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The first fishing rod I spent my own money on I purchased from Bass Pro when they were located in the back corner of a local store.  I still have that rod and I still purchase my hunting and fishing gear from Bass Pro!  Bass Pro was started by an outdoorsman who had firsthand knowledge of what sportsmen wanted in quality and service.  That knowledge has served Bass Pro well.  They started in the back corner of a local store and now have their own stores in most states!  Knowing hunting and hunters, being one of them, that‘s what makes Bass Pro the place I go to grab my hunting gear.  For 30+ years my outdoor adventures have started at Bass Pro.  Start your next outdoor adventure there too!

This is a product we have used for several years and have been amazed at the results.  Our food plots in this poor, rocky Ozark soil have been as lush and vibrant as plots in the great soils of Iowa!  For years farmers have used turkey and chicken litter as a substitute for commercial fertilizers.  Antler Dirt has taken that concept and added their custom composting and humifying techniques to make it into a SUPER fertilizer and soil builder that produces nutritious food plots and great deer.  We know all the scientific reasons it works and could spend an hour or two educating you on the subject (watch GDTV 22 to see how Antler Dirt is created).  Give them a call and let their soil scientist help you achieve the best food plots possible!

As a deer biologist and avid whitetail hunter, I know unquestionably that a deer’s best defense is its nose.  In fact, understanding how good a deer is at detecting a full range of scents makes me place as much emphasis on limiting all foreign odors from me and my gear as I place on scouting and practicing for deer season.  Dead Down Wind’s system of limiting scent from the laundry, personal hygiene, and field applications is what I count on to allow me to keep from alerting mature bucks.  Using the complete Dead Down Wind system is a critical component in preparing for a successful day in the deer stand.  As a scientist, I appreciate Dead Down Wind’s focus on scientific research to develop scent control products.  Real science indicates chemical cover scents, earth scents and synthetic attractants not only don’t mask or cover human odor or detection, it more likely raises a buck’s level of alertness.  Take the time to study scent control and I’m sure that you will benefit from the great products offered by Dead Down Wind.

I really enjoy listening to and hunting turkeys.  I don’t like raccoons consuming the corn I put out to attract deer for my annual trail camera survey during August.  These two reasons motivate me to actively trap raccoons and other predators!  I use Duke Traps to remove excess predators and allow my family and I to have more opportunities to watch and harvest deer and turkeys.  If you prefer hearing a turkey to seeing trail camera images of raccoons, join me and use  Duke Traps to balance the predator/prey populations where you hunt!

If you are looking for the heavy weight champion of warm season forage, Eagle Seed Beans are it.  The folks at Eagle Seed have spent literally 40+ years selectively breeding soybeans for forage and pod production.  They are unequivocally the forage quality and quantity leader, proven by bunches of university trials.  Almost any soybean can grow leaves and pods, but Eagle Seed Beans grow them bigger, faster, and longer.  When most all other production soybeans have dried up and stand dormant in the field, Eagle Seed Beans keep right on putting out new leaves until frost occurs.  If producing tons of irresistible green forage late into the hunting season isn’t enough, the beans themselves are a highly preferred and nutritious food source during the winter. This past season the “little” Ozark deer here at The Proving Grounds had fat and racks on them that rivals deer in Iowa! (Which means some good meat for our table and more work for the taxidermist!!)  Watch my testimony – I’ll continue planting Eagle Seed forage soybeans at The Proving Grounds!

Planting forages deer really want to consume in a small food plot designed for hunting often leads to frustration as the crop is consumed before hunting season or when the hunter wishes to hunt.  I’ve been frustrated with this problem for years!  Gallagher Fence came to my rescue with a solar powered electric fence that has kept the deer out of three of my honey holes.  It’s easy to take the fence down or simply open the gate come hunting season.  It’s like ringing the dinner bell or being the only restaurant open in town!  A Gallagher Food Plot Protection System is an economical and systematic approach to managing the food resources for your deer herd and hunting opportunities.  Watch us this fall as we implement Gallagher Food Plot Protection Systems into our whitetail hunting strategies at The Proving Grounds.

You want the hours spent in a treestand to be as comfortable and safe as possible.  The folks at Muddy Outdoors know what hunters need and expect.  They deliver with great gear at a great value as well as fanatical customer service!  I’ve found Muddy Outdoors products to be functional, simple, and safe! We think you’ll agree that the details and functionality of their products set them apart in a crowded industry.  Next time you go out in the field take along a Muddy Treestand.  You won’t be disappointed!

Shoot or don’t shoot?  Nikon Hunting Optics allows me to confidently answer that important question when I’m deer hunting.  When I’m glassing the next ridge to check out a buck, Nikon’s superior optics gives the focal power I need to determine if the buck is a shooter.  The optics are crisp and bright allowing me to confidently identify each buck. My Nikon rangefinder has proven to be an indispensable part of my hunting gear.  Whether I am hunting whitetails with a bow or rifle, knowing the exact distance provides me with confidence to plan my shots.  Make the best use of your time in the field with Nikon Hunting Optics – whether it’s a binocular, riflescope, rangefinder or spotting scope.

What have you been missing?  I can say with a high degree of confidence that we haven’t been missing much at The Proving Grounds because we use Reconyx cameras to do our scouting. We’ve been able to pattern our bucks and know when they are moving because Reconyx trail cameras always work, have the fastest trigger speed in the industry, and don’t spook deer.  I have literally gads of images of bucks bedded in front of a Reconyx.  Reconyx is truly the best value in the trail camera market.  Get a Reconyx trail camera and finally see what you’ve been missing!

The characteristics I look for in an elevated blind are safety, quietness, and comfort.  Without those features, elevated blinds can be hazardous and/or inefficient for hunters.  Safety means great materials and construction so I never worry about my family falling.  Comfort not only means a warm and dry structure, but that the windows operate quietly, are the right height for all sizes of hunters, and that the hunter or hunters can easily see all around them without needing to move more than their head.  That’s exactly the definition of Redneck Blinds!  Like so many good products, I was first introduced to Redneck Blinds by a client.  Then multiple clients and hunters kept telling me about Redneck blinds.  Do what I did, check out a Redneck elevated blind and see the quality for yourself.

I was very impressed when I learned of Trophy Rock mineral supplements.  Trophy Rock contains over 60 beneficial trace minerals to improve antler development and overall deer herd health and is safe for all wildlife year round.  I have seen deer at The Proving Grounds use Trophy Rock during times they would normally not seek out the mineral blocks previously marketed.  Trophy Rock is an important ingredient in providing nutrition to the deer here at The Proving Grounds.  Try it for yourself and see why so many deer hunters and managers have become Trophy Rock fans for life!

I began hunting turkeys when I was 14 years old.  The first box of “turkey loads” I purchased was a box of 25 Winchester 3” Super X in #6 shot.  I missed one gobbler out of that box of shells.  That was because it was about five yards away and my pattern was probably the size of a golf ball.  I watched in disbelief as the gobbler stood there.  I had never missed a turkey with Winchester shells before.  That miss was clearly my fault.  Decades later, I’m still shooting Winchester ammo in my shotgun, rifle, and rimfire firearms.  In fact, my 80 year old dad and both my daughters harvested fine gobblers with Winchester shotgun shells during the 2011 season.  My ride with Winchester continues!

I don’t like wearing lots of layers of bulky clothes when hunting.  That’s exactly why I began using HotHands products years ago to keep me warm.  HotHands products are scent-free, extremely easy to use, and effective.  My favorite method to use HotHands products is simply to stick one on the outside of my innermost liner shirt just below my heart.  This serves to warm my blood and therefore my entire body.  If it’s extremely cold, I also place one on the back of my shirt just below the kidney area.  Many days I’ve been able to remain still and comfortable in a stand because of HotHands products.  They allow me to be a much better cold-weather hunter.

I have been actively involved with The Quality Deer Management Association since its inception.  It is a national nonprofit wildlife conservation organization and the leading advocate of the QDM philosophy. The QDMA’s mission is to promote sustainable, high-quality white-tailed deer populations, wildlife habitats, and ethical hunting experiences through education, research, and management in partnership with hunters, landowners, natural resource professionals, and the public.  If you are not already a member, take a few moments to review their webpage and get involved to make a difference in the future of deer hunting!

If nutrients are not in the dirt, plants can’t transfer them to deer!  The availability of nutrients in the dirt directly impacts antler and fawn production.  To ensure the food plot crops at The Proving Grounds and my clients’ properties can transfer enough nutrients to deer for them to express their full potential, I collect soil samples annually and trust Waters Ag to analyze the samples and give me accurate recommendations and counsel to produce nutritious crops.  Using the recommendations from the soil scientists at Waters Ag is a very important tool I rely on annually to produce bucks that express their full antler growth potential.