“Do High Priced Deer Scents Really Work?”
By Marty Prokop
I am frequently asked, “Which works better, deer scent collected and made from a single deer or deer scents collected from multiple deer?”
In other words, when it comes to deer scents, is there a difference that results in more deer or bigger deer?
A deer hunter could spend a small fortune on deer scents. I wanted to know what kind of deer scents are worth my money.
I decided to field test this.
Deer scents collected and made from one deer are often much more expensive than deer scent collected and made from multiple deer. Is the higher price worth it?
I purchased two different brands of deer scent. One was collected and made from many deer and bottled. The other brand stated it was collected from a single deer.
So off to the deer hunting woods I went to test.
The results actually surprised me.
I tested these two types of deer scent, at the exact same time, during the peak of the rut on my deer hunting land in Wisconsin. I used natural deer scrapes as my testing sites. I set up my trail cameras to monitor results.
Marty Prokop Reveals Results from Multiple Deer Attractant Scent
So how were the results of attractant scent from multiple deer?
At the first site, over a natural deer scrape, I placed a scent wick saturated with doe-in-heat scent made from several deer.
What did the camera catch?
In one week, it photographed one small spike buck on the third day, and the same spike buck several times after. That was it.
Marty Prokop Reveals Results from Single Deer Attractant Scent
At site number two, over a natural deer scrape, I placed a scent wick saturated with a doe estrus scent collected from a single doe.
What did the camera catch?
The first night, four hours after I placed the scent wick, it photographed three bucks at the scrape. One buck was a nice 8-pointer. Another was a fork buck. And, yet, another was a spike buck.
On day four, a heavy racked six-pointer also visited the scrape.
There were 15 different bucks photographed in a week at site number two. The sizes ranged from a spike buck to a very respectable 10-pointer.
The Bottom Line from Marty Prokop
Here are the one week results:
The trail camera at the site of the single doe estrus scent captured 15 bucks.
The trail camera at the site of the multiple doe estrus scent captured the one spike buck on several different days. So the camera was working during the entire time.
It is a coincidence?
Possibly.
But based on what I saw, I chose to use the deer scent collected and bottled from a single deer for the rest of the deer hunting season.
Marty Prokop Tests Again
I began to think maybe I had placed the single doe estrus scent in a better location than the other. So this year I will be carrying out the same test with one modification.
The only change will be that I will place the multiple doe scent where the single doe scent was last year and the single where the multiple was. If the bucks move to the new location, then I know it is the scent.
The Results So Far...
I’ll report the results of my new test as soon as it is completed.
Deer hunters in our community would love to hear your experiences and thoughts. You can comment, share your experiences and read more at the Free Deer Hunting Tips blog at http://www.marty-prokop.com/.
Good Luck and Great Hunting.
Marty Prokop
http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com/
About Marty Prokop
Deer hunting expert Marty Prokop reveals closely guarded deer hunting secrets on how to get deer every time. Get his Free Deer Hunting Tips Newsletter, free deer videos and free online deer hunting game at Free Deer Hunting Tips.com
Marty Prokop has 24-years experience deer hunting, processing deer for deer hunters and venison sausage making . Marty Prokop teaches deer hunting, hunter safety, deer processing and deer sausage making classes. Marty Prokop has processed 7,805 deer, field dressed 422 deer and made over 991,990 pounds of sausage, smoked meats and jerky. Marty Prokop worked with Minnesota DNR programs. His deer hunting videos are used in statewide advanced hunter education classes. Marty Prokop is a successful speaker, outdoor writer and published author.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
The Many Features of Hunting Scopes
One of the most important parts in hitting your target every time is quality-hunting scopes. Each year, technology advances are made in designing rifle scopes with more accuracy. Follow these guidelines to stay current on all the latest features to purchase the exact scope you were aiming for.
The Basics
Ask yourself these three questions to determine which model of rifle scope is best for you:
Multicoated lenses affect the clarity of the scope in low light conditions. To see the game in those early morning and late evening hunts come into view is your main objective of purchasing hunting scopes.
The Benefits
Magnification-- For hunters who hunt in thick woods or relatively close quarters, a fixed magnification scope is a good choice. Under those hunting conditions, a 15-power scope is enough as any shot is bound to be in range.
If your shots average 75 yards or less, a 4X scope is typically all you need. Keep in mind, if given the opportunity to take a difficult longer shot, a variable magnification scope is your best bet. The 3X to 9X is by far the most popular range of flexible power hunting scopes. When shooting different distances, 3X is for shorter shots under 50 yards, and higher ranges for longer shots of 200 yards or more.
Higher power scopes to shoot game at distances of 500 yards or over are available.
Ready, Aim, Fire--
Hunting scopes are there to enhance your ability to shoot exactly what you sight in. There are wide ranges of options that offer superior optical performance. Objective lens rifle scopes can be purchased equipped resistant to shock, water, and fog.
Adjustment-- An important consideration before purchasing hunting scopes is adjustment. Always buy scopes that can be adjusted for elevation and wind. Make certain the adjustments are detailed enough for your intended purposes.
There are a variety of different styles of hunting scopes, including night vision, sniper, spotting, sighting, tactical, military, and pistol.
Reticles--
Also called the crosshairs, a reticle is the image that helps shooters accurately align a shot. To decide what reticle will best suit your needs, consider the conditions that you hunt in, what kind of game you hunt, and most importantly, your personal preferences.
Leupold, Nikon, and Bushness are a few of the most well known hunting scope brands. There are a variety of options when it comes to reticles; there is even a mutli-shot reticle. As an example, Leupold sells series scopes that are available in seven different reticles.
There are reticles designed to help the long-range shooter. The varmint reticle provides five aiming points, to tailor make the scope to a particular load, rifle, and compensate for wind. You can sight the rifle in for distances from 500 to 100 yards.
With the many hunting scopes available, there really can be no more excuses for missing that big buck. Use this information to help decide which rifle scope model should be in your sights.
About the Author
Hunting scopes are available with so many options, how do you choose the right one? Albert Kessnerr says decide where you are going to most use your scope and then you can determine what features you most need.
Article Source: http://www.article-idea.com/profile/albertokessnerr-18930.html
The Basics
Ask yourself these three questions to determine which model of rifle scope is best for you:
- Your shooting style
- Type of weapon
- Options you prefer
Multicoated lenses affect the clarity of the scope in low light conditions. To see the game in those early morning and late evening hunts come into view is your main objective of purchasing hunting scopes.
The Benefits
Magnification-- For hunters who hunt in thick woods or relatively close quarters, a fixed magnification scope is a good choice. Under those hunting conditions, a 15-power scope is enough as any shot is bound to be in range.
If your shots average 75 yards or less, a 4X scope is typically all you need. Keep in mind, if given the opportunity to take a difficult longer shot, a variable magnification scope is your best bet. The 3X to 9X is by far the most popular range of flexible power hunting scopes. When shooting different distances, 3X is for shorter shots under 50 yards, and higher ranges for longer shots of 200 yards or more.
Higher power scopes to shoot game at distances of 500 yards or over are available.
Ready, Aim, Fire--
Hunting scopes are there to enhance your ability to shoot exactly what you sight in. There are wide ranges of options that offer superior optical performance. Objective lens rifle scopes can be purchased equipped resistant to shock, water, and fog.
Adjustment-- An important consideration before purchasing hunting scopes is adjustment. Always buy scopes that can be adjusted for elevation and wind. Make certain the adjustments are detailed enough for your intended purposes.
There are a variety of different styles of hunting scopes, including night vision, sniper, spotting, sighting, tactical, military, and pistol.
Reticles--
Also called the crosshairs, a reticle is the image that helps shooters accurately align a shot. To decide what reticle will best suit your needs, consider the conditions that you hunt in, what kind of game you hunt, and most importantly, your personal preferences.
Leupold, Nikon, and Bushness are a few of the most well known hunting scope brands. There are a variety of options when it comes to reticles; there is even a mutli-shot reticle. As an example, Leupold sells series scopes that are available in seven different reticles.
There are reticles designed to help the long-range shooter. The varmint reticle provides five aiming points, to tailor make the scope to a particular load, rifle, and compensate for wind. You can sight the rifle in for distances from 500 to 100 yards.
With the many hunting scopes available, there really can be no more excuses for missing that big buck. Use this information to help decide which rifle scope model should be in your sights.
About the Author
Hunting scopes are available with so many options, how do you choose the right one? Albert Kessnerr says decide where you are going to most use your scope and then you can determine what features you most need.
Article Source: http://www.article-idea.com/profile/albertokessnerr-18930.html
Monday, March 30, 2009
Creating a Food Plot Start to Finish: Soil Testing
Creating a Food Plot Start to Finish
Soil Testing
I plan to do a weekly post mapping the how to's on creating the ideal Whitetail food plot. Each post will consist of a basic step which will eventually lead to a complete series of steps to creating the ideal food plot that Whitetail Deer will not be able to resist.
I begin my series of posts with Soil Testing. I am not an expert in soils, so when I began creating food plots I used the experts from universities and geological partners to help me understand the purpose and science from soil testing. I will gladly share what I found and give you the sources to do the research yourself.
What is a soil test?
The best answer I could find was on the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. "A soil test is a process by which elements (phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, manganese, copper and zinc) are chemically removed from the soil and measured for their "plant available" content within the sample. The quantity of available nutrients in the sample determines the amount of fertilizer that is recommended. A soil test also measures soil pH, humic matter and exchangeable acidity. These analyses indicate whether lime is needed and, if so, how much to apply."
So I dissected out the parts to help us get through the soil testing that I used to help me start my food plot.
Basic Soil Testing Procedure
To obtain a good soil sample make sure the sample is characteristic of your yard or field. This requires taking a minimum of 5 core soil samples for an area and mixing them together to form a composite.
If the soil is different in your garden or lawn or fields, then a different composite soil sample should be taken for each area. Soil samples may be taken at any time of the year. However, if you want to plan for the next year's growing season, then fall is best. Fall testing will allow you to take advantage of "end of the year" sales, as well as plan for the upcoming spring.
Fill out the soil information sheet from your County Extension. The form may be picked up and filled out at home, or in the Extension Office when you actually bring in the soil samples.
Use a garden trowel, spade, sampling probe or auger to take core samples. (Most County Extension Offices have sampling probes and augers available for loan.)
Scrape away the surface duff/litter and insert the probe or auger into the soil to plow depth or at least 6 inches.
Take 5 (minimum) core samples for every 5 acre section. A popular sampling pattern is in the shape of a "W" where you would take a sample at each point.
Mix the core soil samples in a clean container and place about 2 cups (1 pint) into a plastic bag.
Label the bag with your name, field/site location, and sample number.
Record the field/site and sample location on a sketch. Keep this for reference.
Take the soil samples and information sheet to your County Extension Office or send the soil samples directly to a soil testing laboratory. For example: The cost for a soil test through the Portage County Extension Office is $15 for garden and turf, and $6.50 for field crops.
The next post will be what to do when you get the results of your soil test.
Sources:
North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
http://www.agr.state.nc.us/cyber/kidswrld/plant/soiltest.htm
Soil Testing: Why and How to Do It &What Does It All Mean?
http://www.co.portage.wi.us/groundwater/action/soiltst.htm
Soil Testing
I plan to do a weekly post mapping the how to's on creating the ideal Whitetail food plot. Each post will consist of a basic step which will eventually lead to a complete series of steps to creating the ideal food plot that Whitetail Deer will not be able to resist.
I begin my series of posts with Soil Testing. I am not an expert in soils, so when I began creating food plots I used the experts from universities and geological partners to help me understand the purpose and science from soil testing. I will gladly share what I found and give you the sources to do the research yourself.
What is a soil test?
The best answer I could find was on the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. "A soil test is a process by which elements (phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, manganese, copper and zinc) are chemically removed from the soil and measured for their "plant available" content within the sample. The quantity of available nutrients in the sample determines the amount of fertilizer that is recommended. A soil test also measures soil pH, humic matter and exchangeable acidity. These analyses indicate whether lime is needed and, if so, how much to apply."
So I dissected out the parts to help us get through the soil testing that I used to help me start my food plot.
Basic Soil Testing Procedure
To obtain a good soil sample make sure the sample is characteristic of your yard or field. This requires taking a minimum of 5 core soil samples for an area and mixing them together to form a composite.
If the soil is different in your garden or lawn or fields, then a different composite soil sample should be taken for each area. Soil samples may be taken at any time of the year. However, if you want to plan for the next year's growing season, then fall is best. Fall testing will allow you to take advantage of "end of the year" sales, as well as plan for the upcoming spring.
Fill out the soil information sheet from your County Extension. The form may be picked up and filled out at home, or in the Extension Office when you actually bring in the soil samples.
Use a garden trowel, spade, sampling probe or auger to take core samples. (Most County Extension Offices have sampling probes and augers available for loan.)
Scrape away the surface duff/litter and insert the probe or auger into the soil to plow depth or at least 6 inches.
Take 5 (minimum) core samples for every 5 acre section. A popular sampling pattern is in the shape of a "W" where you would take a sample at each point.
Mix the core soil samples in a clean container and place about 2 cups (1 pint) into a plastic bag.
Label the bag with your name, field/site location, and sample number.
Record the field/site and sample location on a sketch. Keep this for reference.
Take the soil samples and information sheet to your County Extension Office or send the soil samples directly to a soil testing laboratory. For example: The cost for a soil test through the Portage County Extension Office is $15 for garden and turf, and $6.50 for field crops.
The next post will be what to do when you get the results of your soil test.
Sources:
North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
http://www.agr.state.nc.us/cyber/kidswrld/plant/soiltest.htm
Soil Testing: Why and How to Do It &What Does It All Mean?
http://www.co.portage.wi.us/groundwater/action/soiltst.htm
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