FRANKFORT, Ky.

“The 119,656 deer taken was the highest total since the 2008-2009 season,” said Tina Brunjes, deer program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “Good hunting weather may have been a contributing factor to the excellent harvest during the last two months of the season.”

Hunters bagged a record harvest of 12,989 in December, which surpassed the previous record by 4,261 set in December 2004. “Muzzleloader hunters were responsible for that big jump, checking in 10,536 deer during their nine-day late season that ran Dec. 10-18,” said Brunjes.

January’s harvest was excellent, too with hunters telechecking 2,628 deer – just 73 short of last year’s record harvest for the month.

Overall, hunters reported taking 55 percent male deer and 45 percent female deer. Modern firearms hunters bagged 83,357 deer, muzzleloader hunters 15,161 deer and archers 18,169 deer.

“For the last 10 years our harvest has gone up and down a bit, but overall the trend is stable,” said Brunjes. “That’s a good sign.”

This past season, Kentucky had 90,247 successful deer hunters, but 77 percent (69,776 hunters) took just one deer. “Seventeen percent of our successful deer hunters (15,118 hunters) took two deer, and six percent of our successful deer hunters (5,353 hunters) took three or more deer,” said Brunjes.

By zone, hunters harvested 52,664 deer in the 35 Zone 1 counties; 30,160 deer in the 27 Zone 2 counties; 25,324 deer in the 33 Zone 3 counties and 11,505 in the 25 Zone 4 counties.

The bulk of Kentucky counties are in deer management Zones 2 and 3. Brunjes said there’s still work to be done in the Zone 1 counties, where deer densities are too high, and in the Zone 4 counties, where deer densities are below target levels.

Archers and muzzleloader hunters took 61 percent antlerless deer. Modern gun hunters bagged the lowest percent of antlerless deer – 38 percent.

Crossbow hunters posted the highest percent of antlerless deer in the harvest, 63 percent. They also established a new harvest record in the process. Crossbow hunters bagged 1,969 deer, which represents about 1.6 percent of the overall harvest.

For the third consecutive season, archers posted a harvest record by taking 18,169 deer, about 15 percent of the total harvest.

“Overall, the hunters we have are being more successful,” said Brunjes. “We hope that all this success will help them in mentoring new hunters.”

LEARN FROM THE PAST
The first step in finding next season’s buck is simple and doesn’t even require leaving the comfort of your home. All you need is a pen, paper, maps of your hunting areas, and a little quiet time to reflect on the previous deer season. I know it may sound a bit goofy, but with all the happenings of the recent deer season still fresh on your mind, this is the perfect time to sit down and think about the deer activity that you witnessed, and to consider what went right and what went wrong. Think about the answers to some of the following questions, and write them down or make notes on your map for future reference:

1. Did I see the number and quality of deer that I was hoping for this past season? If not, is there something that I could have or should have done differently?
2. Did I pinpoint the key bedding and feeding areas, and did the deer move between the two as expected? If not, what was different about the deer movement?
3. How did deer sightings and movement change as the season progressed? Did I take the necessary actions needed to stay on the deer?
4. Were my stand setups effective? Is there anything that would have made them better?
5. Did I overlook any areas that may be worth checking out for next season?
6. Did I see any bucks that will be potential shooters in the upcoming season and what do I know about their habits and movement?

A great way to strategize for next season is to sit down with a good map and aerial
photo of your hunting area and to make detailed notes on them about deer activity
that you have observed, deer sign that you have located, and any potential feeding
and bedding areas that you know about.

These are just a handful of questions you can mull over, but what it all boils down to is – how did this past season work for you and what can you do in the coming season to improve your odds for success? Part of that improvement can come from spending a little time in the field post-season to get a better idea of what the deer are doing in your area, and what caliber of bucks you have to look forward to in the fall. Let’s look at a few ways to get this done and still leave you plenty of time to wet a line or chase some longbeards this spring.

INVADE THEIR SPACE
A wise deer hunter knows that a trip into a mature buck’s “sanctuary” during the season is a good way to push a buck into full nocturnal mode and kill any chances you have of putting a tag on him. That is why the winter months following deer season are the absolute best time of the year to get out there and stomp around your hunting ground, checking out all of those spots that you avoided during the season. If you bump some deer this time of year, it’s not likely to cause any long term issues, as the deer will have all spring and summer to forget about your visit. The best part about post-season scouting is that deer sign usually sticks out really well this time of year – trails are easy to spot and follow, and those rub lines and scrapes are a lot more visible with all the leaves off the trees.

Deer trails, such as this one, really stand out in the post-season,
especially if you can get out when there is snow on the ground.

Since you already have a good idea of what the deer activity was like in the areas where you hunted, you should use this time to check out the areas that you didn’t get around to hunting, or may have overlooked during the season. Just take your time and cover the area thoroughly, looking for and making note of any signs of deer activity – specifically those that can be attributed to a big buck. Be sure to mark down what you find either on your map, or on a GPS for future reference.

When scouting after deer season, be on the lookout for signs of buck activity -
especially sign that points to a mature buck, such as large rubs and scrapes.

SMILE FOR THE CAMERA
Another great way to scout in the off season is with the use of trail cameras. While a lot of guys are pulling their trail cams this time of year and putting them away until late summer, I like to leave mine out for a month or two after deer season, just to see what made it through. Not only will this give you a good idea of what kind of bucks should be around come fall, but it can also clue you in to when they drop their antlers, so you can get out and enjoy some shed hunting – which we will discuss in more detail in the next section.

There is no better way to see what kind of big buck potential your area holds
for next season than to actively run your trail cameras post season. If the buck
survived the hunting seasons, then there is a good chance that he will be around next fall.

One of the easiest ways to maximize the effectiveness of your trail camera in the post season and to insure that you see a good representation of what is in your hunting area, is to use some type of food attractant to lure the deer into camera range. What that attractant is has a lot to do with what your state laws say regarding “baiting.” If allowed, it’s hard to beat shelled corn – it’s cheap, readily available, and the deer love it. If baiting or feeding is not allowed where you hunt, then you will have to focus on trails running in and out of available food sources. Focus on natural funnel areas such as corners or pinch points that will increase the odds of the deer having to pass within sensor range of your camera.

Unless you are hunting a really small property, or you have the money to invest in lots of trail cameras, then you are going to need to move your cameras around to really get a good idea of which bucks are roaming on your hunting property. From my experience, two weeks seems to be enough time to get a pretty good representation of what deer are in the area, without your camera spending too much time in one location. You can always bring the camera back to the same spot at a later time, but the idea is to cover as much of your hunting area as possible.

SHEDDING SOME LIGHT
Nothing can fire up a deer hunter about the upcoming season more than finding a set of monster sheds on one’s hunting property. Not only is this proof positive that the big boy made it through the season, but you now have a cool souvenir to remind you of that fact during the off season! Not to mention, shed hunting is just a great opportunity to break the “cabin fever,” get outdoors and get a little exercise. You can even get some of your hunting buddies together and make a friendly competition of it.

Since you are most likely to find sheds in the areas where deer are spending the greatest amount of time, I tend to start my search at prominent food sources. If there are food plots or cut grain fields on your hunting property, then that is a great starting point, and the open terrain lets you cover a good deal of ground in a short time. Be sure to take along a pair of binoculars to scan those open areas and investigate anything that looks similar to a deer’s antler.

From the food sources, search along the trails that lead back to the bucks’ bedding areas, paying particular attention to fence crossings and other structures that the deer may have to jump or slip under, as these are perfect places for an already loose antler to give way. Be sure to move slowly and scan your surroundings with each step you take, as even the largest shed can blend in amazingly well with the surrounding leaves and branches.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER 
The final step in finding next season’s buck brings you right back to where you began – in the comforts of your own home. It’s now time to take all that you’ve learned from last season, along with all the new found knowledge from your post-season scouting trips, trail camera pictures and shed hunting excursions, and to begin to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Laying all this information out on a map of your hunting area should begin to reveal some travel patterns, overlooked feeding or bedding areas, or better yet – that monster buck that you never knew existed.

This information, combined with some smart preseason scouting, could put you in the perfect position to fill that buck tag come opening day.

Photo courtesy of KDFWR

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The first of two seasons created especially for hunters who want to take deer with muzzleloading firearms is coming up.

Kentucky’s early muzzleloader deer season, which debuted in 1990, will be held this year on the weekend of Oct. 15-16.

In the past decade, the muzzleloader deer harvest has averaged 16,272 deer a year. A high of 19,918 was taken during the 2004-05 season, and a low of 13,179 bagged last season.

“Because it’s in mid-October, our early muzzleloader season often gets impacted by hot weather,” said Tina Brunjes, deer and elk program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

The amount of mast (acorns) available to deer is also a factor in how many deer are taken.

“A bad mast year pushes deer out into the open, to forage fields and food plots, and that tends to increase the harvest,” said Brunjes.

Wildlife biologists checking trees on 45 routes across the state as part of the department’s annual mast survey found that 30 percent of the white oaks and 76 percent of the red oaks produced acorns this year.

The department’s mast survey has been conducted annually for over 50 years. “In 2007, we adopted a standardized protocol of checking marked trees, so we could share data with other states in the region,” said Robinson.

“Based on what we observed, this year’s mast crop is rated poor for white oaks (20 to 39 percent of trees produced mast), and good for red oaks (60 to 79 percent of trees produced mast),” said Ben Robinson, small game biologist for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife.

Oaks, especially white oaks, are the most important tree species to wildlife in Kentucky forests. They produce acorns that are a critical food source for squirrels, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, black bear and other forest species.

Wildlife prefer white oak acorns because they are more palatable. The acorns produced by red oaks are much higher in tannin, which makes them bitter.

White oaks can produce acorns every year but entire crops are often lost due to late freezes, summer droughts or untimely rains when oak flowers are pollinating. Red oaks are more reliable year to year because it takes two years for red oak acorns to mature and not all trees produce mature acorns in the same year.

White oak stands make excellent places to set up a ground blind or tree stand.

“Find a white oak that has acorns, and you’ve got a good place to hunt,” said Brunjes. “Deer will travel a considerable distance to feed on white oak acorns.”

She has another suggestion for hunters. “If you’re trying to reduce deer numbers or improve the buck-to-doe ratio in your herd, go ahead and take a doe during the early season. It’s not going to mess up your hunting for bucks during the rut,” said Brunjes. “You need to think of the big picture when managing deer on your hunting property.”

Muzzleloaders have always been part of Kentucky’s hunting history and culture. During Kentucky’s muzzleloader deer seasons, hunters may use traditional muzzleloaders, such as flintlock longrifles and percussion half stock rifles, or modern in-line muzzleloaders of any caliber. Legal equipment also includes optical sights, round balls, conical bullets and saboted bullets.

Kentucky’s late muzzleloader deer season is actually the older of the two seasons. It was first held in November of 1985 as a two-day hunt in 52 counties. Hunters could take only antlered deer. At that time not all 120 counties were open to deer hunting, and the state was divided into seven deer management zones.

Through the years the late season was lengthened and the bag limit liberalized. The season was eventually moved to mid-December.

By 2004, the late season had expanded from seven to nine days and opened statewide. By then, hunters could take deer of either sex in all four of the state’s deer management zones.

This year’s late muzzleloader dates are Dec. 10-18, 2011.

PBO Prostaffers Mike Hagan and Adam McQueary with Mike's great early season buck.

FRANKFORT, Ky. – It’s a September to remember.

Kentucky archers bagged a record number of deer and had better than a 50 percent success rate during the new 14-day early bull elk season.

A total of 4,947 deer were checked in for the month of September, the first 28 days of archery season, surpassing the record harvest of 4,407 taken last year.

The sex ratio of deer harvested was 34.0 percent bucks and 66.0 percent female deer (does).

“It’s encouraging that our archery hunters were so successful and took such a high percentage of does, especially in the Zone 1 counties, where we are trying to reduce the herds,” said Tina Brunjes, deer and elk program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “The percentage of does in the harvest was as high as 70 percent in some counties.”

Last season Kentucky bow hunters checked in a record 16,650 deer, including record harvests for the months at the beginning and end of the season. In the last decade, the archery deer harvest has been steadily climbing, up about 33 percent since the 2000-01 season, when archers checked in 12,478 deer.

The 2011-12 Kentucky archery season for deer is 136 days long. It opened Sept. 3 and continues through Jan. 16, 2012.

The hunter success rate for the new 14-day archery bull elk season was higher than anticipated.

“I would have never predicted that the success rate would be above 50 percent,” said Brunjes. “Unseasonably cool weather and a poor crop of white oak acorns across the region may have been contributing factors to the excellent success rate for archers.”

Eighty permits were awarded to archers for the new bull elk season which began Sept. 17 and ended last Friday, Sept. 30.

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A huge acorn crop, the late arrival of cold weather and drought conditions across most of Kentucky could make modern gun season for deer a test for hunters.

Gun season opens statewide on Nov. 13 and continues through Nov. 28 in Zone 1-2 counties. Modern gun deer season closes Nov. 22 in Zone 3-4 counties.

“It could be a tough season,” said Tina Brunjes, deer and elk program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “That tests the ability of our deer hunters to adjust to unusual conditions.”

With food plots shriveled up from the drought, small creeks and ponds bone dry, and food everywhere in the woods, hunters may have to abandon traditional stands bordering fields to find concentrations of deer.

With lots of food in the woods, deer don’t have to move far. “Deer get picky when there are lots of acorns,” said Brunjes. “The best bet might be to hunt near a white oak tree that’s dropping acorns.”

Another strategy could center on a water source actively being used by deer, such as a waterhole in a creek that is otherwise dried up. Other productive places are access routes to a river, lake or big pond, where deer travel to get to water.

“With warmer temperatures, and much of the greenery dried up, deer need a drink every day,” said Brunjes. “They’re going to water.”
Modern gun season is the main event of Kentucky’s deer season.

“It’s the big driver in our overall harvest, the main part of deer season,” said Brunjes. “If the season harvest is 110,000 to 120,000 deer, 83,000 to 89,000 of the deer are going to be taken with modern guns in November.”

Brunjes is predicting a good deer season, within the harvest range of recent seasons, but acknowledges that weather conditions often have a negative impact on deer harvest.

For a majority of Kentucky deer hunters, November is the only month they hunt. For example, last season, 81,583 deer were Telechecked in November, or about 72 percent of the season harvest total of 113,585 deer.

Few hunters kill more than one deer. “It varies between one and two deer per hunter,” said Brunjes. “In 2009, 78 percent of successful deer hunters killed just one deer for the whole season, and only two percent killed four or more deer.”

In three of Kentucky’s four deer management zones, the season limit is four deer. There is no limit on the number of antlerless deer (does) a hunter may take in the 36 Zone 1 counties, which have denser herds than management goals allow. Bonus antlerless-only deer permits are $15 each and allow hunters to take two additional deer.

Brunjes encourages hunters in the Zone 1 counties to keep the pressure on does through harvest to help control herd size. With a lower percentage of does in the harvest than normal last season (48,440 does, or 43 percent), and a good fawn crop this past spring, hunters should see lots of antlerless deer during gun season.

Hunters should read the deer regulations carefully since there has been a change in the zone status for 25 counties this season. Consult the 2010-11 Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide, or visit Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s website at: fw.ky.gov.

The zone status of a county affects the length of modern firearms season, what sex of deer may be taken during the various seasons and the overall bag limit. Here are the changes for 2011:
• Bullitt, Hardin, Hart and Nelson counties moved from Zone 1 to Zone 2.
• Adair, Barren, Butler, Cumberland, Daviess, Edmonson, Hancock, Marion, Metcalfe, Monroe, Ohio, Simpson, Taylor and Warren counties moved from Zone 2 to Zone 3.
• Clinton, Garrard, Knox, Laurel, Russell and Whitley moved from Zone 3 to Zone 4.
• Caldwell County moved from Zone 2 to Zone 1.

Since the establishment of the one-buck limit in 1991, more hunters are passing up yearling bucks, so Kentucky now has an older age structure of bucks in its herd.

“Any county can harbor trophy deer, even those with low deer densities,” said Brunjes. “We have good genetics in our deer herd.”

The 41 Boone and Crockett-class deer listed in the 2010-11 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide came from 33 different counties.

“The management strategy that brought us all this is still in place,” said Brunjes. “The quality of our bucks has been building over the past 10 years, and the good thing about Boone and Crockett-class deer – they’re a renewable resource.”

Deer hunters should never throw deer remains alongside the road or onto someone else’s property without permission. “Disposing it on the side of the road is not a good idea, it is littering,” said Tina Brunjes, deer and elk program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “This practice makes hunters look bad. Nobody wants to see or smell a deer carcass. Be considerate of others.”

Check local laws to see if you can dispose of the carcass through garbage collection. Some counties or municipalities allow it, some don’t.

“Just because you’ve taken a deer, that doesn’t mean its over,” Brunjes said. “Disposing of the carcass is part of the process of deer hunting.”

–DEER: Four-day hunts, Friday through Monday, except for three-day hunts at the end of firearms season and the beginning of muzzleloader/late archery seasons. Tree stands are legal, cannot penetrate the bark of the tree more than ½ inch, and must be removed at the end of the hunt. Tree stands must have hunter’s name, address and telephone number legibly visible from ground level. Fall turkeys may be taken by deer hunters who are legally licensed to kill a fall turkey during the fall turkey season as long as those hunters have not previously filled their fall turkey bag.

–QUAIL: Hunts are Saturdays only from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hunts are in November and December. Hunting parties may consist of one or two hunters.

–RABBIT: Hunts are Saturdays only from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hunts are in November, December and January. Hunting parties may consist of one to four hunters.

Hunters can apply for each of these hunts online from now until Oct. 22 at 11:59 p.m. at www.Hunting.IN.gov. Click on the Reserved Hunt Registration link.

Hunters will be able to apply for up to three dates of their choice for each species. Hunters must have a valid license to hunt for that species in order to apply.

No first-come, first-served hunts for deer, quail and rabbit will be available at Deer Creek FWA.

Deer Creek information can be found at http://www.IN.gov/dnr/fishwild/6297.htm.

Questions can be directed to Minnehaha FWA (812) 268-5640.

About Fish and Wildlife Management in Indiana
Fish and wildlife management and public access are funded by fishing and hunting license revenue and also through the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Programs administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These programs collect excise taxes on sporting arms and ammunition, archery equipment, fishing equipment, and motor boat fuels. The money is distributed among state fish and wildlife agencies based on land size and the number of licensed anglers and hunters in each state. Find out more information about fish and wildlife management in Indiana at www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/.

Coming into the 2010 archery deer season, Nick Brumley knew that there were good bucks on the property that he hunts in Jefferson County. In fact, he had tried his best last season to close the deal on a big 12-pointer that he had seen there on multiple occasions. So, as opening day approached, Nick went out to the farm to an area that he knew consistently held deer and put out corn that he had treated with liquid C’Mere Deer and hung a trail camera nearby. To say he had high expectations for the upcoming season would be an understatement. What he discovered when he returned to check the camera a week later, however, was beyond anything he could have imagined.

“I brought my laptop out to the farm with me to check the card in the trail camera. The first eight pictures were all of a small 8-pointer, but when I flipped to that ninth picture, I couldn’t believe my eyes.”

Brumley found himself staring at a massive, world-class, main-frame 10-pointer that would impress even the most accomplished hunter. And it wasn’t just one picture in the middle of the night, as is often the case when dealing with a big, mature whitetail buck. Brumley had 25 pictures of the big buck on his camera over the course of that first week, with most occurring in the evening, just before dark.

As the next few weeks passed, Brumley continued to get picture after picture of the massive buck that his little girl Kyndal had since knicknamed “Butch”.

“Every week, the pictures just kept getting better.”, said Brumley. “He was posing at all angles giving me a real good look at his rack.”

On average, the buck was making appearances – during daylight hours – six out of seven days. Knowing that he was going to have a real shot at harvesting this deer, Brumley was finding it harder and harder to get a good night’s sleep. Keeping up his weekly routine of freshening the C’Mere Deer and corn and checking the trail camera, Brumley began to make his final preparations for opening day.

“The Thursday before the season opened, I slipped out to the farm around 1 o’clock to put up a set of climbing sticks and my Lone Wolf climber,” said Brumley.

Because he was getting a lot of deer pictures during the morning hours, the hunter knew that trying to slip into the stand before daylight would most likely bump deer in the area, and potentially blow his chances of harvesting the big buck. As hard as it was going to be, Brumley knew that sitting out opening morning would be his best option. By 4pm that afternoon, the hunter was in his Lone Wolf stand filled with the anticipation of what the evening hunt would bring. Within an hour, deer began filtering into the area to feed. Shortly after 7pm, Brumley caught movement off to his right and his heart skipped a beat when he saw the 8-pointer that always accompanied the big buck come into the field.

“When I saw that 8-pointer, it was a pure adrenaline rush,” Brumley said. “I knew that big buck had to be right behind him.”

With every passing minute, however, that adrenaline rush gave way to despair. Brumley watched as the sun set on the opening day of deer season, and the big buck was no where to be found. Waiting until well after dark and quietly slipped out of his stand and back to his truck, wandering what could have possibly caused “Butch” not to show up this evening. All he could do was hope this was the deer’s “day off” that it seemed to take about once a week.

Sunday afternoon found Brumley returning to the farm early to get settled in for the hunt. Before climbing into his stand, he placed a video camera and tripod he had brought on an old wagon sitting nearby and pointed it in the direction of where the deer tended to feed. He then proceeded to hit the record button and climbed into his stand. By 4:30pm, he already had deer in the field working his way.

“I had ten to fifteen deer around me all evening, and I was on pins and needles the whole time wandering if he was going to show up,” said Brumley.

Sometime around 7pm, the hunter was surprised to see a nice 130 to 140-inch ten pointer that he had never seen before coming in from behind. The deer came directly under Brumley’s stand, where it began to feed. After 30 painstaking minutes of watching the big buck hang out right underneath of him, a commotion off to the hunter’s right caught his attention. The 8-pointer from the night before had just jumped the barbed wire fence and was entering the field. With the previous night’s experience still on his mind, Brumley was calmer and trying his best not to get his hopes up again. That thought quickly faded, however, when a second commotion caused the hunter to look back towards the fence line where the 8-pointer had just entered the field, and standing in its place was a giant of a buck – Butch!

The big, main-frame 10-pointer slowly worked his way across the field and right towards Brumley. As the deer neared bow range, the hunter drew back his Mathews Switchback and readied for the shot. The big buck continued to come in, and Brumley didn’t want to chance spooking the deer by stopping him with a grunt. Instead, the hunter let down on his bow and waited for a better shot to present itself. The deer finally stopped broadside right next to a stump that Brumley had ranged at 17 yards earlier in the evening. Without even thinking, Brumley brought his Mathews bow to full draw, settled his 20-yard pin behind the bucks shoulder and released the arrow. What happened next was all a blur, and the hunter watched as the bruiser ran off and out of sight.

Surprisingly, the smaller 10-pointer remained under the hunter’s stand, seemingly oblivious to what had just transpired. Most of the other deer ran off with the large buck, but within a matter of minutes, they began returning to the field. Brumley, who initially thought he had made a good shot, began to second guess himself. While he sat in his stand, replaying the shot over in his head, one of the does out front began to blow, and the field quickly emptied.

Hoping to put his mind at ease, Brumley decided to slip down out of his stand and over to where the deer had been standing. There on the ground lay his arrow – covered in bright red blood. Feeling better about his shot now, the hunter decided his best option was to back out and give the deer some time to expire.

The next forty-five minutes were spent talking to the landowner about everything that had just occurred. Sure that the big buck should be down for the count at this point, Brumley headed back to the field to blood trail his deer. To his dismay, there were only a few drops of blood at the initial point of contact. His mind racing at this point with all the possibilities, Brumley decided to review the footage from the video camera he had placed nearby. He was relieved to see the arrow impact the deer’s vitals right behind the front shoulder, right where he had placed his pin.

With renewed hope, he took back to the blood trail, heading in the direction that he had last seen the deer. Before he even traveled 100 yards from where he had found his arrow, Brumley caught a glimpse of the side of the buck’s rack. Unsure if he was down, the hunter quickly dropped to the ground to avoid taking a chance on bumping the deer. As he slowly eased back up to get a better look, Brumley could clearly see that the buck was down for the count. He raced over to finally lay his hands on those massive antlers.

“To actually see the buck laying there, I was just dumbfounded,” said Brumley. “I just couldn’t believe I had gotten this deer. I know I had to have the biggest smile on my face ever!”

And what’s not to smile about! While the deer can’t be officially scored until after the required 60 day drying period, it was recently rough green-scored at 204” gross, with a net score of 187”.

The first thing you notice on the huge, velvet-covered rack is the mass, which is defined by its 6” bases and circumference measurements that range from 5” at the narrowest point, to over 8” between the left G2 and G3. Equally impressive are the bucks 12” G2s and 11” G3s coming off the 26” main beams. Combine all that with a 20+” inside spread, and you have yourself one world-class Kentucky whitetail. Regardless of what the buck ends up officially scoring, it is safe to say that Nick Brumley shot the buck-of-a-lifetime.

The best part of the whole story lies in the fact that it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. As I talked with Brumley, a full week after the hunt had occurred, you can still hear the excitement and disbelief in his voice. He thanks God for the opportunity to harvest such a magnificent animal and credits his wife for not only tolerating, but actually encouraging him to get out and enjoy his passion for bowhunting.

Even though “Butch” will be a tough act to top, Brumley still plans to get out and give it his best shot. With an Indiana deer tag in his wallet, who knows what the future will bring. One thing’s for sure, though…if he doesn’t fill another tag this season, I think he can still mark the 2010 Kentucky deer season as one he will never forget!

The author with his son after their first successful deer hunt together.
These are the memories that will last a lifetime for all those involved.

Like most fathers who love to hunt, my hope has always been to raise my two children to share my passion for hunting and enjoying the great outdoors. That dream became clearly evident to my wife when I brought our first-born son home from the hospital in little Mossy Oak bib overalls. I know too many hunters, however, whose kids have grown up with little or no interest in following in their father’s footsteps when it comes to pursuing shooting sports, and I have often wondered what is it that separates those kids who develop the passion and those that don’t. While there’s no guaranteed formula for getting and keeping our kids involved in hunting, there are certainly things that we can do as a parent or mentor to increase the odds of them developing that lifelong passion. Let’s take a look at five of those things.

GET THEM INVOLVED AT AN EARLY AGE
From my experience, and the experience of others that I have talked with, kids generally take a very early interest in their parent’s passion for the outdoors. For me, that was when they were around two years old. It started with questions about where I was going and what daddy was doing. Then, when I actually brought home some type of critter, they were out there watching me cut it up, looking it over closely, and of course, poking and prodding on it in amazement. All of this youthful curiosity builds over time until the question is finally asked, “When can I go hunting with you?”

Before he was old enough to go hunting with a firearm, the author got
his son involved in other outdoor activities, like fishing and frog gigging.

Initially, this was a very tough question for me, because I have a tendency to take hunting very serious – often too serious. I wanted to get them involved but the selfish side of me knew that taking them would require me to change the way I hunt and to get past the usual expectations and just plan on having a good time together. I soon realized that hunting with a young child means making the trips short, being ready to answer lots of questions, lowering my hopes of actually harvesting anything, and most of all, keeping it fun.

MAKE IT FUN
Regardless of the child’s age, these early days afield with you are probably the most critical in determining whether or not he/she maintains an interest in hunting. These first hunts, like any first impression, are where the child is going to form their opinion about hunting. They are either going to decide that hunting is fun and enjoyable, or that it is boring. So, it is your job to make sure that its fun!

The author’s daughter on their first hunt together. The first step to getting your kids
involved in the outdoors is to simply let them tag along, and to make sure they enjoy themselves.

Probably the first step to ensuring that a child’s first hunt is not there last is to keep the initial outings brief. As a parent, you’ve probably already witnessed just how short of an attention span most kids have these days, and the last thing they want to do is go sit in a blind or a treestand for hours on end, not being able to move around or talk. In most cases, you’ll have a pretty good idea when it’s time to head back, as most kids won’t hesitate to let you know when they start to get bored. I would get questions like, “How long are we going to stay out here?” or “Are we going to sit in this spot the whole time?” When my son was trying to be a little more subtle about things, he would simply ask what time it was.

Regardless of how they let you know, as soon as you detect boredom, either head to the house, or change things up a bit to keep them entertained.

Hunting from a blind allowed the author and his son to call this bird to within 15 yards.
Not only does a blind help in getting game closer, but it also allows a kid the freedom to
move around more and to bring some games or reading material with them to keep from getting bored.

Hunting from a ground blind is a great way to introduce a youngster to hunting, because they have a little more freedom of movement, and you can pack along some toys, games, books, etc to keep them occupied. For some of you, that may seem to defeat the purpose of bringing them with you in the first place. However, they are still outdoors with you and you now have the opportunity to teach them valuable lessons about hunting and the great outdoors. The difference is that if you are not seeing any wildlife and they start to get a little bored, they now have something to occupy their time.

The author and good friend Billie Crider after a successful youth hunt with the kids.
Getting to share these moments with friends makes it all the more special for the kids.

DON’T PUSH THEM
I can still recall the events following my son harvesting his first deer. After the initial excitement of the harvest, I could see that he was a little upset. The remorse over taking the life of a living creature had set in and he was questioning what he had done. It was a sobering moment for the both of us. I told him that day, and have told him numerous times since, that my love for him is unconditional and regardless of whether or not he hunts, that’s not going to change. Fortunately, he made his own decision to continue hunting and has since taken another deer and his first turkey. I have had the joy of watching his interest and passion grow considerably over the last two years.

Had I chosen to push him early on and make him go with me when he didn’t want to, or had I belittled him for feeling remorse over his first deer, things could have turned out quite different. I’ve watched numerous kids lose interest in hunting (and lots of other sports for that matter), because a parent pushed them so hard to keep them involved. We, as sportsmen, all want our kids to share our love for hunting and the outdoors. However, we can’t force them to share that love and any attempt to do so is only going to risk driving them further away. If they don’t show as much interest as you would like, then give them their space. Always keep the invitation open, but never force them to be an unwilling participant.

PROVIDE THEM WITH THE RIGHT GEAR
Going hand-in-hand with keeping hunting fun for the kids, is keeping it comfortable; and that means providing your kid(s) with the proper clothing and equipment. Even for a diehard hunter, there is nothing worse than sitting in a deer stand freezing your butt off while trying to stay out there as long as possible. If it is miserable for us, imagine how much more miserable it is for a kid that is accustomed to a steady 72 degrees indoors. I still remember how completely unprepared I was when my son first started going afield with me. We layered him up in a bunch of mismatched layers, baseball socks that pulled up over his knees (all his other socks were footies!), one of my oversized hats and a pair of big snow boots. He reminded me of the kid from the movie “A Christmas Story” that was so bundled up that he fell down and couldn’t get back on his feet. I quickly realized that if I was going to continue taking him with me, I was going to have to get him some clothes that not only fit him properly, but that would also make him look the part of a hunter. Let’s face it – kids want to be like dad (at least until they hit the teenage years).

Just as important as the clothes they wear, is the weapon that they carry – whether that be a gun or bow. Proper fitting is crucial to both the safety and enjoyment of your child. For a gun, that means making sure that your child can properly shoulder and aim the firearm and that the recoil isn’t more than they can handle. For a bow, it means finding one with the proper draw length for a good anchor point and the right draw weight so that the child doesn’t have to strain to pull the bow back. If a kid doesn’t feel comfortable shooting the weapon, then chances are, they won’t be able to shoot it accurately or consistently. This will quickly lead to frustration and disappointment. If you are truly serious about getting your child involved, make sure you equip them properly, just as you would for yourself.

HELP THEM BE SUCCESSFUL EARLY ON
Finally, to keep a kid interested in hunting, sooner or later they are going to have to taste some success. While you and I may be able to sit in a treestand for hours on end, day after day, and never draw our bow back or click the rifle off of safety, a youngster is going to quickly deem that as boring! This may mean starting them out on something like squirrels or dove where there is no shortage of shooting opportunities. Or, in my son’s case, taking him deer hunting in areas where I knew there were plenty of does to thin out. Sure, I would love to see him shoot a nice buck, but first I wanted him to experience the excitement of having an animal come in and present a shot opportunity. Now that he has experienced that first taste of success with both deer and turkey, I think it is safe to say that he is hooked. He no longer minds spending a little time waiting because he knows that sooner or later an opportunity will present itself, and he knows the rush he gets when it does.

There is nothing more rewarding than watching your child harvest his/her first game animal. To see the excitement in their eyes and to feel the pride of knowing that you played a big part in their success, is a feeling like no other. Most of all, it is the bond that develops between you and your child that makes it so special. It is a closeness that could only come from time shared afield. A bond that if properly nurtured, will last a lifetime.

Take some time to get your child (or nephew, neighbor, etc) out in the field. I can guarantee you that you will be glad you did!

The DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife is partnering with Purdue Cooperative Extension Service to conduct a series of venison workshops throughout the state in September.

During each workshop demonstrations of complete deer processing will be held, showing skinning, butchering and packaging techniques. Outdoor cooking will be demonstrated using a grill and Dutch oven. Participants can taste test samples of the prepared venison recipes.

Two free programs are offered. On Sept. 11, Bass Pro Shops in Portage will sponsor a free program and Sept. 18, a free program is offered as part of the Hoosier Outdoor Experience.

For the other workshops, there will be a nominal $15 admission fee to help cover workshop expenses. Fees will be collected at the door. Please do not send money in advance. Children are permitted free of charge.

The schedule follows. Please register at the phone number or website listed below:

Sept. 7, Southeast Purdue Ag Center (Butlerville), 6-9 p.m.—(812) 689-6511
Sept. 8, Parke County Fairgrounds (Rockville), 6-9 p.m.—(765) 569-3176

Sept. 9, Morgan County Fairgrounds (Martinsville), 6-9 p.m.—(765) 342-1010

Sept. 10, Elkhart County Conservation Club (Elkhart), 6-9 p.m.—(574) 533-0554

Sept. 11, Bass Pro Shops (Portage), 1-4 p.m. free program—(219) 787-6800

Sept. 18, Fort Harrison State Park (Indianapolis) free program, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., as part of the Hoosier Outdoor Experience; register online:www.hoosieroutdoorexperience.in.gov

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More information: Mitch Marcus, DNR Chief of Wildlife, (317) 234-4914, mmarcus@dnr.in.gov