Tracers Hunting Zone

The One I'm After

2011-08-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

Now if I can just get him to make regular visits to my food plot in daylight hours from Oct. 1 to Dec.31 ( Ontario archery season). Preferably when I'm there in the tree stand with my crossbow.

Food Plot Visitor

2011-08-04T18:09:00.000-07:00

Duel

2011-03-12T13:07:00.000-08:00

2009 Seven Pointer

2011-01-23T11:21:00.000-08:00

This was the second young buck to come in real close to me this season and with hunting opportunities down to a few remaining weekends, I decided to take him. He walked in from the north, picked up the doe trail and headed towards me on my left about 30 yards out, lots of trees obstructing a shot(S wind,10km). He walk over to where my foot prints had crossed the doe trail and stopped to sniff. I had coon urine scent on my boots, and I had placed some Code Blue buck urine on one tree limb beside me and some doe in estrus on another limb. The buck followed my foot prints to within 10 yards of the stand slightly quartering to me. I had just one lane to get a clear shot through some fallen tree limbs,so I stopped him with a meee... and realized I had forgoten to take the safety off, the deer looked to the north turning more broadside, I squeezed off the shot, looked like a good hit. I watched his departure to the north and he disappeared into the cedars but I didn't here him crash. I waited an hour before climbing down to check my arrow which was covered with bright red blood and a lot of white hair. I waited another 1/2 hr before taking up the blood trail that was very easy to follow in the snow. I found the buck about 70 yards out just about where I had last seen him. You could tell by the melted snow that he had bedded down right there.

Recently got my 7point mount back from the taxidermist.

Hunter takes on a bear

2011-01-19T18:01:00.000-08:00

2 1/2 bucks

2011-01-15T19:38:00.000-08:00

Outdoor Nebraska: Dick Turpin Mountain Lion

2011-01-12T18:14:00.000-08:00

Wide Beams - Ontario Monster

2011-01-12T14:27:00.000-08:00

On my way to my deer hunting grounds, I stopped a long the way to video this amazing buck.

2011-01-03T17:13:00.000-08:00

Look Who Showed Up

2011-01-03T16:32:00.000-08:00

The deer make rare daytime move through my hunting spot about an hour after I left the area. For the 2010 deer season, the deer where very nocturnal, with daytime sightings way down. Over the three month season, I saw seven deer. I passed on a 6pt buck at 10 yards and a fawn that walked right under my treestand. It was a lot of fun and I can't wait until next season.

Tracer

Last Hunt For 2010

2011-01-03T16:08:00.000-08:00

Here I am heading back to the treestand after switching SD cards in the trail cam. I hunted until 2:30pm with no deer sightings.

2010 Rut Dates

2010-10-31T16:22:00.000-07:00

A late full moon in November 21 will likely mean a late peak rut this year in the northern hemisphere. This is known as the rutting moon ( second full moon after the autumn equinox). It arrives nearly three weeks later than in 2009. Based on research records data* from 1997 and 2005, when the rutting moon was also late( Nov. 14 and 16), it revealed that the rut was late and not as intense.

This years rut activity should start around Oct.22. I found a fresh scrape Oct.23. On my drive to work ( in Ontario, Canada) Oct.28, 7am, I had a close encounter on the highway with a buck chasing a doe.

The most intense chasing will occur from Nov.21 to 25.
Minor and major sweet spots.
Oct 22-Nov.2 minor
Nov.20-30 major
Expect the week of Nov.7 to 14 to be slow for hunters.

* from Charles J. Alsheimer research

Fawns Looking Good

2010-08-22T16:56:00.000-07:00

This years fawns are looking healthy.

same two fawns getting bigger

More Bears At Cam Station

2010-08-22T16:32:00.000-07:00

New D55 Cam

2010-06-28T19:43:00.000-07:00

Moultrie D55 camera review - coming soon !

2010-06-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

I was so impressed by the quality of the photos, colour - night and day that I had to buy this camera. The battery life is reportedly very good as well. Stay tuned right here as I file a full report on the Moultrie Game Spy D55.

Bears on the trail cam

2010-06-19T04:32:00.000-07:00

Two Ontario black bears came into my deer cam site last week and cleaned up all the oats, corn and alfalfa that I had laid out for the deer. The one bear was a nice size male of over five feet long.

Ontario Turkey Season Opener April 26, 2010

2010-04-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

I will be heading to the woods early tomorrow morning to setup on a gobbler, as the Ontario spring turkey season opens. The season continues through to May 31. Good luck to all turkey hunters.

Dream Hunt

2010-02-27T12:02:00.000-08:00

End of an era at N. American Whitetail? :: Prairie State Outdoors

2010-01-29T17:11:00.000-08:00

End of an era at N. American Whitetail? :: Prairie State Outdoors

2009-10-31T16:05:00.000-07:00

Bucks In Velvet

2009-07-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

Interesting to note these two bucks where active on a bright sunny morning, the temp. was 53 deg. F.

Summer Doe

2009-07-06T17:51:00.000-07:00

Hunter Numbers Increasing

2009-05-24T05:51:00.000-07:00

It's great to see the latest numbers indicating that hunting is alive and well in Ontario. In 2008, a record-breaking 16,058 new hunters took the province's hunter-safety course, an increase of 15.695 over the previous record of 15,591 set in 2007. The highly successful wild turkey program is still going strong as 11,100 people took the wild turkey hunter education seminars in 2008, another record.

Coyotes on the turkey cam

2009-03-15T04:30:00.000-07:00

I setup my Moultrie M40 on a turkey trail two weeks ago and got these two on it.

Possible Ontario Record Moose

2008-12-27T14:04:00.000-08:00

This moose was shot in the Thunder Bay, Ontario area, 2008. It measured 66" across and it could be a new record moose for Ontario.

Triple Lockup

2008-12-27T13:50:00.001-08:00

Season Greetings

2008-12-25T04:29:00.000-08:00

I would like to extend Season Greetings to everyone and a happy New Year.

Admin. - Tracer

Firearms ban in Innisfil Township proposed

2008-09-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Town delays firearms ban
Source: Innisfil JournalAuthor: Rick Vanderlinde--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hunters and sport shooters will have a chance to say their piece before Innisfil council debates a bylaw to ban firearms in urban areas.
Councillors have delayed the bylaw until representatives from the Ontario Federation of Hunters and Anglers have an opportunity to speak on the issue.
The ban would focus on Innisfil's urbanized areas, such as Stroud, Lefroy, Cookstown, Churchill and Alcona.
It would not ban firearms or hunting bows in the municipality's rural areas. And there are exemptions for farmers within urban zones.
But hunters are concerned the ban would include the Leonard's Beach wetlands in Alcona.
"We'd just like to bring forth some points of interest that you might not be aware of," Clark Boyd, of the federation, told council last Wednesday. "We'd specifically like to know why there would be a public safety issue in that area."
Ben Valentine, a firearms enthusiast, also addressed council, saying there may be no reason to ban firearms in the wetland since Ministry of Natural Resources officers police the hunters.
"I don't think this bylaw is really needed at this time," he said.
The need to regulate firearms in urban areas was first raised by development lawyer Marvin Geist.
Geist represents the developers of Estates of Alcona, which is proposing a 55-home subdivision near the wetlands.
Banning hunting in the wetland would reduce the wetland's provincial significance, making it easier to build homes in the area, Geist said.
"Besides Alcona is mostly an urbanized area," he said following the council meeting. "There shouldn't be anyone shooting guns around there anyway. It's a public safety issue."
Valentine argued taking away the hunting designation will only open the door to destroying some of the wetland.
"Why would we give a development lawyer any more reason to develop a wetland?" Valentine said. "We are losing wetlands all the time."
The Town of Innisfil also hopes to build a road through the wetland to connect Leslie Street, which deadends at either side of the wetland.
Although it likely wasn't the town's intention, Geist said banning hunting in the wetland would making it easier for the town to receive provincial approval for the road by reducing the wetlands' significance.
Residents in the area want the wetland left untouched, but seem to be resigned to seeing the road and subdivision built.
"The road, one day, will go through," Deborah McGrath told The Journal last year. "I don't expect this bucolic wilderness to remain. It's private land and they have the right to develop it. We always knew you can't stop progress but there has to be a clear benefit to putting the street through."
The firearms bylaw is expected to be considered by council Oct. 15
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Articles posted on media watch may not always reflect the policies or positions of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters.
Please direct questions or comments to O.F.A.H. ( ofah@ofah.org ).--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Favorite Deer Hunting Cartridges

2008-07-26T03:47:00.000-07:00

Here's list of favorite deer hunting catridges :

- .303 British
- .30-30
- .257 Roberts
- .270 Winchester
- .35 Whelen
- .30-06
- .300 short action ultra mag
- .250
- .300 Savage
- 6mm
- .25-06 Remington
- .260
- 7mm-08
- .243
- 7x57

What is the ideal deer cartridge? It may very well be the .308 Winchester.

New Whitetail Deer Forum

2008-05-17T04:30:00.000-07:00

Notice to all deer hunters
I would like to invite everyone that has the passion for the pursuit of whitetails to join our new forum : " The Whitetail Zone ". We go in depth into the strategies for taking whitetail deer and share our memories from the field. If you are a whitetail fanatic, we encourage you to join" The Whitetail Zone" today: http://whitetailsinsight.aceboard.com/
Thanks - administrator Steve Mitchell ( tracer )

Signs of Spring

2008-03-23T05:12:00.000-07:00

I took this photo while taking a break from shed hunting
with my dog. This is a stream in Grey County, Ontario
and we where following a deer trail along it for 2 miles.

Ontario Deer Clear of CWD

2008-02-21T17:26:00.000-08:00

The Ministry of Natural Resources reports they have tested 633 deer samples for chronic wasting disease from the 2007 fall hunt. Since 2002, the ministry has tested approximately 5,000 deer and 100 elk and all results have been negative. The testing will continue.

The Deer Look Healthy

2008-02-16T05:44:00.000-08:00

I've had my trail camera set up in the woods since the first of January and the deer are in good shape. Entering into February, the toughest month of the winter for deer here in southern Ontario, my trail cam pics show the deer looking pretty healthy.

Feeding Time

2008-02-09T06:03:00.001-08:00

Backyard Deer

2007-07-02T07:18:00.000-07:00

The highlight of the month in June for me was the visits of a whitetail deer in my backyard. This doe would drop by in the morning or evening to check out the garden and bird feeder. She would then cross the street and disappear into a wooded area. I live in a subdivision and the neighbours had indicated that this doe was seen with a fawn.One day at noon, she was standing in the middle of our driveway as we drove in and of coarse we didn't have the camera with us. This is the second year she has returned to that section of woods for a birth site. I spend a lot of time in the woods a 1/2hr from home, watching, studying, hunting deer, so it's kind of funny to have one walking through your backyard. I'm looking forward to her return next year and will be ready with carrots and camera.

http://www.whitetailsinsight.com/

Whitetail Deer Photos

2007-06-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

The whitetail deer, natures finest animal. Check out this site to learn more:http://www.whitetailsinsight.com/trailcampics.htm