March 23

SE Minnesota Shed Antler Hunting

The snow had finally melted enough that I was hopeful I’d find some sheds.  Within minutes after texting my nephew that I was out shed hunting, I found a carcass of an 8-point buck as I was crisscrossing some deer trails and bedding area in a CRP field. It appeared he had been dinner for a pack of hungry coyotes.

Because of all the snow pack this past winter, the grasses from the previous year were matted down. My next “finds” were a couple sheds from last spring with just the tines sticking up through matted grass.

Following a ridge overlooking a southern slope I also found a new shed from a little “forky” and a second shed close to that same area, but not a match. It was from a 3-pointer and had already been chewed on by the rodents.

Finally while moving around near some small islands of trees, I found a beautiful matched set from a two year old 8-pointer - one shed touching the other. 

Before leaving the property NE of Rochester, I had a visit with the land owner who informed me that he had seen two nice bucks still carrying their antlers that morning, March 18, 2017.  So I’m confident there are still some nice sheds to be found.  Good luck!-JK

March 9

Venison Steak Kabobs

One of my favorite ways to prepare venison is to make Venison Steak Kabobs.  This is a very easy and simple recipe that even the pickiest wild game eater will be sure to enjoy.

I start off with two 4-6 oz. venison backstrap steaks.  Cut the steaks into 1"x1" cubes (approximately 8 cubes per kabob)

Tip: I find it easier to cut the steaks into cubes if they are still slightly frozen

Marinate the steak for an hour.  I use a marinade that a friend gave me a while ago which is my favorite marinade for venison (see below), although Italian dressing could work well too.

Venison Marinade:

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp basil
1 tsp rosemary

I then make my kabobs with our favorite vegetables: red onion, zucchini, red and green peppers, and mushrooms.  Cut the vegetables in 1" x 1/2" cubes. I alternate vegetable, steak, vegetable, steak, etc. This helps to keep the meat from getting over cooked and is aesthetically pleasing.

Cook the kabobs on the grill at medium to medium high heat (350-400F), turning once or twice, until the vegetables are cooked roughly 10-15 minutes total cooking time.  Be careful not to over cook the meat 

Tip: Use metal skewers helps to cook the meat internally as kabobs sometimes can burn on the outside and be left rare on the inside, especially on thicker cuts of meat.

Enjoy!

KK  
      

March 2

Review of the Deer Hunter's Moon Guide 

Prior to the start of the 2016 deer season I bought a tool called the Deer Hunter's Moon Guide.  It is a rotating calendar disk that predicts peak hunting times based on the moon’s position—directly overhead or underfoot, for example—as well as the best types of places to hunt under the given conditions.  With a young family at home, I was very interested in a tool that might help me become a more efficient hunter.

The days that predict the best movement are marked red, and the guide really emphasizes hunting the "red" moons.  Simply by coincidence I hunted an equal number of "red" and "black" moons in 2016.  I killed a doe on a black moon and a doe and buck on consecutive red moon days.  I saw slightly more deer on black moon days, but I had significantly more deer in bow range on red moon days.

With a sample size of one, not much can be concluded about how well the Deer Hunter's Moon Guide works.  I didn't plan any of my hunts based on the guide and I will continue to hunt when time allows and on days where the wind conditions are conducive for my stand.  I will probably give the moon guide another opportunity and next year use trail cameras images to gain more data points to see if there is a correlation to deer movement and moon position. 
-KK 

February 23

IA (early) Shed Antler Hunt 

After we returned from our vacation to Texas, we were pleasantly surprised that much of the snow had melted in North Iowa and Southern Minnesota following a week of unseasonably warm temperatures.  I went to Iowa for a quick afternoon of shed hunting hoping to find the antlers to 2 big bucks that I had been hunting the prior fall.  It was a great day to get out of the house and get some exercise, but no sheds were found.  I suspect that many of the bucks are still carrying their antlers.  Shed hunting also is a great opportunity to see sign that was left during the fall such as scapes and rubs.

KK  

February 16

Whitetail Dream Trip-

My wife and I planned a trip to San Antonio, Texas to escape the snow and cold of February in Minnesota.  As we were driving south on I-35 past Des Moines I couldn't help but find myself starring at the wooded hills and timbered draws of southern Iowa.  Famous counties such as Warren, Clarke, and Decatur have become a deer hunter's Mecca.  This area has the management practices and genetics that simply yield monster bucks year in and year out.  

Flint Hills in Kansas

As we continued south into Missouri, we passed through Harrison Co. Missouri one of the top counties in Missouri for Pope and Young whitetail harvests.  We stayed in Kansas City for the night and refueled with famous Kansas City BBQ.  The next day we traveled through Kansas, Oklahoma, and finally Texas.  Kansas is another state that boasts great deer hunting.  The trophy caliber of bucks harvested in the southeastern counties of Coffey, Greenwood, and Butler are second to none.  

Oklahoma is an up and coming state for trophy potential and Texas, although mostly private land, has a long and rich tradition of excellent deer hunting.  A trophy deer hunting road trip down Interstate 35 just made it on to the bucket list!

KK