Up North Journal Podcast

Mike and Dan are setting their bows up for target shooting and are using the new Stan SX3 release aids.

1. Spring trigger vs Barrel trigger
2. Hunting situation, clip on the string and let it hang
3. Question from a viewer on the livestream
4. Don't punch yourself in the face
5. Thumb release vs a trigger release
6. Helped with consistency and groupings
7. Practice screw
8. Dan has tried a thumb release before....

Mike talks with a land consultant about food plots vs forest forage

1. food in 1 acre of food plots equal 100 acres of well managed forest
2. Mike's property is more like 1 acre food plots vs 150 acres of forest land
3. Does need food to make milk
4. If a doe is off looking in the forest for food away from her fawn she is going to look longer to get the food she needs so predation goes through the roof since she is away from her fawn longer
5. Prescribed fire story from Dr. Deer

Mike had issues setting up his new bow sight

1. Setting up at 25, 35, 45, 55, 65 yard increments for hunter division on a target bow
2. Started setting up and ran out of room in the sight housing for the last pin
3. Had to start over with the farthest shot and work back up
4. Using the stabilizers have helped in building the shooting Process for Mike
5. The stabilizers have helped settle the bow in his hands
6. Dan's shooting is starting to come together as well
7. Dan is building his Process

Dan answers a question about what turkey gun he uses.

1. Mossberg 500 turkey gun
2. Pump with a telescopic stock and a red dot sight
3. Weighs about 7 lbs.

Mike got back on the bike.

Mike got the target bow set up and is now starting to tune it.

1. Stan's release aid vs the trigger style release aid
2. PSE Phenom SD target bow, Copper John sight, AAE Prophecy rest, Hot Rods Stabalizers
3. Step back tuning
4. Setting the top pin at 25 yards for the hunter division
5. Had the rear stabilizer move and get in the string path

Headed to deer camp and met with our land and deer management consultants

1. Took a look at our food plots
2. Go to our facebook page to see the video of his explanation of food plots vs natural forage. https://www.facebook.com/UpNorthJournal/videos/1969217739769126/
3. How food plots play into predation during fawning season

Talking with Dan Jasa of PSE Archery and Chris Schnur of Cabela's about why hunters should consider taking up target archery to up their game in the hunting season.

1. Target Archery vs Hunting
2. Adrenaline rush
3. Following the "Process"
4. How long does it take to develop your Process
5. Start the Process by shooting in some local tournaments
6. Do you need a target bow or can you use your hunting set up to shoot target archery
7. Target bows are longer and straighter limbs but noisier
8. Target bows are easier to aim
9. Best source of info to get started is your local pro shop
10. Bow hunter class vs Open class set ups
11. Where to find archery tournament or shoot information
12. Target shoots vs 3D shoots
13. How this helps you the hunting situations
14. Acceptable miss with Target Archers vs Bow Hunters
15. Nerves with Target Archery vs Hunting
16. Friendships built in Target Archery where hunting is solo usually
17. You get better the more time you spend behind the bow
18. Using the Target Archery experience of nerves to execute the shot on a big buck
19. Follow the Process during hunting situations as well
20. Long distance target shooting extends your effective range
21. Shooting unknown distances in archery helps you in hunting situations
22. Practice until you can't get it wrong
23. Ask for help
24. Do research into clubs and shoots
25. Guest shooting

Got the new target arrows cut this week for the shoot, Carbon Express Maxima SD

1. Tuned them to the Evolve 31
2. Low profile 2 inch vanes
3. Didn't have the target bow set up yet and had to use my hunting bow
4. Shot out to 80 yards

Shot at Mudjaw Bowman for the 1st leg of Ohio State Field Archery Association Triple Crown

1. Wet, wet, wet!!!!!!!
2. Talking about the shoot and how it was run
3. 116 arrow shoot
4. 20 points per target
5. Short angled shot

Shooting known distance vs un-known distance preferences

What gear we are running on the target bows this year

1. PSE Phenom SD
2. Copper John sight
3. Stan release
4. AAE Prophecy drop away rest
5. Hot Rod stabilizers

Fawn drop time!

1. Danny is seeing pregnant does in his back yard.
2. Buck have dispersed
3. Others are starting to see fawns being dropped
4. Predators starting to become more active with fawning season starting

A recap of Mike taking a friend turkey hunting for the first time.

Day one morning hunt

1. 3 gobblers coming, which way to go?
2. 2nd sit of the morning

Day one evening hunt

1. Pop up blind
2. 2 gobblers
3. Should've set where we did for the morning

Day two morning hunt

1. Mike goes back to run and gun while his friend sat in the pop up blind
2. Mike gets into a fight with a hen and looses the gobblers

Day two evening hunt

1. Got a scouting report from trail cameras
2. Go north young man!
3. 25 yards and got caught looking the wrong way

A new turkey hunter is born!

State legislator in New York is proposing a bill that would remove all shooting sports, gun and archery along with trapping out of the schools for kids. https://news.unclesamsmisguidedchildren.com/ny-proposal-ban-archery-rifle-trap-shooting-programs-schools/

Using a trail camera to scout for turkey

1. Good to use on private land
2. Cuts down the scouting time
3. Help to figure out where to set up
4. Can see specific birds
5. Helps to know what times they frequent the area
6. Snow still on the ground
7. Gobbler came up to the lodge in camp

On the way home from camp came into an area that had a wild fire

1. Too dry to burn
2. Bone dry conditions
3. Burn bans in affect
4. Spring plants sucking up all the moisture in the ground
5. Too much standing dead wood
6. Logging creates natural fire break
7. Private lands have too much fuel load on the ground in Northern Michigan

Deer are feeding heavily

1. During green up the mature does are getting the best food
2. Younger deer suffer with less to eat
3. How much milk does a fawn need a day?
4. How does that equate to deer browse?

Turkey populations low due to?

1. Long winter
2. Cold and wet weather leads to cold ground that keeps turkeys from laying eggs
3. Pushes poults hatching later and not getting enough warm weather to gain enough weight to make it through the next winter
4. Public vs Private land
5. Predation

Tick season!

1. Mike got the first ticks of the year!
2. Makes you itch for days
3. Don't forget your dogs too

Talking a little trout fishing

Spring weather affects so many things in the outdoors

Danny spent the entire week out hunting turkeys.

1. Saw more deer than turkeys
2. Great weather
3. Playing with hens
4. Never seen a gobbler
5. Tough hunting
6. Bongo Drums

Hunter's Blend Coffee joins the Up North Journal

1. Official coffee of Up North Journal
2. www.huntersblendcoffee.com

Opening up camp

1. Check trail cams
2. Found a water leak

Trail Cam Photos

1. Put two cams on a fresh deer carcass
2. Got eagles on camera
3. Bobcat drug off carcass
4. Coyote video
5. Deer browsing on small pine trees
6. Deer eating meat?

Deer Browse Surveys

1. 2 half mile lines 1000 feet apart is your survey
2. 30 steps apart on each line gets checked
3. Very educational opportunity
4. Use this as a tool to check deer density along with habitat health
5. Deer Co-op building activity
6. Teach younger people so they grow up applying these techniques

The boys are getting excited since spring has sprung

1. Danny has taken down his Christmas lights
2. Mike mowed the yard
3. Worried about the deer herd after the big snow storm
4. Snow still on at deer camp
5. Danny is rolling the dice on his turkey hunt this coming week
6. Danny is going to run and gun on his first day of the hunt
7. #2018CallHimOffTheLimb

Yeti Coolers Drops it's association from the NRA Foundation

1. No explanation as to why
2. NRA Foundation is the youth side of the organization
3. Will this comeback to bite Yeti?
4. Waiting for an explanation
5. What is the fallout of this?
6. Other companies are drawing the line as well

Danny bought a new muzzleloader

1. The Remington model 700 UML
2. New ignition system
3. Looking at putting a Vortex scope on it
4. Loading on warm barrel
5. New ignition system

Mike got back on the bike

1. Rode for the first time this year
2. Brought home last year and got road salt all over it
3. Mike stripped it down and cleaned it this weekend

Michigan Trout Opener this weekend!

1. Know your rules and regulations before you enter the water!
2. Read signage by the streams to know what's legal and not legal

Winter Storm in April kept the boys at home all weekend

1. Danny turkey scouted Thursday on public land
2. Sand Hill Cranes made their reappearance
3. Turkeys won't lay eggs till it gets warmer
4. Heavy wet snow and ice hit the area and kept the boys from attending the Michigan Deer Summit

How does this latest winter storm affect our deer herds.

1. 22 inches of snow hit Mike's deer camp this weekend
2. 16 inches hit the area where Dan hunts
3. Heavy wet snow dumped quick kills deer that are already stressed
4. 6 months with no green food and they need 6 pounds of food a day puts major stress on deer
5. We need a green up quick
6. How much food do deer need to get through a winter
7. Dealing with hunters who don't shoot does when the area needs them to be thinned

Talking about how shooting target archery will help you in the treestand in the fall.

1. Interviewed Dan Jasa of PSE Archery and Chris Schnur about this subject and will air later this month.
2. Competitive shooting
3. Individual sport where it's all on you like hunting

Taking a look at the new gear we are using for the upcoming target shooting season.

1. PSE Phenom SD XT
2. 35.5" axel to axel
3. 7 5/8 brace height
4. Live wire strings
5. Ferocity which will be able to be purchased at Cabelas and Bass Pro
6. 30.75 Axel to Axel
7. 6.5" Brace height

Mike finished up the second module of Deer Steward !

1. Antlered deer management
2. Antlerless deer managagement
3. Deer genetics
4. How injury plays into antler growth
5. Antler growth is dictated by Age, Nutrition, and Genetics
6. Don't forget that half of the DNA is contributed by the doe so how do you manage that?

Mike and Dan begin the show trying out a cup of Hunter's Blend Coffee that was sent to them from Hemisphere Coffee Roasters.

1. Dan thinks is smooth!
2. Mike will be taking this to deer camp!
3. Gotta have coffee on the hunt!

Dan is getting excited for turkey season!

1. Dan was out looking for sheds while cruising the woods
2. Plans on scouting this week
3. Weather needs to warm up soon
4. Birds are moving finally
5. Mike attended a local turkey workshop event
6. Mike talks to CO about youth hunting licenses
7. Game laws differing from state to state
8. Drones and hunting

Mike is taking Deer Steward 1 Class.

1. Through QDMA and the University of Clemson
2. 6 modules
3. video based teaching
4. Deer and habitat biology, management, etc...

The 2018 Whitetail Report listed what states use to manage deer

1. Michigan uses deer herd health, hunter opportunity, car deer accidents and crop damage.
2. Seems as if insurance industry issues have a heavy hand in management of our deer instead of sound science.
3. Numbers and questions can be skewed to gain any point of view that researcher wants
4. The nation is shooting less does on a whole
5. First time since 1999 that nation has shot more bucks than does

More dead deer found on Mike's property, looks like they were starving.

The guys are getting ready to attend the Michigan Deer Summit

Mike attended a pollination and habitat workshop this week

1. Butterflies as pollinators and research going into the disappearance of two species
2. Travel time for Monarch butterfly migration
3. Downward trend of honey bee populations and what is killing them
4. Bee population in the Lower 48
5. Chemicals and mites killing the bees
6. How to use chemicals around bees
7. How do we incorporate bees into our hunting area and keep bears out of them
8. What happens if you don't collect the honey
9. Switch Grass planting
10. Fawning grass vs bears

Turkey calls for beginners

1. Box calls for beginner turkey hunters looking to learn how to call
2. Simple slate calls are good for new turkey hunters
3. Limb Walker Game Calls
4. Red slate pot call from Limb Walker
5. How does the slate thickness affect the calls
6. What to use to carry your turkey decoys
7. Canadian turkey hunting laws vs Michigan

Patterning your shotgun and ammo types

Some bucks still holding on to their antlers

Deer leaving their wintering grounds

A new kayak might be in Mike's future!