Wise Words from Big Buck Killers

  As deer season begins around the country, I was curious as to what separated a guy like me, from those guys on the Outdoor Channel that consistently kill big deer and never seem to get rattled (excuse the pun). Every time I see a deer and make the subconscious decision to shoot, my entire body begins this insane ritual where every possible bit of adrenaline in my system completely dumps all at once and it takes every single fiber of my being to hold it together just long enough to make a shot. Unfortunately, this also affects my judgement as I often perceive things while in the moment as being much longer and rushed than they actually are. This leads to rushed shots, which ends up in three ways for me, by the grace of God I pull it off and make a perfect shot, I make a marginal shot, or I miss completely. 
  I was able to determine that my mindset was the main cause of my downfall, I get too excited, too quickly. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, everyone should get excited to be in the woods and even more so when a critter is within range, but what was it that separated me from the guys that consistently hold themselves together when there's a once in a lifetime buck standing in front of them at 20 yards? What better way to find out than to ask every one of them?! (Or at least the ones that would take the time to talk with me.)

  So, I started off by asking, "What would be the best thing to work on in the summer to prepare you for when that big buck comes out and presents a shot?" it eventually evolved into what do you do to mentally prepare you for that shot, how do you not get nervous?! 

“The secret to buck fever is to not get rid of it. The secret to buck fever is to embrace it, yet, still perform through it. Forming muscle memory with countless hours of practice is the trick. I call it ‘going into auto pilot.’…think of it as practicing something so much that you’re still pretty good at it while you’re drunk. Your mind is all screwed up, but your body is still able to pull it off because you have done it a million times. You can’t fight or get rid of being drunk; all you can do is practice so much that you’re able to do it drunk.

Believe it or not, I sometimes will smile at the deer. A slight chuckle inside then I smile. Sounds crazy, but try it. Deep slow breaths to lower [the] heart rate. Once I realize it’s a shooter, I never look at the rack again. It’s all about ranging him and picking a small spot to aim. Just letting your pin float around the vitals didn’t work for me. I pick a small spot on the deer, like a fluff of hair or dark spot, or a crease, or rib. 

That and make sure to practice in all your gear, like masks and gloves. That stuff can change your anchor point. I’ve had thick gloves and masks screw me up on big deer.. I practiced in my fall shit, but switched to heavier gear in the winter and I missed a couple deer before I realized what the problem was.”

           - Chip Spaulding (aka Chip City)

“As far as equipment… Practice, practice, practice. I try to shoot a few arrows every day, and sometimes in the clothes, gloves, face mask, etc., that I’ll be hunting in to prepare for that moment as close as possible.”

- Jeff Lindsey (The Lindsey Way)

“… focus on the mental side. Focus on how you mentally prepare yourself for these situations. What you do to calm your nerves, focus on the task at hand.”

 - Clint Casper

“Savor every second, even if you don’t get a shot, you work all year for something that’s only going to last 20 seconds, so try to savor every moment you’re in the presence of that buck.”

- Austin Chandler

  After taking in every bit of advice these gentlemen gave me, it confirmed how different they all are. Every one of us shares that absolute drive to get better, to get out there and just get after it; but these guys are able to consistently put big deer down and each one has their own method. 

For me, I'm going to take bits and pieces from each of them and hopefully build a method/ritual that works for me. I'm going to savor every second that buck is there, and smile, I'm going to focus on remaining calm and making smooth methodical movements to settle my pin on that tuft of hair just behind the shoulder, and slowly squeeze off my shot and follow through up until impact. Granted, this sounds good on paper, so let's just see how it all pans out. 

Good luck to everyone that's heading out to the woods this season, please be safe, wear a harness, bring water, and God bless!

-Chris Johnson

Hard Lessons Learned

   I asked y'all what you wanted to read about and one of the topics that really hit home for me was "hunting stories from growing up and lessons you've learned" (Thanks Curt). So I figured I'd tell two hunting stories from when I was younger where I was faced with what was, at the time, the biggest buck I had ever seen.

  First off, I'd like to admit, that as much as I would like to think I've learned from these encounters, this past season where I pulled my shot on what would have been the biggest buck of my life, has shown me that no matter how hard you practice or how much you learn, these deer will always take you to school.
  I was about 11-12 years old and I was hunting the lease we had in Morgan County, GA. I had been fortunate and killed a deer every year I had hunted. So with a little bit of experience under my belt, I began to read all I could in North American Whitetail and other outdoor magazines to try to capitalize on a big buck. The theme of the year, mid-day sits. Every article talked about how deer pattern hunters just about as much as we pattern them. To me, it made sense, we'd wake up really early in the morning, sit until about eleven or so, then go back to camp, hangout by the fire, eat lunch, play wiffleball or whatever until about four when we'd all head back out to the stand and sit until dark. This year however, was going to be different. I was dedicated, I had just gotten a brand new single seater stand form my dad that he and my godfather made by hand, it's still one of the most comfortable stands I have. I asked dad directly after the morning hunt if we could scout and hang my new stand. So we went to a spot where the road cut into a hill and deer tracks seemed to always cover the ground. It was an old clear cut area that had nice trails running all through the tall grass. I found a good tree and set up. It was about noon and I asked Dad, "can we start hunting now?" It was warm that day and we hadn't eaten anything yet, so we went back to camp had a sandwich and went back in the woods. Dad was worried about me hunting completely by myself so he set up his climber on a tree 50 yards away from me. I got all settled in and Dad said he was gonna go back to the ATV to get his coveralls on since it was going to get cold that evening. As he went back to change I began to think of all the possibilities that could potentially come from this new spot. I started to hear some crunching on leaves and breaking sticks, thinking it was my dad, I turned to watch him come in, only to find that it was a GIANT six point walking in on the same trail my dad just walked out on! He walked right next to Dad's climber and I got my rifle and settled on his shoulder.... POW!.... Missed! I reloaded but the deer never left! He just lifted his head and looked around, again... POW!.. Missed again!!! This time the buck starts to walk towards me! I reload again, forty yards and closing, I take a deep breath, then another, I settle on the shoulder, .... let half of my breath out, ... begin to slowly squeeze, ...and *click! I had forgotten to come all the way back on my bolt when I attempted to reload. As an emotional wreck, I rack my bolt back, jack a round in the chamber and just as I go to get settled, the buck spooks and takes off. Out of my life forever. I tried everything to get him to stop, but it was all in vain, he was gone.
   Many lessons were learned that day, I rushed my shot not once, but three times. Dad ended up seeing that buck the following archery season, but due to the lease rules (at least 4 points on one side for adults) he was unable to take him, and the "Monster 6" lived on.

  Fast forward about six years, we had lost that lease, but my friends had gotten me into bowhunting. For me, I wasn't completely sold on bowhunting at first due to having to be in close quarters to deer and I didn't think I had the patience to wait for a deer to close the distance from 100 yards when I could just take him with a rifle. Man, was I mistaken! My first bow kill was a three-legged hog. The rush of her coming in to fifteen yards, the THWACK! of my broadhead smacking her side as bright, red blood gushed out, will be a memory and an experience I won't ever forget, and it ended up becoming the catalyst that turned me into a die hard bowhunter. However, bowhunting has become the harshest teacher of all, and my first lesson was no exception.

   I had become extremely proficient with my old bow. It was handed down to me from my dad who told me that it was his first bow as well, a Bear Whitetail II. I was one of the better shots between me and my friends, and I shot through the local Bass Pro Shop 3D Pop-Up Course and was able to execute consistent kill shots. I had become proficient out to about 40 yards. Many trips to J.W. Corbett, all ending in heartbreak and my days of bowhunting Florida were getting short due to my enlistment into the U.S. Coast Guard. My basic training date was October 6th, and it was coming up fast. As a "thank you", our very good family friend, Clair, had given me his tag for killing a buck on the ranch I had been running around on as a kid. We were only ever allowed to kill hogs and on rare occasions, does, but never a buck; that was special. The first morning, Clair takes me to a stand on a corner where two fence lines meet, bordering a thick swamp that was closed to hunting. Not even ten minutes after he drops me off, a deer begins to feed on some acorns beneath my stand. I can tell its a deer, but it's too dark to tell if its a buck or not. As daylight comes in, it's revealed that the deer under my stand is a nice basket rack seven point, not what I'm looking for. I had seen the caliber of bucks on this property and this buck had a ton of potential, but he wasn't a 'shooter'. As the morning went on, I saw a bunch of little bucks run does all around out in the pasture, and even had a few small bucks come directly under my stand, but none of them were what I was looking for. The day went on, activity had slowed down, I had thought my morning sit was coming to an end, but then, an absolute giant buck steps out and begins to work his way towards me. I had seen my dad's buck from this ranch and this buck dwarfed his! I looked at him and thought "he's at least 50 yds out, I can't take that shot." I grunted at him, he lifted his head, looked my way, then continued on his way. I bleated at him, he looked my way, then continued on his way. He stopped in front of me broadside, but in my mind, he was too far out, so I passed on the shot. As I was sick to my stomach, trying to figure out if it was worth trying to put a stalk on this buck of a lifetime, I remembered, I HAVE A RANGEFINDER IN MY BAG!!! I had forgotten all about it, I pulled it out and ranged the little scrub bush this buck had stood in front of when he was broadside to me... 38 yards. Sick, is an understatement here I had this buck of a lifetime in my effective range and because I didn't utilize my gear, I let him walk. When Clair and my dad rolled up in the Jeep to get me, they said I cleared the stand in two steps and they knew I had seen a good one. I told them all about what happened. Dad had assured me that I had done the correct thing. I didn't take a shot that I was unsure of, but for giggles, we set up the Block target at 38 yards back at camp, I hit dead center of dead center.


  Every trip to the woods is a learning experience. Whether you're scouting, hunting, or even just following a random trail; you can always learn something from the woods. Maybe that's one of the things that brings us back, the thrill of gaining constant knowledge that will hopefully, one day, get us closer to that buck of a lifetime.

-Chris Johnson

What gets you outdoors?

   What gets you outdoors? Lately, I've decided if I want to begin to make more of an effort to not only be more consistent with my writing, but to conduct a major overall of my little "brand" in order to reflect not only what my true goal is, but to also be more methodical and professional in my approach. In the past I've been all over the place, trying to figure out what niche I had to use, what my target audience is, and overall how I can accomplish my goal of becoming a major name in the industry. In this recent "re-branding" effort, I've discovered my soul purpose for wanting to be a part of the industry, and it took a logo questionnaire to find it. I want to portray hunting in a positive light, I want to be the example for new hunters and help show anyone who's interested what it is that draws us to the outdoors. I want to have my audience feel the emotions along with me. I want y'all to laugh with me, cry with me, and basically have a front row seat on the emotional roller coaster these animals put me through. In finding this new goal, and with some help from my lovely wife, I've found myself asking what is it that draws me back, what got me into this in the first place, what is it that gets others into wanting to try their hand in the woods? In asking these questions, I've decided that this would be my topic tonight.

   Most people that begin hunting do so as a child, watching their dad go out and come back with magnificent critters that turn into delicious food. They become enthralled in the hunt camp, getting to ride around and look at deer, turkeys, or any other critters that they happen across. These little moments spark something in their soul that draws them back. I believe it's essential to take a child out hunting or fishing and to teach them not only a value for life, but the value of all of God's creation. My focus however, is on the adult that never had those opportunities growing up. It's hard for me to imagine not growing up chasing armadillos, or being told to go slap that cow on the butt; but that's the reality of most adults nowadays. No one ever took them outdoors, so they truly have no idea what they're missing. So how can we get these people outdoors? The easy answer is to take them ourselves, but taking them out late season in freezing temperatures or bringing them to a hunt camp where deer are hanging upside down with blood everywhere and a good ol' boy shoulder deep in a chest cavity probably isn't the best way to introduce someone to our beloved culture. Obviously everyone is different, and what may work for some won't necessarily work for others, but the way I introduced my wife into the outdoors was to ease her into it.

I realize hunting is not for everybody. Some people just don't like to think about the idea that they will be killing an animal. However, if a person is willing to try, then you could be the reason they come back, or decide hunting isn't for them. My wife was terrified of guns. On our second date, she came over to the house and I unloaded and took out every single gun I had. I showed her that the gun
itself is not to be afraid of, its the motives of the individual holding the gun you have to worry about. You could tell she understood, but all of her senses were screaming "Run!" After easing her into getting over that hurdle, I began watching hunting shows with her, primarily focussing on the season ahead, turkey season. I figured turkey isn't as strange as a deer might be due to it being more readily available in the grocery store. I taught her about the birds themselves, about how gobblers would strut and have spurs and beards. How there are certain seasons and bag limits for every animal, and regulations in place to help protect those animals. Then I began to transition into shot placement, explaining that with every shot you take, you want to be as ethical and efficient as possible so the animal won't suffer and dies humanely. Finally, the time came. I took her up to a friend's property where I would try to kill my first gobbler with a bow, and hopefully get her a chance at a bird as well. The first morning was spectacular, I had the decoys set out, and gobblers hammering off from all around us. I thought for sure it would be a quick hunt, then, silence. We weren't hearing any birds, so we began watching and laughing at the little red squirrel that was running across the roof of the ground blind. I let out a yelp sequence only to get an immediate response from a big gobbler right next to the blind. He had come in silent and began to strut the second he saw the decoys. She could see him all lit up in the sunlight, she heard him spit and drum as he made his way through the trees towards the decoys. As he entered my shooting lane I drew back, and made my shot. To my pleasant surprise, he dropped immediately, no flapping, no running off, just immediately fell over, dead. I couldn't have asked for a better kill. We ran out and got to my bird and she got to see the adrenaline dump and feel the emotions I felt as we all celebrated my first bow bird.

  I asked my wife, what made you want to start hunting, what was it that made you decide "this is for me" and she said, "I saw how passionate you were about it, I got to feel the excitement of it all and just fell in love with everything". That answer alone was a good enough indicator that I was successful in introducing a new hunter to the outdoors.

   It's easy for us to take for granted all the experiences we had growing up, but if you can, take a friend out to the woods, take a relative, a co-worker, or even a complete stranger; get them interested, and try to have them jump on that emotional roller coaster with you. At the end of the day, what's the worst that can happen? They decide it isn't for them and you're right where you started, but for them, they'll have a memory that will last them a lifetime about "the one time I went hunting" and hopefully have a greater understanding and appreciation for what we do.

-Chris Johnson

Scouting Tactics, Ozone, and Scent Control

   Hey y'all, welcome back to Johnson Outdoors! Today I'm going to touch on some of my scouting tactics and how ozone works and how its a vital tool in scent control; shoutout to Mr. Tyler Webster for the recommendation on what to write about!

   So first and foremost let's talk ozone. There are multiple companies out today that are selling ozone producing products, Scent Crusher and Ozonics are by far the leading innovators in the industry but lately I've seen HME and ScentLok coming out with their own ozone units. Since, I'm a Field Staff member for Scent Crusher, I'm going to talk about their products.

  How does ozone work? Well, let's go back to chemistry class, ozone is comprised of three
oxygen atoms (O3), and since its an unstable compound, it's going to try to find a way to become stable. So the O3 molecule uses odor causing bacteria as a catalyst to help it get rid of one of its oxygen atoms which then turns into pure oxygen (O2). To put this simply, it turns odor into pure, scentless oxygen. Now, ozone does have a smell, chances are you've smelled it before too! Remember that fresh yet weird smell after a heavy thunder storm? That's ozone! So since it's a naturally occurring compound, the deer don't spook. I have used Scent Crusher for the past three years and ever since then, I have never been winded by a deer. I've had a big mature nanny directly downwind and if it weren't for her seeing me move, I would've smoked her!
  I currently use two of Scent Crusher's products and that is the OzoneGo and the Ozone Gear Bag, but Scent Crusher has products to keep you scent free from the moment you wake up in the morning until you go to bed. Here's a quick rundown, you wake up in the morning and jump in the shower, Scent Crusher has body wash, shampoo, and deodorant that uses copper as the active ingredient to destroy odor, then you go into the kitchen, and Jimbo has a fresh pot of coffee and bacon cooking, enter the Room Clean, it's an ozone generator that treats the room you're in to kill any smell around, then you go into your hunting room and take your treated clothes out of your Ozone Hunter's Closet and put them into your Ozone Gear Bag, jump into the truck, plug in the Ozone Go to kill the smell of wet dog from last weekend in your truck. While you drive to the woods, you can run a cycle in your gear bag, then you get to the stand, your clothes are freshly treated and your up in the stand, the wind shifted, you can pull out the new in the field unit, called the Field Pro and get it running in the stand.
   Point being, there are products for every situation, and every one of them is effective, with Scent Crusher, the quality is there for a very affordable price, on top of that their customer service is second to none! If you'd like to see the full line, visit www.scentcrusher.com.

   On to scouting tactics, everyone has their own method and there are a vast majority of people that have way more experience and way more success than I do. My knowledge is based off hunting Florida ranch land and swamps and Georgia farmland and planted pines. I'm currently hunting in Illinois on public land so its a very large learning curve. That being said, I start scouting the week following the close of season, the deer are relaxed and you can see where they move along trails and which late season food sources are still around and being utilized. In my opinion, food is key, find a food source, and set up a trail camera on it. Deer are lazy, so they will take the path of least resistance, so if you have a cattle trail that runs through the thickest, nastiest scrub on your property, I highly recommend trying to set up along that
trail. Sometimes there are so many trails, you can tell where they go or what to do. This is when I put miles on my boots and follow the trail and see where they go, doing this, I've found bedding areas and small hidden food sources that have been getting slammed. Everyone's property is different though, so the best way is to just get out there and see where the deer are moving. Start with transition areas, set up on the edge of thick brush and open hardwoods, check out a field edge, or hang a stand over a firebreak. If you put your time in it will be rewarded.

  That brings me into my final segment, scent control. So we talked earlier about how ozone eliminates human odors and makes your clothing and gear scent free, but what about those long day sits in the hot early season sun? This is where scent control comes into play, you want to try to set up downwind of the predominant area you believe the deer will be coming from. This is something I just started doing more myself, I would always hunt harder, not smarter, and my season suffered. Lately, I've been taking into account the area topography and where the deer usually travel from. You don't want to set your stand on the north side of a food source, if the deer bed on the north side and you have a predominantly south wind. Sure, your wind is best for the food plot, but you just let every deer in that bedding area know you're there. It's a struggle, but from what I've learned, you want to set up on a "sort of ok" wind. Meaning, if the wind is predominantly south, and the deer bed on the north side of your food source, try to set up on the west side. It narrows your chance of getting busted, and keep the deer in the bedding area unaware, and uneducated.

I hope this post helps, again, big shoutout to Tyler for picking this topic for me, it was a tough one, but I hope I was able to shed some light. Thank y'all so much for the support, good luck this season, and God bless!

-Chris 

Who Wants A Job in the Outdoor Industry?

  Hey Everyone! As always, I'm way behind on my posts and I promise I'll try to be more consistent. If you've read my blog before, then first and foremost, WELCOME BACK! If you're a first time reader, then I implore you to check out my earlier posts as this one is going to be a little out of the ordinary. 

  Something I've learned, and begun to notice more and more often, is the mentality that people in the hunting industry have. Most of the people that are highly successful are extremely genuine and will tell you first hand that if everything, (the cameras, the sponsors, the fame) were to go away; they would still be doing what they're doing because they love it. They have a true passion for what they do and can not imagine their life without being in the woods and being an advocate to get more people to start hunting and enjoying God's creation. 

  Now, notice I didn't say money, or land. Why? Because these people aren't making a fortune hunting, and you can say "they get paid to hunt", but let's take a much closer look. Most states have a one to two buck limit, yet on these shows, they kill two, three, sometimes even five bucks in a single stretch. Ten episodes and they have a kill on just about every one of them. How? They travel to other states! Sure, that's the simplest answer, but let's look further. They only have one state that's their home, so that's only one resident state, meaning they have to purchase non-resident hunting licenses for the year along with non-resident tags, not to mention the fuel to drive to these states, the food and drinks for not only their hunt, but the road trips and every additional cost along the way. Some of these people have families, so they not only have multiple mouths to feed, but also have to buy their family members' licenses and tags, and if there are children, they have to find some time for school, unless their homeschooled and even then, that's more time and money spent, on top of trying to pay the bills for their own home, land, and even all the different hunting leases they might pay for. Not to mention, travel to all the different trade shows and hunting expos to promote themselves and their product... you can see where I'm going with this. It costs millions of dollars just for travel and expenses to be able to travel and hunt, but let's add in the TV show aspect. 

  On average, it costs close to $4,000 to edit a single episode, then they have to pay the network close to $120,000 an episode just so they can air it, and that's even if the initial pilot episode get accepted! Sponsors are there, so they can help afford all this, which is why most hunting shows sometime feel like an extended infomercial. However, sponsor money can only take you so far; these people have outside jobs, their farmers, UPS drivers, steel workers, pipe fitters, engineers, welders, the list goes on. Trust me, there's no one getting rich quick. 

  Why am I writing about all this? Because I've been fortunate enough to talk or listen to people who have "made it". I never thought that these people live their lives with this much on their plate on a daily basis, just for our entertainment. I was ignorant to much of what goes on, and I still am. However, I want others to learn how much actually goes into being a part of this industry, even on this minor scale.

  Now, there are multitudes of other jobs available in the industry, but you're not going to be rich and famous, and most likely, you may end up hunting less than you do right now so before you decide to pursue a "hunting career" just keep this in mind. With all this TV show nonsense, there's needs for cameramen, editors, graphic designers, administrative assistants, marketers, advertisers, game wardens, conservationists, biologists, land management specialists, you see where I'm going with this? Just because you see a face on the big screen doesn't mean that's the only job, with every personality there's a team of people working day in and day out to make sure they all still have a job come next season. In some aspects it's extremely trying on their family life, they're always away from home meaning their spouse is left to take care of the house, the bills, the kids, the land, etc. 

  So why? Why do these people do it? What could be so great about putting your family through all that stress? And I wish I could give you an answer for that. From what I've seen, these families are closer than ever. They have a deep set of values and cherish each and every moment they get to spend together. Their spouse understands why they do what they do; they understand what it takes and what the ultimate goal is. These people love the outdoors. They love God's creations and want to make sure that hundreds of thousands of others get to cherish and enjoy His works. 

  So, before you decide to try to pursue a career in this field, please realize, it is one of the most difficult career fields in the world. No one has a set formula on how to get to where they are because everyone has had a different path that led them there. But, no matter who you ask in this industry, if you ask them "is it worth it?" You won't hear a single person say "no". 

Thank you all for reading, please let me know what you think in any comments below, good luck this year and God bless!

-Chris Johnson

One Common Goal

  Hey everyone! Welcome back to another installment of the Johnson.Outdoors Blog. Today I'm going to write about something that I've noticed growing throughout the hunting community and that's hunters bashing and putting down other hunters for their choice in how they choose to hunt.
  Let me begin by saying that I am in no way an "expert" on any of what I'm about to say, so there could very well be some inaccuracies in what I write. That being said, this is just my opinion so you can take it for what it's worth.

  First let's talk about weapon choice. Many bowhunters it seems bash people for using a rifle or crossbow, so I'm getting this out of the way right now. I began hunting with a rifle, I loved being able to reach out to 200+ yards and smacking a doe and watching her drop where she lay, and I still do, however, I also bow hunt, the reason? Because it's what I love to do! I love getting in close to an animal and getting to watch him get right on top of you before you can even draw, it's not as simple as point and shoot, its more intimate. So I know all too well the allure of bowhunting, but as long as it's legal, I won't bash those that use rifles, because I know there's nothing like getting sighted in on a buck that you've been after all year and having it all come down to that slow squeeze of a trigger. Rifle hunters tend to contribute more than bowhunters in regards to economic advantages. How? Their lethal projectile can't be cleaned off and re-used again and again, whereas our arrows can. They also usually have to wait longer to enter the woods, whereas bowhunters get to be the first in the woods for the season. As for crossbow hunters, I believe crossbows have their place as well; though I don't own one, I know many hunters that do and they use them for a variety of reasons. Most have shoulder issues or are simply too weak to pull back the necessary poundage to hunt in their respective state, so they use a crossbow. Crossbows are great for helping to introduce someone new to the sport as well, because after about an hour of shooting, they can be dead-on and ready to hunt. Why would you fault someone for becoming proficient with a new weapon that will allow them to effectively harvest their game? If it's legal and used ethically, then why should anyone care what weapon someone chooses to take to the woods? Practice, shoot often, become proficient, then go enjoy God's creation.

  Now let's talk about game choice. I was never one for "trophy hunting", my concern was always to fill the freezer, however now that I understand more about effective management strategies, I like to be more selective on what I choose to take. It seems the largest target of controversy are those that choose to travel across the pond to hunt African game. Just today, I saw a post bastardizing a family that successfully harvested an elephant and a post attacking Kendall Jones for her lion kill and praising the suicide of international hunter Melania Capitan, worse was one of those posts was shared by a hunter here in the states! How can you support the legal harvest of one animal and not another? Let me make this perfectly clear, plain and simple, all animals need to be managed. Some have been managed well enough by Mother Nature, and others call for the intervention of man. African game hunters contribute more than we could ever know to the local populations and their economies. The game keepers hand select which animal is to be harvested, whether it's because that animal is sick, can no longer breed, is damaging to the local populations farms and livestock, or even threatening the lives of those that live in the area, it is chosen to be the animal to be hunted. Now, the hunters pay thousands and thousands of dollars to hunt this one particular animal, and all of that money goes back into the preservation of that species and helps pay the game wardens in the area, along with supplying a source of income for the villages that have claimed the land. Even more so, once that animal is harvested, the majority of the meat is donated to the village to feed its inhabitants. So that one single elephant or lion that you get upset about being killed, not only died to help prevent the spread of disease throughout the herd or the  destruction of an entire village's livelihood, but also fed that village and provided income for the entire area, I don't know about you, but I feel like that's pretty cool to me.

  Speaking of game choice, I also often hear or see hunters bashing others in the forums and elsewhere about what someone chose to kill. I've shot button bucks, I've shot does, I've shot a few mature bucks, and I've shot some that could've probably waited another year, point is, I made the decision to pull the trigger, meaning that I chose to harvest that animal. I didn't ask someone on what I "should" shoot, I made the decision to put meat in the freezer and to put my tag on that animal, meaning that I am proud that I took that animal, so who is anyone to judge me? That being said, I personally am not one to pass up a bunch of does just to shoot a spike or a fork horn for meat (unless that was the only legal option); but I won't fault someone for killing what made them happy, maybe their management plan called for thinning of younger bucks to keep a balanced age structure. I talked to an old man once that told me he refused to shoot does and would shoot young bucks all day, when I asked him why, his reasoning seems fairly solid, he said, "Why would I take a potential estrous doe out of my area when a monster buck could possibly be following her? Does are good to have around when they don't have the younger bucks running them ragged. On top of that, if I shoot a doe, and she was pregnant, now I've killed more of what could've been my future population." Like I said, the man had a point, I didn't necessarily have to agree with it, because it was his management strategy, but it definitely made me think.

  At the end of the day, we are all on the same team. We all love to hunt in different ways, with different methods, as long as its legal and ethical, why shouldn't we support one another? It's as Fred Bear said, "If you aren't actively working to protect [all types of] hunting, then you're working to destroy it." Shoot what makes you happy, don't worry about another's trophy, who cares what it scored. Be happy for them and rejoice in continuing our tradition and the fellowship that comes with it.

-Chris Johnson

Determining a Deer's Age

  Seems like every hunting related Facebook group, or even conversations amongst buddies always seems to drift towards heated discussions over the age of a certain buck. If I had a dollar for every time I had seen someone post a picture of a buck they have on camera with the caption "Age and Score?", hell, I'd be in New Mexico this September chasing elk! Many friends have also asked my thoughts on the age of a buck and I'm by no means an expert, but I'd like to think I have a solid grasp on the concept (at least enough to regurgitate what I've learned).

  First of all, if you're going to begin trying to age deer on-the-hoof, you'll want to know what not to do. Everyone always seems to think that the size of a buck's rack dictates his age, and that couldn't be further from the truth, so get a stack of Post-It Notes and put them over the antlers, we're aging deer, not measuring his rack. That being said, estimating the age of a buck isn't an exact science, nor is it 100% accurate every time, just like anything else, it's a skill, acquired overtime through tons of practice and experience gained by following through. More on that later.

You'll want your buck to be standing broadside to the camera, with his head up. 
You'll want him to be standing still, with his entire body visible 
and the camera parallel to the ground.

  Trail cameras have become an invaluable tool for deer management and scouting, and though its exciting to get that big buck on camera and try to age him, you want to make sure you're able to get an ideal photo before estimating age. What's an ideal photo look like? I'm glad you asked!! You'll want your buck to be standing broadside to the camera, with his head up. You'll want him to be standing still, with his entire body visible and the camera parallel to the ground. You'll also want to start estimating during pre-rut or near the peak of the rut, because that is when he will be the healthiest and all of his testosterone levels will be soaring. I know, cameras parallel to the ground goes against everything in the magazines about getting good trail cam pictures and not alerting the deer, but if you plan on aging deer then bite the bullet and set it at waist level, trust me, Mr. Big won't mind all that much (as long as you have self-control and stay out of the area as much as possible).

  Overtime, see if you can get multiple photos of the same buck, organize them in folders on your computer, and see if every photo coincides with what you estimate his age to be, if so, then you may be on to something.

  Finally, follow through! You can guess age all day, but it won't do you any good or help you get any better if you don't follow through by pulling the jaw and estimating an age that way or by pulling an incisor and sending it off to a lab to get analyzed. It's like taking a test in high school, doesn't do you any good if you don't know what you got right and what you got wrong. We follow through when we throw a punch, we follow through when we shoot our bow, so why not follow through on checking the accuracy of our aging abilities?

  Now, that we got that out of the way, the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) has a wealth of knowledge from all sorts of deer biologists with years and years of experience, so why not utilize it?! Hell, most of what I'm going to touch on you can read for yourself right here.

  So let's ask ourselves, what kind of deer do we want to shoot? Are you wanting to just fill the freezer? Kill a mature stud? Kill a young 'n' tender - I mean yearling? Ultimately, a trophy is in the eye of the hunter. I've shot a button buck and felt just as excited as when I shot a six and a half year old stud, so for me to tell you what to kill is asinine. Kill what makes you happy!

  Most hunters and biologists will agree that a buck is considered mature when he reaches four and a half years of age, however many will argue that the rack will be substantially larger when he hits five and a half, to each his own. A four and a half year old buck will have a fully developed chest, neck, and stomach making his legs appear short, his stomach and back will be sagging and his neck will be swelled up like you wouldn't believe! His waistline will be even with his chest and during the rut, his tarsal glands will have really heavy dark staining. Let's face it, we can easily tell when a buck is mature compared to a young buck, just like with people. An 18 year old kid, for the most part, is going to be lean and lanky compared to a young adult in his early 30s that's hit the gym everyday since he graduated, and that 32 year old man, is going to look way different than an 87 year old man that served in Vietnam. Deer aren't much different, observe their behavior while on stand, you can tell a young buck from an older buck by how they act around does. A young buck is gonna be chasing everything that moves, just like that 18 year old, whereas that mature buck is gonna let the ladies come to him just like that Vietnam vet and 32 year old gym rat. Now obviously, personalities differ from deer to deer, you may have an old mature buck that's chasing every doe in sight like an old man in a nursing home that just discovered Viagra, point is, nothing in this world is definite.

  Now, I can keep writing and go on and on, but I think visuals will work best for learning. 

I always post this photo when people begin to ask about deer age as a quick aid to help out. I realize it's difficult to read so I'm going to type out the key points below.

1.5 Year Old                                             2.5 Year Old

- Looks like a doe with antlers                 - Slightly thicker body than a yearling's

- Thin neck and body proportions            - Legs still look long compared to the body

3.5 Year Old                                            4.5 Year Old

- Looks like a toned athlete                      - Thick body and neck, stomach sags slightly

- Thicker neck and chest                          - Everything is in proportion - Solid antler growth

5.5 Year Old (and older)

- Everything is thick especially the neck

- Skin and belly start to sag

Even though, this is a great guide provided by Sigma Outdoors and Missouri DNR, there is no substitute for experience and practice. 

  Location, location, location! Again, this isn't an exact science, one size fits all method. Every deer is different and each area/region has it's differences. Let's face it, you can't even begin to compare a South Florida four and a half year old to a Saskatchewan four year old, you'd just end up confused and frustrated, which is why following through is so important! Gather your own data about the deer in your area, and use this all as a reference. 

  Below is another poster that was provided by the QDMA. If you'd like to purchase a large, laminated copy to display at your hunting camp, post up in your box blind or to reference out in the field, you can do so here. 

For now, here you are:

I can't begin to tell y'all how grateful I am to have your support, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy day to read this little blog. If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to let me know! If you would like to see more of what I'm up to, or just follow along with my endeavors, I'd love to have you! Check out my Instagram page @Johnson.Outdoors or my YouTube Channel here, to see my latest hunts and videos, until next time, good luck out in the field, and God bless!

-Chris Johnson