Take time now to check all your gear such as bows, arrows, guns, and even scopes for your rifle. Now is also a good time to practice shooting weather it may be a gun or bow. Shooting at a target now will get you set for when that first game pokes it’s head out. Check all food sources now and scout to see what deer maybe eating. There will be a chance that some of this food source will still be available for opening day in the southern regions such as Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia.

Go into the woods now and start by trimming some shooting lanes for your bow setup. We all hate the times that when a deer steps into shooting range and then we don’t have the shot due to a tree limb blocking the shot. These shots for a trophy buck only come once in a lifetime for most average hunter’s. I have had great success in the past at harvesting a doe for some early season deer meat.

Most of the hunters in Alabama will be on the road to their hunting grounds around Labor Day weekend. They use this time to plant fall food plots, or at least start preparing the ground works of bush-hogging and plowing of the dirt. I think that a lot of hunters mess up here by planting to early. I good idea would be to wait until just a few weekends later maybe in September some time. This will allow your deer to finish off any summer time forge they may be able to find.

Once you have taken the time plan what you are going to plant, make sure that you can allow 10 to 15 days for a spraying process such as round-up on and around the food plots. This will allow you plenty of time to plant things such as chicory and clover and you will not have other late summer grasses competing for fertilizer or lime that you lay out. Keeping unwanted grasses out will allow you with a more beautiful food plot for your deer.

If you have planted corn and still have it standing then leave it this way. Standing beans and corn will allow deer and turkey cover in the fall and also will help you see more in the winter as they come in to search for these foods. Based on your corn field size try mowing strips into it 10 to 25 yards wide and plow and spread winter foods where you have mowed. Most people like to mow the entire field down and when they do this deer and turkey loose this food in the extreme cold days of winter.

I hope these few steps will help you on opening day like they have done for me and my friends in the past. Stay on the right road and you can’t go wrong for being on the wrong road to success. Planting to early can cost you mainly because the deer and turkey eat them up to fast. I have heard people say my food plots look like crap. What these food plots look like are as if someone has took a lawn mower to it. So start getting ready now for opening day.

Talk Hunting has grown each year and the staff at talk hunting work so hard to keep it going. With sponsors such as the Whitetail Institute of North America, Dead Down Wind, and Hunter’s Safety systems you can get all kinds of answers from people just like you and me.

Just for signing up at talk hunting you have chances to win free prizes each month just by posting and replying to other members post. The site is set up as a forum and with its thousands of members and still growing it has new things to talk about daily.

You don’t have to just talk to each member on the site to find out things about hunting and fishing. There are also pictures posted by members of harvested game and let me say that there has been some mighty big deer taken by these members. Hunters and fishermen just like you and me from all over the United States come to visit talk hunting each day and night.

I have seen other hunting forums such as HuntingNet.com, and ArcheryTalk.com but none of them comes close to talk hunting in my mind. All you have to do is click here at Talk Hunting and sign up for free to get started. Make post and ask questions to build your chances up at winning free prizes each month given out by the sponsors they have. So what are you waiting for? Get to the site fast and check it out.

Tell them you heard it from Hello Hunting…

When writing for an Outdoor paper, magazine, and a web site there is so much that can be written on. It is almost like trying to come up with new words for a special book. I would almost say that on a count of 100 words to 100 words that the Aurthur Tom Kelly dose not have as much trouble of coming up with words to go into his own books.

Tom Kelly is by far one of the greatest outdoor writers of this time. I say this to you as the reader that this is my own opinion and i do not wish to change it by any means necessary. When he writes it’s like words just fall into place and you seem to read them one after another and they just make since. Some would disagree and say that he is not the best writer of this time but we are all entitled to our own opinion.

What comes to mind when you hear the word Outdoors? It can mean many things in this day and age. It is like the adds that you read on the back of some everyday outdoor magazine that is there for one reason. That reason is to promote the company that has paid for that add. The adds that I enjoy reading the most are like the one’s that just come from the heart. Let’s take a look at Mossy Oak adds and just sit and read one and think of what you may read while you read it. Here is one for example.

” Law of Nature ”
” It’s a law of nature: the more dirt gets under your fingernails, the higher your spirit gets lifted.”

There are plenty more of where this add comes from and you can find it at Mossy Oak. I have to say that even when Realtree placed add’s they never even matched up to Mossy Oak. These two companies are competing for who has the best camo. But Mossy Oak go’s further than that.

Mossy Oak also works best with Biologic, a seed blend for every type of wildlife out there that mother nature has to put forward to us. Whitetail Institute has planted over 1 million acres but I would say that Biologic is rite there with them if not equal.

Outdoor companies compete each and every year for something new to be placed on the shelf. There is still thousands of things out there to be discovered and it only take a little time in the outdoors to do it. When it comes to camo I will more than likely choose Realtree over Mossy Oak but i have had my chances to plant Whitetail Institute products and here in the south the Biologic brand is just a little better.

As Toxey Haas once said: ” It all started with a fist full of dirt.”

Let us start with tents.The Elite line offers the ultimate family camping experience and is great for extended camping excursions. Easy to follow instructions are sewn into the carry bag of the Elite Montana 8 person tent by Coleman. Coleman camping gear is among the oldest companies in the outdoor world. negative angle windows, self-rolling windows, hinged door, and shock-corded poles make setup and storage simple. The tent includes remote controlled light and replaceable 15 watt spiral fluorescent tube. The light runs up to 22 hours on low on 8 D batteries which are not included. The average cost of this tent will sale for about $239.

Next on the agenda is coolers for keeping you food and drinks cold. Colman also has some of the top of the line coolers for you. A good cooler will sale for over $100 and the 150 quart white Marine cooler will be the one to have. It holds 223 cans plus 55 lbs of ice. The Marine drain fits standard garden hose for draining and it’s split lid with separate latches and fish measuring scale along with it’s exterior case has molded-in fish scale. If this cooler doesn’t hold your beverages then no other will.

My next pick for top outdoor gear is clothing. The World Wide Sportsman XPS series has become very big for Bass Pro Shops. My pick for shirts is the very light weight long sleeve shirt on the XPS solar guard shirt. It is made of quick-dry 100% nylon supplex with Solar Guard UPF50 protection. It also features a roll-up collar, plus mesh-lined vented cape back and underarm put zippers. Includes a waterproof pouch with bungee clip that can be secured in the chest pocket. The pants are also UPF50 protected and have zipper style legging at the knees to turn into shorts. They are also light weight and very comfortable.

At last I can only bring so much so my last pick will be on grilling and stove type gear. I will give Lodge Brand cooking pots. These pots are made of top notch steel and can last you a lifetime. The weight of these pots makes them worth cooking in for several years to come. The camping stove would also come from Coleman and there are so many of these type stoves to choose from. Well I hope I have brought you good info on a few top grade items to have for you next outdoor outing. Keep checking back to Hello Hunting for more great things to come in the future.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages six campgrounds at Alabama River Lakes. All campers are entitled to the full use of campground facilities such as grills and tables. There are also laundry rooms and don’t forget the shower houses with restrooms. Prairie Creek is a peaceful quit place to relax for the weekend stay in the great outdoors.

The six Army Corps campgrounds are “fee campgrounds” with resident park attendants who are all happy to help you with information on each park or campground and make your stay at these locations more enjoyable. The swamps that are located across the creek area of Prairie Creek holds all kinds of wildlife such as deer and turkey.

On warm or cool spring mornings you can lay awake in your tents or campers and listen to faint gobbling of some of the hardest turkey’s to kill in Alabama. These birds can be hunted in spring season by heading over to the Lowndes (WMA) which is rite across the creek of the campground. There is 11,000 acres open to the public to hunt for things such as turkey, deer, and even ducks.

There is so much to do when you take a trip here that you may never complete everything you want in just one trip. All six of these fee campgrounds also offer boat ramps, fish cleaning stations, playgrounds, basketball courts, and nature trails. Prairie Creek is located at 582 Prairie Creek Rd. Lowndesboro, AL 36752 and can be contacted by phone at (334)418-4919.

During the summer months I would suggest making reservations in advance due to the campground filling up with guest fast each and every weekend. There are 62 sites at Prairie Creek and 7 of them are tent sites only. There is water hook-up along with electric also. You may camp in a tent or an RV if you choose to do so. Non-water front sites are $16 a night, water front sites are $18 a night, and tent only sites are $12.

This campground is one of my favorites to camp at anytime of the year. There can be so much said about this particular one that I could go on and on all day if I chose to do so. The campground is roughly 35 miles west of Montgomery,AL and 20 miles east of Selma,AL. All you have to do to make reservations is call 877-444-6777 or go online to Recreation.Gov. I hope you enjoy your stay at one of Alabama’s most beautiful campgrounds.

It is a time as we grow with what Mother Nature has given us. We take things for granite and with a grain of sand can ruin whatever it is we have of had. Our land lies before us as our grandparents, fathers, and mothers have left behind for us. Young people today do not realize what they have and are sometimes not happy with what has been given to them. Land is getting hard to come by and only seems to be there for the rich. We no longer work hard to have what we could have but work hard for what we do have. The things we want most seem to be getting harder to come by.

Farm land is being turned into a pine forest and I can say I have never seen a deer or a turkey eat a pine comb. The value of timber go’s up and go’s down and timber companies take advantage of these things. I am not saying that a timber company is a bad thing. You don’t see hard wood timber like you use to see it. Even though there still is some farm land left in parts of Alabama and Mississippi. The black-belt area of Alabama is being turned into forest’s as it use to be nothing but farm land and hard wood bottoms.

West Alabama still hold some very great farm land but most of this land is owned by a single family or a company that no longer holds interest in farming for wildlife but farming for tree’s. There is nothing wrong with this if it’s done the rite way. Most of us dose not even know what the rite way is but we still believe we do in our own terms.

There are timber companies that work hard to produce great timber value and still produce great things in the forest for wildlife. Managing your timber and land the correct way will provide great rewards for wildlife today. Rayonier Timber company is a very good company that still helps hunter’s by allowing them to lease lands and manage wildlife in a firmly fashion. There are timber companies that work with companies like Biologic to produce and manage deer and turkey on their lands to make the hunting opportunity better for today’s hunter’s. Let’s take a look at a video on Timber management and see how you can market your timber.

Part: 1

Part: 2

Wild hogs have known to become a problem in Alabama. They are fun to hunt but be careful because if you think you have killed one just when you walk up on a downed hog they jump and attack if they are not down completely. A hog or feral hog as we see most often will grow to be very large animals. They have a shield as to say on their shoulders that act as a steal plate of Armour. This is to protect them.

A hog can be a good thing or a bad thing. They will destroy any crops that can be found but also will eat snakes as a meal. They use their snouts more ways than we think. A hog can smell very well and sense things you may not think. Alabama’s wild hog population has grown tremendously over the past few years.

The Upper Delta (WMA) and Lowndes (WMA) hold quit a few wild hogs on their lands. There are hogs taken every year that weigh in at 150 lbs and larger. Lowndes (WMA) holds most of it’s hogs on the south road hunting area. I have hunted here for hogs, deer, and turkey in this area many times before. I can’t say that I have hunted the Upper Delta before but have talked to many hunters who have taken many hogs off this tract of land.

Hogs also carry diseases that can make you sick. Take extra care when cleaning these animals. As a hunter, you can protect yourself and your family from diseases commonly found in wild hogs. Use safe field dressing techniques when handling a hog. Wear latex gloves and wash your hands as much as possible when done. Also make sure to follow food safety tips when preparing the meat. Wash and clean the meat thoroughly and soak the meat in salt water to take out the wild taste and draw out any unwanted blood. If you get sick with a flu-like illness, tell your doctor that you hunt wild hogs.

To contact your state wildlife agency for information about wild hogs, visit: State Fish and Wildlife Agencies and for more information about wild hog damage management, visit: USDA Wildlife Services or call toll free at 1-866-4-USDA-WS.

Stay Healthy on Your Hunt!
And Good Luck!

It was a beautiful spring morning when I woke to the neighbors rooster crowing outside. The darn thing just wouldn’t shut up at all. All I had my mind set on was that wonderful gobbling bird that sat high in the Alabama southern pine down next to the swamp at old man Bannister’s farm. His farm was well know for producing me some of the largest turkeys I have ever killed in my entire life. And boy was they some big one’s.

I sure am glad I didn’t have to worry about a gobbler smelling me because I had spill my coffee on my cloths twice while driving down the old dirt path that led from the highway to the open field. I just had a gut feeling that this was going to be my morning. Two weeks into the season and still no bird what was happening to me I had no clue. But this morning was set in my mind that it was already good even if I had spill my coffee twice. “ I didn’t care I was still going.”

The first sound was a gobbler yelling out to me from a distance about a hundred yards away. He still was not the one I wanted. I was after the one that would gobble twice before fly-down and then shut his trapper before he made his last flight from treetop to the wet ground below him where I would be sitting thirty yards away. As soon as he hits the ground he will then be allowed to perform me a show of excellence by strutting before a hen decoy which I have placed out at twenty yards to help lure him in to gun range. This will be his last strut and steps.

He gobbles for the first time.

His thundering gobble shook all silence from all around the neighborhood. The sound of true spring is now here and is heard for all to hear. Daybreak has come and I can see him still sitting up high in a southern red oak about forty feet up. He has no hen with him but the hens from seventy-five yards out have already made their fly-down and is headed my way.

I set patiently as he stretches his wings and gobbles once more. He has now reached the ground and he begins to show his dominance as being the one gobbler that will defeat all others who face him head to head. I cluck and make a small soft series of yelps and he looks around to decide where the sound comes from. A hen yelps in the distance but the gobbler has no chance to answer as I pull the trigger on my Remington 870 wing-master and drop him with a load of number 6 shot.

There he flops around on the ground like all other gobblers do after a shot of impact hits them hard. My morning was great as to have harvested such a remarkable animal. The colors of the feathers are a beauty to withhold for a lifetime. It’s a memory that will never leave you once you harvest a turkey for the first time or even your fourth time. Your heart will beat fast for the first turkey as it will do for the second one. If this does not happen then you will never be a turkey hunter. They say once you start you will never quit.

Saltwater fish we take after are mackerel, flounder, sharks, and red snapper. But fishing for saltwater is not the same as freshwater fishing. Freshwater fishing can take as much skill and sometimes more than that of its natural saltwater neighbor. We all dream of getting the big one and we all have heard the stories of the big one that got away.

Fishing tales can be in all shapes and sizes if you sit and keep your eye on the one telling the tale. There are some very large catfish in public waters and the only way to catch them is to get out of the house and off the couch long enough to stay on the waters of your choice.

Catfish are like what I would call a Texas Chicken, known as a buzzard. A large black bird that will eat anything that may not eat him. A catfish will bite most any kind of baits such as chicken liver, stink baits, and even bacon if you lay it out there for them to get hold on it. When you hang into one of these large fish you might think you have caught a whale.

Let’s take a look at the Average Fisherman and see him give us the tips on how to catch and what to use to catch big cats in our native waters.

Spring time turkey season is some of the best there is. Alabama is home to some of the best turkey hunting locations in the U.S.. For years there were only few turkey hunters around and now the hunting of Alabama turkey have doubled and even tripled. Alabama has been known to have some of the most difficult turkey hunting of anywhere. The swampy bottoms of the rivers will make you think twice sometimes before entering.

Some of the best hunting lodges in the south are located with some of the very best turkey hunting around. Westerveltlodge ha been known to grow some big deer in their time but the turkey hunting here is among some of the best in the south. Westerveltlodge is located in Aliceville, AL. Another great place with true southern hospitality is Southern Sportsmans lodge located in Lowndesboro, AL. Just minuets away from the Alabama River and the Robert F. Henery lock and damn is also very great turkey hunting. Lets take a look at Westervelt on the video and see what Alabama turkey hunting is all about.