Archive for November, 2012


Improve Your Hunting Game with New Ways to Attract Deer

Most hunters know that whether you have a large number of deer in your herd or not, attracting and holding them in your area is the tricky part. In the past, hunters relied on the age old tactic of putting out food such as carrots, beets and corn to attract deer. However, with the new legislation which went into effect last fall, Michigan hunters have had to become more creative with how they bring in the herd. Food plots have been the answer.
 
A Growing Trend
 
Food plots are areas of land which are planted with the intention to attract, hold, and supplement the natural browse of deer and other game. Hunters create food plots by planting seeds such as clover, oats, rye grass, and brassica’s. Food plots have been around for some time and have increased in popularity over the last several years. Recent months have seen even greater spikes in the food plot market. Evolved Harvest, a company with one of the most comprehensive assortment of seed blends on the market, attributes this is to a variety of reasons. “People are looking for every advantage, says Evolved Harvest. “Most are attempting to draw them in, or hold them in a certain area, but the bottom line is that food plots work.”
 
Beating the Ban
 
Although Michigan has eliminated the ability to put out food to attract deer, food plots are not affected by the state’s legislation. With food plots getting the thumbs up from the DNR, hunters across the state have started growing plots hoping to gain every advantage they can in the woods. The results speak for themselves. The deer come in, they hold up near their high protein food source and hunters across the state have been reaping the benefits.
 
User Friendly and Effective
 
Most hunters are familiar with how well food plots work, but some are still intimidated by the thought of actually planting them. Some say I’ve never planted, or I don’t have the equipment. However, as long as you do your homework, understand the area you’re planting, and select a blend that will work in your situation you are going to be amazed at how effective a food plot can be.
 
Seed for Healthy Herds
 
For the most diverse blend of seeds on the market, hunters can turn to Evolved Harvest. This company prides itself on its seed blends, which are mixed to provide the herd with a variety of plant types to choose from. Some of Evolved Harvest’s most popular blends are Throw and Gro®, a No-Till plot which grows fast and is easy to maintain, and ShotPlot®, a blend composed of Forage Rape and Turnip Brassicas. “Most of our Harvest blends are so user friendly,” says Evolved Harvest. “If you can just rake the area to get good seed to soil contact the rest is up to Mother Nature. This is perfect for that hard to reach area.” This blend grows extremely fast as well; it can grow up to 24 inches in just 45 days, and will take you deep into the season.
 
Grow em Up!
 
Food plots have quickly become one of the most satisfying ways for a hunter to attract and hold the deer in their area. For good reasons, nearly every T.V. show and professional you see has been telling the consumers to put in food plots. This is because food plots provide a high protein supplemental food source for your deer herd and is critical to increasing weight, body mass, antlers, and overall herd health. Evolved Harvest takes this very seriously and continues to provide the highest quality of seed blends available. For more information feel free to look them up on the web at www.evolved.com. In the meantime good luck to all of you with your food plots, and we wish you luck in the coming season.
 
-Deer Abby
 
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Focus In on the Right Optics

Keeping your eye on the target is a whole lot easier with today’s optics. Optimizing your

hunting performance with the right scope requires understanding optic features and assessing your hunting preferences.
 
Hunting optics can range in price from $30 to $2,000 . . . with plenty of choices in-between. The decision of what to buy is made tougher because a 4 x 32 scope that costs $30 may not appear to be much different than one that costs $200.
 
Lenses are the major difference between hunting optics. The least expensive scopes typically use plastic lenses. The next step up in quality and price involves the use of glass lenses.  Coatings added to glass lenses enhance brightness in low light situations and add a bit more cost. The most expensive optics use precision ground glass, similar to eye glasses.
 
Here are a few other tips to keep in mind when shopping for optics:
 
Power

  • The power of a scope is described by two numbers that indicate its

    magnifying ability and the size of the lens.

  • A standard 4 x 32 scope will magnify an object up to 4 times larger than you could see with the naked eye. The 32 indicates that the lens diameter is 32 millimeters.
  • The larger the second number, the lens diameter, the more it will help brighten the view.

 
Fixed Power

  • The magnification set by the manufacturer.
  • Fixed power scopes are adequate for hunters who need a good view

    of 50 to 100 yards.

  • The most popular fixed scopes are 4 x 32.

 
Variable Power

  • More applicable to a wider range of uses.
  • Variable power scopes can be adjusted according to the field of view needed as well as the available light.
  • Variable scopes range from 1.5 magnification up to 25 times for long-range viewing and shooting.

 
Field of View

  • How much you can see through your scope at 1,000 yards.
  • Generally, the higher the magnification, the less the field of view.
  • This information is always printed either on the instruction sheet or directly on the scope.


 
Eye Relief

  • The distance between your eye and the scope, which allows you to achieve the entire field of view.
  • Can be adjusted once you have your scope and have it mounted.

 
The final key to selecting the right scope is assessing how you hunt. Hunting in the woods with shadows and less light requires a different scope than hunting in open fields with plenty of sun. Think about how you hunt, where you hunt and what the typical conditions are. Selecting the right optics becomes a lot easier when you can match your hunting needs with the right lens, power and view.
 
-Deer Abby
 
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