Feed: we hunt | we fish - AggScore: 56.1
Gobble Till You Wobble!
It's Turkey Time! Spring turkey season has officially begun! And how can we tell?
WE DON'T SEE TURKEY'S ANYWHERE!
Isn't it strange how you can go from seeing field after field filled with huge flocks of hens or toms one week, to the next week, those same fields being completely blank? It's like animals have a sense when their season is about to start. They see orange in their dreams and hear shots before one is even taken!
BUT, turkey season is one of our favorites for this reason. It means we have to be extremely sneaky and put a great stalk out on a big bird. Stalking is why we love turkey hunting so much! It's such a different routine from our sitting in a tree stand in the fall. It's a way for us to spot some great birds and really become a part of nature.
Patterning a flocks activity a few weeks before can also help you with your stalk, getting use to their alarm and tracking which fields they decorate most often. Put in the work and your outcome will be a long beard and a nice Easter dinner!
Happy Hunting!
The Valentines
Date Published: Apr 13, 2011 - 4:29 pm
Minor Adjustments...Major Benefits!
Making slight modifications to your equipment can really enhance your hunting or fishing adventure. There are several things that we do to modify our equipment to save us time, energy and in some cases, money. When is comes to wind direction, instead of buying an expensive electronic device to give you a simple wind direction reading, or purchasing a small bottle filled with powder that you have to fumble with in your pocket risking being detected by the animal, we opt to tape a small length of sewing thread to the lower limb of our bows. It requires less time and movement to simply glance over at our bow while hanging on its hanger than it does to fumble in our pocket like you would with a more expensive alternative.
Recently, horizontal ice fishing jigs have gained enormous popularity. One of the major downfalls to horizontal jigs is that you have to constantly make sure your jig is hanging horizontally. After catching several fish or jigging aggressively your jig tends to hang diagonally or even nearly vertical to your line, thus, rendering its horizontal benefits useless. One minor adjustment that we make to our horizontal jigs that make a major difference in our fishing success is to add a small length of clear rubber tubing, roughly 1/16 of an inch long, to our line prior to tying on our jig. Once we have our jig tied onto our line, we simply slide the clear rubber tubing over the eyelet and the knot. This helps to keep our jigs horizontal for much longer which saves us a lot of time, especially when our holes are filled with fish and it's imperative that we get our jigs back down the hole as soon as possible.
Now that we've given you a couple modifications that we like to use to better our hunting and fishing experience, lets hear what adjustments you like to make to your equipment to enhance your hunting and fishing adventures.
The Valentines
Date Published: Feb 13, 2011 - 7:01 pm
Tis The Season
It's time for a season of awards. For people to get dressed up in their best and celebrate their achievements. No, I'm not talking about award season, I am talking about ice fishing tournament season! Around Michigan, this is the time for fisherman to bundle up in their best gear and head out to the rivers and lakes to try and catch that prized crappie, perch, wall-eye, whatever it may be and enter it in their local fishing tournament. Around here, it's the Tip-Up Festival and headed a little more north, it's Shiver On The River. Whatever the name may be, it's time to put your best pole forward. These festivals offer a whole range of activities, prizes and yummy dinners. It's a great time to bond with other fishermen and women and share your most outrageous fish-stories. It's always great to head to the location, usually the local conservation club, and see everyone standing around admiring the trophies. So, this post is to wish us all luck and a shot at that big boy this tournament season!
The Valentines
Date Published: Feb 01, 2011 - 7:14 am
Catching Dinner Through The ICE
One thing we love about the winter time, ICE FISHING! Nothing seems to get us more excited than calling our local Marina to ask them for an update on the inches. Our rule, for safety of course, is 4 solid inches of ice. Well, we got our wish, although we were unable to act on it due to busy schedules. That is until this past Sunday. After church, we hurried home, suited up and headed out to what we refer to as The Gravel Pit Cove. This is a huge area to find spearing shanty's, so us, looking for smaller panfish hoped we would get lucky! The people looking for pike had to be sending some gills and perch our way right? NOPE. Although it was a rough day, we still found it rewarding. At this spot, you are able to see the bottom of the lake, it's only about 6 feet of water. This is our favorite type of spot. We love to watch the fish come right on up to our bait and sometimes right on into our holes! I'm not saying we didn't see any fish that day, we had a lot of little ones fighting for our bait right under our feet, which is excitement in itself, or at the very least, keeps you occupied. Needless to say, we didn't catch but one or two keepers, but the day was amazing. Anytime you can share the out-of-doors with someone you love, it's a great day. And don't worry, we still need to stock that freezer, so we'll be back out before you know it!
Happy Fishing!
The Valentines
Date Published: Jan 11, 2011 - 1:57 pm
End of Season Scouting
Scouting at the end of the season is some of my favorite times to be out in the woods preparing for next deer season. The hunting season has come and gone. The freezer is full and you don't have to worry about spooking any deer into the next county. During the winter months when there is snow on the ground, it's easy to pick up on heavily used trails that otherwise would have gone unnoticed during the fall. I like to start my scouting at the preferred feeding source in the area, most likely the nearest cornfield. From there it's pretty easy to see the main trails being used to enter and exit the field. Simply follow the tracks and note any sign you see on the way, such as rubs, scrapes, antler sheds, droppings and converging trails. All these clues can help you add up the equation as to where the deer are coming from and headed to. Make sure to keep a log of your findings or even mark the trails you discover on a topographical map to see how the deer are traveling according to the terrain of your property. During this part of the year, most of the deer have begun to calm down from the massacring days of the gun season and have returned to their normal feeding and traveling patterns, thus, allowing for you to pattern the deer for the upcoming deer season. By following the trails the deer are using heavily, you'll likely end up right in their bedroom. Not to worry, the deer will completely forget about your intrusion by the beginning of the next hunting season, but you certainly won't forget about your time spent in the woods during the winter months scouting. These tips, and a little time spent in the woods while your neighbors are curled up in front of the fireplace, will help you be one step ahead of your competitors come next season because you did your scouting in January, and not september.
Date Published: Jan 05, 2011 - 7:59 pm
Most memorable hunt
One of my most memorable hunts occurred in mid-november during peak breeding. It's not too often that a hunter actually gets to witness what is commonly known as the "lock down" phase of the rut. During the lock down phase, bucks have stopped chasing the does because the does in that particular area have come into estrous. During this portion of the rut, once a buck has found a receptive doe, he will continually corral her in a thick area in hopes that other bucks won't find her while he waits to breed. During this hunt, I was fortunate enough to be sitting in my stand over looking a thick marsh when I noticed movement off to my left. I looked over and noticed a doe about 20 yards away acting strange. I assumed there was a buck tailing her, but I couldn't see anything in the distance. With every step, she stopped and looked over her shoulder. Finally, I caught a glimpse of a very nice buck tailing her. He walked up behind her and nudged her. She took a few more steps and stopped. This continued for nearly an hour until the doe was directly underneath me. I could tell that the buck was getting weary because the doe was nearly out of the marsh and could be seen from a great distance. Instead of tailing her right out of the marsh, the buck decided to back track and circle around into the thick underbrush, making sure to keep an eye on her, but also not allowing himself to be exposed. The doe sat motionless under my stand for what seemed like an eternity, but was actually only a few minutes. She then stood up and wandered back into the marsh, only to be harassed some more, until she was ready to breed. Just as the duo began to wander off, I was able to take a shot at the buck with my bow. Unfortunately, it was an extremely cold morning and I was forced to sit absolutely motionless for over an hour, so needless to say, my body, especially my fingers were like icicles and I wasn't able to connect on the buck which would have scored in the 130's. I felt disgusted after replaying the show in my head, however, I was thankful that I was able to witness what is commonly known as the "lock down," something that most hunters despise of.
Date Published: Dec 30, 2010 - 7:02 pm
12 Days of Christmas | Day 12
On our last day of Christmas, Day 12,
OUR FAVORITE PRODUCT!!!!
Brings to us...
Why is this our favorite product? It's simple, Easy-Eye is near
and dear to our hearts! Not only that, Easy-Eye is the ORIGINAL
Arrow wrap, located right here in Michigan! They offer a huge
variety of designs for every hunters need. They make arrow
retrieval easy! They also offer a way for hunters to stand out,
mix and match with any fletchings to create a custom design thats
all you! Eze-crest wraps don't affect the weight of your arrow,
providing you with a straight shot every time! These products are
quality and are backed by amazing people!
Their mission:
“To make archery easier for everyone, Shoot
Straight & Don’t Lose You Shaft!"
Don't
be caught wrapping your shaft with anything else!
Check them out at www.eze-eye.com
Date Published: Dec 25, 2010 - 7:19 pm
12 Days of Christmas | Day 11
On the 11th day of Christmas
has
brought us...
The
EagleView. These binoculars
feature high-powered, precision-detailed resolution throughout the
versatile 8-24x zoom range. Turn-and-slide rubber eyecups enable
optimum viewing with or without eyeglasses. Environment-friendly
materials are used for the parts. And the compact, lightweight body
is easy to handle.Features
- 8-24x zoom
- Unique zoom lever designed for extra-smooth zooming
- Turn-and-slide rubber eyecups for easy positioning of eyes at the correct eyepoint
- Multilayer-coated lenses for bright images
- Close focusing distance: 4m
- Carbon fiber material in parts of the grip enhance durability
- Designed for comfortable fit and easy handling
- Compact and lightweight
- Parts contain eco-friendly materials
I have used these
particular binoculars for several years and have nothing negative
to say about them at all. They're extremely easy to use, and
their zooming capabilities allow you zoom in very close to your
target to judge the animal with extreme accuracy. These are a
great pair of binoculars for the beginner on up to advanced
hunters. They're compact enough to fit in any zipper pocket, but
yet, powerful enough to judge animals at far distances. These are
an all around excellent pair of optics and I would recommend them
to anyone. Check out www.Nikon.com to get a pair
today.
Happy Holidays,
The Valentine's
Happy Holidays,
The Valentine's
Date Published: Dec 24, 2010 - 7:48 pm
12 Days of Christmas | Day 10
On the 10th day of Christmas,
brings to us...
The Yellow Jacket line from Morrell offers various
targets for all shooting needs, from field tips, to broadheads.
These targets are durable, offering over a thousand shots of
resistance, so you can shoot over and over for your best practice
before heading into the woods. Arrows are easily removed. And
targets are easily moveable as well, which is great for moving them
back and forth to camp. The Yellow Jacket line happens to be our
favorite, however, Morrell offers several items for every hunters
needs. Just check out what their pro-staff is saying about them
at, www.morrelltargets.com!Happy Holidays,
The Valentines
Date Published: Dec 23, 2010 - 3:11 pm
12 Days of Christmas | Day 9
On the 9th day of Christmas Under Armour brings to us....
Pictured: Women's ColdGear Top | Mens ColdGear bottoms
Under Armour ColdGear is amazing! Growing up, nothing like this was available for the sportsman/woman, at least not this quality. We were restrained to the everyday long-underwear that could be purchased at the local drug store. Now, there is a line that is like no other. This base layer keeps us warm in even the coldest of conditions! It's been mentioned in Field and Stream Magazine as one of the best under garments for the hunter daring to go out in the rain, snow and windy conditions. We received ours a few years ago and would now, not be caught in the woods without it. It's incredibly comfortable, conforming to the skin and fitting under any top layers. It's also machine washable! And now, Under Armour is branching into other areas for the out-of-doors, providing gear for warm weather, gloves, fashion camouflage gear and many other hunting necessities. Check it out at www.underarmour.com!
Happy Holidays,
The Valentines
Date Published: Dec 21, 2010 - 5:12 pm
12 Days of Christmas | Day 8
On the 8th day of Christmas Buck Knives has brought us...
The Buck Zipper. This gutting knife has a fixed 4.5 inch stainless steel blade with the revolutionary gutting hook on the end to aid in the "zippering" of the animal. The purpose of the gut hook is to allow quick and easy access to the animal without cutting the intestines and jeopardizing the integrity of the meat. The handle is made of Heritage Walnut which gives it the great natural wood appearance.
I have used this knife for many years on lots of animals and I've
never had any issues with it. This knife is well worth the money
and the blade holds its edge extremely well. I've only had to
sharpen it once since I've had it and it still cuts just like the
day I pulled it out of the package. Head the www.buckknives.com to pick up your Buck Zipper
today.
Happy Holidays,
The Valentine's
Date Published: Dec 20, 2010 - 5:59 pm
12 Days of Christmas | Day 7
On the seventh day of Christmas Michigan brings to us...
Woods-n-Water News. We have found this to
be one of the most useful hunting and fishing resources Michigan
has to offer. It's complete with stories of monster bucks and
amazing fish-tales. This magazine has contributions from Michigan's
best outdoor writers and photographers. Over the years,
Woods-n-Water has become an effective resource for all outdoorsmen
and women. Great thing, it's affordable. At $3.00 an issue, it's
filled with 160+ pages of the best Michigan outdoor's has to offer.
Color photos and quality authors capture stories about anything
from morel mushroom hunting and ice-fishing to big buck success
stories. Get your copy today at any Gander Mtn. location or check
it our online at www.woods-n-waternews.com!Happy Holidays
The Valentines
Date Published: Dec 19, 2010 - 4:49 pm
12 Days of Christmas | Day 6
On the 6th day of Christmas, Kwikee Kwiver brings to us...
This is a shout out to all of our friends at Kwikee Kwiver.
As we've mentioned before in our blog, Kwikee is a company right
here in Michigan. This is the only Quiver we have ever used and for
good reason. These are a durable and well designed products. They
are easily attachable and detachable with their Ultra-lock
function, which also helps to eliminate vibration. They are
available in 9 different camouflage patterns, including our
favorites, Lost Camo and Realtree. They are also available in
black. AND, we heard rumor of them offering it in pink-camo for the
ladies!So, may we suggest, supporting a local company with some really amazing people? Go to www.KwikeeKwiver.com to find out more!
Happy Holidays
The Valentines
Date Published: Dec 18, 2010 - 6:15 pm
12 days of Christmas | Day 5
On the 5th day of Christmas, Black Gold Premium Sights (www.blackgoldsights.com) has brought to us...
The Ascent.
The Ascent is a multi pin adjustable sight that comes in
either a 3 or 5 pin setup. The Ascent allows you to sight in your
pins, just as you would with any other bow sight. However, the
difference is that the last pin is a floater that allows you to
adjust, through a dial, the exact range that you want to shoot
beyond what your fixed pins are set at.
Through the Black
Gold website, you're able to customize your sight as well. You
can choose the size, color and number of pins, the color of your
sight ring, and the length of your dovetail if you choose to do
so.
This sight is the
first of its kind. Sure, there are a bunch of adjustable sights
out there, but the difference is that they are all single pin
adjustable sights. The downfall to these particular sights is
that you range your animal, dial it into your sight and draw your
bow. Unfortunately, if you get busted at full draw and the animal
runs out an additional 20 yards, what do you do? You must let
down your bow, range the animal again, set your dial and re-draw
your bow. With the Ascent, if the animal runs out an additional
20 yards, you have the option of using your preset pins to make
the adjustment rather than having to redial your sight. For a
great product to increase your hunting accuracy, we recommend the
Ascent from Black Gold Premium Sights!
Happy Holidays
The Valentines
Happy Holidays
The Valentines
Date Published: Dec 17, 2010 - 5:45 pm
12 Days of Christmas | Day 4
On the 4th day of Christmas, Jim Knapp and Hunter's Specialties brought to us....
The I-Kam Extreme. This pair of
glasses comes with 3 interchangeable lenses (Amber, clear and
brown.) It features a 4GB built in memory that can hold up to 3
hours of video. It also has a micro SD card slot that can accept
up to an 8GB card, giving you hours of video storage. The camera
is built into the center of the glasses and is nearly invisible.
There is a slot to connect directly to your computer, no drivers
needed. This camera is perfect for recording all of your outdoor
hunting and fishing adventures. Not only that, it's perfect for
recording sporting events, concerts and any other events where a
video camera would come in handy. It also has a built in
microphone to record all the sound as well.
I've used this camera many times to record hunting and fishing
excursions. It records at a speed of 30fps with absolutely no
lag. The play back is high quality resolution (736 x 480). It's
extremely simply to plug into your computer and watch and edit
your video as soon as you're home from your outdoor adventure!
Check out Hunters Specialties to pick up your I-Kam Extreme and
begin recording your adventure today.
Happy Holidays!
The Valentines
Date Published: Dec 16, 2010 - 5:56 pm
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