Get Muddy – Muddy Outdoors

Choosing the Best Ground Blind for You!

April 14, 2023/0 Comments/in Get Muddy, Ground Blinds, Uncategorized /by Blake Aaron of Aaron Outdoors

When choosing a blind, you need to know what your primary use of the blind will be. Will you be needing an all-around blind or one specifically for archery hunting? Will you be hunting deer, turkey, waterfowl, etc. These questions need to be answered so you can get the perfect blind for your situation.

“See Through Blinds” are becoming more and more popular in the outdoor scene and for good reason, Muddy’s PREVUE is all you could want in a “See Through Blind”. The Prevue offers two full-width panoramic windows with one-way see-through mesh. You won’t miss seeing anything out of the Prevue. With three sizes the PREVUE 2, 3 and 4 you have the option to choose the right size for you. My family loves the outdoors and the PREVUE 4 is great for my growing family. We can fit four comfortably in this blind and it has plenty of room for all our cameras and other gear! For solo hunters or someone wanting something smaller for your setup, the PREVUE 2 is another great option to fit 2 people comfortably. I have personally used both and recommend both blind options if a “See Through Blind” is what you are looking for!

Some folks may hunt in an area where there is a lot of farming activity. This is the case for me. We have many pasture fields, and the wildlife are used to seeing hay bales all over the farm I hunt. This makes “The Bale Blind” a go-to option for me. The blind has a powder coated steel frame and has a waterfowl opening and brush strips to help you adapt to any location! We have deer and turkey hunted out of a Muddy Bale Blind for years with tons of success. The windows slide easily on bungee strings to make sure you stay silent. This blind may not be for all situations due to mobility, but if you plan on leaving a blind out in the elements for several weeks at a time, this could be the one for you. We have hunted out of the same Bale blind for 6 years now and it is still in great shape. It is versatile for deer, turkey, waterfowl and even dove hunting!

If you are interested in a blind with a traditional ground blind feel, but with extra features, then the VS360 from Muddy Outdoors would be my choice! This blind sets up in seconds and has sliding shoot-through mesh over each window. It has 360 degree viewing and shooting options. The blind is spacious enough for three hunters at once and has the water-resistant fabric! The silent windows are awesome! In the past four months, I have watched my dad harvest one of his biggest whitetails to date out of a VS360 and I have watched a young hunter harvest his biggest tom out of it as well.

With options for every scenario, you cannot go wrong with any of Muddy Outdoors’ blind options. Check out their full line today at gomuddy.com.

Improve Your Turkey Hunting Odds By Spring Coyote Hunting

March 7, 2023/0 Comments/in Get Muddy /by Elizabeth Rak

When two gobbling toms rumbled the early morning spring woods, my late friend and I decided we would have the best chance if we split the difference between the roosted birds. After quietly making our way down a wooded fence row, we made it within one hundred yards of each tom, then proceeded to get into position to begin calling.

As the sun lit up the spring woods, I knew it wouldn’t be long until we heard the beat of wings as the two toms flew off the roost. I amped up my calling by cutting and imitating a fly-down cackle on an H.S. Strut diaphragm call to entice them into coming closer. After a short time, we heard the anticipated sound of a turkey flying down and landing in the leaves. A few seconds later, I spotted one of the toms strutting his way down the hill toward the sound of my calls. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the approaching longbeard, my friend stayed motionless as the other tom was still roosting a mere sixty yards in his direction. Trying to stay still, I was baffled when the gobbler heading in my direction suddenly went out of strut, then quickly went the opposite way, eventually out of sight. While trying to figure out what had gone wrong so quickly, I suddenly caught movement a few yards to my front. My instincts took over when I saw a coyote approaching where my tom once stood. After folding the coyote in his tracks, my twelve-gauge shotgun echoed through the bottom ridge. Unfortunately, the echoing of my gun resulted in the tom in front of my friend going silent until it eventually flew off the roost in the opposite direction.

If one has vast turkey hunting experience, it is easy to relate to the heartbreak and the aggravation my friend and I felt after a coyote ruined our morning of tagging a gobbler. Many turkey hunters have had coyotes attack their decoys or, as with our hunt, charge between the hunter who has been calling and the gobbling tom who is not too far ahead. Even though coyotes can be highly frustrating when turkey hunting, it is mother nature’s way for them to find an easy meal during the spring of the year.

A coyote’s breeding season typically occurs from late January through mid-March. Once a female has been successfully bred, she has a gestation period of around sixty days before having her pups. With the peak of the breeding season occurring in mid-February, that would make their young scheduled to arrive mid-April to early May. Days before a female gives birth, and through the first several days of the young coyote pups being born, the mother’s requirement for more food increases drastically. During this period, it is typical for the male coyote to be a bit more aggressive as he is hunting for food for the mother and her pups. This is the reason for the increased coyote activity while hunters try to harvest a spring turkey. To help boost the odds for a spring gobbler and prevent coyotes from ruining a turkey hunt, it is vital to spend the month before the season hunting and calling coyotes. When coyotes are in search of extra food to prepare the female coyote for birth and later feed the young themselves, response rates to calls can be highly effective.

When hunting coyotes in March, it is imperative to focus on the territorial sounds they make, which symbolize the protectiveness of the area around their den sites, and the sounds of an easy meal. Using coyote vocals such as challenge and territorial howls signal to other coyotes that the area is theirs. If resident coyotes have settled themselves, they often will respond to see who has invaded their area. As for food source sounds, many animals also have their young in early spring. For that reason, using sounds such as baby cottontail, baby birds, and fawn distress all work excellently because they are the natural sounds heard in the wild at that particular time.

Due to the increased aggravation that male coyotes often have before their mate has pups, finding areas near a den can be ideal for hunting. As a good scouting tool, I have often placed one or two Muddy Outdoors Manifest 2.0 Cellular Cameras near areas where I plan to turkey hunt or where I suspect a den is located. When coyotes begin showing up on my cameras, I move in as quickly as possible and try to make a harvest. While finishing up the last portion of the coyote hunting season, focus on den areas and coyotes near a turkey hunting spot. By doing so, I have found that I have less pressure from predators when spring turkey season arrives in mid-April; less pressure from nearby coyotes means calling a gobbler into close range becomes less complicated.

3 Common Mistakes When Bowhunting Ground Blinds

October 11, 2022/0 Comments/in Box Blinds, Get Muddy, Ground Blinds, Muddy Tracks, Trail Cameras, Tree Seats and Ground Seats /by Kevin Kelsey

3 Common Mistakes When Bowhunting Ground Blinds

By: Heath Wood

With a massive acorn crop, two of my treestand setups that I had hung in late August were now in locations where deer movement was minimal. After looking at the weekend forecast, I knew I needed to be hunting in hopes of catching a mature buck up on his feet. Yet, deer movement was more profound in the timber. Unfortunately, I did not have a stand near the area I wanted to hunt.

When trying to make a game plan of where to hunt during the first evening of the weekend, I decided to hunt in a ground blind set up in the timber. A spot in which two steep ridges came together to form a bottleneck shape that was a natural travel route for deer. I predicted the deer would travel out of a river bottom, feeding on the thousands of acorns falling from the trees. I was confident I had chosen a good location.

I settled into my blind around 2:45 p.m. due to the fear of pushing deer out of the area. After 40 minutes, I found myself caught off guard by a mature doe standing at twenty yards. When I first saw the doe, she had already locked her eyes on me in the blind. After a few seconds of an intense stare-down, she blew and headed back into the river bottom. For the next two and a half hours, five different does, all at different times, came into the area, blew, then bolted out of sight.

Numerous times throughout the evening, I used my Hunters Specialties Windicator to determine the wind direction. Each time, the wind hit me in the face. I had no idea the cause of this sudden downturn in events. Only later did I realize I had committed three of the most common mistakes bowhunters make when hunting from a ground blind.

Too Much Movement

When most of the deer that evening came into close range, they were already on high alert because of the unusual movement that they had encountered. Four out of five of the deer that night had seen me long before I spotted them, thus the reason for them being on high alert.

When hunting deer at their eye level, it is essential to keep movement to a minimum and be cautious of every movement while inside the blind. Many hunters think that they can get by with excessive movement because they are inside of a blind even though the hunter can move more than if in the wide open, they must still be aware of head and body movement when scanning for deer. The slightest unusual movement will result in deer leaving the area.

To help minimize movement, the hunter should wear black clothing on the upper body, hands, and head. By wearing black, the hunter blends with the interior of the blind, keeping them more concealed. Another option to stay concealed is using a blind such as the Infinity 2-Person blind from Muddy Outdoors. The Infinity blind is made with an innovative shadow mesh window curtain technology that allows the hunter to see out of the blind, yet wildlife cannot see in. This creates a 360-degree view and eliminates blind spots while keeping the hunter concealed.

Wrong Location

I am a true believer in bowhunting from ground blinds. Yet, after my hunt, I wondered why all the deer had spotted me and sensed something was wrong when they got into close range of my blind.

After reassessing my hunt later that night, I realized my blind was in the wrong location. When the deer came out of the river bottom, they first saw my blind eye level with the area they were traveling. If my blind had been down the ridge, forty to fifty yards farther, the deer would have had time to feel safe because the blind not causing an instant red flag.

When sitting up a ground blind, it is vital to brush in around it to help conceal the location. Sitting the blind in a more open area, where deer feel comfortable, is also essential.

A blind should not be used in tight situations like where I was hunting. Instead, I returned to that specific location and hung a hang-on treestand more suitable for the terrain.

Use A Blind Chair

When humans are not comfortable, it is natural to want to move and twist our bodies—sitting inside a ground blind when hunting can wreak havoc on a hunter’s body if they are not sitting in the proper chair. When sitting in an uncomfortable seat, back and leg pain are common. Add constant movement from trying to get into a more comfortable position to the mix, and it does not make for a relaxed hunt. I sat on a small tripod-style seat for four hours on my hunt. It is obvious now that in doing so, I made an excessive amount of unwanted movement that cost me a harvest.

Using a more comfortable chair that is designed to hunt inside of a blind is a must when bowhunting. A blind chair such as the Muddy Swivel-Ease XT Ground Seat is ideal for the hunter to sit comfortably for an extended period. Padded armrests, a large seating area, and 360-degree silent mobility provide the hunter with less movement and the ability to hunt quietly until that monster buck comes into close range.

Scent Control 101

October 5, 2022/0 Comments/in Climbers, Climbing Systems, Double Ladderstand, Feeders, Get Muddy, Ground Blinds, Hang-Ons, Trail Cameras /by Kevin Kelsey

Scent Control 101

By: Heath Wood

As a young teenager, my obsession with hunting grew with each passing day. Like many other small-town boys and girls, I spent the late summer watching hunting videos in hopes of learning more about harvesting a mature buck.

While trying to obtain more knowledge, I found a favorite video series by Hunters Specialties. In the late nineties and early two-thousands, scent elimination was something that many hunters were eager to understand. In the Hunters Specialties videos, they often spoke of the scent-a-way, scent elimination system. From the early 2000s to the present day, when buying a Scent-A-Way product, the package or bottle lists the scent control system in three steps. By following the three-step system, hunters have a more extensive advantage of remaining scent free when chasing mature bucks.

Fast forward to 2008, my childhood dream came to fruition. From 2008 until 2016, I served on the pro staff for Hunters Specialties, where I hunted, promoted, and tested their many products. During that time, I became more familiar with the Scent-A-Way products and learned how each product worked. Today, after working with several hunting companies in the industry, I believe in the same scent elimination system I discovered many years ago.

After hunting for twenty-five years and acquiring knowledge as I grow older, I have attained a few tips and tricks that can be added along with the original scent control system. By combining these tactics, hunters can fool a deer and fight against their number one defense, their nose.

I must admit that most of the things learned in the battle between human odor and deer have been gained only after a deer has smelled me or a foreign odor that they know isn’t right. This typically results in deer spooking and leaving the area. After the fact, I knew I needed to stay faithful to the scent control system combined with some of my tricks. Fewer deer smell me, and I have been fortunate enough to harvest several deer.

Step 1 – Clothing

The three steps in the scent control system are clothes, body, and field. The first step is washing all hunting clothing in a scent-eliminating detergent, then drying clothes and storing them in a scent-free bag or container.

One significant setback for hunting clothes is the everyday laundry that is done in the same washing machine and dryer. Most household detergents used on everyday street clothes are perfumed or have a strong smell. Day after day of high fragrance detergents being used, the inside of the washing machine and dryer will most likely have a strong fragrance that sticks to hunting clothes.

First and foremost, I begin my hunting laundry regimen by spraying the inside of the washing machine with Scent-A-Way spray. By eliminating odors before doing laundry, the scent-controlling detergents can fight odors on the clothes instead of all the fragrances inside the machine. The same goes for the dryer; before putting clean, scent-free clothes in the dryer, I first use a small ozone generator placed inside the dryer for five to six minutes. The ozone destroys all odors that are left behind.

Step 2 – Body

In my opinion, this is the most vital step in remaining scent-free while deer hunting. The odor that causes deer to spook most often is human odor. Foreign odors such as gas, food, smoke, and many others can alarm deer, yet the smell of human odor to a deer is an instant red flag of danger. The best way to eliminate human odor is by cleaning the body with scent-fighting soaps and shampoos such as Scent-A-Way body soap and shampoo.

It is vital to pay attention to detail when showering as well. Use Scent-A-Way soap and shampoo on every part of the body. Proper use helps fight human odors from developing later while hunting.

After using scent-eliminating soaps, the mistake many hunters make is they dry off with a towel that smells like fabric softener, flowers, or other perfume-smelling detergents commonly used in the household. The solution goes back to step one. Always wash one or two towels along with hunting garments. When drying off, use a scent-free towel that is not instantly putting foreign odors back on the body.

Step 3 – Field

In the field can refer to two things. One indicates always taking the time to dress in the field. To avoid recouping odors, hunters should wear street clothes until they arrive at their hunting destination. Many odors can cling to the hunter and clothing from simple tasks such as stopping at a gas station, restaurant, or other places where odors are prevalent. Doing so will defeat all prior efforts to remain scent-free. Dress in the field and spray all hunting garments and gear with Scent-A-Way spray, such as the Muddy safety harness and other accessories.

Over the years, I have learned it is just as vital to undress in the field as it is to dress. After hunting, many wear camo around the camp, around the house, or while riding in a vehicle; they then proceed to throw the clothes back in their bag until the next hunt, allowing human odor entry into the bag that is meant to keep these very odors out.

The second in-the-field reference explains how to keep odors eliminated while in the field. During the hunt, human odors can reemerge. Sweat is the most common event that grows human odors while hunting.

To remain scent-free throughout the hunt, it is vital to wear a moisture-absorbing base layer made with microbial products that can help prevent odors from reoccurring. Plus, they dry quickly, keeping the hunter dry and warm. I also prefer wearing carbon-based and silver-based clothing that can help absorb and destroy odors. Also, make sure to spray down periodically with Scent-A-Way spray throughout the hunt to remain scent-free.

Once clothes are scent-free, the next step is to dress in the field, not at home. Many odors can cling to the hunter and clothing from simple tasks such as stopping at a gas station, restaurant, or other places where odors are prevalent. Doing so will defeat all prior efforts to remain scent-free.

5 Reasons to Hunt from a Muddy Box Blind

August 23, 2022/0 Comments/in Box Blinds, Get Muddy, Ground Blinds, Uncategorized /by Kevin Kelsey

Hunting from elevated box blinds have changed the outdoor industry over the past few years. Many people are making the investment and adding the blind to their whitetail hunting arsenal. Still, though, many hunters refuse to climb out of their traditional tree stands. Don’t get me wrong. It is hard to beat a rut hunt in the timber out of a tree stand. There is nothing like it, but there are several other things to consider when you are looking for a successful whitetail season. Today, we are going to give you 5 reasons why you should pull the trigger on a Muddy Box Blind today!

Scent Control – How many times have you thought you were hunting a stand where you had a perfect wind and then suddenly, the wind switches? Your hunt is now busted. Hunting out of an enclosed Muddy Box blind will help contain your scent. Do you hunt in big creek bottoms like I do? Swirling winds in creek bottoms are constantly making you second guess your hunting tactics. Sure, scent eliminating sprays and ozone generators don’t hurt, but only an airtight box blind can keep all your scent contained while in the field!
Comfortability – I cannot tell you how many hours I have spent in the tree stand over the years, but I can tell you that not a hunt went by where I wasn’t complaining about my backside getting tired or being too cold to sit any longer. A Muddy Box blind eliminates both issues. You can hunt longer by staying out of the harsh elements a deer season can be whether it is rain or cold temperatures, a blind will help you hunt longer and keep you comfortable as you wait for you encounter with your target buck!

Safety – We all know that a successful hunt means nothing if you don’t make it home safely to your family. This is yet another positive aspect of having a Muddy Box Blind. There is no need to worry bout climbing a tree or ladder stand with a box blind. Muddy offers both a 10- and 5-foot tower platform with stairs and a handrail to assure your safety while entering your blind. Once in the blind you are fully enclosed and surround by walls on every side for a comfortable and safe hunt. With a Muddy box blind, you won’t have to worry about making it home to the family!
Family Ties – One of the greatest things about the outdoors is being able to spend time with your family. If you have a Muddy Box blind you will be able to take your entire family! Hunting from a blind is a great opportunity to introduce young hunters to the outdoors. We have already told you how box blinds can keep scent down, suppress noise and makes each hunt more comfortable. All these things are important when taking new hunters afield. The same goes for older hunters. A box blind helps allow you to hunt for many more years without the worry of climbing into a tree stand.

Versatility – Have you ever had a spot that you were just dying to hunt, but you had no way to hunt it? You couldn’t find the right tree or maybe there weren’t any trees at all? A Muddy Box blind helps you become a more versatile hunter. Once you have a blind you can place it in that spot on your farm you’ve always wanted to hunt but didn’t know how. You can even get creative with your Muddy Box Blind and place it on a trailer for what we like to call a “Mobile Muddy Setup”!

It is simple…. Whether you’re a seasoned whitetail hunter targeting a specific buck or you’re just being introduced into the world of whitetails, the Muddy lineup of box blinds has something for everyone. Check them out today!

Getting Archery Close To Large Flocks Of Spring Turkeys

April 26, 2022/0 Comments/in Get Muddy /by John Fennell

By: Heath Wood

The Challenge of Flocks

When a hunter learns of an area that holds large flocks of wild turkeys, they quickly assume that the chances of making the harvest would be much easier. These areas typically allow the opportunity to call at several different turkeys compared to two or three gobblers in smaller flocks.

When talking with Drury Outdoors team member Josh Sparks about how easy it is to harvest a turkey in large flocks, he explained that hunters should be ready for a challenge even though it may seem easier. While hunting recently in Nebraska on their annual turkey trip, Sparks says that he and his hunting buddies faced significant challenges before success. These challenges consisted of staying hidden from larger flocks, calling against other turkeys, and taking them with a bow, making the hunt much more complicated.

Sparks and a few of his friends from college have a tradition that consists of an annual trip to Nebraska in late March to create a more challenging hunt. “In late March, it gives us a chance to get some early season action when turkeys are still in their winter flocks,” said Sparks, explaining they take along their bows and try to get archery close to large, numbered flocks to enhance their encounter.

Early Stages Of A Hunt

When Sparks and his friends arrived to hunt, the first thing on their to-do list was to locate the large winter flocks. “Our hunt was scheduled for March 25^th, so we elected to arrive on the 24^th to touch base with landowners and secure our places to hunt,” stated Sparks. After ensuring that all designated areas were ready to hunt, Sparks described how they tried to locate turkeys.

After looking at Deer Cast to see an increased chance of high winds, Sparks explained that they had two types of properties that he and his friends could hunt. The first was high up in the hills, and the other was low on a river bottom. With the forecasted 25 to 30 mph winds, Sparks stated they elected to hunt in lower bottoms. “When filming our hunts, audio is a large key to the quality of the hunt. When hunting large flocks, the range of vocalizations that can be heard is higher, so we elected to hunt in the bottoms on our first morning.”

When it came to locating turkeys before the hunt, Sparks described how they recalled having previous luck in bottoms such as the river bottom; turkeys were scavenging and going wherever the cattle had been. “Turkeys seem to follow behind the cattle to pick up leftover feed, and they like to turn over the cow patties to find bugs and extra feed.” On Sparks and his friend’s setup, they decided to sit between a large row of pine and cedar trees that ran along the north side of the river and created an excellent windbreak while hunting. Now that they had found turkeys, the next challenge became calling the large flock into archery range.

Getting In Range For A Great Harvest

When trying to call a gobbler into range, the challenge is extremely high because of competition from other turkeys. “It is tough to do a lot of good calling where we were hunting,” said Sparks. He added, “Where we hunted, there were 150 to 200 turkeys in the flocks, so competing against that many real turkeys is almost impossible.” Sparks explained that the key is to get in between the flocks and where they travel on their daily routine. Let the decoys and the mimicking of other turkeys do the work when hunting larger flocks.

Early on the morning of their hunt, Sparks explained how they packed in the Muddy Outdoors’ new VS360 blind to stay out of the wind, stay concealed while filming, and have room to draw their bows when ready to shoot. “The blind easily set up in approximately 15 to 20 seconds; it had more than enough room to draw my bow, and the blackout interior of the blind helped keep us stay concealed. The VS360 is lightweight enough that we carried it in that morning.”

Outside of the Muddy blind, at 20 yards, Sparks described how they used the Avian X LCD Jake, the Laydown Hen, and an Upright Hen to help attract turkeys into the archery range.

When using decoys, Sparks explained that using a Jake decoy helped create jealousy from the more mature toms, resulting in them coming closer to check it out. On Sparks’ hunt, he believes the Avian X decoys attracted the attention of a jake who came closer than began yelping. “The jake helped us bring in my gobbler. When the jake began yelping, I started yelping back.” After Sparks began calling back at the jake, he added a few fighting purrs that eventually attracted the tom closer as the jake approached the decoys. “After the gobbler followed the jake to the decoys, he flogged them, allowing me to draw my bow and make a successful shot,” stated Sparks.

During the remainder of Sparks and his friend’s early-season Nebraska turkey hunt, they used the Muddy Outdoors blinds, the Avian X decoys, and aggressive calling to finish their hunt with four different harvests. Sparks and his friends’ success is proof that even though there is a challenge when hunting large flocks of turkeys, success can be achieved if done correctly.

3 Tips For Early Season Turkey Hunting Success

March 31, 2022/0 Comments/in Get Muddy /by John Fennell

The Early Season

In most places across the United States, the spring turkey season typically commences during March or April. The only states that do not open during this time are the northern states which hunt during May.

Depending on weather conditions for that spring, the earlier portions of spring turkey hunting can be challenging for hunters. The trials during the early season come from the lack of green foliage and cover while walking or trying to call in a gobbler. Another challenge presented during the early season is that turkeys are in the first portion of their breeding season and can be shy to come to specific calls. Below are three tips for early-season success.

Stay Put- Use A Ground Blind

One of my favorite tactics for spring turkey hunting is to get as close to the roost as possible before setting up to call. Unfortunately, during the early season, that isn’t always a possibility. With low temperatures, the leaves have yet to bloom out into total growth. And the leaves on the underbrush are slower to grow as well. Making your way through the timber without being spotted by turkeys is harder when new growth is behind schedule.

When the spring foliage is slow-growing, a hunter should stay patient and use a ground blind such as the Muddy Prevue 3 to help keep concealment. Often, hunters will have their blinds set up before hunting. By having the blind in place before hunting, the hunter can ease into the area before daylight, then begin calling as the day breaks without being seen by nearby turkeys.

One of the most prominent mistakes hunters make during the early portion of the season is trying to make a move to get into a better position to call, only to be caught by the gobblers’ keen eyesight. By spooking a gobbler early, the hunter runs the risk of not being able to call in that specific bird for the rest of the season. The hunter should be patient and use a ground blind as their primary source of concealment to ensure success for the remainder of the season.

Use A Jake Decoy

During the earlier spring portion, male turkeys are in a pecking order to find out who the dominant bird is. If the pecking order has already been established, using a jake decoy like the Avian X HDR Jake Decoy can lure a mature gobbler into shooting range because the dominance is still fresh on the mind. A jake decoy placed near a hen decoy is typically the perfect setup for the early season. When a mature tom encounters a jake decoy, he thinks that jake will breed one of his hens before he does, triggering a desire to fight. The dominant urge to whip up on the jake decoy can bring a mature tom running in from a distance.

As the season progresses, mature gobblers have often been whipped by other gobblers at some point. Using a jake or tom decoy in the latter portion of the season can detour a gobbler from coming closer because of the fear of getting into another exhausting battle with another gobbler. Instead, use the jake decoy during the early season and tag out early.

Use Calls At A Lesser Volume

Another common mistake that turkey hunters make during the early season is calling too loud. Although calling too much or too loud is a mistake hunters can make throughout the entire season, the early season is subject to calling with too much volume because of less foliage on the trees. When there are few leaves on the trees, the sounds of a hunter calling carry for a longer distance.

It is crucial to keep the calling at a lower volume to avoid spooking a gobbler who is nearby. Using calls such as purring, clucks, and soft yelps is ideal when sound travels farther. Often, hunters can use a slate call or a pot-style call to mimic the sounds of a hen softly purring while feeding through the leaves. Purring with an occasional cluck and soft yelps keeps the gobbler curious about where the hen is located, causing him to search, which leads him into closer range.

It is vital to use decoys when calling open areas. When there is less cover throughout the timber during the early season, gobblers will often be cautious about responding to a hunter’s calling. When the gobbler can see for longer distances, he constantly looks ahead to spot the hen making all the calls. If he doesn’t see anything, the gobbler doesn’t feel safe and becomes weary to come any closer. Again, softer calling can also make the gobbler search for the hen. If calling too loud, the gobbler can hang up outside of shooting range until he sees the hen, then respond.

The beginning of the spring turkey season can often create an unexplainable urgency among hunters, inducing a feeling that they must hunt hard until they can make a harvest. The spring turkey season is only a few short weeks, and then it is over. Slow down, be patient and enjoy a successful season.

Keep Scrape Cameras Going For Late Season Success

November 30, 2021/0 Comments/in Get Muddy /by John Fennell

By: Heath Wood

Don’t Touch That Camera

During October and November, many hunters use game cameras to monitor scrapes. The scrapes may be natural initially made from a nearby buck or a mock scrape. Either way, both make for great scouting tools when used in conjunction with a game camera.

The end of October is the period when scrapes began seeing increased activity from bucks and does. As November begins, so does the scrape activity until bucks begin desperately seeking does to breed. When bucks begin the seeking phase of the rut, it is as if the scrape activity gets turned off like that of a light switch. When scrape activity decreases, hunters often elect to take their cameras and move on to another area. However, if hunters leave cameras going on scrapes throughout the rut, bucks will return afterward, making a great scouting tool again for the late season.

Eight Bucks and One Kill

For the past two years, I have monitored scrapes with Muddy cellular cameras. I have recently been using the Muddy Manifest camera to know when and who is visiting scrapes. On October 20^th of 2021, I accidentally fell into the perfect game camera setup on a natural scrape. I had placed my Muddy Manifest on the edge of a CRP field, facing towards a barbed wire fence where deer often entered the field. On November 2^nd, 2021, I got a text on my phone saying I had a new photo available that had been taken on that camera setup. When I opened my command app to see what the picture would reveal, I was surprised to see a buck making a scrape; he was leaving his scent on the overhead licking branch in the left corner of the picture frame. That day, eight different bucks visited the same scrape, along with multiple does. The Manifest camera captured great photos for the next three days, showing bucks and does using the scrape. As predicted, a week or two later, the deer stopped using the scrape, and I began seeing more rut activity on other places of the farm.

One of the last pictures that I received from the Manifest camera was of a mature eight-pointer who was nose-down, trailing a doe in the photo. On November 18^th, 2021, I was in a Hawk Down & Out Blind when after encountering several different deer that morning, I caught the movement of a buck coming out of the timber at one hundred and eighty yards. After a glance through the binoculars, I knew this was potentially a shooter buck. I placed my 6.5 Creedmoor rifle into position, resting on the frame of the blind window. After finding the buck in my scope, I quickly made confirmation that the buck was the same buck that I had witnessed on camera a couple of weeks prior while chasing a doe. When the mature ten-pointer walked into a clear opening at one hundred and fifty yards, I grunted with my natural voice to get the buck to stop. I squeezed the trigger when the buck stopped, making a great shot on one of my targeted bucks.

The Second Rut

Although I was out of buck tags for my home state of Missouri, I left the Manifest camera in position over the same scrape from weeks prior. My curiosity wanted to see when deer would begin revisiting the scrape and if any other mature bucks would visit. Like clockwork, the day after Thanksgiving, does begin coming to the scrape, soon followed by two or three different bucks. I am anxious to see how long the scrape will be active during the second round of scrape usage.

Some may ask why does and bucks begin using the same scrapes for the second time. The first to the second week of December bucks and does go into what is referred to as the second rut. The second rut is when younger does who didn’t go into estrus during the November rut or does that didn’t get bred will come into heat. It is essential to note that the second rut that occurs later in the season is not as action-packed as the November rut. However, the second rut can be a great time to score on a mature buck if one still has an unfilled tag. When does do not get bred, they begin leaving their scent when they go into estrus again. At the same time, bucks often revisit scrapes to check in on those does who did not get bred. If one keeps their game cameras running in-between time, they will know the exact moment when the chase commences the second time. When scrape activity begins to spark interest again, it is vital to be in the stand hunting. Remember, only a few does did not get bred the first time. The action won’t last long, be in the stand and ready, and you could fill that buck tag before it expires for the year.

Tips And Tricks for Bowhunting in A Ground Blind

November 11, 2021/1 Comment/in Get Muddy, Ground Blinds /by John Fennell

By: Heath Wood

One of the biggest challenges bowhunters face is getting close enough to an animal to shoot accurately. This challenge thrills a bowhunter and drives them to put in hard work each season.

When a hunter is trying to get an animal into a comfortable shooting range, they must devote the time and effort to get a result that ends in their favor. The required efforts include scouting, hanging tree stands, and putting up permanent box blinds. However, many of today’s hunters are hunting from a portable ground blind. When these efforts result in a mature buck on the ground, the hunter feels a rush of excitement that comes from getting an intelligent and respected animal into archery range.

Portable ground blinds have an array of advantages when used to get archery close to deer. Hunters can better stay concealed, resulting in a more versatile hunter that can move wherever the deer movement is the most predictable. Other advantages include having more room to draw a bow, staying out of mother nature’s elements, and the list goes on. The point of the matter is, more bowhunters are using ground blinds than ever before. Below are a few tips and tricks when using a blind on your next archery hunt.

Have The Proper Bow & Setup

One of the common excuses for not using a ground blind is not having enough room to draw a bow correctly and make the shot. Two tips will result in having the proper setup to shoot a bow correctly while in a ground blind. One is making the right choice on the ground blind itself. It is vital to choose a ground blind that has plenty of room horizontally and vertically. The hunter needs to have space to fit a chair, all their gear, and enough room to draw their bow to full draw without hitting or rubbing against the blind. If there is not adequate room, one can spook deer by hitting the blind while trying to draw or, even worse, having interference that may cause a poor shot that could wound an animal or make the hunter miss entirely.

The Muddy Prevue 3 is an excellent choice of ground blind for the bowhunter. The Prevue 3 is rated as a three-person ground blind with a 73” by 73” shooting width, 58” x 58” footprint, and a standing height of 66”. The large area of the Muddy Prevue 3 makes it ideal for the bowhunter to have more than enough room to draw and shoot without any deflections. Another great feature of the Muddy Prevue 3 blind is the two full-width panoramic windows of one-way see-through mesh. The sizeable see-through mesh window allows the hunter a wider field of view of their surroundings, allowing them to know the exact time to draw on a deer when approaching.

The second part of a proper setup is to have the right bow and accessories. Even with a larger area inside, shooting a bow from a blind narrows room for movement. It is vital to use a bow with a smaller axle to axle measurement or a crossbow to ensure there is more than enough room to shoot. I use the Bear Archery Whitetail Legend bow for hunting inside of ground blinds. The Whitetail Legend has excellent maneuverability by featuring a 32” axle-to-axle measurement. With the smaller height bow, I can move around in the blind to get into position for the shot without bumping the blind. Another must-have when hunting inside a blind is a well-illuminated sight, such as the Apex Gear MAGNITUDE series. The MAGNITUDE five-pin sight features the PRO-BRITE pin design that increases brightness without crowding the sight picture. A shooter’s ring design has better peep sight alignment and glow-in-the-dark visibility, perfect for shooting inside of a dark blind.

Placement Of Ground Blind

A ground blind has long been used for sitting in open areas where visibility is more significant. However, when setting up for bow hunting deer, one must be more specific to where the blind is set up. As a rule of thumb, most bowhunters have an accurate shooting range of forty yards or less. Many of today’s bowhunters can shoot accurately at father distances, yet it is forty yards or less on average. To guarantee the blind is in the correct position, use a range finder and place the blind near objects or areas where deer will be. When setting up a ground blind for bowhunting, I find natural areas such as travel, water, and food sources. When I find natural areas, I try to narrow down where deer will travel within forty yards or less when passing by. To narrow down the area, I try to locate where deer enter the food source or what point of a water source deer come to most often. I look for other points of natural interest barriers, such as a log or a fence that narrows down a deer’s travel route.

Another great way to narrow deer within the shooting range of a blind is by using an attractant to draw deer to a specific spot. For example, using deer decoys to help lure deer within range. When setting up a decoy, I use my Halo XL450 rangefinder to range exactly twenty yards from my blind, then place the decoy into position. By having a decoy at twenty yards, I know when a deer gets nearby the decoy, it is well within comfortable shooting range. Another attractant a hunter can use is a deer scent on a wick or in a mock scrape. On many occasions, I have used scents such as Buck Bombs 2 Hot Does liquid that comes with a scent wick to hang on a tree limb or brush nearby the hunting area. Another attractant to draw deer within a specific range is Doe in Estrus, used with a Scent Hammock over a mock scrape. Either scent choice gives a specific location for a deer to come.

The challenge that invokes the drive for bowhunters to put so much work into a blind and bow set up and take the proper steps to ensure they are within bow range is time and effort well spent when it creates the perfect scenario to close the deal on a trophy buck.

Proper Stand Approach

September 1, 2021/0 Comments/in Climbing Systems, Get Muddy, Hang-Ons, Tree Seats and Ground Seats, Treestand Accessories /by John Fennell

By: Heath Wood

Whenever my coworkers and I would gather around reminiscing about past hunting adventures, the oldest of our group would be lingering around in the background, listening to our stories. He was an older man who worked a few days a week, only to have something to do. Yet, he was full of knowledge on football, baseball, and my favorite, deer hunting. After hearing our stories of past hunts, he would always chime in to give his opinion and tell us how people hunted in his earlier years. After the gentleman took me to his house one day to show off his trophy wall, I decided I should probably pay attention to his strategies, judging from the quality of deer displayed on his walls.

Out of ten plus years working with this gentleman before he sadly passed away, one of the best pieces of deer hunting advice that he shared was how he approached his stands in the mornings and left them when the hunt was over. It was unique in the way that he was sitting in his stand, ready to go, two hours before first light. His dedication and attention to detail paid off for him by harvesting multiple mature bucks in his lifetime.

One of the biggest mistakes made by hunters is pressuring deer away from their area hunting. When trying to harvest a mature buck, whether with a bow or rifle, the more painstaking effort one puts out, the more likely they will succeed. Three things can cause pressure. The deer see, smell, or hear something they do not like, alarming them enough to spook out away from the hunter. The older gentlemen that I had the privilege to work with spoke of stand approach often. He explained that he would sneak his way into his treestand two to three hours before daylight so that he didn’t push away any deer. He still had time for the woods to calm back down before legal shooting light when he performed this maneuver.

Approaching Your Stand

Approaching the stand correctly is vital to keep mature bucks in the area where you are hunting. Having an entrance and exit route that is the shortest distance isn’t always the most important. Instead, one must approach the stand with the wind direction in the face to prevent human scent from drifting into the area where deer will be approaching when hunting. Other factors for the proper entrance route are walking on a quieter surface, such as a road, creek bed, or bare dirt. The more the hunter can walk without being heard, the less likely deer will be alarmed, causing them to flee the area. When walking to my stand in the morning, I allow myself time to get there quietly. One factor in helping to go to the stand is knowing where to travel in the dark. I do not want to make unnecessary steps or noise because I don’t know exactly where I am going. I use the Muddy Outdoors Remote Beacon Illuminator to steer me in the right direction to prevent getting off course. The Remote Beacon Illuminator is a multidirectional green LED light that attaches to the treestand. With the aid of a compact remote, the hunter can signal a flashing light from up to three hundred yards to help locate their stand early in the morning.

In the ideal condition, I prefer my stand approach to come in on the backside. I try not to cross or walk in the areas where deer will be approaching my stand area when I am hunting. I attempt to keep the wind in my face and stay hidden from any deer in the area. Using the terrain and structure such as trees or brush helps to keep the hunter concealed and from being silhouetted by deer in the distance.

Planning Leads to Success

Planning out an entrance and exit route must start when hanging stands before the season. After scouting has been done and a stand sight has been selected, think about how you will enter and exit before hanging the stand.

A month before my home state of Missouri’s opening day of last year’s firearms season, I hung a Muddy Odyssey XTL ladder stand near the edge of a narrow pinch point that separated two large stands of timber. I found a grown-up fence row that led within a few feet of the tree where my stand was hung to make the set better. When the opening morning of the Missouri firearms began, I eased my way down the fence row to stay hidden and climbed into my stand approximately an hour before the first shooting light. When the light started to build across the open field, I caught a glimpse of a nice ten-pointer who was cruising across the open area in search of a hot doe. After a quick minute of watching the buck through my scope, I was able to squeeze the trigger and make a successful shot at a mere fifty yards. Within the first few minutes of legal hunting light, I had a mature southern Missouri whitetail buck on the ground.

Just as my late veteran co-worker had always told me, this was accomplished by easing to my stand quietly an hour before hunting.

Manage Your Scent

After a stand approach has been planned, stands are in place, and it is time to hunt. There is one last measure to take to ensure a smooth entrance. That step is to remain as scent-free as possible. As mentioned earlier, the approach must always be with the wind in the face when walking. However, as a bit of insurance, it is necessary to use scent elimination products as well. I wear carbon-based clothing that absorbs and prevents odors in conjunction with Scent A Way Laundry Detergent. After dressing in the field, I spray down my complete body, feet, and hunting gear with Scent A Way odorless spray. By spraying down last, I am confident I will not leave any odors along the path to my stand that could spook deer.

By paying attention to details such as where to hang stands, wind direction, subtleness, and scent control, you will have assembled the perfect combination to a practical stand approach. When all these factors are considered, deer feel less pressure, keeping them on their natural travel routes, making them easier to pattern when hunting.