Food Plots

Food plots are very important to wildlife.  Providing food, and, depending on the type of plant and animal, even cover.

What to Plant

Plants that you can plant on your own are included here:

Clover
Clover is one of the most popular food plot plants out there.  A good food source that provides protein, deer love it.  Given good care (mowing, fertilizing), clover can last forever.

Corn
Also a favorite of hunters, corn is a deer magnet.  If the corn field is big enough, it can provide ample food and cover for a bunch of whitetails.  But, don't rely on corn as your only food source, it can run out (depending on how much you planted).  You may need to plant another type of grass or clover to provide more food.

Others
Other seeds include: the popular soybean, wheat, turnips, chicory, buckwheat, and others.

Popular food plot brands that sell seeds and food plot blends include: Whitetail Institute, Antler King,       and BioLogic.

Care For Your Plot

Food plot plants don't prosper by themselves, they need help to grow.  Here is a few tips on helping the plant get their maximum potential:

• Increase pH.  7.0 pH is the target for soil acidity, which is neutral.  Check your pH with a soil tester or send it to a lab.  Once you know the pH, if needed, lime your plot to increase it (pH).  The lower the acidity, the better the plants.
• Once you have improved pH, you can fertilize.  Use a fertilizer that will target your specific food plot plant (or plants) needs.  Antler King has come up with great fertilizer's Plot Max and Jolt.  Both help increase pH and increase the amount of food plot foliage.

Tip

• When you don't use brand name seeds to plant you plot, it may be helpful to plant a mixture of seeds,  because different plants provide different nutritional needs for deer.

A good food plot will pull in deer from around your property and the surrounding properties, if put in the right place.  Happy hunting!

Rubs

Rubs, you know, the rubbing that you see on trees that deer make?  Here is a few things you should know about them.

1. Bucks rub to get the velvet off their antlers and to mark the tree with that particular buck's scent.
2. Sometimes you are able to tell what the size of the buck is depending on the size of the tree.  Any buck can rub on a small tree (as in a couple inches in diameter).  But only larger and more mature bucks can rub on large trees (trees that are a foot or more in diameter means it was a really big buck!).
3. The rubs can help you monitor your herd that you have in your area.  You can see the sizes of your bucks,  and help you figure out what their patterns are.

Pre-Season Scouting

Scouting before the season starts, even when it is still spring, is a great thing to do.  Set up trail cameras, feeders, and other things.

Cameras
Put cameras next to feeders, food plots, water sources, trails and other deer hotspots.  If there is a place that has a bunch of deer tracks that you can consistently find fresh ones, look there with trail cameras.

Feeders
Put them where deer will feel comfortable and not scared.  As said above, you could put a camera there to see how many deer are visiting it and how often.  When it needs to be filled, sneak in as quietly as possible and have yourself scentless.  Depending on where you live, deer may be used to the scent of people and not get scared as easily.  Or they may not return for days if they see and smell you while filling the feeders in a rural area.

Look For Signs
Tracks, beds, and eventually rubs and scrapes, are all great things to see where deer activity has been and where it is.

Popular Fishing Baits and Cover Spots

It is helpful to know what types of baits and cover fish like.

Baits

Sunfish
Small live baits work best for sunfish and artificial's also work.  Preferred baits are: worms, cut up nightcrawlers, crickets, and other small baits.

Bass
You can fish small or large baits for bass.  Popular baits include: jigs, soft plastics (plastic worms, crawdads, etc.), spinners, poppers, and divers.

Catfish 
Catfish will eat just about anything that has a smell, though artificial's will sometimes work.  Give them cut up baitfish, stinkbaits, a chunk of a bar of soap, anything that can have a scent.


Cover

Fish congregate near these things:

• In lakes- Docks and bridges work well for fish as shade. Piles of sunk logs protect small baitfish and fallen trees with many branches also do the trick in helping you find fish.  Weeds hide many small fish and protect them from predators.  Clutter, such as tires, cinder blocks, and other object create cover for fish.
• Streams and rivers- Points in the river block the current, look there.  And, like lakes, fallen trees also provide a great source of cover for fish in rivers.  Large ricks break up the rivers current, making the water a few feet behind it calm; to find rocks beneath the surface, look for a V's on the surface.

Airgun Hunting Part 2

Today we will cover airgun hunting.
Airgun hunting is pretty simple.  You just hunt with it like what you would with a rifle.  Except you won't be shooting long distances.

Here is a list of animals that I would recommend to hunt with an airgun:

• Squirrels: They are the most popular small game species in America.  Place the shot in the chest or head area.  Try to bag squirrels on the ground, so if you miss, there is no deadly pellet still flying.   
• Rabbits:  They can be hunted, but they are tricky to shoot with an airgun.  Personally I hunt them with a shotgun, so I don't know much about it, but all I know is that it can be done.
• Crows:  These wary birds can be taken with an airgun.  But check with state laws before you hunt them with an airgun.

I hope you have enjoyed our look into airgun hunting.  It is cheap, cool, and fun.  I hope you will try it!