All Over Again..., & I Love It!

I have a 22 & 19 yr old set of older kids, Alex and Whitney, respectively.  My third treasure of a two year old, Marko, came along just when I was beginning to focus more deeply into traveling, vacationing, hunting more around the states throughout the year.., but God had a plan for me, for us.  Marko is so awesome!  Of course, nobody is surprised I would say that.  I have slowly been introducing him to the outdooors, as I'd wish my father had.  I never did meet my father, so I have used that as a motivation to be the best father, the best daddy I may possibly be.  Today I took Marko to Bass Pro to buy his first fishing pole,  a big step in my relationship with him, as it was with my older two children.  Although my older two are not as "outdoor-ish" as I would have hoped for, they have long lasting memories! That, my friends, is a winner for me!!!  Well, I am starting all over again, if you will, but now more knowledgeable, with superior patience, and with a stronger conviction of unselfishness.   We are losing a young generation to apathy and twisted values of entitlement.  I don't want to be part of that sick bandwagon nor my son a victim!  That is why I take Marko to simple excursions at Bass Pro, Cabela's, parks, lakes, to look at fish, watch birds, help me buy hunting stuff, play with my calls, throw sticks & rocks in the water, feed the ducks, help me in my garage organize my hunting backpack.., just to keep him In touch with nature, the outdoors, with our relationship. 

This, AMIGOS, is about Marko.  I dedicate this thought on life & the outdoors to my God sent little man.  I started all over again and I Love It!

5 Tips for Scent Management

This day in age, there are a million & 1 tips and experts on scent control. Some, IMO, are more credible than others. Micro fiber this - electro fiber that, this chew – that smoke, spray this, wash that…, you get the point. Some buy into high dollar clothing promising to eliminate detection from the weariest free ranging whitetail. Truth be known, I am guilty of falling for some of the latest & greatest in the past. Anything to up my chances, right? Well, through my years of hunting public land, extremely pressured (thus educated) whitetail, l try to toot my own horn by saying I have selected a few tips (of the many) that have made me successful in the woods.
(Disclaimer: I am not en expert, I am not a scientist, I am not a “professional” – I AM A HUNTER with experience!)

Bowhunters, especially, tend to spend countle$$ of money, time, and effort in trying to up our chances to bag our dream buck and/or fill our freezer year after year. The greater part should be in scent “management”! It does absolutely ZERO good to have that fanciest of everything if you can’t put it to use. Sometimes, we blame soaps, sprays, carbon clothing, for our failures. Scent control/management means that – NOT eliminating! We will never get rid of human scent 100%. But how we manage human scent, can make the difference of a deer smelling you way before you even know it’s there or getting it close enough for a bowshot because it thought you were still far away or long gone.

I am not going into the obvious hoping you have already looked in to the following: washing clothing with scent eliminating products, shower with scent eliminating products, “hunt” the wind, keep your clothing in scent free bins/bags, so on & so forth. There are a lot of quality books/authors that get into depth with the topics above. However, I want to throw in some food for thought:
• Wallet & Cell Phone: Do you follow a strict scent management regime only to take your STINKY wallet & phone into the woods with you? Think about placing these items (or just your DL, Hunting license, etc.) in a scent free zip-loc. We pull the wallet, especially the cell out during work, shopping, etc., carry them (in my case) in a Tide washed & Bounty tumbled dried pants. A touch of cologne and what not are odors we don’t pay mind and will get you picked off before you know it. (Don’t forget to set your phone on vibrator)
• Jewelry: I love my bracelet, watch, necklace, and wedding ring my wife gave me with so much love. HOWEVER, but (I love those but’s), these are items that are exposed to foreign scents you just might want to consider leaving behind every time you hit the woods. Thank goodness my wife is familiar with the deer’s smelling phenomena, because it is the only exception she makes in allowing me to remove that significant hardware on my left index finger. Too, make sure you don’t lose anything or your significant other might start to object.
• Undies & socks: If you are like me, have a full time job, don’t have time to go home & do the shower thing, but head straight to the woods to sneak in a hunt – CHANGE YOUR undergear, too! Always keep a few extra in your scent free bin/bag. You’re already in a hurry, probably broke a sweat (or two, lol!), chances of doing your “business” have occurred, REFRAIN from changing into your scent-free hunting clothes while keeping your stinky undergear on. Don’t be afraid of a sponge bath with some moist scent- free field towels.
• Bike ride, long walk?: Consider going afield with the bear minimum on and changing a couple of hundred yards away from your hunting spot. Make sure where you do the changing is not a travel path for deer. Example, I load up my bike with my bow, stand, and backpack. I take 1.5 mile bike ride to reach the spot where I change. I cool off, re-spray, and change as needed to allow me to walk without breaking a sweat.
• Bottle your Business: A tough topic. I’ve argued this one with many a hunters that swear it makes no difference (not to mention it may be more difficult for a female). However, because I hunt pressured public land whitetails, human urine is just an added foreign odor that NEEDS to be kept out of your hunting equation and be made part of scent management. Period! 10 hours in the stand only to blow a dream whitetail because we are confident our business doesn’t matter or too lazy to take an extra step. Really?!!! Not me. It may be mental, but I put in too much work and time to ruin a hunt over an added (in the scope of things) few minutes of effort per hunt.

Hunting is special. Bowhunting is even more special due to the proximity of shot execution for a quick, clean, and humane kill. For a fact, all tips are good until they don’t work, lol! But on a serious note, nothing is a guarantee, just a chance to increase your odds. In all, the most critical point (or advice) I strictly preach is to pay attention to the wind. The wind is, AND WILL ALWAYS BE a hunter’s best friend!! Good luck this season, and happy & safe hunting to all.

POISON IVY: Bad For You, "Good for Wildlife"

"Irritating to Humans but Good for Wildlife"

"Poison ivy is a woody shrub or vine with hairy-looking aerial roots. It grows to 10 feet or more, climbing high on trees, walls and fences or trails along the ground. All parts of poison ivy, including the roots, are poisonous at all times of the year.

The toxin in poison ivy is an oil which causes an irritating skin reaction on many people. The reaction, an itchy rash with clear blisters, is variable in severity among people, and can vary from year to year on the same individual.

The poison ivy reaction can be reduced if you change clothing immediately and wash the exposed skin with soap and water. if you can wash all the oil off exposed skin within five minutes of contact, no reaction will occur. Even water from a running stream is an effective cleanser. The oil from poison ivy can remain active on clothing and footwear as long as a year so be careful not to expose yourself to the oil again. The oil can also be transmitted on pet fur and in the smoke of burning poison ivy.

You can use various products such as MultiShield applied prior to anticipated exposure or Tecnu Skin Cleanser to cleanse exposed skin. However, the best way to avoid the irritating rash is being able to identify poison ivy.

Leave Some for the Birds

Poison ivy is a nuisance to people, but it provides considerable wildlife value.

The white, waxy berries are a popular food for songbirds during fall migration and in winter when other foods are scarce. Robins, catbirds and grosbeaks especially like the berries. Many birds feed on insects hiding in the tangled vines. Small mammals and deer browse on the poison ivy foliage, twigs and berries. If you can leave thickets or swags of this plant in remote areas on your property, your wildlife will appreciate it.

Control

Poison ivy control can be done at any time of the year, but is best achieved May through July while the plants are flowering. Poison ivy should be accurately identified before you attempt any control measures. Spraying is recommended over burning because poison ivy oil vaporizes when hot, carries in smoke and can cause a severe rash.

Poison ivy foliage within reach can be sprayed with glyphosate (sold under the trade names Roundup, Kleenup and others) according to label directions. When using this or any herbicide, always read and follow label directions carefully. Take care to avoid other plants and do not spray so heavily the herbicide drips off the leaves. Glyphosate is a nonselective herbicide and will kill any vegetation it contacts.

To kill poison ivy that climbs high into trees, cut the vine off 6 inches above ground level. Treat the stump with glyphosate (according to label directions) immediately after cutting to kill the roots and prevent sprouting. If re-sprouting does occur, treat the leaves with glyphosate.

Poison ivy can be very persistent, so you may have to spray the vines two or more times for complete control. Poison ivy can spread along fence or hedge rows and under trees by birds dispersing the seeds. Treating young seedlings with glyphosate will kill them and limit the spread of poison ivy."

- MO Dept. of Conservation