Up and Adam Adventures

After a long review period, the Michigan Natural Resource Commission announced the approval of a wolf harvest in the state's Upper Peninsula. The goal is to harvest 43 wolves from an estimated population of 658 animals. The state has established 3 wolf management units, with different harvest totals in each, and the season will from November 15 to December 31, or until the total harvest quota is met. They will be issuing 1200 wolf tags that cost $100 for residents and $500 for non-residents with a limit of one wolf per hunter, per year. Firearms and archery hunting methods are legal. I've posted before about my views on wolf management. And while I don't feel they need to be eliminated like they were many years ago, a comprehensive management plan, like the one Michigan is adopting, that involves hunters is a step in the right direction.

We had a plan. The plan was to go back to the exact spot I had several close calls with good bulls last year. This year I knew the pattern. I knew the location. All I had to do was hike up the mountain and stick an arrow in a bull. As my dad and I were driving toward Dubois, WY on Saturday evening, we began to smell smoke. The closer we got, we began to see smoke a ways off the highway to the north. Knowing the smoke was in the general direction of my hunting area gave me an uneasy feeling as we neared the turnoff to Horse Creek. Sure enough, as it began to get dark and we drove farther, you could see the orange glow of a raging fire in the sky. A forest ranger stopped us to inform us that the road was being closed. The fire had started the day before and grown from 4 acres to 400 in no time. It wasn't burning in the area I intended to hunt, but was closing in on the road, and homes and ranches in the area. Evacuations were in progress. So with some disbelief that a f...

While at the World Deer Expo in Birmingham, AL a few weeks ago, I met Ken Stewart, the innovator of a new product in scent control that I believe may be a big hit in the outdoor industry. The product is called Body Guard 360 and it's made by Herd Guard. Body Guard 360 is a scent eliminator that also repels ticks, chiggers and fleas. This makes it handy not only for big game hunting, but also for turkey hunting in the spring, or anytime you're out in the woods. The product is sold in a concentrated form that you add water to. In it's concentrated form, it's extremely lightweight, which makes it great for traveling. 

I was recently honored to be featured in this testimonial video from HuntingGPSMaps.com . If you haven't checked out their products, you're missing out on a valuable tool. HuntingGPSMaps not only allows you to scout your hunting grounds from afar the way I do, but also helps you find property boundaries and other info that can be key on your hunt. Check them out!

Tradition has been, at least in the past few years, for major bow manufacturers to release their new bows in January corresponding with the ATA, though several manufacturers have been pushing that date earlier and earlier into the hunting season. Several of the major manufacturers 2013 offerings were available during the 2012 hunting season. Bowtech was one of few who held the release of their new flagship bow, the Experience, until the ATA show. This year, they introduced a new bow in July, which is pretty radical by archery industry standards. The Carbon Knight, with its carbon riser and limb pockets, represents a new direction for Bowtech, and also a few new innovations for carbon bows in general. Hoyt's Carbon Matrix and Element bows have been the only viable forays into carbon risers. High Country produced some carbon bows a few years back with limited success. The Knight features carbon limb pockets as well, and Bowtech has shaved the weight of this bow down ...

Hunting GPS Maps is giving a way a new Garmin Oregon 600 GPS!  All purchases made through their website during the month of June will be automatically entered to win this GPS. More purchases will only increase your odds.  After your purchase, like their page on Facebook if you haven’t already to get an extra entry. Hurry, the contest ends June 30!

My posting has slowed down over the last month or so, but I've still been enjoying the outdoors. Turkey season has finished up here in Georgia, so other than hogs and coyotes, there isn't much to hunt right now. I have been doing some fishing though, and also getting back into fly fishing. North Georgia is full of some great trout fishing and I might a well take advantage of it! I'm also going to be doing some bow fishing hopefully as the water continues to warm up. I've been shooting my bow as much as I can, and I'm just about ready to pick up some new arrows. I'm planning to use Easton Injexions this season. There are a lot more broadhead companies making heads for the Deep Six inserts so I've got some options there. Hurry up September!