Kicking off Summer… and getting ready for Fall!

Summer time means going to the lake, hanging with friends and family, and lots of good food! June always means family reunions, lots of birthdays, and high temperatures. There are not enough weekends or free time for me during this particular time of year. The nice weather has arrived and the fun has begun.

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This weather also means that ticks are out, tornados are hot and heavy, and deer season preparations must commence! For my family, we find that we hardly have enough time to enjoy all the activities we want to. The four-wheeler is always out, shed hunting (now winding down), fishing, and fawn spotting are favorite pastimes, and the groundwork for the next season must be initiated.

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This is part of the excitement that makes harvesting an animal all worth it. Hunters can do the most during the summer and late summer to up their odds of success this fall. As always, when we’re in the woods, we respect Mother Nature and our fellow man, making us just not “users of the land” but stewards of the land.

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We began with our food plots. Many hunters neglect to create a staging area for bucks. Staging areas are spots where bucks mill around prior to entering a food plot or feeding area. There are several options to choose from when selecting a product to plant. You can choose from wheat, clover, sugar beets, turnips, and several others. We try to select one that we know will do well with our type of soil.

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Next, we select trees for our tree-stands. We try to look for a tree that will be near a “hot zone” that accommodates our stand. Take into consideration the prevalent wind direction. You do not want to disturb natural movement. It’s also important to pick a spot that offers some form of cover. At the very least, we should have a backdrop of leaves and branches.

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Another advantageous thing we do is set up game cameras. We set them up around food plots, main trails, funnels and isolated water holes. We check them about once a week to every two weeks to cut down on human odor. The images these cameras provide give us great insight as to what we should expect to see in the upcoming season. For us, they are usually filled with an abundant array of wildlife. From does and bucks to wild hogs and foxes, it’s always a delight to scour through the images.

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We enjoy all of these activities as a family. It gets us active and outdoors. It also brings us pride knowing that we have put in the hard work to make the harvest successful.