefer to eat.




When deer browse they constantly move. They don't stay in one place for to long so depending on what you have planted you could end up with one bush destroyed or a whole garden.

It could get rather expensive if you have to go back and buy new plants and bushes just so the deer can come back and do it again.

If you want to feed the deer with nutrional food of course than there are special feeders you can you that they will get accustomed to.

There are also a number of item that you can buy like sprays that will deter the deer. Some will work and some will not, it depends on the area and the deer and the product.

Just as an example here is a product that you can purchase from "Deer-Resistant Landscape Nursery". The initial cost might be a bit expensive depending the the product and the company but imagine the cost of replacing bushes and plants.

I know from experience, my mom had a heck of a time keeping the deer from eating her plants around the house. I of course tried to help her out during hunting season but during the summer months she had a heck of a time and resulted to using a spray similiar to the one in this post. It did get expensive but it saved her plants.

This is food for thought and I don't mean food for the deer either.

Dinty Moore Stew & Team Realtree Team up again

I had received a email with this contest in it and had no idea that it had even taken place last year. After looking it over I just had to submit my entry even though I have bad luck at winning anything. I thought that maybe some of you all would like to try, after all it's free.

DINTY MOORE^® Stew and TEAM REALTREE^® have teamed up again to create the ultimate hunting experience with celebrity hunter Michael Waddell. From March through October 2009, your readers will have the chance to experience the great outdoors with Waddell himself by joining him on set as he films his new show, BONE COLLECTOR™, which airs on the Outdoor Channel.

In addition to trying their hand at the grand prize of meeting Waddell, a total of nearly 550 lucky outdoor enthusiasts will catch and take home winnings.

Find the Official Rules and enter to win at www.DintyMoore.com. Enter now through October 31, 2009.

Full list of prizes include:

·Grand Prize: Experience the outdoors and meet Michael Waddell in the field while filming his new show, BONE COLLECTOR™, airing on the Outdoor Channel. Winner will also be outfitted with scent-elimination clothing by Scent Blocker.

·First Place Prize: One Limited Edition Michael Waddell/DINTY MOORE™ Bad Boy Buggy^® All Electric 4-Wheel Drive Silent Utility Vehicle.

·Second Place Prize: Plano^® Outdoor Sportsman Package, includes New Plano Bow Guard™ All Weather Bow Case, one Gun Guard™ All Weather Gun Case and one Kevin Van Dam Guide Elite™ Tackle Bag.

·Monthly Prizes (8), one winner every month: FLW Outdoors prize package presented by Fantasy Fishing. Includes one year subscription to FLW Outdoors magazine (Bass Edition), Fantasy Fishing T-Shirt, and FLW Outdoors Duffle Bag.

·Weekly Prizes (35), one winner every week: BONE COLLECTOR™ Fan Club Package; includes Official BONE COLLECTOR™ hat, exclusive BONE COLLECTOR™ dog tag, signed 8” x 10” photo of Michael, a BONE COLLECTOR™ decal and more.

·500 Consolation Prizes: TEAM REALTREE^® DVD’s, includes one “Monster Bucks XII” and one “REALTREE^® Kids Raisin’ ‘Em Right!”

DINTY MOORE^® Stew, the number one selling stew in the nation, is a meal hunters can count on to keep them energized and ready for action. This shelf-stable, hearty heat-and-eat meal is made from tender beef, fresh potatoes and carrots simmered in delicious beef gravy, so hunters know they won’t go hungry.

Here is last year's winner Michael Klutts of Arkansas.

In just a few short weeks, Michael Klutts, of Lowell , Arkansas , will take a hunting trip of a lifetime with Celebrity Hunter, Michael Waddell. Klutts won this exciting opportunity through a 2008 online promotion sponsored by DINTY MOORE^® stew and Realtree^® Camouflage, beating out 150,000 entrants. Klutts’ admiration and respect for Waddell’s fair chase hunting philosophy, along with his personal passion for hunting, drove him to enter the sweepstakes even though he has never had luck with contests in the past. On April 23^rd they will hit the field, hunting turkeys and wild boars.

Blog Spotlight - Wild Ed's Texas Outdoors

Well it is time to spotlight another blog that I frequently read. I am honored to spotlight Ed from "Wild Ed's Texas Outdoors".

Here is what Ed has to say about himself,

ABOUT ME:

I am a licensed Falconer, Trapper, Hunter and Fisherman in the State of Texas. I cook a lot of Texas style BBQ and am currently working on a compilation of Ranch House and Deer Camp recipes. You will often find me hunting and fishing with others. I enjoy getting kids started in the outdoor skills and am an advocate of passing traditional skills and arts to the next generation. Wild Ed

This is what you can find if you visit Ed,

Texas Outdoors, Falconry, Hunting, Shotgunning, Book Reviews, Wildlife, Recipes, Flint Knapping, Wildlife Photography, Texas Barbecue, Surf and Fly Fishing, Trapping, Predator Calling, Shooting and other Outdoor Adventures.

So if you have time and want to see what "Wild Ed's Texas Outdoors" has to offer than feel free to stroll on over.

Product Review - Level Level Level by Wheeler Engineering

The Level Level Level by Wheeler Engineering is one of the most useful items that you could own. This past weekend I had the opportunity to try it out and let me say I am glad I did.

They say it is the Most simplest, most accurate scope leveling system ever devised. I have to say they are correct with that statement.

Overview:

Misaligned crosshairs rob you of accurate bullet placement, especially at long range, where it counts. Crooked crosshairs cause your scope adjustments to be unreliable, and even make zeroing your rifle a frustrating and costly experience. The Level-Level-Level works because the scope is leveled to your receiver, not to the top of a scope base.

The makers of some scope leveling devices tell you that leveling your scope to the top of the base produces a level scope. Don't believe it! An accurate rifle requires level crosshairs, and the Level-Level-Level gives you the means to level your scope perfectly in only minutes.

Level your scope as you mount it on your rifle. The magnetic base in the rifle level bridges the bolt raceway, allowing you to position your rifle perfectly level. Then level the scope, tighten the rings, and the job is done.

Works with practically any bolt-action rifle, and is adaptable to other designs.

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I had two different applications that I need to do with this product. One was that I had a scope where the crosshairs were obviously not level, I had no idea what happened but I actually had to tilt the rifle to make the crosshairs level which is not a good thing.

After loosening up the screws and applying the levels (one goes on top of the receiver and the other goes on top of the elevation dial on the scope) I first made sure that the rifle was secure and level then I had to turn the scope so that itself was level. After making sure both levels were where they were suppose to be all I had to do was tighten the screws on the mounts. With that being said i picked up the rifle and brought it to my shoulder and "what a difference". Everything looked perfect and it was as easy as 1 2 3.

The next application I wanted to do was to actually mount a scope on my shotgun. As you can see from the picture both levels are perfect.

I was so amazed at how easy it was and it makes so much sense that you can only imagine not using these.

At this time I want to thank,
J. Michael roach / Branch Manager at Battenfeld Technologies Inc. for supplying me with the "Level Level Level" from Wheeler Engineering.

Senseless Killing of a Hero's Therapy Dog

This post has nothing to do with whitetail deer or hunting but it does have something to do with something I feel very strongly about and that is the United States Military and especially our Veterans.

Now I heard about this from a post subscription that I get from Moose of the "Moose Droppings" blog and he has gotten it from "From the Stand" blog (who is also a United States Marine Veteran).

Marcus Luttrell Navy Seal and American Hero recovering from wounds he got while defending this country is now dealing with the senseless execution of his therapy dog Dasy. Senseless is a good word to describe this story and I felt it is my duty and honor to also spread the story of what has happened and to voice my dislike which is beyond words at this point.

United States Navy file photo of Navy SEALs operating in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. From left to right, Sonar Technician (Surface) 2nd Class Matthew G. Axelson, of Cupertino, Calif; Senior Chief Information Systems Technician Daniel R. Healy, of Exeter, N.H.; Quartermaster 2nd Class James Suh, of Deerfield Beach, Fla.; Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Marcus Luttrell; Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Eric S. Patton, of Boulder City, Nev.; and Lt. Michael P. Murphy, of Patchogue, N.Y. With the exception of Luttrell, all were killed June 28, 2005, by enemy forces while supporting Operation Red Wing.

This video that I hope you are about to watch will explain why I am so mad, upset and dissappointed. I have also sent an email to Mr. Beck at Fox News in hopes of trying to get a donation account of some sort started to replace Mr. Luttrells dog if one has not already been created. I hope to have news about my request in the near future.

Tuesday's Tip's & Technique's - #32

Using Topographic Maps for Scouting:

This is something I dabble in from time to time. I am by no means a expert but I have realized that topo maps can be a very valuable tool for learning a area without even being in it.

Here is just a example of how it could help. See how it points out a bench or shelf which would make for a good travel route for whitetails.

It also points out what we call saddles which can be used by whitetails for escaping a certain pressured area.

With a little training and practice it is conceivable that anybody can read a topo map.

While researching for this post i found a couple of websites that I feel can be very useful. The first one is from a search and rescue organization out of New Mexico called "Cibola Search and Rescue". In their website they have a page that is dedicated to "Reading Topo Maps" which is a very good page and a lot of information complete with diagrams. I recommend you visit this site.

Another website I found was a site where you could get free topo maps for your area by just printing them out on your printer. It is called the "Digital Map Store". Keep in mind if you do want to print out a topo map I would suggest doing it on a good printer and not one that is as old as mine.

These maps are a wealth of information once you get used to reading them and it also saves a lot of time by not going out and leaving your scent every where although eventually you will have eto actually go out and look around.

Interview with Terry Drury of Drury Outdoors

Awhile back I did a interview with Terry Drury of "Drury Outdoors"and had posted it on my old site. But, I felt the need to share it again. Some of you might have read it but I think a lot of you missed it.

Rick - First off I would like to say that I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to me. I would also like to say in my opinion that you and Mark produce the best video’s and television shows on the market and I for one have quite a few and look forward to adding to my library as they come out.

Terry - You are more than welcome and I thank you for the compliment.

Rick - When did you and your brother Mark start producing video’s?

Terry - We starting back in 1988 and it has just grown from there.

Rick - With all the series you have started how many hunting teams would you say you have working right now?

Terry - From North to South and East to West we have anywhere from 25 to 30 teams working at one time. We cover the whole continental U.S.

Rick - How much time would you say you spend on the road?

Terry - Between hunting, shed hunting, scouting with the wildlife eye’s, planting food plots, and doing shows I would say anywhere from 7 to 8 months out of the year I am on the road.

Rick - How does your family cope with you being gone so much?

Terry - My wife Willa has grown up with hunting and the kids are older now so they are very accustomed to it. We do spend time as much as possible. Willa and I live about an hour South of St. Louis which is where are main office is and brother Mark live in St. Louis where our distribution office is, that is where we do all our editing and shipping and receiving.

Rick - Out of all the states you have hunted in do you have a favorite?

Terry - We started hunting in Iowa which is full of sparse fields and small blocks of timber with some agricultural crops and CRP fields. So to answer your question I would have to say Iowa, that state will always hold a special place on both our hearts.

Rick - What type of weapon do you prefer to hunt with?

Terry - I would have to say Bow. It is more challenging to try and harvest a mature whitetail with a bow because they have to be so close and to try and outwit them with their keen senses can be difficult.

Rick - I know you and Mark are very busy but, how often do you get to hunt together?

Terry - Not as often as we would like. Years ago we use to hunt together all the time but as the busy grew and the demands got bigger we sort of had to split up to take care of things. We still do hunt together but not as much. Sometimes we only see each other back in camp. Sometimes we will get the chance in maybe Iowa, Missouri or Illinois.

Rick - What would you say is the biggest challenge in producing these types of video’s?

Terry - I would have to say “continuing to improve” is the hardest part. There are so many factors that go into making a video especially hunting. We have to constantly watch the weather for fronts coming in as well as high pressure systems. Watching the barometer, whether it is falling or rising and also the moon phase plays a huge part so you try to get all those factors to fall into place and keep the level of quality that everyone expects keeps us continuing to improve.

Rick - Hunting across the country like you do how would you say the deer population is?

Terry - I feel that possibly the doe’s are not being harvested as much as they should. It can be so hard on deer when there is more mouths to feed than there is food. That is why it is so important to try and manage the deer herds in your area. If hunters can practice game management and take some doe’s and let the younger buck’s grow to maturity than the deer density will only improve.

Rick - I totally agree with you. By watching your series 100% wild 100% fairchase vol.2 which is called Upper End Management I started this process last year by passing up a 2 1/2 year old 8 point and I believe I saw him this year just last week and he is now 3 1/2 years old and has 10 points, and his body mass has grown considerably.

Terry - I surely hope it pays off for you this year.

Rick - You have branched out into television with the “Dream Season” and “Wildlife Obsession” shows which Ive seen on the Outdoor Channel. Do you have anything new coming out for the future?

Terry - Actually Yes we do. Next season starting in July we will have 3 shows, the two that are showing now plus one more. I am sorry but, I am not able to tell you more about it at this time.

Rick - I understand and will surely keep an eye out for it next year.

Terry - I hope you do.

Rick - I want to thank you again for taking the time to answer a few questions and I look forward to seeing more of your productions.

Terry - You are very welcome and Good luck to you.

Savory Sunday's - #9

Broccoli Venison Over Rice

The ingredient list includes...

1 pound of venison
2 pounds of broccoli
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 packet of beef gravy mix
1 cup water


Cut the venison into 1/4 inch thick slices, then into bite sized pieces. Cut the broccoli into bite size pieces. Combine the ginger, soy sauce and brown sugar. Mix the marinade into the venison. Most of it will be absorbed.

Heat the oil in a large skillet or stock pot. Stir fry the venison until it just turns brown, and remove it from the pan. Add the broccoli to the pan and stir fry it until it is lightly cooked. It may need a bit more oil.

Add the venison back to the broccoli and cover, leaving over low heat.

Mix the packet of gravy mix with one cup of water, and add to the venison and broccoli. Raise the heat to medium high and stir the mixture until the gravy thickens.

Serve the broccoli venison over a bed of fluffy white rice. Keep a bottle of soy sauce handy for seasoning if needed.

Get your Tickets before they are All Gone.

Today I want to mention about a organization the "Northeast Big Buck Club" I have been a member ever since for 3 years now. Straight from their website they have this to say,

The Northeast Big Buck Club is an all-volunteer not-for-profit organization of local deer hunters. We work together to bring many services to hunters in the Northeast, including providing scoring and record keeping services for hunters who legally harvest whitetail bucks. We are dedicated to the preservation of deer hunting through local efforts in conservation, education, safety and community service.

Every year they hold a Annual Awards Banquet in Massachusetts and let me tell you it is a good time.

At the banquet, awards will be given to the largest typical and non-typical bucks harvested in the previous year with a bow, gun and muzzleloader, from MA, CT, VT, RI, ME, NH, NY and PA.

These are the best of the best! With over 100 of the northeast's best heads on display, many scoring over 170".

Here are a few pictures from the 2007 banquet, I unfortunately missed the 2008 banquet do to medical issues.



This is a picture of myself and Paul Chapdelaine who is the VP & Awards Chairman for the NBBC.

If you are free July 18th. which is a Saturday the banquet will be from 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

Please contact Paul Chapdelaine at deerrunacres@comcast.net for more information.

I guarantee you will not be sorry! I know I'm not.

Product Review - Princeton Tec Fuel LED Headlamp

I am always trying to better myself and better my chances when it comes to deer hunting. I put a lot of time into it as anyone should with whatever makes them passionate. Deer hunting is not always an easy skill to master nor is turkey hunting which is why I and most others depend on the almost daily influx of new gadgets and gizmo's to help us accomplish our hunting mission's.

I was browsing through a catalog one day and saw this headlamp and although I never thought about using them I figured it would be a good time to start for a few reasons. I was put in contact with Keith Cozzens with Base Camp Communications and talked briefly. He offered to send one to me for me to try and with spring turkey season right around the corner and me who likes to be prepared said I would be happy to give it a try and I would gladly post my findings.

First I will give a bit of information before I tell you my findings. The item I was given to try is "The Fuel Headlamp" from Princeton Tec.

FUEL

When applied well, technology should be simple. Such is the case with the innovative Fuel headlamp – designed to meet the widest range of applications while remaining small, lightweight and robust. With all of the touch points of the product being considered, the Fuel’s smart design fulfills technology’s promise of actually making our lives easier.

What could be better than a light that weighs only 78g with 35 lumens of brightness and 160 hours of burn time? A light that also has an asymmetrical single arm bracket that makes directing the light effortless and reliable; a large, easy to find push button switch and a virtually bulletproof, easy access battery door that protects the 3AAAs and its electronics. Yea.. that’s pretty much it.

SPECIFICATIONS

POWER 35 Lumens

LAMP 3 Ultrabright LEDs

BURN TIME 164 Hours

BATTERIES 3 AAA

WEIGHT 78g

I found that it was very comfortable to wear and very easy to operate. With the push of a button the 3 led's will light your way with out a doubt. I am so surprised of the difference between a led light and a regular light, hands down it is the led. The band itself is that stretchy material and the stitching quality is the best. The light itself is very light even with 3 "AAA" batteries in it. Another option I like is that you can change the angle of the lamp to either shine right directly down in front of your feet or tilt it up to shine farther out in front of you.

I plan to use this either hunting turkey or my absolute favorite the whitetail deer. With both game I like to be on stand and setup before daybreak so I am heading out with flash light in hand. By using this it will free up a hand to carry other gear more easily. This should be in everyone's pack and I very much recommend this as well.

Learning how-to Reload

Lately I have been talking about learning how to reload and the more I talk about it the more I get interested. Now this started out as a product review but I decided to go on a suggestion from Albert over at "The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles". There is so much to learn that he had a idea that I do it as a sort of mini series.

So what made me decide to learn how to reload well quite frankly I had started stocking up on factory loaded ammunition and then started thinking that I could save myself a bit of money by reloading myself. What I did was I started looking through some catalogs and found a what was described as a kit for the novice or beginner. That was me so I contacted the company who was "Lee Precision Inc" and asked who I could speak to about doing a product review. The receptionist put me in touch with Mr. Lee himself.

I told him why I was calling, that I wanted to know if he would be interested in letting me do a product review on "The Classic Lee Loader" and I would post my finding on my site. Mr. Lee graciously said sure and the he asked me what calibers I was interested in. I explained to him the only rifle I have right now was a 30-30. He took my name and address and said he would send it right out to me.

This is what I received in the mail a few days later. A Classic Lee Loader for a 30-30 caliber and he also sent along a Modern Reloading book.

My next step I had previously mentioned was to get reloading components. Not knowing what I really needed I started at cabela's and talked to someone there. The problem was they couln't set me up with powder and primers but they had the bullets. He stated that they haven't been able to keep reloading supplies in the store since the presidential election.

So I left and contacted a gun shop that I frequent from time to time and he was unable to help me out because he is having trouble keeping it in the store and was waiting for a order to come. At this point I am like thinking to myself (I picked a heck of a time to learn how to reload) but I was determined. My wife Heidi and I traveled almost a hour to go to this big gun store called "Hoffman's Gun Center". There I spoke to a gentleman who again said the same thing that I have been hearing since I started my search.

I did decided to get what I could rather than wait and get it all in the same place. So we talked and I told him my plans. He said he reloads quite a bit and quite a few different calibers so he was a lot of help.

Bear in mind this is only a start and I don't know much yet about what I'm doing but I would rather start off small just in case I don't like reloading. This is what I got so far.

I got a pound of powder, obviously that is the smallest amount I could get. It is "Hodgdon Varget" powder.

The bullets are from "Speer" and they are 30 cal 150 grain .308" round sp. The reason for the round sp is because these bullets are going into a lever action so I need the round soft point so they don't go off accidentally in the loading tube.

The next three components are from "RCBS" . A powder funnel (self explanatory) and a Case Neck Brush for cleaning inside the casings. Also a Primer Pocket Brush for cleaning the hole before installing a new primer.

As you can see I still have a ways to go before I try any reloading but I am having a good time researching and learning another way to expand my passion/obsession of hunting whitetails. Stay tuned for future posts.