I can't believe how quickly the year has gone by; it's already the end of March, and things are greening up fast.  I have walked dozens of miles shed hunting, and as of this writing, I've managed to scoop up 40 antlers.  For me, the feeling of finding a shed laying on the ground is such a rush.  It's hard to describe the feeling I get when I see one, other than it being "magical."  But besides that, I have other reasons I love shed hunting. The time spent with friends and family is a blessing, the great exercise helps keep me in shape, and learning more about what the deer were doing just a couple months ago is simply invaluable. The title of this blog post is "Putting the Puzzle Together" and it's focused on the scouting aspect of my shed hunting adventures.

First of all, let me preface this blog entry with an apology .... for I've been scarce around these parts as of late.  Between work, school, and other commitments, my life is as hectic as ever - I guess some things never change!  But enough of that ... I'm back, and I'm ready to post about the best topic there is to talk about, and that's deer hunting!

With deer season right around the corner, we as deer hunters have to be really careful to keep from educating the deer in our hunting areas.  Our ultimate goal is to try and hunt an area perfectly; however, we know that in this world there are very few perfect things.  So, it seems reasonable the next best thing is to hunt an area as perfectly as possible, and let the cards play out as they're dealt to us.  Let's look at ways to scout areas as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Well folks, it's getting closer.  As I watched a couple hunting shows this morning, one program was highlighting a rut hunt in Iowa.  The skies were overcast, and there were no leaves on the trees.  Boy, was I excited.  But then, I looked out the window with a big frown on my face....the temperature is already over 90 degrees, with a high today pushing 104.  The midwest is currently experiencing the worst drought since the 1950s, and I can't ever remember it being this hot, for this long.  As a deer hunter, I know one of the most important things to do this time of year is scout velvet bucks, and maybe hang a stand or ten.  This blog entry is about staying safe in your summer scouting adventures.  Let's get to it.

How many of you die-hard whitetail hunters can believe that in just a few short months season will be back on?  For most of us whitetail hunters, we think about deer or deer hunting almost every day of the year.  With antler growth in full swing, now is the time to get out and put up those scouting cameras in and around food sources or mineral stations.