October 2016 Archives - Page 2 of 5

Jeff Kirkley’s 122-inch piebald buck, killed last fall in South Carolina, is an unusually large specimen of a whitetail deer with coloration that is a genetic anomaly.

Mature piebald bucks have Ph.D’s

Piebald and albino deer are unique in any environment. Few hunters taken a white deer, and even fewer a big, piebald buck. […]

A live shrimp fished under a popping cork is guide Ricky Kellum’s No. 1 after-dark trout tactic.

Night moves are right moves

Dusty Wilson

Guide Ricky Kellum always has a stock of trout candy, aka live shrimp, when available, but the pinfish that have taken root on AR 398 make it nearly impossible to float one long enough for a trout to see — at least during daylight hours. […]

Tyler Campbell of Mebane, N.C., took this huge archery buck in October 2015 after discovering the buck’s core area.

Finding buck’s core area led to tagging 2015 trophy

Craig Holt

Tyler Campbell of Mebane, N.C., killed one of North Carolina’s top archery bucks on Oct. 25, 2015, when he sent a broadhead through an Alamance County 11-pointer that scored 1562/8 net Boone and Crockett Club points. […]

Timing South Carolina’s deer rut

Phillip Gentry

Deer biologists would love to be able to say that on Oct. 1, the rut will peak in 23 days, but it’s not that simple. Biologists often examine fetuses and can pinpoint very accurately the date of conception, but not every doe enters estrus on the same day. […]

Guide Ricky Kellum likes to fish a topwater bait along crab-pot lines for New River speckled trout.

Topwater is nothing New in NC

Phillip Gentry

Guide Ricky Kellum points to his home waters, the New River in Onslow County, N.C., as his go-to spot for targeting topwater trout in October. His favorite bait is a Super Spook Jr. with a chartreuse head and white body, a bait that fooled an 8-pound trout in the New last year. […]

Guide Justin Carter, who caught this 10-pound trout in South Carolina’s Wando River earlier this year, said the river’s clean, clear nature is great for specks.

Work specks on the Wando

Phillip Gentry

South Carolina’s Wando River has long been known as a trout hot spot. Unlike most coastal rivers in either state, the Wando doesn’t really go anywhere. This prevents a lot of run-off from entering the river, particularly during tropical-storm season, so the river stays clearer than surrounding areas. […]

Hunters with access to kayaks or canoes can float rivers or streams during the Oct. 5-8 season, and they’ll often wind up with a mixed bag of wood ducks and green-winged teal.

North Carolina’s early duck particulars

Dusty Wilson

• The first general duck season in North Carolina runs from Oct. 5-8, statewide. The daily bag limit is six, but only three may be wood ducks. Teal are commonly taken during the short, October season, and all six ducks in your daily limit can be teal, or teal can be combined with woodies. […]

Get ready for green-winged teal during North Carolina’s early October duck season

Dusty Wilson

In addition to wood ducks, green-winged teal are likely to make an early arrival during North Carolina’s Oct. 5-8 season. […]

Ducks are banded in their breeding or wintering grounds, giving biologists an opportunity to learn more about their migration patterns and hunters the opportunity to show off some waterfowl jewelry.

Leg bands are a duck hunter’s bird bling

Dusty Wilson

While duck hunters are among the most earnest in effort and commitment to their sport, they have little to show in terms of trophies: no impressive antlers to hang on the wall, citations to signify an outstanding catch after a day on the water. But, if you want to make a waterfowler proud, ask him about his duck bands. […]

Know the breakdown of the nitrogen mixture in your fertilizer if you’re dealing with acidic soils.

Be selective in fertilizer choices for acidic soils

Jeff Burleson

Much of the South is covered in acidic soils, because much of the available hunting land is covered in evergreen forests and high-organic soils. But hunters can still plant good food plots and attract wildlife by using the right plants and the right nutrient plan. […]