Poaching is wrong and we all know it. So why do it? Why do some people do the wrong thing and know that they are doing the wrong thing in the beginning. It is usually someone that cant stand the fact that they just cant hunt in an ethical manner. If you are a trophy hunter and you harvest a 175 inch buck that makes the record books and on all top of this there is another buck on your property that will score 190 inches his tail is in some deep trouble. What I mean by this is that if you know of the bigger buck then the odds are someone else knows of him as well. Your odds may be one and a million at harvesting this monster but an unethical hunters odds are better if he knows where the buck is hanging out at night.

Night time is not the only time that a buck gets shot at in an unethical manner. It also takes place on an abandon road side in the day light. Usually these old abandon home sites or road ways are where big bucks hang out, due to the fact no hunter hunts here. Or even the property only gets hunted once or twice a year. It could be a piece of property that a grandfather has put his hard work and money into fixing up for his beloved grand kids. Then he becomes the victim when some crazy idiot decides he is going to hunt this property without permission.

Remember that we as hunters are the ones that are the poachers. We have full 100% control to make the right decision on the ethically way to take a harvested animal that we may be after. We set examples to our children and they watch every move we make. When I was a 4H agent in the Crenshaw County, Alabama schools system under Auburn University I had the chance to teach and talk to kids about wildlife. We talked about how grown adults can be unethical at hunting or fishing and the animals that are at the top of the food chain. You would be very surprised at how many 4th through 6th graders I taught would say my daddy or my older brother shoots deer side the road or even at night. It happens and we as hunters control it.

Now for a bit of change in the way an animal gets harvested. Let us talk a bit about being at the top of the food chain. This in no way that it is unethical for another animal to chase down and kill its food. It is a way of life for these animals and it is their way of survival. Without them doing so they would not survive at any means. A bear heads down to the water to catch fish to have a meal. This puts them in at the top of the food chain and also puts them as an ethical hunter. Even though they cant read a sign that says no trespassing they are still the means of an ethical hunter.

This is their way of life and this is also our way of life. We can harvest animals such as bear, coyote, and bobcats during the right season. But we should still do it in an ethical manner. We can control most animals on our land. Rather it be the means of harvesting or trapping. So remember that the next time you are out on the road at night or even in the day light make the right decision before you pull the trigger. This article come to mind when I read a little passage on Facebook about a hunter watching this doe in the picture above. This doe was killed either by another hunter or a animal just looking for food just three weeks after this past years season ended. This hunter has watched this doe and gotten pictures of her and even a buck that had breed her. I hope he gets a chance at the buck in this next season to come. Maybe we can bring you the story of the buck the did the breeding to this doe.

So many people now are using  ATV and pull behind equipment to prepare a good seed bed for food plots. They are simple and easy with just a little time. This meaning just a little gas and not the huge cost of diesel fuel and wear and tear on very expensive farm equipment. The only way we here at Hello Hunting can allow you to know a lot more about this wonderful product is let you see the video on it. I hope you enjoy and think about your next buying item that is on your list of outdoor products to purchase.

The DR. Roto-Hog Roto Tiller gets the Hello Hunting Seal of Approvals.

 

Shannon Lee is not just you ordinary outdoors woman. Raising kids and keeping up with her beloved husband Travis Lee, she also keeps up with goats on their farm. Another good thing about Shannon is that she not only keeps up with her own kids but everyone else kids too in school. See she is a wonderful school teacher and enjoys her students. Maybe this years woman of the year for 2012 is none other than a teacher of the year for all of us here at Hello Hunting.

Shannon, It has been a real honor to get to know you and Travis!

Shannon is from Wing, AL and enjoys bass fishing with her husband and also enjoys time with her kids doing outdoor activities such as squirrel, deer, and turkey hunting. She is one of our writers and pro staff members here at Hello Hunting also. Rite before I started writing this article I sent her a message of Facebook letting her know that I had her a very big surprise. So Shannon, here is your surprise and I want to wish you a very happy Mothers day to come.

A mother like Shannon is a one in a million in my book. I hope that she will hang around for a long time on the pro staff here and keep us heading in the rite direction with my grammar on all my writing. She is truly a great friend and a great impression on the outdoors. I just wish we had more women like her to look up to. Congratulations on being named 2012 woman of the year here at Hello Hunting and keep up all your hard work and the rewards will be even greater!

The people at Pearson Archery are great people and their ambition is to make their customer happy and to have the return customer come back time and time again. A grade A+ bow built for the most extreme hunter will get you far in the field today. These bows are top of the line in their own way and the meaning or saying Built for Bone is definitely the words to use for these bows. The two cams, the legend and the stealth bring new meaning to smoothness and speed. Having the right cam or cams on a bow can be what you need to harvest that buck of a lifetime.

The strings that are used on the bows at Pearson archery along with all the other top notch tools to make these bows shoot are top of the line in bows today. The new Stealth II is or could be the best bow for hunting on the bow market today. Taking a shot with this bow is bound to change the way we all look at a great hunting bow. I have yet had the chance to shoot this bow at this time but from the looks of it may have to drop my old bow and get me one of these.

Stealth II:

: 32 inches axle to axle

: A brace height of 6 1/4

: IBO speed of 340+ fps.

: Draw lengths 25.5 _ 30.5 with (1/2 inch increments)

: Draw Weights 50,60, and 70 lbs (50-80% let off)

: String Length 58 inches and 2 cables at 35 5/8 inches

: Physical Weight is unbelievable at 4.5 lbs.

This is a must have bow for the 2012 hunting season. Available colors: Mossy Oak Obsession, Black Riser w/Camo Limbs, Black White w/Black limbs. A bow built right here in Alabama made directly for the most extreme hunter no matter what he or she hunts. I must have one of these before this 2012 season opens up!

I have had the pleasure of shooting Pearson bows in the past and I have been very happy with the ones that I have shot in the past. It has been a few years since I last shot one but now maybe the time for the complete change for me. Knowing that the bow was made from experts right here in my home state is a plus in my book. If you get one of these bows let the experts at Ben Pearson Archery know that you thank them for building such great equipment such as the Stealth 2. I don’t think you will be upset that you have chosen one of the best bows on the market today to take down that buck of a lifetime this upcoming season. For more information on Pearson Archery visit their web site here. Pearson Archery

Thank You Ben Pearson Archery for being a native bow company of Alabama and making such great bows!
Shannon Wood, Hello Hunting Online Magazine.

Letters to God:

The name of the movie was called Letters to God. Some of you may have already seen it and for the ones that have not seen it I suggest that you buy it or rent it and watch it. It will make you cry, but it will make you think as many of these type of movies do. It may even change your life in more ways than none. I write this article to reach out and say this.

Dear God,
Lead me and guide me and the ones around me. Help me teach others the way you have taught me through the letter that I write here. I hope others will read it and learn from it the same way that I too have learned. Rather it be through your will of being in the great outdoors or sitting at home watching a movie. You give me so much for a reason and you take away what is meant to be taken away. Sometimes we as humans do not understand why something does not go our way. They must not go our way because it is not your will for it to be that way. Easter has come and gone and your son Jesus has died on the cross for my sins, and he has risen.

Thanks!
Shannon Wood

This is my letter to my almighty God above. After reading this I hope it has touched you and you too write a letter to God. It is God who has given us all that we have here on earth. Now isn’t about time we give a little back?

Mobile-Tensaw River Delta: located just north of the Mobile Bay. It covers 20,323 acres of water, plenty of water to catch big bass.

Lake Eufaula: located near the Alabama and Georgia state line in Eufaula, AL and covers 45,181 acres of water. Lodging here is among the best in Alabama.

Alabama River: 318 miles long this river starts just north of Montgomery, AL and flows into the Tombigbee River. With dams splitting this river up such as the Robert F. Henry in Lowndes county, Millers Ferry in Wilcox county, and Claiborne dam. Fishing here can be a big challenge in more ways than one.

Lay Lake: located just 35 minutes south of Birmingham off I-65 and 15 minutes south of Columbiana, AL. Covering 12,000 acres it holds a large number of largemouth and spotted bass. There are places on this lake where the water is very clear with a rock bottom.

Lake Jordan: located 25 miles north of Montgomery,AL holds large-mouth bass and also some great crappie during its season. It covers 6,800 acres and was created by Alabama Power Company.

Logan Martin Lake: covers 15,263 acres and has great largemouth and spotted bass fish. Largemouth bass are normally in the 12 to 18 inch range here.

Neely Henry Lake: near the towns of Gadsden and Ohatchee. Just off I-59, this water way covers 11,235 acres.

Lewis Smith Lake this 21,000 acre lake is home to some of the best striped bass fishing in Alabama and is located in Cullman, Walker, and Winston Counties. The striped bass here can often weigh more than 20 lbs.

Pickwick Lake: I don’t know much about this lake as far as the fishing for bass heads out. I do know that it covers 47,500 acres and is located on the Tennessee River near Florence,AL.

Wheeler Lake: covers 67,100 acres, Wheeler Lake is the largest of three stair-stepping reservoirs along the Tennessee River. Some great bass fishing here makes you want to come back for more time and time again.

Lake Guntersville: Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Alabama’s largest lake contains 69,100 acres and stretches 75 miles. There is no hurting here for some great largemouth bass fishing. Plenty of water and you are bound to catch something from this huge place.

So now we bring you the Alabama bass trail and all its lakes and rivers to go with it. For more information on the Alabama Bass Trail just click on the link below. Lodging is great here in our great state and some of the best fishing will bring you back for more. Alabama Bass Trail

Once you have found these dove fields the contain wheat, millet, corn, and even sorghum in some places. These fields will have ten to twenty hunters surrounding them sitting on a five gallon bucket waiting for the first bird to fly over to take a shot at. These birds are different than most other birds but are great to eat right off the grill. In fact I would like to share a recipe with you that I enjoy so much when it comes to dove.

Dove Recipe:

Mix beer, Italian dressing, melted butter, and salt together to make your marinade seasoning. Take bacon and wrap around the dove breast and use a tooth pick to hold bacon and breast together. Then you take the wrapped breast and soak them in the marinade seasoning for 1 hour. Heat up grill until it reaches about 375 degrees. Place all of marinated breast on the grill and cook until the bacon is done. Once your bacon is done pull from grill and serve.

Other small game hunting is fun for the family as well. Squirrel hunting can be fun with dogs or without. A simple 22 caliber rifle or 20 gauge shotgun should do the trick for harvesting these small creatures. Sitting once again on a 5 gallon bucket near a bunch of oak trees at the crack of day light is a sure chance of taking home some good squirrel meat. You start to see them as soon as it gets good and light and shoot until you don’t see anymore. Shaking vines that lead to nest in large trees is another way of pulling them out into movement. On the dogs behalf he may want to track them down and bark at a tree as the morning turns to noon. Even though squirrel hunting is done a bit different than rabbit it can still be fun.

Rabbit hunting on the other hand is usually done in a group of hunters of at least 5 or more. It also can bring fun to the whole family when the hunt is set up rite. Standing men and women along the edge of old abandon fields and road ways with the dogs on a good chase will bring some great excitement. Just make sure to shoot the rabbit and not the dog that is bound to be following him. So the next time you want some family fun during the off season of deer or turkey try these small game hunts and have fun and also remember to be safe.

We brought you tips in the past from a young man from Enterprise, Al named Justin Martin. Justin has come a long ways in the outdoor world of hunting shows. Season 3 starts Summer 2012 and it will be a have to see form the start. The Season with Justin Martin airs on the following days and time. All times are eastern time on the Outdoor Channel.

Monday: 2 AM ET.

Tuesday: Noon ET.

Thursday: 11 PM ET.

Catch a glimpse what is to come in the Summer of 2012 on the Outdoor Channel.

Locating the bird that you choose to chase is where you will need to start. You may have two or three birds gobbling good at daybreak and eventually you will have to choose which one to try to work on that mornings hunt. One is located about 200 yards away in a pine plantation on the edge of a clearing.  Another is only 100 yards away in a water oak across a small branch with running water. The question you have to ask yourself is which one you think is going to commit to a good mornings conversation when you start to talk to him.

Let us start by thinking with the one closest to you. Even though he is across a branch it might be easy for you to cross and set up as close to him without spooking him. There are a few catches to this bird and one major problem is that there are eight hens roosted that are located between him and you. What do you do from this point? Do you sit up and get ready to make your calls to him before the hens fly down? You make this call?

Downside:

: You have to cross the branch.

: There are hens between you and him.

These are just two things that you have to look at that could affect the movement of the bird and you as the hunter. There could even be a log or a fallen tree the he may fly down by and you may never see him.

Upside:

: The bird is only 100 yards or so away. This means he is closer than bird number two.

: He can be playing right into your favor when he makes his way to the ground.

: The hens can be of use if you play your cards right and sit and wait him and them out.

Most times if he has roosted in that tree for a couple of days he is aware that the hens are there and more than likely he is headed straight for them as soon as he hits the ground. This bird can be easily harvested with a little patience ad time on your behalf.

Now let us get to the ups and downs of bird number two. He is located on the edge of a clearing in a pine plantation. He has no hens within 250 yards of him meaning that if he is after a certain set of hens he is going to have to battle the gobbler across the branch closes to you in the beginning.

  Downside:

   : He is further away and if you make the wrong move then you stand a chance of knocking him off the     roost to soon.

   : He has probably already been whipped by the first bird. So even if you have the jake decoy out when you get close to him me may just change his mind about the sweet hen sounds you try to deliver to him in the beginning.

    Upside:

    : He is alone and has no other birds around him.

    : If you can get close enough to the clearing then a hen decoy just may play in you favor to bring him in.

When you have a bird like this the odds can defiantly be in either yours or his favor. The odds of a loaner bird like him means he could also only be a two-year old or even a jake that has gotten lost from the group from the evening before. Set up as close as possible and watch for him to hit the ground in the clearing before making any sudden moves or calls to him. You also are the one to make the right call for bird number two.

Will a bird cross a creek to come to a flock of willing hens? That is up to him in other words. It is mother nature that take the effect on wild turkeys, especially an old gobbler. It is in the favor of the gobbler to fly down and stay put and just strut his stuff and have the hen come to him instead of him going to the hen. It is your job as the hunter to hunt for these birds and not just call to these birds. As I have said on many other occasions you are turkey hunting and not turkey calling when you play this game.

Turkey hunting in the south is totally different from in the west or in the north. Birds get call shy faster it seems and they know when to come and know when to stay and we as the hunter have to learn to play the game that they are ranked number one at before you ever start. So many have tried and so many have fallen at the game we call spring time turkey hunting. You never have the upper hand until the trophy is harvested and hanging from your shoulder as you head back to the camp. We win some and we lose some. In the game we cherish so much we tend to walk home empty-handed more times than with one hanging over our shoulders.

It is a hunt for the hunter to enjoy but it turns into the turkey being the one that comes out on top most of the time. We sometimes have to sit and wait for hours under a tree and act as if we are the hunted. So I leave you with this and you make your own call. Are you the hunter that is going to bag that old hung up gobbler that lays the whipping on you each year. Or are you going to be the hunter that brings him in for all to see ate the end of the hunt.