Southeast Nebraska is home to the chosen buck today for our “Shoot or Don’t Shoot” series. The question is simple – if this buck (the one on the left) was in front of you during the season would you shoot? For some it’s just a matter of antler size, for others it’s age and some folks it’s simply whether or not it’s a legal deer in shooting range. No matter the reasoning – we want to know what your call would be.

Shoot or Don’t Shoot? That’s the question.

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Fill us in on the reason behind your choice in the comments section as well!

Shoot or don’t shoot? That is the question.

Today’s buck was photographed in West Central Illinois towards the middle of August last year in a great section of property down there. I can personally attest that there are bigger bucks living on this farm – but at the same time, this deer would certainly catch people’s attention in many other states and areas. So…if this buck came cruising by last fall – what would you have done?

Shoot or don’t shoot? (Make sure to share the reasoning behind your decision in the comments section!)

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

This hillarious plaque adorns the wall in our hunting camp – and I just had to share it with you guys. Every time I pass by it on our porch, I just have to stop and read a bit. It gets me laughing every time.

Can anyone relate to a day like this? haha

(PS – if it’s too small for you to read, just click the picture and it will show a larger version!)

It’s an interesting thing – failure. It can sting. It can poison your thoughts. It can slowly crush your confidence.

But at the same time it can push you to new heights. Force you to look yourself in the mirror. And in the end – make you better.

What’s the difference between these two outcomes? It’s simple really – it’s attitude.

This past Sunday night, I slowly trekked across a freshly planted bean field with a big bag full of turkey decoys over my shoulder and an unpunched tag at the end of my season. Some would say this was a failure – but I am not willing to let that be the case. I may have failed in my ultimate pursuit – the harvest of a turkey. But the successes that occurred along the way to that point were too important to disregard so quickly. I may not have a 10 inch beard and full fan to show off, but I’ve got some damn good stories and a few life long lessons to put in my back pocket to boot.

I won’t lie and say that I don’t get down on myself when I fail – but with a forced attitude adjustment or a refreshed perspective on the situation, I can usually find plenty of silver linings on the cloud. Falling into failure is easy – but taking the effort to examine your attitude – that takes work. I’d be willing to bet you my best slate call though that it’s worth it.

Now how about my past two whitetail hunting seasons? I put in nearly 200 sits, across 5 states – with no antlers on the wall to show for it. But did I really fail? Can you call my first encounter with a 160 class buck in my life a failure? Or how about the fact that I had more close calls with mature bucks this year than ever before. Isn’t that worth something?

Yes – failure can hurt. A mature whitetail flagging away, a poorly hit buck, or an unfilled tag can all leave an unpleasant taste in your mouth and a squelch in your gut. But don’t let that take away from the experiences along the road that led you to where you are today. Failure is a reality – but it isn’t a finality. With the right attitude, any “failure” can be turned into an opportunity. An opportunity to learn, to grow, to face your fears and challenges.  And ultimately to overcome.

So next time when you “fail” in your hunting pursuits, don’t let it keep you down for too long. Pick yourself up, brush the autumn leaves off your shoulder and get back in the proverbial deer stand. Cause life is actually pretty good in the woods and you never know what might be coming down the next trail.

Today’s Shoot or Don’t Shoot buck hails from Southwest Ohio – and you may have seen this guy before. I had posted a couple pictures last year of this thick necked bruiser caught on trailcam while I was down in Ohio hunting during the rut. He’s a definitely a unique buck. Huge body and an interesting rack. My buddy Corey and I ended up naming this particular deer “Mr. Anderson”, in honor of a neighboring property honor and the famous villain of the Matrix movie series. I certainly would have liked to come face to face with Mr. Anderson and send an arrow through the 12 ring on him, but that’s just me.

So if you saw this guy cruising down the fenceline towards your stand, what would you do? Shoot or don’t shoot?

Be sure to share your reasoning in the comments too!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

If only one single tip I share with you on food plots this spring sinks into your skull – let it be this one. If you’re going to plant a food plot – you must, I repeat – must, get a soil test done.

In the past, I’ve covered plenty of reasons why you should get a soil test – in fact in an article last year I detailed 4 Reasons Why A Soil Test Should Be On Your Bucket List. It’s definitely worth a read! But today – I want to make a slightly different point. Getting a soil test is easy. It’s simple. It’s fast! If you want a succesful food plot, there really is no good reason not to get one done.

I feel so strongly about this – that I thought I ought to highlight 3 other commonly completed projects that actually take longer and are way more of a pain to get done than a soil test! Read on my friends…

1. Washing The Dishes: I don’t like doing the dishes one bit. But despite my general dislike for it – I still have to do them. It’s about a 10 minute project, but it gets done and it’s done often. On the other hand, getting a soil test is much less “gross” than the dishes AND it can be done in less time! Take a small scoop of dirt from your plot … 1 minute max, and that’s if you operate on the slow side of things. Empty that scoop of dirt into a small bag – another few seconds. Walk back to your home, vehicle, etc and place a stamp on the outside of your package. Write the address of your test facility of choice and place in the mail. Andddd…you’re done.

2. Picking Up Dog Poop In The Yard: This was a task I used to dread as a child. Now – as an “adult”, I’ve found that it can be enjoyed with the use of the full length, single hand operated pooper scooper – accompanied with beverage of choice in other hand. BUT – it’s still not a terribly fun task and it takes 15+ minutes to accomplish when you have a 60 lb lab popping a squat all over your carefully manicured lawn. So if you think bagging up some dirt from your plot is a pain – think of the alternatives. At least it’s not crap!

3. Understanding What She Means By “It’s Fine”: This is a project that may not actually be completeable – so we’ll call this one a trick question. But let’s be honest – no matter how long or how hard you try, you’ll never really know what she means in a particular instance. For example, I ask her – “Honey, is it ok if I go to Iowa for a week and deer hunt?”. She looks at me, narrows her eyes and sharply replies…”It’s fine.” I may not know exactly what she means by that,  but the only thing I can guarantee for sure is that it’s not really “fine”. (Can anyone relate? haha) On the other hand, a soil test is simple and easy to understand. You send it away and it comes back with clear and concise answers. As an added bonus, it will never bite your head off. I promise.

So there you have it. If you thought a soil test was bad, I’ve now pointed out 3 other projects that you probably take on, that are both more time consuming and more painful. So what are you waiting for?

Go take care of the soil test, plant a killer food plot and bag the buck of a lifetime. Feel free to thank me later!

We’re back with the second installment of our new series “Shoot or Don’t Shoot” – and I’m expecting a pretty mixed bag of answers again on this one! Our last buck featured was photographed in Northwest Iowa and of the 121 votes cast so far, 53% would have passed him. That being said – that still left a lot of folks who would have liked to knock the air out of him too. I’d call that pretty close to a toss up.

Today’s buck hails from South Central Michigan – my stomping grounds – and it’s a nice summer velvet picture. Given all of that – if this buck trotted across in front of you this fall, what would you say?

Shoot or don’t shoot?

Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section as well! We want to know the “Why” behind your answer!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Of course this tune is the classic, “Da Turdy Point Buck” and if you haven’t heard it, you are in for a treat. Below is the classic song, straight from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. If this doesn’t bring a smile to your face, I don’t know what will….Except maybe a Turdy Pointer…

Good luck hunting to all of you heading to the woods with boom sticks for the first time this year!