As many of you know (particularly if you follow our social media channels) hunting season started in Utah last month and is just beginning here in Idaho. We lucked out and got a coveted Muley tag for Utah, and even though we’ve been out a few times we have yet to find The One. We had the pleasure of sitting down and chatting with some other hunters and after hearing some hilarious hunting stories, we mentioned our continued search for our Muley. The guys and gals then started mentioning all kinds of awesome tips and tricks to help us locate our quarry and we got to thinking that we had to share some of these with you guys! So, here are some of our favorite tips we’ve gotten from other hunters, hunting blogs, and magazines; as well as some of our own awesome know-how. Enjoy!

1. Scope Out Your Animals!

Mule deer tend to live in more broken terrain, but they do often visit the same spots to drink, eat, and bed down. If you get a high position first off (prior to dawn), you can use your spotting scope and binoculars to glass the surrounding area. Finding the Mule deer when they are up and moving makes the actual hunt later that day more likely to be a success. However, make sure to blend in to your surroundings; a silhouette is a dead giveaway to these guys!

2. Look for the Magpies!

One tip we got, that while it seems odd is entirely accurate, is to look for groups of Magpies. Magpies love to hang out near, and on, Mule Deer in order to make a quick snack of any insects or lice on their coats. So if you keep your eyes peeled for any Magpies making frequent trips from the bushes down towards the ground, more often than not you’ll see them making a pit stop on a nice Mule Deer.

3. Think Stealth!

Thanks to the large size and shape of the Muley’s ears, they have very sensitive and acute hearing, so you’ll want to take extra care to keep quiet. Take an extra minute or two to scan for any errant branches, twigs, or brush that might cause unnecessary noise and make sure to step gently so you remain as quiet as possible. You’ll also want to leave any windbreakers or other noisy clothing that tends to rustle at home; otherwise they might cost you’re your prize. They’re hearing is so acute, that depending on how cool it is outside, you may even consider stalking them in socks, crawling, or creeping up on them on your belly to get into range for your shot.

4. Make Sure You Are Well Equipped.

Hunting Muleys is definitely physically taxing; you can track these guys for miles before you find The One. Mule deer are by nature travelers and can cover several miles of terrain each day between their preferred feeding spots and the area they like to bed down in. Since these guys also tend to prefer more uneven terrain, plan for a harder hike over several miles each day. This is where those Getting into Hunting Shape tips we put up come in handy. Last, but certainly not least, this is the perfect type of hunt to use your Pro-tracker system! Our system will help guarantee that once you’ve found The One that you don’t lose your prize due to uneven terrain. You can still track using the traditional methods, but you’ll be able to rest easy knowing that if the trail runs cold, our Pro-Tracker tracking and recovery system will be there to keep your trail hot!

5. Don’t Always Think High!

Many hunters like to aim for the higher country, expecting the bucks to seek shelter to avoid the mad rush of the opening of the season and all of the noise that entails, but that is not always the case! More often than not, you can find tons of beautiful bucks that opted for smaller brush coverage (like sage) in the lower areas or basins. Depending on where the majority of hunters seem to be heading, we would recommend heading the opposite direction. Not only will it be quieter with fewer hunters out and about, but you’ll have a great chance of spotting that Muley…just remember to keep your eyes peeled!

So, those are some of the great tips we’ve both used and been told about. So, what other tips and tricks do you guys have?

We here at Pro-Tracker are always excited about hunting, but this fall is one quite a few of us are anticipating more than others. Why you ask? Because this fall some of us are allowing our kids or grand-kids to tag along on their very first hunts. For anyone that loves to hunt, taking a young person along  for the first time is a memory neither of you will ever forget and may only be trumped by the first time they take their own animal. There is nothing better than watching the excitement light up their expressions when they spot a deer or elk or the focus they exhibit as you explain how to clean and prep the animal after the shot has been made. Now whether your kids are going on a hunt for the very first time, or just tagging along, there are certain things we think are important for you to remember.

1. Mistakes Happen

Kids are kids and mistakes can happen anywhere, however on a hunt mistakes can be dangerous. Make sure that you go over all safety rules prior to the hunt and ensure your young sidekicks understand the The why here is incredibly important. Young people as a whole are much more likely to pay attention and follow safety precautions if they understand why they are necessary and any potential consequences.

2. Keep Things Interesting

Take into account the attention span and requirements of having a child tag along. Not all children will appreciate hiking around in extremely rough terrain, or looking for game in inclement or extremely hot weather. You should also remember that children don’t have the attention span to sit out all day like an adult would, so try to pick hunts that are shorter in length to help keep up their interest level. You’re goal is to make hunting fun and educational, and taking into account the personality (and attention span) of your young travelers is absolutely essential in making this a good memory filled day.

3. Take Snacks

Little people tend to have enormous appetites, and nothing can sour an excited kiddos mood faster than being hungry. Kids generally run on high unless they are asleep, and that means their metabolism runs on high as well. Add in all the hiking required for most hunts, and you’ll have one hungry kiddo. We recommend packing a good high protein trail mix (with m&ms, because they make all trail mixes better) and some jerky. Just make sure your packaging makes as little noise as possible so that snack time doesn’t cost you your dinner.

4. Bring Protection

Don’t forget the sunscreen and a good hat. Nothing will sour a kid’s opinion of hunting faster than associating it with a bad sunburn. Your goal here is to make sure the outing is enjoyable and sunburns are definitely not!

5. Be Patient

Kids learn by observation, but also by asking questions. Be prepared to be peppered with every question under the sun during your hunt, and also be prepared to answer those questions. We know that hunting is generally a quiet sport, with minimal conversation, but when you’re introducing it to a young person conversation is essential. On that same note, don’t be afraid to be the one direction the conversation. You can pre-empt a lot of questions and make the trip much more educational and enjoyable if you’re an active conversational participant.

6. Let Them Help

If you want to make sure hunting makes a positive impression, along with being an active conversationalist, let your kiddo help out! Kids absolutely love to feel useful and feel like they are a part of something. Don’t get so caught up in explaining that you forget to let them take part. Kids are generally good at spotting things with their young eagle eyes, so let them help you look out for animals or their tracks. Let them help by carrying some things in their own pack, setting up attractants etc. The more they participate, the more fun they will have and the more they will learn. This means a positive experience for everyone and also a longer hunt time for you since they are engaged.

We hope these tips help out anyone else getting ready to take a young person out for their first adventure into hunting. We wish every young person a wonderful first trip out and hope they have memories that will last a lifetime. We also must wonder if there are any tips we missed. If you’ve got some tips we haven’t mentioned, let us know! Happy hunting everyone!

Year round we all watch people buzz in and out of the talking about making sure they are in shape for summer swimsuit season or an upcoming wedding, but we love to work out for a whole different reason: to make sure we’re ready for big game bow hunting season. Many people who are new to archery or bow hunting are learning precisely how exhausting the sport can be. Many people assume you just stand and shoot, but that is definitely not the case. You need your body to be ready to track your elk up hills, down slopes, over ridges, and also be prepared to follow the signal on your Pro-Tracker, ultimate tracking and recovery system, for miles on foot. Which is why it is so important to maintain good physical shape year round, but it is especially important as we approach the big game season. So, in order to help make sure you don’t huff and puff your way through your fall hunts, here are some of our favorite ways to make sure you’re in shape for the big game season.

The First Month

Some people may say that it is still early to worry about getting into shape for the season, but as with all exercise it is important to give your body time to adjust and to not rush getting it ready. Most people recommend giving yourself at least 12 weeks prior to your first hunt to start getting ready, but we feel like the more time you give yourself the better. One sure fire way to help your body get into gear is actually by walking. Walking is the primary way you maneuver out on a hunt, so the more ready you are for a good long trek the better off you will be. A brisk walk for 45-60 minutes 3 times a week is a perfect way to jump start your metabolism; want to get more out of your walk? Then add in hills of varying sizes. Once you’ve gotten into a good walking routine (after 1-2 weeks), then it’s time to add in strength days. You want to make sure to do core work every strength day complete with crunches and planks, then alternate your arm and leg days. Having good arms is incredibly important when bow hunting, but having a strong core will make sure that your bow is held steady during your shot.

By 3-4 weeks into your routine, you should be feeling quite a bit better, which means it’s time to step things up again. This is a perfect time to increase your walks to jogs and to also start doing some interval training as well. In order to optimize your workout, we recommend jogging for 1-2 minutes, walking for a minute, and then jogging again. After 10 minutes or so, rather than walking add in squats or lunges for 5 minutes; after 10 minutes return to your jog/ rest combination and repeat each set twice. You’ll still want to maintain your strength training, but now you’ll want to make sure to include your core workout (and planks) every day. Now is where things start to get tricky, you’re going to want to find one steep hill and once a week jog up the hill, then walk down; and repeat for at least 20-30 minutes. This is going to make you extremely tired, but we guarantee that come hunting season, this will make hilly terrain a breeze.

Add Some Weight!

Now a month has gone by and we are really cooking. You should feel much better, fatigue less and be showing a good amount of strength throughout your body; which means it’s time to keep cruising. Remember, when you hunt you also get to tote a pack with you and you also may or may not need to pack your animal out. So, bust out your hunting pack and load it up with either your gear or weights that should approximate your normal load. Now that you’re all strapped up like a pack mule we’re going to go head out and do the same workout you’ve been doing. We should mention here that due to the pack, you will get tired and you may not be able to complete your normal routine. That is perfectly okay! Do as your body asks and rest when needed. If you need, go back to your earlier workouts with your pack and build up your endurance to where you can do your intervals, hills, and jogs with your pack. The goal here is to be able to move your normal routine up to a steady jog/run for about 45 minutes at a time and to be able to sprint up your hills when you encounter them.

Don’t Forget to Shoot

If you keep up this routine you will be in tip top shape, but there is one more thing (besides crunches and planks) that needs to be done every single day without fail to get you ready: shooting. You’ll want to take your bow out and practice for a good 30 minutes or more every day. Not only will this help to perfect your aim, it will ensure your shooting muscles are up to snuff. When you start out, focus more on just shooting that perfecting your aim; once your muscles are strengthened and your muscle memory is solid, perfecting your aim will become the main priority. Don’t forget to take a rest day once a week and remember to stretch! We look forward to seeing all of you looking great and ready to hunt come fall!

 

Summer is officially here

Well school is out and the vacations are planned; which means it’s time for some awesome summer barbecues! Here are some of our all-time favorite wild game recipes to help you up your barbecue game.

Sausage

1. For those of you who like to embrace the heat these Venison cheddar- jalapeno summer sausages are absolutely fantastic. We recommend using a natural casing for these which you can get online as well as in places like your local butcher or Cabelas. These don’t necessarily need added fat (the cheese does a great job of taking care of that), but if you’d like adding in a bit or pork rounds out the flavor nicely and gives a little more added fat. Like venison summer sausage, but don’t like spicy? Try Gramp’s Venison Summer Sausage; though for this recipe we do recommend adding some pork in to add in a bit of fat and flavor.

BBQ

2. We love us some bbq and these bbq duck sandwiches from wide open spaces were the perfect addition to our family picnic. The lemon pepper seasoning is mild, but gives a nice added flavor profile. We did decide that these were best on potato buns; but since that happens to be our favorite type of bun for just about anything we might be just a bit biased. You can also find a few more summer bbq recipes in this article, but we haven’t given those a shot yet. If you give them a try, make sure to let us know what you think!

Burgers

3. We can’t make a list of our favorite summer recipes without mentioning venison and elk burgers. You can never go wrong with grilling up these babies, and when done right they can be the star of your summer get together. For these, you definitely don’t want to over-cook the meat; so remember to aim for either medium-rare or medium when cooking. That will guarantee a juicy burger, because no one likes a dry patty. There are tons of recipes for venison burgers on the internet (this one from Allrecipes.com is awesome, as are these by Wide Open Spaces), but no matter what recipe you use we recommend using bacon fat or bacon inside the patty to give it a delicious flavor as well as enough fat to make it nice and juicy.

Brats

4. Last, but certainly not least, we have to have a good recipe for brats. Hot dogs are good and all, but as far as we are concerned brats are the way to go. This recipe for beer brats made our stomachs sing happy songs. This one is especially useful because you can put any wild game meat you’d like in and the recipe still tastes amazing. We generally have used venison, as that is what we have on hand most often, but also made it with turkey and they came out perfect as well. This recipe does call for Cold Smoke Scotch Ale, and we have found this gives the best overall flavor. However, we’ve also used a few other amber beers we’ve had on hand (like O’Dells Levity) and the brats still tasted pretty darned good.

Well folks, that about sums up our favorite recipes. This year we have tons of wild game to use up thanks to our awesome Pro-Tracker tracking system, so if we find any more recipes we will definitely share. Have you got a favorite recipe? Let us know, so we can give it a try!