Looking For Love Again....

Well it's that time of year again, the leaves are changing, the temperature is dropping, the fields are becoming bare and love is certainly in the air.  This is a special time of year, testosterone is at it's peak and all caution is thrown to the wind, many of you can probably relate to this and at one point in your life you have probably felt the affects of the ever so promising "Rut". 

A magical time when bucks are chasing does, does chasing other does, bucks chasing other bucks.....it's hectic is what it is but us whitetail hunters wouldn't trade it for the world.  Many people believe the "Rut" starts on all Hallows Eve and continues for a few short weeks, but what they fail to realize is that there are a few different phases that encompass the "Rut". 

So let us discuss:

The Pre Rut- The term Pre Rut means that the bucks are gearing up for a long drawn out mating battle. This usually occurs between the 15th of October through 1st of November.  Between this time frame you can expect the bucks to be on the move, cruising through the woods putting down sign anywhere and everywhere they can get to.  You will start to notice scrapes and rub lines, these are put in place to designate stomping grounds and territory.  You can usually tell a mature rub line by the size of the tree, typically a less dominate buck will rub on trees that are smaller in diameter and larger, more mature and aggressive bucks will tend to rub on larger trees.  If you have been watching one particular buck and realize that he has left the area or has become nocturnal, do not panic, he is just out and about checking his area and his doe population, he will most likely come back around!

The "Rut"- When it is in full swing you will know it, the thunderous sound of antlers cracking in the distance, the leaves crunching as the bucks chase the does relentlessly.  Usually the 1st through the 15th of November is when this all takes place, this is also the best time of the year to call a buck in by using a few different calls.  The grunt call, this is a great challenge call and when you do this you are telling the buck that there is competition in the area.  If you are looking at a dominant buck you will most likely check out the situation, but if you are trying to call a younger less dominant buck you may not have the same luck.  If a younger deer just got his bottom whooped he will probably venture away from a grunt call, or even a snort wheeze.  I will usually only call if I can see the deer, by doing so you can see the reaction of the deer, this provides an opportunity to learn how your call affects his behavior.  Another way to entice a deer is to use a set of rattling horns, this puts off a sound of two bucks fighting over territory or a doe, there is a good possibility that this can influence a deer towards your stand/blind.

The Lock Down Phase: During this time you can expect to see little deer movement, the does are in full estrous and the bucks know it.  The bucks will gather their does they want to breed and push them away from others so that they can keep them all to themselves (I know selfish right).  The bucks will stay with their doe/does until they are ready to breed, which for some people this can be helpful, if you have an appropriate place to spot and stalk you have a good chance of sneaking in for the kill.  I know a lot of people say it cannot be done (to stalk a whitetail) but you never know until you try, find where they have them held capture with long distance scouting, put together a plan, adjust for wind and make your move. 

These are the phases put simply, the breeding cycle does carry all the way to the end of December, so get out in the woods, don't be afraid to call to a deer and sit all day if you have to.  Like I said it is a magical time of year and anything is possible in the whitetail woods, you can't get'em on the couch.  Good luck and I hope this has helped a little.

The Great 8 (Brutus)

What an amazing weekend, Nicole and I have been on the go non-stop this year it seems like! Between work, school and family events it seems like we hardly ever have time to prepare for the hunting season.  So whenever we have the opportunity we take it, our spare time is usually filled with hanging cameras, stands and setting up blinds. 

October 2nd is the day that it all came together, all the hard work and dedication over the years has finally paid off.  Nicole and I chose this spot very carefully, with the help of trail cameras and a little bit of luck we were able to pattern "Brutus", over the past 6 months Brutus had made his presence known, with rubs all over the place, these rubs warned lesser bucks that this was his territory.

We arrived at the blind early on the 2nd, we knew there were several deer in the area that would travel through the center of these fields all throughout the day, we wanted to get in and set up with enough time for everything to settle down.  After a mile walk in we finally reached the blind, by the time we sat down a little after 12, and there we waited, waited and waited but we were not discouraged we knew what was in the area.  The wind started to calm down around 6:45, allowing us to hear everything moving around us.  With the anticipation of waiting and knowing what this area possessed we were not discouraged, we hoped that Brutus would be making his appearance shortly.  The sky was beginning to darken; I was peaking through the blind windows when I noticed a rack out of the corner of my eye.  There he was, standing proud at the edge of the sunflower field, his rack stood tall and broad and he knew that this was his area.  With every step closer my heart beat faster matching that of his step, and there he was 20 yards broadside, I quietly eased back my bow, and within seconds it was over!  Nicole and I sat there for a second emotionless, just taking in what had just happened.  Then with a big smile and a surge of adrenaline we celebrated what had just happened.  The T3 broad head, mixed with the ability of the Z7 was a deadly combination, I could not wait to wrap my hands around this brute.  We knew he would not go far, the arrow hit exactly where it was supposed to, we followed the trail for about 50 yards, and then saw the white belly.  THERE HE IS I yelled, as I approached Brutus I knew all the hard work, all the time made the difference.  Nicole did a perfect job with the camera, capturing it all on film.  This was our first time filming a kill and to me it could not have happened better. 

This is our dream, to make it big in the outdoor industry and I do believe we are off to a great start.  Thank you all for your comments and for giving us the time!  Also thank you for making this all possible, there are many of you out there that have helped us along the way, we truly could not do this without you and your support.  Stick around and we will send more action your way!  We will have the video posted shortly, AGAIN THANK YOU!!!!

Brett and Nicole

THE BACKROADS

The Back Roads

What a busy, fulfilling weekend it was!  What could be better then checking trail cams, hanging stands, putting corn out and brushing in blinds?  Actually not a whole lot, but what makes it all worth while is having your wife right beside you!  Recently Nicole (my wife) and I decided to start our own outdoor production company, we have started by recording our little outings into the woods, while we check our cameras and do various task that relate to what we are trying to accomplish.

We both have little knowledge about what it takes to run a production company, but what better way to learn then to just jump right in and learn as we go.  So far we have a name, The Back Roads with Brett and Nicole, sounds pretty easy....we have a name what else could we possibly need?  The personality portion of all this really isn't necessary, right (just kidding)!  Well we have the name so we can work on the personality for the rest of the season.

Our plan is to film whitetail and also turkey hunts, hopefully landing us a gig with a major production company!  We know this seems far fetched, but we truly believe we have what it takes to become the next faces in the outdoor industry.  So hopefully you will join us on our adventure of becoming the new faces in the outdoor production industry.

Too old?

Do you know what you want to be when you grow up? To truly live is to follow your heart and realize that you can achieve your dreams and be who you were meant to be. Whether you are just starting this journey of life as an adult, or a middle age individual, it is time to live your life.  At no point is it too late; at no point are the costs to high to be truly happy with your life. Whether you want to touch the stars or just finish your college degree your possibilities are limitless.

When you were growing up none of you thought about working the night shift at a pointless job that would not allow you to progress in life, I am willing to bet that each and every one of you has had a passion, a passion to do and be something great, a professional basketball player perhaps, an actress maybe or anything your hearts desired. At a young age it is instilled in us that we can do or be anything that we want, but at what point are we to old to follow our hearts?  At what age do we give up on those dreams?  And at what age do we stop dreaming completely?

It is my privilege to persuade you to follow your dreams, so cast aside your negative thoughts and that pesky little fellow that sits on your shoulder and tells you that your dreams are not possible and allow me to open your childish hearts back up and light that flame of passion that once burned deep inside your soul.

So what will you do with your dreams?  Patch Adams once said "When a dream takes hold of you, what can you do? You can run with it, you can let it run your life, or let it go and imagine for the rest of your life about what might have been."  I am sure all of us here tonight can relate to this, I myself have had several dreams throughout my young life just like many of you.  Yet I have only been able to accomplish few, you may ask the questions, well is he trying hard enough?  Is he taking the necessary steps of setting small goals to reach his dreams?  Does he have that burning aspiration required to fulfill his dreams?  As I write this to you now my answer is yes, I do have that burning desire, I do have the commitment and I do have the support needed to be what I am meant to be in life. 

I also know that life cannot be tamed, it cannot be planned and it certainly will not always go as intended.   There will be mistakes made throughout life, I know this firsthand, but it is what you make of those mistakes that can either lead you in the right direction or turn your dreams into scrambled eggs.  So when these minor problems emerge how you will combat them, will you give in or will you push through them and make the best out of whatever situation stands before you.  Frank Clark said it best when he stated “If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere”, the reason for this to be true is because anything easy in life will not hold as much value opposed to something you must pour time, sweat and maybe a little blood into.  Although these may not be the only things holding you back from reaching your dreams.

Nazy Massoud wrote an article “The 5 Major Reasons People Do Not Reach Their Dreams”, in this article she states that most people dwell in their comfort zones, they are often too afraid to take the necessary risk needed to obtain the dreams, but many people fail to realize when we look at the grander scheme of life that it is far too short, and by short I mean you will never get out alive, so today is the day, do not procrastinate any longer as the Roman poet Horace would say “seize the day”.  Tomorrow is too far away and today is growing older, so what will you do today that could change your life tomorrow. 

Yes the risk can sometimes be overwhelming, but would you rather have failed and said you tried then spend the rest of your life wondering what if, what would my life be like now if I had chosen to follow my dream?  The word failure is a word that we consider to be negative, but failure is a tool to learn from, so do not think of it as a pessimistic word but as tool used to gain knowledge.  Thomas Edison, a genius of his time once said “I have not failed; I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”  This is the same attitude each and every one of us needs while we chase our dreams.

Another reason why people fail to reach their goals is because they quite when they are almost finished.  They get to the 90 yard line almost ready to score a touchdown and turn around.  Something may have come up or it might have been getting a little tougher than anticipated so instead of moving forward they give in and make themselves believe that it was not possible in the first place.  Anything is possible though, like I said before if dreams were easy to achieve they would not hold value, this is why they are called dreams.

You have heard the famous Martin Luther King speech a dozen times for he once had a dream; his dream was for segregation to end.  A dream that was almost unthinkable during his time, but with perseverance and a will to succeed he had accomplished his dream.  He faced much hardship along the way, but it in his eyes it was all worth it, to know that all Americans regardless of color can finally become united.

So I charge each and every one of you to follow your dreams, not just now in the moment but for the rest of your lives.  When you get to the point in your lives to reflect on all the good, bad and ugly things that you have achieved, what will you remember most?  Will you be stuck in your high school years, thinking about how it was the best years of your life or will you focus on the goals and dreams that you have accomplished since those days?  My passion is to play a significant role in the outdoor industry, I know it will not be easy, but what I do know is that in my heart I feel like a kid again because I know that it is not too late and it never will be too late to keep that inferno burning inside. 

I know many of you have had dreams and they have faded along in the distance and out of nowhere new dreams arise, you may have changed your mind and that is fine.  So what are you going to do today to make sure this dream here and now will not wither away with the rest?  Get out there and make it happen, be logical about the situation and assess it, but make sure you keep that fire burning somehow and someway.

Many years down the road I want each and every one of you to be able to look back at your lives and have no regrets, I want you to be able to cherish each and every moment as the people you were meant to be, the few that followed their dreams, the few that reached their dreams and the few that gave their dreams a living chance.