The Iowa fish and game folks say they need this program to bring the spotlight to the great deer hunting in Iowa. Some claim it's unfair because it give the rich and famous an unfair advantage. Others say that those few tags help bring in tourist dollars to Iowa coffers. Who's right?

But it doesn't stop there. As I understand the program, there's a panel that decides which celebrity will get a permit. The decision is based on who the panel thinks can bring the biggest bang for the buck (no pun intended ) For example, someone like Ted Knugent (or the hoard of celebrity hunters) who has his own hunting show and is always on a TV somewhere stands an excellent chance of getting an Iowa deer tag over the little kid from Family Ties. In fact, I don't know if that kid could be considered a celebrity or not!

It should also be noted that Iowa shares some permits with Conservation and Charity Organizations to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. They then split the proceeds.

This program has been around for a while. Okay, I get it. Back in the day something like this may have been needed to bring the Outdoor world spotlight to Iowa deer hunting to show the world what great deer hunting they have. But nowadays? Really? Who among us has not heard about how great the Iowa deer hunting is, especially in the 20 years or so?

Try as I might, I just can't see why such a program is needed these days in a state like Iowa!  The more media PR they get, the more people want to come there and hunt. But geez Iowa, you already have a lottery where there are so many more people applying for a permit than you have deer permits available, so what's the point? I could understand it if they couldn't sell all 6000 or so non-resident permits, but they have no problem doing that, so why have this tax payer funded program anyway?

When it's all said and done, I just don't see a need for a program like this in a state like Iowa. It would be like Illinois, Ohio, Kansas or Saskatchewan having a similar program. Earth to Iowa DNR, Iowa deer hunting is well known outside of Iowa!! Normally whenever I see a program like this that has outlived its usefulness but those in power still insist of keeping it alive, it's usually because someone other than the Celebrities have something to gain. Not saying this is what's happening in Iowa right now, just sayin' that's been my experience in life.

If the Iowa powers that be really wanted to do some good with a program like this, maybe they should start similar programs for Iowa College football and basketball!! LOL

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Which brings me to the meat of this post/rant. I was taking it easy today and turned on the Outdoor Channel and watched a few hunting shows. I honestly don't watch that many any longer. I have probably 2 or 3 that I make somewhat of an effort to watch. Most are pure rubbish and nothing more than glorified marketing in my opinion.

But anyway, one was about a Husband/Wife team hunting in Illinois on opening day. There she sit in a tree all dolled up talking about how hard she'd been working getting ready for hunting season. I thought "Yeah, like what? What kind of logo you're going to wrap your jacked up 4x4 and equipment trailer in?"

I could go on and on about some of these bozo's who pretend to be hunters. Which is about 99% of them on TV!

I understand the business side of it. As a marketer myself, I understand the game and how it's played. But I sincerely believe many of these so called, self described "Celebrity Hunters" are nothing more than shooters. And when you watch them and some of the stupid things they say/do, it only proves to drive the point home.

Like today when one of these Super Hunters is walking around a Ranch in Texas and comes up on this bush with a stem about the size of his thumb and there's a little rub on it. He then blurts out "Yeah, this was a real nice buck that made this!" I was like "WTH, really Dude?"

I guess my gripe stems from my opinion that hunting is something that is sacred, at least it is with me. I mean, after all you're taking a life and that should mean something. It's not like you're trying to score a goal or hit a ball with a piece of wood, although many manufacturers and Celebrity "Shooters" seem to treat it that way.

I also do not think it's healthy the way many beginners of this sport idolize these Celebrity Shooters. They don't understand that these people's claim to fame is the fact that they have a knack for marketing, not deer hunting. I mean, really folks, how many of use couldn't put an arrow through the boiler room of a nice buck on some intensely managed land if a Guide didn't walk us to a stand and say "Sit here and shoot a good buck for the camera"?

I'd love to pack some of these so called "Hunter" up and drop them off at a local WMA during any deer season of their choice (Archery, Muzzleloader or Rifle" and give them a week to kill a 6 point or better buck, heck, I'll give them the full 16 days of Muzzleloader and Rifle season! I'd imagine that only a few out of the dozens and dozens on TV could actually do this.

I remember years ago someone asked the founder of a deer magazine and club why him and his crew only hunted high fenced ranches or only used high dollar outfitters and his response was " One...We have to hunt these places to shoot big bucks. If we don't no one will watch our TV show. Two...we don't have much time to make these shows, so we have to use Outfitters and Ranches". Well now, at least he was honest about it! For him, it was (and still is I guess) all about the kill. But it made me sad to be a Charter Lifetime member of that Club and their magazine hits the trash as soon as it arrives in the mail these days. I really don't mind that they hunt these places, it's when they start thinking they're a "HUNTER" because a 170 class bucked walked by the stand their Guide had been holding for them all year long.

I've also noticed in the last half dozen years or so that they tend to show the Deer dying more and more. I don't see the point in this as I see it several times first hand myself every year, I don't need to watch it on TV. But the biggest thing is it turns of non-hunters. My Wife actually likes watching a few of the shows until they show the Deer run off and stand there until it tips over and starts kicking. She has asked several times "Why do they have to show that part of Hunting?" I've heard that question asked quite a bit from others as well. In the past, it was something that wasn't shown on hunting shows. Now, it's like the TV program isn't complete if they don't show the actual death of the Deer!

My reply is "Because it sells Deer hunting gear. I guess those newbies and people who've never killed a Deer haven't seen one die before."

I'm betting a few of you remember all the crap Dan Fitzgerald use to get for showing some of the shots he showed in his videos. Now days, people wouldn't even bat an eye at some of the shots he used to capture on film. And by the way, he's one of the few who I think can actually "hunt" instead of just "shoot" deer. It must have been all those Blue Jeans and Red Flannel hunting shirt endorsements that made him successful!

Nothing illustrates the fact that Deer hunting has been turned into a business model better than a couple who bought a farm in Iowa. Not just a few acres, but an actual farm! And if that wasn't enough, they also lease more farms. Their "food plots" are actual fields of Soybean, Corn and whatever seed blend they're being paid to market. They do this with monster tractors pulling full blown farm implements. These aren't your 1 acre food plots! These tractors and implements actually make some real farmers envious!

And this is their business model and it has allowed them to buy farm ground, plant the "food plots" and then shoot big Deer in order to market everything from seed and supplement blends to camo, bows, arrows and whatever else.

Are they Deer hunters or do they simple kill Deer in order to market all these products?

If they didn't kill any Deer, do you think some of the biggest manufacturing names in the industry would pay them to market their products?

Do you think beginners and Average Joe Deer hunters would flock to the retail outlets to buy they latest product they're pushing?

I think not.

As much as I hate to admit it, they're one of my favorite hunting shows, but I watch them because they're entertaining, not because they actually know how to hunt Deer. In fact, I can honestly say that I have not picked up one hunting tip from them in all the time I watch their show.

These type of people have turned Hunting into a business model and I for one don't think it's good for our sport.

Hunters seem to forget that these shows are nothing more than marketing shows. Sure, like I said above, some of the people are actually entertaining. But at the end of the day, they're marketing gear to you and they wouldn't be on TV  if they weren't capable of driving people into Sporting Goods Stores or Online Retailers to buy whatever it is they're pushing. Remember that the next time you start to idolize one of your favorite Celebrity Deer Shooters and start to buy something because So and So on TV killed a big buck using it (or did they just say they were using it to get you to buy it??!

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For those of you who were counting on the King Buck to be crowned the New Typical World Record, dethroning the Milo Hansen buck and bringing the Crown back to the U.S., well, you just got excited for nothing.

The head Honcho at the B&C, Jack Reneau, has come out and said that the right antler doesn't have a G3, but an abnormal G2. So the scored the huge Whitetail Buck as a Non-Typical, which means it will not be in contention for the top spot. Many experts believe Mr. Reneau is wrong. I happen to be among those who think he's wrong, but I'm not scoring expert. I'm just an Average Joe Deer Hunter who likes to look at big Buck Racks! I did learn how to rough score years ago, but I'm really not into what ever buck scores. But you take a look at the Buck -> here and tell me if you see a Non-Typical?

Again, I'm not an expert and I haven't handled the head gear, so my opinion is based solely on pictures. Which isn't much.

But this just goes back to why I'm not a B&C supporter any longer. In my opinion, there's little to no integrity left in the organization.

My only question is, why is this Reneau character so against this buck becoming the No 1 buck. Sure, he'd have to swallow his pride and say "I was wrong about the Johnny King Buck", but so what? He won't even let a panel decide on whether or not it's a Typical or Non-Typical. Makes you wonder why he's so dead set against his buck being scored as a Typical doesn't it? Wonder if he's kin to Milo Hansen?

But like I said above, at the end of the day, it really doesn't make a difference to me. Go ahead B&C, P&Y or Buckmasters, play your little "Record Book" games. The only record book that matters to me is in my head and heart and every Deer I kill makes that book!

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My experience with the Starfire was not that positive really. I was very loud when shot, it had a lot of vibration, and I mean a LOT! I tell people it reminded me of hitting a flag pole with a aluminum baseball bat, in December!

So I had a few criteria when I decided to try and shoot a crossbow again. First, I wanted a reliable unit. I didn't plan on breaking the bank, but I felt like I should be able to buy a reliable unit for a fair price. I certainly wasn't going to buy a piece of junk! I wanted a crossbow that had accessories and a good availability of parts should I need them.

Second, the crossbow had to be very accurate. Col. Townsend Whelen once said that only accurate guns are interesting and that's the way I feel about bows. If a crossbow isn't accurate, I have no need for it.

Third, I wanted one with the reputation as being a reliable crossbow from a reputable company.

I had looked over a bunch of outdoor catalogs, read all I could about crossbows at the online hunting forums as well as finding other literature on crossbows. My choices came down to 4 crossbows. They were from Barnett, Ten Point, Parker and Excalibur. After shooting each of my choices, I happily bought the Excalibur Axiom Crossbow and I couldn't be happier! To say the least, this is a smooth shooting, hard hitting crossbow that is pure joy to shoot!

For those that do not know a lot about Crossbows, the Excalibur Axiom crossbow is a recurve crossbow pulling 175 pounds. From what I'm told on the Excalibur forums, it's basically a Excalibur Phoenix without the dissipator bars on the front of the limbs and has a different Camo job.

What was even better was the price! The Axiom kit comes with a scope that is calibrated to the speed that the Axiom shoots (Excalibur says 305 fps with a 350 grain arrow and a Flemish Dyna Flight String), Excel String, Scope Mounts and Rings , Excalibur 4 Arrow Quiver, Quiver bracket, 4 Firebolts and 150 grain field points.

When my Axiom crossbow arrived in the mail, it took maybe 30 minutes to put the limbs on the stock, install the scope mounts and rings on the Scope and then onto the rail. It took longer to watch the included DVD than it did to get the Axiom put together and be ready to shoot!

When I went to sight it in, I was in for another surprise. My first arrow hit about 8 inches high and about 6 inches to the left. I adjusted the scope and fired another arrow. It hit about 1 1/2" to the right of the aiming point. Another adjustment and I shot another arrow. Bullseye!

3 arrows shot to sight this shooting machine in at 20 yards!

Next, I collected my arrows and shot a 4 arrow group at 20 yards. This proved my inexperience with Excalibur crossbows. You don't shoot groups with them unless you're willing to lose a few crossbow arrows because they are accurate!

Once I knew it was sighted in at 20 yards, I backed up to 30 yards. The Axiom scope is compensated out to 50 yards for the speed that the Axiom shoots. It has small chevrons below the crosshairs for the ranges of 30, 40 and 50 yards.

Another thing besides the accuracy of this Crossbow is how accurate the scope was! I backed all the way out to 50 yards and using the 50 yard chevron (which is right where the crosshairs go from thin to thick), I not only hit the target, I had about a 3" group! This is from someone who hadn't shot a crossbow in about 15 years!

I eventually started damaging the nocks of my crossbow arrows when shooting for groups so I had to stop and just started choosing other aiming points on the bag. I now have about 7 damaged arrows including one Robin Hood (splitting one arrow in the target with another arrow) that happened when shooting at 40 yards!

Needless to say, my experience with the Axiom is day and night difference from shooting the old PSE Starfire. Of course, it was a pretty big difference from shooting the other crossbows, that's why I ended up with it!

One thing that I wasn't totally happy with the Axiom is that the top of the stock is a little low for me. I ended up buying one of the Excalibur add-on cheek pieces and it has solved the problem. Now shooting through the scope is more fun!

I also added the Simms silencing package for Crossbows. This includes 2 limb silencers, a silencer for the arrow retainer and string leeches. I tried several times to keep the string leeches on but it wasn't meant to be. After about 5 shots the Axiom would throw them off. This package from Simms really quieted the bow down. I later bought the Simms wrap and wrapped it around the stirrup to remove any sound it made during the shot. This also helped! Before hunting season, I'll add cat whiskers to the string. It's a little different technique than putting cat whiskers on a compound bow, so you need to watch the proper way. Here's an YouTube video showing you how.

With the Axiom's 175 pound pull and speeds up to 305 fps, I honestly don't think there is an animal Walking on the North American continent you couldn't put down at ranges under 40 yards. The bow shoots that hard and it shoots fast!

I enjoy shooting the Axiom so much, that I plan on buying another one next year! Probably go up in weight a little, but then again my Wife, who is a non-hunter, even enjoys shooting my Axiom so I might just buy her one of those Pink Vixen II's!

If you're looking for a hunting crossbow that is reliable and one you can work on in the field, like replacing the string should you cut it with a broadhead, then look at Excalibur crossbows. Give the Excalibur Axiom Crossbow a look over if you wanting to buy a kit that has everything you need to get into the fun of crossbow hunting! See the Pictures below for some pics from my casual shooting with the Axiom.

This is my first 40 yard group

This is my first group at 50 yards!

This is looking through the Excalibur Axiom Scope. The chevrons for 30, 40 and 50 yards are hard to see in this picture, but they show up nicely when looking through it in person.

Needless to say, I don't aim at the same dots any longer. It will get expensive really quick when you start replacing crossbow arrows!

To find the Axiom online, click here >> Excalibur Axiom Crossbow.

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By the way, my picks for the best treestand locations are in order of my favorite places to hunt because my chance for success will go up greatly if I find them. Sadly, these don't occur in every place that I hunt, but I will go out of my way to find them if they do!

Treestand Location #1. Beaver Dams. Yeah, you read right! Beaver Dams are some of the best deer funnels you can find. But not any old Beaver Dams will work. The ones I have the best bet with are the ones that are on deep creeks with few places for Deer to cross. It also helps if there is a reason Deer want to cross the creek, like going from a bedding area to a feeding area.

I truly believe Deer hate crossing Beaver Dams, but it's either that or get wet. While Deer are excellent swimmers and their hollow hair will keep them warm even when wet, they still will avoid swimming if given the chance. So if you know of a creek with Beaver Dams spaced a ways apart, scout them good and look for Deer crossing!

Treestand Location #2. Saddles in long ridges. When I'm hunting in Mountainous areas like the Ozarks or Quachita's, I look for long ridge lines with a saddle in them. Unfortunately in these two mountain ranges, when you find a saddle, it generally has a freakin' road in it! But there are a few...if you look hard enough.

The saddle doesn't have to be very deep either. There's one place in Northern Arkansas that the elevation change in the ridge is only about 10 feet. But that slight saddle is enough to funnel those Rock Pile deer through it year after year!(at least every year I've hunted there, I can't speak for the years I'm not there...:D)

The best way to find them is by using a topo map and following the ridge lines and taking note of elevation changes. You can also use Google and use the Satellite photo's to find saddles, but the smaller ones are harder to see if the photo's were taking in Spring and Summer.

Treestand location #3. Fence crossings. If you hunt in an area with a lot of fences, then you should be looking for places where Deer cross them. One of my best stand locations is a fence crossing where an old tree fell across the fence and broke it. The landowners on either side have no cows in these pastures so neither are worried about getting the fence fixed. If you want to know the truth, I think both are waiting on the other to fix it. That's okay by me, as my Titan Ladder Stand is 30 yards away and this crossing has supplied me with Deer sightings every year!

If you're not lucky enough to have a tree fall where you want it, there are ways of making a better fence crossing. What I've done in the past is cut brush and put at every crossing where I didn't want the deer to cross. I then found a place for a stand and took some para cord and tied it to the top strand of wire and then to the bottom strand. I then pull the two as tight as I can forming a v at the top wire and an inverted 'V' at the bottom, giving the Deer more than enough room to jump over or crawl under the fence. Obviously this works with a barbed wire fence, a web wire fence is totally different, you may only be able to pull the top down.

Whatever you do, make sure you ask the landowner before doing any of these modifications!

Treestand location #4. Finger ridges. Take your hand and lay it flat on a table or other flat surface in front of you. Now spread your fingers wide and pretend these are finger ridges coming off of a main ridge. The hub, the center of the back of your hand, is where you'll want to scout for a treestand location. This is where most of the Deer will pass through in mountainous areas. Sometimes it may only be 2 or 3 fingers coming together at the Hub, sometimes it's more. If the "Hub" is also a nice Oak flat full of acorns, then you might just be sitting on a honey hole! These are definitely places you want to check out and put a treestand if the sign indicates Deer activity!

Treestand location #5. Strips of brush or trees extending out into fields. These can be Golden! Normally, if you have trees or a line of brush extending out into a farm field, it's because there is a draw there. It could also be because the ground there always stays wet. Whatever the reason, if you can find a place like this, look it over real well! Chances are Deer are using it to enter and exit the field. Bucks will especially like these areas during the Rut.

My favorite place to put a treestand in a situation like this is normally right at the 'base' of the draw or brush where it begins at the field edge. If the wind allows me, this setup will catch any Buck that is scent checking the field or waiting for Does returning from the field and using this strip as a travel path.

Treestand location #6. Treelines. Speaking of treelines, if you can find one connecting two sections of woods or other Deer habitat, you've probably found you a Deer super highway! My buddy lives in the same house he grew up in. About 200 yards across the pasture behind his house is a treeline about 75 yards wide that runs for about 1/4 mile. It connects a huge area of woods on the South side with broken woods and grown up fields on the North side. There are cow pastures on either side of this treeline and the cows do a good job of keeping the grass down.

Where do you think a Deer that wants to go from the South woods to the North section will travel? That's right, the treeline! It's also a good place to intercept a Buck that is traveling through the Countryside looking for a hot Doe. It's not unusual to look out his back window in the early mornings or late afternoons and see Deer walking along the treeline.

Treestand location #7. Edges of grown over clear cuts where they meet hardwoods. Another of my favorite spots to intercept Bucks are at the edges of a clear cut that has been cut over several years back and allowed to grow up. Usually years 2 through 5 after a place has been cut, there will be some nasty briars, bushes and crap a sane Man would never want to go into. I usually don't either! Most times I can find a spot along the edge and set up a treestand there. I particularly like to find trails leading in and out of these clear cuts. When the pressure gets hot and heavy, the Bucks know that these are safe places.

If you have permission and you're willing to do some work, then you can make you a Deer magnet anytime you find a grown up clear cut. What I've done in the past is crawl, yes I mean CRAWL into these jungles for about 50 yards and then started cutting a straight path through this mess. The path is about as wide as I can extend both arms. Why do I crawl into these areas? Because if you start at the edge, someone may find it and you're secret hunting spot will be done for!

I make these paths about 100 yards long if I can. Once I've got one straight, I go back to the halfway point and start cutting another bisecting the first. So when I'm done, I have what would look like a "Plus Sign" if viewed from the air. At each end of the 'plus sign' I look for trees to put up a stand. I also try to have a tree near the intersection of each lane of the 'plus sign'. Deer will use these lanes you cut like you wouldn't believe!

The downside is that it can be hard to get into these place undetected, so you'll have to leave early and take it slow.

Another feature that I added to several was to rake away the leaves and crap once I had the lanes cut and then threw down some quick growing Winter seed like wheat and rye. Imagine having such a secret spot that no one else knew about in a heavily hunted area.

Treestand location #8. Habitat changes. Technically, Location #7 above could be considered a habitat change. As could places where the Woods meet Fields. These are generally all good areas to look for Deer sign. Deer are edge lovers! A few places of habitat change that I've successfully hunted over the years include places where wetlands met hardwood forest, Pine plantings met hardwoods and obviously where crop fields met any kind of brush, whether it was a swamp or forest. The nastier the better!

There's a WMA about 2 hours away from me where I hunt a few times each year. It's hilly, some would say slightly mountainous. But there are several places where the ridges come down and meet bottom land. The White Oak and Black Jacks of the hillside meet the Red Oaks and Ash trees of the bottom. Along this edge I've had numerous treestands over the years and nearly always see Deer there. If used this pattern at other places I hunt and can nearly always find deer. Keep this in mind when you're out there scouting this year!

Treestand location #9. Remote fruit trees. I'll have to admit that I'm not real big on seeking out the best Persimmon trees or hoping to find an old homestead with an ancient Apple tree that draw deer from miles around. When I was younger, I did take some Apple trees that I grew from seeds and plant them on our property. I think they lasted maybe a week before something ate them! That was pretty much my attempt at trying to make my own Deer attracting Apple orchard!

But I know others who routinely kill nice Deer at these locations. If you know of some type of fruit tree such as Apple or Pear, it may pay off for you to check them each year for fruit. Persimmons are popular in our hunting area, but I can't say I've ever killed a Buck from one. I've taken a few Does over the years because they'll visit them during the daylight. In normal years, the Persimmons are gone by Gun season so they only provide fruit for a few weeks. They start ripening and falling shortly after the first good frost.

Treestand location #10. Standing corn. This is my last pick simply because Corn is not a crop that is grown that much in our area. The few chances that I have had to hunt it, I found it very exciting. Standing corn is Deer cover and food all wrapped up in one. There's no need for Deer to ever leave the cover of a standing Corn field, but obvioiusly some do just for the heck of it.

I like to bowhunt standing Corn fields by still hunting across the rows. I generally do this on Windy days so that the noise of the Corn stalks cover any noise I make. It's not uncommon to catch the Deer beded down between the rows. Just remember to start downwind.

I've also put up a ground blind about 30 yards inside the standing Corn and watched the edge. This is especially good if the edge of the Corn is a long ways away from Woods. Deer expect trouble from the woods, but for some reason the don't expect it from inside the Corn itself. I will usually cut the stalks in one row so I have a clean shot from my blind out to the edge. Use the cut stalks to brush in your blind and have fun!

So there you have it, my 10 best treestand locations. Hopefully you'll keep these in mind as you're out and about scouting this year. If you find one of these locations, look it over real good for Deer sign. You might just have stumbled upon a honey hole that produces year after year!

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Until I saw this book, I had never heard of Chris Eberhart. I had heard of John Eberhart, his dad, but it was only by reading a few articles in Outdoor magazines that I recognized his name. But since I don't really read many Outdoor magazines any longer, it had been a while. So I did a little research and found out that both John and Chris have wrote several books on hunting Trophy Whitetail Deer. And it seems they're pretty good in taking some of those big bucks home with them!

So it was I waited on the book to arrive and I dug into it the same day it came in the mail. At first, I thought this was a deer hunting book that started off with the Author telling about some of his deer hunting trips. I like these type of stories, so long as they don't go into the Author trying to boost his ego by describing what a big buck killer and all around nice guy he  or she is. Fortunately, Chris didn't do any of that.

But as I kept reading on through the book, I kept wondering where all this information about hunting other states on a budget was. I mean, Chris wove some tips throughout his stories about chasing big Whitetail bucks in other States, but there really wasn't any dedicated "how to" information in the book.

Chris described how he scouted and how he hunted deer. He also touched on how he hunts Public Land and mentioned obtaining some permission to hunt on private land a few times. He did describe some of the landowner relationships, which I found interesting as well.

There was mention of his hunting vehicle as well as mentioning of how he stayed in these areas while hunting and he went into his routine of going into town and washing his clothes and grocery shopping. And from what I can tell, that's about it.

In short, I was a little disappointed in the book. I was expecting a "How To" book and I got a damn good book on a man who's passionate about chasing big Whitetails with a bow. If it wasn't for that fact, I'd tell you to pass on this book.

If you're looking for information about how to DIY out of state hunting, this book is marginal at best in my opinion. If on the other hand you love to read about someone who's really into bowhunting trophy whitetail deer and gain some tips in the process, then you'll definitely want to read "Whitetail Access: How To Hunt Top Whitetail States Cheaply & Effectively".

I liked this book well enough to order Chris' and his Dad, John's book title "Bowhunting Pressured Whitetails". I'll let you know how that one turns out when I'm done with it!

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They're also running a special on their other products. Anymore, this is about the only way I shop. I look for coupons and I sign up for their newsletters so I get notices when they're running specials. Sportsmans Warehouse is great. I've bought truck loads of stuff off of them over the years. This Sale also ends soon, so don't miss out on the good deals!

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I can remember when Whitetail Institute started promoting their clover blend. At that time, planting high dollar food plots of clover was unheard of, or at least it was in my neck of the woods. The second year after hearing about this Super Clover Seed Blend that attracted Whitetail Deer from afar, I decided to give it a try. Early September found me pushing and pulling a push mower through the woods to a small opening I had permission to hunt. The tall weeds and grass in that little clearing nearly killed me and the mower before I had it all mowed down.

Next, I raked up all the grass and put it in a pile. Then the next day (I was pretty much whooped after using a push mower for a brush hog!), I pushed and pulled a tiller down to the small clearing. When I say small, I mean it was a place of about 20 feet wide by about 100 feet long. I tilled that ground over several times and it was much more difficult than the mowing was!

The next weekend I took a rake, several bags of lime and a bag of fertilizer through the woods to my "food plot". I worked this all in, which took me about a half a day. Rain was in the forecast so I wanted to wait for it to "wash in" the lime and fertilizer. A few days later after the rain I went back and I raked the soil again preparing the seed bed. Hmmm, this is a lot of work. "Poor men have poor men ways" came to mind as I was reraking this little plot. Once finished, I planted the Whitetail clover with visions of big bucks falling over one another to get to my tiny little plot back in the woods. After the seed was cast, I then reraked the area once again covering the seed up.

Unfortunately no one told the big bucks about my little plot! I did kill a Doe and 7 point buck out of that little meadow, but chances were good they used the place anyway since it had produced for me in the past.

From that little plot to ones I've planted that measured an acre or two, I've learned a few things about planting food plots for deer.

Here are some food plot tips to keep in mind before you start trying out your green thumb.

1. Get a soil test. I can't stress how important this is. A soil test will tell you the condition of the soil, along with what you need to do to improve it for the type of seed you'll be planting. It will also tell you how much lime and fertilizer to use. Lime and fertilizer is very important for a great food plot. It may mean the difference between you pulling deer from your neighbors land or them pulling deer from your land.
2. Match the type of seed to your local area. Some areas grow certain types of plants better than others. I mentioned using Whitetail Institute's clover when it first came out. That was all there was available at the time. It's my opinion that this clover is hard for me to grow in my area. I've had more failures than successes with this type of seed in remote plots. Now there is a whole category of seed that will grow with little soil preparation. From what I've seen, most of these seeds are rye.
3. Prepare the soil properly. This is where I see a lot of people goof up. You'd be surprised at how many people will lay down hard earned cash for a bag of seed and then just go out and throw the seed on the ground and expect it to grow. Rye will grow thrown on top of the ground as will winter wheat and oats. But they both will do better if you can at least rake the soil and turn it up a bit. Clover and Alfalfa need covered to be successful. If you're going to spend the money on good seed, then put forth the effort to get the most out of it.
4. I prefer to plant in long and narrow strips. Deer love to walk while eating. That's why they're called browsers. A nip here, a bite there. You'll seldom see a deer stand in one place very long. Make it comfortable for them to feed at your food plot.
5. Make sure your spot gets at least 50% of sun per day. You may have to hunt out a small opening, but game seeds don't grow well in the shade!
6. Plant a variety of seed to prolong the benefits of your plot. I like to plant seeds that will be beneficial to deer as soon as they come up in the early fall. At the same time, I usually include winter wheat or oats along with brassica (greens) so the plot will be beneficial to the deer and other wildlife up into the Winter. Your plot should be more than just a place to kill deer, it should be a place that helps deer and other Wildlife through the Winter into the Spring. By helping your deer make it through Winter in good shape, the Bucks will have a head start growing their antlers and the Does will give birth to healthier fawns.

Food plots do not have to be massive fields of exotic seeds to benefit Deer and wildlife. We don't all have huge John Deere tractors with all the implements along with seed companies throwing tons of seed at us so we'll advertise them. Even if you're not a so called deer hunting celebrity, you can help the animals in your area by planting your own food plot. These food plot tips should help you get started.

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I don't intend to start another debate about crossbow vs compound vs traditional archery as it pertains to hunting deer. I've been down that road many times. I own all types of bows and intend to continue to use them as I want to.

I just bought a new Excalibur Axiom and I have to say, it's a real pleasure to shoot. I've been shooting bows since 1978 and I'm just as happy to add this weapon to my arsenal as any I have bought before.

At one time in the late 80's and early 90's, I was dead set against crossbows being used in archery seasons. At the time I lived in Arkansas where crossbows were legal to use in the Archery season. I, like a lot of other anti-crossbow people, spewed the same mis information that had been spewed for many years. I called them "crossguns" and all the other nonsense jargon. It wasn't until about 1992, when I finally bought a crossbow, that my views changed. I quickly learned that a crossbow has a lot of the same limitations that any other bow has.

That crossbow was stolen a year later after I had moved back to Oklahoma and I never replaced it, even though I continued to hunt in Arkansas.

I'm glad to see that technology has helped make Crossbows somewhat quieter and with less vibration than my old PSE crossbow had! Still, they can be nosier than most compounds but the speed of the bolt is about that from a compound. That's the primary reason a crossbows effective range is usually around 40 yards. Even though my crossbow is accurate out to 40 plus yards, I limit my shots to no more than 30 yards under most conditions.

So what do I see for the future of archery hunting in Oklahoma? The reason I say that is because some doomsayers predict that Archery season will be abolished in Oklahoma because crossbow hunters will decimate the deer herd. Yeah, sounds silly once you read it doesn't it?

I suppose crossbows will affect Oklahoma deer hunting just as they have in places like Arkansas, Ohio, Alaska, Alabama and other places. Which means there will be little, if any difference in the number of deer taken but more hunters who would not otherwise hunt will be taking to the field, mainly Women, younger hunters and elderly hunters. This can only be a good thing as in most States the numbers of hunters are declining.

And maybe, just maybe they'll actually EXTEND hunting season like they have in some of those other states! I think Oklahoma legalizing crossbows for archery hunting will help our sport, just like allowing inline muzzleloaders and compound bows with sights and releases helped. (although I was against the inline muzzleloaders with scopes at one time also)

What finally made me realize that all these modern forms of hunting are actually good for our sport were the numbers of new hunters that entered our sport. If it wasn't for new technology, just think of how many fewer hunters would be afield if only longbows and recurve bows were legal in archery season and only muzzleloading rifles with size hammers using flintlocks were legal in Primitive weapon season? Simply put, greater number of hunters means more security when it comes to fighting anti hunters trying to reduce or eliminate our hunting seasons.

Besides, once I came down of my high horse, I found shooting inline muzzleloaders with scopes and shooting crossbows were a lot of fun! So yeah, I'm one happy camper that an archer can use crossbows in Oklahoma for deer hunting.

Buy hey, don't take my word for it, see what Uncle Ted thinks about it!

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1. They fail to scout. Now when I say scout, that's exactly what I mean. I don't mean lollygagging around the woods taking potshots with a .22 a few days before season. I mean getting out weeks before the season opens and scouring your hunting area real good. Even if you're familiar with the lay of the land, you'll be surprised from time to time by what you find. Lots of things can change from season to season, that's why it's important to get out and scout!

2. They fail to become proficient with the weapon they're using. The funny thing is, the definition of 'proficient' changes from hunter to hunter. Some may believe it's being able to shoot a 2" group at 100 yards. Others think if they can hit a 12"x12" piece of paper at 50 yards, that is all they need. When I was a kid, my dad use to hang a one gallon paint bucket on a limb at about 50 yards. If he could hit it with his open sighted 30-30 Marlin, then his gun was "sighted in" and he was perfectly happy. And he killed a lot of deer with that gun, few were rarely shot past 50 yards though.

I think most of us would agree that a scoped modern rifle should be able to put at least 3 rounds inside 3 inches at any range up to 100 yards. If the gun can do that, then the shooter should practice proper breath control and trigger sqeeze.

For bow hunters, I believe they should be able to keep all their arrows inside a 5 or even 6 inch group out to 40 yards. Obviously I'd like to see them also keep at least 3 arrows in a 3 inch circle out to 40, but I had trouble doing that at 40 yards with my old compound. Only when I started shooting instinctively did my accuracy improve greatly. I just could never develop the form to shoot accurately with sights out to 40 yards.

3. Lack of Patience. Over the years I've learned that many times I found that a lack of patience was really a lack of confidence in most cases. Funny that you have no trouble sitting in a blind until Noon if you're seeing deer, or if you think you'll be seeing them. But a lot of people have a problem sitting still even an hour or so before they get up and start walking around. Which by the way, is another mistake beginners make!

I can't tell you how many deer I've watched impatient hunters spook because they were out of their blind or treestand by 8 or 9 and started walking around. If you've done your scouting properly, there should be no reason for you to be out plopping around the freakin' woods at 8 or 9 a.m. You're better off going back to camp and making coffee for everyone else who will be filing in in a few hours.

4. They call too much. I think beginners and even some veterans should have their deer calls taken away. I'd bet that the majority of deer hunters have never heard a real deer in the woods. And of those hunters, the majority of them have never listened to a pro on a CD or DVD call deer. They may have seen one of the TV show cowboys do it, but few have taken the time to hear real deer call in the woods.

Even if you're using an excellent grunt call like the MAD Grunt/Snort/Wheez call, you can easily over call and spook deer!

Usually one of two things happen. The Hunters will go out and call long and hard for a few days and when nothing shows up, the proclaim to everyone they meet from here on out that deer calls are jokes and do not work. Or, they use the call a few times and when a big buck doesn't magically show up, the lose interest and leave the call at home or back in camp.

I've been deer hunting for nearly 30 years now and I've hear deer vocalize only a few dozen times over the years. Of course, I probably spend a lot more time scouting and deer hunting than the average Joe as well. Deer make soft subtle sounds, even a buck trailing a hot doe doesn't grunt near as loud as many commercial call sound. Plus, deer don't make continuous sound every step they make!

5. They use too much scent. Like over calling, a lot of deer hunters are relying on that magical deer in a bottle to produce a buck for them. Many deer hunters subscribe to the theory that more is better. That just isn't true!

I dearly loved to watch the late Ben Rogers Lee. I use to have nearly all of his deer hunting videos and I learned a lot from watching them. However I cringed when he would pour a whole bottle of his deer scent on a tarsal gland or rag and say something like "Now you can't get to much of this scent on the ground, use plenty so the Buck can really smell it". I know he was just selling deer scent, but then again the guy didn't have a problem killing deer. He knew them just as well as he knew the habits of Turkey. But beginners thought his 'secret to success' was all that deer scent he was pouring out!

Deer can put Bloodhounds to shame. If you're going to use scent, use only a few drops. I think the majority of deer hunters would do far better without scents than with them. Most don't know how to use them properly or when to use them. I personally don't want a deer to know I'm anywhere around when he comes by my stand. Sure, I've had scents work and I've had them spook deer, especially when using a Doe in Estrous scent during the rut. Many small bucks that have had their butts whipped will spook. So will Does. They know that if a Buck is present, it'll be cold nosing them and pestering them for a long time. So they will avoid another Doe who smells like she is 'in'. That's why most of the time you'll find me using a deer scent like Wildlife Research's Trails End #307. I've used it for many years and it doesn't seem to spook deer in my area during the rut. I've also seen it attract several deer that I know of, including a few bucks.

6. Fail to plan. There's a saying in the business world that goes something like "If you fail to plan, then you're planning to fail". The same could be said about deer hunting. Do you have backup stand locations for different wind directions? What if there are hunters in your area, do you have an alternate plan? Have you ever went hunting and forgot your weapon at camp or home? Have you ever forgot your release or shells?

You should have alternate hunting stand locations mapped out and know which wind directions they are good for. Plus, a simple checklist that you check before heading out will keep you from forgetting an important part of your gear. Over the years I've heard of more than one story about a deer hunter who went ahead and sit in their stand even though they had forgotten their weapon or ammo only to have a Buck walk by within range. I bet you've heard one or two stories about unprepared hunters.

7. The use cheap equipment. When I say 'cheap', I mean poor quality equipment. I can't tell you how many people just want the cheapest piece of equipment they can find. Whether it's the cheapest bow, treestand, game camera or rifle, it seems their only requirement is that they equipment is cheap. How many times have you seen someone ask a question in the forums like "What's the best and cheapest bow?" or "What's the best and cheapest cold weather hunting clothes?"

It's okay to save a buck (no pun intended), but simply being a cheap scape because you're tight is a whole different matter. Poor quality hunting equipment can come back to bite you when you need it the most. Like scopes, rifles, bows, clothes, boots and other deer hunting products, sometimes it's better to save up a little while longer and buy the good stuff.

Don't get me wrong. Although I see beginners make most of these mistakes, making these mistakes doesn't seem to know the difference between a beginning deer hunter and someone who's been hunting for decades. The only thing I can see is that serious deer hunters make fewer of these mistakes than the weekend warriors. I believe it comes down to how serious you are about deer hunting. The more serious you are, the more you're likely to learn from your mistakes and not repeat them.

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