Outdoorsmen Adventures.com

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is using a new online tool designed to increase hunter access to land where landowners seek more antlerless deer hunters.

The Antlerless Deer Hunter Program allows hunters to register online and landowners to scan the database for hunters in their area, then contact them by telephone or e-mail.

This program is available at OutdoorNebraska.org. Click on Hunting, Programs and then Antlerless Deer Hunter Program to access it, or go directly to http://outdoornebraska.ne.gov/hunting/programs.asp.

“We hear from many hunters who have difficulty finding land to hunt,” said Kit Hams, big game program manager with Game and Parks. “We also hear from landowners who say hunters only want to shoot bucks or they do not feel comfortable telling hunters… Continue reading

Reprinted from the Sioux City Journal

These two jakes came running into our hen calls at the Big Blue Ranch and Lodge near

Burchard, Neb. (Journal photo by Larry Myhre)

BURCHARD, Neb. — Like so many times before, it was a gobble that first alerted us that a tom turkey was coming in.

Gary Howey motioned that the bird was downhill in front of us just in case I hadn’t heard.

I had the video camera running and began looking for the bird.

The first indication was the tip of his tail, spread in full strut, and slowly rocking back and forth as the bird stepped forward.

Then he was there, all puffed up and drumming. It was a glorious sight and one that sets a turkey hunter’s heart to pounding.

He was 15 yards out when Gary “putted” sharply on his diaphragm call to make the bird come out of strut and stick up his head.

Just like that it was over.

Less than two hours into our hunt on the Big Blue Ranch and Lodge south of Burchard, we had both filled turkey tags.

Gary, from Hartington, Neb., and I were guests of Scott Bodie and his wife Billie Kay. Their 2,000-acre working cattle ranch is the backdrop for a retreat for hunters, fishermen, horse enthusiasts, bird watchers or anyone just seeking relaxation.

Their cedar log lodge sits above a 25-acre, spring-fed pond stocked with largemouth bass, crappies, bluegills and northerns.… Continue reading

Reprinted from Field & Stream

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2 pounds venison                                                                            ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ pound thick cut bacon diced                                                2 tbls chili powder

2 medium yellow onions diced                                                 1 tbls paprika

1 medium red onion diced                                                          1 tbls cumin

1 jalapeno chili peppers, seeded & diced                              1 tbls salt

1 red pepper, seeded & diced                                                     1 tbls black pepper

1 yellow pepper, seeded & diced                                              1 tbls cinnamon

1 green pepper, seeded & diced                                                 ¼ cup honey

½ of an 8 oz. can of chipotle, chillies, seeded                    1 tbls molasses

& chopped                                                                                          1 bottle Guinness or other stout beer

3 cloves or garlic minced                                                             ½ cup of good red wine

1 can of whole plum tomatoes                                                  1 can crushed tomatoes

2 cans black beans chopped, cilantro

1. In a large pan, sauté the venison until just cooked. Drain and set aside. Cook in batches to keep from crowding in pan.

2. In a large pot with a heavy bottom, Sautee bacon over medium heat until brown and has given up it’s fat. Remove and set aside.… Continue reading

The 7th annual Northeast Nebraska Whitetails Unlimited banquet was held Friday March 19th at the Wausa Fire Hall.

Whitetails Unlimited (www.whitetailsunlimited.com) is a national conservation organization promoting deer hunting and other outdoor activities, which headquartered out of Sturgeon Bay, WI. established in 1982 with over 100,000 members.

Approximately 425 people attended this year’s event where attendees had the opportunity to win numerous prizes including 40 guns and bows.

WTU banquets are family orientated events aimed at involving the entire family.

Our youth are very important to WTU, as they are the future of deer hunting and all outdoor sports.

Because of this, there are special promotions and contest held at the banquet designed especially for the youth.

WTU offers its members an avenue to raise funds to support common interests such as preserving the hunting tradition and educating the public on the importance of conserving our natural resources

At this years event, $48,000.00 was raised, much of which will remain in the area, being used for conservation and youth programs.

Funds raised from these WTU events, one half of which stays locally, is donated to numerous area activities.

In 2009 the Northeast Nebraska WTU donated  $20,906.00 to conservation related activities. Included in these were; donations to area schools, 4-H groups, hunter’s education, handicap hunters programs, archery clubs, area communities, conservation organizations and for state game & park projects.… Continue reading

A potential new Nebraska state record whitetail deer was taken in Richardson County.  It’s estimated that the buck, a 38 pointer was 7-8 years old.

No matter what state you’re in, more than likely you’ll see deer, especially during the Rut when they’re mating which in our area is around the middle of November or this time of the year when deer herds yard up where they congregate near their feed source.

Because of the huge deer population, there are several seasons, giving hunters numerous opportunities to tag a deer, which helps to control the excess deer numbers.

In Nebraska, those hunters with the Landowner Youth or Season Choice deer seasons will have the opportunity to hunt until January 15.

In South Dakota, East and West River hunters who didn’t fill their “any deer” and “any whitetail antlerless tag as well as all unsold tags will be changed to antlerless tags. This season will re-open running from Dec 26 – Jan 3, 2010.

Other South Dakota deer seasons that will remain open through January 31st include: the Archery, Muzzleloader and the Youth season.… Continue reading

Hunting Season is upon us once again and the members of Team Outdoorsmen Adventures wishes you the best season of all!

North Carolina Archery Season has begun with many other states opening soon. A bow hunter is someone who gets to know his prey up close and personal. He is of the land and knows the patterns and movements of the game he intends to harvest.

This is what makes a great hunter out in the woods. “Make No Mistake About It!” That is exactly the key element in a bow hunters mindset he must be mentally ready and prepared for the shot.

The hunt starts before season when he picks his bow up each year. It makes sense to not take the shot if you have not completed your homework.

The first task to cover is to inspect our bow for damages. Inspect it anyway, even if it has been locked in your case for the past year. If your string looks worn, it’s time to replace it. I like to replace my bowstring every two years regardless of the wear and tear on it. Strings will stretch over time. Inspect your arrows and anything else on the bow. Look for cracks, a bent arrow, torn or bad fletching or anything than could cause an arrow to fly incorrectly.

Make sure you oil movable parts of your bow with scentless oil. Wax your string each time you practice. Proper care of all bow hunting equipment is essential to success in the field.

Once all this has been accomplished you are ready to shoot again. Practice everyday no less than a month before season. I feel if you’ve put in shooting time every night till the opener you’ll be prepared physically and mentally for you shot at a game animal.

By this time your shot should become a repetition of steps that you do automatically without thinking.

Even at this point, here in North Carolina with a longbow season practice should be performed periodically during season to ensure your form and shot have not went south.

When the game animal is in front of you the less thinking you do the better. This brings me to a point on the many sights that are on the market.… Continue reading

Deer hunting has quickly become one of the more popular big game animals.

The reason for this is simple; they can be found almost everywhere. These animals are very adaptable and can live in close proximity to man.

No matter where we’ve went there have always been deer around, both whitetail and mule deer.

One thing that I figured out a long time ago is that deer are like any other critter, including man, as they will take advantage of anything that makes their life easier.

I found this out the first couple of years while hunting near my cabin.  The deer, especially the bucks seemed to always come out in a certain area while avoiding others.

Unfortunately, the area they were using was impossible to hunt unless you sat on the ground as there was no place to conceal a ground blind and no trees big enough for a tree stand.

The next summer and early fall, I spent a lot of time in the woods, trying to figure out why one trail would be used more than others as all of the trails eventually led to their bedding area which were all in the same area.

Let’s look at the difference between these trails so we can understand how to make the deer come out in front of you instead of the other side of the valley.… Continue reading

Bill Graves’ garage is a long ways from the great hall of an European baronial estate.

There is no huge fireplace where a flickering fire lights up the walls revealing medieval weapons of war and glittering skulls and antlers of red deer and moose .

Nope. Here there’s just a refrigerator full of beer, a wall full of hunting and fishing photos and a stainless steel table and sink where deer are butchered every winter by Graves and his many deer hunting friends.

It’s not until you notice the back wall cluttered with deer skulls and racks of all sizes that you begin to get a feel for the medieval.

It’s here that Graves, Rob Blades, both of Sioux City, Kevin Horsley, Lawton, and Tracy Nelson of Salix have perfected a method of producing top quality European deer mounts.

An European-style deer mount consists of a deer’s skull, minus the jawbone mounted against a wooden plaque. The skull is bleached white and the antlers are polished to a rich luster.… Continue reading

The new Game Cleaning System from Hunter’s Specialties® helps hunters quickly field dress deer, antelope, bear, hogs, and other similar sized game.

The Game Cleaning System contains a set of field dressing gloves which protect your hands and arms from blood and bodily fluids all the way to your shoulders.

The kit also contains the new Butt Out® 2 big game field dressing tool which quickly and easily removes the alimentary canal of the animal being field dressed, making the entire process safer and easier.

An economy deer field dressing bag is included to place the animal in after skinning to keep off dirt and pests.

A pack of Scent-A-Way Field Wipes is also included for quick and easy clean up.

Proper game care… Continue reading