This is my motivation for life, my son Tyler.

He is on his first field trip with his pre school class and that smile on his face says it all. Moments like that will never happen again, they might be similiar but they will change with age. I as a father will always want the best for him and will strive to make sure he learns and is taught as my father taught me.

The one thing I would like to teach him is to “respect the environment and wildlife” for if we as adults don’t teach our youngsters of today it might not be there for their kids tomarrow. We need to start thinking long term because the one thing I have realized is that life is to short and we should not waste it. I lost my father a year ago and there is so many things I did not get to do and did not get to say that, well let’s just say I don’t want that to happen with my son.

I sincerely hope he has the same passion as I do about our tradition of hunting and my love for the great outdoors and if I take the time to teach and tell than he just might but, in the long run whatever he decides to do as long as it makes him happy than I will be happy.

This year for the first time I am going on a fully guided deer hunt to Maine. I wanted to just be able to say I did it at least once. A few years ago I tried it and booked with a outfitter in New York and it did not go well at all. I spent the second to the last day in New York with the Game Wardens, come to find out they were watching him for 3 months and then me and my friend strolled along and ended up finishing their case against him with our testimony. I have to say it was partly my fault that I did not do my homework when I was looking for a outfitter.

It took me a few years to try it again and believe me I think I did my homework this time. I decided to go to Maine. I here they have some big buck’s up there if you can find them. I began looking at Outfitters and believe me there is quite a few in Maine. Part of my decision making process was finances. I am not rich and not poor but I also wanted what I was going to pay for.

I spent a lot of time doing research and had originally picked six finalist so to speak. I ended up picking one in Patten Maine called Conklin’s Lodge and Camps. From their website you can see what the camp looks like and all the options that they offer. I even called and spoke to the owner who was very nice to speak to and was very informative.

I also went on the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to do some looking around. It was a lot of help and good to review some of their Laws and Regulations. I will be using a Muzzleloader on this trip. I like the One Shot Challenge of a muzzleloader.

I even went as far as picking a Taxidermist up there if I am lucky enough to harvest one, I tend to think positive, it usually helps. I do have a Taxidermist in Connecticut but I was thinking it might be easier to just take my pictures and leave it up there to be mounted, I haven’t quite decided yet. If I choose this Taxidermist up in Maine then all I have to do is go in town to one of two of their locations. There name is Frazier’s Trading Post and Taxidermy Studio. Like I said I have not decided so if you read this and click the link please leave me a comment on what you think about the Taxidermist.

As far as the Outfitter goes I am going. I will be there the week after Thanksgiving this year with a Muzzleloader so I am x-ing off the days on the calender. Either way wether I harvest one or not I plan to have a good time. I certainly will be posting a review when i do come back.

I am proud to be an American and I am not ashamed to show it. I find myself with a opportunity to let others know how I feel about this country and the colors that represent it.

Memorial day means more than just a three day weekend. To many people, especially the thousands of combat veterans this day is a remembrance of those who have died in the service of their country. They should never be forgotten and they never will for those of us who care so much to not forget what they have given us.

Here is a poem that should always stick with us,

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades.

To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the “National Moment of Remembrance” resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans “To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence.

These are my views, I hope you all have a safe and happy Memorial day.

This past fall I had to drag a nice buck out and I was by myself so I reached into my fanny pack and pulled out my deer drag which I had never used yet. It originally was given to me as a gift.

It was called Glen’s Deer Handle Deer Drag which I would recommend to any one.

One other suggestion that I would possibly use is a deer sled which you could also get at a reasonable price if you think of all the hard work it takes to drag out nice deer.

So here are two different types you can choose from, one that I know works and one that I am told works. Either way the easiest is the best, especially if you are trying to protect the hide or the head for mounting.

This is for the computer savvy hunter and even for the novice as well. I did a product review for another website not to long ago. It was for a computer program that is easily installed and can keep track of your deer cam pics as well as harvest records.

It is called The Whitetail Pro Log and let me tell you I only wish I had it 17 years ago when I started hunting. It is very user friendly and if you ever get stuck for some reason, just contact the company Weekend Warrior Productions, LLC. and they will get right back to you in a timely manner.

You can keep track of all your harvest data right on your own computer by using this software which you can view and study at a later date, you can even print them out.

And if you want to keep track of all your deer cam pictures then there is a section for that. It also is available to move them from your computer to the software.

Here is a nice little feature that come with the program which could be beneficial,

Money Back Guarantee - If within 30-days of your purchase you are not 100% satisfied with Whitetail Pro Log, simply return the program for a full refund! If within the 30-days Whitetail Pro Log meets your expectations, contact us to request your key code. The key code will unlock, register and qualify your program for future upgrades.  

I went shooting at the gun range a couple of days ago with my muzzleloader and I don’t mind saying that the palm of my hand is soar from pushing the bullet down the barrel with the ramrod. On the way home I was thinking that I need something to protect my hand but at the same time be something that I can just put down when I don’t need it.

I came up with this idea. Take a old leather belt that you don’t need and cut a strip 4 to 5 inches long. This piece will fit right in the palm of your hand and will protect your palm from black and blue soars.

Today I want to talk a little about Hunting Forums. It was almost two years ago when deer season was over and winter had set in so there wasn’t much to do so I started to surf the net. I came across a hunting forum and decided to take a chance and register which was ok but, there was not many people talking.

I had decided that I liked the concept of a hunting forum and really wanted to make it a off season past time so I went on the search again for a more active forum. I had found one that seemed to be very busy so I registered on that and before I knew it I was hooked.

On this particular hunting forum I made quite a few friends and learned a lot about deer hunting in different parts of the US. I came across this other hunting forum and figured I would register on that, which I did. It did not generate the membership that was needed to really get it going but, I did come across this guy who also registered and by talking back and forth we became friends. His name is Norm who has a blog called outdoorswithnorm.

Before I go any farther I wanted to thank him for getting me started because at the time he was and still is working with U.S. Hunting Today as their Northeast Regional Marketing director. He got me starting with USHT as a moderator for a couple of their state hunting forums and enjoyed it so much that I wanted more. As of right now I am Administrator for three of there state hunting forums and absolutely loving it and I am also Connecticut State Marketing Director for USHT. The hunting forums are Connecticut Hunting Today, Vermont Hunting Today and New Hampshire Hunting Today.

What better to feed a whitetail hunters obsession than to get involved with a network like U.S. Hunting Today and Skinny Moose Media. I enjoy hunting the whitetail deer and talking to other hunters on hunting forums who do the same and feel the same as I do. Sure you say that some forums are slow and there is not many people on them to talk to but, that will not always be that way. A good hunting forum is only as good as the people who talk on it and the quantity of people who talk on them.

What I say to anyone who is interested in hunting forums, just three small words ” Just Try It” To register on a hunting forum is easy and painless and best of all it’s FREE. The personal information that they sometimes ask for is kept private and will not be handed out. A hunting forum is a great place to talk hunting, share stories and pictures, pick up some good tips and learn a little or refresh the memory about hunting and the type of game you hunt.

So what do you say, why don’t you give a hunting forum a try and maybe make a friend or two and talk about hunting at the same time. If Connecticut, Vermont or New Hampshire don’t interest you than try one of the other states. Almost every state has a hunting forum through the U.S. Hunting Today network and the states that don’t soon will.

I just came from the rifle range and I am preparing to clean my muzzleloader. I only shot 12 rounds but let me tell you the gun was filthy. I use to shoot Pyrodex which was very dirty and very corrosive but I recently switched to Triple Seven which burns cleaner and is Sulfur free which means it is not as corrosive.

I took the gun apart and I was amazed at the residue I had found. Two weeks before when I had it out I only lightly cleaned it because I knew I was going to be shooting it again. Bad idea, I will never do that again. It took me twice as long to clean it and luckily it was not sitting that way for to long.

I can not stress the fact enough that you need to clean your guns thoroughly after every time you take them out, it will save you time and aggravation later. It will also help the gun to shoot more accurately and consistantly when it is clean and working properly.

Well today I went to the Rifle range again to work on my muzzleloader. It went ok but I still need to work on it a bit and try to get it a little tighter on the grouping.

I really like the gun and the bullets I am using so I need to make it work because I am going to Maine for the first time on a guided muzzleloader hunt the week after Thanksgiving.

I really enjoy muzzleloading and if I had a choice of weapon to take it would be that. There is something about the one shot challenge to drives me to perfect the sport.

Why and Where

This is the time of year those big boys start to grow their head gear. You will be able to see the start of some beautiful racks in their velvet covering. It is a fast growing process where they need to be careful of damage because they are still growing.

Around late August or early September depending on the region and the bucks health they will start to make their first rubs. These are mainly to help remove the velvet which is at a time when the antlers have reached their full potential and the blood supply begins to stop. These rubs are so few that they would be very hard to spot.

Even though they are hard to find these early rubs it is a good idea to look for them because the early rubs are usually made by the biggest deer in that area. The dominant bucks will begin rubbing first and continue through September. According to a article by Field and Stream some Biologists say a single buck can produce 60 - 500 rubs a year with the dominant bucks averaging 300 rubs or more. Smaller subordinate bucks will not gain testosterone levels until later in October so if you find a concentration of rubs early chances are you found a dominant buck in that area.

Early rubs can be found around the edges of feeding areas and around bedding areas as well. The best place to put your stand though would be on trails leading to and from these spots. You do not want to get to close as your chance of spooking deer will be greater. Concentrate more toward bedding areas than feeding because it will better your chance of catching one in a travel pattern during shooting light.

Rubs will tell a story

The most important thing that I have noticed is that a rub will tell you which direction it’s maker was traveling which could help you in determining a setup location. It will also help you determine the size of the buck and possibly where it ranks in the deer herd for that area.

Bucks large and small will rubs small trees but only large bucks will rub large trees and dominate bucks will rub the same tree over and over again where as you smaller bucks will not.

Gouges are usually made by the antler tips but could also be made by the short nubs near the bases, so when you see that chances are you have a big boy in the neighbor hood. So remember the bigger the rub the bigger the deer who made it.

So here is a brief overview

1. Find the early rubs and determine where feeding and bedding is.

2. Determine the travel routes and plan a setup location preferably on a feeding trail.

3. Remember big rubs = big deer

4. Gouges are a great sign to show deer size.

5. Direction of travel will be shown by what side of tree the rub is on.

6. Rub on both side of tree tells you coming and going. Excellant location for setup.

So remember to spot those rubs and Happy Hunting.