Wood Fever

There comes a time when a hunter might get carried away once he's in the midst of the hunt. Lacking any sense of self-control, the hunter might find himself in a situation that is more than he's bargained for.

Any self and nature respecting hunter might lose his head in the thrill of excitement, but that's no excuse and may cause accidents that could injure himself, as well as others.

In many stories about hunters and their exploits in the forest, a lot have admitted about the fever involved, and have provided some tips in order to combat this phase of frenzy.

Preparation is the key part for any hunter that requires bringing the bare essentials. Although it's mostly equipment, the hunter must have the mental fortitude to not lose their heads in thinking about tagging their prize. There's no shame in the thrill of the hunt, but to act irrationally while shooting a deer in a brutal manner is a violation that has been established in the noble sport of hunting.

Avoid the coffee, and if the hunter does feel tired, it's best to take an entire day resting in a lodge in order to be prepared mentally as well as physically. A ready state of mind will invoke tactics that may have been in the books, but time-tested and proven to be successful. Who knows, a tactic revealed may be born in this day.

Alcohol and drugs is strictly prohibited as well as lighting up fires in wooded areas. In the past, smoking a deer out of its bedding area may have been an effective way, but not anymore considering the dangers of fires.

And if a hunter must act now, then he must do it. A split second decision may very well mean getting a clean kill from injuring the animal. Indecisiveness in the hunter's part would only allow the animal to suffer more because he's having second thoughts.

Considering the kinds of problems that people face on a daily basis, hunting is a sport and a state of mind that acts upon the basic instinct of people: the desire to kill something other than a human. Of course it may be inhumane to think that it's all about fun and games for the immature, but to know and understand that these skills have been around since the dawn of time, hunting is to help you become aware of the way we think about things, and not just the pleasure.

White-Tail Or Muley – Know The Difference Between These Two

White-Tail Or Muley - Know The Difference Between These Two Cousins

The cousins White-Tailed Deer, or otherwise known as the Virginia Deer, and the Muley, or Mule Deer, are two of the well known species the lives in the American plains. Though somewhat similar in physical attributes for those who aren't acquainted with the species, there are some minute differences that allow you to separate the two.

During the hunting season, it is beneficial for the hunter to know the physical differences between the two cousins. Aside from separating the Muley and the White-Tail deer, they can also proceed to the location of each since both of them have different habitats.

The physical difference says it all

One notable difference between the White-tails and the muleys are the color of their tails and their antlers; the tail of the Mule Deer is black-tipped unlike its white-tipped cousin (hence the name White-Tail).

The antler of the White-Tailed deer has two probable formations: the first one is the typical antlers where the points group straight up from the main beam and are symmetrical on both sides. The non-typical antlers are asymmetrical and the points branch off in different directions off from the main beam. The Mule Deer's antlers tend to fork rather than branching off from a single beam. Both species shed their antlers during winter, between the months December and February.

One noticeable difference of the two cousins are their coats during the summer and spring seasons. The Muley's coat has a light orange-brown color unlike the White-Tails reddish brown. Upon the onset of fall and winter, the coat of the white-tail turns to a grayish-brown and the Muley's changes into a darker version of their white-tailed cousins.

The Muleys are considerably larger their cousin. Wherein the bucks of the Mule deer weighs roughly 150 to 300 pounds and its white-tailed cousins which weighs around 130 to 220 pounds. Considering their weight difference, size is also a major factor in determining the muley from the white-tailed.

Know where the deer lives

As with their physical description, so does their habitat differs. The White-Tailed deer are often found in the east of the American cordillera. It is known to settle and survive in aspen parklands and Bottomland Rivers in the Central and Northern Great Plains. The Mule Deer on the other hand settled in the land west of the Missouri river.

Considering their location, each species has their own specific diet which differs with the other species. The Muley's diet includes berries such as blackberry, sala, huckleberry and thimbleberry. They are also well known forages especially on conifers such as cedar, yews, Douglas fir, aspen, dogwood, willow, sage and juniper.

The diet of their white-tailed cousins focuses more on legumes and other plants which includes leaves, grasses and shoots. They are also commonly seen taking in acorns, a wide variety of corns, and apples. One special quality of the White-tailed deer is its special stomach which allows it to take in poisonous mushrooms that are considered lethal to humans.

Difference in behavior

When seeing a Muley in flight, you will notice that they often move slotting rather than alternate movements on all 4 legs. Slotting is a bounding leap with all four feet coming together at once. The white-tailed deer are often seen running on all fours.

The does of the White-tailed deer are more cautious compared to the muleys. When threatened, the white-tipped tails of the does are often seen raising during escape.

Knowing the difference between the White-Tailed deer and their cousins the Mule Deer is a must for hunters who consider these two wild game during the hunting season.

Where to Hunt

In every State where whitetail deer and other animals flourish has set rules and regulations that need to be followed. So unless the hunter happens to be visiting that said State, be prepared to do some homework before going into the woods.

Some of the more popular whitetail hunting States like Missouri, Colorado, Texas or even Arkansas have strict laws when it comes to hunting. Missouri, for example, has a $175 charge for non-residents when it comes to deer hunting of any type, and a lot of other things you need to pay, and that's just for firearms. It also excludes some of the other things such as being fur handlers and fishing. Considering the need to protect the number of wildlife to ensure its survival, a controlled system is needed. A limit of two deer and/or turkey per hunter is the requirement for obtaining the permit and can also be purchased online at http://mdc.mo.gov/regs/permits.htm.

There have been some recent disputes about the large amount of fees needed just enjoy the thrill of the hunt, but all thing considered it's not like being back in the earlier days where hunting was a necessity rather than just recreation.

During the 1940's the need to preserve wildlife has been passed through several States, considering the time where farmers have been complaining about the whitetail deer destroying crops so it became more of a rubout of these animals. It would soon become something like a tourist attraction for some of these States to have deer and other wildlife present in most of the public parks and forests, amounting to millions of dollars in tourist revenue. It has become apparent that preserving wildlife and keeping control is a cycle that every hunter needs to respect and understand, thus the need for permits.

This year, the deer season is still around for most of the Northwest States for deer, wild turkey and other recreational game. Studies have shown that the risk of accidental collisions with has lessened for the past few years due to regularized and controlled hunting practices by residents and non-residents alike.

With some of these States who have a perfect love and respect for their wildlife is something to be admired, given to the dedication and the need to control and protect these animals in order for a future generation of hunters out there to still have a place to enjoy the very thing this nation has survived.

Where To Hunt – Know Where To Apply For A Hunting License

Before engaging in the satisfying art of deer hunting, every hunter must first purchase a license for their trade. This license will be specific as to the season as well as the location in which they are to hunt. But not all the time nature cooperates with these hardy pioneers.

Go where the prey goes

Finding the perfect location for deer hunting can be a very tedious process. Since the herd is always on the move depending on weather patters and food sources, determining their exact location can be a chore.

Before purchasing a license, the hunter must take care to ask around for vital information regarding the location of the herd. This should be don't at least 3 to 4 weeks before the hunting season begins.

Food source: knowing what the herd eats is a fair indication on their possible location in the wild. Since most herds move according to the availability of their food source, they will be continuously be on the move due to their stomachs. Knowing the location of these food sources can be a great help in determining the location of your prey.

Habitat: A deer has its own preference when it comes to sleeping areas and habitats. Mostly the herd is known to sleep in areas where there is plenty of vegetation, like thick bushes or trees.

Knowing all these possible locations might not only lead to a successful hunt, but a deeper understanding to their behaviors.

Tracking down the prey

If you have discerned the location of the herd and applied for a license in their location, you notice that the herds are nowhere in sight. You might need to track them down before you can bag them.

Basically, you need to know the difference of the buck and doe before you can successfully track down your prey. One difference is the trail the two animals leave. Bucks tend to have a wide trail than that of the doe. The doe picks up their feet rather than dragging them like the bucks do, so you can easily distinguish the two with the tracks they leave behind.

One possible tracking technique is the urine that they leave behind. This is very noticeable during winter months when the snow is thick. Bucks tend to urinate while walking, unlike the doe that squats before releasing her load. If you see 3 to 4 feet of a urine trail in front of you, then you are definitely tracking a buck.

Another factor when tracking down a buck or a doe is their preferred location. Since the doe are more docile compared to the wild buck, they tend to stick to less-dense areas. Unlike the wild buck who tend to roam in a larger area.

The perfect license for a perfect hunt

Now that you have a nodding acquaintance of the habits of your prey, you can now determine their location in the wild. Since you can go to any state to apply for a license, you have a free run on your prey if you feel like tracking them down.

You also need to check local rules and regulations regarding nonresident hunters who apply for a hunting license. You have to have a nodding acquaintance on how they do it there so that you won't have any penalties or additional fees later on.

Aside from the location, you can also take advantage of other possible prey aside from deer. You may find out in the local office that waterfowls or small games are in season, so you can always take advantage of those for practice before you tackle on the big ones.

What You Need to Know about Taxidermy

Taxidermy, a Greek term that means arranging of the skin, describes the methods of reproducing life-like, three-dimensional representations of an animal intended for permanent display or for study. It can be done on almost all types of animals. In some cases, parts of the actual skin of an animal such as the fur, the feather, and the scales are preserved and mounted over an artificial framework. But in most cases, specimens are completely reproduced using man-made materials.

What is Crypto-taxidermy?

Crypto-taxidermy is the art of creating stuffed animals that have no real and live counterparts. They can have mythical counterparts, or be based on the taxidermists imagination. They can also be created out of supposed parts of mythical animals like chimeras, Capricorns, giraffe, or unicorns, or most of the time, they may be artificially created.

What is Anthropomorphic Taxidermy?

This is the art of making stuffed animals dressed as people, or sometimes displayed as if they were engaged in some human activities. This style was very popular during the Edwardian and Victorian times although there are still some that can be found these days.

This style of taxidermy was founded and popularized by Herman Ploucquet, a taxidermist from the Royal Museum in Stuttgart in Wurttemberg, Germany after he presented at the 1851's Great Exhibition. The art was later followed by an English taxidermist, Walter Potter. One of his very famous works was The Upper Ten or Squirrels Club which featured eighteen European squirrels socializing in a club.

Three Types of Taxidermy

There are basically three major types of taxidermy European Mounts, Bear Skinning, and Capping Lines. Since most people prefer the simple head mounts, the European Mounts is the most common type used today.

European Skull Mounts

There are different ways to bleach a skull for mounting. But below is the easiest and the fastest method to bleach and preserve your most valuable skulls.

The first thing to do is to prepare the skulls. Start removing the hair and the hide from the skull. Before boiling the skull, see to it that you have removed all its spinal extras and the lower jaw.

Find a pot or a metallic contained large enough to accommodate and completely submerge the skull. Boiling the skull normally results in water boiling past the brim, thus resulting in the smell of deer brain. To avoid this, boil the skull outdoors using propane or a campfire.

If the skull has antlers, keep them away from the water as much as possible since water can unnaturally lighten the antlers. Keep a close eye on the smoke especially if you are using an open flame. The smoke can stain the tips of the antlers that exceed from the pot. However, if you can't deal with the antlers properly, wrapping them in aluminum foil will work well.

To speed up the long process of removing meat, mix dawn dish soap or borax in the water. Remove the skull from the water every twenty minutes so you can scrape meat from the skull. This long and tedious process normally takes about four hours. Be sure to clean and remove even the littlest of meat so that the skull won't smell.

After all the organic material has been removed, be sure to find the teeth. Some teeth loosen and fall out while the skull is being boiled. It is important that you screen the water after boiling the skull so that you can find the missing teeth. Reattach them to the skull using epoxy or glue.

After reattaching the teeth, you can start the bleaching process. Don't use actual bleach but rather peroxide. Commercially-distributed bleaches can weaken the skull. Purchase peroxide from a beauty supply store since you can obtain up to thirty percent of concentrate without having the proper license. Paint the skull with peroxide and let it sit overnight.

Although there is no need to repeat the process, you can still do so especially if you prefer an extra white skull. Rinse the skull with cool water. Seal your skull using a clear gloss acrylic paint, although this is optional.

Taxidermy is one good way to preserve your most prized deer skulls. Find the right taxidermists near you and let them do the preserving of the skull, especially if you are hesitant to do it by yourself.

Virtual Deer Hunting

There are times when a hunter's need to stay ahead of the game and practicing rifling or bow skills on a wooden animal may not be enough. Here are some arcade games for next generation consoles to keep those skills sharp and have fun in the process.

And wearing a camouflage suit isn't required.

Big Buck Hunter is one of the arcade titles that can be found in the nearest arcade or mall and developed by Play Mechanix, Inc. The player can choose up to four zones in North America, which the sequel also includes Canada, and start hunting. Certain game objectives like shooting as many bucks as possible without including the doe. Bonuses are awarded for accuracy and certain double and triple kills for bucks. It may sound straightforward, but it's all about the fun factor and can be played for a couple minutes with a handful of quarters.

And if going to the mall is too much of a chore, then a gaming console is just as good nowadays with next generation consoles. Some titles for the PC and PlayStation 2 offers a better experience thanks to their unique control system and it's better than the days of Duck Hunt (remember that?).

Deer Hunt Challenge series has been around for nearly 10 years and created for the PC, and if you're lucky enough to get it off eBay, you'll enjoy the feel of being a hunter by using a mouse. Options like tournament mode and traditional hunting can be done with this game. And if the need to hold something that's similar to a gun, you may want to bring out the old PlayStation 2 and find Cabela's Deer Hunt 2005. It offers a smarter deer and hunting game and a wide variety of games. There are still 'light guns' on the market that will allow any hunter to connect to the PlayStation 2 or PC in a real hunting fashion.

So technology has given the hunter another chance to satisfy the need for the hunt, after all, it might be just as exciting as the real thing. Regardless, the developers, who are big deer hunters as well, really appreciate creating the games to the closest possible thing, and purchasing a permit isn't required.

With the Big Buck Hunter series, Deer Hunt Challenge and Cabela's Deer Hunt 2005, it's deer hunting season all year round.