VT Outfitter

So true and a very good hunting tip for those that have never thought of it, or had just forgotten from being spoiled with apples for so many years. Supply and demand in the hunting woods can be a very effective tool for success. Thanks for the reminder, my apple crop wasn't looking that great, but its all in how you look at the situation I guess.

I have never used a turkey dog before. That sounds fun though. I hunt turkeys in the fall with a steady walking pace through the turkey woods looking for fresh turkey sign. When I find a flock of birds, I try to break up the flock so that birds go in just about every direction in can make them go. Then I sit with a good cover up camo suit and call them back in. With good concealment and nothing shiny to spook them, I have had young birds within a few feet of me, very exciting. Good luck this season!

Very true about turkey. I have also seen big long hook tom's with a 6 inch beard. Because of a icy winter his beard must have frozen and broke off short is all I could think of. I had to look up Alchemist Heady Topper, I got a chuckle out of you asking. I don't drink but maybe a few times a year with friends at a dinner. Even then its usually a nice red wine. So I guess the best I could do for you would be to acquire something in your taste to have on hand when you come to visit for an outdoor adventure. I have some great friends at the Woodchuck Brewery here in VT. Just let me know when your in the area, I'll get you into some fun and keep you hydrated.....

Great pics! Your management techniques are obviously working very well, most don't know of the hard work behind the scenes to accomplish what you have. Very impressive, to say the least. Enjoy your deer hunting interactions this fall, you earned it!

Great photos! If the pics are from the last few days, I would say that they wont gain much more for inches of antler. The points that they have will be it for this year. The first pic looks like a spike or three point maybe with a third point on the right beam. The second pic is a nice little 4 pointer. Without a full body shot it makes it a bit difficult to age these bucks but I would say they are 2 year old bucks judging from neck and body size and muscle tone. Notice I didn't judge them by antler size. I have seen a case of less than ideal genetics, where a 5 year old buck was harvested during VT youth weekend and a biologist confirmed the age. This buck was a spike buck with 12 inch spikes. It doesn't happen very often, but an older buck can have not so big antlers. Good luck this season!

Awesome bear for sure, trophy of a lifetime! Now you have the "bow huntin' bug".....Welcome to the clan....

Well said Bubba and Mr VJP. I understood both of your explanations. Perhaps involving the next generation would be a better choice and go afield as a group of three hunting buddies, with the younger generations being legally licensed and carrying firearms. My point is that passing on the torch is a great accomplishment for the very experienced outdoorsman. The passing of the hunting knowledge down through the generations is what keeps the traditions alive. As an experienced outdoorsman with a great passion for hunting and fishing, passing the torch doesn't mean you have to quit the game, but your position changes to a different role.

Here is my list of what I pack anywhere I hunt or guide hunters on their trip. This pack list is very light weight, but has all the basic survival tools to stay safe and survive for 3-5 days if you become lost or break an ankle and cant walk having to wait for rescue. small fixed blade knife, very sharp compass, because GPS is heavier and batt's go dead or signal cant be found small sandwich, for lunch small candies, a few for emergency only 10 feet of good rock climbers rope tied up in a small tight bundle, for deer drag or tourniquet or building shelter 3 extra rounds extra pair of socks fire starting flint and striker, this is very small small first aid kit to handle broken bones, bad cuts, allergic reactions, snake bite, water tablets ect... head strap head lamp emergency blanket 1 quart bottle filled with water and refilled everywhere I find clean water sports whistle for rescuers to hear small back packers roll of TP my cell phone, 911 can locate you by cell signal for emergency 2 big kitchen trash bags, black with no holes in it rolled up tight with rubber bands for meat or rain gear or cut open for shelter roof Good luck to you all this season and stay safe out there!

I bet this is the transportation those big bucks use during deer season when they just plain disappear without a trace. Its the only explanation that works. At that distance, it would be the size craft capable of carrying one giant buck with no more than 180 scoring inches. For real.......I have no idea what that is.........but I, like most hunters, have an imagination.........so UFO? Maybe......

Very nice young buck! Hard to tell his age for sure without a full body shot being its summer time. But by the size of his neck, he seems to me to be a year & a half old. It looks like he will sport 6 points this season, so , yeah, he could grow to a great buck given the chance. Nice photos!

I was once a ginseng hound. Every fall from the 3rd week in august into September I would hike on average 100 miles give or take, no joke and no exaggeration, and I would harvest from 1 pound of dried ginseng (which is 3 lb fresh picked) in a bad year and 4 lbs dried on a good year. I used to sell my dried ginseng to a buyer in NY that was authorized to purchase ginseng from VT and NY for $295-$600+ per pound. My best year yielded just shy of the $3,000 mark. Not too bad of a racket for some pre scouting for deer season, getting some wicked exercise, and having a nice little bundle of cash for playing during ice fishing season. Yeah, I am one of those guys that, much like many of you I'm sure, is never inside only to sleep and even that is a gray area if you count those nap's in the tree stand. But since I started really focusing on and building my outfitter and guide service, I just haven't had time to go "diggin' 'sang" for going on six years now. But it has now got to the point that there is a chance if I get the fall food plots in on time and finish the stand sets, I may have a chance to go diggin' this year. I have a bunch of photos somewhere. I'll post them if I can find them, they were some great pic's of nice wild ginseng examples. Great topic, thanks for starting it!

Great tips, thanks!

Philoshop..............cougar-tailed pig-chuck.........LMAO! Best one yet I think.

That certainly looks like it, don't it Larry!

87 days-7 hours-59 minutes-20 seconds until archery season starts in Vermont. Is it too early to get ready and dressed with my bow in hand? Well, I am, just to be safe and not be late to the tree.

I want to say chuppra cobra, but you don't normally find them this far north. So my other guess would be a big beaver, but they usually show up black in color on a distant photo. This is fairly light brown in color. What is the surrounding area made up of?

I offer beginner archery courses here in Benson Vermont which is about 4 hours from Newburgh NY. I cover shooting form, sighting in your bow, accuracy, safety harness, and using a tree stand. It generally is a 4 hour class or so, but I have made arrangements before with small or single groups for a more in-depth class with a longer day. Clients that attend my class vary from youths to adults. There is no test, no pass or fail, no certification card in the end. I cover the material until everyone is at least comfortable and knowledgeable in each aspect of the class. If your interested, I would be happy to schedule the time your young shooter needs. Whitetail Strategies Guide Service Fred Scott Owner/Head Guide

Another good option for you to consider is searching for an affordable outfitter or guide service that offers one-on-one instruction during a deer hunt. Also consider Dick's sporting goods for a firearm purchase. I bought a new Remington .243 bolt action for around $400, with a scope mounted plus ammo, to have on hand for a back up rifle for clients if their personal rifle malfunctions. It is compact and light weight to carry. And it is incredibly accurate. If you need help, I would be happy to assist you. Whitetail Strategies Guide Service Fred Scott Owner/Head Guide

I personally have not planted sugar beets before. Though I have planted purple top turnips, a brassica, which needed 60 days to mature so I plant them first week of August. I am very curious to see how your sugar beets do for attracting deer. Please, share some trail cam pics and pictures of the plot as it grows. Whitetail Strategies Guide Service Fred Scott Owner/Head Guide

I usually plant brassica in the late summer say first week of August. In good conditions it needs 60 days to mature and VT's archery season starts first week of October so it will be ready for season by then. The deer will eat the green tops through the summer and into season. After a good freeze or two, the deer really start chewing on the bulbs. In my opinion it is never too late or early (unless everything is frozen) to do food plot work. Maybe this week you have time to work on it and wont get time to do work when the timing would be perfect for planting. If you have something started, something growing, the deer will eat it. Plus next time you get the chance to improve your food plot, it will be that much easier to break ground, remove stone, less brush to cut, and the deer will already know something is there to eat. I made a homemade roller to pull behind my ATV. I used a heavy duty plastic 55 gallon drum. I cut a hole in each end in the center of the drum. I then pushed a metal pipe slightly smaller than the hole I drilled. Then I made a frame out of leftover hardwood floor planks to connect to the metal pipe on each end and around the drum. Then I made a drop pin connection point to hook onto the ATV draw bar. I fill the drum half full of water through one of the screw caps on the top of the drum then replace the cap to hold the water in. Water will leak out where the metal pipe goes through the drum until it brings the level down when it will stop leaking for the most part. The drum half full (or so) with water and the hardwood frame weighs about 200 lbs. It works well to pull over a well prepared food plot bed to push the seed down for good germination contact. If anyone would like a picture, I can post one if someone asked me to. Good luck this season! Whitetail Strategies Guide Service Fred Scott Owner/Head Guide

Might I suggest my guide service for a low cost deer hunting experience. While Vermont has a low minimum antler restriction of 2 points on one side, many great young bucks in the 4-6 point 2.5 year old age group as well as some great eating Doe's to take home too. Many bucks are shot in the 100-120 inch class weighing in excess of 200lbs each season in the Champlain Valley.While there are always many great 8+ point bucks on camera, it is hunting, you never know what is going to pass the stand or blind. Vermont would be on your list for a fun place to enjoy deer hunting, more to fill the freezer and enjoy the hunt than to put a 150" trophy on the wall. www.whitetailstrategies.net Whitetail Strategies Guide Service Fred Scott Owner/Head Guide

Hello to everyone. My name is Fred Scott. I am the owner and head guide for Whitetail Strategies Guide Service in Vermont. I operate a small, very organized, personalized guide service. I offer archery & firearm deer hunting, guided turkey hunting, guided moose hunts in VT for lottery winners, guided rabbit hunts with beagles, cat fishing trips from the shores of Lake Champlain on private land, professionally guided ice fishing trips in Vermont and a few other activities that are available during your trip that are free of charge. I encourage youths and beginning outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen to book a trip as I offer a "shoulder to shoulder" guided trip to help with learning the basics of hunting or fishing. Visit www.whitetailstrategies.net to use the contact us button to book a trip or to ask any questions. Good luck this season wherever you may hunt or fish! Whitetail Strategies Guide Service Fred Scott

Whitetail Strategies Guide Service is a Vermont Based hunting & fishing outfitter and guide service. We offer a very personalized guide service to accommodate beginner hunters and fisherman to safely enjoy the great outdoors during a "shoulder to shoulder" guided trip. We also guide small hunting and fishing groups for those outdoorsman that are experienced to enjoy a relaxing, work free, guided trip. Whitetail Strategies Guide Service offers many guided trips here in the Green Mountain State such as: Archery Whitetail Hunts Rifle Season Whitetail Hunts Black Powder Whitetail Hunts Spring Turkey Hunts Fall Turkey Hunts Guided VT Moose Hunts For Lottery Winners Rabbit Hunting With Beagles Guided Cat Fishing Trips From The Shores Of Lake Champlain Professionally Guided VT Ice Fishing Trips First Aid, CPR, and AED certified and trained Small, very organized, customizable guide service Very reasonable rates Visit www.whitetailstrategies.net to book a trip using the contact us button.