Statewide NC Archives - Page 106 of 633

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

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. […]

Stretch out your comfortable shooting range

Terry Madewell

Matt Willis said hunters don’t have to take long-range shots at deer to successfully rifle hunt agricultural fields, but it sure can help. […]

Orchards filled with fruit-bearing trees like apples can attract plenty of deer during the early part of deer season.

Fruit orchards can be deer magnets

Terry Madewell

Robert Johnson said often-overlooked food sources that will draw deer are fruit orchards, with apples and pears being excellent. These crops are not always easy to hunt, but they can provide excellent hunting. Small clusters of fruit trees can be heavily hit by deer. […]

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

Jeff Burleson

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

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. […]

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. […]

Paddle your way to more speckled trout with these tips

Phillip Gentry

Since January, we’ve covered strategies, rigging and tactics for targeting different species from a paddle craft. Along the way, we’ve covered saltwater, freshwater and even delved into some hunting. Noticeably absent on this list was a favorite saltwater species along the entire Carolina coast: speckled trout. […]