Beat The Elements

Extending the life of your trail camera – Humidity and rain, can cause condensation problems in your trail cameras with the change of temperature outside. A system to minimize some of these problems might be to place a single silica gel pack in the housing of your trail camera , this will help eliminate or reduce malfunctions due to moisture and sudden change of temperature which will fog up camera lenses and create batteries sweat! Another huge advantage of using Silica gel packs is that they naturally absorb and eliminate human and household  odors en-grained in the plastic housing of your camera. They do not use chemicals that give off foreign odors which would spoke deer, they do not cover odors but they absorb them after continued use. Use this technique this coming season to ensure you capture that perfect photo or video of a giant buck on a rainy fall day or an early morning summer photo of a velvet whitetail buck on a green field.

Location, Location, Location

When picking a prime location for a trail camera set, try not to set the camera in low lying swampy areas. You will get a lot of fog on the outside of the cameras lens, especially early season. The gel packs will not mitigate the outside moisture on the camera housing, but will keep the inside of the camera dry. Be sure to check your cameras gaskets every season to ensure no dry rotting of the outer gasket liner, this will ensure the bottom of your camera is not full of standing water after a rain event. I always try and face my trail cameras directly on a trail so i can get the animal walking to it, this will ensure you get a pretty good look at the buck you are trying to hunt.

Keep That Camera Going for Years

Trail camera monitoring has become a outdoor hobby all on its own.Silica gel packs will dry out any moisture trapped in the camera and absorb battery sweat from your trail cameras,card readers or range finders. Also when winterizing your trail camera for the season when you bring them into a warm house from cold conditions, Immediately remove the batteries and memory card  and place them in a bag of silica gel for a day or two to absorb the moisture before storing them away for the season. Repeat this process with the actual camera before putting it away for the season.

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Watch as Equipment Editor Patrick Meitin talks about how to create a mock scrape using Wildlife Research Center products!

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10 Buck Calling Tips – By Gary Sefton

10 Buck Calling Tips: Most deer-hunting seasons around the country coincide with at least some part of the whitetail rut, so in all likelihood you’ll have the opportunity to hunt during this peak-activity period. Using deer calls can be productive during this phase, if you keep in mind the fact that mating anticipation will be the prime motivating factor. Bucks are looking for does! Check out these 10 tips for rut-time bucks.

1) Pros & Cons of Calling During the Rut

The bad news: Most breeding-age bucks are “camped out” on a receptive doe by the peak of the rut, especially in high doe-to-buck ratio areas. Your chances are slim to none for calling a buck away from a receptive doe. Bucks are also unpredictable and hard to pattern at this time since they are constantly on the move seeking or following receptive does.

The good news: Hyperactive, testosterone-driven bucks are more prone to forego caution when they’re seeking and chasing does, which is why so many street-smart bucks end up as traffic fatalities. This state of urgency makes them highly vulnerable to calling during the rut, if you can sound like a doe or make them believe a receptive doe is in the area. The trick is catching them between does.

2) Set up To Call 

Job number one is to set up in popular areas. A good place to set up and call is close to a concentrated food source. The food attracts the does and the does attract the bucks. Try to hang your stand on a rise or in a thicket so the first time you see a buck he is in range. Use physical obstacles (open fields, creeks, swamps, tangled blow-downs, steep banks) downwind of your stand to discourage bucks from swinging downwind to “scent check” the site before committing to your calls.

3) Buck Grunts

The short monotone, hog-like grunts a buck makes when he is trailing a doe can attract other bucks, because it is believed a doe is involved. Make several grunts in a sequence, varying volume and projected direction to give the impression of a buck on the move and following a receptive doe.

4) Sniff Wheezes, Growls, Roars & Bellows

Aggressive call sequences have the potential to clear an area of all deer, with the possible exception of the fire-breathing wall-hanger who comes charging in to discourage intruders. Remember, mating anticipation is what the rut is all about.

5) Decoys & Scents

Doe decoys can be an added attraction, especially if you are hunting fields and/or open country. If a buck hears a doe, then sees or smells a doe, the rest should be up to you. Adding some realism to your calling can’t hurt.

6) Rattling

A self-confident buck seeking a doe will investigate aggressive rattling during the rut if they believe a receptive doe is close by. Just be sure your setup discourages scent checking.

7) Doe Bleats

You can’t go wrong with doe bleats during the rut. If you hear a buck trailing a doe, bleat at him.  He is on her trail but he doesn’t know where it leads. Offer him a shortcut. Tip cans and bleat calls can sound exactly like what a buck is looking for, and serve as music to his ears.

8) Anticipate Success

When you make a call, expect results. Be ready! When a buck comes in hard and fast and doesn’t see what he heard, he will often leave hard and fast.

9) Don’t Over-Anticipate 

Expect a response but don’t be crushed if it doesn’t happen. Successful call-ups depend on just-right situations. Deer won’t respond if they are alarmed, stressed or even suspicious. Survival will always trump social behavior.

10) Don’t Get Discouraged, Hang In There!

Unattached bucks are constantly on the move during the rut. The more time you spend on stand broadcasting invitations, the higher your chances for success. Deer calls aren’t magic bullets, but an accurate deer vocalization done at the right time, in the right place, can be the deciding factor in a successful deer hunt.

Read more at insidearchery.com

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Easton 6mm FMJ & NAP Spitfire Edge 

Easton’s 6mm FMJs are great for quiet, effective shots. They feature Easton’s signature carbon core with a 7075 alloy metal jacket, a straightness tolerance of +/- .003, and pre-installed H nocks. Pair them with some reliable NAP Spitfire Edge broadheads, which have Hardened Trophy Tips and micro-grooved Slimline ferrules, and you have combo with bone shattering penetration. Learn more at eastonhunting.com and newarchery.com.

Easton 6mm Da’Torch & Muzzy Trocar HB

For a lighter, faster option, consider pairing an Easton 6mm Da’Torch with a Muzzy Trocar HB. These high velocity carbon shafts, which have a straightness tolerance of +/- .001, are perfect for delivering a mechanical broadhead with pinpoint accuracy. The Muzzy Trocar HBs add to that accuracy with their aerodynamic design, and they deliver a devastating wound channel with a 1-inch fixed-blade cutting diameter and 1 5/8 inch expandable cutting diameter. Learn more at eastonhunting.com and muzzy.com.

Beman ICS White Out & Wac’Em Expandable

Equipping Beman ICS White Out arrows with Wac’Em Expandables provides hunters with a middle-of-the-road combo in terms of balance, speed and weight. Beman ICS White Outs have a straightness tolerance of +/- .003, and feature greyed-out Realtree camo for high visibility and easy blood-trailing. Wac’Em Expandables fly with field-point accuracy, and make blood-trailing even easier with their 2-inch cutting diameter. Learn more at beman.com and wacemarchery.com.

Bloodsport Evidence & Gravedigger Chisel Tip Mechanical Broadheads

The Evidence features Bloodsport’s proprietary Rugged Wrap construction, which provides exceptional durability and long-range accuracy. These heavier shafts provide excellent shot-silence, and they come with Blood Ring technology so hunters know which organs they hit. Gravedigger Chisel Tip Mechanical Broadheads make this a reliable combo by delivering a 1-inch fixed-blade and two 1 ¾ inch cross-opening mechanical blades, which are held in place by the patented Blade-Retention system for superb accuracy. Learn more at bloodsportarchery.com.

Black Eagle Spartan & Rage Hypodermic 

The Black Eagle Spartan falls into the speed category with its light weight and small diameter. They also have a steel insert, which brings some extra weight to the front of the shaft for top-notch accuracy and penetration. Rage Hypodermics have a compact, aerodynamic design and wide 2-inch cutting diameter, adding wide-cutting reliability and further increasing the accuracy of this combo. Learn more at blackeaglearrows.com and ragebroadheads.com.

Carbon Express Maxima RED & Slick Trick Magnum

This combo is a very forgiving, easy to tune option. Carbon Express Maxima REDS feature Dynamic Spine Control and RED ZONE technology to control arrow flex, allowing broadheads to reach their maximum potential. Pair them with some Slick Trick Magnums, which have 2 ¼ inches of total cutting potential and a bone shattering tip, and you have a combo that can reliably bring down the biggest bucks and leave easy-to-follow blood-trails. Learn more at carbonexpressarrows.com and slicktrick.net.

Gold Tip Kinetic Pierce & G5 Havoc 

This combo is great for bowhunters with setups on the lower end of the energy spectrum. Gold Tip’s Kinetic Pierce arrows fly with blistering speed and have a reduced diameter to resist wind drift for field-point accuracy. G5 Havocs also suit a low energy setup with 2-inches of cutting diameter and a cut-on-contact tip. Learn more at goldtip.com and g5outdoors.com.

Victory VAP Low Torque TKO & QAD Exodus 

This is another excellent middle-ground, reliable combo in terms of weight and speed. The Victory VAP Low Torque TKO provides excellent kinetic energy and features MaxxKe Technology to prevent accuracy-robbing arrow twisting. The Exodus from QAD is an all-around reliable broadhead, featuring a bone-shattering tip, durable and razor sharp blades, and field-point accuracy. Learn more at victoryarchery.com and qadinc.com.

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