Women who are interested in taking up hunting and fishing should sign up for a special upcoming weekend workshop sponsored by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

This women’s-only event will be held June 22-24 at the Jim Olterman/Lone Cone State Wildlife Area in Dolores County.

“This is a great event for women who are curious about hunting and fishing but have never had a chance to give them a try,” said Kelly Crane, district wildlife manager in the Ouray area. “No experience is necessary and we have a lot of fun.”

At this workshop women will learn the fundamentals of archery, fly fishing and shotgun shooting. Participants will also learn about the basics of wildlife biology and wildlife management. Expert instruction will be provided by Parks and Wildlife staff.

The weekend is especially designed for novices. All equipment and ammunition will be provided. Participants can bring their own fishing rods, bows and shotguns. Those bringing guns must provide their own ammunition.

Participants age 16 and older must have a current Colorado fishing license.

Food will be provided; but those with specific dietary requirements should bring their own.

A cabin and camping are available on site. Participants must bring their own sleeping bags and can bring their own tents if they wish.

The registration deadline is June 4, but call early as this event usually fills up quickly. The workshop is limited to 15 women, ages 14 and older. A $40 refundable deposit is required.

The event will start at 5 p.m., June 22, and conclude at noon on June 24. The state wildlife area is located 25 miles south of Norwood.

To register, or for more information, contact Dawn Bresett at the Parks and Wildlife office in Montrose at 970-252-6000, or by e-mail, dawn.bresett@state.co.us.

To learn more about hunting and fishing in Colorado, see: http://wildlife.state.co.us/Pages/Home.aspx

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Women’s Outdoor Skills Workshop to be Held in Montrose, Colorado

What has worked for you?  Do you need ideas on how to get this started?  Shoot me an email at jason@salesproxie.com.  I would love to hear from you.  For more ideas on social media marketing for the outdoor industry, visit my blog www.mudontheboots.com.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Is Your Bragging Board Brag-Worthy?

Trail camera pictures clutter my computer’s desktop and congest my electronic photo library; thousands of whitetail pictures filed into hundreds of archived folders, which are then saved to several sub-folders. I’ve managed to sort through the good, bad and the ugly to find some of my very favorite images of 2011.

Below you will find some neat snapshots taken from a slew of Moultrie cameras at a good friend of mine’s whitetail outfitting operation. Mark Schuh, owner Schuhter’s Outpost in Buffalo County, Wisconsin – where big buck photos are of plenty has made trail cameras his virtue and prized possession to putting his clients on mature whitetail.

Early seasons bucks are simply incredible. Their sleek muscular body combined with the light summer coat and fuzzy antlers makes for a stellar shot, especially if he has headgear like this buck shown above. This near 200” buck was photographed throughout the entire summer and into hunting season before making a presence on some lucky hunter’s wall last year. This particular photo of him was captured during a morning as he browsed through one of Mark’s hunting plots consisting of Evolved Harvest’s ProVide, a mixture of forage clover and chicory.

The next photo is of a deer I was lucky enough to kill during the Wisconsin archery opener. He was nicknamed “High Tower” and for a good reason. This 4-½ year old production of Buffalo County’s very finest had skyscraping tines that blossomed out of his gnarly main beams. His knack for deception and clever skill set deemed him one of the most sought after trophies on Mark’s deer infested farms.

We were able to capture him on trail camera several times before sneaking into his living room with perfect wind conditions and successfully put an arrow into him at 20 yards. I’m now able to look at the handsome shoulder mount on my wall and share fond memories with friends thanks to analyzing photographic evidence of High Tower’s uncanny travel patterns chronicled from a stealthy trail cam.

My last photo of choice is Mark’s late season muzzleloader kill. This 11-point Boone & Crockett animal loved the camera, but duped every hunter that tried slapping their tag on him. During a fresh snowfall and severe drop in temperature, I was able to film Mark killing this world-class whitetail after pinpointing where he was the night before by checking cameras.

Trail cameras provide an immense amount of data about whitetail’s daily characteristics and lifestyle trends. It’s almost like breaking into the mystical culture of North America’s most popular big game species. I find it even more alluring that photos script into unforgotten memories, which tell stories. I will always find a photograph to be truly spectacular in so many ways. I urge everyone to use these tactical devices to help improve your own hunting insight and increase the storage on your very own memory bank!

Got any good trail cam pics to share? Post them in the comments below!

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - A Camera’s Killer Sense: Trail Camera Pictures from the Field

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission approved big game hunting license numbers on Thursday for the upcoming fall hunting seasons. Agency staff utilized herd population estimates to recommend reductions in license numbers for mule deer, elk and pronghorn while recommending increases in licenses to manage growing populations of moose and black bears. According to a 2008 study, big game hunting in Colorado provides more than $430 million per year in economic impact to the state and supports 4,660 jobs in the state.

Colorado is a national leader in big-game hunting opportunity. This year, Colorado will issue more than 240,000 limited licenses for the state’s ‘big three’ species – elk, deer and pronghorn. Wildlife managers and biologists around the state recommended the issuance of 139,461 limited elk licenses, 79,800 limited deer licenses and 23,862 pronghorn licenses for the 2012 fall seasons.

Statewide, mule deer license quotas declined 5.8 percent from 2011.

“Mule deer populations are being intensively monitored and we’ve seen some declines, especially in the northwest part of the state,” explained Andy Holland, Statewide Big Game Manager. “Between severe winters, increased development, habitat decline, migration corridor fragmentation and predation, most western states are seeing declines in mule deer populations. We adjusted license numbers accordingly.”

In addition to issuing nearly 140,000 limited elk licenses, Colorado plans to issue an unlimited number of over-the-counter bull elk licenses in the archery, 2nd rifle and 3rd rifle seasons. The number of unlimited licenses available makes Colorado the top destination in the U.S. for elk hunting opportunity. The 2.2 percent decline in the number of limited elk tags offered this year is mostly related to elk populations reaching management objectives after several years of intentional efforts by Colorado Parks and Wildlife to reduce elk damage on private lands. Despite the elk license number reduction, Colorado remains the destination state for elk hunters, offering more elk licenses by far than any other state.

Black bear hunting license numbers will be increased in the state after biologists determined that the statewide population is larger than previously believed. New estimates show that approximately 16,000 to 18,000 black bears live in the state.

“The emergence and increased affordability of things like DNA, tooth cementum analysis and GPS tracking collars have given us new tools to know that Colorado’s current black bear population is robust and larger than previously believed,” said Jerry Apker, Carnivore Biologist for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Apker further explained to the Commission that the agency’s black bear knowledge exceeds some other species because every hunter-harvested bear in Colorado is required to be checked by Parks and Wildlife personnel and significant historical harvest information about black bears is maintained by the agency. The historical harvest information coupled with new technology led to the increased population estimate and the increased number of hunting licenses approved for this coming fall.

In other business, the Parks and Wildlife Commission voted to deny a petition that would have allowed rock climbing on property at the Rifle Falls Fish Hatchery. Commissioners based the decision on concerns about an active golden eagle nest in the immediate area and concerns regarding diversion of wildlife funds, safety issues, parking problems and potential damage to sensitive hatchery and water equipment in the area. The Rifle Falls Fish Hatchery was built in 1955 and was the largest trout hatchery in the world at that time. The hatchery raised about 3.7 million fish last year and is responsible for about 40 percent of the catchable trout in the state hatchery system.

Commissioners also approved regulations to grant military veterans and active duty members of the military free entrance to all state parks on Veteran’s Day each Nov. 11. The Commission ruling makes permanent the previous tradition of the former Parks Board passing a “free day” for veterans and active duty service members each year.

“Colorado Parks and Wildlife is honored to be able to support our service members with this action,” said Ken Brink, Assistant Director for Parks and Outdoor Recreation.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission is a 14-member board, appointed by the governor, which sets regulations and policies for Colorado’s state parks wildlife programs. The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission meets monthly and travels to communities around the state to facilitate public participation in its processes. For the remainder of 2012, the commission will travel to Craig, Sterling, Gunnison, Glenwood Springs, Durango, Yuma and Colorado Springs.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Colorado PWC Hunt License Numbers for 2012

This article comes courtesy of John M. Buol, Jr. of FirearmUserNetwork.com. Check out his site for more articles like this.

When I was volunteering as a certified hunter education instructor for the Wisconsin DNR, they published a compiled list of statistics for each season’s hunt. Being one of the top ten states for deer hunter participation, this makes an interesting and accurate case study. Let’s go over the lessons learned from the compiled numbers and see what we can discover about trends in field shooting and safety skills of hunters.

First, the good news. Organized events, even those as rudimentary as basic hunter education, are marvelously effective at improving safety skills. In 1907, decades before hunter education was established, there were 97 reported firearm mishaps statewide of which 41 resulted in death. The total deer harvested count was about 6,000.

In 2002, over five decades after the first hunter education program was established, the number of incidents was less than half that (47 total) despite a much larger hunting population taking the field: 618,945 licenses sold with 277,959 deer harvested.

According to the National Safety Council there is currently an average of seven firearm-related incidents for every 100,000 hunters in the United States. Wisconsin’s 2002 rate works out to 7  incidents for every 92,184 licensed hunters; close to the established national average.

This is yet more proof how safe shooting and hunting can be IF participants bother attending even the simplest, organized, skill-building event. Wisconsin’s hunter education course is a scant 10 hours with a large number of topics in the curriculum and there is no shooting proficiency test or standard. Twelve-year olds find the coursework simple. Worst of all, no follow-on events are offered or even suggested. Yet, the difference between the most vestigial training and none is astonishing.

Hunter education instructors and administrators deserve a pat on the back. Not too hard, though, as there are still a number of embarrassing problems to iron out.

In other articles and reports I’ve pointed out that about a third of all hunting “accidents” are self-inflicted and half are perpetrated by a hunting party member (someone the offending hunter knew was there.) That means there is no acceptable excuse for at least 80 percent of the mishaps.

The 2002 statistics prove this yet again. 14 of the 47 incidents (29.78%) were self inflicted and 24 of the incidents (51.06%) involved a hunter shooting a member of his or her own party. These incidents can be traced to abject incompetence due to unfamiliarity.

Actual hunting experience, without continuing range experience and training, is of little help. Tim Lawhern, Wisconsin’s Hunter Education Administrator, has noted in print that hunters with a number of years of hunting experience are often some of the worst offenders, not the new, inexperienced kids.

The numbers bear this observation out. Nearly half of the perpetrators (22 out of 47, 46.8%) were over the age of 35 and had hunted without mishaps for years. How can this be?

A new hunter takes basic hunter education and learns rudimentary skills. The tentative newbie is cautious with the lessons fresh in his mind. Unfortunately, after this one required event most hunters do nothing to further their field shooting and handling skills beyond this kindergarten level. As the years pass with incident-free hunts, and with nothing done to relearn and reinforce lessons learned, complacency sets in.

We see this with alarming frequency when adult hunters attend a field day with their kids – at least when we can get them to actually toe the line and shoot in front of the class. I’ve learned that the “experienced” hunter often has to be watched even closer than the kids at first. The new student’s safety procedures are just beginning to approach the Consciously Competent level. He may have to think about it first, but he knows what to do. The hunter who has neglected to reinforce these lessons too often reverts back to the Unconsciously Incompetent level, and doesn’t realize how much of the little skill obtained years back at the mandatory hunter education class has been forgotten. The most basic safety protocol violations, improper muzzle control and failing to keep fingers clear of the trigger, have to be watched for and corrected for a few rounds before the hunter begins to remember them again. Without a semi-regular refresher, such as a class, match, or other event, too many hunters learn the hard, painful way and end up as statistics in reports like this.

I’m continually amazed and disappointed at the number of really dumb and preventable gun mishaps. Some typical examples:

• “Victim reholstered pistol after a shot with finger on trigger, shot self in thigh.”
• “Victim had safety off and finger on trigger, shot self in foot.”
• “Victim sat down against tree and gun discharged.”

The numbers confirm the need for skill-refreshing events. Nearly two-thirds of the self-inflicted incidents (9 out of 14, 64.2 percent) involved hunter education graduates shooting themselves, and exactly three-quarters of the perpetrators who shot their hunting partner (18 out of 24, 75 percent) were graduates as well.

This is NOT a condemnation of the hunter education curriculum or instructors, rather, it is further evidence of the need to provide and promote adequate follow-on activities and sufficient participation by the majority of hunters and gun owners. As noted above, the most basic training experience makes a huge difference. It’s the follow-up, getting rank-and-file gun owners and hunters to bother to show up to shoots once in a while, where we drop the ball.

In summary:

• Organized, skill building events work! The huge drop in negligence due to hunter education proves it.
• Follow on experience is essential or the lessons will be lost. A mandatory, one time event is not enough.
• Raw number of years spent hunting is a poor indicator of skill. Hunters sometimes wait a year (or more!) between hunts. Refreshing skills in between through organized shooting events is vital.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Lessons Learned from Hunter Education: Keep Learning!

This article comes courtesy of John M. Buol, Jr. of FirearmUserNetwork.com. Check out his site for more articles like this.

The effective range of the .30-30 is about 150-170 yards. Some of the wizzy new Magnums can outperform this by roughly 300 percent, at least on paper. But can the hunter outperform the .30-30? Can you?

The .30-30 WCF (Winchester Center Fire) was a hot little number when first debuted in 1895 but today’s hunters complain about this “obsolete” antique. Standard wisdom states this cartridge is best contained within a range of 100-175 yards. A .30-30 will push a 150-170 grain bullet out at approximately 2200 fps or so. With a 150 yard zero, the bullet will be about two inches above line of sight at 100 yards and around five inches low at 200.

Few hunters possess enough shooting skill that warrants better performance than this. Are you one of them? Find out with the .30-30 Drill.

Begin by getting a good 150 yard zero for that anemic .30-30 (or whatever your favorite hunting rifle is chambered in). Set up a Y-ring steel target at 150 yards. If you don’t have a quality, self-resetting steel target that is about 8-10 inches in diameter, a paper dinner plate at 150 yards makes an ersatz substitute. Get a shooting timer, or a buddy with a whistle and stop watch, to record the time.

Start from standing up. On the start signal adopt a sitting position and fire one aimed shot at the plate. Stand back up and repeat the drill for a total of three shots. After completing this three string/three round sequence from the sitting position, do it again adopting and shooting from prone.

We are shooting at the distance we zeroed giving point-of-impact at point-of-aim on a nice, level playing field with no intervening brush, trees, etc. All the shooting is done from the two most stable positions available in the field. Furthermore, the target is presented whole, as opposed to a large animal with the vital zone hidden somewhere inside, thus eliminating the need to estimate target angle. Just hold center and let ‘er rip!

Regardless of elapsed time, a hunter claiming to need something better than a .30-30 should get at least 5 hits out of 6 shots (83% hits) or better on this six MOA target every time. If so, our hero can actually make use of the ballistic capability provided by a .30-30 or equivalent for field shooting. If not, their maximum effective range in field shooting is shorter than 150 yards and the capability of a .30-30 rifle exceeds their present level of skill.

A more competent hunter-shooter who can get those same hits in ten seconds per shot or less just might benefit from a “better” rifle. They possess sufficient skill to warrant extended range.

Variations:

We can repeat this drill out even further. Use the same target and set at 200, 225, 250, 300, or out as far as you dare. Give the shooter an extra three seconds or so for every 50 yards beyond 150. Sight in appropriately and shoot. For example, .308/.30-06 and cartridges of similar ballistics can set their zero to 200-250 yards.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Shooting Skills for Hunters: The .30-30 Drill

Author’s Note: Even if you’re not a professional deer hunter, if you do the work that professional deer hunters do, you can take bucks like a pro. Most professional hunters hunt year-round. Here’s the tactic that some of the most consistent deer hunters in the nation use to help them find and take the biggest bucks on the property they have to hunt throughout deer season.

“To take the biggest deer on the properties I hunt, I start putting out a deer attractant like C’Mere Deer in mid-May,” Jason Harvison who lives north of Nashville, Tennessee, explains. “Throughout the late spring and early summer, I put trail cameras in the places I hunt much of the year, to make sure I have quality bucks to hunt during deer hunting season. Other hunters set out feeders to determine the number of bucks they’ll have to hunt each year, before the season arrives. You can also watch the antler growth as the bucks come into velvet in the spring and summer and learn which areas of the property should have the biggest deer.”

The next step, once you know which areas are holding the biggest deer, is to determine what natural food sources the deer are feeding on during daylight hours at different times of the year. Your state wildlife biologist can provide that type of information for you. Try to find those natural food sources as close as possible to the area where you’ve been feeding or attracting deer. This is especially true if you’re hunting in a state that doesn’t permit baiting of deer; fertilize these regions of naturally-occurring deer foods. Then when you can no longer bait or feed the deer, the deer will come to the spots where you have been feeding deer and eat the natural browse during hunting season. Because you’ve put in the work before the season to train the deer to be where you want them to be, your chances of taking bucks at those sites will be greatly increased. Even though this tactic isn’t guaranteed, using this strategy, you often can find the biggest buck on the property, determine the number of bucks you’ll to have to hunt and attract those bucks to certain spots in the woods where you want to try and take them.

This is just a sample of what you’ll learn in the new Kindle eBook, “Deer and Fixings.” by John E. Phillips. Go to Amazon.com to order the book and download it to your Kindle, and/or download a Kindle app for your iPad, smart phone or computer to read the book with.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Now’s the Time to Find a Big Deer to Take in the Fall

The Parks and Wildlife Commission will establish license numbers for most big game species for the 2012 hunting season and consider a petition to allow rock climbing at the Rifle Falls Fish Hatchery during its monthly meeting in Grand Junction on May 10.

During the meeting commissioners will also be asked to set or modify property regulations at several state wildlife areas and formalize an annual tradition of granting military veterans free admission to state parks on Veterans Day. The meeting will be held at the Courtyard Marriott, located at 765 Horizon Drive in Grand Junction.

Colorado remains a destination for big-game hunters from across the world and May is the month when the commission sets limited license numbers for deer, elk, black bear, moose and pronghorn for the upcoming hunting seasons. CPW biologists estimate the state’s post-hunt elk population at slightly more than 265,000, which is the largest herd anywhere in North America. With an estimated 418,000 deer and 71,000 pronghorn to boot, Colorado offers hunters a wide array of options for season, species and method of take.

For 2012, wildlife managers recommend a quota of 139,000 limited elk licenses, which represents a drop of about 2 percent from 2011. With elk herds in parts of the state nearing objective, biologists are adjusting license numbers to maintain population levels. Wildlife managers are proposing a quota of 80,000 deer licenses and 24,000 pronghorn licenses, which also represent slight declines. Meanwhile licenses for the state’s growing moose population are recommended to rise by 12 percent, while bear licenses will jump by 25 percent, as managers look to stabilize growing bruin populations in many hunt units.

Commissioners will also receive an informational presentation on a proposal to open a limited hunting season on sandhill cranes in northwestern Colorado and consider changes to property-specific activity regulations at several state wildlife areas.

Also on the agenda is consideration of a citizen petition to allow rock climbing at the Rifle Falls Fish Hatchery. In January, commissioners first discussed a request by the Rifle Climbers Coalition and the Boulder-based Access Fund to open the lower portion of Box Canyon on the Rifle Falls State Fish Hatchery to recreational rock climbing. Commissioners deferred action on the petition to allow time for staff evaluation.

Commissioners are scheduled to vote on a proposal to implement provisions of a law passed in 2011 granting free admittance for military veterans to state parks on one day each year. The change formalizes an annual tradition of the former Parks Board, which voted each year to provide veterans free entry to state parks each November 11 to commemorate Veterans Day.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission is a 14-member board, appointed by the governor, which sets regulations and policies for Colorado’s state parks wildlife programs. To view the complete agenda for the May Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting, please see the commission web page: http://wildlife.state.co.us/ParksWildlifeCommission/Archives/2012/Pages/May10-11_2012.aspx.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission meets monthly and travels to communities around the state to facilitate public participation in its processes. For the remainder of 2012, the commission will travel to Craig, Sterling, Gunnison, Glenwood Springs, Durango, Yuma and Colorado Springs.

Members of the public who are unable to attend Parks and Wildlife Commission meetings or workshops can listen to the proceedings through an Internet link.  The commission provides this opportunity to keep constituents better informed about the development of regulations and how it is working with Parks and Wildlife staff to guide the management of parks, wildlife and outdoor recreation programs.

To access the live audio feed during the meeting, click on the “listen to live audio” link at the bottom of the commission webpage at:http://wildlife.state.co.us/ParksWildlifeCommission/Pages/Commission.aspx.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Colorado PWC to Consider License Numbers, Climbing Petition

Did you know that the rut has happened as early as October in Illinois?  There is one factor that will start the rut a month or month and a half early.  Do you know what it is?  Temperature!

The reason the cold temperature will trigger the rut early is because that is how nature helps put the scent of does in heat all over the woods.

This is how nature helps the bucks find the does.  When a deer smells you 99% of the time, what does he smell?   He smells your perspiration.  He also smells it in a liquid state.  In fact, all animals smell in a liquid form, even a snake runs his tongue out to pick up the moisture from the air to help him determine what is around him. When you are really hot and it is very cold outside, you give off a lot more perspiration.  The same is true with does in heat.  This is why it is called “in heat.”

A doe’s temperature rises to about 112 degrees when she is in heat.  An example of this theory can be seen if you have ever peed outside when it was very cold.  Steam from the warm liquid goes straight up and then down and all around.  A deer has a normal body temperature of 104 degrees.  When she is in heat, the scent steam is coming off of her private parts and everywhere she goes it floats all through the woods sticking to every bush, blade of grass and tree it comes in contact with.

If you have ever owned a female dog that has come in heat, you will notice every male dog around – most of whom you’ve never laid eyes on before is at your house trying to find your female dog.  How did they know where to come?  Scent.  Specifically, the scent of the dog in heat which has been carried throughout the neighborhood and deposited on every bush and blade of grass around.  That is why male dogs go around smelling every bush they come by

This is identical to the steam or perspiration coming off of the doe in heat and being carried down through the woods by prevailing winds and sticking to every bush it comes in contact with.   When a buck smells this scent, especially a 5 or 6 year-old, he smells the liquid form of the scent and knows it is the real thing.  He won’t question scent in a liquid form that is disseminated through the air.  He will come straight to the source – or doe – to mate every time.

This is where The Vapor Maker comes into play.  The Vapor Maker is the only scent dispersal system on the market that you have total control of.  It requires no batteries because it is a pump up bottle that holds 16 oz. of liquid.  It has a special atomizing tip that will take any kind of scent and put it in the air exactly like nature does.  It also has a 3 foot hose with a clip to hook to a limb down wind or out to your side in a tree stand.  Because the bottle is made of a durable plastic you cannot hurt it or break it if you drop it from the tree stand. You can turn the bottle on by turning the ball valve, and with a 3 mph wind it will carry the scent 1/8 of a mile through the woods.  The more wind, the further the scent will go.  As you walk through the woods you can spray the bushes and low hanging tree limbs to lay a scent trail straight to your stand.  Because scent in the air in a liquid form is the natural way deer smell, it needs to be watered down.  A deer can smell 1000 times better than you and I.  If it is strong to you it will overpower the sensitive olfactory system of a deer.  You have to make the smell the same as nature does in order to fool the deer.

Deer are naturally inquisitive and may do anything at any time, but we want them to do it all the time because it is a natural instinct.  So a 1 oz. bottle of a strong scent would need about 8 oz. of water to make it smell natural.  At Vapor Trail Scents, LLC our scents are 100% natural – made from a food source deer and other animals love.   We gather the food source and make the scent ourselves.  We have found that 8 oz. of water to 4 oz. of our scent, My Sheila Doe in Heat, is perfect to fool all the bucks in your neck of the woods.

We also make the only cover scent and attractant – 33 Point Buck – that will eliminate the smell of gasoline.  The 33 Point Buck is so good we have a patent on it. We have tested it against all the top scent killers on the market and the 33 Point Buck consistently beat out the competition in eliminating all types of scents.

We are confident the 33 Point Buck will totally cover up your scent.  Used with the Doe in Heat, these two make an unbeatable pair to optimize your hunting experience.  We recommend 4 oz. of 33 Point to 4 oz. of water.  You can also spray it directly on your clothing using The Vapor Maker.

Our company also makes Dominant Buck and Wapiti Scents.  Read about us and our products at www.vaportrailscents.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkdKvC02Z1A

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - How Animals Really Disperse Scent

Did you know that the rut has happened as early as October in Illinois?  There is one factor that will start the rut a month or month and a half early.  Do you know what it is?  Temperature!

The reason the cold temperature will trigger the rut early is because that is how nature helps put the scent of does in heat all over the woods.

This is how nature helps the bucks find the does.  When a deer smells you 99% of the time, what does he smell?   He smells your perspiration.  He also smells it in a liquid state.  In fact, all animals smell in a liquid form, even a snake runs his tongue out to pick up the moisture from the air to help him determine what is around him. When you are really hot and it is very cold outside, you give off a lot more perspiration.  The same is true with does in heat.  This is why it is called “in heat.”

A doe’s temperature rises to about 112 degrees when she is in heat.  An example of this theory can be seen if you have ever peed outside when it was very cold.  Steam from the warm liquid goes straight up and then down and all around.  A deer has a normal body temperature of 104 degrees.  When she is in heat, the scent steam is coming off of her private parts and everywhere she goes it floats all through the woods sticking to every bush, blade of grass and tree it comes in contact with.

If you have ever owned a female dog that has come in heat, you will notice every male dog around – most of whom you’ve never laid eyes on before is at your house trying to find your female dog.  How did they know where to come?  Scent.  Specifically, the scent of the dog in heat which has been carried throughout the neighborhood and deposited on every bush and blade of grass around.  That is why male dogs go around smelling every bush they come by

This is identical to the steam or perspiration coming off of the doe in heat and being carried down through the woods by prevailing winds and sticking to every bush it comes in contact with.   When a buck smells this scent, especially a 5 or 6 year-old, he smells the liquid form of the scent and knows it is the real thing.  He won’t question scent in a liquid form that is disseminated through the air.  He will come straight to the source – or doe – to mate every time.

This is where The Vapor Maker comes into play.  The Vapor Maker is the only scent dispersal system on the market that you have total control of.  It requires no batteries because it is a pump up bottle that holds 16 oz. of liquid.  It has a special atomizing tip that will take any kind of scent and put it in the air exactly like nature does.  It also has a 3 foot hose with a clip to hook to a limb down wind or out to your side in a tree stand.  Because the bottle is made of a durable plastic you cannot hurt it or break it if you drop it from the tree stand. You can turn the bottle on by turning the ball valve, and with a 3 mph wind it will carry the scent 1/8 of a mile through the woods.  The more wind, the further the scent will go.  As you walk through the woods you can spray the bushes and low hanging tree limbs to lay a scent trail straight to your stand.  Because scent in the air in a liquid form is the natural way deer smell, it needs to be watered down.  A deer can smell 1000 times better than you and I.  If it is strong to you it will overpower the sensitive olfactory system of a deer.  You have to make the smell the same as nature does in order to fool the deer.

Deer are naturally inquisitive and may do anything at any time, but we want them to do it all the time because it is a natural instinct.  So a 1 oz. bottle of a strong scent would need about 8 oz. of water to make it smell natural.  At Vapor Trail Scents, LLC our scents are 100% natural – made from a food source deer and other animals love.   We gather the food source and make the scent ourselves.  We have found that 8 oz. of water to 4 oz. of our scent, My Sheila Doe in Heat, is perfect to fool all the bucks in your neck of the woods.

We also make the only cover scent and attractant – 33 Point Buck – that will eliminate the smell of gasoline.  The 33 Point Buck is so good we have a patent on it. We have tested it against all the top scent killers on the market and the 33 Point Buck consistently beat out the competition in eliminating all types of scents.

We are confident the 33 Point Buck will totally cover up your scent.  Used with the Doe in Heat, these two make an unbeatable pair to optimize your hunting experience.  We recommend 4 oz. of 33 Point to 4 oz. of water.  You can also spray it directly on your clothing using The Vapor Maker.

Our company also makes Dominant Buck and Wapiti Scents.  Read about us and our products at www.vaportrailscents.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkdKvC02Z1A

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - How Animals Really Disperse Scent