Very Successful Deer Classic

For the second year in a row I had the pleasure of stopping out at the Iowa Deer Classic! What a great way to break up the lull between deer hunting and turkey season! Not to mention catching up with old friends, meeting some new friends and seeing all the sights brought right to central Iowa by one of the largest outdoors shows in the region.

So if you didn’t make it, what did ya miss? Not much- only thousands of fellow hunters, hundreds of vendors and several outdoors celebrities offering great seminars and loads of gear for the outdoor lifestyle. I spent several hours staring in awe at all the antlers and newfangled gadgets our hunting industry produces. From brand new camera mounts for videoing your own hunts, to the latest in archery equipment, it could be found at the Classic! Innovative outdoorsmen and women offered neat new contraptions like unique shed traps, roomy box blinds and even all-terrain electric wheelchairs for our friends with disabilities. I felt like a kid in a candy store, but my wallet weathered incredibly well losing only $15 to my new friends with Campfire Stories TV for some great hunting dvds http://www.campfirestoriestv.com/

My only complaint this year was the seminars were separated from the main floor of vendors. Oh yeah, and there was so much to see, I flat ran out of time! So make it a point to jot down the Classic on the calendar for next year. It’s kind of a long forecast, but I’ll give it a 90% that I’ll be going back ;-)

Perfect Weather for Shed Hunting

Snowfree ground in late winter is actually a great time to go deer scouting! Whitetail patterns in late season are pretty similar to the early season, revolving around food and security cover. A lot of hunters stay out of the woods until turkey or mushroom season, but scouting now could help get the jump on a big buck for next year. One tell-tale sign that a bruiser is in the area is finding a shed antler. Searching for these can involve a lot of walking, and it can be frustrating to come up empty-handed, but it can also be a lot of fun. As with most things, more experience usually equals better success. Some good areas to start a search are on main trails immediately to and from bedding areas. One nice thing about the barren winter landscape is muddy hoofprints on the forest floor will reveal the preferred deer travel locations like scars on the ground. Once you find some main trails, antlers are often found on fencelines or in creek crossings. Locating a late-season food source is key and I've found many sheds where a major trail entering the field intersects a fenceline. I keep a journal on noteworthy finds during these late winter excursions. This can sometimes help me pinpoint an ambush spot for early season when the thick vegetation can often mask subtle deer sign. Of course if you strike out, you can always see others' shed antlers and other outdoor attractions at the Iowa Deer Classic Feb. 25th - 27th Info at:   http://www.iowashows.com/Shows/index.cfm?Show_ID=43

What to Do With Winter Now?

Well, hunting season is long gone and with all the recent snow it's a little tough to think about turkey season and morel mushroom hunting. So what else is there to do? Predator hunting is a pretty popular craze, one which I know very little about, so I'll talk about that in future blogs once I consult the experts. If you want to give the gun a break, Sleepy Hollow sports park in Des Moines offers options for skiing, snowboarding and tubing. They just had their annual winter olympics event which was a great success, and they're always a lot of fun for a reasonable price and convenient location. For hours and info visit: http://www.sleepyhollowsportspark.com/home.html  Another sports park in central Iowa is the Seven Oaks Recreation area in Boone. They offer plenty of skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing and don't worry if you've never tried it, they offer free first lessons http://www.sevenoaksrec.com/  Now, if you lack coordination as I do, or you're just itching to get back in the game with spring turkey season or reminiscing the 2010 hunting season, be sure to catch the outdoors shows coming to the Metro in the next few weeks. The All Canada Show is in town at the 7 Flags Event Center in Clive Feb. 11th - 13th. This show features the world record Hanson buck as well as plenty of info on Canadian getaways, plus Friday night is free lure night. Check out http://www.allcanadashow.com/html/showFeatures/index.php and clear some time for the All Canada Show. Finally, but not lastly, the Iowa Deer Classic is coming to Hy-Vee Hall from Feb. 25th-27th and I'll blog about that one very soon. But as its name alludes, it's a classic. So don't let the numbing winter temperatures get ya down, there's plenty to do in the Iowa winter tundra. If you've got an activity you want me to blog about send me an e-mail cconoan@myabc5.com     Stay Warm!