Product Review: Nose Jammer

I recently came upon a new product when I was at Buck Hollow in Pella called Nose Jammer.  Let me start off by saying, I am very skeptical about these sorts of products.  After discussing the product with Boyd I decided to give it a try.

According to Nose Jammer's website, Nose Jammer is not a cover scent, not an attractant, but an olfactory nerve overload system.  Nose Jammer contains vanillin and other organic compounds that overload an animal's sense of smell.  Nose Jammer does not alarm the animal because the formula that the product is made up of is found in North American woods.

I gave Nose Jammer a shot a few weeks ago.  I followed the directions on the website by spraying the bottom of my boots before I walked into the woods.  Once I got to my treestand, I gave a three second shot of spray at the base of the tree.  When I got into my stand, I sprayed down the leaves and branches surrounding my stand. 

I will let you know that I wash my clothes in scent free soap, shower with scent free products, and spray down my clothing with scent free spray before I go into the woods. 

The stand I was sitting in setup for the south wind that morning, but I had deer come in from all directions.  I did not get winded that morning.  Probably five deer came in from down wind.  None of these deer presented a shot, but none of them snorted and ran off either.  This could be because I take care of my scent with the scent free products I use, or it could have been because I used Nose Jammer.....I can't say. 

What I can say is that I did not get winded while using this product and that is why Nose Jammer will be in my pack the next two weeks during the rut.  I have never been big on using doe pee or other scents, so Nose Jammer will not effect any other strategies I use. 

Check out Nose Jammer.  I think this is another way that can help us mask human odor.

Muddyhunter

Calling Big Bucks

An interesting blog topic was proposed to me by my buddy Tom from Wisconsin.  He told me that the first time he came to Iowa, he was unsure what to do with his calls.  Tom said the rut in Wisconsin is very different from the rut in Iowa; calling works in Iowa.  I also got in a similar disucssion about calling with my brother.  He asked me when to call and what to use?  This year will be my brother's first year bowhunting.

I thought about both Tom and Ryan for a while, as well as some of my own experiences in the stand in southern Iowa.  This blog will share some of the success stories I have had calling and when I think it is appropriate to bust out the grunt tube or antlers.

Grunting

The past two years I have shot nice bucks.  Mainly, I got lucky and was in the right area when these deer came through, but it was more than just luck.  I never gave up on shooting these deer.




2009 Buck



The reason I can say I never gave up on these bucks is because both of them got past me.  The 2009 buck I shot at and missed twice.  I thought the buck was gone after the second shot, but he didn't know I was there.  He ran off about 70 yards and stopped.  At this point I didn't have anything to lose, so I grunted and snort wheezed at him.  He came back and the third shot was a charm. 





2010 Buck

In 2010, this big brute was coming through the timber at 40 yards.  I turned and grabbed my bow and when I turned to face him he was at 20 yards trotting with his nose to the ground grunting.  I was at full draw and couldn't get him stopped.  So I let him get passed me, let down, and grabbed the grunt tube.  I already knew this buck was aggressive so I threw him a deep grunt.  He wheeled around and walked right to the tree.  I shot him at 7 yards.

Grunting at a deer is like calling a turkey.  The best turkey calling you will ever have is when a turkey is in a bottom and you are on the ridge where the bird can't see if there is a hen or not.  It is better when you know there is a buck in the area (you can see it), but they really don't know if there is another deer there.  If a buck can see where the noise is coming from, and doesn't see another buck then the buck probably won't come in. 

I would not recommend blind grunting hoping to draw a deer in.  This alerts deer to your calling; similar to turkey hunting.

The multiple deer I have grunted in have been fooled by a Primos Buck Roar.  This call has been out for a few years, but Primos is still selling it for a reason; it plain works. The Buck Roar has a grunt chamber as well as a snort/wheeze chamber.

Primos Buck Roar

There should be no reason to start grunting until around Halloween.  If a buck is not responding to your grunts, it is probably because he doesn't hear you.  Grunt louder and he will either come to you or stay put.  If a buck has no reaction to the call, there is no reason to keep calling and condition other bucks in the area to your calling.

Rattling

The other aspect of calling is rattling.  I like to rattle early in the rut around Halloween, and anytime when the rut action slows down.  A little tingle of the horns can get that big boy out of his bed to see what's going on.  Unlike grunting, I like to rattle when I haven't seen any deer.  Blind rattling can provide instant action.



Rattle Bag

I remember a hunt a few years ago.  It was Halloween and my wife had been texting me to come back to Des Moines, get in costume, and hit the bars to go out for Halloween.  Well, I ignored her for a while because it was prime time to be in the stand.  The action had been slow that night, and I was thinking of leaving early to head back to DM.  Before I got down I rattled one last time.  I sat there for 10 minutes and then turned around to see a giant 10 pointer coming my way.  I got ready to shoot, but the buck never presented a shot.  He was about 45 yards and I needed him to come another 10 yards to get a shot.  This is just one example of how rattling can bring the big boys out of bed.

Rattling Antlers



I used antlers for a few years, but hated the fact that they are bulky and are difficult to keep from making noise after you are done rattling.  A rattle bag is okay, but I don't think they produce as true of a sound as antlers.  A couple years ago, Knight & Hale came out with the Pack Rack; which is what I currently use for rattling. 

Knight & Hale Pack Rack



I love this call for a few reasons:

1. The Pack Rack sounds great (same benefit of antlers)
2. The call is very compact, both ends are connected, and it is easy to pack (same benefit of a rattle bag)

Knight & Hale came out with a larger version of this as well.  That is another topic I want to discuss:  size of rattling call.  There are two schools of thought:

1. Bigger rattling call brings in bigger bucks because it represents a bigger fight.  Plus, they are louder and make more noise.
2. Smaller rattling call represents smaller bucks fighting over a hot doe which brings in the big boy because he think he can win the fight.

I like the second option.  Not all big bucks are dominant, and the dominant bucks are going to come in to see what's up no matter how loud the call is; basically the size of the fight.  This is why I carry the smaller Pack Rack; I think it attracts any buck.

In the rattling scenario above, and a grunting scenario where the buck won't commit because he doesn't see anything, those are the times when a decoy could help that buck close the distance.  You might want to try one out.  I have never decoyed, but thought about it and may start in the future.

I hope you enjoyed this blog and that it helps you this year during the rut.  Good luck and stay tuned for more updates from the stand.

Muddyhunter



Iowa Update

I thought I would provide an update from Iowa on how the crop harvest and deer activity have been progressing so far.

Based on the information from this week's USDA Crop Report Iowa is still very dry, which is evident by the creek on my property having no water whatsoever.  This is important because finding a trail to a watering hole may lead to success in the woods.  Deer need to drink a few times per day, so this is a good spot to find does, and where there are does there will be bucks come November.  Also, with bucks doing a lot of chasing, they will be in need of some water as well.  Iowa recived a half inch of rain in the month of September, and approximately an 1"+ so far in October.

The crop report also states that 87% of the crop has been harvested in the state of Iowa.  This is about 15% ahead of the 5-year average.  Total crop harvested is at 69% for the entire country, which is 8% ahead of the 5-year average.  This will give deer fewer places to hide out and increase sitings come November.

The weather is looking good as of right now for the first week in November.  A cold front looks like it should come through on November 2nd and drop temperatures 10 to 20 degrees.

This change in weather will surely have the big bucks on their feet and does coming into estrus. 

Another site that has been recently launched that has some great information is www.cabelas.com/deer-nation.  This site has "Rut Reporters" all over the country that give updates on how the rut is progressing.  The site also includes some great articles and videos from outdoor writers.

The USDA Crop Report and sites like Cablea's Deer Nation can help you plan your hunt as the rut nears.  It also helps if you know someone locally where you are hunting (if traveling) that can give you an update on the weather and deer movement.

Muddyhunter

Weekend Update October 15th & 16th

This weekend was spent in Albia hunting.  I decided to take last weekend off between the hot weather and shooting a few does opening weekend. 

I went out Saturday morning and sat in the Logging Road stand because the wind was perfect for the setup.  This is the only time I will sit in this stand until November.  I seen about 10 deer on Saturday morning; one spike and the rest were does. 

In the Logging Road stand

On Saturday evening, I sat in the Food Plot stand.  I shot a doe there two weeks ago and I also seen a good buck, so I figured with the wind I would give it a shot.  Saturday evening was very windy and the deer did not start moving until 5:45.  I had a doe come across the CRP to the finger I was sitting in.  She ate acorns for a good 20 minutes before she decided to pop out of the finger 20 yards from my stand.  I couldn't pass up a mature doe, so I decided to take a shot.  My shot hit home in the pump station and she ran about 60 yards and expired. 

Saturday night doe

I checked a few cameras this weekend including my new Covert.  There were no big bucks on the Covert, but there were quit a few pictures. 

The Covert camera takes great pictures.  I will probably be picking up a few more of these cameras.  The Covert is really small, easy to setup, and only runs on four AA batteries.  Combine those benefits with the price and it is one heck of a camera!

On another camera I checked, I did get some good pictures.  Enjoy these mature Iowa bucks!

I'm not sure yet if I will be hunting next weekend or not....I am thinking not right now.  My vacation starts October 28th through November 14th, so I may just let the woods rest next weekend and get geared up for the rut!

I will be posting the whitetail calling blog next weekend.

Have fun hunting and be safe by always wearing your safety harness!

Muddyhunter

Weekend Update October 8th & 9th

This weekend was pretty boring.  It has been very warm in Iowa this past week and Saturday and Sunday were no exception.  With highs in the 80's, I decided it was a good idea to stay out of the timber.  The high temps would definitely limit deer movement. This along with shooting a few does last weekend, I figured the timber needed a break.

Next week's forecast

You can see that next weekend looks like it should be perfect for hunting; especially if the wind is out of the north.  I may be sitting in Tom's stand on Saturday or Sunday night if I get that north wind. 

I have also got around to updating my Moultrie M-80 with the firmware update on Moultrie's website.  I will be putting that camera out next weekend and checking the DLC camera and give a full report on how the DLC worked out.  One tip I can give on the DLC is when you setup that camera, make sure you insert an SD card and then plug-in the remote control.  I found out that the only way to setup the camera is to have the SD card in it.

I have been thinking of names for that new buck that I got on camera last weekend and I have come up with the name "Upright".  The reason for Upright is that he has so many splits and kickers that I figured in football a kicker splits the upright, so that should be his name.

Upright

Finally, I am working on a blog about calling; when to do it, what to use, and what to look for in the timber.  I think this blog will help many people, especially those of you that come from out of state.  My buddy Tom gave me the idea of writing a blog on calling because when he came to Iowa, Tom wasn't sure what to do with his calls.  I am working hard on this and should have it out around October 24th. 

If anyone has any other topic that they would like me to blog about before the rut, please let me know.

Safe hunting and good luck in the whitetail woods!

Muddyhunter

Opening Weekend Success!!

Opening weekend has come and gone here in Iowa and it was very successful! 

My wife and I seen over 20 deer on stand this weekend.  Saturday evening I shot a nice doe and also seen a 130" 8 pointer.  Pretty good sit.


Saturday evening doe



Redhead Gator did it's job

I would like to thank J & J Fur Company of Albia for allowing us to use their facilities to skin and quarter this doe.  J & J does a lot of trapping in the Albia area, so if you have some property that you would like to eliminate racoons, bobcats, beavers, or anything that has fur, give Joe and Jimmy a call.  Thanks guys!

Sunday evening, my wife seen a dozen deer and shot a nice doe, but we were unable to recover her.  The blood trail ran out and we seen her get up and run off from where she was bedded.  There was lots of blood, but my wife thought she hit the doe a little low.  This would explain the lack of blood on her arrow, but the amount of blood we seen during the track job.  I am sure this deer is dead, I just wish we could have recovered her and got a picture of my wife with her first deer.

   
Also on Sunday evening I shot a big doe, one of the biggest I have seen on stand.  My wife and I were sitting about 100 yards apart.  I shot the doe and she started running towards my wife.  Before I could text her to tell her I shot a doe, she text me with a picture of my doe just below her stand!  The doe ran right to her and expired just below where she was sitting!  No track job needed!

I would like to thank Burrell's Meat Locker in Moravia for supporting the HUSH program and taking this deer at 8:30 Sunday night.  Burrell's are located on Highway 5 in Moravia and are great guys to deal with.  I have been taking deer there for the last four years.

Sunday evening doe

To top off a great opening weekend, I pulled a card out of one camera and I got a picture of a GIANT buck I have never seen before on the farm.  Enjoy the pictures of this potential Booner!

I doubt that I will be hunting this coming weekend since it is supposed to be in the 80's next weekend.  With some meat in the freezer and a deer donated to the HUSH program, this was the best opening weekend I have had.

Muddyhunter