Well, here’s something we never expected — Aaron Rodgers in an archery shop … shooting a compound bow? The former Green Bay Packers superstar QB spent 20 years in Wisconsin and never feigned interest in hunting or the shooting sports, but today we see him in a video released by Harrison Glaser (@NYJetsFTMedia) shooting a […]
Author: Daniel Schmidt
Trees You Don’t Want: Eastern Red Cedar
Let the hate mail begin! Half-kidding, of course, but the Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is one species that landowners across the country love to hate. If you’re an orchard guy like me, you probably lean toward prejudice. That’s because the red cedar is an alternate host of cedar-apple rust, a destructive and disfiguring disease […]
His Work Created Millions of Bowhunters
If you know anything about bowhunting history, you know names like Fred Bear, Howard Hill, Roy Case, and Doug Easton. And, if you know anything about the pastime’s rise in popularity, names like Chuck Adams, Byron Ferguson and, of course, Ted Nugent. There’s one name, however, that you might not recognize. Yet, without him, bowhunting […]
Study Disproves ‘Tough as Leather’ Venison
We can thank YouTube for this week’s blog idea. We had just posted a “How Old Do You Think This Buck Is?” video short featuring an Illinois farmland 10-pointer. The prime specimen is 5-1/2 years old and sports an awesome 150-class set of antlers. It’s just one of those fun things we do from time […]
Wolves Occupy 63% of This State’s Landscape
Stunning new findings from a nonpartisan citizen group indicate gray wolves are roaming nearly two-thirds of a state that was once considered marginal home range for North America’s apex predator. In data released today, Wisconsin Citizen Wolf Count documents wolf sightings in 45 of the state’s 72 counties. Of these sightings, sets of data have […]
CWD is Not Causing Zombie-Like Deer
Zombie deer are sweeping the nation! No, they’re not. Well, not like you have been led to believe. By now you’ve seen videos of so-called zombie deer. The videos are nearly always the same: person observes a deer walking in circles, stumbling about, and showing little to no fear of humans. And, you have probably […]
Review: Infinity X1 5000 Blood-Trailing Flashlight
Tracking wounded deer requires practice, patience and knowledge of whitetail behavior. Once you have down, however, it can be one of the most satisfying parts of the hunt. Preparation is also key, and that’s why I have a fanny pack that’s dedicated solely to tracking deer and field-dressing them. Flashlights (yes, plural) are the most […]
Frigid Temps Not Affecting Deer … Yet
Despite below-zero temperatures for most of the past two weeks, this winter is shaping up to be a nonfactor for white-tailed deer. And, while it’s true below-zero temps force deer to conserve energy, the lack of snow depth has made this winter’s first month a walk on the beach for deer across cold-country. As of […]
What Causes Big Balls in Deer?
It might look painful, but what you’re seeing in this photo is not rare in the whitetail world. And, no, the buck not as endowed as one might think. Conversely, he is suffering from what researchers call a scotia hernia. The enlarged appearance of his scrotum might cause difficulty in his daily activities, but at […]
He Invented the Antler Scoring System
The buck of your dreams is in your sights. His symmetrical 12-point rack is tall and wide. Later that night back at camp, when trying to quantify just how big that buck was, you stutter, “He was a Booner!” Here’s a fun fact for you: If the man who invented that scoring system was given […]