Develop Proper Archery Form

27 Jul

Pictured here is perhaps the most popular position of the feet when it comes to shooting; the “Open Stance”. It is easy to perform and opens up the shooter to the target resulting in less interference with clothing from the bowstring.

Despite the fact that you may be shooting the most highly tuned bow, adorned with top of the line accessories, if your shooting form is bad your accuracy will likely be worse. Shooting with good form requires mastering a number of processes. However, once these processes are understood and learned, shooting with proper form will be as easy as walking across the floor; it will become second nature.

Before incorporating the following steps into your shot routine, be sure that you are shooting a well tuned bow set at the appropriate draw length.

Proper Shooting Stance
Where you place your feet during the shot process can have a great bearing on where your arrow strikes. By nature, your body has a natural centering point. If your feet are not positioned properly you might find yourself being pulled away from this centering point. As a result, the body will fight to return to this location. Unfortunately, this can occur during the shot which will impede accuracy.

Resist the urge to grip your bow. Instead, let your fingers naturally drop around the handle and riser. This will eliminate unwanted tension and bow torque making your shots more accurate.

There are 3 basic stance positions to consider. They are as follows.

Squared Stance: Feet are in-line with one another, drawing a line perpendicular to the target.

Closed Stance: Front foot is forward from the front of the body
Open Stance: Front foot is slightly pointing toward the target.The best stance, regardless of which you choose, should be comfortable and solid. This starts by placing your feet about shoulders-width apart with your body weight distributed between the midsection and rear of your feet.

Most bow hunting experts will suggest an open stance which starts by positioning your toes 90 degrees to the target, and then taking a half-step backward with the foot that is closest to the target. This stance will essentially place the chest more toward the target and allow for greater bowstring clearance along the bow arm and chest.

However, this stance may not be for everyone. In order to find your perfect stance, enlist the help of a friend and simply close your eyes and draw your bow while facing a archery target with a wide back wall, anchoring as you normally would. With your eyes still closed, move your body and feet around until you find the most comfortable position. Then, open your eyes and note the direction of your aim.

When it comes to hauling back the bowstring, don’t rely on the small bicep muscles of the arm. Instead, use the larger, more stable muscles of the upper back and shoulder. Not only can these muscles pull more weight, they are also steadier and fatigue less quickly.

Let down the bow and reference the position of your feet by pointing an arrow straight at the aiming spot. You have just found your stance.

Correct Bow Grip
When it comes to gripping the bow you want to do so in such a way that hand torque is not promoted. In other words, you want your grip to be as torque-free as possible. To do this, you first need to find the best location for the grip to contact your hand. This can easily be accomplished with a simple test.

First, take your bow hand and hold it out as if you were going to grip the bow; keeping it slightly open and rigid to imitate pressure being applied to it. Next, take your thumb from your other hand and push it into your bow hand at different locations. You will notice that every location you push with your thumb causes your bow hand to move or collapse—-except one. That one spot is where you want to place the pressure of the bows grip while at full draw.

Your bow arm shoulder should be down and in a “locked” position while at full draw. This makes it more difficult to flex the bow arm causing shot-ruining muscle tension.

This location is typically where the bones in the forearm butt up against the base of the palm. It is a bone-to-bone contact point and is the most reliable, torque-resistant location in which to place the bow grip.

When grabbing the bow, place a small amount of tension on the string, just enough to feel it in your bow hand. Then position the grip into the area you discovered by pressing your thumb into your palm. Now you are ready to draw the bow. Just remember, upon reaching full draw, your bow hand should remain relaxed with your fingers falling down or dangling around the front of the riser.

Drawing the Bow
This may seem like a trivial facet to good shooting, but drawing the bow properly incorporates all of the essential muscles needed in order to shoot with good form; mainly, the back muscles. One of the easiest ways to do this is to think of your drawing arm elbow as having a hook in it. When drawing the bow, start with your elbow about as high as your jaw line. Then, imagine someone has a string attached to the hook that is in your elbow. Now, think about them pulling your elbow straight back as you draw your bow. Instead of puling with your biceps, you will notice that you are actually drawing the bow by using the larger muscles of the upper back; specifically, the rhomboid muscles. This will allow you to relax the rest of your body and pull through the shot using only your back.

Bow-Arm Position
A steady aim equals comfortable shooting and tighter arrow groups. A relaxed bow hand is the key to this. To acquire this it is imperative that your drawing side shoulder be down and in a locked position during the shot. Positioning the shoulder in such a manner will greatly reduce muscle tension which is the root of poor aiming. Before drawing the bow, lean slightly toward the target, then start the drawing process. This will place the shoulder in a low, locked, “bone to bone” position.

When it comes to where you place your release-hand, choose and area along the face/jaw-line that is easily repeatable and consistent; your shooting will likewise follow. Hunter shown wearing Lost Camo.

Anchor Position
Consistency is the cornerstone to good shooting. The best location to anchor your bowhand is somewhere along the jawbone that provides the most stable platform. In other words, choose a spot that allows your hand, knuckles, etc. to rest solidly as you release the trigger of your release or let go of the bowstring.

A good tip is to locate this spot with your eyes closed, without looking through the peep sight. Then, once your anchor point has been established, with your head in a natural, upright position, you can open your eyes and adjust the peep sight to your eye, instead of adjusting your eye to the peep sight.

The bottom line is to find an easy-to-repeat anchor point; one that will be consistent and second nature when shooting under pressure or any other time.

If good shooting form and posture are present, your body should resemble the letter “T” when viewed from behind. Hunter shown wearing Lost Camo.

Establishing T-Form
The easiest way to confirm that proper draw length and comfortable shooting posture are being used is to look for the “T-Form” as the archer is at full draw. This is easily recognized while looking at the shooter from behind. When doing so, his/her body will represent the shape of a “T”.

The torso should be vertically straight, with a direct line running up and down through the spinal column. The horizontal line in the “T” should run from the bow-side elbow, through the shoulders, and across to the drawing elbow. The trick to establishing this “T” form is to make sure that your drawing elbow isn’t too high or too low. Ideally, it should be about the same height as your ears while at full draw. This will promote the use of back muscles to draw and execute the shot.

Include these simple steps into your shouting routine and watch as your accuracy improves and your confidence soars not only on the 3D archery range, but in the field as well.

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Posted by Wawang Lake on July 27, 2015 in archery, bow hunting, Wawang Lake Resort

Tags: archery, black bear hunting, black bear hunts, Bow Hunting, hunting, hunting at wawang lake, Wawang Lake, WMU 15A, WMU 15B

A big bear sighting!

29 Jun

Well sometimes you just have to let a bear bare all!

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Posted by Wawang Lake on June 29, 2015 in black bear, Black Bear Hunts, Wawang Lake Resort

Tags: bear, bear sighting, black bear, black bear hunting, Wawang Lake, Wawang Lake Resort

Rise and Shine!

27 Jun

So spring has sprung…summer is well on its way….and it is apparent with the awakening of the bears 🙂 They are slowly emerging and letting us know that we should stop worrying about the snow…it’s all gone now!!

This is the first time that these babies have seen the snow……

No worries though, Momma is always nearby!

So for those that were worried that the snow would never leave, Mother Nature says just be patient…..it is just around the corner!

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Posted by Wawang Lake on June 27, 2015 in black bear, Wawang Lake Resort

Tags: black bear hunting, black bear hunts, wawang black bear hunting, wawang black bear hunts, Wawang Lake, Wawang Lake Resort

How to make bear tallow soap

09 Jun

44 oz. bear tallow
20 oz. olive oil
20 oz. coconut oil
12 oz. lye crystals
32 oz. cold water

When making soap it helps to have everything laid out and organized.

Here we have our lye, distilled water, equipment used only for lye which is labeled as such, and safety equipment. While soap making is not hard you can never be TOO cautious with the lye. Make sure you use gloves and safety glasses. Wear shoes and long sleeves.

Lye is a base so if you do get some one your skin rinse off with vinegar(an acid). Lye will also react with aluminum, cast iron, and steel. For this reason we use some plastic, probably picked up at the dollar store.

Here we have our oils all set up. The zip lock bag is rendered bear tallow. The pot and stick blender are only used for soap making. You will also need thermometers for checking temps. One for lye and one for oils. A scale is important for exact measurements.

If you are interested in making your own homemade soap, you are going to want equipment that will only be used for soap making. Search your cupboards for bowls and pitchers you don’t use anymore. Hit up some garage sales and thrift stores. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
Like any hobby there is costs however this hobby will get you homemade soap that is better than any commercial bar out there!

Closer look at that bear fat : )

Measuring out your fats and oils.

Pour oils into stock pot and slowly heat up. For this recipe since the tallow is hard as is the coconut oil we found in order to melt all the fats down the oil heated up way past what we needed it at. We then had to let it cool down. This process took the longest. For future note we will get the oil melted down well before we start the lye water.

When the lye hits the water it heats up fast. The goal is to get it to the temperature down to what your soap recipe says. In our case between 110-115 degrees. To help cool it down we will stick the pitcher of lye water into a ice bath. Another option would be to measure out your water the day before and freeze it.

While I was setting other stuff up I had my pitcher of distilled water sitting in the ice bath already.

Measuring out the lye needed and where to find lye. We have always had luck at Menards, and I haven’t tried anywhere else. If you can’t find it ask, they don’t always keep it on the shelf and if they do they only keep one bottle on at a time. Lye is often misused for horrible purposes. Also, make sure it says 100% Lye.

Equipment just for lye.

Our oils are melting down so we will wait a bit to combine the lye and water. You should have an idea if you are going to add other stuff to you soap. It’s good to organize all that you need in exact measurements so they are ready. You never know how fast things can move a long. Better to have a little down time waiting on temps than being rushed and frazzled. That’s when accidents happen.

You can add some extra fats after the soap traces for superfatting. You can add fragrance or other additives for texture.

One of our batches is to be a “gardeners” soap. We added rosemary and lemongrass essential oils for the scent. For the exfoliant we added a mixture of poppy seeds, caraway seeds, dried rosemary, and psyllium seed husk whole. If one was to recreate this they could just pick one. We happen to have these four ingredients on hand so decided to do a mixture with all.

Exfoliant for our gardener’s soap.

Another thing to ready before you get started is a place to keep the soap for the initial set up. It is recommended that your soap should slowly cool down. Most instructions will say to wrap your mold in towels. We also place our molds in coolers. Just helps insulate a little better and it’s safe from being bumped or knocked over.

You will need something to mold your soap in.

Miscellaneous containers we have found here and there is what we use for molds. Soap is initially caustic so over time the soap you make will break down the molds. Ours were cheap so we are ok with that.
I really love the silicone loaf pan. It holds a little over 2 pounds of soap and the soap always comes out so easy. If you are using old tupperware it helps to line with wax paper and grease it down a bit.

Back to the lye and oil. The oil and fats have melted down and are now cooling so we now are going to mix the lye and water. Always pour the lye INTO the water and slowly!

Make sure your gloves and safety glasses are on!

Stir it up and do not lean over it. You could wear a mask during this step. Make sure the area is well ventilated. There will be harmful fumes.

Almost instantly the temperature gets to 150+ degrees.

Now we wait some more. The oil is still cooling and now the lye needs to cool. If your oil gets cooler before your lye just heat it up again.

When both reach desired temps pour lye water INTO oils. Always.

Very quickly the oils start to thicken.

The process of the lye and oils combining is called saponification.

Follow this link, they give a good description of saponification.

If you don’t have a stick blender you will need to stir by hand. You will be stirring for a LONG time. Time does vary based on the oils used, but it still takes a long time. The stick blender is.a.LIFESAVER!

For this recipe I think we stirred with the stick blender for about 20 minutes.

You stir until the soap reaches trace.

Trace means the oils and lye have combined.

Now we have soap. Add any other additives at this point.

What combination of fats and oils makes a good soap?

Here just a couple links I found that explain the different characteristics commons fats and oils used in soap making.

.

http://www.ravenmoonsoap.com/blog/2013/02/22/Soap-making-Oils-and-their-Characteristics.aspx

http://www.soap-making-essentials.com/soap-making-oils.html

In a nutshell soap making directions.

Collect ingredients
Weigh ingredients
Get fats/oils to desired temp
Get lye water to desired temp
Add lye water to oils
Stir until trace happens
Add any additives
Pour into molds
Let sit for about 24hrs
Take out of molds, if hard enough, and cut.
Cure for 4-6 weeks
Always use caution when working with lye.
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Posted by Wawang Lake on June 9, 2015 in black bear, Wawang Lake Resort

Tags: bear hunts, bear tallow soap, black bear, black bear hunting, Wawang Lake, Wawang Lake Resort

Bear Facts to Success

28 May

Simple Fact: The more effort you put into masking your scent, the bigger the Black Bears coming into your target zone will be.

All experienced Black Bear Outfitters have their little tricks to make their bear hunters hunt more enjoyable and also help with their success. If you are new to bear hunting you should know what you are up against. Every hunter wants a big trophy bear and this article should bring you a little closer to that goal, but remember, to thoroughly follow the advice of your outfitter, if you’ve chosen one, and, above all else: DO NOT DEVIATE from the routine they have already established.

Black Bear hunting to the outfitter is about luring bears to a target zone for their hunting guests by baiting with food the bears like such as high-carbohydrate foods. Bread, pasta and other high starch content foods are rare in nature but it’s what the bears want most so they can quickly store fat for the winter. It’s also about setting up stands at strategic spots where big bears have been scouted. Black Bear hunting for the hunter is all about stealth, with the two biggest factors being sound and most of all, smell.

Black Bear’s Sense of Smell: Olfactory Receptors

The Black Bear has the best sense on smell of any land walking mammal on Earth. It’s really hard for a human to comprehend how well a bear can smell as we basically have to stick our nose in the pot to smell the sauce. Comparing the amount of Olfactory Receptors between a human and a Black Bear is mind boggling.

Olfactory Receptors are microscopic bulbs on the end of nerves in a mammal’s nose. The more you have the better your sense of smell is.

Humans:
6,000,000 Olfactory Receptors (6 million)
Blood Hounds:
1,800,000,000 Olfactory Receptors (1.8 billion)
Black Bear:
12,600,000,000,000 Olfactory Receptors (12.6 Trillion)

A Black Bear can smell 2100 times better than a human. In addition the Jacobson’s organ in their mouth can taste the air, adding to their brains perception. A mature Black Bear can smell your breakfast from 20 miles away if the wind is right. Big mature bears can smell better than smaller younger bears as their noses are larger and more developed. Bears also know what unnatural smells are and associate them with a human presence. This can explain why Black Bear hunters that are not fanatical about the way they smell rarely see big trophy bears. There are procedures you can do to minimize unnatural smells to keep the bears concentrating on the bait that the outfitter has put out for them. It is wise to check with your outfitter before applying anything new to the bait station that they normally don’t use.

1) Before your bear hunting trip; pick a couple of sets of clothes that you will only wear at the tree stand while hunting. Wash your clothes with scent-free detergent and when done, run them though the wash twice again with no detergent so they are well rinsed. This will ensure your clothes are scent free. If you live in the city and have chlorinated city water then go to a pet store and buy a small bottle of Aquarium Water Conditioner and add ½ oz. to the last rinse cycle you do with your clothes. The water conditioner will neutralize the chlorine in the water and keep the chlorine smell out of your clothes. Remember, they can smell 2100 times better than you so don’t feel silly getting fanatical. Then pack the clothes in a plastic bag to keep them scent free. If you consistently use fabric softener in your clothes dryer it’s best to hang your clothes up to dry because residual clothes softener might go on your clothes. If you are a smoker, do not smoke while wearing your hunting clothes.

Before we go to the next points you should be aware that Black Bears love the smell of mint. If you go on a camping trip in any of Ontario’s provincial parks the wardens will tell you not to keep mint toothpaste or mint gum in your tent because the bears will smell it and go after it. The bears craving for mint can be used to your advantage.

2) Think Mint: Go to one of those hippy tree-hugger heath stores and buy mint soap. The morning before the hunt take a shower using the mint soap. Brush your teeth with mint toothpaste. Chew mint gum while in the tree stand and if you really want to go all the way, have a glass of mint tea before the hunt and even keep a few bags of mint tea in your pockets. This will help cover up any scent.

3) Smoking: If you are a smoker and you smoke in the tree stand you are basically wasting your time if you expect a big trophy bear to come within sight. Wind direction can give you a little luck but it’s not something you should count on. It’s best to wear a nicotine patch while in the tree stand and if you need to; chew mint gum to keep your mind off smoking. Remember to brush your teeth and wash your hands and stop smoking before you put your scent free hunting clothes on. This would also apply to cigars and chewing tobacco as well.

Black Bear Hearing:

The shape of Black Bear’s ears is mainly responsible for their great hearing. When detecting sound based on volume a bear’s hearing is about four times that of a human. However, a bear can hear a much broader frequency range; both higher and lower frequencies. Rubbing of cloth or twisting of your tree stand can produce sounds that the bear can hear and the hunter cannot. Big old male bears develop a crowned head and their ears move out to the sides giving them stereoscopic hearing, which allows them to pinpoint the origin of the sounds they hear. This is another reason why big old bears are harder to get.

With this in mind try to stay absolutely still. If you have to move; move very slowly. Take some nose drops before the hunt and if you have a cold or allergies. If your throat is dry and itchy bring some mint flavored lozenges with you. You can also oil the joints of your tree stand to make them a little quieter.

Black Bear Sight:

During the day a Black Bear basically has the same site as a human but older bears tend to be near sighted. As a result they cannot focus on things from a long distance. When one of an animal’s senses becomes diminished their brain rewires itself to compensate by making other senses more acute. This is known as neural placidity. As a bear gets older they become near sighted so the brain compensates by being more sensitive to color differentiation. If the bear sees colors it thinks are unnatural and he sees those colors move the game is up. Bears cannot see the same range of colors as a human. Hunter orange looks gray to them. But they can see dull reds and yellows as well into the blue/green cool color spectrum. This is why there are many different forms of camouflage clothing.

Picking the right Camouflage:

You need to talk to the outfitter when you book your hunt and ask what kind of plants will be at the tree stands. If the hunt is taking place in the southern range of Ontario’s bear hunting country during the fall you may have a mix of coniferous and deciduous trees, thus you will need a camouflage that represents pine needles, pine bark and colored fall foliage. If you are father north in an area with only pine trees you will need a camouflage that represents pine bark and pine needles, which means dark brown and green. You need to blend into the scenery so their bear cannot see any unnatural color pattern.

Black Bears are nocturnal. They have a reflective layer in the back of the eye called the tarpetum lucidum. Just because you can’t see them does not mean they cannot see you. Since dusk is the hottest bear hunting time it’s also when you should concentrate the most on being quiet and motionless.

Bear Size:

In most cases, big ears mean a smaller bear. A small ear is usually a bigger bear. Once a bear reaches three years old (approx. 100 lbs.), the bear starts to grow into its ears. The ears and eyes don’t grow as much as they do in the first three years. Sometimes if a bear has a hard year with food, the ears will look bigger because the bear is thinner. Read our article: How to Size a Black Bear

Cubs:

When a sow is with cubs, 90% of the time the cubs are in the lead. The cubs will make more noise than a single bear. Most of the time, adult bears make little or no noise.

Sow:

You can’t shoot a sow with cubs in the Ontario spring hunt, and in the fall we continue this policy on our BMA – DO NOT SHOOT SOWS with cubs.. So make 100% sure you know what you are shooting at. Take a really good look around to make sure there are no cubs. A sow’s ears are usually closer together, as a male bear’s cranium grows wider on top and the ears look farther apart. They also look smaller, which is really an illusion.

These tips and techniques are just a guide line for some things to consider and think about. Ultimately the outfitter is the person you need to discuss the different factors with. Bear hunting can be quite different in different regions.

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Posted by Wawang Lake on May 28, 2015 in Bear, black bear, Black Bear Hunts, hunting, Wawang Lake Resort

Tags: archery, bear, black bear, black bear bow hunting, black bear hunting, Bow Hunting, Ontairo black bear guide, Ontairo black bear outfitter, outfitter, Wawang Lake, Wawang Lake Resort

Grinding Wild Game with Meatloaf Recipe

24 May

For foodies, especially those smart enough to eat within their means, there is no better everyday meat than wild-game burger, whether it is from elk, antelope, moose, or most likely, whitetail deer. No meat sold at the farmer’s market is more local, humanely raised, drug free, and genetically unmodified than that from a wild animal cleanly killed by the hunter. And if you process it yourself, you know exactly what you’re getting. No mystery meat or pink slime scares when it’s done D.I.Y. If you do decide to do the grinding at home, there are a few things to note when processing wild game into ground meat. Here are few tips to get the best from your burger.

1. Buy The Best Grinder You Can Afford—and Keep it Sharp
An underpowered grinder, or one with a dull knife, won’t grind meat cleanly. If the meat coming from the grinder plate looks like it’s been extruded rather than cut, make sure the back of the plate is free from sinew and the retaining ring is on tight.

2. You Get Out What You Put In
Who knows what ground meat from the grocer contains. When you do it yourself, you control the final product. Make sure you clean your meat well and trim with a judicious, yet keen, hand. Trim sinew, yellow fat, silverskin, and all bloodshot meat before it goes into the grinder.

3. Keep Things Cold
You’ll get a much better grind with less smear if your meat, and the grinder, is cold. Put cubed meat in the freezer for at least 30 minutes until it’s firm, but not hard, to the touch. Also, throw the grinder neck, auger, blades, and plate in there as well.

4. Don’t Forget Fat
Beef has fat built right in, but wild game burger needs a boost. You can use several things to up the fat content (and flavor) depending on what the final product is going to be. Bacon trimmings (sold in boxed form often called Ends and Pieces) add a distinctive flavor to burgers and meat loaf. Beef tallow and pork butt are both available from good butchers and make great fat additives. You can control the ratio of meat to fat, but I like somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 to 15 percent. Experiment until you find what’s right for you.

5. Or, Cut The Fat
Some folks want to cut the fat altogether and that’s fine, too. Just realize that a 100-percent wild-game burger can be very dry and will fall apart when cooked. To avoid crumbly burger, consider adding some type of moisture as you form your patties (same goes for meatloaf). This can be anything from eggs to bread crumbs soaked in milk. Last summer, Wild Chef readers turned in a bunch of great ideas for better burgers.

Meat Loaf

Ingredients
– 1 lb. ground meat
– 8 oz. can tomato sauce
– 1 egg, beaten
– 16 to 20 Saltine cracker crumbs
– 1/2 cup of dry oatmeal
– 1/2 onion, chopped
– ¼ cup ketchup

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix ground meat with tomato sauce and beaten egg.

2. Crush the Saltines in a gallon-sized zip-top bag and mix in the dry oatmeal and chopped onion.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the meat-egg mixture and, using your hands, blend thoroughly.

4. Form meat mixture into a loaf pan. Liberally cover top with ketchup. Bake for 45 min to 1 hour.

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Posted by Wawang Lake on May 24, 2015 in Bear, cooking, moose, recipe, Wawang Lake Resort

Tags: black bear hunting, Cook, grind meat, meatloaf, Moose, recipe, Wawang Lake Resort, wildgame meatloaf, WMU 15A, WMU 15B

Big Binoculars: The Advantages

23 May

Back in the 1970s, an uncle once told me that one of the most useful things any big-game hunter could own was a binocular in the 15×60 range. He said he never went elk hunting without one, and because I always did everything he said, I rushed right out and bought a Zeiss porro prism glass in 15×60 and it was exactly as he said, a highly specialized but invaluable tool if the circumstances were right. Of course, like a jerk, I sold them some years later, but recently I traded a lot of stuff and coughed up some cash and got another big glass in the same power range.

What a major binocular will do is let you see when it is very dark, and let you see in detail at long range, or in great detail at medium range. On my recent trip to Kansas, the hunter who shared the blind with me had a 10×40 binocular of the first caliber, and I had a 15×60. In practical terms, what it would do was this:

At last light, when it was too dark to shoot, if we could see a deer I could tell if it was a buck or a doe. Fifteen minutes earlier, when he could see if it was a buck or a doe I could see if it was a big buck or a little buck. Fifteen minutes before that, if he could see whether it was a big buck or a little buck, I could count the points and evaluate the rack in excruciating detail.

In some cases, a spotting scope is better. If you’re glassing miles of country, there is nothing that can take the place of 40X. However, at the intermediate ranges, say, 300 to 1,000 yards, a big binocular lets you spot things faster, lets you use both eyes, and is a lot smaller and lighter than most spotting scopes. They’re not cheap, but under the right conditions, big glasses are more than worth it.

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Posted by Wawang Lake on May 23, 2015 in Black Bear Hunts, gun hunting, hunting, hunting equipment, moose hunting, preparation, Wawang Lake Resort

Tags: binoculars, black bear hunting, black bear hunts, hunt, hunting, hunting equipment, moose hunting, Wawang Lake Resort, WMU 15A, WMU 15B

Big Mistakes NOT to Make in Your Bear Stand

15 May

Part of the thrill of the hunt, is the anticipation knowing that with every second that ticks by, you are one second closer to harvesting your trophy black bear. What happens when those seconds turn into hours and then into days? Being under prepared to be in your stand for extended periods of time can be frustrating, and worse yet, can prevent you from achieving a successful hunt.

It would be awesome if we knew when and where the harvest was going to take place, but that wouldn’t be hunting then, would it? Having a plan in your bear stand can make your hunt much more enjoyable. Things to consider: weather, bugs, boredom and nature calls.

Weather – Avid hunters know that fall weather can change in a heart beat. It can go from warm, to cold, windy and raining in the blink of an eye. Having the right clothes in your back pack can make the best of a somewhat undesirable situation.

Bugs – can be a huge annoyance in the great outdoors. Especially when you are forced to sit still for extended periods of time. Avoid bug sprays when bear hunting… PERIOD! A new, unfamiliar scent, along with an intuitive feeling that something isn’t right, will keep trophy bears from over coming fear and committing to your bait. Bug jackets and bug nets are a must. (Oh, on side note, make sure you practice shooting with your bug net on). Regarding the portable propane bug eliminators, we highly advise against them as it is a new scent that can be detected by a bear easily and may quickly deter them.

Boredom – Nothing will end your hunt faster than impatience and constant movement in your stand. If you are like most guys who can’t sit still for more than 30minutes at a time, you must bring something with to occupy your mind. I personally use a book. I have also seen guys use those portable, pocket video games. Regardless of what you use, make sure you sit sill and only utilize things that will be quiet and non light reflective.

Nature Calls – Ever been in the stand when all of the sudden you have to take a pee? Sucks, doesn’t it? I don’t know how many times I have had this happen to me, yet somehow I always forget to bring a container along. Put a portable urinal on your packing list. Doing so will make the difference between shooting that monster and taking it’s offspring or nothing at all. NEVER eliminate off of or near your stand! There is nothing more offensive and frightening to a bear than knowing a human is directly near by.

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Remember, being prepared to sit that stand can mean the difference between a very successful harvest or having to return and start all over again!

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Posted by Wawang Lake on May 15, 2015 in black bear, hunting, Wawang Lake Resort

Tags: black bear hunting, black bear hunts, tree stand, Wawang Lake, Wawang Lake Resort

Maximizing Your Hunting Time With Trail Cameras

12 May

Over the last five years, probably no other “gadget” has changed the way we scout more than the trail camera. For many of us, running trail cameras is a hobby in itself, bringing a whole new excitement to our deer hunting efforts. Much more than just something to pass time, however, running trail cameras can give you a unique insight into the patterns of deer on your hunting properties and really tip the odds in your favor for harvesting a mature whitetail. Let’s take a look at the features to look for when purchasing a trail camera, and how to get the maximum benefit from the camera once you have made your purchase.

As the popularity of these scouting tools has grown, so has the number of companies offering their own line of cameras. The features on these cameras cover such a wide spectrum that choosing the right one for you can be a daunting and sometimes confusing task. While this article isn’t meant to tell you WHICH camera to buy, it IS meant to help you sort through some of the most common differences among the various trail cameras to help you narrow down your search.

RESOLUTION
The resolution of a trail camera is a measure of the image size that the camera creates. So a 5.0 megapixal trail camera will give you a much larger image – and therefore more detail – than one with 3.0 megapixals. Which resolution you choose really depends on how important it is to have a large, crisp image. If you are only concerned with having a general idea of what deer are in the area and when they are traveling through, then about any resolution offered on today’s cameras will suffice. If you want a larger, more detailed image to print off for your friends, then you may want to shoot for something with at least 3.0 megapixels.

BATTERY TYPE & LIFE
In my mind, this is one of the most important considerations when choosing a trail camera, as it will have a huge effect on the cost of maintaining the camera. I have seen some “cheap” trail cameras that burn through six C-sized batteries in a week, and suddenly the “cheap” camera gets VERY expensive! Others claim to operate up to a year on eight AA batteries. So before you go buying a camera based on price alone, keep in mind the battery life, as it may be the most expensive choice you could make in the long run.

TRIGGER SPEED
Another important feature is the trigger speed of the camera, which is simply how long it takes the trail camera to shoot a picture once something has “triggered” the motion sensor. A faster trigger speed can be the difference between having a great shot of that trophy buck and just having a picture of a deer’s butt as it walks out of the frame. If you plan on placing your trail cameras over feeders or a mineral lick, then trigger speed will not be as much of an issue as it would if hung along a trail.

FLASH TYPE
This is almost a moot point, since most trail cameras today have gone to infrared flash. An infrared flash, as opposed to the incandescent flash found standard on most consumer cameras, is less likely to spook deer, uses less battery life, and is less likely to be detected by other humans (i.e. thieves!). While I’ve gotten plenty of pictures of big, mature whitetails with an incandescent flash trail camera, there is no doubt that some animals are spooked by the bright flash. If you can afford the infrared flash, the benefits certainly outweigh the small increase in cost.

OTHER FEATURES
While we have covered some of the most important features to consider when buying a new trail camera, there are many more options that could impact your decision. One of these options is the size of the unit. Size varies greatly amongst trail cameras, and some companies are now producing models that are as small as your hand. Other models go as far as being able to send the pictures it takes directly to your email or cell phone, so the only time you have to check them is when the batteries need replacing. How’s that for convenience?

Before you head out to buy your next trail camera, take a minute to think about how it will be used and what features are most important to you. This will make the task of narrowing down your choices much easier when you start the shopping process.

MAXIMIZING TRAIL CAMERA USE
Once you have waded through all the details, made your decision and laid down your hard earned money on a trail camera, all that’s left is to hang that thing on a tree, right? Let’s take a look at some ways you can be sure you are using your camera to its potential this season and getting the most bang for your buck.

DRAW THEM IN
One of the easiest ways to maximize the effectiveness of your trail camera and insure that you see a good representation of what is in your hunting area is to use some type of attractant to lure the deer into camera range. Probably the most common attractant used across the country is shelled corn – it’s cheap, readily available, and the deer love it. For the purpose of getting trail camera pictures, there is no need to invest in an expensive feeder; just simply spread 100 pounds on the ground in an eight to ten-foot circle area where you want to hang your camera. For safety reasons, do not place the corn in large piles or in an area that holds moisture, as this can result in molding that can cause disease in both deer and turkey. Depending on deer density and other available food sources, this should get you five to ten days worth of pictures. Be patient, as it may take a few days for the deer to really key in on the corn and for you to start getting good pictures. Once they find it, though, it won’t last long!

Before you start dumping corn on your favorite hunting property, check your local game laws regarding baiting. If corn or other “feed” is prohibited, but would still like to attract deer to your camera location, then you may want to consider creating a mineral lick. You can buy one of the many commercial mixes available today, or simply create your own by mixing 50 lbs of trace mineral, 50 lbs of feed mix salt, and 10 lbs of dicalcium phosphate. Break the soil up with a shovel in the area where you want to create your lick and work your mix into the soil. Once the lick gets a good rain on it, it shouldn’t take long for the deer to find it and start paying regular visits.

KEEP IT MOBILE
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 what the deer are doing on your hunting property. Don’t get caught in the trap of leaving your camera in the same spot all season. This will not only limit your ability to pattern the deer, but it may keep you from discovering that trophy buck that could be hanging out on the other side of the property!

By experience, two weeks seems to be enough time to get a 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.

KEEP GOOD RECORDS
Once you have moved your camera around your property and gotten plenty of pictures to look at, the real work has just begun. Now is the time to sort through the pictures, identifying as many unique animals as you can, analyzing what camera sites each deer is visiting and the times that they were there. This should start to give you an idea of the travel patterns on the property, as well as potential stand locations.

This season, make sure you use these tips to get the most out of your trail cameras, and the next picture you get of that monster buck may be the one with you behind him holding his antlers, OR, even that BIG bear 🙂

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Posted by Wawang Lake on May 12, 2015 in Bear, black bear, bow hunting, do it yourself, gun hunting, hunting, moose, moose hunting, preparation, Wawang Lake Resort, Wildlife

Tags: archery, black bear, black bear hunting, black bear hunts, bow hunters, Bow Hunting, hunting, moose hunting, moose hunts, Wawang Lake Resort, WMU 15A, WMU 15B

2014 Black Bear Hunt Video

23 Apr

Our 2014 season was both rewarding for us as outfitters and successful for our hunters as well. Our hunts consists of an average of 14 hunters annually and our guide Terry (owner of Wawang Lake Resort) works hard each season to provide active baits for each and every hunter. His objective is for every hunter to harvest a bear – if they opt to do so – so is it any wonder that much of his day is spent out in the field during the black bear season to ensure a positive outcome..

The following video are of the highlights of our 2014 hunt.