Miss America, Tattoos, Brains, Beauty and a Deer Hunter, Too

January 12, 2014, 3:00 am

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Theresa Vail, the 2013 Miss Kansas and a top 10 finalist in the 2013 Miss America pageant, loves to bowhunt and shoot her bow.

Theresa Vail is a hunter and Miss America finalist … so how cool is that?

Vail was the 2013 Miss Kansas and competed in the 2013 Miss America pageant last autumn. She finished in the top 10 in the latter and drew attention during pageant week for her love of hunting, archery and tattoos. Vail was the first pageant competitor to model with body tattoos; as expected, that drew mixed reactions on both sides of the proverbial fence.

Pageant officials would not allow her to shoot her bow and arrow on stage during the talent competition. They cited safety issues, of course. But suffice to say that the 23-year old beauty from Manhattan, Kan., wowed the audience, TV viewers and judges with her intelligence, skill and beauty during the competition. A top 10 finish is strong!

Vail was interviewed by Alan Clemons in October for this “I’m a Deer Hunter!” feature:

You had quite the time the last year or so with Miss Kansas in spring, Miss America in autumn and a lot of media attention. How have the last few months been for you?
“It’s been a roller coaster with all the national media. But I’m very blessed and it’s been great. Busy, but great.”

Theresa Vail, in an older photo, with a doe. She loves hunting deer and squirrels.

How many interviews do you do a day?
“At least one a day and some days up to four. I don’t really understand it. I just went out and did my thing, didn’t expect national media from it, and was just out there being true to myself. Everybody has a story but not everyone comes out and shares their story.

“When my story about bullying came out along with my tattoos, I’ve done a lot of work and will continue to do so with schools about bullying, how to recognize it, and how to deal with it. I believe it’s far more prevalent than people realize. I talk with kids who are having major problems — being pushed into lockers, verbal abuse, cyber-bullying (online). One told me about being threatened with being stabbed. It’s big. It’s more of a problem than people realize.”

This is your service platform as part of your role as Miss Kansas and a Miss America contestant, right?
“Yes. There’s a reverence to the four points of the crown. One is for service and advocating our platform, at schools, fundraisers and public functions. There is no personal benefit to what you’re doing other than helping make a difference.”

What is next for you in your life?
“My year of service ends in June as Miss Kansas. After that I’m done with pageants. I’ve enjoyed it but I believe I’ve hit a high point with my national media and service. I’ve made my mark. But I’ll continue to speak to schools against bullying and my platform.”

How did you get into hunting?
“My dad is a big time hunter. When I was younger and being bullied, and I got it even in the home and felt like I was not safe anywhere, Dad took me when I was 7 years old. It wasn’t even the hunting we’re familiar with now. It was just being outdoors in a quiet, serene zone and not having to worry about anything.

“I enjoy deer hunting and squirrel hunting. It’s just fun. With deer you have to stay quiet and not move. For squirrels, you can walk around, talk and enjoy the day in a different kind of way. I prefer to bowhunt with my Hoyt Vixen but if my dad’s going to an area that’s better for gun hunting then I’ll do that.”

Note: Vail switched to using a Bear Archery bow after this interview was conducted.

With all the duties as Miss Kansas and with your service with the National Guard, do you get any break to go hunting?
“The (pageant) Board governs my calendar and what I do as far as appearances and events. But because they realize people love me for what I do and my hunting, which to some is my ‘unusual’ hobby (laughs), they’re lining up events with breaks so I can go hunting.”

Where all have you hunted besides Kansas?
“I was in Ohio last year at Thanksgiving and it was freezing. That was not comfortable for me. I had to keep telling myself ‘Just 5 more minutes’ and it was tough.

“When we lived in Germany we hunted for boar or deer. It was very regulated. The Germans would have maybe 20 German hunters walk in a line to push out the game, and the Americans were on the other side to shoot. That was pretty neat. When I would go with my dad he’d put me in a stand and then we would track a deer if he shot.”

How did your fellow pageant contestants feel about your hunting and outdoors passions?
“Once they learned about my hobbies and background, they kind of looked up to me as a leader, an Army girl, not a girly-girl. Quite a few were interested in learning about hunting, which wasn’t expected.”

If the right opportunity presented itself, would you get involved with outdoors companies as an endorser or promoter of hunting?
“Oh, my gosh, absolutely. That would be a dream come true. Girls are looking up to me and in the hunting industry because I believe I’ve shown you can have best of both worlds. You can be a tomboy and not have to stick with one thing. I have worked to introduce young girls to the outdoors and get involved.

“I’ve been contacted by Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shops and Remington … if I was put into a position to help, I would consider it because I believe women want to see a real person, a multi-faceted person who has daily life with things related to work, kids, family, sports and spouses.”

 

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Alsheimer: Buck Rubs Continue in Winter

January 15, 2014, 9:29 am

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I was recently sent an email that described some of the deer behavior the writer was seeing now that his northern deer season is over. In it he was wondering why he was now seeing a number of fresh rubs in his hunting area. For starters whitetail rutting behavior does not end when peak breeding ends, especially when it comes to rubbing behavior.  From velvet peel to antler casting bucks have an urge to rub, even when cold blasts and heavy snow from the north invade their home range. The only thing different with winter rubbing behavior is that it's not as frequent as it is from October to December. I took the accompanying photo about two weeks ago to show some of the rubbing behavior that occurs long after breeding has ended. As a side note the air temperature when I took this photo was 10 degrees above zero. Get Charlie's book, Strategy for Whitetails, at a special price today.

• Rutting Behavior
• Maximizing Hunting Opportunities.
• Breathtaking Photography.

Ted Nugent: Daughter Sasha Connects for First Michigan Deer

January 16, 2014, 10:23 am

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It was cold for Texas in the rolling hills outside Sonora Texas back in December 1982. My little boy Toby was 6 and daughter Sasha was 8, and we were stalking the stunning deergrounds of Seco Mayfield’s cattle ranch with a little .222 Remington boltgun. My kids have been involved with my hunting in one way or another from the very beginning, but this was the first real genuine dedicated effort to get them a shot at a deer. And where better than in the great deerhunting state of Texas where there was on minimum age law, and such decisions were left to loving parents instead of bureaucrats. Duh! Trained from birth with pellet guns in the living room sniping clothespins and figurines, both Sasha and Toby were absolute marksmen with a scoped rifle, both more than ready to kill a deer. LISTEN TO DON'T PUSH ME from the "Nugent" album released in 1982.

We stalked carefully, looked intently, and were having a grand old time when we spotted a dandy buck a hundred yards out in the cactus flats. It was great fun as we carefully crawled to an old barbwire fence where Sasha chambered a round like a pro, settled in and took the shot. Thump! Down went the handsome eight-point buck and much celebration erupted on that Texas hillside. She drilled it perfectly on the point of the shoulder, and none of us will ever forget that magic deerhunting moment together. Ted Nugent hunting on DVD. Order it today. The pretty buck is mounted on the wall as a glowing reminder of that special day, but that was a long time ago, and as life is known to go, for one reason or another, we have not gone deerhunting since, till this season. Toby has become a worldclass deerhunter, which we will celebrate here none too soon, and Sasha has been on numerous deerhunts with old dad many times over the many years since, but she hasn’t actually gotten out to get another one for herself. With her two beautiful sons and a fulltime workload, we just weren’t able to put it together till November 2013. With but a subtle suggestion that she wanted to join her father, I scrambled to put it all together. She got her license, she practiced at the range, we gathered warm clothes and orange garments for her and my 5-year-old grandson Caeden, and off we 4wheeled to our Shadow Hunter blind where we would be comfy and out of the wind, and where Caeden could get away with some five year old fidgeting. I filmed it all for Spirit of the Wild TV, and hope I adequately captured the incredible fun, joy and love that filled our little deerblind. It was nearly three hours before we saw deer, and the three does were at a bad angle for a shot, so we waited some more. As video shooting light was about to fade, another trio of big swampdonkey she-deer ambled out of the marsh edge puckerbrush and Sasha went into her predator ballet as if she had done it every year since 1982. With Walker’s Game Ears protecting everyone from the report, I filmed her and the deer as her 20 gauge slugger boomed the silence, and her Ted Nugent Ammo slug walloped the huge doe at about 80 yards right in the shoulder. Oh, it was mighty special, dad, Sasha and Caeden hiking through the woods and marshgrass to recover the gorgeous doe. It was birthdays, graduations, Christmas’s, baptisms, everything wonderful all rolled into one thrilling family moment of perfection. My cup runneth over. Ted Nugent and Family

Layering Your Hunting Clothes for Cold Weather Hunting

January 17, 2014, 8:31 am

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The polar shift in climate across the country has made all of us throw on an extra layer. But what if you’re hunting in this cold weather? What would you wear for hunting timber wolves in Ontario during January and February in -50 degree conditions? It’s time to man up in layers. Here’s how I roll when I'm cold weather hunting:

Layer 1: Compression base layer with heat-retention

Studies have shown that runners and cyclists have improved blood flow through their muscles when wearing compression gear during workouts in the lab. The main benefit of compression sportswear is that it keeps the muscles warm to prevent muscle strain and fatigue, and wick sweat away from the body to prevent chafing and rashes. This year I tried base layer by Columbia with Omni-Heat, both the pants and long-sleeved shirt for women. It has this neat-looking reflective lining and is made of mostly polyester and some elastane. It stretchy form fits tight against skin (as any good base layer should) and you can feel it retaining (and almost creating) body heat as you begin to move around. Other reviews on this say it runs small—which was my first impression upon taking it out of the box—but after wearing it out in the field I can see it fits just right. TIP: I pull on a pair of ‘Darn Tough’ boot socks over the pant legs.

Layer 2: Pull on some Cold Gear pants base layer

I received a pant and short-sleeved set of Under Amour Cold Gear years ago and finally pulled it out of the closet. I’m a fan of the pants for sure, and I would use the shirt if it were long-sleeved. It’s not paper thin which I like, fits snuggly over Layer 1 and has a comfortable waist band. Unfortunately it must not be available in women’s sizes as the gifter gave me the men’s version or the giver was playing some sorta prank on me. Probably the latter. Deer & Deer Hunting TV explored the topic of hunting in extreme weather in this episode.

Layer 3: Additional warmth with polyester and elastane

We’ve all heard of the benefits of polyester, but what the hell is elastane? Flash back to the 80’s and think spandex. It’s an elastic, polyurethane material  usedin pantyhose, underwear and even swimsuits. It’s absorbs very little moisture and allows for movement and flexibility. I use Under Armour Women’s ColdGear Infrared pants and V-neck shirt.The shirt is soft, made of polyester and elastane, and has the heat-trapping technology you want from your core layers of clothing using this soft-ceramic coating on the inside. It wears close to the skin but has a little lessof that ‘compression squeeze’ so it fits nicely over my other layers. It has the heat-trapping technology you want from your core layers of clothing and the thumbholes in the sleeve are a nice addition to keep your sleeve from rolling up while you’re getting dressed and moving around out in the field.The pants have a comfortable mid-rise, flat waist band and wick away sweat. Bonus heat tip for this layer: Get a few packages of sticky-back HotHands for the feet and stick one on your back between the shoulder blades and one on your chest. In really brutal temperatures, I’ll stick one on the topside of each thigh, one on each arm just above my bicep (but below the deltoid), and even throw one up inside my hat. Feet get colder than most? I use the ThermaCell heater insoles and have been known to put a HotHands pack inside my boot just behind the laces. Bonus sock tip for this layer: Top off this layer with a pair of wool socks pulled up over the pant legs.

Layer 4: All this chatter about ‘merino wool,’ but what’s all the fuss?

Merino wool clothing helps regulate body temperature (especially when worn against the skin) and provides a bit of warmth without overheating the wearer. It wicks away moisture from the skin, and unlike cotton, wool retains warmth even when it’s wet. It comes from a particular breed of small-sized sheep originating from Turkey and Spain that produce anywhere from 6 to 40 pounds of wool each year per sheep. It’s no wonder these sheep are considered adaptable foragers. But don’t be mistaken. The term ‘merino’ is thrown around loosely and not mutually exclusive. Wool from a Merino sheep is certainly merino wool, however, Merino sheep bred for both wool and meat purposes do not produce a wool fine enough that suitable to wear against the skin. And if you’re an animal lover like me and worry about the shearing of their wool, don’t worry. Their coats grow continually so shearing the wool at least once a year prevents the animals from suffering heat stress, difficulty seeing, and allows for flexibility and movement. I use Icebreaker’s Merino Wool Bodyfit 200 Lightweight Series because it is lightweight, machine washable (I recommend hang drying), and doesn’t chafe when I wear it against my skin while I’m biking or hiking. During the cold hunting season, I wear it over Layer 3. It's available in both men's and women's sizes.

Layer 5: Fleece-lined vest to seal the core

Why is it so important to keep the core of your body (heart, lungs, brain) warm? Because if you’re core become cold, the body decreases blood flow to your arms, legs and feet in order to conserve heat as of way of protecting your vital organs, also known as vasoconstriction. If you want to keep your appendages warmer, keep the core warm so it shares the heat unselfishly. I wear a zip-up, camo-outside, fleece-lined inside vest to keep my core heat locked in. I feel it really seals in the heat my body generates. I liked it so much I bought a second vest for casual wear during the fall and winter season.

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Get the book: Trophy Bucks in Any Weather By Dan Carlson It's no secret that changes in the weather alter the behavior of deer. Trophy Bucks in Any Weather teaches you how to recognize storm fronts, wind shifts, changing air pressure and more so you can predict deer behavior during these weather patterns, giving you the edge for your next hunt.

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Layer 6: Without the hood he would just be Robin

It’s important to not only generate and retain body heat when you're hunting in cold weather, but also keep the cold winds from breathing down the back of your neck and chilling your bones. I wear the Under Armour Women’s ColdGear Infrared hoodie. It almost feels like foam, nice and thick. When the wind starts raging, I can scrunch up the hood around my neck or pull the hood over my head to ward off the weather. It has pockets in the front for hand warmers too. This is made of the same snazzy material in Layer 3. Mine is black but I wish this bad boy came in camo.

Layer 7: Outer pants and jacket

I change up the outer jacket and pants depending on the terrain. I’m testing out some new threads, so I’ll be sure to let you know which ones work best and keep me warm. Stay tuned.

Layer 8: Safety harness for treestand hunters gives safety and warmth

If you’re hunting from a treestand, you should be wearing a safety harness. I use this one from Hunter’s Safety System which also adds an extra layer of warmth because it wears like a vest.

Layer 9: Cover up those phalanges

I've always had trouble finding a glove that could do two things: fit my hands and keep my fingers warm. I've been lucky enough to stumble on these gloves from Huntworth. They fit my fingers, keep my hands warm, and don't make me feel like I have monster banana hands the size of my head. They have Sensor Series form-fitting gloves with tactile feedback capabilities and the Stealth Series for those freezing-your-arse off days.

Shawn Michaels: From WWE’s Heartbreak Kid to Hardcore Deer Hunter

January 19, 2014, 3:00 am

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Shawn Michaels is a mulitple WWE champion and in the WWE Hall of Fame, won the PWI Match of the Year honor 11 times and still is quite popular among wrestling fans. Known as The Heartbreak Kid, Michaels hails from San Antonio and now hosts a popular outdoors television show, MacMillan River Adventures. He's traveled around the world for wrestling and hunting, but enjoys being in a stand in Texas. Michaels, 48, loves hunting with his crossbow and says he's in favor of legal, ethical hunting as long as folks are happy, getting outdoors and enjoying life. He was interviewed by Alan Clemons for this "I'm a Deer Hunter!" feature: You recently were hunting in Africa. How did that turn out? Man, that was a really great place with a lot of nice folks and everything under the sun as far as wildlife and scenery. We took a big group of people over there and had a really good time. Africa is such a game-rich environment. We really enjoyed it. How did you get started hunting? I grew up in Texas in San Antonio and obviously when you’re younger you have the opportunity to visit ranches and go. I always wanted to go, but in Texas football is king and in high school I played football and then got into wrestling, so I didn’t go. In 1998 I was 33 years old and had what everybody said was a career-ending back injury. That was the first time that I had any significant time on my hands. A friend of mine invited me to go and I jumped at the chance. The first time I was in a deer blind and woke up with the sunrise, watching the animals and nature wake up, so so to speak, I was just blown away by it and fell in love with it. All of that drew me to it. Having a life that was so hectic and busy, the peace and tranquility of being outdoors and that being the polar opposite of what I’d been doing for years really drew me to it. I got to experience something new and I’ve always felt, very strongly believed, that hunting and being outdoors is instinctive. I firmly believe it’s in the human DNA and believe you have to be exposed to it in a positive light to really grasp it. It’s quite a difference being outdoors versus your career in the WWE with all the lights, crowds, characters in the ring, jumping off cages and being on television. Did that amplify your appreciation of being outdoors? I was always a shy kid growing up. No one was more surprised by my character and short of everything I did in front the cameras than my parents and family members. They just knew that was not the guy they had raised. For me, I think there was a part of me that wanted to entertain but was too shy and finally given the opportunity in front of camera to pretend to be who you wanted. But in my time away from that job, I’m actually a pretty laid-back guy. I’ve always told people I’m not a very good famous person. I did it but it took me a long time … I still have trouble with it. My wife jokes that she’s never met someone who forgets who they are so fast. I go into daddy or husband mode so quickly. Early in my career I struggled with all of that and went through some bad stuff. But there was a great synchronicity of the outdoors, my family, my (Christian) faith … when I had time to slow down as result of my back injury those things came together in my life at the same time. All that stuff saved my life. I wasn’t on a real positive road before that and all those things coming together really helped me.” And it was new, a new experience. I don’t want to underplay my job in the WWE because I’m proud and honored to have been a part of it, but in a lot of respects we can agree it can be pretty silly. That was a joy of it. But the animals don’t care who you are. Nature doesn’t care who you are. You know there’s no one playing along with you. No matter success or defeat, it’s on you and it’s genuine and real. I think that’s one thing that appeals to me consciously and subconsciously. There’s no pretending, I guess. The most exciting hunt my wife ever had with me was a three-day turkey hunt. We didn’t kill anything, but we were runnin’ and gunnin’ with a bow, and the interaction and activity … that was like our date weekend. We had a great time. It was sort of the raw, naturalness of it all. It was spectacular. To this day she looks back on it as our favorite hunt. I just don’t see the downside of it and enjoy passing all that down to our kids. No matter how you come out of a hunt, you come out with some wisdom and knowledge. Do you prefer hunting with a gun or bow, or is anything good for you? I started out gun hunting and then grabbed a bow for a little bit. As my (wrestling) career went on, my bow poundage went from 70 to 50 because of my shoulders and that’s when I picked up the Carbon Express crossbow. I have a limited amount of (bow) pulls before my shoulder gets uncomfortable. So I’m all all-of-the-above kind of guy. I have a great deal of respect for tradition and history, but I think we have to change with the times and adapt. I saw that with the WWE and think we have to with outdoors, too. I think with improvements and knowledge of weapons, I say do it. I get concerned sometimes that the outdoor world will struggle dealing with itself more than outside pressures, be it a bow or crossbow or whatever. If it’s legal in your state and you’re hunting ethically, I say do it. I don’t think we should work each other over because of the method. I’m not the all-seeing and all-knowing, but I just know that I enjoy it. People who are older, who are young, maybe disabled or just don’t have much time to go … let’s encourage them to get out and enjoy hunting. If they want to use a bow or crossbow or whatever, or they’re on an open ranch or in a 5,000-acre high fence and that’s all they have or the only opportunity they have to get out, then I don’t want to beat up someone and tell them they’re less of a hunter for something. There are so many places in Texas that are high-fenced, I didn’t know anything different really existed until I started hunting in other states and began learning about different states. I just grew up knowing that’s what we had. I really didn’t.  We (outdoors industry) have such big fights in front of us; I don’t see us needing to argue over small things. Most of the mighty nations crumbled from within. I just don’t think that’s a good thing for us to do. We have so many threats to the Second Amendment that I don’t think it’s good for us to be fighting about something like a crossbow or a high fence when we have bigger issues facing us. What are some of your favorite or memorable wrestling stories? The absolute hardest question for me to answer is about a favorite match. I look back on 25 plus years and realize, honestly, that not being able to pick just one or two is a really good thing. I’m so fortunate, for a guy who weighed a buck-90 in a business where people said you had to be 6-foot-4 and weigh 250 or so, and I made it and achieved so many things in WWE. I’m flattered and humbled that I was able to do those things and have the opportunities. My matches against Razor Ramon are the ones that put me on the map. My first world championship in 1996 was big.  I had such big matches with guys the promoters said I was too small to be wrestling against — Undertaker, Big Van Vader, Triple H. Being chosen for “Match of the Year” so many times. My matches with Jericho. Darn near every WrestleMania that I was in, I tried my best to make sure no one remembered anything else but me. From a sentimental standpoint, my last two matches with Undertaker were memorable. They were spectacular, they were with WrestleMania, with a guy who along with me was with WWE the longest. We both came in at 23-years old, had respect and admiration for each other, had grown from kids to men. For a lot of reasons those two were very special for me. I had a lot of very memorable things … to be with Triple H starting Generation X, bringing a new style of WWE and bringing in a new era. When I go to appearances now and grown men and grown women show me photos of them when they were kids … to have shared that with them is pretty special. I’m a kid from San Antonio who wanted to be a wrestler. I never grasped that you could be that big or be a big part of something. It’s inspiring and humbling. To pin down to one moment, I don’t have that ability. I’m at a state in life where I’ve come to appreciate it more deeply. What was it like to have come from when you started to what it is now? Thirty years ago we had regional wrestling on television from small gyms or National Guard armories, small crowds, guys like the Anderson brothers and Tojo Yamamoto who were carrying on regional wrestling from the very early days. Now it’s stadiums and mega-money and gigantic events. I started in 1985 when we had what they called territories. I first started wrestling in Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas and was there for about six months before going to Kansas City for about three months. Then I went back to Texas for a year. Then I got what I would call my break when I moved to Minneapolis and started a tag team with Marty Jannetty as the Midnight Rockers with AWA and we were on ESPN. That’s when WWE saw us and things took off from there. Even the WWE was different then than now. It’s gone from privately owned to publicly owned, from Saturday morning or Sunday evening to prime time and is now anchoring USA Network with Monday Night Raw. It’s pretty amazing. I got into it aspiring to do what you saw, not in a stadium in front of 80,000 people and millions on pay-per-view. That hadn’t happened yet. My idea of success was being a top guy in his territory who drove 3-4 hours from his apartment one night, worked in the armory or gym, and made $1,000 or $2,000 a week and that was gigantic money. That was huge. Now, to be flying first class around the world, people knowing who you are … I went through my young, dumb phase where things can affect you negatively, but I came around and now I’m stunned at what happened. I look at it as an amazing, awesome experience and remember the days of wrestling in the Junction in San Antonio with duct taped turnbuckles and 50 people, and I thought I’d made it then.  

Alsheimer: Deer Get Through Winter by Browsing Natural Foods

January 22, 2014, 11:44 am

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Winter takes a heavy toll on the white-tailed deer, especially in the snow belts of North America. North of the 38th latitude (Virginia north), food can be tough to come by, especially if food plots and agriculture crops are not available. In such settings, whitetails must rely heavily on natural foods. In my area of western New York the preferred browse species for deer during winter are wild apple, basswood, ash, soft maple, aspen and red oak, in that order. When a whitetail browses it will nip off 1"-3" of the branch and two-thirds of the nutritional value will be found in the first inch of the branch. Due to snow and cold a northern whitetail's food consumption is but a fraction of what it was during the spring through autumn time frame. How Long will a Deer Bed in Winter? When a whitetail feeds in winter will depend on the weather conditions. If the temperature drops below what is normal for the area, with gusty winds, deer will stay bedded. It is not uncommon for deer to go 48 hours or more without eating if such conditions exist. In addition, whitetails will also gravitate to mast such as acorns and beechnuts, if available, and a variety of forbs. One such forb that is highly preferred by deer in my area during winter is goldenrod leaves. I took the accompanying photo of a buck eating goldenrod leaves in January to illustrate a whitetails preference for goldenrod. Though low in the necessary nutrients a deer requires to survive, forbs like goldenrod leaves and natural browse make up the bulk of a northern whitetail's diet from January through March. Get Charlie's book, Strategy for Whitetails, at a special price today.

• Rutting Behavior
• Maximizing Hunting Opportunities.
• Breathtaking Photography.

Ted Nugent: My Son Toby, the Professional Deer Hunter

January 23, 2014, 8:52 am

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On that first deerhunt together in Texas in 1982, where 8-year-old daughter Sasha killed her first whitetail, 6-year-old son Toby was quite let down that he missed his shot. Rather! Over the years, I gently prodded my kids to join me deerhunting, but never pressured them that is was something I insisted on. Rather, I continually shared with them my joys and excitement from every day afield, and had them join me on many exciting, educational bloodtrails and recoveries. These woodland jaunts taught them much about awareness, accountability, sportsmanship, ethics, compassion, honesty, the joke of political correctness, the miracle of nature, wildlife, habitat, resource stewardship, the vicious beauty of God’s tooth, fang and claw creation, and the gifts of life-sustaining venison as we balanced the herds and lands for a meaningful annual Thanksgiving celebration of God’s bounty each natural season of harvest. But young Tobias was more interested in basketball, baseball, football and hockey, and I assisted and encouraged him the best I could in these worthy pursuits. But remember, I hunt every day, all season long, and every night at the dinnertable they heard my always exciting, passionate stories of critter encounters, close calls, mesmerizing nature beauty and stimuli, and after a while, it was all just too contagious for Toby to ignore. He would join me occasionally here and there, and he was certainly a master rifleman and archer, so it was just a matter of time before he got the bug. And when he did, it was a very big bug! A few days into the gun opener in Michigan in 1997 Toby asked if he and his buddy Brad could deerhunt with me one afternoon. Ya think!

Outdoor Channel's BEST OVERALL Fan Favorite Award for Spirit of the Wild. Learn more on Outdoor Channel's website here, and watch all of the SHOT Show action on the Nugent Facebook Page here.

Get the Best Of earlier seasons of Spirit of the Wild on DVD here.

I made them double-check their slug guns at the range, recommended a couple of good stands based on the wind and my nonstop scouting, reviewed the safety basics, and off we went. Long story short, I was bowhunting a ways off to the northeast when shortly after getting settled in for a long evening vigil, I heard a volley of five shots that had to come from where I had sent Toby. I certainly perked up and smiled, hoping for the best but knowing that one shot usually means a dead deer, more than one not so much. It wasn’t long after when I heard what had to be a shot from Brad’s location, and I again smiled and shook my head at good old beginner’s luck. I stuck it out till dark, passing on a pretty nice young eight pointer myself, and I couldn’t wait to find out what all the shooting was about. As I rounded the barn towards the house, Toby and Brad were standing by the barn light, arms folded across their chests with some pretty apparent glowing smiles on their faces. Brad let out “I got a buck Mr. Nugent, and so did Toby!” Well there ya have it. Beginner’s luck indeed. Brad pointed to his handsome little five pointer on the ground. I heartfeltly congratulated him and asked, “where’s Toby’s buck?”, and they said, “well, he’s right over here.” They had obviously hid Toby’s deer so we had to poke around the barn corner to see it, and lo and behold, it was a buck of a lifetime. My son’s first whitetail more than made up for the missed buck back in 1982, for on the ground in front of us was a monster of a mature Michigan monarch studbuck. Toby had pulled off miracle of miracles, and hammered an exceptional five to six year old swamprunner with a huge 160+ inch head of bone. This magnificent 12-point buck was the buck of dreams, and much more important than the dimensions if its antlers, was the glee and fire with which my son exclaimed each and every detail of the hunt, the encounter, the shot, the followup, the recovery, the drag, the tag and the moment when dad saw it. Needless to say, son Toby is a diehard trophy buck hunter now, and he has added a few more dandy bowkills and gunkills to his collection, showing that very admirable patience of a dedicated mature buck killer. He knows his stuff, and is as good a deerhunter as a deerhunter gets. You Hunt, Toby Films, You Shoot Big Bear in Quebec. Learn More. He also guides and outfits for our own Sunrize Safaris, and the unsolicited testimonials I get from every hunter in our camps, confirms what I already know to be true; that my son Theodore Tobias Nugent is a gentleman, hard-working, reliable, knowledgeable, attentive, professional, caring, conscientious deerhunting fool of the highest order, exactly what every deerhunter wishes his son to be. My cup do runneth over more. Ted Nugent

Dan Schmidt: Wisconsin Whiffs on New Deer Management Plan

January 23, 2014, 12:05 pm

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On March 28, 2012, I blasted Wisconsin's new deer management liaisons for a report they compiled for Gov. Scott Walker. After a bunch of hoopla and political spin, they turned in a lengthy document that allegedly spelled out how they'd fix deer hunting in the Badger state. My underlying tone was, "is that all you get for your money?" It's been almost two years, and I'm still standing behind those comments. Why? Because that sad day in the history of modern whitetail management has not become any brighter in the near-two years the state has had to implement a plan to "save deer hunting" for our future generations. Today comes the news of the 12 new Wisconsin deer registration rules that will be implemented from this $125,000-plus exercise in futility. It was boiled down nicely by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Paul Smith, one of the finest outdoor journalists from Wisconsin. Here are the changes, along with my take-aways. Consume at your own discretion, and be careful not to trip on my sarcasm. ■ New Rule: Create a system of 72 deer management units along county lines. Analysis: Pointless. Does nothing to put more deer in the woods. ■ New Rule: Create a panel in each county to advise the DNR on deer management. Analysis: Rife with political problems. The only ones who will sign up are ones with self interests. If you didn't trust the Department of Natural Resources to manage the deer herd in the best interests of the animal, good luck trusting the three or four people they find to fill these positions in your county. ■ New Rule: Do away with quantitative deer population goals, and instead express the local deer management objectives as "increase, decrease or stabilize." Analysis: Perhaps my favorite among all of the recommendations. In fact, we all should use the same approach when visiting the doctor for our annual physicals. "Hey, Doc, I want less cancer this year. Don't bore me with the details." ■ New Rule: Institute a bonus buck system in which a hunter would get one extra buck tag after killing an antlerless deer. The bonus buck rule would apply in all southern farmland units and any other units in the state with goals of "decrease" or "stabilize." Hunters would be capped at a maximum of three bucks a year if hunting with both gun and bow. Analysis: Woo-hoo! No more passing up yearling bucks during early bow season. A wonderful mulligan for tens of thousands of hunters. ■ New Rule:  Allow phone or online registration of deer kills. Analysis: Anyone want to take stab at how many of those deer will be butchered in garages, heads lopped off and tags recycled? Even if 90 percent of us honest folks do the right thing, that means upwards of 40,000 deer that will be killed annually and unaccounted for during the annual review process. ■ New Rule:  Create a system of public and private antlerless deer tags. Analysis: Actually a decent idea. Not kidding. However, my guess is that is would be next to impossible to draw a doe tag for any public property north of Hwy. 8, but so be it. As for private lands, this would get a little complicated. Good luck to the chump who has to figure that out. ■ New Rule:  Create a deer management assistance program. Analysis: Very unnecessary. In other states, DMAP usually specifies how many does a particular property should harvest each year. If you own a bunch of land, you're good to go. If you own a small tract, you're not going to like the advice you're going to get. ■ New Rule:   Prohibit the harvest of white deer in the CWD management zone. Analysis: Can someone say "the pretty deer rule?"  This flies directly in the face of science. Sure, Wisconsin already had an ill-advised law on the books that prohibits the shooting of albinos, and piebalds were legal game. However, both are the result of genetically inferior stock, and both should be fair game if we are all about managing deer in their overall best interests. ■ New Rule:  Divide the state into four management regions: southern farmland, central farmland, central forest and northern forest. Analysis. This serves no purpose for making management easier or more precise. As far as seasons go, the structure pretty much will stay the same for bow, gun and youth seasons. Bowhunters should note, however, that one caveat will eliminate the regular archery tag as an "either or" tag as it has been for decades. Moving forward, the archery tag will be good for one antlered buck only. Admittedly, it is difficult for me to write about Wisconsin deer hunting without being sarcastic. The reasons are many, but they boil down to the fact that I find it maddening our elected officials have taken a natural resource and made it political football. What's more, they're heralding these changes as necessary because so many hunters are disgruntled over the number of deer they see in the woods. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but nothing short of several consecutive mild winters, near extermination of all predators and the widespread clear-cutting of state, county and federal forests will ever fix that. At least not to their satisfaction. Two years ago, Gov. Walker whined on TV about how he was "sick of going deer hunting and not seeing anything." For the record, he had one (1) deer season under his belt when he made those remarks. He's made a lot of progress in his real job, but he whiffed big-time on this one. But that's probably by design, because if he truly wanted to improve the state's deer hunting fortunes, he would have empowered the brilliant Wisconsin-educated wildlife biologists that were already under his employment. In conclusion, what do these 12 new rule changes do to improve the number of deer you'll see this fall? Absolutely nothing.

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Nicole McClain on Deer Genetics: Is it ‘Right’ to Shoot Spikes?

January 23, 2014, 9:44 pm

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"Male deer owning only 'spike' antler points can never amount to quality bucks." Not true. Research indicates that while spike bucks are unlikely to turn into record-book-caliber bucks, with proper nutrition and enough time to age, these same spikes can turn into something most hunters would be proud to harvest.

Button-bucks and nubbin-bucks are not spikes

First let’s define what a spike is for those who are in the lack-of-know for what "spike" actually means. A spike is usually classified as a deer that is one to one-and-a-half years old that has two hardened antlers that do not fork or branch. Let’s be clear, this is not a "button-buck" or a "nubbin-buck" whose head has skin-covered bumps, "nubbies" or "buttons" on his head.

Shooting spikes isn’t for everyone

I was in Wisconsin and had a perfect 15-yard shot at a spike lingering on the other side of the watering hole from where I was set up. I didn’t feel comfortable shooting the spike. Rather, I played peek-a-boo for about 10 minutes from behind a fallen tree which I was sitting.

A spike will always be a spike… or will it?

The prevalence of spike bucks in a local deer herd can be attributed to myriad factors. Most commonly, deer density stress and poor habitat will cause a preponderance of spike bucks. However, given enough time, say 2-3 years, spike bucks will “catch up” and produce decent-sized racks – or as I call it, branchiness (branch E nes). Some management-conscious hunters promote shooting spikes to improve the quality of the deer on your property. They figure if a buck is about 1.5 years and is sporting spikes, land owners should harvest such deer to conserve the nutritional resources of the land for the robust boys and to lower the genetic factor of spikes reproducing. Scientific research does not support this kind of barstool biology. There are just too many factors that affect antler growth. What’s more, the few studies that show lukewarm support for such theories originate from areas like South Texas that are completely different than the rest of Whitetail America. In short, one cannot assume a spike buck is the product of inferior genetics. As has been shown many times on the pages of Deer & Deer Hunting over the past 38 years, yearling spike bucks can and do grow Boone-and-Crockett-class racks if given time and ample nutrition on quality habitat. I guess it works the same for deer as it does for humans.

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Watch Season 4, Episode 7 of Deer & Deer Hunting TV: "Why Yearlings Don't Measure Up." A small yearling buck does not reflect his potential in coming years. Charlie Alsheimer, Dan Schmidt and the D&DH crew discuss why a yearling buck may not look like a trophy in his first years. .

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Genetics, nutrition and age define antler growth

Antler development is genetically based and not all deer have the same genetic potential. However, a buck can only reach monster rack status with the right genetics and proper nutrition and age. And proper nutrition is more than just apples and acorns – their diet should be at least 15% protein with adequate amounts of calcium and phosphorus for "maximum antler branchiness." Antler size can be semi-controlled (I say this lightly) by planting rich and robust food plots on your property and by letting smaller bucks run free for a few more years. It’s really genetics that is the most unchangeable factor. If a deer's genes have it in the cards for small antlers, no amount of nutritious food or endless roaming is going to make him a monster non-typical buck.

Sex is always important

Each sex, doe and buck, provides approximately 50 percent of the genes for that next generation deer. In fact, some studies have shown that the white-tailed doe can be 60 percent responsible for her male offspring’s potential. That being said, when is the last time you were able to look at a doe and say, “Yeah, let’s take her out of the mix. She carries the ‘spike-only’ gene.” Since it is virtually impossible to spot a doe with the ‘spike gene,’ we have to focus on the bucks that show their genes visibly. If you’re an antler-obsessed property owner, I guess you could hope that a branchy-monster buck would mate with several does to pass on to his progeny. Further research indicates that a free-ranging buck has the energy and opportunity to get lucky with a dozen does in a lifetime. So how many years does it take for a buck to reach his plateau for antler growth? About 5 years. After that, the antlers begin to decrease in quality. If you’re a good "age-gauger," look for bucks between 4 to 5 years.

I’m not a spike shooter

When it comes down to it, genetics, nutrition, and age all play an equally important role in antler development. Shooting—or not shooting—a spike is a personal choice for some, and for others it is more of a land management and conservation decision. I’m not a spike shooter myself. Rather, I spend those moments studying a spike’s behavior so I can learn more about these interesting creatures.

Alsheimer: How Deer Survive in Cold Weather

January 29, 2014, 9:46 am

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Since Christmas North America has been hammered with record snowfall and cold temperatures. Simply put, conditions have been brutal. Because of this I'm concerned with how well whitetails will survive over the next two months. The length of time a whitetail beds depends on a host of factors. A deer's age and health, the time of year, weather conditions, and pressure from predators are all parts of the equation. On average, most deer will not bed longer than 2 hours. An exception to this occurs in the far-northern reaches of the whitetail's range. Where intense snow and cold persist, I've seen deer remain bedded up to 6 hours at a time without rising and moving around. Consequently it's not uncommon for northern whitetails to bed over 90% of the time in winter. An example of this is illustrated in the accompanying photo I took in mid-January here in New York State of a deer in cold weather. It was a very cold winter day, with a strong wind out of the north. To conserve energy and stay warm this buck tucked his face between his hind legs and hardly moved during the four hours I observed him. The only time he moved was to stand and shake the snow off his fur. Once that was accomplished he turned his body around and bedded again. Get Charlie's book, Strategy for Whitetails, at a special price today.

• Rutting Behavior
• Maximizing Hunting Opportunities.
• Breathtaking Photography.

Nugent: Cherish Your Queen of the Forest

January 30, 2014, 10:37 am

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I have not only been to the mountaintop, I live there! It’s worth repeating, as karma is as karma does, that I must live a pretty darn decent life, for God has rewarded me in stunning ways for a lifetime of dreams come true. And beyond. I was blessed to be born in America. I was raised by loving parents in a hard-working, ultra-disciplined loving home. I was raised a deerhunter. I was raised a bowhunter. I was so very fortunate to know my passions at a very early age. I hunted with Fred Bear. I got to know Howard Hill and Elmer Keith. I was taught to off-road race by Mickey Thompson and Parnelli Jones. I played bass for Chuck Berry and Bo Diddly. I’ve jammed with the greatest musicians that ever lived. My careers defy gravity. I write for Deer & Deer Hunting magazine and website. But here’s the clincher; I married Shemane. Oh how can it be! It be. So now that you know I am spoiled beyond belief, join me, won’t you, in the celebration that dreams can and do come true, but first you must dream big and push yourself beyond the limit to constantly challenge yourself to not only be the best that you can be, but demand that your best is constantly upgraded so you never settle for status quo anything. Got that? Good. Get the Spirit of the Wild DVD today. So I’m doing my annual top rated Detroit radioshow as the deerseason is about to erupt in October 1988, just coming off a most phenomenal worldtour with my phenomenal killer band performing all those phenomenal killer tunes for all those phenomenal killer audiences, and I was whooped. Plum tuckered out. But the radio gig is a gimme, no problem, no pressure, easy as she goes, simply raising hell in a world succumbing to the numbnut curse of political correctness, as I defied it all with my nonstop promotion of hunting, fishing, trapping, uncompromisingly absolute Second Amendment rights, and allthings good over bad, right over left, America over all else, you know, that obvious logic, self-evident truth, common sense American Way thing I so reek of. Now that’s radio kids. And quite honestly, after that grueling tour, I was ready to shutdown and just go hunting for six months. I had ever sworn off women for the season. I mean come on; enuf is enuf, ya know what I mean. And let’s admit it shall we, to the non-combatants in the culture war, (like at the time 99% of disconnected America! Sheesh! We the sheeple indeed) my constant celebration and promotion of the perfection of hands-on hunting, fishing, trapping conservation and gunrights drives “moderates” a little bonkers. Of course we all know, that being a “moderate” ultimately means you stand for nothing meaningful, always willing to compromise away one’s principals while therefor facilitating the chipping away (fundamental transformation) of America by the lefty America haters, my radioshow was top rated because people were slowly learning to appreciate a guy who won’t compromise of candy coat things to placate the “moderates” and leftists, like animal rights freaks and gun grabbing Constitution destroyers. Can you say “Friction Radio”? I think you can. I was warned that the news and traffic gal at the station was smoking hot, and I would be all over her because she was so beautiful and sexy. Normally, that would be a reasonable prediction, however, this October I was committed to a bachelor season, you know, just to get away from it all and go hermit for a while. Then I walked into the station and saw Shemane, the news and traffic girl. Dammit Ted! You must stick to your plan. Don’t let this stunning woman get in the way of your solo huntseason. Don’t do it man! Stand! You can do it! Don’t gawk! Don’t flirt! Walk away! RUN!! Well that little feeble attempt at discipline lasted a whopping eight seconds, for once we were introduced and I shook that soft yet solid handshake, it was over. I went into full Prairie Chicken strut, feathers all puffed up, breastplate aglow and protruding, dancing that ridiculous cock-o-the-walk high step nonsense. I write it off to a lifetime of diligent training and muscle memory. Think The Bourne Identity when the phone rings. Dammit! So long Prairie Chicken strut story short, in spite of my intense, friction causing top rated radio rants that completely took her off guard and scared her, we fell in love, got married three months later, and went on a huntingmoon. It’s like a honeymoon, but more killing. Over time, Shemane came to understand and appreciate the beauty of hunting, and when she finally made the plunge, she plunged deep. To say she is my best hunting buddy is an understatement, but more importantly, she has become a serious worldclass huntress herself, and more importantly still, her Queen of the Forest segments on our Spirit of the Wild TV show on Outdoor Channel, has opened up the eyes of millions of gals across the land to just how wonderful and desirable and beneficial the hunting lifestyle is. I introduced her slowly, never pressured her, baptized her with proper firearms and bows that were fun to shoot, made sure our hunts were comfortable and non-demanding, and always do my very best to be very patient and understanding when she goes all woman on me. Ok. I shouldn’t have said that. But you know what I mean. So hit it boys! Gently and lovingly get your own Queen of the Forest to join you on your next hunt. Be sweet, be conscientious, don’t expect them to be rugged ass-kicking man type hunters. Keep it feminine, keep it nice. Remember, slow and easy, start with gentle kisses…. Wait, are we still hunting here? Yes, of course we are, aren’t we guys. Goodluck, good hunting, liv it up, Go Wild! Uncle sweetheart Ted

Nicole McClain: Cold-Weather Hunting Preparation Starts from the Inside

January 31, 2014, 11:08 am

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Deer hunters generally know their gear when it comes to hunting in cold weather, and I've written a few times on the topic in this blog. What a lot of outdoors enthusiasts don't realize is your outside is directly affected by your insides, and you need a plan there, too.

Frostbite and Frostnip are real pains

Certain bites and nips are good. Others, not so much. What the hell is frostnip? Frostnip is real, common, and an early stage of frostbite usually on the nose, ears, cheeks, fingers and toes. The skin appears red and usually has a burning or tingling sensation. Frostbite is more serious. The skin feels firm and looks white but the tissue underneath remains soft and mushy. If you don’t go inside before it gets really bad, deep frostbite can cause skin discoloration and blister with permanent damage to those parts. Alright nipped and bitten? Get yourself some warm water (about 100 degrees should do the trick—do not use hot water) and soak your skin. And it’s a hands-off sorta thing, no pun intended, so don’t massage or rub those frostbitten parts. All other parts are free game. Insert wild smirk here.

Watch for the “-umbles” of Hypothermia

Gear can only keep you so warm, so be smart out there and dress appropriately for the weather. Keep an eye on yourself and fellow hunters and watch for the ‘-umbles:’ stumbles, mumbles, fumbles, and grumbles which show changes in motor coordination and levels of consciousness. It could mean you’ve got a case of hypothermia on your hands. And if it cold enough to freeze the nuts off a bear, just stay fireside and take a nap with your favorite canine.

Keep your eyes hydrated

The cold outdoors can wreak havoc on your eyeballs. Basically the harsh changes in temps cause your eyes to produce less tears or tears of poor quality. The cold, dry air (and the dry air from kicking up the t-stat inside your house or cabin) can make your eyes itch and burn too. I keep a small bottle of eye drops in my hunting bag and jacket pocket for dry-eye emergencies. Just make sure you store these in a warm place after the hunt to avoid freezing your artificial tears. And when I have a vehicle to drives me back to camp from the woods, I make sure the heater vents are blowing toward my feet, not my face. Got a bigger dry eye problem? Try adding some omega-3 fatty acids with a supplement, tuna, salmon or walnuts. I take a daily supplement of salmon oil that contains all 8 types of omega-3 fatty acids (yes, there are a total of 8 which not many people realize) and eat a can of white albacore tuna once a week. Not sure where to get vitamins like this? Hit me up and I’ll help you out.

Bad ingredients for a long day of deer stalking

It’s all too easy to become a couch potato during winter months. And for many, hunting season brings on the hearty meals and beer koozies. But if you get lazy with your level of activity in the winter, you’ll not only pack on weight, but your hunts will suffer. Inactivity means muscle weakness, bad moods, headaches, and fatigue—all bad ingredients for a long day of deer stalking in cold temperatures, sitting ‘frozen’ in a deer stand, or battling the burling winds of -40 in Ontario. And nobody wants to hunt with a tired grumpass. I hit the gym on a regular basis to keep my muscles strong and in shape. I switch up my workouts between weight lifting, resistance bands, and running to keep things interesting. And I’m very serious about diet and the vitamin supplements I take to keep things at peak performance. If you have no desire to go to the gym, you’re looking for some lighter activity, or find working out boring, ponder these options:

• Bundle up and go for a ½ mile walk around the neighborhood
• Take your sad-eyed, under-exercised canine friend for a long-anticipated walk
• Walk for 30 minutes at the mall for exercise – not shopping
• Try a winter sport like skiing, snowboarding, ice skating or snowshoeing
• Try an indoor activity like a spin class, roller skating, or walking on a treadmill
• Check your local gyms or rec centers for adult leagues and activities
• Skip the elevator every time and take the stairs

Watch Nicole play Hide-and-seek with Mogador

The key is to find a physical activity that is both enjoyable and interesting to you so you stick with it. Lizard skin looks cool—on a lizard Any female ever look at you and say, “Your dry, wrinkly face is so hot.” No. I’m layered-up in base layer when I’m hunting in cold temps, but often times my hands and face are exposed. Harsh winds, cold temps, and low humidity levels both indoors and out cause skin to crack, burn and itch. This leads to un-fun moments in and out of the woods. You need to moisturize. This isn’t just a chic thing—dudes should do this too. Sure, men wear ‘age’ better than us ladies, but do you think that means we like a chapped arse? Not only will you keep your skin (and your lady) happy but you’ll be a warrior against Father Time’s wrinkle war – on your face and your butt. For your face, find a good moisturizer or light-weight oil that’s made for eyes and face. Even just a light layer in the evening will be a huge improvement if you’ve never done so before. What about your hands and body? It’s sounds like a granny lotion, but Gold Bond’s Ultimate Healing lotion (white bottle) for your hand and body is the ‘schnit.’ There’s almost no odor, goes on smooth, feels good on my skin, and isn’t that messy watered down junk. If you’ve got a serious cracked skin problem, I would try Gold Bond’s Triple Action (in the green bottle). It has a medicinal odor but it’s worth it if your hands are a reptilic disaster.

Vitamins and supplements work if they come from a good source

Having healthy joints and a strong immune system will help you in cold weather hunts. You should be, at minimum, taking a daily vitamin. Do you have joint problems? Boost up your level of salmon oil, glucosamine, zinc, silica and boron. Know this: The mass-marketed vitamins with big brand companies are popular—not because they come from pure sources, or are healthy for you—but because they have huge marketing dollars to advertise and make their brand well-known. Most often, they get the ingredients from cheap, contaminated sources because it’s cheaper to produce. To boot, they do not balance the ingredients properly, so you end up taking more of one ingredient than you should, and not enough of another. Why do they get away with it? Because vitamins and supplements are not regulated by the FDA, so as long as brands don’t ‘say’ that it will ‘cure’ a particular disease, or ‘heal’ a particular ailment, they won’t get in trouble. Example: Let’s look at omega-3s which are taken by millions of people every day. Did you know most brands only include 2 of the necessary 8 omegas in the bottle? Did you know there were 8? Most brands give you only 2, DHA and EPA, in unbalanced amounts and from a cheap, ‘unclean’ source. Look for an omega-3 that has been screened for contaminants such as mercury and lead, comes from a pure and potent source such as salmon, and includes all 8 of these:

• DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)
• EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)
• DPA (docosapentaenoic acid)
• Stearidonic acid
• Eicosatrienoic acid
• Eicosatetraenoic acid
• Heneicosapentaenoic acid
• Alpha-linolenic acid

The key is to not falsely trust the mass-marketed brands on the shelves of retailers. I look at clinical trials, studies and the sources of where my vitamins are coming from before I take them. The vitamins I take are made from whole grains, fruits and vegetables and fish—from pure and potent sources with supporting research from the USDA. Where to get the right vitamins: Not sure where to get vitamins like this? Hit me up and I’ll help you out. Who knew a hunting blog would be a lesson in eyeballs, wrinkly ass and salmon oil?

Nugent: Choice is a Beautiful Thing

February 6, 2014, 10:04 am

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Okydoky now my deernaddeerhunting.com backstrap Spirit BloodBrothers, here we go again with the always interesting NugeBlog#24. #24 indeed! My how time flies when we are pursuing the elusive Beasts of Strapness! Such a party it is. And what a wonderful and equally interesting deerseason 2013-2014 this has been. Are you ready for October 2014 or what? Easy there big fella! Steady now! Let us at least let the dust settle from this past season before we go all wild eyed and Killer Elite already. The Nuge is making the rounds! See him on The O'Reilly Factor, Friday Feb. 7 at 8 and 11 p.m. Eastern. (Depending on the day you read this and click, you may have to search for Ted's episode). It is here in my NugeBlog#24 that I simply wish to say thank you for your support or for at least reading my blogs here at Deeranddeerhunting.com. I am proud to be part of this herbivore conservation family and I will continue to dedicate myself to remain staunchly in the asset column of allthings deerhunting. May I just say how I totally support all of you who hunt the mighty deer of North America. May I emphatically salute you all who hunt deer with firearms and bows and whatever legal choice turns you on. I join you all in celebrating the sniper discipline of centerfire long guns, open sighted long guns, black powder long guns, with or without scopes. I stand shoulder to shoulder with the army of handgun hunters across America. How cool is the pistolero deerhunt discipline! I offer my undying and complete support for all you longbowmen, recurve bowmen, compound bowmen, crossbowmen, with sights, without sights, with release aids and without, no matter what the manufacturer, make or model. Rock On With Ted's 2 CD & DVD Set I support and admire all you stalkers, treestand ambushers, still hunters, foodplotters, mockscrapers, corntossers, hornrattlers, doe pee aficionados, longrangers, shortrangers, big buck killers, small buck killers, doe killers, fawn killers, multi-tag fillers and all you one deer a year guys. I support your choice of camo, bows, guns, arrows, ammo, broadheads, optics, clothing, gear of every scope and design in every legal hunting application of your choice. For more Ted go to TedNugent.com or join more than 1 million people who follow Ted Nugent on Facebook. I support all the public land hunters, wilderness hunters, rural, suburban and urban hunters, private land hunters, no fence, high fence, large tracts, small tracts, none of that matters a whit. We all have to get up early, stay late, play the wind, practice diligently with our equipment of choice, pay our dues, be patient, be stealthy, and aim small miss small and respect the beast by killing them clean and properly handling the sacred flesh of our hard-earned kills. I don’t care how you hunt, where you hunt, how much you hunt or anything beyond the legality and ethics of such choices as long as we all dedicate ourselves to be the most efficient deerslayers we can be. Everybody knows that the annual surplus productivity of these prolific creatures must be killed each natural season of harvest, and I am just damn proud to be a part of this phenomenal force to reckon with that has single-handedly created, designed, financed, policed and celebrated the most successful wildlife management model in the history of earth. HALLELUJAH! I support, respect and admire you all and wish you goodluck, good hunting and Godspeed in all your hunting choices. I also pray that those feeble souls within our otherwise mostly beloved hunting family will consider taking a deep breath and show intelligent support for all these legal choices in a genuine effort to unite all hunters to stand together to counterpunch the animal rights and anti-hunting freaks out there who are the real enemies of wildlife and freedom instead of the inbreeding and cannibalism that sadly exists within our own ranks when ignorant souls attack their own for simply choosing different approaches to this time honored conservation lifestyle. Ted Nugent hunting on DVD. Order it today. I don’t personally know any such cannibals, but I see them on Facebook and across the cyber Internet world, hell, even in the hallowed pages of our hunting publications, and isn’t it a shame that such buffoonish hate exists for such petty, meaningless differences? Yes, it is a shame. Maybe if we turn up the heat in our own hunting camps and let the haters know that they are a real embarrassment, maybe we can wake them up in order to whittle away at the goofy lunatic fringe amongst us and inspire them to join the 99% Brotherhood of the Deer. We are on our way for a wonderful 2014, so let us all work hard to maximize the good while fighting to end as much bad and ugly as we can. Choice; it’s a beautiful thing. Happy NugeYear BloodBrothers, Happy New Year 2014 for the best hunting seasons of our lives. Godspeed the BloodBrothers, Ted Nugent & family  

U.S. Olympic Team Flag-Bearer, 6-Time Winter Olympian and Passionate Bow Hunter

February 6, 2014, 11:35 am

≫ Next: Miranda: Why the Whitetail is King

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Todd Lodwick, a six-time Winter Olympian as a Nordic combined skier and Mossy Oak ProStaff member, earned one of the top honors of his storied career after being named the flag bearer for the U.S. Olympic team in Sochi, Russia. The Winter Olympic opening ceremonies will air about 7 p.m. Feb. 7 on NBC Sports. Lodwick was chosen by a vote of team captains in each sport. Lodwick competes in Nordic combined skiing, which includes the ski jump and cross country skiing. At age 37, he will become the first American athlete to participate in six Winter Games. Lodwick was part of the U.S. team that won silver in Vancouver four years ago. His first Olympic appearance was in 1994 at the age of 17. Lodwick trains hard and has achieved the pinnacle of his sport by competing in the Olympics, but during his downtime he's a huge bowhunter. He grew up in and trains in Colorado. He loves being outdoors and when he has the opportunity, Lodwick will pursue deer, elk or bear with his bow. That passion and his success helped him get hooked up with Mossy Oak. “The outdoors is something I grew up in and it’s a great tradition,” Lodwick said. He's hunted for more than two decades and shoots a PSE DNA compound. Having grown up in Colorado, and having a father who encouraged his hunting passion, has only fueled his pursuits outdoors. How much fuel? Well, Lodwick says he's killed 20 elk with his bow! That's pretty strong. Check out more about Lodwick on the Mossy Oak site and also on the U.S. Ski Team site.    

Miranda: Why the Whitetail is King

February 10, 2014, 1:37 pm

≫ Next: Big Bucks Coast to Coast: New Tom Miranda Book ‘The Rut Hunters’

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Tom Miranda of the Whitetail SLAM has authored a new book, The Rut Hunters. This Tom Miranda blog features excerpts from that book. Most of us envision bugling elk, bug-eyed swaying bull moose responding to a plaintive call, or perhaps a few of the critters that call Africa home when we dream big about hunting. Even though our desires belong to animals beyond easy reach, our hearts belong to the whitetail, especially whitetail bucks. It’s their ability to make us feel like we don’t belong in the woods that we secretly love. Despite oft-suppressed desires to hunt for “easy” bucks, the reality is that whitetail hunting exists as a delicate balance between challenge and potential success. It’s the perfect pursuit because it demands nearly unrealistic optimism, which is often tempered by the very real feeling of eating another tag. It would be easy enough to say that whitetails rule simply because they are so common. If that were true, we’d be watching fishing tournaments where professional anglers tried their hands at catching big limits of sunfish instead of bass or redfish. Commonality can sometimes detract from a species, but not the whitetail. Their availability to nearly every hunter is one of the reasons that they are so endearing to us. Anyone can shoot a whitetail, right? After all it is not that hard to lay eyes on some deer if you know where to look. They are everywhere; they are not dumb. And they don’t put up with our intrusion too well when we express a desire to turn them into tightly-wrapped packages of protein. They can be dumb, but those deer live in special circumstances, and you can bet a little predation would go a long way toward changing their habits forever. It’s deer of all shapes and sizes that have spawned a huge hunting industry, and the demand for know-how on all-things-deer have turned passionate hunters into businessmen. Our collective desire to figure out how to better kill deer has led to the creation of so many products that it would be impossible to count them all. Those products – from state-of-the-art camouflage, to calls, to trail cameras, to you-name-it – are designed to make it easier to fill a tag, especially when it comes to big bucks. Some do, some don’t. Even the best products that make it easier, don’t make it that much easier because they simply can’t change the nature of the animal we’re after. A mature buck is a no-nonsense critter that knows more about your habits than you do his, and he learned all of them through evidence of your intrusion. He feels more confident in the nighttime than he does in the day, and that’s enough to get him to lay down and wait out the daylight hours. Sure, he’ll get up and stretch and maybe browse for a while. But you can bet he’ll have the wind in his favor, and his ears will constantly swivel to and fro to pick up the slightest sound that doesn’t belong. If you get to see him, you’re lucky, however your job is far from over. Whitetail bucks grow big because they make it through encounters with hunters every year. They learn from those encounters that carelessness is dangerous, so they engage in less and less reckless behavior as they grow older. The only solace we can take in that is the rut – the short period of the year when mature deer sometimes throw caution to the wind and move during daylight with their minds on other needs beyond individual survival. The whitetail is king for plenty of reasons. Tags are easy to get, they live in every kind of habitat you can imagine, and despite how hard it truly is, the chance to kill a genuine giant exists for every one of us. What is not to love about that? God bless the whitetail. This Tom Miranda blog features excerpts from his book, The Rut Hunters. Coming next week: Gaining Private Access, featuring Melissa Bachman.

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Big Bucks Coast to Coast: New Tom Miranda Book ‘The Rut Hunters’

February 3, 2014, 7:00 am

≫ Next: Nugent ‘Spirit of the Wild’ Wins Outdoor Channel Viewer’s Choice Award

≪ Previous: Miranda: Why the Whitetail is King

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Turkey and wild sheep hunters have a Grand Slam, big game hunters have the Super Slam and now whitetail deer hunters have their own slam opportunity: the Whitetail SLAM inspired by hunting personality Tom Miranda. In his new book The Rut Hunters, Miranda enlists some famous hunting friends to deliver the definitive hunter’s strategy manual for challenging the coveted Whitetail SLAM. The result is a book that gives hunters tips and advice on how to hunt across the country, plus dozens of great big-buck photos and strategies on how to hunt them. Learn how to shoot big bucks from the experts. Get Tom Miranda's book The Rut Hunters today. A hunter with over 40 years experience, Miranda began working on the creation of Whitetail SLAM with biologists Dr. James Kroll and Dr. Harry Jacobson to promote the camaraderie and hunting heritage that is at the root of a hunting culture while educating hunters on deer in the United States. “In whitetail hunting today, the only awards come in the form of world records and monster bucks. Whitetail SLAM is a buck hunting challenge for the everyday hunter,” Miranda says. “We feel that it’s important for hunters to understand the diversity of deer across North America and to look at the positive benefits of traveling the country and hunting the different sub-species of whitetails.” Get Tom Miranda's The Adventure Bowhunter on DVD here, get the book here, or get them both at a special price here. In addition to essential information about registering any and all of the eight primary sub-groups of whitetail deer in the pursuit of the Whitetail SLAM, The Rut Hunters also includes over 200 color photos to aid hunters in acquiring their bucks, information on the eight recognized territories in North America and a spotlight of other hunters’ big game accomplishments to motivate readers as they strive for the SLAM. Readers will also find expert advice from some of Miranda’s high-profile friends, including Don Kisky, Eddie Claypool, Melissa Bachman and Stan Potts. No other resource will provide the level of instruction on whitetail species and habitats, planning a hunt, hunt swaps and more. The first chapter of the new book, Why the Whitetail is King, is condensed and excerpted here. Follow this blog to read more excerpts once a week. Look for Miranda to be the guest on Deer Talk Now on Feb. 19. Join Miranda and his famous buck hunting friends as they dive into the who, what, where, when, why and how of hunting the unique whitetail sub-groups of North America by picking up a copy of The Rut Hunters at shopdeerhunting.com.

The Rut Hunters by Tom Miranda, Krause Publications ISBN-13: 978-1-4402-3837-6 ∙ Price: $31.99 ∙ Hardcover: 8.25 x 10.88

About Tom Miranda Tom Miranda is a bowhunter, trapper, author, television host and producer. Through his book, Adventure Bowhunter, and award-winning television programming, he has taken audiences with him on exciting expeditions across the world. Tom has taken more than 60 whitetails on video in addition to the Super SLAM of North American Big Game with archery tackle.

Nugent ‘Spirit of the Wild’ Wins Outdoor Channel Viewer’s Choice Award

February 13, 2014, 7:12 am

≫ Next: Does Jägermeister Really Contain Deer Blood?

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Well there ya have it folks! The ol MotorCity Madman, the WhackMaster, StrapAssassin1, Reverend Theodocious Atrocious, Da Nuge, Captain Backstrap, Tedly Von NugentBurger, Uncle Ted, the old crazy bowhunting guitarslamming venison addict once again brings home the most coveted, and dare I say, most meaningful award a hunting TV show producer/host could ever hope for. Spirit of the Wild Promo Videos on Facebook - Click here. Though I am humbled beyond words, I think we can all agree and admit that the most important reason we keep winning these “Viewers’ Choice” awards probably has very little to do with little ol me. Let us all genuflect at the altar of the real driving force for the success of Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild TV on Outdoor Channel, shall we; the one, the only, the effervescent, most beautiful, delightful, dangerous killer she-bowhunter of them all, the Queen of the Forest, my wife and soulmate, Goddess of the Straps, Zumba dance queenie, Mrs. Shemane WackMaster. I mean Mrs. Shemane Nugent! I’ll tell you right now, I love watching hunting TV shows, and there is no doubt that if she wasn’t my wife, I would definitely watch her show, pay very close attention to everything she says and does, then strategize to the very best of my predator ability to figure out how to ambush her and make her my wife. STORMTROOPIN' LIVE seems like an appropriate celebration song. Listen here.

Come on guys admit it! We love seeing our fellow hunters make that shot on the big bucks, we love learning other hunters’ strategies, and God knows we just love to see big antlered kahunas on all those great shows out there. Get The Nuge's DVD Whitetails: The Might Beast here. But you all know as well as I do that when all that wildlife eye candy is elevated to the ultimate high by a gorgeous she-hunter hostess and or huntress on the screen, that’s the show we love to watch the most, even if the pretty gal is just cooking up a skillet of venison goulash! And there are indeed some stunning female hunters on many of the shows, but I can say right here at my deeranddeerhunting.com campfire that Mrs. N is the prettiest of them all. And no, I am not by any means struggling for brownie points here, you know I mean it. Afterall, we just celebrated the miracle of our 25th wedding anniversary and she hasn’t killed me yet, so we clearly have some magic going on here. On behalf of the entire Nugent family, our SpiritWild production team, master editors Dave Watson and Brian Osborn and Ben Ranzinger, our army of VidCamDudes and VidCamBabes, me, Shemane, Toby Nugent, Kris Helmes, Jim Lawson, Jim Knapp, Mark Ditzel, Mitch Moore, Jenny Olsen, Ross Patterson and George Zieman, we thank everyone that has voted for our Spirit of the Wild show on Outdoor Channel all these 20 exciting years. But beyond Shemane’s screenglow, we thank you for your voluminous communication on our tednugent.com website and Facebook. We hear you when you thank us for keeping it down to earth, honest, real, raw, spontaneous and bold. We hear you when you rave about our display of passion and love for the hunting lifestyle. We hear you when you exalt the honesty of real, bloody, precious dead animals that we genuinely respect and revere as our brothers of the wild just like our aboriginal ancestors so cherished the hard earned gifts of food, shelter, clothing, tools, medicine and ultimately, spiritual fortification. We couldn’t agree more that our heartfelt jubilation when recovering a small doe, a small buck, a big buck, a squirrel, a dove, any and all well-deserved kills that we excitedly celebrate from putting our hearts and souls into being the best, deadliest predators that we can be. We hear you when you rejoice that we don’t play feeble politically correct games of dishonest denial by wiping away the blood, somehow pretending that our sport is anything less than the honest bloodsport it is. We know most American hunters feel the same way we do and hunt the same way we do and cherish the sacred game meat the same way we do. We know how much you appreciate that we don’t “produce” a nice, cleaned up, sanitized lie of a hunting TV show, but rather celebrate the perfection of allthings tooth, fang and claw. Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild TV on Outdoor Channel. Again the #1 hunting show overall as voted by we the people who get it. We get it. You get it. And we promise to keep getting it on. The beast is dead, long live the mighty beast. Thank you my BloodBrothers. Thank you. Join Ted every day at tednugent.com and on his Facebook page for a rousing celebration of good over evil like only the Nuge can wage.

Does Jägermeister Really Contain Deer Blood?

February 14, 2014, 10:07 am

≫ Next: New Book, New Blog: Trophy Whitetails with Pat & Nicole Reeve

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'Deer season’ is ‘beer season’ to many. I’m not a big drinker, even during hunting season. But if I do, a nice shot of Jägermeister does the trick. It comes in a square green bottle, tastes like rich black licorice, and you look like a badass drinker when you ask for a shot of it (especially if you’re a female).

The original distiller was a hunter

Curt Mast, the original distiller of Jägermeister, was an avid hunter. The name Jägermeister literally means "master of hunters" or “master hunter” in German. It was also the name given to senior foresters, gamekeepers and authorities in charge of the local hunting regulations in Germany. This fancy liquid is made of 56 ground-up herbs and spices, including licorice, anise, saffron, ginger, ginseng, and citrus peel that are soaked in water and alcohol for a number of days. It’s filtered and then stored for 365 days, filtered again, and then mixed with alcohol, sugar, caramel and water. Filter this bad boy again and it’s finally ready to be bottled.

Deer blood in a bottle

Urban legend says this 70-proof German delicacy is made with deer or elk blood. Sorry to bust your camo pack, but this isn’t Red Dawn and it doesn’t contain deer or elk blood. Although I think it would be cool if it did. But there is something badass about it, even if it isn’t made with real deer blood. The green bottle has a 12-point buck brazen on its glass belly. I can only imagine the number of people, especially hunters, who sit on their barstool wondering what the hell it means. “Is ‘Jägermeister’ ‘deer’ in German? Is Jägermeister even German? What’s with the glowing cross between the antlers? Is this God’s way of telling me He owns the 12-point on my property? Is it made of deer blood?” The more you drink, the weirder it gets so let’s clear up a few things while we’re sober.

So what’s with the deer head and scripture on the bottle?

The Jägermeister label is known to many, but the meaning behind it is a mystery—a glowing Christian cross between the antlers of a deer and a verse from a particular poem, albeit related to hunting. For the cross and antlers, we can thank two hunters from 700 AD, Saint Hubert and Saint Eustace. Hubert was born and raised near Brussels in Belgium. He was an enthusiastic hunter for most of his life, but his passion for the hunt intensified after his wife died during childbirth. After that tragedy, he escaped to the woods and immersed himself in the hunt for everything from wild boars to roe deer. Legend has it that Hubert was one day greeted by a large roe buck showcasing an illuminated cross between his antlers. Some accounts state that he also heard a message from God, telling him to become a hunter of men so that they, too, could be saved by Christianity. Hubert obeyed, setting up chapels in the massive Ardennes and Toxandria forests, where hunters could attend church services before hunting on Sundays. He later became a bishop with the Roman Catholic Church. He died in 727. Even today, the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of St. Hubert on, fittingly for hunters, Nov. 3. As for Eustace, legend says he had the same vision and conversion to Christianity. I would reckon they both must have had pretty tight belts on those camo britches at the time of these sightings.

‘It’s the hunter’s honor that he protects and preserves his game’

For the verse, we need to look back to a man from the 1800s named Oskar von Riesenthal, who was both a hunter and forester. Turns out he was also a bit fancy with words when he wrote Weidmannsheil, even though he doesn’t get any credit on the bottle for his limericks. Here is the verse:

Das ist des Jägers Ehrenschild, daß er beschützt und hegt sein Wild, weidmännisch jagt, wie sich’s gehört, den Schöpfer im Geschöpfe ehrt.

Here’s what the hell it means:

It is the hunter’s honour that he Protects and preserves his game, Hunts sportsmanlike, honours the Creator in His creatures.

Looking like a badass who knows about hunting and history

So the next time you’re hanging out with your hunting buddies, you can pretend you don’t know the ‘deer’ skinny on the Jägermeister bottle and then ‘wow’ them with your uncanny forte to know all-things-deer more than they do. Or the next time some fancy two-legged creature sits down next to you, buy her a shot of Jäger and tell her the story behind the bottle. By the way, if she already knows the story behind the bottle, you just landed the holy grail of humans. Now don’t go screwing up everything I’ve taught you by drinking it the wrong way…

Don’t screw it up by drinking Jägermeister the wrong way

Humorously referred to as “liver glue,” this black-licorice flavored liqueur should be kept on ice and served cold – I store mine in the freezer at 0 °F (−18 °C for all you across-the-Atlantic readers). If a bartender or camping buddy offers you this drink as anything less than ice cold, consider him/her a newbie and demand in the name of Hubertus for it to be chilled. And when you’re looking all badass like Gladiator for your vast array of knowledge, make a mental note to thank me later.

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter

Hit me up on Facebook and Twitter and tell me about your Jäger adventures with your hunting buddies.

New Book, New Blog: Trophy Whitetails with Pat & Nicole Reeve

February 14, 2014, 12:31 pm

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Widely regarded as two of the most knowledgeable bowhunters in the industry, Pat and Nicole Reeve are well-versed in the art of deer hunting and now they’re sharing their expertise with a new audience in a new book. Trophy Whitetails with Pat and Nicole Reeve offers fans of Driven TV and hunters around the country the chance to learn more about the dynamic duo, their rise to fame and their favorite tips for increasing a hunter’s chances in the field. Outdoor writer Duncan Dobie guides readers through the Reeve’s personal history, journeying all the way back to childhood hunts and early life experiences - and through to their current thriving careers as television hunting celebrities. The book details the couple’s hunting exploits, including a five year adventure hunting bucks in Saskatchewan and their annual fall tradition of traveling from state to state tagging huge bucks for the cameras. Their experiences in the field make Pat and Nicole Reeve uniquely qualified to help hunters at any level improve their strategies and skills. In Trophy Whitetails, readers will get an exclusive look at the tactics that led to those big-game successes. Pat and Nicole share their most successful hunting strategies to tag the trophy buck of any hunter’s dreams. Hundreds of stunning photos accompany the pair’s story and deer hunting advice. Plus, readers will gain access to more than 25 links to bonus video footage of the monster white-tailed deer taken by the Driven TV team. Look for excerpts from the book to be featured in this blog through the spring and summer of 2014.

Miranda: Advice from Melissa Bachman Can Help You Gain Private Access

February 17, 2014, 7:46 am

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Tom Miranda of the Whitetail SLAM has authored a new book, The Rut Hunters. This Tom Miranda blog features excerpts from that book. While many whitetailers are content to hunt public ground, television host and outdoor personality Melissa Bachman will try hard to gain access to private land when traveling to hunt. She has a few tricks up her sleeve that anyone can employ – should they glass a prime alfalfa field in a creek-bottom or spy a distant patch of hardwoods that should be teeming with deer. “The first thing I look for is concentrations of deer before I ever ask for permission. Many times that consists of a spot that doesn’t or can’t be hunted, like state or federal parks. I want to find some kind of refuge of some sort, and then I’ll consult my plat book. At that point it’s a matter of digging a little deeper to find neighboring landowners and then knocking on their doors.” Hunters familiar with this tactic in the Midwest and the East might be in for a shock should they travel west because of the prevalence of absentee landowners and those that own huge tracts of land. Don’t be discouraged if you have to sleuth a bit more to figure out just where the landowner resides, because the extra work might discourage others and lead to a quality hunting opportunity. “Another trick I use to find hunting spots, whether they border a refuge or not, is to simply network. If I’ve identified an area I want to hunt, I typically show up a few days early and will pay special attention to cafe or gas station conversations. My father has the gift of gab, and I learned from him that it never hurts to strike up a conversation. Even if the stranger you start to talk to doesn’t own an acre, they may know a rancher willing to let you hunt. The key is to come off as an average person, not some trophy-obsessed hunter. “Once I get lucky and find a landowner willing to chat, I always let them know that I won’t drive on their properties, even with a four-wheeler. I want to be as low impact as possible and let them know that I know they are doing me a huge favor.” No matter what type of private ground you’re allowed on, if it’s owned by someone else, it is a good idea to show gratification. It’s a simple act that is always appreciated and may just solidify a relationship with a landowner for years. This Tom Miranda blog features excerpts from his book, The Rut Hunters. Coming Next Week: Greg Miller tells us Attitude is Everything.