If you love to go trophy deer hunting and have never had an animal become injured from a less than well placed shot, then you are luckier than most. But even the most skilled hunters will experience this situation at some point during a lifetime. Hunters without good ethics will leave the animal to go off on its own and suffer; whereas ethical and responsible hunters would track the animal down.

Yes, it takes time and effort to track an injured deer while trophy deer hunting. So instead of looking at it like a chore, consider it a challenge which reaps a great reward. Unfortunately, many hunters will track an injured animal for a short period of time, but as soon as it becomes too difficult or takes too long, they give up. The best attitude is that just as you need to put in time and effort necessary to go on a trophy deer hunting trip, tracking an injured animal is a part of the overall process.

Depending on the type and severity of the injury, the deer will likely leave a blood trail that would make tracking easy. However, the more common scenario is that another hunter will shoot a different deer, killing it and while going to retrieve and dress the body, they come across the injured animal.

Now, if you were using a bow for your trophy deer hunting, the animal typically jumps and arches the back when hit. However, if the deer were only injured, it would naturally hunch the body while trying to find a place to hide. On the other hand, if the deer were shot with a rifle or shotgun, a trail of blood mixed with brown/green particles (from the stomach & intestines) would be found in the form of digested and undigested food.

Another important note when trying to find a wounded animal that shot with a rifle or shotgun, generally they run much further than those shot with a bow. In fact, gunshot wounds often become blocked by the intestines so blood trails are not as common. The unfortunate thing about a wounded deer from a rifle or shotgun is that most injuries take a long time to kill the animal, which is even more reason to track it down.

To find a wounded animal, the first place to start would be at the initial point of impact, then head in the direction the animal ran after being hit. Most often, deer will take the easiest path to freedom, so as you make your way in that direction; try to think like a deer. It should be noted that deer will sometimes circle back toward the area where the hit took place.

Sometimes, just walking slowly, 40 yards or so and stopping along the way to listen for sounds will lead you to the animal. Deer want to get away from the area hit as quickly as possible; they are running on adrenaline.

A few other indicators that might help you in finding an injured animal during your trophy deer hunt would be to look for blood that appears frothy. In this case, the animal would have taken a hit to the lungs. If the blood is a deep red, then the liver was hit.

Additionally, when a deer is injured, it will typically choose downhill routes instead of traveling uphill. Finally, realize that death is likely to be very slow. Therefore, the animal will look for a place to bed, which is usually not more than 50 yards from where it was hit.

As an ethical trophy deer hunter you will be dedicated to tracking down a wounded animal. "Fair chase" hunting is the only way to go; being a dedicated, ethical and professional hunter makes you the best trophy deer hunter you can be.

If you are interested in a trophy whitetail buck you should start by researching the record books of individual states, and the Pope and Young and Boone and Crockett records. A few years ago I checked the record books prior to 1988. At that time there were 12 states and provinces that had produced more than 60 record book heads. Six of them had over 100 heads and Minnesota topped the list with over 200 entries. Not surprisingly the Midwest had seven of the top producers. The other states were Texas, Montana and the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Minnesota was far ahead of the other areas with 75 typical and 74 non-typical Boone and Crockett entries, and 36 typical and 42 non-typical Pope and Young entries, for a total of 227. Wisconsin came in second with 155 entries, Kansas with 114, Saskatchewan with 110, Iowa with 106 and Illinois with 95. During past years neither Iowa nor Kansas allowed hunting by non-residents, but they do now. Obviously all these areas should be considered if you are looking for a trophy hunt.

A more recent look at the Minnesota State Record book with heads registered up until 1990 shows a whopping total of 902 heads that meet the minimum requirements for the Pope and Young or Boone and Crockett record books. There were 420 Boone and Crockett heads alone. The difference in numbers from the state to national records can be attributed to the fact that many hunters never enter their state record heads into the national books.

Trophy Hot Spots

If you look at trophy numbers by area you will see that each of the states have "hotspots", a county or several adjacent counties, that produce high numbers of trophies. The southeast corner of Minnesota is probably the premiere trophy area of North America. Of the heads that score over 170 points from 1985-1990 in that area Winona county has 11, Houston 8, Fillmore 8, Goodhue 5, Mower 4, Freeborn 4, Steele 3, Wabasha 3, Rice 2, Dodge 2 and Olmstead 2. Outside of the southeast hotspot where Ottertail County 15, Beltrami 15, Itasca 14, Aitkin 11 and Lake Of The Woods 10. A total of 20 counties in Minnesota have over 5 Boone and Crockett heads.

Wisconsin has a similar "hotspot" in the north central portion of the state. Bayfield county has 8 heads, Rusk 7, Price 7, Vilas 6, Sawyer 5, Oneida 4 and Lincoln 2. Outside of Wisconsin's northern hotspot were Buffalo County with 15 and Marinette with 7. The trophy Kansas counties include McPherson, Lyon, Butler, Chase and Sumner with 5 each. Greenwood, Cowley and Marion each had 3. Iowa trophy counties are Wapello 5, Monroe, Johnson, Iowa and Monoma with 4 each and Jones, Linn and Dubuque with 3 each. Illinois counties were Adams, Rock Island and Peoria with 5. In recent years Pike County, Illinois, has produced numerous trophy heads.

Trophy Density

While all these numbers are impressive, any of the top states or provinces has the potential of producing a record book head. A determining factor in choosing an area to hunt should be the number of trophies per square mile in recent years. The hotspots of both Minnesota and Wisconsin are different in size but the trophy density per square mile in Minnesota is one for every 120 square miles. In Wisconsin it is one for every 280 square miles. The chances of taking a trophy buck are twice as good in Minnesota's hotspot as in Wisconsin’s.

Trophy Habitat

A look at a topographical map shows that each of the hotspots has something in common. They all contain river drainage systems, generally with hills and bluffs of hardwoods for cover, with agricultural lands along the river bottoms or at the tops of the hills and bluffs. Many of these river systems flow through limestone and sandstone giving the deer access to the minerals they need to grow larger racks on a year round basis. The woods and hillsides provide year round food, security cover, escape from storms and keep human intrusion low. The agricultural lands provide abundant food sources in season. This adds up to ideal whitetail habitat.

Northern Subspecies

When you also consider that, with the exception of Texas, all these states and provinces are in the northern portion of the whitetail's range it begins to make sense why they produce deer with large racks. The northern areas are home to the largest subspecies of whitetails: the ochrorus, borealis, dakotensis and machrorus. These larger bodied northern deer produce proportionately larger racks than their smaller cousins. If you are serious about taking a trophy whitetail choose one of the hotspots in the Midwest where oak covered hillsides and bluffs adjoin agricultural lands and river drainages flowing through mineral rich soil, and keep human intrusion low. The agricultural lands provide abundant food sources in season. This adds up to ideal whitetail habitat.

Most deer hunters have an opinion about scent elimination. Some hunters swear that scent-eliminating carbon suits work. Others swear that scent-eliminating sprays work. Still others swear that none of them work. Why do some hunters believe enough human scent can be eliminated to fool a deer's sniffer while others believe it's impossible to fool the nose of a whitetail? The answer is simple. Hunters who have had success with scent-eliminating products believe in them; those who haven't experienced success with them don't.

The big question is why do scent-eliminating products work for some and not others? I've talked with many hunters who believe in scent elimination, and I believe I have found the common denominator that connects them: hunters who believe in scent elimination take it seriously, and there are a series of steps hunters must go through to be scent-free. Missing one of the steps results in a deer smelling the hunter.

One of the most popular ways to be scent-free is to wear a carbon-lined suit, such as those made by Scent-Lok. There has been a lot of controversy about whether carbon suits work. If you have any doubt that they work, check out the website scentlokscience.com. This website reveals testing performed by an independent lab on the effectiveness of carbon suits. The testing proves that carbon gets rid of human stink, but if you don't take care of your carbon suit properly, you won't have good results with scent-eliminating garments.

For a carbon suit to be effective, it must be activated in a dryer for 40 minutes. Once the suit has been activated, place it in a scent-free container until you get to the woods. This is where many hunters go wrong. Once they've activated their suit, they place it in the back of their truck or hang it in their closet. During this period the suit attracts odors, whether they're from the coat on the hanger next to it or fuel vapors from your last fill-up.

The only way to ensure your suit will perform flawlessly is to make sure it is scent-free. Scent-Lok and other companies have scent-free bags that you can store your suit in to make sure it remains scent-free. ScenTote, a company that is relatively new to the scent-elimination industry, makes a tote that is designed for storing carbon suits and other hunting clothes. The tote has an activated carbon web in the lid of the tote that helps you keep your clothes scent-free. They make a plastic tote and a new duffle bag style tote.

Before leaving for the woods, take a shower to ensure you have eliminated as much of your human odor as possible. The less human odor you have on your body, the better. When wearing a carbon suit, it is very important to make sure you wear the hood and gloves. Human breath and hair gives off a tremendous amount of odor. If you are going to wear a suit, the entire suit must be worn for it to be effective.

In addition to the hood and gloves, it is also important to make sure your feet are scent free. Testing reveals that the nose of a whitetail detects human odor left behind by your boots days after you leave the woods. To make sure your boots are scent free, keep your hunting boots in a scent-free container when you are not wearing them. Wearing your hunting boots to the store and then into the woods is a big no-no.

Wearing odor-eliminating socks is another way to eliminate foot odor. Before putting your boots on, spray them down with some type of odor eliminator. Wildlife Research Center makes a variety of odor eliminators that include a dirt cover scent. Using this type of spray eliminates the odor on your boots and makes them smell like dirt. Spray down any equipment that you might bring into the woods with you. Your bow and other gear may have foreign odors on them that could spook a deer.

If you prefer to use scent-eliminating sprays in conjunction with regular camouflage clothes, you may experience success. The key is to make sure all of your clothes stay scent-free before and after each hunt. Make sure you spray down your clothes with scent-eliminating spray before entering the woods. Some companies make sprays that can be applied to your hair and sprayed in your mouth to help eliminate your breath and hair odor.

To achieve success with sprays, it is extremely important to use scent eliminating body soaps and shampoos when showering. Many of these soaps are scent-free and help eliminate more human odor than your conventional soaps and shampoos. Using scent-free deodorant is also a plus. Scent-free deodorant crystals can also be used. One crystal is said to last up to ten years.

Chlorophyll tablets are another way to help eliminate human body odor. Chlorophyll pills have been around for years and have been prescribed by doctors to individuals with extremely bad breath or body odor. In recent years, more hunters have started using these pills to help eliminate human odor from the inside out. Most humans smell like carnivores to big game animals. According to chlorophyll pill makers, taking chlorophyll pills helps eliminate human odor at the metabolic level.

Chewing gum containing chlorophyll has become popular with hunters to help eliminate breath odor. Chewing scent-eliminating gum helps eliminate one of the worst odors given off by the human body — breath!

I've interviewed many well-known big buck hunters over the years. These hunters all have one thing in common. They all believe that the only way to regularly tag large bucks is to be as scent-free as possible. Some big buck hunters use carbon suits to make sure they are scent free. Others rely on odor-eliminating sprays. I've heard of hunters shaving off all of their body hair before the hunting season opens to help reduce their human odor. Regardless of the method you choose to use, do yourself a favor. Eliminate as much of your human odor as you can before entering the woods this fall. Your success rate should increase if you do.

The reason many hunters get winded when using scent-eliminating products is because they cut corners in the scent-elimination process. According to Ron Bice from the Wildlife Research Center, anything you do to help eliminate human odor helps. Bice explains, "The nose of a deer is like a smoke detector. It takes a certain amount of human odor to make the detector go off. Scent eliminating products make deer think that you are much further away than you really are so the detector won't go off. That being said, one squirt of spray or one carbon coat won't get the job done. If you want to eliminate enough of the odor to fool the nose of a deer when they are twenty yards away, you must follow a routine to eliminate your odor before you enter the woods.

Well-known big-buck hunter Jeff Murray has a routine that works well for him. "I shower before hunting with scent eliminating soap. When I get into the woods, I spray down my boots and gear with scent eliminating spray. Then, I wait to slip on my Scent-Lok suit, which is stored in a scent-free container, until I reach the woods. I always wear Scent-Lok gloves and the Scent-Lok hood," says Murray. "When returning to the truck, my carbon clothes are put back into the scent-free container. Once I have used the carbon suit for about forty hours, I reactivate it in the dryer. By following the same routine each time I go hunting, I'm positive that I don't reek like a human. Being as scent-free as possible before putting on my carbon suit allows me to prolong the life of the carbon suit and increase its overall effectiveness. The key to my success is eliminating as much human odor as possible, so when a buck is within bow range, he thinks I'm hundreds of yards away because he only smells a faint amount of human odor."

My routine to eliminate odor before climbing into my stand is a lot of work, and there is no question that it adds extra time and preparation to my hunt. But I think the extra time is well-warranted. Every time I feel like cutting a corner, I think of big buck experts like Myles Keller and Jeff Murray who do whatever it takes to eliminate human odor. If they are willing to take a few extra minutes each day to make sure they are scent free, I know I need to do it too. Making sure you are scent-free is a lot of work, but once you've harvested a monster buck directly downwind from you that never knew you were there, all the time you invested will be worth it.

So what if you didn't collect a trophy buck, or even a supply of venison for the freezer during the regular gun season. There's still a chance — a big chance — with late-season deer. Most whitetail hunters concentrate on the regular gun season, which is held somewhere around the peak of the rut in most states. Serious bowhunters, of course, pursue deer early in the season. Many hunters, however, quit deer hunting after the normal gun season due to a number of factors. These include the opening of other seasons such as upland bird hunting or waterfowling, or they're just burned out on deer hunting. Those in the know, however, don't give up. 

Probably the most important reason for pursuing late-season whitetails is the number of hunters in the woods, and it's a better time to enjoy the hunt. This also means the deer are less hassled, and by the latter part of the late season are well into a solid winter pattern that's usually consistent. Late-season deer hunting means long hours in the stand with a bow, but a number of states are also offering late-season muzzleloading hunts, another great way to extend your deer hunting. 

Late-season whitetails can be hunted during the second rut or on food sources. Over most of the country, after the frenzy and activity of the rut and the gun-hunting season, whitetails go into seclusion for a bit. They don't move around much except for occasional forays for food. This is particularly so with bucks that have been breeding for a month or more. It's a "rest-up," downtime period that can last from just a few days to almost a month. 

Approximately a month after the peak of the rut, however, a secondary rut occurs. "I call that December rut, the clean-up time," said Harold Knight. 

During this period, does that didn't breed, as well as some young-of-the-year does, are coming into heat, and another round of doe-chasing rut activity begins. I've noticed this pattern for many years on my farm in the Ozarks. About 28 days after the peak of the rut, rubs in breeding areas will again be freshened. I've actually seen this activity continue into January, possibly with a third rut period, although with much less activity. 

The primary factor in hunting late-season deer, however, is the availability of food. Even if you're hunting during a secondary or possibly third rut period, the bucks will be with the does, and the does will be looking for food. "Always remember the food chain in winter months," said Harold. "You can usually find deer easily by finding the food crops because the acorns are getting scarce at that time of the year."  

Deer are primarily browsers, utilizing a large variety of shrubs, bushes, grasses and forbs, especially during the winter months. It's extremely hard to pattern deer on these foods as they tend to wander as they forage. In some areas acorns might  be available, but even in the best of areas will be scarce by mid winter. The best food sources during the winter months are the agricultural crops, and this can vary greatly from region to region. Corn is a top choice, either left standing or waste corn from harvesting. Green fields such as alfalfa, clovers and especially winter wheat are good choices to hunt as well. Find concentrated food sources such as these, and you're going to have a pretty good chance at putting venison on the table. Deer will often travel miles to feed in these areas and, if there's nearby cover and they aren't disturbed greatly, they'll stay put. On the other hand in country with lots of food but little cover, you may discover just the opposite. 

I hunted one such area in Nebraska several years ago with the Modern Muzzleloading folks, and the area acted like a magnet. A thousand-acre island of trees, brush and a winding river bottom were situated smack in the middle of miles and miles of treeless, flat croplands. We estimated there were over 500 deer wintering in that particular area and saw a good number of record bucks. In fact, I missed a chance at the biggest rack in my life on that property, when the wary buck took an alternate route during a drive, that put him going behind me rather than where we thought he would go. I can still see that high 10-point rack, just as I did when I turned on intuition and saw him slip into a line of trees and disappear within seconds. He had been just 50 yards away, more than close enough for my Knight muzzleloader. 

Hunting the breeding areas in the same fashion as during the normal rut can be extremely productive. Because most of the vegetation is completely gone by this time, careful attention to camouflage, staying absolutely still, and paying extra attention to scent is extremely important. "You can call deer in during the late-season," said Harold. "But I don't think it's nearly as effective as early during the preseason, and when the first rut comes in." 

Actually, late-season hunting requires what I call "ghost hunting." Instead of using the usual tactics involving calling, rattling and sex lures, you're better off if you can simply disappear in the woods. Though concentrated in food sources, and perhaps even with some rut activity, deer seem much more spooky this time of the year. Still-hunting is a good option during those days with a light rain or mist, or a soft powder snow. Slip into the woods as quietly as you can and still hunt the borders of the food sources. 

If you prefer to stand hunt, you can forget about rolling out of bed way before daylight. The best hours will be through the mid-day periods. For a number of years, once the last deer and turkey hunting seasons are over in Missouri, I've set up a Moultrie feeder I can see from my office and kept a diary of who, what and when. Most visits are between 9:30 and 11 a.m., then late in the afternoon. When a major storm is building, however, the feeder will be visited off and on throughout the day, particularly beginning three days before the storm. 

Don't quit this year when the normal hunting season is over. You may be missing the buck of a lifetime by not hunting late-season whitetails.

In the wilderness, deer hunting becomes a special experience that is unforgettable.

Today, more and more deer hunters are looking for ways to get off the roads and trails, back into the marrow of the land away from the trappings of civilization. The hustle and bustle of our technological society has created a compulsion to log as much time in the backcountry as possible, and the deer season offers a chance to do that.

The problem is; large swaths of unfettered backcountry are getting harder to find. What outdoorsman has not experienced the disappointment of returning to a favored hunting spot only to find it forever altered? Perhaps a "No Trespassing" sign has gone up, or land development is taking place. As our human population grows, such experiences increase, leading many of us to think that our children and grandchildren may be unable to enjoy wild lands isolated from development and exploitation.

Fortunately, the Wilderness Act of 1964 set aside some lands to prevent such occurrences. Those who choose to use them can rest assured they will be there for succeeding generations. Congress, in the Act, defined wilderness as "an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain…"

Our country is blessed with hundreds of statutory wilderness areas fitting this description. Together they encompass millions of acres of prime deer hunting territory. These wild lands are remote enough to offer solace and solitude to hunters. They offer enough elbow room to isolate the visitor from the anxieties of modern life. On a wilderness trek, you can look over your shoulder to say goodbye to the world's troubles and turn around to welcome the womb of the backcountry.

Hunting wilderness area deer isn't entirely care-free, though. These pristine tracts of land are open only to those willing to overcome the distance and rugged terrain with their nomad home on their back. Austerity is a prerequisite, for everything the hunter needs to survive and pursue his quarry must be packed in on foot or horseback. How far you penetrate the wilderness will depend on how well you can carry and use your limited allotment of equipment. Wilderness deer hunting doesn't begin at dawn, break at noon and end at dusk. It is a total sporting existence lasting every minute of every day and night spent in the wild.

The U.S. Forest Service offers this reminder to wilderness explorers:  "As a wilderness area visitor, you should be aware that you are entering a primitive environment where you will be faced with the challenge of being entirely self-sufficient for whatever time you plan to remain there. There are no shelters, campgrounds, tables, fire grates, water spigots or detailed trail signs.  You will be either afoot or on horseback, because no motorized vehicles are permitted in these areas. You will meet and live with nature on its own terms, and become familiar with the sometimes scary feeling of being completely on your own far from the nearest trace of civilization …A few trail signs, foot bridges, and other basic facilities may exist, but only where they are essential for safety of the hiker or protection of the wilderness itself."

For most, though, the rewards of a wilderness hunting experience far exceed the investments. A friend of mine, Bill Jones, has been hunting deer in wilderness areas for decades, backpacking in and camping for periods up to nine days. The allure of these natural sanctuaries keeps drawing him back.

"When I'm walking into a wilderness area, I can feel the stress draining away from me," Jones says. "You may spend a whole day and not ever see another individual. The only noise you hear, other than woodland sounds, might be the low drone of an airplane. It's quiet. You don't have someone ripping and roaring around in a vehicle. You don't have someone running a bunch of dogs through your place. If you run into someone, you know he's a real woodsman. The folks who are trigger-happy, shooting at sounds, things like that, are left behind, because they won't get more than 100 yards from the truck. You're able to regenerate your values, to contemplate the reason for your existence. It's almost a religious experience."

Preparedness, says Jones, is important to enjoying the wilderness experience. He notes that hunters should be in top physical condition and should be well versed in first aid, map and compass reading, outdoor cookery and backpacking.

"You may be miles from the nearest road," he says. "You've got to know your stuff. You can't just go in there and do it. There are no vehicles, nobody to take care of you. So you must know all your camping skills and be able to take care of health and safety on your own. Getting lost is the most likely thing to happen, so be sure you're an accomplished map reader. Leave a map with family or friends so someone knows where you are and when you're expected to return."

Some hunters are drawn to wilderness areas because the chances of bagging a nice deer are excellent. Hunting pressure is less on these sites than it is on more accessible areas. Bucks live longer and grow bigger.

For some people, though, bagging a deer is secondary to the aesthetics of a wilderness hunt. "The group I go with has hunted one wilderness area for seven or eight seasons, and we've only killed two deer," Bill Jones says. "But we keep going back because of the way it makes you feel. I realize once I'm out there how important my wife and my family are to me. In fact, I realize how important everything around me is. I think; what in the world would I do without Gore-tex? How do you suppose an Indian would have lived through that rainstorm in a buffalo robe? It puts things in perspective.

"As you get to the last night," Jones continues, "you sit around the campfire, and you know tomorrow you've got to load up and go back to the real world. It gets a little bit emotional sometimes, because you know you will not have this experience again. Each and every one of these trips is entirely different. And you realize this is something that's in your past now. It'll never happen again.

"You don't want to leave. You get everything gathered up, and you huff and puff and sweat as you carry your gear back to the vehicle. Then, when you get close to the road, you hear a car coming up. It kind of tightens you up just a little bit. It pulls your drawstring tighter. And before you've even left, you're already thinking about the next trip."

The thrills of deer hunting are one reason for a wilderness area visit. But if you go to all the trouble, expense and sacrifice of journeying into these remote places for just one purpose-hunting-then you're wasting your energy and missing the point. The common denominator of wilderness areas is their difference from the tame lands you leave behind. Learn to comprehend the difference, then you will truly enjoy the soul-wrenching pleasure a wilderness deer hunt can offer.

Growth of the Wilderness System

When the Wilderness Act was passed in 1964, 54 wilderness areas totaling 9 million acres were established throughout the country. Today, the National Wilderness Preservation System contains over 105 million acres of designated wilderness at 622 locations.

Four federal agencies of the U.S. government administer the National Wilderness Preservation System: the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the USDA Forest Service, and the National Park Service.

My dad had precious little time to hunt and fish by the time I — the fifth of his and Mom's five children — came along. But he did manage a few trips with cane pole in hand and me tagging along closely behind. As for hunting, I turned to an older neighbor on our block, and he taught me much of what I know about duck and quail, but he did not hunt deer.

Like many youngsters, I wanted to soak up all the information I could about all kinds of hunting and fishing. I heard classmates during my junior high and high school years talk of rubs, scrapes, grunts, eight pointers and more. Those one-sided conversations had me longing to go deer hunting.

Nearly two decades later, I've hunted for whitetail in various parts of Arkansas with some degree of success. Looking back on those early days spent stalking through bottomland hardwoods and watching the edges of pine thickets, I realize that I've changed. I've learned the lingo of the white-tailed deer hunter; I've come to understand the difference between a scrape and a rub, a grunt and a bleat, bedding areas and feeding areas.

This epiphany provided another, further realization. A lot of deer hunters — whether young or just inexperienced — begin hunting for whitetails without knowing just exactly what some of these terms mean.

So, with the assistance of Richard Hines, wildlife biologist at the White River National Wildlife Refuge, I've assembled this guide to whitetail terminology. Hines has worked with deer and hunted deer for nearly four decades. Here is how he defines some of the important terminology related to whitetail deer and deer hunting.

Scents, Signs and Sounds

Manufacturer's of deer attractants claim that their scent products mimic certain scents emitted from the various glands of deer. For instance pre-orbital glands, located under the deer's eye, are important because bucks leave their scent from these glands on licking limbs above scrapes and on trees that they rub.

Scrapes provide physical evidence of the presence of deer in an area. Scrapes are made when a buck goes to a licking limb (the branch that a buck finds and chews on before making his scrape), pulls it down, rubs it with his pre-orbital glands and then paws an area of the ground below that limb and urinates in it. Does will also come along and urinate in scrapes to show receptivity to breeding. A line of scrapes marks a buck's territory — a territory not well defended, but he uses the scrapes as a show of dominance in that particular area. Sometimes more than one buck may use the same scrape.

Those pre-orbital gland scents can also be found on rubs, which are first made during the pre-rut. Bucks rub trees to help get the velvet off of their antlers. This activity, in turn, rubs bark off the trees. Through the rut, they will go back and rub those places, but not as often once the pre-rut is over.

While pre-orbital gland scents are more of a bucks-only situation, all deer communicate by scent. Interdigital glands are located between the toes of deer. These glands leave a scent on the ground and are especially important as scent markers in a scrape.

Tarsal (or metatarsal) glands are probably the most fragrant and most important for leaving scent behind. That's because both bucks and does urinate across these glands on the inside of their hind legs and into a scrape.

Anywhere deer leave scent, hunters can also expect to find physical evidence with their eyes — namely tracks, droppings and sheds. It's a misconception that you can always tell the difference between buck and doe tracks because the feet of all deer are identical in structure. You can occasionally see where the toes spread out and dew claws show in a track. Sometimes, you can also tell it's a larger deer, but that doesn't always mean it's a buck.

Droppings (also called scat or feces) can tell you what food sources the deer are utilizing. Droppings can also show the level of deer activity in a given area. Basically, the more droppings there are, the more deer are using the area. Also, the shinier the droppings look, the fresher they are.

Each year a buck grows a new set of antlers, which he sheds after the rut. Sheds are the fallen-off antlers. In the Arkansas area, this starts happening around January and can last until late February.

White-tailed deer are also very vocal, with sounds called bleats, grunts and snorts being among known vocalizations. A bleat is typically the call used by a fawn to communicate with its mother doe, but it will also get the attention of other deer. A snort is often considered a warning call, meaning "There is something in our territory that does not belong here!" The grunt is the call of a male deer (buck) used to keep in contact with one another and/or with does in the woodland areas they often inhabit.

While all those sounds are vocal ones, bucks also make another sound, but with their antlers. Hunters mimic this sound with what they call rattling. This is supposed to be a simulation of two bucks fighting for dominance and occurs when antlers clash into one another. Both the rattle and the grunt can get any deer's attention because those sounds note a struggle for "social dominance" in progress.

A Deer's Home

Over many years of biologists and others studying the behavior of whitetails, various terms have been coined to explain where deer live. These terms include the likes of bedding areas and feeding areas.

A Bedding area is a place within a deer's home range that's utilized for resting. Based on time of year, bedding areas may be relatively close to a food source because, like us humans, deer don't want extra work getting from the bedroom to the kitchen. Also, bedding areas in the summer often differ from those of winter.

Feeding areas also vary by season, but deer do not make an immediate shift from one type of browse (food) to another. They can not shift their diet quickly, either, because they are "ruminant" animals (an animal with four stomachs) and the bacteria in their stomachs have to change for them to digest a new or different food.

When deer travel from one of these areas to the other, they will often be found moving along a travel corridor. This is a trail or intersection of trails that creates the potential for a higher incidence of encounters between hunter and deer.

In an area where the lay of the land affects a deer's travels, the term funnel is applied to good habitat that necks down to a confined area. Deer must use this funnel, like a narrow strip of tall grass along a fence row that runs between two wooded areas, to move between bedding and feeding areas with the benefit of camouflage.

While these locations apply to the deer's day-to-day life, there are also some locales that relate more to the deer's activities during an entire year or entire life span.

A home range is the area that fulfills all the needs of a deer (shelter, water and food) throughout the year. The deer will be in different parts of this area depending on the season, weather, availability of food, etc.

On a smaller scale, the core area is the section within the home range where a deer will spend three out of four of the seasons. While it's good to find this place, a hunter must be cautious. Scaring deer could cause them to move to another location, making for further scouting.

Phases of the Rut

There is a period of time each fall and/or winter when does become receptive to breeding. That central period is called the rut, but there are other times of significance during the cooler seasons. They are the pre-rut, the post-rut and the secondary rut.

The pre-rut occurs when the testosterone in bucks starts increasing in late August or early September. This coincides with blood to their antlers being shut off, which makes the antlers harden. By the end of pre-rut, a buck's antlers have been shined up.

The rut defines the peak of breeding activity. While some people ask for the "magic day" to schedule their vacation, there is no exact date that carries over from year to year. Instead, the rut starts in late fall and continues through winter. That timetable can be influenced by weather and many other things. While bucks are ready to breed at any time after pre-rut, does must cycle into estrus. Does come in heat and can be bred successfully during a 24-hour period. If they are not bred, they cycle back in 28 or 29 days later.

Following the rut is the post-rut. This is when bucks have lost a lot of weight throughout the rut, and they will shut down. If a receptive doe comes by, they will try to breed, but they are not actively out looking. Unlike the peak of the rut, bucks will not move over large areas. In fact, they may lose 20% to 30% of their body weight during the rut and may even die during the post-rut phase. They sometimes literally have run themselves into the ground.

Finally, we have reached the secondary rut, which is when does that are not bred come into estrus a second time (or possibly a third or fourth time in areas where the doe-to-buck ratio is high, like 15 or 20 to 1). That's one factor that can lead to a secondary rut. Also, in a healthy deer herd, a fawn born in July may go in heat for the first time at six or seven months old. That would be around December or January. Only about 10% to 15% of these young does will carry fawns to full term. Often, late-born fawns are the ones from the previous year's fawns.

What's for Supper?

White-tailed deer eat a variety of plant life and a variety of parts from those plants, ranging from the acorns of an oak tree to the leaves of a wild grape vine. One of the deer's favorite food sources, though, is the mast crop — food dropped by hardwoods each autumn.

Whitetails prefer white oak acorns over red oak acorns as whites have a better flavor and are more nutritious than acorns from red oaks. White oaks include white, overcup and other varieties. Meanwhile, red oaks include nuttall, Southern red and others. Red oak acorns are bitter compared to the white oak ones because they are higher in tannic acid.

Tannic acid may seem bad for deer, but the acid also preserves the acorns on the ground longer than those fallen from white oaks. That means deer can shift to the red oak acorns after exhausting the supply from the white oaks.

Mast is the first choice and second choice of deer in the fall. It provides carbohydrates and is a high-protein food source.

Grasses, forbs and other types of natural vegetation are among the primary food sources for deer during the summer. These types of browse include fresh, growing ends of small trees, shrubs and vines. Native plants may include greenbriar, grape vines, crossvine and trumpet creeper, as well as sprouts from elm, green ash and other woody plants.

One grass deer really like is wheat. While honeysuckle is an exotic and can take over an area, wheat is a preferred food source where available. Whitetails also eat sedges and forbs, which are broadleaf plants.

Soybeans are the number one choice among agricultural crops in early fall. Plus, deer will eat the young plants and the green foliage all summer long, as well as the beans themselves. Milo, corn, winter wheat, rye and oats are also popular farming food sources.

While the aforementioned food sources occur naturally or as part of normal agricultural practices, there are two ways for hunters (or others interested in feeding deer) to add browse for the deer.

Food plots can work well with some of the agricultural crops already mentioned such as wheat or oats. But, food plots can also include other plantings like clover. The preferred planting in a food plot varies from site to site. Soil tests should be done first to determine the best choice for your food plot.

Most of the time, it takes more space than allowed for plots to provide a food source that will make an impact on the deer herd. For instance, about 5% to 10% of the land area in question is needed to improve body weights. Meanwhile, one large oak tree will produce roughly the same amount of protein as an average food plot. Food plots can improve hunting, though, by allowing hunters ample time to study and evaluate the herd before choosing which animals to harvest.

The second way to add browse is through supplemental feed. Supplemental feed means things like corn or rice bran in feeders. These food sources will only attract deer, not expand the land's carrying capacity (the maximum amount of deer the land will support).

Parts of the Whitetail

There are many parts of a white-tailed deer that are considered good table fare. While hunters after "monster bucks" may say the antlers are the most desired part of a deer, those who want deer for dinner will often turn to the tenderloins as the obvious choice for what is commonly considered the best part of a deer.

Also referred to as "backstraps," tenderloins are the strips of meat adjacent to the backbone. When cut from the deer, tenderloins resemble long tubes. These tubes can be cut into thin saucers and fried or grilled, possibly after soaking in Italian dressing.

Deer hams come from a deer's back legs. These large chunks of meat from the hip region can be used for roast. Cutting them just right to fit in a crockpot will help with preparation.

While antlers obviously aren't edible, they're still prized by hunters. Antlers, as a general rule, are grown by a buck each year. Also as a general rule, the "rack" of a buck will progressively get larger and heavier with more points until the buck reaches around five, six or seven years of age and goes into decline.

It's a misconception that you can tell a buck's age by the number of points he has. But, you can tell the nutritional status of a deer when compared to that deer's age by extracting and studying the deer's jawbone.

With whitetail deer populations higher than they’ve ever been it is no wonder that deer hunting has become the most popular of all hunting sports. In some areas it has become as simple as walking out into the field and killing a deer. Yet in other areas one must hunt hard to just see a deer. The one common factor that most hunters share is the goal to take a big buck. There are many tactics that can contribute to ones success in the woods.

Management is probably the most needed and effective tool in the arsenal of whitetail hunting tools. It is easy to understand that if you have more big bucks, your chances of finding one increase. Deer management consists of various practices that all work towards a common goal. Big Bucks.

Buck to doe ratio is a huge part of a management plan. Culling the less superior bucks from the heard is very important. Some bucks simply don’t grow big antler; obviously if he breeds a doe his off spring could produce the same trait. Some people don’t like to kill doe; this is something that people are simply going to have to get over. By getting the doe populations down one create a better environment. With the doe numbers down to an optimal number there is likely never a shortage of food, less inbreeding, and less stress on the over all heard.

Texas created a unique and very promising program call Management Land Deer Permits (MLP). The Texas Parks and Wildlife service saw the need for big landowners to manage their property in a positive way. They created a formula land owners can use to obtain a count on deer per acre on a given piece of property. Then based on this number one is issued permits for that amount of deer. This program has three levels to it before it is at its full potential.

The first level the landowner receives permits for just doe, the second level is for doe and spikes, and finally on the third year one receives permits for both doe and mature bucks. With this one must at the very least do some improved habitat with food plots etc. With the Management land program, the landowner is given a log in which to record data on each animal that is taken. On this log, dressed body weight and an age is required for doe. For bucks the Texas Parks and Wildlife requires dressed body weight, main beam length, number of points, and an age.

Ageing deer is another tool that far too many people don’t know how to do. It’s not easy but it is something that is very important. With the ability to estimate a deer’s age with a good degree of accuracy a hunter is less likely to make mistakes while managing the heard he is involved with. There are several really informative books on ageing whitetails. Local wildlife officials have a vast knowledge in these areas and most would be glad to talk to you about it. I’ve been involved with a ranch under MLP for four years now. During these four years we built a graph in which we averaged body weights on bucks. After the second year these body weight have consistently gone up. Likewise we are seeing an obvious increasing number of bigger bucks. It would behoove every state to form something like the MLP.

Scouting is another tool with great importance in successful deer hunting. For many professional hunting guides scouting begins the day after the season closes. Shed antlers are sought, spring food plots are planted, and fawn crops are watched. As the spring unfolds into early summer many guides and good hunters will begin to watch antlers grow. This is just as good a time as any to notice the bucks with better then average antler development. As mid to late summer comes around one obviously has a better idea on what these bucks horns are going to look like and where they live.

Although many people have become aware of preseason scouting I’ve noticed how this scouting stops once the season opens. Perhaps it is a lack of knowledge of what to look for, but if more people would truly get a better idea for detail they would have much more success hunting deer. Bucks leave sign as visible as tracks in the snow if one looks for it. The more obvious signs are scrapes, rubs, tracks, and droppings. There are however less obvious but equally important signs that a hunter should become aware of.

Have you ever been watching a buck walk down a trail and every few yards he will stop and nibble at a low hanging twig? Likely after nibbling on this he will rub his eyes all around this twig. Sometimes (not always) he will make a scrape under this twig. Even if he doesn’t make a scrape in these areas there always the ever-present one or two twigs lacking vegetation. Also, these twigs will have the obvious nibbled look to them. In seeing several of these twigs with obvious nibble marks on them you can be sure a buck is in the area. I would recommend that you sit and watch a buck do this; allow him to move away and then study this twig to familiarize yourself with what it looks like.

Deer beds are another sign that a lot of people walk by and never notice. One would think these beds would stand out, but in certain areas they don’t. Also, in areas where there are many species of wildlife it is hard to be sure of what you’re looking at. It has been my experience that deer beds normally measure about 3-4 feet in length and around a foot and a half wide. Deer beds tend to be usually under some kind of under growth as if to protect them from the elements. Where deer are feeding is relatively easy to identify. If one walks out into an area looking for deer sign and notices the vegetation is ripped apart rather then cleanly cut it very likely is deer. Deer do not have incisors thus they cannot bite the vegetation. One must be careful in cattle country as they share the same trait.

With the number of deer hunters today it is incumbent that they all become educated in deer management. If one is a trophy hunter and doesn’t like taking management bucks or culls, I am sure he knows someone that would jump at the opportunity to harvest a buck like this. Likewise, disabled people and wounded vets would love an opportunity to hunt these unwanted bucks and doe. There are a plethora of hunters out there with terrible mindsets and ethics. It is my opinion that it isn’t up to the game wardens to cure this problem; it up to us, the outfitters, guides, and general hunters with good ethics to educate our fellow hunter. It is up to us to teach children the right way to do things. The game wardens can take care of the people that just won’t listen.

Most fans of the  game of football believe that the best offense is a good defense. Do most  hunters believe that the best game fence is no fence? And if so, why?

Before, I answer  those questions, let me share with you my background. I would like to do so  for two reasons. First, to hopefully add credibility to the opinions  expressed herein and secondarily, to disclose to you up front my agenda  and/or prejudices. 
 
I  have been hunting for over 45 years. While electing to hunt with bow only  for the last several decades, in past years I have used every weapon  possible from crossbows to shotguns, from pistols to pirate swords, and for  that matter, I even tried to throw rocks at a few! I started hunting in  Florida in the early 1960’s, but since then I have hunted many States across  the USA, including Alaska, as well as several provinces of Canada, including  many trips to New Foundland. I also have ventured over the big pond to go on  safari in South Africa.  I love bow hunting big game and have taken a  wide variety of species such as whitetail deer, various exotic deer, turkey,  mountain lion, moose, caribou, wild boar, and several African species.  Personally, less than 5% of my hunting has been on high fence deer huntingd properties. 
 
I have also been a professional  hunting guide and owner of a Florida hunting preserve (Ross Hammock Ranch,  Inc.)  since year 2000. I have guided or helped guide what I would  estimate to be several hundred, if not over a thousand, hunters with all  kinds of weapons, and taken everything from wild boar to water buffalo to  native American and African game as well.  It would be accurate to  conclude that I have been to a few rodeos, having learned a lot, including  that there is still a lot to be learned. 
 
Ok, with that being said, I would like  to address the issue of hunting behind high fence deer hunting and why some hunters are  so for it while other hunters are so against it. What has prompted me to  address this issue is my observation that many hunters with opinions on this  topic, regardless of whether they are pro or con high fence deer hunting, are basing  their opinions on second hand or incomplete information vs. their own first  hand experiences. The goal of this article is not to sway your opinion  either for or against high fence deer hunting hunting. The goal of this article is to  motivate you to explore this issue further, and then base your “high fence deer hunting”  opinion on facts, your first hand observations, and your experiences. 
 
Virtually all hunters, whether for or  against high fence deer hunting, realize that the long term public acceptance and  survival of the sport of hunting is tied to the concept of “fair chase”.   Some hunters, including various TV “Celebrities” conclude that “fair  chase” and “high fence deer hunting” are mutually exclusive terms.. Once they hear a  property is high fence deer hunting (regardless of any other facts or circumstances)  they conclude it is not fair chase. They shut down their ears, and refuse to  even discuss or explore the issue further. Is this immediate “Holier than  Though” stance truly prudent? 
 
If  you asked ten different hunters to define “fair chase” you would probably  get eleven different answers! Tell me, which of the following scenarios do  you personally find consistent with the philosophy and goal of “fair chase”  hunting?
 
1. A hunter, before sun up, armed with a spotting  scope and very high-powered rifle snuggles into a rock crevice on the side  of a Colorado mountain overlooking thousands of non fenced acres. He shoots  at an elk bull at a distance of just over 400 yards. The bullet travels the  quarter mile distance at almost three times the speed of sound and hits home  well before the animal hears the shot. He then radios a recovery team to  pick up the booty.
 
2. A hunter, armed with a very nasty looking  44 Magnum caliber pistol, hunting a 40 thousand acre south Florida wild life  management area, is right behind his five pit bull dogs as the canines lock  down on the ear and hind quarter of a 75 pound piney woods rooter. He places  the eight inch barrel behind the sows other ear, squeezes, and the chase is  quickly over.
 
3. A hunter, armed with a brand new high tech  muzzle loader is on his first Canadian black bear hunt. He has been   perched for just 30 minutes on the first night of his hunt, in a  primitive elevated plywood shooting box, 40 yards down wind of the biggest  pile of doughnuts he has ever seen.  Here comes Yogi. You know what  happens next.
 
4. A hunter, just sixteen years old is hunting  30 feet in the air in his brand new API climber on a 1,500 acre high fence deer hunting  hunting preserve. It’s his third bow hunt. He has killed two hogs on  previous trips but never a deer.  Here come a group of six Indian Axis  does. Five stop to graze but one ventures too close and he shoots her in the  heart.
 
5. A hunter, in fact a lady hunter, using a really nice  270 with a Swarovski scope, has been fortunate to draw a buck tag to hunt a  State owned island off the coast of Georgia. Her seven year old daughter is  with her. The island is 200 acres, completely surrounded by miles of water,  and is loaded with whitetail deer. Within five minutes of being dropped off  by water ferry, a nice six point buck lay dead at their feet.  
 
Ok, which one or one’s are fair chase?  Did you answer? In my opinion, they all could be fair chase. The most  distinguishing element between humans and all of the other species that  inhabit this planet, is that humanly unique element, that we call a  CONSCIENCE. That internal God-given mechanism that tells us individually,  right from wrong. Therein you will find the answer to the “fair chase“  question.
 
I do not believe that “fair chase”  can be so easily defined as purely “high fence deer hunting”, “low fence”, or “no fence”.  Most hunters would correlate “fair chase” with the “ease of the kill“ or the  animals opportunity to elude, right?  Let me share this personal story  with you. One of my very good hunting preserve customers invites me every  year to bow hunt Illinois whitetail with him on his non high fence deer hunting land  that borders an Illinois State Park.  Every year I limit out, sometimes  the first day, or even the first hunt of the first day!  I consider  myself to be a good bow hunter, but not a great bow hunter. Rarely do I take  shots over 30 yards, so I must get close to my game. In Illinois, it’s never  a case of will I get a buck, it’s a case of which buck will I get. On the  other hand, every fall, I see and/or guide some truly excellent bow hunters  as they get skunked trying to stick a Whitetail (or various exotic deer  species, such as Axis deer) on my 1500 acre high fence deer hunting preserve.  Based on my observations/experiences, if we as hunters solely define “fair  chase” in the context of “ease of kill”, then we will have to shut down  Whitetail hunting in most of Illinois!  
 
I can only laugh when I  see TV celebrities state on the air “We will never hunt high fence deer hunting” and then  they hunt certain private ranches or properties (albeit not high fenced)  that have game populations so high that Ray Charles would tag out!   Give me a break dude! I was born at night, but not last night! Do you  want me to think you are the next great white hunter because you do not hunt  high fence deer hunting land?
 
Now to the main point of  this article. Sadly I see many young hunters (or for that matter, even adult  hunters) that make that same statement as the TV celebrity, based purely on  the fact that they heard someone that they think is a TV hero, or a more  experienced hunting friend,  make that statement. They take it as pure  hunting ethic or fact without even thinking it through for themselves, and  without basing it on the benefit of their own experiences, or their own  “conscience”.
 
Are all high fence deer hunting operations  “fair chase”?  No, I think not. Are all kills on non fenced properties fair chase? Well no, probably not. Many factors on both  high fence deer hunting and non fenced land, can play a role in the “fair chase”  equation if it is viewed thru the “ease of the kill” rule/context. Many  factors including number of acres, amount of cover, other physical land  characteristics (like bodies of water), deer population, deer temperament  (i.e. fear of humans or not), weapon of choice, etc….all play a role. 
 
If we as hunters, fall into the trap of  judging and therefore condemning each other, without the benefit of  considering all of the facts and circumstances, and without the prudent use  of that internal human tool, called a conscience, then I fear that we will  not fall as victims of the anti-hunters, but rather of our own swords.

Simply put, is high fence hunting, "hunting?

Of course, if all the factors of escape and stealth are in play. Terrain, size, layout,
balanced animal populations, the very conditions that determine quality hunting
anywhere determine the quality of the experience, fenced or unfenced. The easiest deer I've ever killed were whitetails in Illinois, Nebraska, and South Dakota, due to these universal truisms, but lack of hunting pressure. Conversely, the most difficult deer I have yet to kill are found on my own SpiritWild Ranch in central Texas where for the last 21 days, I haven't killed jack squat. Go figure.

Does high fence hunting degrade the heritage of American hunting and the notion of fair chase, and respect for wildlife and the quarry?

There will always be whiners and small-minded squawkers who overreact based on assumption and other unidentifiable presumptuous notions. There are those small minded individuals, a lunatic fringe if you will, that think many forms of legal hunting "degrade the heritage of American hunting." To their way of thinking, in-line muzzleloaders degrade our reputation. They consider scopes on same, treestands, compound bows, crossbows, deer drives, women afield, ad nauseam, as unethical methodologies. I've heard some real doozies out there and don't know whether to laugh or cry, they are so divisive and unsophisticated. I pray they become educated.

Do you personally prefer to hunt in enclosures or in the wild?

I prefer to hunt, period, and shall more and more each year everyplace I possibly can. I am a hunter.

Does the ready availability, for a price, of "monster bucks" in high fences affect the experience of hunting in the wild for those who cannot pay, or would not, hunt a high fence preserve?

Does the "ready availability" of monster bucks on open ground in Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, Texas, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Washington, or wherever they clearly flourish, change the dynamic of the overall "real" hunting experience? Of course not. Does hiring a guide in Alaska to hunt the mighty grizzly bear affect the experience? It is simply how it is, and I cannot imagine finding fault with any of it. Supply and demand, free choice, private property rights, good old American capitalism and entrepreneurialism are beautiful things.

Is high fence hunting in places like Idaho, or Colorado, where there are lots of public hunting opportunities, inappropriate? What about if the high fences block wild big game migration corridors or where domestic big game pose a disease threat to wild game herds?

Private property rights, supply and demand, freedom of choice, sustained yield and individual preference are the guiding forces in the America where I come from. Everybody knows that CWD & bovine TB are a direct result of our all-knowing government bureaucrats messing things up way back in 1967 and beyond. No believable evidence has ever been produced linking these diseases to fences.

Why do you or people that you know choose to hunt enclosed big game animals, rather than hunting in the wild? Is there a difference? In perception? in reality? (I know that you do hunt in the wild a great deal).

I gotta tell ya, your questions are loaded with assumptions and ignorant bias, almost as if you represented ABC news and its hippie dope smoking antihunting "journalists." That is quite a letdown coming from what was once a highly respected American hunting family magazine. I guide and outfit and hunt with 100s of great American hunters each fall with my Sunrize Safaris operation, and I am absolutely confident when I share with you that my hunters hunt every imaginable legal hunting we can find. We truly love it all.

I know that hunters need to stand together in the face of the anti-hunting forces. But I also see that those anti-hunting forces are given a great deal of fuel by pointing to "canned hunting" as a reason to attacks us. Do high fence operations create a public perception that hunting is just about killing, not about the experience of hunting and the conservation of wild game and wild places?

With all due respect, you don't know anyone who connects with a more or wider cross section of America in a public forum than I do each year. With my dedication to take the battle to the enemies' own trenches, I've conducted literally thousands of media interviews annually for more than 40 years; talkradio, newsradio, rock, sports, humor, everything from the BBC, Larry King and Rush Limbaugh to Howard Stern and Bob and Tom, cooking wildgame with Dana Carvey and John Ritter on Conan O'Brian and David Letterman. In these unprecedented mass media arenas the dialog and communication has been over-the-top positive in every instance because I don't back down nor compromise my absolutist stand on hunting, fishing, trapping and the 2nd Amendment. The antis are clearly a lunatic fringe that represent the laughing stock to ma & pa America. They are out to ban all hunting, and to be gullible and unsophisticated enough to think that giving up or joining them in condemning any single hunting methodology is pathetically out of touch. I implore you to ignore them. I consider the Troy Gentry/Cubby the Bear shooting incident an anomaly, but anti-hunters will love it. Does it indicate that somewhere, high fence hunting needs to develop some standards? The embarrassing Gentry incident is remembered by no one, except Troy. I read nearly all the reports back when it happened. Not only were "fences" not mentioned, the entire incident didn't even quality as a blip on the radar. A big zero.

Is there a high fence hunting experience that you personally would feel is objectionable? A place too small? Animals too tame? Where do we draw the lines? One of my best interviews concerns the "meeting place between livestock and hunting" Any thoughts on this?

Personally objectionable, yes. Too small — of course. Too tame — of course. Again, I repeat, though the word "tame" has never come into play, the calmest animals I have ever hunted were free ranging whitetails in Illinois where there was near zero hunting pressure. Would I do that again? Hell yeah!

Do you feel that the many high fence operations in existence now, and the growing numbers of them, represent a "privatization" of the hunting experience, as in Europe, and does that pose a threat to the "public resource" idea of wild big game that is a cornerstone of the unique American model of wildlife restoration and conservation?

Nope. All private hunting in America whether fenced or nonfenced is controlled by private landowners. America is blessed with vast public grounds, and I do wish the hunting industry and community would put forth the proper effort to open up every square inch of majestic big game country currently owned by "we the people" instead of the vulgar anti-American corruption currently in place where soulless bureaucrats continue to charge American tax payers to hire killers of our game where we are not allowed to utilize it properly. That should be Job One for F&S and every sporting concern in America right now.

Is this controversy over high fence hunting operations going to have a negative effect on American hunting? Will more high fence operations make hunting in the wild less attractive? Make conservation of wild lands and habitat seem less important? Will it become the norm (it seems far more accepted now than it used to be)? What are the implications of that?

No. The powerful heart of the American hunter and adventurer is alive and well in this great land. Recruitment of this instinct in our young people is the most important guarantee for the future of conservation and the environment. My own Ted Nugent Kamp for Kids and its amazing volunteers have been doing just that for 20-plus years. SCI, NRA, NWTF, RMEF, DU, Delta Waterfowl, FNAWS, 4H, FFA, National Archery in Schools programs, NSSF, NFAA, and every sporting org out there are upgrading their mentorship programs and finally reaching out to more and more young Americans outside our sporting community. It is thrilling to note that my various TV productions, Surviving Nugent, Wanted Ted Or Alive, SuperGroup, and Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild have all achieved top ratings on not only OLN, CMT, and The Outdoor Channel, but wonderfully top-rated on the anti's networks of VH1 and MTV, every show celebrating, defending my gungho hunting, fishing,trapping, shooting lifestyle.