http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/index/ en mnewell@tecomate.com Copyright 2012 2012-05-16T05:42:00-05:00 http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/close_encounters_part_10/ http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/close_encounters_part_10/#When:05:42:00Z For most of us hunters we all are suffering from a disease that has no cure. We suffer all through the off season watching hunting shows and reading outdoor articles to get a good enough “fix” that will get us through the day. However, we all know that the only remedy is a close encounter with our quarry, or more specifically a harvested animal of some kind. It is amazing how quickly we can go from a depressed state to an exhilarating state when we put our hands on that trophy kill. I am already felling the effects of this disease as turkey season is drawing near to the end. I have had some exhilarating moments this year, but I can already fill the effects of depression, a major symptom of our disease, coming on.  For most of us hunters we all are suffering from a disease that has no cure. We suffer all through the off season watching hunting shows and reading outdoor articles to get a good enough “fix” that will get us through the day. However, we all know that the only remedy is a close encounter with our quarry, or more specifically a harvested animal of some kind. It is amazing how quickly we can go from a depressed state to an exhilarating state when we put our hands on that trophy kill. I am already felling the effects of this disease as turkey season is drawing near to the end. I have had some exhilarating moments this year, but I can already fill the effects of depression, a major symptom of our disease, coming on. In our devotion today we see a group of people that was suffering from an incurable disease. However, Jesus passed by and had a special close encounter with them. They all left that place cleansed from this disease and full of joy. They went from a sick and depressed state to an exhilarating state just by having a close encounter with Christ. One of these people had even a closer encounter with our Lord and was blessed in a very special way. I pray the Lord can use this story and outline to help you through your day. Luke 17:11-19 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. When Jesus Passed By: He Cleanses the Uncleansable Introduction: Notice that this story and many other Jesus stories start out with the phrase: “When Jesus Passed By”. When Jesus passed through an area, by a person, or down a street, peoples lives was for ever changed. Do you remember these familiar scenes: 1. Matt.20:30-34 (The two blind men given sight.) 2. Mark 5:21-43 (Jairus’ daughter brought back to life and the young woman healed.) 3. Matt 14 and Mark 4 and 6 (Jesus calms the storm) 4. Matt 6:53-56 (Jesus does many works at Gennesaret) 5. Luke 19:1-10 (Jesus brought salvation to Zacchaeus) * Verse 4, are you in a place where you know Jesus is going to pass by? 6. John 9:1-7 (Jesus gives sight to the blind) Here in our text we see a great work that Jesus did when He passed by the lepers. Jesus will do some great works for us if we will be sensitive to His presence. Jesus’ blessed touch is such a wonderful thing that all of us should be reaching out for. This work is seen literally through out the entire Bible. However, His touch spiritually can be felt right now and right where you are sitting. I personally have gotten the pleasure to experience God’s work in my life in some powerful ways. Through several close encounters with the Lord, He has renewed, refreshed, and restored some things in my life spiritually. What a blessing to feel His touch and be in His presence. In our text today you will see this awesome close encounter and a very special work of God as He passed by this leper colony. Though Jesus never directly touched these people, His presence and power was felt and experienced in a powerful way. Notice these experiences that can be felt when Jesus passes by: I. One experience that can be felt is a: A Cleansing Touch. (11-14) (A Picture of God’s Blessed Touch of Salvation.) (A Touch of Grace) A. He Cleansed them from their Sickness. Leprosy is Sickening: It is a slowly progressing and incurable skin disease that is sickening just to look at someone who has it. This disease would cause sores, scabs, and spots to form all over the body. Out of these would leak out puss and other body liquids. Leprosy basically would cause your body to rot from the outside in. A leper’s skin and digits (figures/toes) would later even fall off. Leprosy also is Separating: For a leper, because it is contagious and it has no cure, must be isolated from the rest of the population. Usually lepers would gather a few miles outside a town in a community call leper colonies. When a person would approach the colony the lepers would call out “unclean, unclean, stay away!” * In this little section of this text we see a: 1. A Desperate Cry for Mercy (Cry) 2. A Compelling Answer of Grace (Command) 3. A Healing Compliance of Faith (Cure or Cleansing) B. He Cleansed us from our Sin. * Leprosy is most likely the best picture of sin in the Bible. Sin, as bad as leprosy sounds is far worse than that. Just picture this seen at hand: Jesus passes by in sight of the colony, they start to shout out, “unclean, unclean, stay away!” Then one of the lepers says, hey that is Jesus! So there call completely changes. “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” He looked into there eyes and cleansed them. He said you take a step of faith for Me and you will be cleansed. I believed before they made it two steps out of the leper colony they were cleansed. The lepers called out to Him, when He passed by, and Jesus was compelled to come to them. Salvation is the same way. When Jesus comes your way, and Jesus must come your way for you to be saved, then you call out to Him and He is compelled to save you. II. Another experience that can be felt is a: A Celebrated Touch. (15-16) (A Picture of God’s Blessed Touch of Celebration) (A Touch of Gladness) A. Notice the Joy Shared with each other. B. Notice the Joy Spread to others. 1. Its Party Time (Luke 15, the prodigal returns) 2. (Exodus 15) *We have so much to be thankful for: salvation, a good family, a good job, a good church, people who love you, and many more. And these are just the simple things. Think about what God has done for you today. When is the last time you have expressed your appreciation to God for what He has done for you? * Satan wants to still that extra blessing of celebration and joy we receive in an outward expression of appreciation to God. No matter what constrains Satan my have on you, just give God the Glory and shout out your praises for Him. The wall will fall down and Satan will not be able to hold on. Remember what Joshua and the Hebrew people did at the Battle of Jericho. They played the trumpets and shouted, then the walls fell. III. Lastly, one other experience that can be felt is a: A Completing Touch. (17-19) (A Picture of God’s Blessed Touch of Restoration.) (A Touch of Glory) A. A Turn to God (An Act of Repentance) * This turn to God, or about-face, came after the realization of what just happened in this man’s life. For God to really do a work in our lives we need to realize the work He has already done. 1. It was A Single Action 2. It was A Shouting Action B. A Falling to the Ground (An Act of Reverence) * Once we realize what God has done and is doing in our lives we need to bow at His feet in reverence and thank Him for who He is and for what He has done. 1. It was a Humble Action 2. It was a Thankful Action 3. It was a Special Action (He was a Samaritan) *The Samaritans were rejected half-breeds. The Jews hated them as well as the Gentiles. So here is this story we see this leper as being the rejected of the rejects. He got a special blessing from the Lord that even the most devout Jew had never gotten. C. A Question from the Savior (An Act of Revelation) * Any time that God is asking a question it is not because He does not know the answer. He knows all the answers. He asks the question to reveal something about you and the situation at hand. 1. The revealing Act of Separation. (Only one returned to give glory to God.) 2. The revealing Act of Selflessness. (The other nine was not there.) 3. The revealing of the Stranger. (God revealed the blessings He has in store for the faithful, even for the rejects in society.) D. A Statement from the Savior (An Act of Restoration) * The power in Jesus’ statements is truly amazing. To be able to do all the things He did just by speaking them. Are we truly hearing with our hearts the words of Christ? Just think of all the amazing things we have missed out on by not listening and obeying the Masters commands. 1. A Command to stand & walk in the Fullness of God. 2. A Completion of spirit & body by his Faith in God. *Because this man thanked God, bowed to the Lord’s feet, and gave Him the Glory for what happened to him, God gave him a special touch of Glory. Not only did Jesus heal this man, but he was completely restored. I know God’s grace is sufficient; His marvelous grace is all we will ever need. However, don’t you want the very best that God has to offer. This man got something extra that the other 9 did not get. He was made whole. All were cleansed and none had leprosy any more, but this man got all his fingers back, all his skin back, and all his scars cleared up. He became the healthy complete person that he was before he had leprosy. He got something extra. He got a touch of Gods Awesome Glory. Concluding Thoughts: Think about this: These stats are one to think about. 1 out of every 10 saved people has a special touch of God on them. Out of a group of 100 saved folk 10 has a presence about them that is a little different than the others. What is this, it is not Grace, but it is God’s Glory shining through in a special way. Maybe they have this touch because they read there bible more than most and they spend some serious time each day in their prayer closet. Whatever they are doing, God’s Glory is shining all around them. Wouldn’t you like to have this touch? Think about this: These lepers were saturated in their sickness, separated from their families, waiting to die from their disease, but guess who came by, Jesus. They then called out unto Him, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And he cleansed them. Do you remember when you were lost in your sickness of sin, separated from heaven, just going through the motions of life and headed toward a devils hell, but then guess who came by, Jesus. Then you cried out unto Him, Jesus, Master, have mercy on me. And he saved you. That is worth shouting about, that is worth celebrating, and that is worth throwing a party over. Allow the Lord to use this little story and devotion to help you grow closer to our Lord and Savior. Never forget about His touch of Grace that we need to be Grateful for and to give Him the Glory for in each and everyday of our lives. What an Awesome God we serve! He sure has been good to me. God Bless and Happy Hunting. Man to Man Devotionals 2012-05-16T05:42:00-05:00 http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/can_a_selective_buck_harvest_affect_antler_characteristics/ http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/can_a_selective_buck_harvest_affect_antler_characteristics/#When:03:15:00Z Mickey W. Hellickson, Charles A. DeYoung, Randy W. DeYoung, Randy Fugate, Donnie Harmel, David G. Hewitt, and E. L. “Butch” Young Selective breeding experiments with penned deer have documented rapid improvement in antler quality.  Our objective was to determine if rapid improvement was possible in a free-ranging population subjected to selective harvest.  Mickey W. Hellickson, Charles A. DeYoung, Randy W. DeYoung, Randy Fugate, Donnie Harmel, David G. Hewitt, and E. L. “Butch” Young Selective breeding experiments with penned deer have documented rapid improvement in antler quality. Our objective was to determine if rapid improvement was possible in a free-ranging population subjected to selective harvest. This South Texas study included 9,500-acre treatment and control areas. Both received similar, conservative, sport harvest. The treatment area also received intensive culling of 1.5-year-old bucks with 2.5 years old with Whitetail Wisdom 2012-05-15T03:15:00-05:00 http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/approaching_150_and_twenty_years_of_turkey_hunting_part_2/ http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/approaching_150_and_twenty_years_of_turkey_hunting_part_2/#When:21:07:00Z During my second year of college, my high school’s basketball team was playing in the state playoffs so I dropped in to watch the game and support the Wildcats. The playoffs are always just prior to turkey season here in Mississippi. During the game the subject of hunting turkeys was brought up somewhere in the middle of lay-ups and three point shots. The guy I was sitting by was a sports writer and friend of mine, but I never knew that he was a big turkey hunter. He was several years ahead of me in school so we really didn’t spend that much time together. After celebrating our beloved Wildcats’ win, we exchanged phone numbers and future hunting plans for the up coming season. During my second year of college, my high school’s basketball team was playing in the state playoffs so I dropped in to watch the game and support the Wildcats. The playoffs are always just prior to turkey season here in Mississippi. During the game the subject of hunting turkeys was brought up somewhere in the middle of lay-ups and three point shots. The guy I was sitting by was a sports writer and friend of mine, but I never knew that he was a big turkey hunter. He was several years ahead of me in school so we really didn’t spend that much time together. After celebrating our beloved Wildcats’ win, we exchanged phone numbers and future hunting plans for the up coming season. A Red Pontiac Grand Am Sometime toward the end of March our schedules synced for the first time. I will never forget meeting him and climbing into his red Pontiac Grand Am. I thought to myself, this guy does not have a clue about turkey hunting. He drives a red sports car, what turkey hunter drives a red sports car? On top of that he didn’t even have a full set of camo, just some green coveralls and a Realtree shirt. Well we pulled up to the gate and then walked up this dim access road up to the top of a hill where we stopped to listen from in hopes of hearing our first gobble. With a good 15 minutes before typical gobbling time, Rocky began to tell me the lay out of the property and about turkeys that he and his family had killed here. After hearing this I began to feel a little more comfortable with my new hunting partner and started to think that maybe he does know something about turkey hunting. As the sounds of Spring started filling the air it was not long before a gobbler thundered off in the distance. The turkey was a good half mile away, but we stayed put in hopes of hearing another gobbler closer to us. The bird kept gobbling and gobbling, and after hearing nothing close we headed toward him. Just short of running we made our way down the big hill, through a field, and up another big hill. We stopped to catch our breath and to listen one more time to find out exactly where he was. To our surprise two turkeys gobbled just 100 yards or so in front of us in a beautiful old growth stand of timber. I went to the right and Rocky went to the left. We ended up being about 20 yards apart, which covered both sides of the big ridge we were on. The turkeys answered every one of our calls, which were only soft yelps and clucks. I took my turkey wing and simulated a hen flying off the roost. Ten seconds later I heard at least one of the turkeys fly down just 60 yards or so in front of me. I softly called one last time to let the gobbler know right where I was with the bird gobbling back immediately. Minutes later the turkey appeared in the dark shadows of the dim lit early morning woods and only seconds later he was on his back with his feet in the air. Little did I know the other gobbler was on his way to our position also, but I never saw him. Rocky said if I would have waited just a few more seconds we would have been putting two birds in the trunk of his red Pontiac Grand Am. Turkey Fans Shared with Turkey Friends One of my favorite turkey poses is to have multiple turkeys with their fans spread out with me and my turkey hunting friends behind them. Since that first time Rocky and I hunted together, we have posed with many gobblers that we killed all over Mississippi and in other states. There is just something special about hunting with friends and the memories that you share with each other. These friendships also seem to go beyond the turkey woods. From watching each others kids grow up to being there for each other when the storms of life come upon our shores. I remember being there for Rocky when his dad and grand dad (Pawpaw) passed away. They were as much involved with our turkey hunts as they could be. If possible, we would always take our kills by their house and share with them the day’s hunt. Not to mention the big country breakfast his Mawmaw had prepared that would be awaiting us on those special mornings. The day of Pawpaw’s funeral, another friend of mine, Chris, and I killed a double early that morning. Before I left for the funeral I printed out a picture of those turkeys and wrote a simple dedication to Pawpaw. Later on after the service, which turkey hunting was mentioned in, I gave the picture to Mawmaw. I thanked her for all the breakfasts that she had cooked for me through the years, and many other memories that I got to share with Pawpaw. That picture still hangs in her house today. Rocky and I do not get to hunt together as much as we would like nowadays. Between us now living 150 miles apart and Rocky hunting with his new partner (his son Jordon, who has turned into a pretty good hunter himself), we are left with little time to get together on a hunt. However, I have several other hunting partners that I frequently chase turkeys with. There is Scott, a good friend of mine from the town I live in now, Chris, who lives close to where I grew up, and my cousin Austin; just to name a few. Scott and I have killed several turkeys together on his family property, but he seems to have the worst luck of anyone I have ever hunted with. The craziest and worst things seem to always happen when I am with him. Hunting with Chris, on the other hand, is just the opposite. More times than not one of us, if not both of us, leaves the turkey woods with a long beard draped over a shoulder. We hunt alike, think alike, and will do most anything to kill a turkey. One day we hunted from daylight to 6:00pm without stopping for a break of any kind. We killed one that day and should have killed another. Chris and I had some good hunts this year, but one April day of hunting seems to be the hunt of the year so far. The Tractor Gobbler This hunt started with both of us leaving the truck on the same property with Chris going in deep before daylight to listen and I was going to stay close to the truck and see if I could hear a turkey across the road. As the light starting filling the sky a turkey gobbled somewhere in-between Chris and I, but closer to Chris. After hearing nothing across the road I headed toward that gobbler. Before I could get close to the gobbler on the roost he flew down very early toward Chris so I stayed back. In the mean time Chris was trying to crawl up a little closer and into a better position when the bird landed within 40 yards of him. The turkey was on the other side of a grown up food plot in some open pines and all Chris could see was the tip of the strutting bird’s fan. By this time a hen had flown down on the opposite side of Chris in a logging road that lead up to the food plot. “Surely the gobbler will head toward the hen which will bring him into view,” he thought to himself. Ten minutes later the turkey gobbled 100 yards or so in the pines across the road. After I knew where the turkey was I eased up to Chris’ position and we devised a game plan to hunt him. Team Hunting Team hunting is simply when two or more hunters team up to hunt a turkey. There are many strategies and techniques also within the realm of team hunting. The most common is simply two hunters sitting together in the general area while trying to call in a bird with one or all hunters calling. Another common team hunting technique is have one hunter stay in one place while the other hunter walks away from a gobbling bird hoping he will come into range for the other hunter. On this particular morning, Chris and I basically decided to go after this turkey from two different sides. This in theory would cut off the two major travel routes that the turkeys normally used. To make a long story short, we spent the next two hours trying to cut off this gobbler to have him shoot the gap between us like an all-pro middle line backer. Once the turkey was in the other block of woods he quit gobbling and completely vanished. After meeting back up with Chris, he told me that he saw the bird a couple of times and even was in shotgun range, but just could not get a clear shot. The technique we used that morning had been used many times with most all of my hunting partners with lots of success. It just did not work on this morning. Keep Hunting After making it back to the truck we decided to ride around some to cool off and check some openings from the road to see if we could spot one. With only seeing a few hens and jakes from the truck I thought about a small property that was not far from the last opening that we checked. I had killed turkeys there in the past, but I had not hunted there in years. It was a block of mature woods with a 10 acre field in the middle of it. Immediately after getting out of the truck I saw both old and fresh gobbler tracks in the road that traversed the property and lead to the big field. Just knowing that there had been a bird somewhere on this property was a big confidence booster. We slowly made our way down the road stopping and calling several times along the way with no response from any turkey. As we made it down to the field we crawled up to the edge. I could see that the field had been recently disked and a tractor was left in the middle of the field. I thought to myself that there was not going to be any turkeys here because it looked like the field had been disked that morning. Well, just as quick as I thought that, I saw a big black ball walk out from behind the tractor. As I focused my binoculars on it, a big gobbler instantly came into view. He was headed toward the same side of the field we were on, just several hundred yards further down. I knew where an old logging road was that should come out directly where he was headed and we needed to get there fast. Again, just short of running, we backed up a hundred yards and made our way across the timber. We quickly made it to the logging road and eased down it toward the field. When we got to where the field was in sight we looked for the gobbler while slowly walking down to the field edge. We got about 10 yards from the edge where we could see the section of field where the bird was headed to and still no sight of the turkey. Just as we stopped and while looking intently for the bird, he gobbled only 60 to 70 yards directly in front of us. There were a couple of big pine trees that were about 40 yards in front of us and he was behind one of them. We both hit the ground just before the big gobbler strutted into view. We noticed that he was all alone so we softly and sweetly called to him. The bird made a 90 degree turn and headed straight toward us. It was about eleven o’clock and the sun was shining almost directly down on him. You could see the red, white, and blue glowing from his head. The iridescent colors from his feathers where shining brightly in the midday sun. What a gorgeous sight! The sight that was even better was when my 3½ inch 12 gauge put him on his back. A long morning of hunting that ended with a quick hunt, a high five, and a 10 inch bearded gobbler draped over my shoulder. However, the best thing about this hunt was that I was able to share it with a good friend and my favorite hunting partner. Do not be afraid to try some different things with your approach to team hunting. You may find yourself a technique that is murder on turkeys. However, please do be careful in doing so. No matter what happens during your hunts together with friends, enjoy the time you spend with each other, because you never know when life’s circumstances will limit your hunting time together. This turkey was number 143. I had to cancel on some of my hunts so it does not look good for the home team to make it to 150 this year. However, I leave for Kansas at the end of this week. Hopefully I can add two more there to my total. Please look soon for part three in this series, “Go West Young Man”, to see how my Kansas hunt went. God Bless and Happy Hunting. Featured Articles 2012-05-14T21:07:00-05:00 http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/coyotes_and_fawns_a_deadly_combination/ http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/coyotes_and_fawns_a_deadly_combination/#When:02:55:00Z A newborn fawn is defenseless, immobile, and left isolated by its mother except for a two to three brief encounters per day for nursing.  These factors combine to make fawns very vulnerable to a variety of death-causing disturbances early in their lives. FAWNS DIE AT AN ALARMING RATE One of the first studies conducted on fawn mortality was completed by Frederick Knowlton on the Welder Wildlife Refuge, north of Sinton in San Patricio County.  Frederick captured over 400 wild fawns during 1960 through 1965.  He marked the fawns with colored tags and then released them at the capture site.  After careful observation of these marked fawns, he estimated that 70 percent of the fawns died during their first summer of life! A newborn fawn is defenseless, immobile, and left isolated by its mother except for a two to three brief encounters per day for nursing. These factors combine to make fawns very vulnerable to a variety of death-causing disturbances early in their lives. FAWNS DIE AT AN ALARMING RATE One of the first studies conducted on fawn mortality was completed by Frederick Knowlton on the Welder Wildlife Refuge, north of Sinton in San Patricio County. Frederick captured over 400 wild fawns during 1960 through 1965. He marked the fawns with colored tags and then released them at the capture site. After careful observation of these marked fawns, he estimated that 70 percent of the fawns died during their first summer of life! Biologists had long suspected that fawns suffered high mortality rates during their first few months of life. Embryo counts conducted by Barron and Harwell in the early 1970's had revealed that pregnant south Texas does carried from 1.24 to 1.81 fetuses each. These numbers would translate into 124 to 181 fawns per 100 does during fall counts if no mortality at all occurred before the fall survey. However, dozens upon dozens of fall helicopter counts had revealed an average of only 30 fawns per 100 does by fall. What was killing all of these missing fawns? WHY ARE SO MANY FAWNS DYING? Based on the results of an intensive deer study conducted during the early 1960's in the Hill Country by James Teer, it was suspected that coyotes were the culprits. In the Hill Country, where coyotes had long been intensively removed because of the sheep and goat industry, Teer found that only 11 percent of fawns died shortly after birth. In one of the first radio telemetry studies ever conducted, Cook, White, Trainer, and Glazener combined to complete an intensive study on the Welder Wildlife Refuge to find out what was killing so many fawns each year. These researchers captured 81 wild fawns between one and 12 days old over a two-year period. Thirty-four fawns were collared with radio transmitters in 1965 and 47 were collared in 1966. Each fawn was relocated with telemetry four to five times per week for the first month of their life. For two additional months, these fawns were relocated two to three times per week. If a fawn was found dead, it was transported back to a laboratory and examined to determine the cause of death. Amazingly, 58 of the 81 fawns (72 percent) died during the three months they were monitored. Twenty-four of 34 fawns (71 percent) died the first year and 34 of 47 (72 percent) died the second year of the study. A shocking 54 fawns (93 percent) died during their first month of life, while only four of the fawns (7 percent) alive after 30 days died over the next two months. Unfortunately, only 23 of the original 81 fawns (28 percent) survived until September. These researchers concluded that coyotes killed at least 29 of the 58 fawns (50 percent) that died. In addition, it was suspected that coyotes were also responsible for 17 other fawn (29 percent) deaths. All together, coyotes likely killed 46 of the 58 fawns (79 percent)! Bobcats killed two fawns (3 percent), starvation killed 5 fawns (9 percent), disease killed 4 fawns (7 percent), and an accident killed one fawn (2 percent). The researchers suspected that the wandering and bleating behavior of some fawns caused their mortality by attracting coyotes. They also felt that diarrhea and infections may have played a role in the death of some fawns because this increased odor likely allowed them to be found by coyotes. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN COYOTES ARE REMOVED? The obvious question raised by the above study was “will removing coyotes result in increased fawn survival and increased numbers of deer?” In order to answer this question, the late Sam Beasom conducted a Ph.D. study on the Santa Gertrudis division of the King Ranch. Two study areas, each 5,400 acres in size, were selected. One area served as the control, where no coyotes were removed. Five miles away on the second, experimental area, as many coyotes as possible were removed from early February through late June each year for two years (1971-72). Coyotes were removed by trap, M-44 cyanide guns, and by shooting. The intensive six-month program resulted in the removal of an amazing 129 coyotes and 66 bobcats in 1971 and 59 coyotes and 54 bobcats in 1972. Coyote and bobcat numbers were monitored each month by counting tracks along two, two-mile long roads in each study area. Surprisingly, according to the track counts, coyote numbers returned to pre-removal levels by January each year. Fawn survival was estimated on each area by calculating fawn:doe ratios each August using a helicopter. Each area was flown twice and the number of fawns and does were counted. In addition, during September and October, road counts of fawns and does were conducted on each area, as well as on areas adjacent to the study areas. The resulting fawn:doe ratios clearly showed the strong effects that coyote removal had on fawn survival. In 1971, 47 fawns were counted per 100 does on the coyote-removal area versus only 12 fawns per 100 does on the control area. In 1972, a high rainfall year, 82 fawns were counted per 100 does on the coyote-removal area versus only 32 fawns per 100 does on the control area. Beasom estimated that the lack of a predator removal program on the control area resulted in a 74 percent higher loss of fawns in 1971 and a 61 percent higher loss in 1972. Obviously, intensively removing coyotes can greatly increase fawn survival! WILL HIGHER FAWN CROPS RESULT IN TOO MANY DEER? Although Beasom successfully answered the question of what would happen to fawn survival if coyotes were intensively removed, his research raised a new question, which was “will increased fawn survival result in too many deer?” The concern was that coyote removal would allow too many deer to survive, leading to deer populations that were too high for the habitat to support. If deer numbers increased past the carrying capacity of the habitat, would this result in a drastic deer die-off? John Kie, Marshall White, and Frederick Knowlton conducted a second scientific study on the Welder Wildlife Refuge to answer this new question. In 1972, they built a coyote-proof enclosure fence around a 960-acre treatment area. In 1973, coyote removal efforts began within the enclosure and by 1976, it was estimated that all coyotes had been removed. In order to study the effects of coyote removal on the deer population, the researchers compared the deer herd inside the enclosure to a deer herd on a control area of the same habitat type outside of the enclosure. Deer populations were monitored by driving transects through each area 20-30 different times each summer. In addition, helicopter surveys were conducted during winter, beginning in 1975. As had been found by Beasom, these researchers also documented a significant increase in fawn survival due to the removal of coyotes. From 1973-78, fawn crops within the enclosure averaged 62 fawns per 100 does versus only 42 fawns per 100 does outside the enclosure. However, mortality of older fawns (3-12 months of age) was higher inside the enclosure than outside, somewhat offsetting the additional fawns “saved” by coyote removal. Although mortality was higher for older-aged fawns within the enclosure, total deer numbers quickly increased. In 1974, deer densities within the enclosure reached a peak of 218 deer per square mile, over two times higher than the seven-year average of 90 deer per square mile outside the enclosure. Unfortunately, increasing deer numbers within the enclosure led to several problems. The reproductive rates began to decline. By 1976, reproductive rates of yearling does dropped to only 0.55 fetuses per doe and a 55 percent pregnancy rate inside the enclosure versus 1.31 fetuses and an 88 percent pregnancy rate outside the enclosure. By 1977, reproductive rates of adult does dropped to only 0.85 fetuses per doe and a 62 percent pregnancy rate inside the enclosure versus 1.64 fetuses and a 93 percent pregnancy rate outside. Additional problems became apparent with the deer herd within the enclosure. Does within the enclosure bred up to 14 days later and as a result, gave birth to their fawns later than does outside the enclosure. Bucks retained their velvet longer (90 percent still in velvet in late August versus 60 percent outside) and dropped their hardened antlers earlier than bucks outside the enclosure. Body weights also declined and parasite loads increased. In addition, the adult sex ratio inside the enclosure shifted toward a higher percentage of bucks (37 percent bucks inside enclosure versus 24 percent bucks outside). The researchers guessed that the change in sex ratio was due to a higher mortality rate of does within the enclosure. They felt that because fawn survival increased, the added stress on does in raising more fawns to an older age, increased their mortality rate. Finally, in 1978 a die-off of adult deer occurred within the enclosure. During that year’s winter helicopter survey, Lynn Drawe counted 35 dead deer within the enclosure and none outside the enclosure. In fact, the 1978 survey indicated that the deer population within the enclosure had declined to the point that it was back to a level equal to the population size before the study began. The researchers concluded that the die-off was caused by malnutrition due to a shift in diet. They examined rumens of deer killed inside and outside the enclosure and found that outside deer consumed 87 percent forbs, 10 percent grasses, and 3 percent browse, while enclosure deer were forced to eat a higher percentage of grasses (21 percent) and less forbs (77 percent). HOW DOES RAINFALL AFFECT FAWN SURVIVAL? Bob Carroll and Dennis Brown, both biologists for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, conducted a fourth study on fawn mortality. These researchers conducted their study during 1971-73 on two different study areas, one in Lavaca County and the second in Gonzalez County. They captured and radio collared 120 fawns, 20 per year on each study area. Fawn mortality was monitored from year to year in relation to rainfall and deer density. Coyotes were not removed on either area. On the Gonzalez County study area, the researchers reported a 90 percent mortality rate (18 of 20 fawns captured died) in 1971 versus mortality rates of only 35 percent in 1972 and 10 percent in 1973. They attributed the high mortality rate in 1971 to a severe drought; deer were in very poor condition as a result of the poor range conditions, leading to the high mortality rate. In addition, fawn hiding cover was substantially decreased. In 1972 and 1973, rainfall levels returned to normal and fawn survival greatly increased due to the improved range conditions and the resulting increase in cover and deer condition. Coyotes killed 14 of the 18 fawns (78 percent) in 1971, only two of seven fawns (29 percent) in 1972, and two of two fawns (100 percent) in 1973; leading the researchers to conclude that coyotes had the potential of killing a high percentage of fawns during critical periods, such as the drought in 1971. On the Lavaca County study area, deer numbers were estimated to be over four times higher than deer numbers in Gonzalez County. Fawn mortality rates varied from 25 percent (5 of 20 fawns captured died) in 1971, to 50 percent in 1972, and 35 percent in 1973. Coyotes were responsible for 60 percent of the mortalities in 1971, 50 percent in 1972, and 29 percent in 1973. Overall, on both study areas combined, coyotes caused 50% of mortalities, while disease and starvation accounted for 34 percent, and 16 percent were undetermined. The combined fawn loss was 47 percent from time of birth to three months of age. SHOULD COYOTES BE EXTERMINATED? Many biologists and managers feel that coyotes play a helpful role in maintaining a stable relationship between deer populations and their food supply, especially in refuge areas. Therefore, they feel that coyotes should not be removed, so that they can maintain deer numbers within the carrying capacity of the habitat. The problem with this line of reasoning is that a large portion of the deer management is then left in the hands of the coyote, instead of in the hands of the manager or biologist where it belongs. Would you rather have a biologist managing your deer herd, or coyotes? However, at some point the biologist or manager will have to increase the deer harvest to compensate for the deer “added” to the population, especially if 2-3 good rainfall years occur in succession. Therefore, a coyote control program brings with it the responsibility of closely monitoring deer numbers. In addition, harvest may have to be increased in order to keep the deer population within the carrying capacity of the habitat. The clear advantage to the landowner is that more adult deer can be harvested each year as a result of the coyote removal program. Deer/Plot Management 2012-05-08T02:55:00-05:00 http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/tecomate_seed_planting_guide_part_i/ http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/tecomate_seed_planting_guide_part_i/#When:01:53:00Z One of our most frequently asked questions is “How do I plant Tecomate products and how should I manage them for best performance.” Of course, the answer depends on many factors, including what you’re planting, where you’re planting, your equipment and your level of intensity. Here, we are going to offer with some general step-by-step guidelines that should help you be successful with Tecomate products no matter what your situation. We want you to be successful with Tecomate products, and our staff of wildlife managers and seedsmen are always ready to help. One of our most frequently asked questions is “How do I plant Tecomate products and how should I manage them for best performance.” Of course, the answer depends on many factors, including what you’re planting, where you’re planting, your equipment and your level of intensity. Here, we are going to offer with some general step-by-step guidelines that should help you be successful with Tecomate products no matter what your situation. We want you to be successful with Tecomate products, and our staff of wildlife managers and seedsmen are always ready to help. Here are the topics we will discuss in this two-part article: Part I • Site Selection and basic soil type • Determining your soil fertility Part II • Fertility and inoculation • Land preparation • Weed Control • Planting information Site Selection All plants require several components for optimum growth, among which are sunlight, water, nutrients and soil conducive to good drainage and adequate water-holding capacity. Sunlight When attracting and feeding deer and turkeys, this most often means planting in wooded areas. However, selecting your planting site in tall timber where sunlight is filtered at best through the trees is not the ideal. The process of photosynthesis is where the plant converts sunlight into energy. Less energy, therefore, means less chance for good performance. Plants will grow spindly and have wider leaves trying to capture sunlight if grown in shady areas. Tree roots can also compete for moisture and nutrients. Look for areas where sunlight penetrates well if you plant in woodland areas. Obviously, the best area for site selection is in similar situations as farmers would use for planting their crops. Fields next to deer and turkey habitat are excellent choices. Water The second component for optimum growth is adequate water. Unless you plan to irrigate, this component is left to natural rainfall. There are some additional points for you to consider which will help you in the long run. Your local weather service has historical records of rainfall patterns (your TV or radio station can get you in the right direction to find this information). If these records indicate periods of drought in September, but October historically has good rainfall, then choose the period where the time after planting will give you good water reserves for stand establishment and early growth. Good seedling establishment can aid in weathering periods of dry weather later on. Nutrients We will discuss this topic in more detail later in this article. Soil Types and Drainage All soils are made up of four components: 1) Sand 2) Silt 3) Clay and 4) Organic Matter. Organic matter is important and can be considered as an aid to fertility. But, we are only going to discuss the mineral components. As the percentages of each of these components vary, the characteristics of that soil change. This can be a very complicated subject and gets into soil chemistry and soil physics which agronomists study constantly. For our discussion; we are going to take the more simple approach. When a soil has equal concentration of sand, silt and clay, it is classified as a loam. Soils can have all variations of these components and may include names like sandy clay loam or silty clay depending on the percentage of each component. Soil agronomists have classified most every soil type in the U.S. and have mapped where they occur. You can most likely find the exact soil type you have by checking with your county extension agent or soil conservation service. Here are some basic characteristics to give us the background we need. Sandy Soils – when the greatest percentage of the four components is sand, then the soil is classified as sandy and as the percentage of sand decreases, the soil type moves more toward a loam or loamy sand. Sandy soils typically are very productive and well drained, but as a downside, they are also the worst for water holding capacity and for holding nutrients which can be leached through the soil profile by rainfall percolating down. If you live in areas where rainfall yearly totals are greater than 20 inches, then your sandy soils are most likely low in pH and liming may be needed to correct this problem. A good rule of thumb to remember on correcting pH is that the sandier the soil, the less lime it takes to raise the pH but the more frequently applications have to be made to maintain proper levels. We will discuss this more later. Sandy soils, therefore are usually good choices for planting your plots. Realize that the sandier the soil, the more water and fertility are going to be required for optimum growth. Silt Soils - The best way to describe silt, is that, when it is dry, it feels like talcum power in your fingers. Silt and silt loam soils are some of the most productive agricultural soils in the world. Silt soils have high water holding capacity, usually fertile, good tilth or workability, good drainage, but, may still be low in pH. Clay Soils - These soils can also be very productive but may have poorer drainage and require much more lime to raise the pH up to an optimum level if the pH tests low. Clay soils hold a tremendous amount of water due to the larger amount of total surface area on the smaller particles of soil. This surface area of the clay particles is a factor in holding strongly to residual nutrients and may mean more fertilizer must be added to maintain availably. We don’t have much control over the soil types where we need to plant our plots. Having some basic knowledge of the soil and its characteristics can help us manage better, however. Determining your Soil Fertility There is only one good way to determine what your fertility levels are…soil testing. Take a representative sample of the field in a plastic bucket. Use a soil probe if you have one or small shovel if you don’t. Dig down about four inches and take the top couple of inches and discard. This has a higher concentration of organic matter and can give you false information. Soil testing supplies are available at http://www.gemplers.com . Mix the soil thoroughly and take about a pint to a quart in to be analyzed. Sample boxes are available from your extension service. There are some kits available which let you find out what your pH is and what levels of nutrients are in the soil. Our recommendation is to take the time and get an accurate assessment of the plot through a good soil test from your county extension service or other private laboratories equipped to give the best decision making information to you. Tell the testing facility you intend to plant legumes for wildlife plots for proper analysis to be done. If you are planting Max Attract 50/50, then request testing for small grain/clover mixture. Here are some basic things you will be able to find out from this test: 1. Soil pH – this is a measure of the soil’s acidity or alkalinity. It is based on a scale of 1-14 with 7 being neutral. Readings below 7, indicate acid soil and above 7, alkaline. For best production of the varieties in Tecomate Seed Company products, a pH in the range of 6.5 – 6.8 is optimum. Your soil test will most likely also tell you a buffer pH. This is related to your soil type. The higher the clay content the more lime required. Buffer pH helps determine amounts needed. 2. Major elements available – the major elements are Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium, N-P-K. When you buy a bag of fertilizer the three numbers are an indication of N-P-K. For example, 13-13-13 means there is 13% of each of the components N-P-K available to the plant in the bag and the remainder is inert materials. Sometimes, the amount of Sulfur is also shown on the soil test. 3. Minor elements available – minor elements are most often not tested unless requested. Go ahead and get this done. It will help you determine fertilizer selections later if you are deficient in these elements. Most often they are used in very little, but sometimes critical amounts by the growing crop. One of these elements, Molybdenum, is critical in proper nodulation of legumes. Tecomate Seed Company legumes are included in the components of all our products except Chicory. We will cover this in the section on inoculation. 4. Lastly, the soil test results will give you recommendation to amend the soil to optimum. Join me next month when I will discuss fertility and inoculation, land preparation, weed control and planting information in the second article of this two-part series. Deer/Plot Management, Hunting Diaries 2012-05-08T01:53:00-05:00 http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/approaching_150_and_twenty_years_of_turkey_hunting_part_1/ http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/approaching_150_and_twenty_years_of_turkey_hunting_part_1/#When:12:05:00Z When my dad and I pulled up to the mouth of that old logging road before daylight in 1993, no one imagined the transformation that was going to take place on that early April morning. This was the year that a mere fourteen-year-old boy was turned into a turkey hunter. As we opened the truck door on that historic morning, we immediately heard a turkey gobbling close by. The sleepiness of a typical teenager was quickly replaced with the excitement and rush of energy that only a gobbling turkey can bring. The most sugar and nutrient filled energy drink can not come close to the shot of adrenaline that a single gobble from the king of spring can bring. The gobbler was roosted on the opposite side of a narrow strip of cutover that was only eighty yards wide. We slowly moved up the edge of the cutover. The turkey was thundering off at what seemed like every sound that was made on that Mississippi morning. When my dad and I pulled up to the mouth of that old logging road before daylight in 1993, no one imagined the transformation that was going to take place on that early April morning. This was the year that a mere fourteen-year-old boy was turned into a turkey hunter. As we opened the truck door on that historic morning, we immediately heard a turkey gobbling close by. The sleepiness of a typical teenager was quickly replaced with the excitement and rush of energy that only a gobbling turkey can bring. The most sugar and nutrient filled energy drink can not come close to the shot of adrenaline that a single gobble from the king of spring can bring. The gobbler was roosted on the opposite side of a narrow strip of cutover that was only eighty yards wide. We slowly moved up the edge of the cutover. The turkey was thundering off at what seemed like every sound that was made on that Mississippi morning. Luckily the gobbler liked the sounds I was making on an original Eddie Salter mouth call and from my dad’s homemade box call that his dad had made. The turkey strutted across the cutover and up to about thirty yards from our position. I put the bead from my old model 12 Winchester shotgun on the gobbler’s head and fired off. I remember my dad telling me, “You got him, you got him!” I will never forget that picturesque moment in time as we walked back up that old logging road to the truck with my long bearded gobbler on one shoulder and my dad’s arm around the other. The memory of my first turkey is forever etched into my heart. The rush that I experienced that day is what has kept me coming back to the spring turkey woods for the past 20 years. Since that time I have transformed even further. I have gone from a turkey hunter to a turkey extremist. As much as I love to deer hunt, it does not hold a candle to the passion I have for hunting and harvesting turkeys. There is just something special about having that close encounter with the majestic king of spring that gets my blood boiling. Since that unforgettable hunt in 1993, I have been fortunate enough to be able to hunt and kill turkeys in several states. From the turkey rich hardwood bottoms and pine hills of the Deep South, my home turf; to the Big Horn Mountain range of the snow covered Rockies, and the wooded Catskill Mountain range of the Appalachians, which I have found a second home. And I cannot forget to mention my new favorite place to hunt, the Midwest. States, such as Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri are absolutely loaded with turkeys. I have had many memorable hunts in all these regions of our great nation. From watching gobblers take a 100-yard death roll down a steep mountain bank in Pennsylvania and Wyoming; to having to shoot a gobbler in Kansas out of the air in self-defense after I him missed on the first shot. Every time I think of these hunts, and many others like them, I thank the Lord for the opportunities He has given me and the success that He has granted me. This series of articles will hopefully sum up twenty years of turkey hunting by using the 2012 season’s hunts mixed in with some memories from the past to tell the story. Also, I will be pursuing another milestone in turkey hunting, my 150th gobbler kill. It is going to take close to the limit from each of the four to five states that I plan on hunting this year. A tall order, but one that is possible if I can swing it with a very busy work schedule. Hopefully twenty years of hunting experience will aid in making the time I have count. But if I do not achieve my goal of 150 you can bet I will have hunted as hard as I could in attempt to do so all the while enjoying every experience the Lord allows me to encounter in the turkey woods. The Turn Around Spot Gobbler One of my turkey kills this year (2012) in Mississippi transpired in somewhat of a unique way. I started the day before daylight on the edge of a cutover in some thinned pines to await the morning’s first gobble. As light began to fill the sky, a distant gobble rang out from over a mile away. Then another distant gobble was heard from another direction, but still not in the block of land where I was hunting. For the next ten minutes or so I could hear four distinct different gobblers, all on land that I can hunt, but none of them where I hoped they would be. Finally I walked back to the truck and drove across the public road up a timber company road toward two of the gobbling turkeys. I did not drive very far in fear of possibly spooking one of the gobblers so I walked very slowly toward where I had heard them last, listening as I walked. I finally reached the top of a big hill in some very open young pines with hopes of pin pointing the location of one the gobblers. After listening for a few minutes, much to my surprise, I could hear three gobblers spread throughout this 500-acre block of young pines that desperately needed thinning. I then picked the middle turkey out and headed toward him. With the woods so open I didn’t get as close as I would have liked in fear of him seeing me. I sat down on the edge of a small food plot that was about 200 yards from the gobbler and started calling on a new H.S. Strut mouth call that Eddie Salter personally sent me. For the next thirty minutes the bird answered every call that I made, but did not move a foot from his position. I took a chance and crawled up about fifty yards where two logging roads intersected. I positioned myself where I could see up and down both roads, and where I could see down the hollow in front of me toward where the gobbler was. I did not call for about fifteen minutes, hoping the bird would make a move of some kind towards me. The bird did not gobble any since I moved so I called again with him immediately answering me. The turkey was still in the same spot. However, after that gobble I knew exactly where he was and what I needed to do to kill him. There is a Time to Call and a Time to Crawl This is where experience and knowing your property can pay off. For years gobblers have been using this one place for a strut zone, and when they get there, for whatever reason, you cannot call them away from it. He was strutting and gobbling in a place we call the “Turn Around Spot”. It was an old log-loading zone from where the timber company had first cut this block of woods. Also It was where three logging roads came together, one of which is the main road into this property. I knew that the road to my right curved around the ridge and came out into another road, which came out into the turn around spot. So I quickly made my way down the road to where it intersected with the other road. From there I began my 150-yard crawl to the turn around spot. Another thing those twenty years of turkey hunting experience have taught me is that some turkeys in certain situations can not be called up. It is not about your calling ability, it is just the fact that the gobbler is in a place where he wants to be and he doesn’t want to leave. Many times he will stay in that place for hours until a hen comes to him. This gives you three choices: stay put and hope a hen will lead him to you, leave and try him again later, or crawl up and kill him. I know that “crawling turkeys up” is not as politically correct as “calling turkeys up” in the turkey-hunting world. Believe you me, I would much rather call one in instead of having to crawl through the mud and the muck in order to harvest a bird. However, this sport I love is called turkey hunting and not turkey calling, and if you rely solely on your calling skills to kill a turkey you will be doing a lot more calling than killing. Use the Terrain to your Advantage One of the good things about log loading zones is that large piles of dirt and debris will be pushed up in places around the loading area. This was true about the turn around spot. There was one large pile of dirt that was on the edge of the road I was crawling down. I knew if I could keep the dirt pile between me and the gobbler I would be in business. I knew this because my cousin, Austin, tried a similar maneuver in this same spot a couple of years ago. He, on the other hand, walked up to the turn around spot and the turkey spotted him before he spotted the turkey. So I crawled up to the bottom edge of the pile and called softly, hoping I did not spook the bird. The gobbler answered right back giving me a fix on his location. He was straight out in front of me around forty yards or so. I eased up to the top of the log pile and there he was in full strut. The bird never knew I was in the world as I laid him on his back. The muddy belly, hurting knees, and sore hands were all worth it as I draped that big ole gobbler over my shoulder. Do not be afraid to try something out of the ordinary. Just be sure to take as many safety precautions as needed to do so. Crawling up on turkeys on public land and other heavily hunted areas my not be a good idea. However, if you know your land and how it lays out, crawling up on that old gobbler may be the only way to kill him. Oh and by the way, to those hunters out there that think this is unethical; it is not as easy as it sounds. I can not tell you how many times I have crawled through cow mess, snake filled creeks, and poison ivy to pop up and not see a turkey in anywhere. But the times it has worked and I was lucky enough to harvest that old bird that I have hunted all year, it is as good of a feeling as calling one in. Learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others. Know the land and how the terrain is laid out. Pay attention to the patterns of the turkeys on your hunting land. Be prepared to do something different in your hunting approach. These little life lessons in turkey hunting are what twenty years of chasing long beards have taught me. If you will do these things, I will guarantee you will be eating more turkey nuggets this year. Oh and by the way. That was my 140th kill with just ten more gobblers to go. Please come back to our website here at Tecomate for part two in this series for more hunts, hunting strategies, and updates on my personal goal of 150. As always, God Bless and Happy Hunting. Featured Articles 2012-05-07T12:05:00-05:00 http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/close_encounters_part_9/ http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/close_encounters_part_9/#When:15:04:00Z Choices. We make hundreds if not thousands of them in a life time. Even in the hunting world we are faced with more decisions now than ever before. When I first started hunting there was really just one choice of camo and that was the basic military stuff. Now there are all kinds of camo brands to choose from with multiple patterns within each of those. Not to mention all of the other styles and brands of every other hunting accessory that is on the market today. Choices are a major part of life and it is important that we make the right choice no matter what category they are in.  Choices. We make hundreds if not thousands of them in a life time. Even in the hunting world we are faced with more decisions now than ever before. When I first started hunting there was really just one choice of camo and that was the basic military stuff. Now there are all kinds of camo brands to choose from with multiple patterns within each of those. Not to mention all of the other styles and brands of every other hunting accessory that is on the market today. Choices are a major part of life and it is important that we make the right choice no matter what category they are in. Today’s devotion and outline is about one of the most faithful women of the Bible and one of her three close encounters that she had with Jesus. In this encounter we see Mary, Martha and Lazarus’ sister, sitting at the feet of Jesus instead of helping Martha with the food preparation. Jesus said that Mary’s choice of listening to His teaching was the better choice. Men, there is a lot we can learn from the choices that this woman, Mary, made. That should get an Amen from you ladies that are reading this. Each time we see her in the Bible, she is seen making the choice that pleases Christ the most. Something we all need to find ourselves doing. Text: Luke 10:38-42 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. Making the Best Choice Mary made the best choice that pleased Jesus the most. Today we need to focus on making the best life choices that pleases our Lord the most. For any decision you have to make this year, make sure that pleasing God the most is at the center of your decision making process. There are so many good choices to make in our life times. However, it is not always the good choices and the good decisions in life that please God. It is the best choices that we make that truly bring honor and glory to His name. Every person that has been saved by God’s grace is commanded and expected to “do good.” However, if you really want to be noticed by God then it is the best choices in life that gains heaven’s attention. So as servants of God let us all make a genuine effort to make the very best choices that please God the most this year. I. One of the first choices you need to make in pleasing God the most are: Choices concerning your Family. (Mary made a choice involving her Sister.) A. Choices concerning Lordship & Loyalty. (Priority) 1. God is always First! 2. Family is always Second below God only. 3. Church is Third and so on. B. Choices concerning Listening & Learning. (Privilege) 1. Listen to the Master. 2. Listen to your Mate. II. One of the next choices you need to make in pleasing God the most are: Choices concerning your Activity. (Mary made a choice involving her Sitting.) A. Choices concerning your Spiritual Activities. 1. Studying and reading your Bible 2. Praying a. Private and personal prayer. b. Public prayer. B. Choices concerning Secular Activities. 1. Entertainment Habits a. Movies, Concerts, Ball game, and so on… 2. Enjoyable Hobbies a. Hunting, Fishing, Golfing, and so on… III. One other type of choices that you need to make in pleasing God the most are: Choices concerning your Responsibility. (Mary made a choice involving her Service.) A. Choices concerning your Work. 1. On a Secular Level. (Job related decisions.) 2. On a Spiritual Level. (Church or mission related decisions.) B. Choices concerning your Witness. 1. Who and When to witness? 2. How to witness? I hope these few things in this outline and devotion will help you with the everyday choices you have to make. However, if we would just sit at the feet of Jesus more that in itself will take care of many of those life choices. And remember, it is not just about making a good choice; it is about making the choice that pleasing God the most. God Bless and Happy Hunting. Man to Man Devotionals 2012-05-02T15:04:00-05:00 http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/sainfoin_is_a_new_forage_crop_for_deer_on_the_horizon/ http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/sainfoin_is_a_new_forage_crop_for_deer_on_the_horizon/#When:18:08:00Z As a private wildlife consultant I’ve always felt that my true value to clients resides in my ability to serve as a resource on all things wildlife management.  This is what drives me to keep up with the latest scientific literature on white-tailed deer and wild turkeys and attend trade shows and conferences.  It’s the driving factor behind my time spent on research and trials of new products and techniques for making hunting properties more “unique” than the surrounding “neighborhood”.  It’s no secret that I’m a food plot addict. In 2006 I dove heavily into researching high quality forages for white-tailed deer food plots.  I wanted to feel confident in my recommendations to my clients so I bought a “research facility” for various forage trials.  In 2010 I purchased another property, for the same purpose, this time in NY. As a private wildlife consultant I’ve always felt that my true value to clients resides in my ability to serve as a resource on all things wildlife management. This is what drives me to keep up with the latest scientific literature on white-tailed deer and wild turkeys and attend trade shows and conferences. It’s the driving factor behind my time spent on research and trials of new products and techniques for making hunting properties more “unique” than the surrounding “neighborhood”. It’s no secret that I’m a food plot addict. In 2006 I dove heavily into researching high quality forages for white-tailed deer food plots. I wanted to feel confident in my recommendations to my clients so I bought a “research facility” for various forage trials. In 2010 I purchased another property, for the same purpose, this time in NY. Sainfoin During my early research on all forage crops available to the “food plotter” I came across a non-bloating alfalfa-like forage crop, mostly grown by cattle producers in the Western U.S. At first glance Sainfoin appeared to be a “western forage crop that doesn’t warrant trial investment” (as my personal notes from 2007 read). In recent years, I couldn’t help but notice that Sainfoin has been picking up steam and gaining attention from “Easterners” as a potential food plot crop. A fact sheet produced by the USDA/NRCS states, “Sainfoin is preferred over alfalfa by mule deer and other wildlife”. When the word “preferred” is thrown around I’m all ears. The article continues, “It greens up earlier in spring than alfalfa and stays green during the summer”. Sounds great but I need more than that to feel comfortable that Sainfoin has a place in our food plot arsenal. Although we are researching Sainfoin at the facility and on client’s properties, I can’t honestly say I’m ready to take a position on whether or not Sainfoin will stick as another tool for food plotters…but I like what I’m hearing enough to warrant some consideration. Perhaps you should too? Is this ancient (arrived in North America over 100 years ago) but “new” on the food plotting scene forage crop here to stay? Only time will tell. I know I’m paying attention and so should you. The Whitetail Institute has introduced a new product for the 2012 season known as “Imperial Edge” which, among other crops, contains Sainfoin. You know I will be testing it! In fact, a box from the Whitetail Institute was just delivered to my front porch! Whitetail Institute’s VP, Wilson Scott, had this to say: “Jason, we have been testing Sainfoin for the past 6 years and have found it to be extremely attractive to whitetails. It’s one of the components in our new product, Imperial Edge, and our independent field research shows Edge rivals the attractiveness of Imperial Whitetail Clover. For the best attraction possible from a perennial food plot use Imperial Whitetail Clover in your heavy soils that hold moisture and EDGE in your well-drained soils.” I’ve spoken to other food plot seed companies who are also researching the potential role of Sainfoin here in the east coast as yet another quality forage crop for white-tailed deer. John Walther, VP Sales Barenbrug USA (& Tecomate Seeds) states, “We are testing Sainfoin buy have not yet decided if it does fit our program. We have done a greenhouse trial on coating and will be planting to determine adaptation and yield.” I will keep my ear to the ground, talk with clients and peers, and keep an eye on our trial plots…stay tuned! Due to the sudden surge in questions from clients regarding Sainfoin I thought some brief “talking points” outlined below might provide some food for thought. • Sainfoin is a perennial, non-bloating forage legume that is also called “holy clover” • Sainfoin is reportedly resistant to drought and frost damage • Although Sainfoin is “new” to the food plot literature/marketing it’s an ancient crop originating in Asia, subsequently domesticated in Europe, and introduced into the western U.S. in the 1960’s-70s (North America around 1900). • Reportedly extremely drought tolerant with excellent winter hardiness • Resistant to the alfalfa weevil • Outperforms alfalfa in shorter growing seasons • Prefers well drained oils • Sainfoin is very sensitive to acidic soils • It is a non-invasive species • It’s reportedly an extremely palatable and nutritious forage crop with feed values similar to alfalfa • Sainfoin is very much a possible “go to” forage crop for wildlife habitat restoration/reclamation projects—i.e. Drop-Tine’s Marcellus reclamation projects • Beekeepers have reported higher honey yields with Sainfoin than alfalfa…research shows that Sainfoin blossoms are sought after by pollinating insects, notably honey bees. Honey produced from Sainfoin is reported as very high quality • Sainfoin is a legume and therefore requires inoculation • Some growers have suggested that it may jump out of the gates earlier in the late winter/early spring by growing earlier and quicker than alfalfa…only trials will tell the truth here. Early green up is a key factor for northern food plotters • Many reports detail Sainfoin’s greatest weakness is its susceptibility to root and crown pathogens that limit how long perennial plots will last; however, “Shoshone” Sainfoin was reportedly developed from the intercross of plants that possess a tolerance to such root parasites, including the Northern root-knot Nematode • Some suggest that Sainfoin possesses a higher carbohydrate content but similar crude protein content and digestibility to alfalfa • Since Sainfoin is grown in many dry, western regions it may serve as a “niche crop” for food plotters…i.e. drought years • Sainfoin possesses a very deep tap root resulting in an adaptation for dry conditions…sound familiar? (Chicory!) • Sainfoin will not do well on wet sites • Sainfoin does not compete very well when mixed with other forages though many top food plot seed companies are researching the right combination(s) for blends. • Most pure stands are planted at the rate of 30-35 lbs. of pure live seed (PLS) per acre. Oat Shortage: An update As many of you know, growers had a rough go at oat production last spring. I recently reached out to John Walther for an update on the oat situation. John is VP of Sales for Barebrug USA, which also owns Tecomate Seeds. John notes “Growers had a terrible year getting acres out last spring with the wet and late spring. With the high commodity prices on wheat, corn and soybeans, thousands of acres went into commodities. Ultimately, spring was late and with the wet/cold weather oats did not get planted. There is a severe shortage on oats this year.” John continues, “The oat scenario will improve next season, but not by much. Whitetails Institute’s Wilson Scott reports that “the oat fields look fantastic…better than last year”. Wilson adds, “We doubled our production for 2012 and I hope to sell out again.” Wilson also noted, “Last year, we got the oats in on July 17 and were sold out in 3 weeks. We were shocked by the number of early orders.” With oats being one of the favorite cool season food plot crops you might want to consider planning a little earlier this season…I’ve already begun! Deer/Plot Management 2012-04-30T18:08:00-05:00 http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/shed_hunting_part_ii/ http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/shed_hunting_part_ii/#When:14:34:00Z Techniques For Finding Sheds A new shed antler search technique is getting even more people involved in this non-consumptive sport.  The technique, called the “shed drive,” is similar to the deer drive hunting technique so popular in the Midwest.  The shed drive involves organizing your partners in a line with each member evenly spaced across the line at the edge of the area to be searched.  Drive members then walk through the area, picking up sheds along the way, until everyone meets at the opposite end of the area (where you have hopefully previously left a vehicle for transport back to the starting point!).  This technique is growing in popularity because of the camaraderie shared among members.  And because all members can take part in the excitement whenever someone finds a shed.  During shed drives, hunting becomes a team effort, strengthening friendships and providing free entertainment and lasting memories. Techniques For Finding Sheds A new shed antler search technique is getting even more people involved in this non-consumptive sport. The technique, called the “shed drive,” is similar to the deer drive hunting technique so popular in the Midwest. The shed drive involves organizing your partners in a line with each member evenly spaced across the line at the edge of the area to be searched. Drive members then walk through the area, picking up sheds along the way, until everyone meets at the opposite end of the area (where you have hopefully previously left a vehicle for transport back to the starting point!). This technique is growing in popularity because of the camaraderie shared among members. And because all members can take part in the excitement whenever someone finds a shed. During shed drives, hunting becomes a team effort, strengthening friendships and providing free entertainment and lasting memories. Another new shed antler hunting technique is increasing in popularity. This additional technique involves “man’s best friend.” It seems shed hunters who routinely brought their dogs with them when they hunted sheds discovered the technique. They soon learned that the dogs could find shed antlers as well. Evidently, the dogs first learned to find sheds by site. Eventually, after enough antlers were found, the dogs were able to find sheds by smell alone. Dogs have since been trained to find sheds, much like Border Patrol agents train dogs to sniff-out drugs. Puppies bred for their shed finding abilities can be purchased online. Some trainers even offer fully trained dogs for sale. The construction of a shed antler trap is another relatively new technique that can be used to increase the number of sheds you find. Shed antler traps are simple, easy to construct, inexpensive, and best of all, effective. Trap designs vary, but most involve hanging net wire fence or hog panels on T-posts in the figure of a “V” or “W.” Typically, the fence is hung with the bottom strand of wire eight to ten inches off the ground. Corn, the bait used to “set” the trap, is then spread underneath the fence, with the highest concentrations of corn placed at the inside corners. Bucks then knock their antlers against the fence when picking up the kernels of corn causing antlers that are about to be shed anyway to drop there at the trap. Once the trap is set, you simply return every couple of days to remove shed antlers and re-bait the trap. If your budget allows, directional spin-cast feeders can be set up to re-bait the trap as often as you set the feeder to spin out corn. Another trap design involves a barrel cut so that the sides are only 18 to 24 inches high. Heavy gauge wire or bungee cords are strung along the top of the barrel in an "X" pattern. The barrel is then baited with corn or minerals. Similar to the fence trap, bucks knock their antlers against the wire or cord when sticking their head into the barrel to retrieve corn. Hunting shed antlers from horseback is yet another excellent technique for finding sheds. This technique gives the rider many advantages over hunting sheds on foot. One advantage is being able to see further into the brush. Horses can also travel much faster, which means that more area can be covered. Hunters themselves will not tire nearly as fast on horseback, allowing more time to be spent hunting shed antlers as well. Additional Tips For Finding Sheds During the twenty years that I have lived in south Texas, I estimate that I have been fortunate enough to find 1,000's of shed antlers. Needless to say, I enjoy shed hunting! Although it is difficult to predict the best areas for finding sheds, without actually getting out and covering an area on foot, I have learned a few tricks. By far the best way to find shed antlers is to walk areas that have recently been burned. Shed antler hunting over recently burned areas can be phenomenal - I have experienced times when I found more sheds than I could carry with two arms! After finding a shed antler, it’s often possible to spot the next shed by simply stopping for a moment and searching the horizon from that same spot. Obviously, sheds are easier to find in burned areas because the fire removed most of the vegetation previously hiding the antlers from sight. Unusually large, bleached sheds stand out like a “sore thumb” in areas that have been burned. I prefer to hunt for shed antlers in areas near water. Creek bottoms and draws are especially productive. Creek bottoms also seem to be the best locations for finding skulls and other remains. Sick and feverish deer seek out water sources, some of which die at the site. Other skulls may be washed into the creek bottom during heavy rains. Coyotes will also drag dead bucks into the creek bottom so that they can remain hidden while they scavenge the remains. Areas near stock tanks are excellent locations to find shed antlers during drought years. Several years ago, two friends and I were walking a creek bottom when one of the friends noticed what appeared to be an antler tine protruding from the creek bed. We stopped to look closer and noticed a second tine tip above the dirt about 22 inches away from the first antler tip. Could this be a rack buried in the creek bed? We had to find out so we returned to the truck for some tools. After spending nearly two hours using screwdrivers (we didn’t have a shovel!) to dig out a hole in the creek bed three feet deep and two feet wide, we uncovered a rack of enormous proportions. The non-typical rack had 17 points, a 22-inch inside spread, and four tines over 10 inches in length. The gross Boone and Crockett Club score of the rack was an amazing 185-6/8 inches! Bedding areas are another "hotbed" for sheds. Recent research on buck activity indicates that bucks are active less than 50% of the day. This means that bucks spend most of their time and not active. Therefore, bedding areas are good shed hunting areas simply because of the large amount of time bucks spend here. In south Texas, bucks seem to choose bedding areas based on shade cover. Typically, bucks in this region bed on the shady side of a tree (often a mesquite), under the canopy. Often, sites are selected that have little or no ground vegetation, allowing for more breeze to reach the bedded buck. Feeding areas are another excellent source for shed antlers. If the property that you hunt has a farm field or food plot, be sure to thoroughly inspect it for shed antlers. Although bucks may spend the majority of their day bedded and inactive, many hours are also spent feeding. Trails connecting bedding and feeding areas are also likely areas for sheds. Fence lines are yet another location to look for shed antlers. Occasionally, when bucks jolt against the ground after jumping a fence, one of the antlers will break free. Antlers are also knocked loose when bucks try to go under and between fence wires. Obviously, additional areas to search for sheds include areas where big bucks were previously spotted. However, recent telemetry research has shown that many bucks shift home ranges during the breeding season. One radio-collared buck that I had the opportunity to track while working toward my doctorate degree, illustrated this movement behavior the best. This particular middle-aged buck could be found nine months out of the year in the same, fairly small area each day. But in November, he shifted to a totally different area and did not return to his original home range until after the rut was nearly complete in January. Obviously then, areas where bucks were sighted during the breeding season may not necessarily be the best areas to look for shed antlers - those bucks may have moved to a different area after the rut. Now that “cabin fever” has set in, do something to break the monotony by going on a shed hunt. Try organizing a shed drive with your hunting buddies. Or, take your kids “treasure” hunting in the brush country, its great exercise and at times, very exciting. Best of all, the bigger the shed, the easier it is to find! Join me next week to see why coyotes and fawns make a deadly combination. Whitetail Wisdom 2012-04-30T14:34:00-05:00 http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/2011_tecomate_brush_country_bucks_of_la_perla/ http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/2011_tecomate_brush_country_bucks_of_la_perla/#When:12:12:00Z After hunting our way through the Heart Land it was finally time for the South Texas Brush Country. The Texas 2011 deer season marked 25 straight seasons for me of hunting the famed Golden Triangle area of South Texas. My emotions run nothing short of a kid in candy store when I reach the Brush Country each season. On December 16th I arrived at the Laredo International Airport and was met by David Morris and Tecomate videographers Matt Carmen and Jereme Thaxton. Our hunt would be hosted by Tecomate`s Dr. Gary Schwarz in Zapata County at his outstanding La Perla Ranch. No doubt, excitement loomed ahead. After hunting our way through the Heart Land it was finally time for the South Texas Brush Country. The Texas 2011 deer season marked 25 straight seasons for me of hunting the famed Golden Triangle area of South Texas. My emotions run nothing short of a kid in candy store when I reach the Brush Country each season. On December 16th I arrived at the Laredo International Airport and was met by David Morris and Tecomate videographers Matt Carmen and Jereme Thaxton. Our hunt would be hosted by Tecomate`s Dr. Gary Schwarz in Zapata County at his outstanding La Perla Ranch. No doubt, excitement loomed ahead. Grey misty skies hung low overhead in the Laredo area on December 16th. Light rain had fallen for at least the two previous days. The native flora and fauna were eagerly consuming precious moisture. In 2011 the South Texas Brush Country had endured a drought, the likes of which dampened the spirit of many trophy whitetail enthusiasts. There was no doubt that the head gear of many great trophy bucks in the vast brushy plains of South Texas had failed to attain their maximum growth potential during the ultra-dry 2011 spring and summer. David Morris and I would each attempt to search out and take an anomaly buck of anomalies this December. But that is Dr. Gary Schwarz`s and David`s Tecomate specialty – raise and level the nutritional plain – more big and better bucks in good times and in bad times too, even in a South Texas drought year! That`s the Tecomate way. We purchased our licenses at Wal-Mart around noon. Then after a short 45-minute drive we made a short pit stop at the La Perla Ranch headquarters to stow our gear and prepared for the afternoon hunt. Only a matter of changing into hunting garb and unpacking and checking rifles before the Ford F-150 4x4 would be tested on the treacherously slick clay roads of La Perla Ranch. Tecomate cameraman Jeremy Thaxton and I took directions from David Morris on our initial hunting venue. After viewing the aerial photo of the ranch with David to familiarize us with the lay of the land, Jeremy and I headed out for our first evening of big whitetail hunting at La Perla. My Sako A7 Tecomate .270 WSM was on target, ready for whatever lied ahead. We focused our first afternoon of hunting around a well-used and lush irrigated Tecomate food plot where a tremendous stand of Tecomate`s best homegrown forage was available 24 hours a day. The well-fed resident deer herd and other wildlife, including a huge gaggle of snow geese, were reported to be regular patrons at this superbly prepared Tecomate buffet. Gary and his ranch staff had encountered several trophy size bucks during the prior weeks. With some luck and the wind in our favor we might just find a shooter buck the first afternoon out. It only takes seconds in the Brush Country! Late in the day the sun`s final rays fought through the opaque puffs of low hanging and drifting moisture. With camera rolling Jeremy and I slowly stalked to the edge of the huge irrigated food plot. Jeremy shot some great footage that afternoon. The South Texas rut was in full swing. Bucks chased does in and out of the food plot while at the same time side stepping herds of hungry snow geese that fed veraciously amongst the whitetails. Two buck sparred intermittently as we looked on from the brushy edge of the plot. Deer were everywhere with more appearing by the minute. The scene was a darkening beehive of whitetail activity. At the far end of the semi circular green field we noticed a mature wide racked buck emerge from the brush and make his entrance, 300 plus yards out. A steady look through my 10 x 50 Leupold binocs braced on my Bog Pod revealed all I needed to see. The buck entering the field sported an impressive wide and heavy rack, at least a main frame 10, plus an extra brown tine at the left antler base. This buck was definitely mature, a definite shooter. At La Perla the qualifying age for a trophy buck is no less than 6 years old. This big guy easily made that grade. It was only a matter of shot distance that kept me from shooting right away. We watched on as darkness fell then we slowly departed, quietly, with grand anticipation of the next hunting day. Hopefully we would see this buck again, and maybe next time he would be at a comfortable shooting distance. We awoke the following morning to another wet and soggy state of affairs. Light rain had fallen most of the night. I would be hunting with Gary Schwarz this morning. We were going rattling. No telling what might show up to the sound of Gary`s rattling antlers clashing in the wet morning brush. Although we were all confident that the big 10 point we had seen the first afternoon was our probable target buck, Gary suggested that we explore some of his favorite rattling locations on foot to see what else may turn up. If Gary and I failed to take a trophy Jeremy and I would be back at the food plot late in the afternoon. Great plan! Gary smacked the antlers together to begin our first rattling sequence just after first light. He broke brush and gave the entire whitetail community within earshot a serenade of bruising whitetail buck war tones with an extremely massive set of shed antlers. David Morris guaranteed action if I hunted with Gary. David, as usual, was right on target. Our first rattling sequence exposed a mature 8 point that would be considered a trophy on many ranches. The big 8 strolled in to investigate the raucous. Gary whispered “shoot that buck, good management buck”. I took careful aim on the Bog Pod and squeezed off a .270 WSM Winchester Supreme 140 grain Accubond with the deadly intent at the buck, only 80 yards away. Recoil, the buck disappeared. Without hesitation Gary immediately exalted “you missed him!” and further, “how did you miss that shot?” I bought Gary`s show lock stock and barrel, and sat quietly embarrassed trying think of a good answer. But when I blow a shot there just isn`t a good answer. Gary kept on, “how do you feel about that shot?”, “I can`t believe you missed that buck.” I felt good about the shot but Gary had me 100% convinced that I had failed to score. I was speechless. Only a few more silent moments later Gary slapped me on the back and said, “let’s go check out your buck.” We recovered the mature 8-point management buck only 50 yards from where he stood for the shot. My shot was a good one. Thanks Gary, I owe you one! Still early and with a fine 8 point management buck in the bag we relocated to another of Gary`s favorite rattling spots. We set up with great visibility downwind in search of a great La Perla trophy. Only minutes into this rattling sequence a young 10-point and two smaller bucks jogged in to investigate. But no shooters. Next I was able to do a bit of mid-morning spot and stalk still-hunting. Areas of La Perla provide the ideal combination of cover, senderos, and open country - all the terrain ingredients for exciting spot and stalk scenarios. We snuck into range of a handful of good mature bucks, one very impressive 6-point cull buck, but no bucks of trophy proportions presented themselves. One extremely wide and heavy beamed impressive 8 pointer was a suspect and the best buck we encountered. The morning had been an exciting and successful effort. But during all this action Jeremy and I felt we would likely be back at the big food plot late in the afternoon in hopes of taking the wide double brow tine 10 point. We began afternoon hunt on foot and by checking some of La Perla`s many senderos which so often produce such wonderful surprises as you peer around the corner. We saw several good bucks but nothing in the class that we were hunting. We scheduled our afternoon in order that we arrive down wind of the large winter food plot with hope that we would find our buck. Many deer had already assembled when we arrived. 200 or so Canadian Snow Geese were on hand as well. There was a great mature 9-point buck and several small bucks present along with several does and yearlings. Around 5:20 PM we spotted our big 10 as he emerged from the brush at the edge of the food plot. He carefully surveyed the scene before walking comfortably and alert into the far end of the field. He began to feed, again way out there, 325 yards away according to the Leupold laser range finder. Suddenly, for no obvious reason, the buck picked up his head and his pace. He trotted directly toward us and into range in the middle of the field and stopped and stared, 150 yards out. The buck was focused on one of the many does that fed contently nearby. Jeremy had the camera rolling on the buck, all the while as the big trophy whitetail made his approach. Now the buck stood motionless only 150 yards away. I was steady and ready on the Bog Pod, crosshairs solid on the buck`s vitals. Jeremy asked for more time to video. With heart pounding, “let me shoot him!” was my final plea to Jeremy. He agreed. The hammer fell and so did my magnificent La Perla trophy amidst a simultaneous blast off of the enormous flock of geese that had been eagerly competing for the tender green sprouts of Tecomate protein. To say I was excited would be a huge understatement. My 7-year-old La Perla buck sported a magnificent 10-point main frame and a total 15 measurable points, 161 B&C gross. The cluster of mass and character at the base of the buck’s left antler included an extra brow tine with two kickers. Jeremy and I celebrated in the field and then shared what I always consider one of the most special privileges in trophy whitetail hunting - the ride back to the camp, savoring the moment, buck in the back of the Ford F150, anticipating celebration of the successful taking of a great trophy buck with great friends! Thank you Gary Schwarz and David Morris! What a feeling! What a buck! What a blessing! Featured Articles 2012-04-30T12:12:00-05:00 http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/laying_out_your_food_plots_part_ii/ http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/laying_out_your_food_plots_part_ii/#When:01:50:00Z Distribution And Size Ok, you have a handle on the total acreage of food plots needed, but how many plots do you need, what size should they be and where should they go. You can’t really answer any of these questions without giving thought to the others since they’re all related and interdependent. The number of plots depends in part on what size they are, and vice versa. And, in areas with limited tillable land, the distribution of the tillable land and how much of it there is at each site will go along way in determining both the number and size of food plots. Still, there are ways to come to logical decisions.  Distribution And Size Ok, you have a handle on the total acreage of food plots needed, but how many plots do you need, what size should they be and where should they go. You can’t really answer any of these questions without giving thought to the others since they’re all related and interdependent. The number of plots depends in part on what size they are, and vice versa. And, in areas with limited tillable land, the distribution of the tillable land and how much of it there is at each site will go along way in determining both the number and size of food plots. Still, there are ways to come to logical decisions. Plot Distribution Let’s consider the number of plots first, which, of course, is partly a function of property size. What we’re really talking about is the distribution of food plots, or coverage. Let’s look at some factors that might guide us in distribution decisions. From research on El Tecomate, very little plot plant material was found in the droppings of deer more than a half-mile from food plots. This could mean one of two things. One, deer using food plots stay near the plots, and frankly, that’s a big part of the answer. Two, deer more than a half-mile from a plot seldom visit it. I have not found that to be the case, especially with bucks. Does, however, don’t move as far as bucks, and they are particularly homebodies during the summer when rearing fawns, seldom ranging more than a few hundred yards during the fawning and fawn-rearing time. Even with bucks, why make them move more than a half-mile to feed, causing them to burn energy and expose themselves to danger? Given all this, we can develop a rule of thumb relating to the desired distribution of plots, and therefore the number of plots. Food plots should be spaced from a half-mile to a mile apart, meaning that all deer are within a quarter to a half-mile of a plot. Unless valuable habitat is compromised, closer spacing doesn’t hurt, except that it is more expensive to farm many small plots than fewer big ones. Personally, I like to limit the maximum distance between plots to about three-quarters of a mile to better serve does. Plot Size The target deer density has led us to a total acreage in food plots, and the movement pattern of deer has given us a plot distribution guideline. With all that, we can now develop some size guidelines for plots. For the sake of simplifying the math, let’s assume that we want a deer per 10 acres and that we don’t want any deer to be more than a half-mile from a plot (mile spacing between plots). From this, the “right” size of the plot can be determined. All we have to do is look at the coverage area of the plot (in this case, a half-mile radius around the plot, or roughly a square mile, i.e., 640 acres) then, using the target density (a deer per 10 acres), determine how many deer this plot has to feed, which works out to 64. Then, simply divide the number of deer (64) by three (the number of deer an acre of plot will support), and that’ll give you plot size, about 21 acres in this case. You also can work from the other direction. A known or desired plot size can determine plot distribution. For instance, let’s assume a plot can only be 10 acres because of limited tillable soil. A 10-acre plot will support about 30 deer, which, at a deer per 10 acres, represents the deer on about 300 acres, roughly a half-square mile, or a quarter-mile radius around the plot. This tells us that the neighboring plots have to be close enough and/or large enough to serve the deer more than a quarter-mile away or there’ll be too much pressure on this plot. On plots of varying sizes, just determine the coverage area of each plot and match them up so that overall coverage is as uniform as possible. In reality, certain factors, such as limited tillable land, prime habitat that needs protecting, access problems, neighbor concerns, etc., usually force less than ideal coverage, but that’s ok. Just do the best you can. At least, the guidelines allow you to identify problem areas, which perhaps can be shored up with direct supplemental feeding. Too much overlap is seldom a problem, but too many holes may force a reconsideration of the deer density. A word on practical food plots sizes. Several factors come into play that tends to point to a practical range of sizes for food plots. One is farming efficiency. From travel time between plots to maintaining connecting roads to turnaround time on the rows, it is more costly and inefficient to farm many small plots than a fewer bigger ones. Another consideration is the loss of production on smaller plots from shading and moisture/nutrient drain because of the higher edge percentage. This same concern addresses the feasibility of leaving trees and islands in a plot for aesthetic reasons. Leave no more than necessary, especially on smaller plots or where moisture is at a premium. Also, smaller plots tend to suffer more damage from deer activity than do larger ones. This is partly because many smaller plots scattered throughout deer range make it more convenient for the deer to spend an inordinate amount of time on the plots, even when not actively feeding, thereby increasing pressure on the plants. Certain warm-season legumes, such as cowpeas, lablab, soybeans, etc., are very sensitive to early grazing pressure, and small plots tend to suffer excessive damage. On Fort Perry, where we had surplus acreage in food plots, cowpea plots of less than six or eight acres took too much of a beating to bother with. Cool-season plots were a bit less sensitive to pressure than summer plots. From a farming efficiency and production standpoint, bigger is better, but there are practical limits to how large a field needs to be. Largely the travel distance of deer determines that limit, not only by how far they will travel but also by how far you want them to travel. Set a maximum travel distance and a deer density, and you’ll establish a maximum field size. If a half-mile is our maximum desired travel distance, even at the extremely dense population goal of a deer per five acres, a field size of only about 40 acres is called for. Frankly, at that density, I wouldn’t want deer to have to travel a half-mile to feed. A more practical maximum size is probably 30 acres. Even that will support a density of a deer per seven acres in a square-mile coverage area or a deer per 10 acres in nearly a 1.5 square-mile area. Both scenarios push the envelope to the limit. There is also the consideration that cool-season plots are often hunted. And, 30 acres is about as much country as most folks can cover even with a long-range rifle. So from all this, we can establish a practical rule of thumb for plot size at about 8 to 30 acres. Dedicated cool-season plots can be a bit smaller than eight acres and still be productive, and warm-season plots greater than 30 acres are certainly fine, provided they are for a nutritional cushion and not to serve deer much more than a half-mile away. Selecting Food Plot Locations Exactly where you place a food plot depends on many factors. If tillable soil is in short supply, where it’s found may alone determine plot placement, and even total acreage and individual plot size. Even if land is tillable, erosion concerns, best farming soils and perhaps the availability of irrigation water may guide plot location. Habitat considerations can certainly be factors in plot location. You want good farming soils and the right plot distribution and size, but you don’t want it to come at the cost of key habitat. Study aerials and/or topos before deciding on plot locations. You also must know deer travel patterns on, and onto, your property. Determine and protect major bedding areas, holding cover, travel corridors and highly productive native habitat. When a plot is to be hunted, its attraction to deer during daylight hours should be considered. Competing food sources, like other agricultural crops, are worth attention. If on your property, factor them into you program. If off your property, they could be drawing away your deer. Position your plots to counter the attraction. Physical land features may determine plot location, especially in regards to moving farm equipment to and from fields. Roads have to be wide enough to accommodate equipment and smooth enough not to beat it into an early retirement. Consider streams (and flooding) and wet areas that may hamper access or work in the field when timing is critical. Near the top of the placement factors, especially on tracts of 2,000 acres or less, is the neighbor situation. Neighbors can be a two-edged sword. Good ones are wonderful. Bad ones are a constant thorn in the side. Blessed indeed is the manager who adjoins a large non-hunted or lightly hunted tract. By positioning plots near the property line, he can extend his management influence onto that property and attract the deer to his plots, effectively controlling more deer and land than his acreage total would indicate. This is a best-case scenario, but a rare one. About the best you can hope for is a neighbor with harvest goals similar to yours so he doesn’t disproportionately bleed off your deer. With such a neutral neighbor, you are more or less free to locate plots based on all the other factors. But when you’ve got a neighbor who is far less selective than you, the last thing you want to do is concentrate deer near his property line. Losses will be too high. So, we come to another rule of thumb based on the half-mile travel limitation – try to avoid placing food plots any closer than a half-mile from the boundary of an indiscriminate neighbor. Feeding deer well will do you no good if your neighbor shoots them before their time. Deer/Plot Management 2012-04-24T01:50:00-05:00 http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/shed_antler_hunting_part_i/ http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/shed_antler_hunting_part_i/#When:14:31:00Z As soon as I noticed the sun glare off the tip of the antler tine, I knew which buck had shed the antler that lay on the deer trail in front of me.  It was the right side shed antler from a buck I had passed the previous fall with bow and arrow in hand, as well as a buck for which we had dozens of trail camera photos.  He was the largest buck on our Iowa property that we knew survived the previous hunting season.  And a buck I hoped to have in front of me again the next hunting season! As luck would have it, the shed buck mentioned above, not only survived to the following year’s hunting season, but he gained more than 20 inches in gross Boone and Crockett Club score and added eight antler points.  On top of this, I was the lucky hunter who was able to put a harvest tag on this magnificent buck when I killed him last December!  The icing on the cake was the fact that my brother Jason missed the buck minutes before my opportunity… and everything was caught on video!  The 194-inch buck is the largest I have ever killed.  Thanks to my interest in shed hunting, I can now display the shed antler beside the pedestal mount of the buck. As soon as I noticed the sun glare off the tip of the antler tine, I knew which buck had shed the antler that lay on the deer trail in front of me. It was the right side shed antler from a buck I had passed the previous fall with bow and arrow in hand, as well as a buck for which we had dozens of trail camera photos. He was the largest buck on our Iowa property that we knew survived the previous hunting season. And a buck I hoped to have in front of me again the next hunting season! As luck would have it, the shed buck mentioned above, not only survived to the following year’s hunting season, but he gained more than 20 inches in gross Boone and Crockett Club score and added eight antler points. On top of this, I was the lucky hunter who was able to put a harvest tag on this magnificent buck when I killed him last December! The icing on the cake was the fact that my brother Jason missed the buck minutes before my opportunity... and everything was caught on video! The 194-inch buck is the largest I have ever killed. Thanks to my interest in shed hunting, I can now display the shed antler beside the pedestal mount of the buck. Antler Shedding Antler shedding in white-tailed deer occurs anywhere from December through April, depending on the geographic location and the management practices present. The physiological cue is the male hormone testosterone. The way this works is complicated, but changing day lengths are sensed by the eyes, which send this message to the pineal gland, a pea-sized organ at the base of the brain that produces many different hormones. One hormone produced is luteinizing hormone, which controls the amount of testosterone produced. The antler cycle lags several months behind the changes in day length because the hormonal changes take time. During fall, decreasing day lengths cause melatonin production to increase, resulting in decreased production of both luteinizing hormone and testosterone. Decreasing testosterone levels then cause the antlers to shed. Antlers are shed when a thin layer of tissue destruction, called the abscission layer, forms between the antlers and the pedicle. This layer forms as a result of the decrease in testosterone. As the connective tissue is dissolved, the antler loosens and is either broken free, or falls off on its own. This degeneration of the bone-to-bone bond between the antler and the pedicle is the fastest deterioration of living tissue known in the animal kingdom. In white-tailed deer, a poor-quality diet has been found to cause bucks to shed their antlers early. It has been suspected that the lack of adequate nutrition somehow affects testosterone output. Nutritionally-stressed bucks may also grow their antlers and shed their velvet later. Older-aged bucks are thought to shed their antlers earlier than younger bucks. It has also been reported that higher-ranked (more dominant) bucks shed their antlers sooner than lower-ranked bucks. Older-aged, more dominant bucks probably shed their antlers sooner because of the high energy costs incurred in maintaining a higher dominance rank. The farther deer are from the equator, the more defined their antler cycle. In other words, northern deer have a shorter “window” of when antler shedding can occur, compared to deer herds in southern states. In addition, the specific date when a buck will shed his antlers may be determined more by his individual antler cycle than any other factor. This cycle is independent of other bucks and is believed to be centered on each animal’s birth date. Penned deer studies have allowed scientists to measure the exact dates of antler shedding for individual deer year after year. One study in Mississippi found that individual bucks usually shed their antlers at the same time each year and almost always during the same week. Yearling bucks with only spiked antlers shed sooner than yearling bucks with forked antlers, likely because they were more nutritionally stressed than the forked-antlered bucks. This study also indicated there was no relationship between antler mass and date of shedding, although other studies have shown that bucks shed their antlers earlier as they grow older. Additional penned studies have also revealed that bucks usually shed both antlers within three days of each other. Although there is no evidence that weather directly affects antler shedding, it is likely that severe winters may also cause bucks to shed their antlers earlier than normal because of the nutritional stress this causes. A Great Hobby Interest in shed antler hunting continues to grow by leaps and bounds. Package trips are now available in the upper Midwest and Canada solely for hunting shed antlers. Outfitters provide lodging, meals, and several likely areas for clients to hunt. Some shed hunting enthusiasts are paying as much as $3,000 for a week of guided shed hunting! Shed antler hunting is growing in popularity because the desire to find that "next" shed antler never fades. Except for the guided trips mentioned above, shed hunting is free and the antlers that are found make unique trophies that can be held and admired. Shed hunting is similar to treasure hunting or hunting for arrowheads and is good exercise. Kids of all ages can also take part because no hunting licenses or permits are required. The inherent danger of kids handling guns is also non-existent, making antler hunting an activity for the whole family and a great way to get kids started in outdoor activities. Best of all, the bigger the antler, the easier it is to find! Why Hunt For Sheds? Shed antler hunting provides an excellent opportunity to scout before the next deer season. Often times, deer trails, scrapes, and rubs from the previous fall are still visible. While searching for sheds, hunters can try to decipher deer movement patterns based on these signs at a more relaxed pace. In addition, the extra time spent in the brush will help to further familiarize the hunter with his favorite hunting area. Potential leases and new hunting areas can also be scouted while hunting for sheds. Most trophy deer hunters that I know are also avid shed antler hunters. When a large shed is found, the hunter knows that a big buck is in the general area. Further scouting can narrow down the best areas to ambush the buck that dropped the shed. If a high number of sheds are found, the hunter knows that a lot of bucks are in the area. Hunters interested in antler scores can also measure any sheds that are found to get a more accurate idea of what the buck’s rack would have measured. Shed antlers also provide clues to the age of the buck that cast the antler. Generally, the heavier the antler, the older the buck; a mature buck no doubt dropped a shed antler with a massive beam and base. An antler with average mass measurements was likely cast by a middle-aged buck. A thin diameter antler, or one with only two or three points, most likely came from a young buck. It is also suspected that beam circumference in relation to burr circumference indicates age. A shed with a beam circumference at the base noticeably smaller than the burr circumference, likely came from a young buck. In most cases, by the time a buck reaches maturity, the beam circumference has increased to the point that it is only slightly less than the circumference around the burr. Turkey hunters can search for shed antlers as they look for roosting sites and strutting areas. During turkey season, hunters can look for shed antlers as they move from one calling area to the next area. Shed antler hunters can also search for mushrooms or arrowheads while shed hunting as well. The exercise will help to physically prepare hunters for the upcoming season even if no shed antlers are found. Many times while hunting for shed antlers, I have found complete racks and skulls from bucks that died. These remains not only make unique trophies but can provide the hunter or landowner with information regarding buck survival and mortality. If many skulls are found, a disease may have spread through the deer herd. Or maybe the previous winter was unusually severe. Occasionally, the cause of death can be determined from the remains. And if the lower jaws are present, the hunter can estimate the deer's age by the amount of tooth wear. When Is The Best Time? Shed antler hunting is a past time that can be enjoyed anytime of the year. However, in most areas of the U.S., shed hunting is most productive during late winter or spring, immediately after bucks have dropped their antlers. If hunters in these areas wait until summer, most of the sheds will have already disappeared. Over most of the whitetail’s range, squirrels and other rodents quickly chew and gnaw antlers to nothing in an effort to obtain the minerals calcium and phosphorous. Late winter is also a good time for shed hunting because all of the competing hunting seasons have closed. In arid areas such as south Texas, shed antler hunting is effective year around because the lack of rainfall allows antlers to persist for longer periods. Year-round shed hunting is also productive in south Texas because rodent populations are often low due to high coyote densities. Squirrels and porcupines, additional shed antler “enemies,” are almost non-existent as well because of a lack of trees. In south Texas, winter is the most productive season of the year to find shed antlers. During winter, all of the antlers dropped the previous spring have turned white from bleaching in the sun. And, as any novice shed hunter quickly learns, a bleached-out antler is a lot easier to spot than a freshly shed, dark-colored antler. Another wintertime advantage is that most of the vegetation has died back, exposing shed antlers that were previously obscured from view. Also during winter, the majority of the brush species found in south Texas have lost their leaves. After leaf drop, hunters are better able to peer through layers of brush in search of cast antlers. Summer and times of drought during any season, can also be good times to search for south Texas sheds because of a lack of ground vegetation. Springtime, normally the wettest time of the year, can be the most difficult time to look for sheds if your area has received above-normal amounts of rainfall. This “green-up” period results in a tremendous amount of vegetation that can hide even the largest shed antlers from sight. Next week I’ll share with you the best techniques in finding shed antlers. Whitetail Wisdom 2012-04-23T14:31:00-05:00 http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/close_encounters_part_8/ http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/close_encounters_part_8/#When:16:00:00Z It is amazing at the things in the hunting woods that God can use to bring to your mind that comes from the Holy Scriptures. I have a turkey hunting trip planned in Kansas next week that I am preparing for mentally. There is one particular spot on my hunting ground there that I can’t wait to be setup on during my first morning hunt. All this week I have been thinking about this particular wood line of sycamores that run along a river and the edge of a CRP field. It is amazing at the things in the hunting woods that God can use to bring to your mind that comes from the Holy Scriptures. I have a turkey hunting trip planned in Kansas next week that I am preparing for mentally. There is one particular spot on my hunting ground there that I can’t wait to be setup on during my first morning hunt. All this week I have been thinking about this particular wood line of sycamores that run along a river and the edge of a CRP field. I have killed multiple long beards from this location but one in particular stands out the most. I remember passing by this line of sycamore trees early one morning and having a gobbler fire off very close by. I quickly sat down and could see the gobbler only 40 yards away on his roosting position in one of those giant sycamores. How he did not see me I will never know. Watching him strut and gobble on that sycamore limb was an awesome thing to witness. I could have easily shot him out of the tree but I was patient. I later called him down and immediately shot him after only taking a few steps. This is one of those hunting memories that I will never forget. You may be thinking, “What does that have to do with the Bible or in particular, a close encounter with the Lord?” As soon as the sycamore tree passed through my mind I immediately thought of Zacchaeus and his close encounter with Jesus. In this story a man named Zacchaeus came to see Jesus. He later, because he was a short man and could not see over the crowd, climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus. We later see Jesus calling to Zacchaeus for him to come down to meet Him. I cannot help but laugh at the parallel in these two stories (my hunting story and the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus.) However, this was a close encounter with the Lord that this man named Zacchaeus will never forgot. Look with me into one of my favorite stories in the Bible. There are many other parallels that our Lord wants you to see and many lessons that He wants you to learn from this story. As you read this story allow the Holy Spirit to open your mind and your heart to God’s Word. As we explore this text put yourself in the crowd as Jesus is coming onto the scene. Put yourself in a place where you can see and hear Jesus and Zacchaeus’ story unfold. Text: Luke 19:1-10 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press (crowd), because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be quest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. When Jesus Passes By: He Saves the Unsaveable According to this text, when Jesus passed by Salvation came to the worst sinner. Today, when Jesus passes by He still brings Salvation to the worst people. This story illustrates how the worst sinners in the world can be saved. So no matter how bad you think you are, when Jesus passes by, He can bring Salvation to you as well. I. In this story we see a Chief Sinner being introduced. (1-2) A. He was introduced Personally. 1. A man named Zacchaeus 2. In Hebrew “Zak-kah-ee” means pure. B. He was introduced as a Publican. 1. He was a Chief Tax Collector. a. The tax collectors of that day were looked upon as the worst sinners in the world. b. Today we may call prostitutes, murders, rapists, and even politicians and lawyers including other evil people of our day the worst sinners in the world. But to them it was the tax collectors. c. Being a chief tax collector made him the worst of the worst of sinners. 2. He was a Roman. a. Romans were despised by the people of that day. They ruled over the people with an iron fist and took whatever they pleased. b. So being a chief tax collector and Roman made this guy the scum of the earth in the eyes of the Jews. 3. He was Rich. a. Zacchaeus was turned into a very rich man by taking advantage of the Jewish people in particular and any others who were living in that province. b. This made the Jews hate and despise him even more. II. In this story we see a Convicted Sinner in need of a Savior. (3-4) A. Zacchaeus had a longing desire to see Jesus. 1. We see him Running. (It is time to start running toward Jesus instead of away from Him.) 2. We see him Climbing. (It is time to start climbing toward Jesus instead of away from Him.) 3. We see him Looking. (It is time to start looking toward Jesus instead of away from Him.) * Do you have a longing desire to meet with Jesus? B. Jesus had a longing desire to see Zacchaeus. 1. As Zacchaeus was making his way to Jesus, Jesus was already making His way toward him. 2. As Zacchaeus was climbing up a tree, Jesus was climbing through the crowd. 3. As Zacchaeus was looking toward Jesus, he found out that Jesus was already looking toward him. * If you have a longing desire to meet with Jesus, it is because He has already had a longing desire to meet you. III. We see a Converted Sinner after an invitation. (5-7) A. Jesus first gives a Commanding Invitation. * “Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down” 1. We see a Picture of Jesus’ Rule. a. His Lordship b. His Authoritative Command 2. We see a Picture of Zacchaeus’ Reverence. a. His Worship b. He Obediently Came Down B. Jesus second gives a Compelling Invitation. * “For today I must abide at thy house” 1. Here we see the Urgency in the call of Salvation. 2. Here we see the Residency in the call of Salvation. C. We now see Zacchaeus Receiving Salvation. 1. Salvation is not just something or some event it is someone, Jesus. 2. Love is not just an emotion it is a person, Jesus. 3. Truth is not just some thoughts, truth is a person named Jesus. * This is What or Who Zacchaeus received and so can you. * You can come to Jesus all you want, but salvation only can come when Jesus comes to you. * You can invite Jesus all you want, but salvation only can come when Jesus gives the invitation. * Salvation is simple. When He comes to you, you go to Him. When He calls out to you, you humbly answer “Yes Lord.” When He gives the invitation to you, you simply and gladly receive Him. IV. We see Confirmation of Salvation, he was indeed saved. (8-10) A. Notice Zacchaeus’ immediate change of spirit. 1. He had an awareness of his past sin and wrong doings. 2. He offered to give Jesus half of his goods and to pay back 4 times over what he had taken from the people. B. Notice Jesus’ immediate clamming statement. 1. He had an affirmation that all his past sin has been forgiven. 2. Jesus Himself said surly salvation has come to Zacchaeus. * It is only through the conviction and confirmation of Jesus that you can know that you know that you are saved! Here is another simple outline of this text to help you see the full picture in this story: I. We see a Picture of a Sinner (Zacchaeus the publican) II. We see a the Position of a Sinner (Little Stature) III. We see the Prerequisite of Salvation (Jesus had to pass by) IV. We see the Place for the Sinner (A place he knew Jesus would pass by) V. We see the Peace of the Savior received. (He was received joyfully.) VI: We also see the Poking and Prodding of the Scoffers. (Notice what “they say” and what “they saw”.) VII. We also see the Proof of Salvation. (There was evidence) a. Evidence from the saved (Conviction) b. Evidence from the Savior (Confirmation) I pray that this story of Zacchaeus’ close encounter with the Lord and the little outline that followed will help you see some things about yourself and about God that you may never have seen before. Just remember no matter how bad of a person you think you are, when Jesus passes by, He can make a difference in your heart. “The Son (That’s Jesus) is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” If you are lost today listen for His call and make Him your Lord and Savior today. God Bless and Happy Hunting. Man to Man Devotionals 2012-04-18T16:00:00-05:00 http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/the_antler_shedding_priocess/ http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/the_antler_shedding_priocess/#When:03:13:00Z Antler Shedding In the past, it was believed that deer withdrew to secluded places to shed their antlers in order to avoid the loss of virility in “public.” However, it is likely that deer are unaware of when they will lose their antlers.  Antlers are shed when a thin layer of tissue destruction, called the abscission layer, forms between the antler and the pedicle.  This layer forms as a result of the decrease in testosterone.  As the connective tissue is dissolved, the antler loosens and is either broken free, or falls off on its own.  This degeneration of the bone-to-bone bond between the antler and the pedicle is the fastest deterioration of living tissue known in the animal kingdom. Antler Shedding In the past, it was believed that deer withdrew to secluded places to shed their antlers in order to avoid the loss of virility in “public.” However, it is likely that deer are unaware of when they will lose their antlers. Antlers are shed when a thin layer of tissue destruction, called the abscission layer, forms between the antler and the pedicle. This layer forms as a result of the decrease in testosterone. As the connective tissue is dissolved, the antler loosens and is either broken free, or falls off on its own. This degeneration of the bone-to-bone bond between the antler and the pedicle is the fastest deterioration of living tissue known in the animal kingdom. In whitetails, a restricted diet has been found to cause bucks to shed their antlers early. It has been suspected that the lack of adequate nutrition somehow effects testosterone output. Nutritionally-stressed bucks may also grow their antlers and shed their velvet later. Older-aged bucks are thought to shed their antlers earlier than younger bucks. It has also been reported that higher-ranked (more dominant) bucks cast their antlers sooner than lower-ranked (subordinant) bucks. Older-age, more dominant bucks probably shed their antlers sooner because of the high energy costs incurred in maintaining a higher dominance rank. Large caribou bulls that are stressed may even shed their antlers during the breeding season. Surprisingly, male caribous shed their antlers following the breeding season, while female caribous (the only female deer that grow antlers) do not shed their antlers until the calving season during the following spring. The farther deer are from the equator, the more defined their antler cycle. In other words, northern deer have a shorter “window” of when antler shedding can occur, compared to deer herds in southern states. In addition, the specific date when a buck will shed his antlers may be determined more by his individual antler cycle than any other factor. This cycle is independent of other bucks and believed to be centered on each animal’s birth date. Penned deer studies have allowed scientists to measure the exact dates of antler shedding for individual deer year after year. One study in Mississippi found that individual bucks usually shed their antlers at the same time each year and almost always during the same week. Yearling bucks with only spike antlers shed sooner than yearling bucks with forked antlers, likely because they were more nutritionally stressed than fork-antlered bucks. This study also indicated there was no relationship between antler mass and date of antler shedding, although other studies have shown that bucks shed their antlers earlier as they grow older. Additional penned studies have also revealed that bucks usually shed both antlers within 1-3 days of each other. Bucks maintained on artificially high levels of testosterone after the breeding season, do not shed their antlers until testosterone levels are later allowed to decrease. In bucks that are castrated while they have hardened antlers, the antlers are soon shed because of the immediate decrease in testosterone, regardless of the breeding season. If bucks are castrated while the antlers are still in velvet, the antler will not harden and the velvet does not shed. If bucks are castrated after they have cast their antlers, and after they have reached one year of age, the antlers will grow, but the buck never receives the hormonal cue to rub-out and his antlers will remain in the velvet stage. Although there is no clear evidence that weather directly affects antler shedding, it is likely that severe winters may also cause bucks to shed their antlers earlier than normal because of the nutritional stress this causes. Why Do Bucks Shed Antlers? We have examined the environmental and physiological changes that occur to cause bucks to shed their antlers every year, but we still haven’t addressed the question of why bucks shed antlers. Why do bucks spend so much energy in growing antlers, only to shed these antlers a few months later, forcing them to re-invest an enormous amount of energy to re-grow the antlers again the following year? Why don’t deer antlers stay attached and continue to grow throughout life like the horns of sheep, goats, and cattle? Scientists have pondered these same questions for many years and they still do not know the answers. However, several theories have been developed to explain why antlers are shed every year: One of the most common theories is that bucks shed their antlers annually so that they have the potential to replace any damage to antlers that may have occurred in the form of broken tines, or a broken main beam. This theory that antlers are shed to compensate for anticipated breakage seems valid because antlers are extremely important in display for acquiring females and because they are used during dominance fights with other bucks. If a buck breaks a main beam and is not able to replace that antler, he may not be able to acquire future breeding privileges. A second related theory suggests that bucks shed antlers annually so that they can re-grow larger antlers the following year, in order to keep pace with their increasing body size. This theory is based on the fact that antlers quickly mature into non-growing structures before the buck is able to attain full body size. A third theory states that antlers are shed simply because of an accident of evolutionary chance. In other words, there is no real reason why antlers are shed. Antlers are different from horns, not because they need to be, but because of different evolutionary origin. A fourth theory suggests that antlers are shed in order to stop the die-back process, that occurs at the junction of the pedicle and antler, from traveling down into the skull. Another theory suggests that antlers are shed to eliminate any danger that antlered bucks may hurt new-born fawns, which are normally dropped after bucks have shed their antlers. A sixth theory suggests that antler shedding developed in the primitive antlers of ancestral deer from temperate zones. Antlers of deer in these colder climates would have been vulnerable to freezing in winter if they were not shed. The only way to prevent freezing would have been to stop the blood supply to antlers before the onset of winter. Yet another theory suggests that deer shed their antlers due to exhaustion and emaciation caused from the breeding season. It is thought that ancestral males shed their antlers so that they were able to mimic the healthier, non-antlered females. It is thought that this reduced their vulnerability to predation, because predators may have actively searched for antlered males due to their weakened condition. One final theory simply suggests that antlers are shed each year as an energy-conserving measure, so that males don’t have the added weight from the antlers to carry outside of the breeding season. Antlers are cumbersome and energy-expensive structures that are not needed after the breeding season. However, for this to be true, it must also be true that re-growing the antlers each year is less energy-expensive than maintaining the antlers through winter. Which one of these theories is right? Who knows for sure? Maybe the true answer is a combination of these theories, or maybe none of these theories is the actual answer. Hopefully, scientists will be able to unravel this great mystery in the future. Until then, I’m just glad that antlers are shed each year so that I can continue to enjoy my hobby of shed antler hunting, which I will discuss in my next article. Whitetail Wisdom 2012-04-17T03:13:00-05:00 http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/the_plains_of_kansas_with_tall_tine_outfitters/ http://www.tecomate.com/content/index.php/site/comments/the_plains_of_kansas_with_tall_tine_outfitters/#When:12:10:01Z After a successful and exciting open country muzzleloader hunt in the Sand Hills of Nebraska in early December 2011, David Morris and I headed south to Protection Kansas to hunt giant post rut Kansas whitetails with my old friend and hunting buddy Ted Jaycox of Ocala Fl. Ted and I grew up hunting together around Ocala Fl, our home town. And I say “old friend” because Ted it was nearly 40 years ago when we were both teenagers that we haunted the local whitetail herd of Central Fl. Ted and I share some terrific memories from our “Good Old Days” afield. We would surely relive some of those adventures during the week`s hunt at Tall Tine. Here are a few of the memories Ted and I share:  After a successful and exciting open country muzzleloader hunt in the Sand Hills of Nebraska in early December 2011, David Morris and I headed south to Protection Kansas to hunt giant post rut Kansas whitetails with my old friend and hunting buddy Ted Jaycox of Ocala Fl. Ted and I grew up hunting together around Ocala Fl, our home town. And I say “old friend” because Ted it was nearly 40 years ago when we were both teenagers that we haunted the local whitetail herd of Central Fl. Ted and I share some terrific memories from our “Good Old Days” afield. We would surely relive some of those adventures during the week`s hunt at Tall Tine. Here are a few of the memories Ted and I share: On March 12th 1977 I was hunting with Ted when I called up and took my first Osceola gobbler, a big day for me. Ted introduced me to turkey hunting. God Bless him for that. We had just graduated from high school and had begun our first year of college when Ted talked me into going out to listen to an old gobbler wake up on a crisp March morning in a local cypress river swamp. And I was with Ted when he took his first wild Osceola gobbler a bit later that same season. Ted helped me track and recover my first archery whitetail in 1980 near Lake Kerr in the Ocala National Forest. Archery, now there is a department where Ted excels. He is an extremely talented archer and hunter, the best bowhunter I know. There are few hunters who possess like talent. Ted and I were fishing together one entire day and half the night in May of 1980 when I caught three monster Fl Largemouth Bass that all topped 10 lbs – all three trophy bass caught on my father`s old and scarred top water broken- back Creek Chub, with a frog finish. There was the 1978 deer season in Fl when it seemed that Ted scored on a buck just about every time we went to the deer woods in and around Marion County Fl. Ted was always in the right place at the right time. The list goes on and on. The short story is that there was no fish or game animal that Ted and I did not pursue together during any open season around our home town. And I must say that in most cases, due to a tremendous edge in pure hunting talent, Ted was most often the successful hunter when he and I returned home with game in back of our 1978 Ford F-150 4 x 4`s. You get the picture. I could go on and on - back to the hunt. We arrived at the Tall Tine Outfitters camp early in the afternoon of December 5th for our five day rifle hunt with Ted. After greeting and settling into Ted`s fantastic camp Ted insisted that we waste no time getting after the bruiser whitetails that he was familiar with by virtue of Reconyx trail cam pictures captured recently. Ted`s Kansas hunting property is home to many bucks that would make any trophy whitetail hunter anxious with anticipation. We checked our Sako A7 Tecomate rifles at the rifle range. The Winchester Supreme ammo and the rifles performed flawlessly. Then David Morris and I, along with Tecomate`s Blaine Burly who joined us at Ted`s Tall Tine camp, were en route to seeking out trophy whitetails on the windy and frigid plains of Southwest Kansas. The first afternoon was cold and blustery in Comanche County Kansas. We were hunting just a day after strong cold front had passed through the area dumping nearly five inches of rain on the drought stricken plains. It was going to be a cold week, Canada-like cold. 10 F – 15 F degree early mornings and highs never above the freezing mark all day long were predicted during our hunt. Blaine, David and I were all prepared for these harsh elements and willing to endure. We all encountered plenty of deer during our initial afternoon - some good bucks, but no shooters. For me this was standard operating procedure almost the entire week. Each time I was out I saw bucks, lots of them. I saw some great mature bucks, one 11 point that would score 150 plus B&C - one big 9pt that would show up daily, same time same place. But the true Kansas giant that I dreamed of and knew were there never showed up. I chose to pass on the 150 11 pt, probably a mistake in terms of hunt success. But he just was not a buck I wanted to take. We were all likely experiencing the effects of the post rut lull during our December Kansas hunt. The really big guys were not showing themselves. It was late in the season, and soon for me it became late in the hunt. Blaine had taken a great buck earlier in the hunt and so did David Morris. I`ll leave their stories for them to tell. But I was down to the wire on the last evening of the hunt when I made a tragic mistake - the tragic mistake of my season. I was hunting with expert Tecomate cameraman the last afternoon, Ron Bigford, also an Ocala Fl resident. I had not given up and Ted was confident that afternoon when Ron and I left camp that we were headed for a hot spot. We would spend the last few hours of my hunt in a very promising area that was open with great visibility - and sign of lots of recent deer activity. We were hunting the same area where Ted had taken a giant 190 plus B&C monster buck with his bow early in the 2012 season. There we certainly other great trophies in the area. Ron and I settle in at our vantage point. My Leupold Laser Rangefinder verified that there were several landmarks up to 900 yards away with scattered openings that we could glass for a last afternoon closing target. The action began with a doe or two and then the bucks began to emerge. The most notable buck, that was about as far as he could be from us and still be on our designated hunting property, was bruiser 8 point that I would have been happy to tag had he been in range. He appeared and disappeared several times as the sun began to set. With light fading and the hunt coming quickly coming to a close another heavy framed mature tall 8 point appeared, again at 800 yards plus. Ron and I decided that our only choice was to make a move and make it quickly. We climbed down from our elevated perch, ducked behind the tree line and headed toward the open area where the bucks had exposed themselves. We moved fast but quietly into the wind. When we finally felt that we had closed the gap to reasonable shooting distance of where we last saw the two big 8`s we turned and carefully made our way to the edge of the open area where we could see 200 – 300 yards. We felt we would be in range of at least one of the big 8`s if either of them reappear just one more time. And we were - 200 yards away stood a heavy framed long beam mature 8 point, and I love big 8`s. Ron steadied his camera on the tripod and began rolling, capturing great footage of a magnificent buck in fading light. Unfortunately I did not steady my Sako A7 Tecomate as well. This was clearly the case immediately after the shot. My last minute Kansas trophy quickly departed the premises, wounded into the brush. It’s a sick feeling and one I despise more than any other feeling in the sport of hunting. My .270 WSM 140 grain Winchester Accubond struck the buck far too low. We realized and verified this only moments later, after Ron replayed the shot for on his camera view finder. And outside of a few small drops of blood that was the last we would see of this trophy. I offer no excuse for my awful performance except that I am human and made a seriously ugly mistake. Ted, Blaine, and I along with the entire staff at Tall Tine combed the woods that evening in hopes of finding my buck. But this time it was not to be. Ted and I returned the next day for more searching. But as was my shot, so were our search results, poor. I had made a bad shot at a great trophy. And there was no good reason for my failure that I can fully explain. Looking back I had time, cover, and wind in my favor. The buck did not have a clue that we were there. We were within 200 yards. I had my rifle on the Bog Pod and I braced my right arm against a small but sturdy tree also. What went wrong? Not sure. I was definitely caught up in the haste of the moment. And that’s no excuse either. There is no good excuse. I failed to make the proper conscious effort that it takes for me to connect with precision on a shot in the field. There are hunters that believe and will tell you that if you hunt long enough and take enough shots you will have a wounded and lost buck on your hands someday. It’s ugly. It’s sad, gut wrenching. However on occasion it is part of the sport we love. This was not the first time for me and certainly many other hunters have been through the same ordeal. We live with our regrets. We make efforts to improve. It was a shameful situation that I take seriously with heartfelt remorse. Could have, would have, should have replayed over and over in my mind – I am certainly capable of better. Wish I could turn back the clock. But as with most unfortunate occurrences when I have fallen out of the saddle, the only choice is to move forward. Get back on the horse! Just a few old photos of Tecomate Pro-Staffer David Shashy. Some really great memories go along with these old hunting photos.     Hunting, Hunting Diaries, Hunting Diaries - David Shashy 2012-04-16T12:10:01-05:00