Kick Starting My Summer Scouting with Big & J BB2

I finally got the cameras put out this past week and must say that I feel like I am off to a good start. I was using the BB2 by Big & J industries and was surprised at how fast the deer found it. On several cameras, mature bucks were on the BB2 within  hours of putting it out. These cameras were placed in new spots that had not been fed in the past. I think that this is a great testimony to the Big & J BB2.

 
 
 In the pictures below, notice the time of the top picture and the time of the bottom picture, only 5 hours from the time I put out the BB2, to the very first picture the camera took. This is a 5-year-old buck I call Stubby ( short G2s ). That’s saying something about the attraction power of the BB2.
 
 
 
Now, I will have to admit that there does not seem to be a “magic bullet” setup for getting mature bucks to show up on your trail camera pictures. Every setup did not produce mature bucks, but several did using the BB2. In fact, I will say that the BB2 produced more mature buck pictures than normal for me. I try to focus on what I think would be a bucks major food source, in this case Soy Beans, and start my scouting there. I put out the cameras and the BB2 on the afternoon of 7/26/2010. As you can see from the dates on the pictures below several good bucks showed up in the first week of pictures. My cameras took over a thousand pictures this week set up over the BB2 and these bucks were there everyday after they found it. I will continue to use the BB2 on my setups and I will keep you posted on the bucks that show up.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Published in: on August 15, 2010 at 10:23 pm  Comments (1)  
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Strategic Alliance between Whitetail Properties and Base Camp Leasing provide more opportunities for turning dreams into reality

Pittsfield, IL—July 1, 2010— The decision whether to purchase land or lease is not an easy one and is often based on a variety of factors. Hunters looking to obtain a high quality property used to have to look in multiple locations but now they won’t have to thanks to an alliance between Whitetail Properties and Base Camp Leasing.

 “We’re great at what we do providing hunting leases and Whitetail Properties does an excellent job at what they do providing hunting land for purchase—working together we can provide hunters with a wide variety of options for their hunting and investment goals,” said Steve Meng, President and Founder of Base Camp Leasing, the largest hunting lease provider in the Midwest.

 The alliance also provides property owners with easy access to a top-notch leasing agent that can be utilized to further advance the return on their property. “Not everybody who is in the market for property is able to use it as much as they’d like but want to make a purchase before prices rise further—leasing that land is a great way to protect your investment, maintain control over the property, and earn a return that would not otherwise be realized,” said Paul Sawyer of Whitetail Properties.

 The national marketing power at Whitetail Properties includes television, electronic and print media, networking and agent relations. “Hunting properties are our specialty and we take pride in matching the needs of buyers  and sellers, this alliance with Base Camp Leasing is another opportunity for our real estate professionals to serve our clients,” Sawyer said.

 “Whitetail Properties and Base Camp Leasing are two of the premium brands in recreational land business and this alliance just makes sense—it will allow more property owners and hunters to turn their dreams into reality,” Sawyer said.

 For more information, contact Whitetail Properties at www.whitetailproperties.com

P.O. Box 213, Pittsfield, IL, 62363, or call 800-971-7042.

Published in: on July 1, 2010 at 10:19 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Do You Have a “Dirt Diva” in Your Life?

What do you call a woman that loves the land, gets just as excited about big whitetails, trail cameras, velvet scouting and food plots just like you do?  A woman who can manuever a 4 wheeler through the timber faster than you, shoots a shotgun with deadly accuracy, can group arrows in a 3 inch group at 50 yards and loves living on the farm?  She can turn just as many heads when she wears camouflage as when she is dressed up for a night out on the town.  To me that’s a Dirt Diva and a great description of my wife Nicole.  She loves all things land… gardening, farming, hunting, food plots…. you name it.  Nicole and I went deer hunting together for one of our very first dates many years ago and she still is obsessed with big whitetails today.   Only 6 months ago today she gave birth to our first child and has been itching to get back out in the woods.  She is a nut about trail cameras.  Like a person with a casino addiction she can’t wait to pull cards and hit the jackpot. 

Lately she has been so busy with the baby that she hasn’t been able to do much outdoors.  Yesterday with Chad busy with his son’s baseball Nicole and I decided we’d put up a few cameras up together.  We dropped the baby off at Grandma and Grandpas and hit the woods together.  It was nice to get to spend some time doing what we have enjoyed for years and snap a few photos.  Like a pro she toted full bags of BB2 and Reconyx cameras all through the woods setting up camera sites, trimming brush and making sure the programming was correct on the cameras.  This year we added a few of the new Reconyx Hyperfire cameras and they have been a dream! 

Before getting started we always treat our trips to the field just like we would any hunting trip.  Staying scent free is just as important for trail cameras and we use Tinks Vanish Odor Eliminator and have had very good results with it.  There is always a bottle of it hanging in our Bad Boy Buggy.

Setting up the new Reconyx cameras is identical to previous models.  If you can handle pushing 3 different buttons then its a snap.

You know its a cool sight to have a Bad Boy front rack stacked with new cameras…but to have you wife programming them and putting the batteries in might be just a touch better sight.  Hopefully you have been blessed with a Dirt Diva in your life, a good woman that loves to tag along in the woods and help out is pretty hard to beat.

To make our camera sites more effective and provide good nutrition we throw down a bag of BB2 in front of some of our cameras. 

With all of the cameras hung on the back 40 Nicole will be anxiously awaiting our return to each one of them to see if we “hit the jackpot”  She is my Dirt Diva!

Published in: on June 28, 2010 at 1:24 am  Comments (5)  

Let The Sawdust Fly its time for TSI!

Spring and Summer means chainsaws, sweat and lots of hard work.  We’ve completed most of our invasive species removal for the year as well as a Timber Stand Improvement project on a 40 acre tract we have.   Many times when you have acres enrolled in a government program they will require removal of invasive species.  This year we removed eastern red cedars, elm and mulberry trees off of several terraces.  Its always best to get it done as early in the year as possible because its hard work but its easier when it’s not in the 90′s!

Late this Spring we invited our fellow Land Specialist Jason Schendt over for some good old fashioned hard work!  The purpose of timber stand improvement or TSI is to free desirable trees from competition, thin the trees to desirable numbers and remove the poorer trees.  This improves the overall condition of the stand and concentrates wood growth on a number of selected trees.   Two main factors limit tree growth, sunlight and moisture.   Competition among trees for crown space and moisture will limit their fruit and nut production as well as wood growth.   After thinning the remaining trees will increase nut or fruit production and this provides additional food for wildlife as well as a source of seed for the next generation of trees.  Most foresters agree that your timber should be thinned every 10 years.  This can be quite the undertaking so if you divide your property into 10 pieces you can complete 1 section per year so the job is much more manageable.

Cull trees are those that are not marketable now for anything except firewood and that are not expected to become marketable in the future.  However some cull trees provide valuable wildlife habitat and should be left.

Selling timber is big money and the better your logs are the more you are going to get paid for them.  This is a great source of income for every timber owner.   A forest is like any other agricultural crop.  It needs care during its lifetime to produce a high quality product and to give the landowner the highest financial return on the logs. 

Letting life giving sun to the forest floor will make all kinds of new things happen on your property.  We always notice a big increase as usage for bedding areas when we open up the canopy.  Enjoy the hard work on your property and the reward you reap from it.  If you don’t own your own property be sure to visit www.WhitetailProperties.com to get started as a landowner!

Published in: on June 21, 2010 at 12:34 pm  Comments (2)  
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An Update and a NEW LOOK For DreamDirt Coming Soon

A few of your are probably wondering where we have been lately!  No doubt it has been quiet around here but it’s not because we have forgotten about DreamDirt.  We have been busy creating a new look for the blog in the past weeks and are nearly ready to release the final version which will be a bit flashier and easier to use.  Make sure you connect with us on the DreamDirt fanpage on Facebook or subscribe to the blog right here, just look for the subscription box to the right.  When you subscribe all you get is the posts sent right to your email inbox right when they are posted.

Just to update you a little on what we’ve been doing lately I’ve got a few photos of some of our summer activities.  Chad and I decided we wanted a realistic archery range that would simulate the actual hunting enviroment so we took an unused hillside and turned it into our dream range.  We started off by having the power company come in to sink a 45 foot power pole to be used for hanging our Lone Wolf stands on. 

Once the stands were hung we waited for a good dry day to cut trails into the hillside and created 17 different target positions to the north.  We can shoot up to 100 yards at different elevations that range from 16 feet below the shooter to almost 35 feet above the hunter. 

You know an awesome way to get kids interested in the outdoors?  Take them fishing!  Some of my most fond memories as a child were exploring the shoreline at Storm Lake Iowa and catfishing on the Raccoon River in northwest Iowa where I grew up and bow fishing in Cedar Creek.  It’s a great way to get outdoors and connect with nature and kids love it.  We are lucky to live near the Missouri River that offers some of the best Catfish and Sturgeon fishing in the Midwest.  We’ve been hitting the river in our free time and have had the opportunity to take my nephews and Chad’s children along for some relaxation on the banks of the Missouri.  Well as relaxing as it can be watching kids reel in to check their bait every 45-60 seconds anyway!  It’s all worth it when they tie into a good one!

My wife Nicole is more into fishing than I am.  Most of the time I spend about 90% of my time re-baiting the hooks or taking fish off the lines so she gets to catch more fish than I do.

Fishing means more than just fishing.  Playing in the sand or chasing frogs and crawdads are just as fun and help kids begin a relationship with mother nature. 

Fishing is also a great time to share your wisdom with the youngn’s.  A good fishing partner knows when to be a good conversationist and knows when nothing needs to be said.   In between bites is a great time to share tips, war stories or a colorful story about how your 3rd base coach is crabby because he tells you to run faster… as Breck was relating to me when this photo was snapped.

Our sport needs the youth, and we need to be sure to give girls and boys all a fair opportunity to learn and participate.  My wife loves deer hunting, turkey hunting and fishing and she did not grow up in a family that did much serious hunting or fishing.  She didn’t know she would love the sport the way she does today until I showed her the ropes and introduced her to it.  Last week we took our good friend “Spuds” fishing and she had a blast as did we hosting her and her brother.   In fact she was the only one that caught a fish so hats off to her for outfishing all of us!

Published in: on June 21, 2010 at 12:21 am  Leave a Comment  
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Warm Dirt… That Means Food Plots, Reconyx and Lone Wolf

Even though last winter is going to be hard to forget its long gone without a trace and most of us are back in the food plots getting ready for that magical time of year that we dedicate so much of our lives to.  Caring for and managing your own land is rewarding beyond the tasks it takes to accomplish a well managed farm.  It becomes a life experience that runs much deeper than just planting food plots or hanging cameras.  We all have an attachment to our farms that breeds a deep respect for the land and a love for mother nature that that we nourish our souls.  

Having the ability to share our lifestyle with others and helping others learn how to manage their land is a natural extension of our passion for land ownership and our natural resources!  Often times we share labor with each other to get big jobs done and this Spring we tackled a few big QDM project on Jason Cleveland’s farm in Pike County Illinois. 

 

With all of the equipment in place, cameras rolling we went to work putting in a new Whitetail Institute Imperial Whitetail Clover plot on Jason’s farm.  If you’ve never gotten together with your buddies to play in the dirt I recommend it!  We are blessed to have such a sharp group of guys that share a common passion.  I don’t care whos farm you are on you get that same feeling where ever it is that you connect with Mother Nature.

Our gatherings are never without a few laughs and a lot of fun between friends.  When Sawyer and Alfano are in close proximity to each other you can bet somebody is going to be laughing with them or at them!

Reconyx has released their new cameras this year and we had our hands on them as fast as we could get them and Jason put a few up on his farm while we planted the food plot.  If you didn’t think that Reconyx could get any better you need to run out and grab up a few of these Hyperfire cameras.  The changes have begun the “next generation” of game scouting cameras.  3 things you’ll definitely notice, they are smaller, faster and with battery life of up to one full year…. seriously one full year you can’t go wrong.  I know many people who own land in the Midwest and can’t come change their batteries every couple of months and this is sure to eliminate that issue.   No more CF cards either as the new Hyperfire cameras take an SD card and with 32 gig cards easily affordable now you can get the photos you need with much less intrusion into certain areas. 

When the plots are in and the cameras are up it’s on to the Lone Wolf’s.  Many of us will spend the entire Summer getting our stands out to allow multiple options and adjustments for this years crop rotation.  While we managed to get a few of them up there are still many to go and as the weather heats up and the beans are just breaking through the excitement is building for fall when we can reap the rewards of our hard work.   Don’t wait until fall to start looking find your DreamDirt at WhitetailProperties.com and get started today.

Published in: on May 29, 2010 at 12:51 pm  Comments (3)  
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Its Official Turkey Season is OVER!

Every year to mark the end of turkey season Chad and I throw a big get together at the farm here in the Loess Hills for all of our family and hunting friends.  The main dish being deep fried turkey and anything else that can be cooked in hot oil or over lump charcoal.  We also have a little archery competition for the kids and this year marked a 100% participation in the competition!  Every young boy and girl at the event shot this year which was exciting for us.  Not many things will warm your heart more than the excitement on a childs face as they take aim with their bow and arrow.  

After an awesome supper and campfire smores we were all wore out and put another great turkey season behind us.   Congrats to everybody that bagged a turkey this year and we’ll see you back in the woods next Spring.  Until then its on to Spring food plots, BB2, tree stands and Reconyx cameras for the summer. 

Published in: on May 28, 2010 at 7:30 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Chasing Calves in the Rain

Some mornings aren’t fit for much more than just chasing a rouge calf around the farm trying to reunite it with its momma.  Usually when a calf gets outside the fence it will stay right on the fenceline near the cow until it finds a way back in but this little fella made it nearly 3/4 of a mile away before being spotted.  Wet, muddy and rainy we decided we were skipping turkey hunting this morning because of the weather … not wanting to ruin our camera equipment we decided to catch up on some chores and I couldn’t help but to snap a few photos while Chad helped this fella find his way back to the right pasture.

Finally… last field to get across and the pasture is just around the corner.

Head cow herder Brant looks on asking “will the baby cow bite my dad” 

Reunited… a job well done!

Published in: on May 13, 2010 at 6:43 am  Leave a Comment  

A 12 Year Olds First Gobbler

Yesterday was a work hard play hard day here on the farm.  We are in the midst of putting new siding on our house and as most families do we trade labor.  With turkey season still open there was no way we couldn’t sneak in a few hunts… especially my nephew Wyatt.  Saturday’s turkey hunts had yielded nothing more than a few good memories and quality time with mother nature but there was still hope for Sunday.  We had the birds fairly well patterned and there is one particular spot on the west side where I knew several toms make an appearance every evening around 7pm before going to roost. 

Sunday morning came early after a hard day of work on Saturday.  It was also Mothers Day so we knew we couldn’t spend all morning in the woods chasing turkeys.  We decided that Wyatt would go with Grandpa Smith and I would take Wyatt’s dad and film him trying to take a turkey with his shotgun.  By 5am Josh and I had cozied up to a good set of trees on the edge of the timber.  I’m always anxious for daylight to break but on this particular day there was frost on the ground and I would welcome some warmth along with the thunderous gobbling that comes with daybreak.  The morning produced a few encounters with hens for Josh and I but Wyatt and my dad had a close call with two gobblers that stayed just outside the reach of Wyatt’s 20 guage at 50 yards. 

We called it quits and headed back to the house ready to put in a hard days work finishing up the siding and celebrating Mothers Day with a cook out.  At 5pm I reminded Wyatt that he needed to get ready to hunt and the next thing you knew he and Grandpa Smith were off to their blind where they had the close encounter on the morning hunt.  It didn’t take much to talk them into giving up their siding duties for a comfortable chair in the blind.   They were headed to the same place I’d said the birds make an appearance every evening around 7pm.  The rest of us stayed to finish up the work and get supper ready.   About halfway through supper Josh hollered in the screendoor “I just heard shots”  and the house emptied as everybody ran outside to try to find some clue as to whether it was Wyatt or someone else.  I looked at the clock and it was 6:50pm and I knew it was the 7pm birds!  Immediately I grabbed my camera bag and walked out the door and hopped in my pickup.  I knew there was nobody else hunting in the area today and I was sure it was Wyatt.  As I drove out the lane my mom hopped in the pickup with me and we told the others we would call them as soon as we got to the west side where they were hunting. 

As we drove down the rock road we could see the blind was flipped over and they were standing outside.  That was a welcome sight but I could not see a bird anywhere.  We pulled in the farm lane and could see them about 100 yards down the fence line.  They looked down at us and held the bird high for us to see.  What an exciting moment!  Mom was on the phone right away to let the others know he had shot his bird.  The next thing we knew there were more cars pulling up….everybody came down to congradulate him and admire his first turkey.  I snapped a few photos while others used their camera phones to send pictures to other friends and family members.  Everybody listened intently while they told the story of the tough old bird Wyatt had just harvested.  The animation and recollection of the event added to the excitement of the moment.  Listening to how the bird dropped in its tracks on the first shot but got up and started running in circles when Wyatt went to retreive it was as funny a recovery story as I have ever heard.  In the end took 4 shots to bring this tough old bird home and to his proud family around him it didn’t matter if it took 100 shots, it was everybit as exciting for all of us as it was for him.  That old warhorse weighed in at 27 pounds with a 10.5 inch beard and 1 3/8th spurs and I know Wyatt has a spot picked out on his wall to proudly display what will be one of his most memorable harvests.  He’ll never forget sharing a blind with his Grandpa and learning how to turkey hunt.  The heritage continues for my family!  Congrats on the bird Wyatt…. and here is to many more to come but you are going to have a tough time topping that one. 

Published in: on May 10, 2010 at 10:26 am  Comments (1)  
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Loess Hills of Western Iowa Turkey Success

The Loess Hills in western Iowa are well populated with Eastern’s and the population has really blossomed in the past few years to above average numbers.  Hunting on 270 Acres in the Loess Hills in Harrison County Iowa Whitetail Properties Auctioneers Jason Smith and Chad Freeberg along with their good friend Lee Lange scored on these nice early May gobblers.

I said earlier that my goal this year was to shoot a turkey off the ground, with archery equipment without a blind and I was lucky enough to accomplish it with plenty of time to buy a second tag and have a reasonable shot at doing it twice.  After patiently waiting out this gobbler I was able to get an arrow sent his way at 55 yards.  My Trophy Ridge arrow ripped clean through him right at the wing joints!  He didn’t make it far before doing the dead turkey dance!  To add insult to injury the other gobbler that was with him jumped on him and kick the tar outta his dead carcass!  Talk about kicking a guy while he’s down :)

After an early miss with his bow Chad decided he was going to switch to shotgun and on the first morning out I filmed Chad giving this old backwoods Iowa gobbler a Winchester facial at close range!  The night before the turkey’s endured severe thunderstorms and hopped out of the tree headed for the shortest grass they could find to dry off.  Unfortunately for this big ol dude Chad and I had snuck in, in the dark, and set up just yards from the roost tree and had a different idea for him.  With shooting light just becoming official and the safety now off, camera rolling Chad put a perfect shot and dropped him in his tracks.

Our good friend Lee Lange visited the farm to hunt turkey’s with us and went home after his first morning out packing out a nice bird with  1 1/2 spurs!  Lee hunting from a blind with my dad worked to try to seperate this Tom from a hen with no luck, but what the Tom had no control over was that the hen would eventually walk right through their decoys pulling him right into shooting range.  Lee put one well placed shot from his Bear Truth II right through the birds boiler maker and took a ride home in the Igloo ice chest.

Published in: on May 5, 2010 at 4:28 pm  Comments (1)  
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