FSD Outdoor Blog

Great content for the great outdoorsman.

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Getting The Right Ammo For Turkey Hunting

There’s a weird thing about turkey hunting that most people don’t realize, but everyone knows.

I know, sounds weird. Hear me out.

We have so much gear for hunting turkeys. We have our comfortable boots, our camo attire, our turkey call, our trusted shotgun, and all the practice and research we can cram into our minds.

But out of everything we own, only the ammo actually touches the turkey. Only our load, in the end, makes or breaks the deal.

You can find a ton of resources online about what outfits are best for turkey hunting, where to go to find your next Tom Turkey, and so on.

But there’s not a lot out there about the one thing that actually can deliver your turkey to you.

Ammo.

Recently, payloads have been used in a tighter choke that leads to a considerably dense shot column. At close range, you’re basically firing a slug.

This is one of the most frustrating things hunters experience. The closer you are, the harder it is to hit. This has been a growing trend, and there will be more aggravated hunters in the future.

Sadly, you can’t just go for a looser spread at close range because that type of payload is absolutely useless for any shot pass 40 yards, which is what you’re most likely going to be taking.

We need to find a balance.

Most loads you find are going to have a blended shot, which gives you a better chance close up without sacrificing too much for the far shots.

Federal’s 3rd Degree

This load takes the blended shot concept and takes it a step further. With 3 different shot sizes of different weights and coatings, you have a shot that is lethal up close and up to 50 yards out. The middle sized shot even has a small ring around it that makes it spread faster for those up close shots, which is pretty clever.

Winchester Xtended Range – Bismuth

What makes the Winchester Xtended Range shot impressive is the bismuth shot. This inclusion gives a greater range and better stopping power. If you think you’ll need some more reach and have to put down your tom immediately, this is a great option.

Remington Premier High Velocity Magnum Turkey Loads

This is the load for you if you just want a load to work again and again. Sometimes you’ll want a load that can do something a little special. This might cost you on those ‘standard’ shots. When you’re just starting off. Each shot will feel the same and it will let you get used to the whole experience.

This is also a great choice if you’re ever in a slump. When you’re going through those times that nothing seems to work, go with a load like this. It’ll let you hit the shots you’re supposed to make and put the ball back in your court.

Federal Premium Mag-Shok Lead Turkey Load

This load is another great choice for people just starting off or if someone that isn’t use to shooting guns. This load is pretty light compared to some of the other loads so you have much less recoil as the other loads on this list. Plus, they’re easier to carry around so you won’t get tired as fast.

This list is nowhere near inclusive. The reason for that is that there are new technologies being invented all the time. Hunters are more and more aware of what they want and the companies that create ammo respond to that demand.

You can find loads of varying weights, varying materials, and even some made to be better for the environment. In time, you’ll have even more innovative products available.

If you want to stay ahead of other hunters, give yourself the best chance for success, and see what these technologies can do, you have to be willing to try new things. Who knows where ammo might be in ten years from now? You deserve to stay on top of it each season.

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5 Great Ways to Honor Vets on Veterans Day

Like most patriotic holidays, Veterans Day is quickly become another excuse to skip work, get drunk, and eat meat seared over a grill.

Don’t get me wrong, that sounds like a fun day. But it isn’t what Veterans Day should become.

Over 20 million people in the USA are veterans which means just about everyone knows at least one veteran personally.

When writing this article, I wanted to see what others were saying about how to truly honor veterans on Veterans Day.

It quickly became apparent that most lists I found were full of ways to appear like you were honoring them without really doing anything.

One such entry was this:

Take a quiet moment and imagine hearing ‘Taps’ played in your head. Think about what it means.

If this is the best we can do for our veterans we should all be ashamed. These are people that we throw into the most dangerous fights in history, to defend our principals, and when they get home all we do for them is think about them once a year?

But we can all do better and it starts now. Let’s take a look at 5 REAL ways you can honor veterans on Veterans Day.

Attend an Event

In many cities, there will be numerous Veterans Day events before or on Veterans Day. Now, not all of these events are equal.

Some events are merely disguised as a patriotic event while simply being a money making scheme by local businesses and event planners.

Do a little bit of research and make sure that at least some of the proceeds go to a veterans organization you respect or veterans themselves.

BONUS

If you cannot find an event in your town or all of the events don’t give a portion of their proceeds, it’s time to make your own. Don’t get me wrong, this is not easy. But if you speak to your local politicians, they’ll be on your side. Veterans are a topic that politicians cannot ignore.

Help Fight PTSD

PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, ravages our veteran population. Giving time, money, or spreading awareness of PTSD will inherently help veterans.

The numbers of Veterans suffering from PTSD are as follows:

31% of Vietnam veterans
20% of Iraq veterans
11% of Afghanistan veterans
10% of Desert Storm veterans

In total 7.7 million people in the USA suffer from PTSD and the numbers grow as we become more aware of the disorder.

Seek Out Homeless Vets

There are about 20 million vets in America and over 50,000 of them are homeless. This number should strike a chord with you.

50,000 people that have served in our armed forces are simply without a place to live.

Luckily, you can easily donate to them. Here are just a few organizations you can give to.

NCHV – National Coalition of Homeless Veterans
http://nchv.org/index.php/getinvolved/getinvolved/donate/

HUD-VASH – the department of Housing and Urban Development has created the VASH program.
https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/hud-vash/hud-vash-eligibility-requirements/

SSFV – Supportive Services for Family Veterans
https://www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/

The list goes on and on. You can donate directly to the cause you like the most.

Spread Awareness

So far the things I’ve mentioned takes a lot of time and money to do. And you won’t always be able to give that much, which is fair.

But one thing you can always give is information. The numbers we’ve already discussed are staggeringly upsetting. But not everyone is aware of them. This is why spreading awareness is crucial.

If you do donate, even just a few bucks, create a post on your social media accounts and ask for others to follow. Explain that a few don’t need to give a lot if a lot of people can just give a few bucks.

Also contact your company. Sometimes they will have the ability to match certain donations and that’s a great way to double the reach of any donations you do end up making.

Just Make One Day Better

You’ve seen the numbers. There are too many veterans in America that need help. And maybe that number is so large that you feel powerless in the fight. And that’s reasonable. It is an absurdly big uphill battle.

All you need to do to make a difference is find a Veteran and make their day a little bit better. Take them out for a meal. Get them a coffee. Spend the day with them. Buy them some clothes. Have them over for dinner.

Just take the action to make one veteran’s day a little bit better and the difference you made will be enough. It will matter.

This Veterans Day, make a real difference. While others are getting drunk at BBQs or pretending they’re making a difference by thinking of niceties (I still can’t get over that), you can make a real difference with action.

It may not a lot. But it can be enough.

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5 Bow Hunting Tips For The Fall

Fall is here and the months of eagerly waiting with anticipation have been replaced with preparation and focus.

But if you want to start your fall off right, you need to nail the basics from day one. Bow Hunting isn’t a game, it’s a season. Get off to a running start and you’ll have a good one and you’ll get to the postseason (I think this metaphor is a bit lost, but that’s okay).

Let’s get right to it.

Practice

I hope you’ve been practicing. And if you haven’t, it’s time to start now. And if you have, you best keep doing it. You’ll never be good enough of a shot. And that’s okay. Keep at it.

Keep this in mind though: most people get better the longer they get into a practice session; their first shot might be their worst. But when you’re actually hunting, how often do you get to fire 3 or 4 shots at a single buck?

Don’t just practice shooting. Practice making your first shot as good as your tenth.

Patience

There are two elements of patience if you want to be a good bow hunter.

The first one is when you’re up in your tree stand, waiting for that special buck to arrive. Too often are hunters quick to leave their spot after just a few hours.

While fishing, you might be able to predict that an area won’t have too much activity by earlier action. Or lack thereof.

But as a bowhunter you have to let yourself have enough time to succeed.

The second element of patience is that bow hunting is a season, as we said. You’re not going to win every single game, you’re going to have days when you come back empty handed. If you want to have a winning season, though, you have to take the lessons that each game offers.

Even if you don’t bag a buck on your first day out, you can still learn the land around you, how the wind and the trees are, where the deer are coming from. All this information is vital to having a good season.

Camo Rope

If you’re using a rope to take your bow up to your tree stand, and you should, make sure you don’t use bright yellow or white rope and instead choose something more muted and brown.

Same goes for any harness you might be using, again, which you should use.

White or yellow rope in the wind is something that will easily spook a deer. Nothing is more frustrating than having a perfect shot at a 10 only to have it sprint away because of some white rope dancing in the breeze that you failed to tie down.

Scent Control

Using a deer spray is pivotal for having a successful hunt. Yeah, there are some hunters that certainly over spray. But to not use it will, eventually, cost you a buck or two. It’s safer to use some every time out, especially on your boots before you stroll to your stand.

Be Present 

Our last tip is a simple one in concept, but everyone falters here a little bit. When you’re at the tree stand, be present. Don’t be on your phone, don’t be day dreaming. This is where you want to be, act like it.

You never know when you’re deep in a rut that you might have a chance at glory, and it may just be present for a few seconds. You’ll have to be present, too.

Start off your fall right with these 5 tips. While many might start the season slow, you can hit the ground running by simply being more ready than anyone else out there.

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How To Fight The October Lull

We’ve all seen it.

The endless trail of camo clad hunters with their arrows unfired, their satisfaction unmet, their pride in low supply.

“The damn October Lull’ they’ll proclaim and others will nod in silent agreement.

And maybe, just maybe, they’ll feel better that they’re not alone.

Well, you know what would feel better than swapping stories of how the October Lull is in real effect and sharing the ‘what can ya do’ attitude among the sullen hunters filling up the sporting goods store?

Bagging some deer.

First, we need to deconstruct the October Lull.

Turns out, it’s made up…

Well, kinda.

You see, it’s true that hunters struggle in October.

But it’s not like the mature bucks they’re hunting for simply vanish.

What happens is actually pretty simple.

Bucks are smart. When there is a lot of hunting going on in one area, they simply leave the area.

Yeah… That’s it.

Trail cameras in under-hunted locations see an INFLUX of mature buck movement.

Because that’s where they all went.

In order to get around the October Lull idea, you have to change it up.

The deer will first simply go somewhere else when hunting gets too heavy.

Then, after that, they will start to travel at strangerer times.

All you have to do to break the October Lull is go where the hunters aren’t.

It’s a bit like fishing. You might see several boats in one area, all of them getting fish after fish. But give it some time and that is the one spot you don’t want to fish.

So, how can we do this?

There are few strategies we can employ.

First, 

try to set up your trail cameras in different locations. Have some in the heavy traffic areas, as per normal. But also set some up in areas that just aren’t that popular.

 

Second, 

adopt an ‘if I’m not first, I’m last’ mindset. If you arrive to a spot and there are other hunters nearby treat it as if the spot will be barren. It’s better to be alone in a slower location, especially once the deer start changing their route.

 

Third,

ignore the usual time frames. We know deer like to move around in low-light situations. But as hunters are preparing for these times, the deer will start acting differently. While obviously following all hunting laws in your state, once you see deer movement get lower, try hunting at different times.

Fourth,

think outside the box. Deer are reacting to the hunters. That is the October Lull in a nutshell. You have to out think the deer. And you can do it. Deer will always want food and safety as they travel. The more food that is plentiful the more the deer will be able to vary their times and routes for travel. Understand how a deer is going to respond will keep you ahead of the other hunters.

All in all, the October Lull is both myth and truth. Myth that some arcane art or ancient curse is preventing you from getting deer; but truth in that a lot of hunters, just like you, are struggling during this time.

That doesn’t have to be the way. Make October your month.

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Halloween is for Hunters

It doesn’t have to be all ghouls and ghosts this Halloween for hunters out there.

Instead of roaming the streets covered in sheets and cheap plastic masks, let’s go back to where we want to be: the woods.

Hunting in late October and early November is a unique time that requires unique actions if you’re going to bag the deer of your dreams.

Here’s a few tips to make it happen.

Find The Right Target

Depending on your area and the weather, you may want to target something else this Halloween.

Nowadays the weather is warmer so you often have bucks on the move earlier in the day. At night, it’s smarter to figure out where all the does are hanging out and hunt there.

Obviously this can change if you are experiencing a cooler period than normal so you should do a little research to figure out the proper movements and activity levels of deer in the morning so you can respond best at night.

Find Water

If you’re hunting in the evening, try to find a source of water to set up near. This is useful if you can’t find any clear transitions or just aren’t comfortable hunting from them. (We’ll get to transitions in a moment.)

Water is going to be very important during these times for both bucks and does. This is even more important with the warmer than normal weather during November.

Bucks and does are simply more active during this time and thus require more water. But don’t just look for any water, look for the signs of movement near the water. The more signs you see the more the deer use this water source.

Find Food

We already talked about finding water. But you also want to find where the deer are eating. Once you find the right water source with signs of action, you’ll want to look for the same signs of action but near food. This will usually be in a place that is higher than the water source; deer tend to want to eat acorns and such higher up so they can see threats, like you, better.

This leads us to…

Transitions

Deer are going to be on the move a lot around Halloween. Often there will be the spot they feed, the spot they drink, and the spot they hangout.

When you find the place they eat and the place they drink, you have a huge advantage over them.

Instead of taking a shot at one of these spots, find the places that connect them. Deer will travel on safe, high ground areas between these spots often. If you’re set up in these transition spots you’ll have access to both groups.

Sleep In

You don’t need to be up and out by 3 am to have a successful hunt this Halloween. At night, the bucks and does are very busy. This usually means the mature ones you want to bag will rest up a little bit before going on the move again, like 9 to 10 am is when they’ll start. This means if you don’t want to waste your time, you too should plan for a later day.

This Halloween, when others are out ghost hunting, we can be real hunting. And it’s a special time, hunting during Halloween. It is a moment between two types of seasons and you must adjust for both in order to have your best chance to catch a buck. It’s a truly fun experience if you’ve never done it.

But it is safe to say, once you start hunting on Halloween, you won’t be trick-or-treating ever again.