Retired South Carolina Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist Mark O. Bara of Georgetown County has been awarded the Deer Management Career Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to White-Tailed Deer Management in the Southeastern United States.

Bara received the award during this year’s Southeast Deer Study Group Meeting held in February at the University of Georgia in Athens.

This award was presented by Dr. Steve Demarais of Mississippi State University, chairman of the Deer Committee of the Southeastern Section of The Wildlife Society. Demarais’ committee coordinates the annual conferences, which typically attract 300 to 400 registrants. According to Demarais, this is a highly coveted award and one of the most important given by the Southeastern Section of The Wildlife Society.

During the presentation, he said Bara once served as chair of the Deer Committee and played a major role in developing these conferences to their current level of participation and prominence.

Employed by what was then known as the S.C. Wildlife Resources Department in 1970, Bara, a Wildlife Society certified wildlife biologist, retired in August 2003 as regional coordinator for the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Upper Coastal Region. According to Charles Ruth, DNR Deer and Turkey Program leader, Bara assisted hundreds of landowners and hunt clubs with habitat improvement and harvest recommendations.

“Among many other duties, Mark was also heavily involved in wild turkey restoration, overseeing the restocking of 1,433 wild turkeys on 90 sites within his nine county region.” Ruth said. “Mark remains active during retirement serving on Clemson and Coastal Carolina University advisory boards, is involved in deer management issues, and supports the student paper awards during the annual deer study group meetings.”

Bara has served for 11 years as treasurer of the Navy Club of Georgetown and serves on the Georgetown Friends of the National Rifle Association Banquet and Auction Committee. He is also a professional member of the Boone and Crockett Club and has been one of their official measurers since 1976.

“Had it not been for the U.S. Coast Guard and GI Bill benefits, graduate school at the University of Georgia, and my wife, Barbara, putting me through school; I simply would not have had a career with South Carolina DNR,” Bara said. “I am also indebted to long-time chief of wildlife and later division director, Brock Conrad, who hired me back in 1970. For these things and to these people, I am eternally grateful.”

Several other individuals associated with South Carolina have been honored with the Deer Management Career Achievement Award. These included Dr. Richard F. Harlow, the first recipient when the award was initiated in 1996. The late Dr. Harlow had a long career with the Florida Wildlife and Conservation Commission, followed by a stint as an associate professor at Clemson University. Bob Downing ended his career as a research biologist at Clemson University following retirement from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The others are Clemson University professor Dr. David C. Guynn Jr. and Robert J. Hamilton, who worked on DNR wildlife biologist Gerald Moore’s deer research project in the 1980s—Hamilton is now director of development for the Quality Deer Management Association, which he founded. Of the 15 individuals recognized with this award since 1996, South Carolina is well represented. (No award was given in 2001, 2003, 2008, or 2013.)

“This can be a lonely profession, and you rarely accomplish anything by yourself,” Bara said at the award ceremony, “and if you look good, it is only by virtue of other people making you look good. I was indeed privileged to work for and with some very good people in the Department, along with some very dedicated and supportive sportsmen, so it is on behalf of these individuals, that with pride and humility, I accept this wonderful award, the high point of my professional career.”

Mastering Your Hunting Bow

Improve Your Consistency and Increase Your Range

Whether you’re a first-time bowhunter or a seasoned veteran, there are steps you can take to become a better shot. From choosing arrows and tuning expandable broadheads to understanding kinetic energy and in-depth strategies for setting stands specifically for bow shots, this 34-page PDF download has it all.

DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY TODAY!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DeerDeerHunting/~3/E4OZC2WWpnc/deer-biologist-honored-for-years-of-service

1055 – Charcoal Heather How I Roll Bucks is one of our many Funny Hunting Shirts. A spin off of 1008 How I Roll Deers this shirt is a different take on the attitude of the ultimate outdoorsman. Like all our T-Shirts this one is also screen printed with high quality artwork on pre-shrunk heavyweight cotton that will stand up to tons of machine washes and still come out looking great.

List price: $16.99

We moved to our property last August. It was previously someone’s vacation home (and if you’re going to buy a house, let it be in a location where someone wanted to vacation). Our closest neighbor (which isn’t that close) is located up a mountain that overlooks our pond in one spot and from her birds-eye view, says she’s seen plenty of deer, moose, and black bears on our property. This is good to know and rather exciting, I think. I’ve even managed to snap a photo of a young doe next to our pond last summer.

We are also in a direct migratory pattern of Canadian geese and our pond at one point in late fall had nearly up to 300 resting every evening there. We made good use of this location and have a few geese in the freezer (one which I defrosted for the holiday).

In this new pursuit of archery and all things hunting, I’ve learned that trail cameras are a fun accessory that you can use on your property for so many different things. I had the chance to try out a camera from Browning, and managed to capture this picture of a BOBCAT on my property! (My nearest neighbor believes it could be a lynx as he has evidence of a lynx on the ridge line of his property, but he’s a mile or so away.)

I’m thrilled, though maybe not so much excited to see what happens as my chicken coop arrived and my little chicks are currently hanging out in their new digs near bobcat territory just outside my door. The interesting thing is that all this time, the tracks crisscrossing our pond we assumed were made by a coyote. Now I’m fairly certain it was made by this guy.

Think he was the one behind the recent set of tracks up our road? (We still had snow in mid-April!)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DeerDeerHunting/~3/XwPSVPfI0yw/locavore-blog-trail-cameras

I just shot an extremely forgiving bow. Of course, we hear that a lot—“extremely forgiving”—mostly from marketing folks who want us to believe that their latest offering is not only extremely forgiving but even more extremely forgiving than all their other extremely forgiving models. So let’s talk real forgiveness.

First off, for any beginners, I should point out that a forgiving bow specifically forgives shooter error. That is, it sends arrows pretty much where you want them despite mistakes by you in shooting form or execution. Good groups are an indication of forgiveness, but they don’t tell the whole story. You can shoot stellar groups with an unforgiving bow, for example, as long as you do your part and don’t screw up, at all.

To really know if a bow is forgiving of mistakes, it helps to have been shooting long enough to know when you are making them. At some point, after years of practice, you know what it feels like when you are doing things as you should. When your form is solid and you are pushing and pulling at full draw and letting the pin float and squeezing off the trigger and so on…it feels right. And when you screw up any one thing, it feels definitively wrong. You know instantly that you screwed up and that your arrow will go off course because of it.

The question is: How far off course? And the answer tells you how forgiving your bow is.

I just got done shooting a long practice session at a deer target from 50 yards, and I did not shoot my best. I made several hideous shots—mostly by punching the trigger—and each time I knew I’d screwed up badly enough that I should have wound up searching the honeysuckle and bramble for the arrow. But I didn’t. Instead, every one of those shots hit the target somehow. Not only that; they hit the vital zone, only a handful of inches away from my main group, and did so too repeatedly to be a fluke.

Now that’s a forgiving bow.

On the other side of the coin, you know a bow is unforgiving when you shoot a group that feels so good you can’t wait to go see if the vanes are touching, and yet when you get to the target it turns out that Mikaela Shiffrin could ski slalom through your shafts. Obviously, this can happen in isolation with any bow, but when it’s the rule rather than the exception, you’ve got an unforgiving bow.

The model I’ve been shooting today is just the opposite. And so, you ask, what is this extremely forgiving bow? It’s the Cabela’s Regulator, which is “powered by Bowtech” and part of the Diamond line. I don’t love everything about it. The thwang at the shot is hard to miss (though that can probably be tamed), I’ve never really liked the Diamond grip (but that’s just me), and the bow is not especially fast. On the other hand, it is very affordable at $550 all set up. Most important, and impressive, I don’t think I’ve shot a more forgiving bow this year, and that includes virtually all of the new (and much pricier) 2014 flagship models. That’s saying a lot.

We archery geeks have a tendency to obsess over every little thing—noise, vibration, grip, balance, and on and on—but in the end what’s more important than your arrows going where you want them to, even when you are not at your best? Ultimately, this sort of bow becomes like a real friend—because like a real friend, it forgives you your shortcomings.

Source: http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/whitetail-365/2014/04/will-your-bow-forgive-you-real-friend

As the ideal blend of mid-size pack and maximum storage, the new Willie’s Day Pack is a straightforward approach to carrying gear into the field. The large cargo compartment accommodates bulky items while the accessory pocket is designed for easy access to smaller gear items. Padded shoulder straps with quick release strap allow for quick removal during fast hunting action.

List price: $22.99

By J.J. Reich

Video courtesy of Shane Simpson and callingallturkeys.com

Because the main tool of turkey hunting is a shotgun, some hunters get the false impression that it produces a large pattern of shot, making it easy to hit a target. So, they tend to skip shooting practice. But with fine-tuned barrels and high-tech shotshells designed to take down gobblers beyond 40 yards, that way of thinking is far from reality.
Whether you’re a beginner or have dozens of gobblers to your credit, perfecting your shot at the range will help you fill more tags.

Be Sure Your Gun Will Deliver

The first task is to ensure that your shotgun setup produces the best shot pattern possible. Whether you prefer a 12- or 20-gauge, or a 3½-inch or 2¾-inch shotshell, the golden rule for choosing a turkey shotgun is to select a gun that you’re confident in and comfortable shooting.
After that, you must decide on three other elements; an accurate sight, performance ammunition and an effective choke. The combination of those elements will make or break your shot.

A Helpful Sight

Tight patterns delivered by constrictive turkey chokes mean you’re trying to hit a baseball-sized head with a basketball-sized swarm of small pellets at long distances. Although that’s not exactly threading a needle, you still need a precise, well-aimed shot. An upgrade in shotgun sights will improve your success rate.

Standard beads on factory shotguns just don’t cut it for most hunters, because when your head is off the stock, your eye is not properly aligned, even when it appears to be. This mistake almost always results in a missed turkey.

There are many turkey-specific sight systems available. Rifle-style peep sights and electronic red-dot-type sights are popular choices among turkey hunters. At the least, replacing a factory-supplied bead with a hooded fiber-optic sight is a great improvement. For example, the EasyHit fiber-optic sight from Champion features a strong adhesive strip that easily attaches to a flat shotgun rib near the muzzle. Its low profile and hollow-tube design forces shooters to keep their heads on the stock.

A magnified scope with a turkey-specific reticle, such as the Weaver Kaspa VZT turkey scope, might be the best option because it lets you fine-tune your shot pattern. Using the scope’s elevation and windage turrets, you can move the gun’s point of impact so the densest part of the pattern is at the point of aim. This scope features the Vertical Zone Turkey, or VZT, reticle, designed for turkey hunting.

Advanced Ammo

The only way to determine which ammunition to use is to shoot a variety. Vary your shot sizes and brands from several distances, and stick with the one that gives you the most consistent pattern. That said, it’s next to impossible to get good long-range patterns out of inexpensive lead loads. Products that incorporate advanced technology and high-grade shot produce the best results.
For example, Federal Premium Heavyweight turkey loads feature the innovative FliteControl wad, which helps ensure tight patterns downrange. This is coupled with Heavyweight pellets, made of an ultra-dense tungsten alloy that is 15 percent heavier than lead to provide greater downrange velocity and knockdown power. Heavyweight in No. 7 shot has even better performance than lead No. 5 shot and delivers substantially higher pellet counts.

A Tight Choke

A specially engineered turkey choke has more constriction than a full choke. They can vary greatly, but in general, the dimensions for a 12-gauge turkey choke might range from .670 inches down to .640 inches.

Typically, too much choke constriction causes the pellets to become deformed and inaccurate. Too little choke can throw your pattern too wide, leaving little density in the kill zone. You might find something that delivers better results. In general, more open choke constrictions are better suited for larger pellets, such as No. 4s. The tighter chokes in the .640- to .655-inch range are designed for smaller shot, such as size No. 7. Don’t be afraid to keep experimenting with various choke and shot size combinations.

If you decide you want to try Federal Premium Heavyweight No. 7 or are currently using this load, Trulock has developed a line of turkey choke tubes specifically for this.

The Deadly Combination

To determine what choke and ammunition combination works best, you’ll need to field-test various combinations and evaluate the shot patterns.

The National Wild Turkey Federation, among others, suggests the ideal pattern for turkey hunting is 100 pellets in a 10-inch circle at 40 yards. Note that it’s also important for this pattern to be spread out consistently. Large gaps within that 10-inch circle could cause a miss.

Evaluate several shots using paper targets, such as Champion Re-Stick Turkey Targets to quickly and easily examine pattern performance.

When your shotgun setup puts a smile on your face, the next step is to regularly rehearse your shots, again and again, in real-life conditions.

Practice in Realistic Scenarios

You should always use a good shooting rest to ensure your sight-in aim is steady and controlled. But after that, ditch the shooting rest, and make your practice sessions as realistic as possible. Step away from the shooting bench, and practice while sitting on the ground with a solid backstop behind you, just like you’re sitting up against a tree during a real hunt.

Continue to evaluate several shots using paper targets such as Champion Re-Stick Turkey Targets. This way, you can quickly and easily track your progress and improvement.

You should have at least one practice session wearing your hunting clothes and vest. This will let you monitor and evaluate how your clothes are performing while shooting. For example, you might find out that your shirt or jacket is too restrictive in the armpit area and doesn’t allow maneuverability and a comfortable shot.

If you plan on using specialized accessories, such as a monopod or a padded shooting rest that attaches to your knee, you need to practice using those, too. Along with gaining familiarity with these tools, you’ll also quickly discover if you need to tweak or change anything in your setup to avoid mishaps while on the hunt.

Practice Your Shot Repetitively

To become proficient at other shotgun sports — such as trap, skeet and sporting clays — athletes take thousands of practice shots before competing. Turkey hunters can benefit from repetition, too. Master the physical acts of flipping the safety, accurately placing your aim, steadying your shot, taking a deep breath and properly squeezing the trigger.

For repetitive shooting practice, skip the paper targets and expensive full-power turkey ammunition. Grab a box of clay targets and less expensive target ammunition.

Standard clay targets are roughly the same size as a gobbler’s head, about 4 inches in diameter. For a greater challenge, choose mini-sized clays that are about 2 inches in diameter. You can also find clay targets in colors other than bright orange that add a different element to practice. Targets in other colors such as black, white, yellow and pink help you practice quick target acquisition, which is a skill that’s extremely important in the turkey woods.

The simple way to set up stationary clay targets intended for turkey training is to sharpen the ends of several 2-foot sticks, shove them in the ground and hang the targets from them. You can set up a small course at the range with dozens of targets set at various positions and distances. Try putting some brush or other obstacles in front of some of the targets to make for more realistic hunting scenarios.

Train and Condition

Turkey hunting is a physical activity that you should train for just like other athletic sports. Preparing or double-checking your shotgun setup and practicing your shot is something you should do every year before opening day.

But you should also train and condition yourself to be in good physical condition before hunting season, because to make a good shot, you need strength and endurance. For example, calling turkeys with a mouth call can be tiring, especially lengthy calling sessions that are sometimes necessary to convince a stubborn gobbler to come closer. Aggressively blowing a mouth call can leave you out of breath. Additionally, running and gunning up and down foothills can also wear you out.

Condition yourself for these scenarios. During shooting practice at the range, pack your favorite mouth call. Sound off a long, loud calling sequence until you’re huffing and puffing, and then take aim at a distant target and squeeze off a shot. Run a few short sprints in the parking lot, knock off a dozen pushups, or jump rope for a few minutes until your heart is pounding and you’re breathing hard, and then immediately sit down and practice your shot.

Get ready for turkey season NOW with our Great Gobbler Value Pack from Turkey & Turkey Hunting!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DeerDeerHunting/~3/ipTdfAUsL6A/turkey-season-bonus-prepare-make-perfect-shot