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Big buck appears in season’s final minutes
I was sitting high in a ladder stand yesterday near Red Wing during the final day of the 3A firearms season. In several days afield, including several dawn to dusk sits, I had seen only two deer – a...
View ArticleA doe with my bow… almost
After shooting my biggest buck ever this fall, the only thing left to accomplish in the woods is getting my first deer with a bow. I would have to try for a doe because Minnesota allows hunters to tag...
View ArticleDeer hunting at night?
I read a shocking article in the StarTribune yesterday, in which outdoors writer Doug Smith described the attempt by Chippewa tribes in Wisconsin to allow night hunting for whitetail deer. My first...
View ArticleLooking back on 2012
Many people are diving in to their New Year’s resolutions right now, with almost a full year ahead to test their resolve. But, it’s not a bad time to look back, either. This year was one of my best...
View ArticleThe bow hunting offseason is now!
I have always marveled at stories about professional athletes who describe the work they do to try and win a championship. A common thread is that the campaign started during the offseason. A familiar...
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Get ready for spring turkey hunting
Steve Huettl shows off a nice tom he shot in Wisconsin last May, while hunting with the author. There’s plenty of snow on the ground, and it looks like more shoveling lies ahead, but that doesn’t stop...
View ArticleIt’s turkey time!
My wild turkey season in Wisconsin begins Wednesday. I will be hunting with Bob Guditis, who is the father of my first wife, Jennifer, who died of cancer in 1995. I still call him my father-in-law....
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Snow bird
A snowy landscape made for an interesting backdrop for this Wisconsin turkey hunt. As I arrived to my hunting spot near Ellsworth, Wis. on Sunday morning for a “spring” turkey hunt, the landscape was...
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Finally, flowers bloom!
Seems like we have waited forever for spring to arrive this year. Less than two weeks ago, snow covered portions of southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. And, on May 5, I walked through a...
View ArticleFinal thoughts on 2013 turkey season
My wild turkey hunting season ended last Thursday, May 30. Normally, I hunt Season E in Minnesota, which usually takes place the first week in May. Due to the bad weather and the huge snowstorm at the...
View ArticleFirst a turkey, then a ring
Most turkey hunters I know are single-minded when it comes to chasing gobblers. Lee Zeman is cut from that zealous cloth. But, he got very distracted during a turkey hunt this past spring. On his...
View ArticleBow hunting highs and lows
This morning, I did my fourth sit in a treestand trying to harvest a deer with my bow. And, for the third time, I did not see a deer. Yet, I was not disappointed. It was a beautiful morning, crisp and...
View ArticleAll the ‘little things’ add up in bow hunting
I went to a metro area property I have permission to bow hunt on Sunday, and was hoping to make preparations for the rut, which should start near the end of October. I took my No. 2 son, Andrew, and we...
View ArticleAct now for a great deal on ladder stands
If you’re a deer hunter who uses ladder stands, you might want to shop at Menard’s this weekend. I was just there this morning and picked up two ladder stands that I intend to put up soon. They went on...
View ArticleHow does arrow fletching affect your bow hunt?
I must admit, I have given very little thought to arrow fletching as it relates to flight and, ultimately, what happens when an arrow hits a deer. Another recent failure in the woods, plus an article...
View ArticleOctober lull, getting ready for rut, and NuFletch
I went out bow hunting yesterday morning on a metro property, hoping I might get a chance at a deer. I ended up seeing several wild turkeys, including a nice tom, but the deer didn’t show. I have heard...
View ArticleFederal offers new shotgun slug
I was surprised when I went to Mills Fleet Farm yesterday to buy shotgun slugs for the upcoming 3A firearms season. I was there to buy a few five-round boxes of Federal sabot slugs, called Barnes...
View ArticleDeer stand shortcut spells trouble
There I was, in the dark and getting ready to hunt last Friday morning. I had climbed into one of my ladder stands and was getting my bow and other gear ready. I dropped my bow hanger to the ground and...
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Finally, a deer with my bow!
After three seasons of challenges and heartaches, success finally comes on Nov. 6 As I climbed into my deer stand for a day of bow hunting yesterday, Nov. 6, I was greeted with a spectacular sight – a...
View ArticleDeer not so active on gun opener
As always, I was brimming with optimism on the morning of the Minnesota firearms deer opener. I was hunting the property near Red Wing where I had taken the largest buck of my life on the last day of...
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