Hi Bill,
I heard that the late Roger Rothhaar was a neighbor at your old farm. Any interesting stories you care to share? He was way ahead of his time for killing big bucks.View post →
Hi Bill, how's things going up at your new place? How's the land search going? Got a question for you about what to do with some crp acres I have. I enrolled these acres in 2010 into a "quail buffer strip" program. It was a 10 year program. I elected to not do the little bit of mowing they allow you to do after August 1st each year and just sort of let nature take its course. I'm not a quail hunter but that program fit for this particular area. It's between my ag field and a jagged edged block of timber. I had hoped not mowing it and letting it grow would in time turn it into some decent cover for the deer. So basically what I have now is a mixture of a few small volunteer maple and sycamore trees, briars, and some areas that are just grasses. So what do you think would be the thing to do at this point as far as being beneficial for the deer? I have the option to reenroll into a Prairie strip acres program but would most likely have to mow it all off and reseed it with an upland game seed mix. The briars are really starting to take over in some of the areas and I almost wonder if it's not too thick for the deer to move through. What would you do in this situation?View post →
Bill,
While reading your "Back to the Heart" article in the July issue of Petersen's Bowhunting, I reflected back to those laughs in the blind and the times around the campfire with friends and family over my 30 years in the outdoors. I thank you for this article, and for the years that you made your experience in Creation our experience through publishing your journey on Midwest Whitetail. To be honest, and selfish, as I read that article I anticipated the possibility of watching you make those journeys you listed in the "where I'll go" section. I thank you again for the opportunity to follow along in your hunting experience. You have had an impact on untold multitudes of deer hunters across the country. I've become a better deer hunter because of you, but more importantly a better steward of time afield with friends and family. Most importantly I've become a better Christian and Father to my children by following you over the years. Finally, if you can find space in your pack for a camera on those "where I'll go" trips we'll be watching. Any chance?View post →
Bill,
I’ve watched you in the past using Ozonics. I’ve been considering getting one for this season, but I’m a little skeptical. In your experience, do you feel it works and is worth the cost? Also, do you plan to add to the website in the future? I don’t think I’ve saw anything new in a month or two.View post →
Bill,
I’ve followed you for years, and even remember the ‘semi-live versions’ of watching your saga for the G5 and double G4 bucks unfold. I was able to catch your recent podcast with HUNTR, which was inspiring, so I understand the decision to reset, for yourself and to see your folks more.
Would you have made the same decision to detour if you had another buck of the same caliber at the double G4 buck on the farm, or perhaps, simply upped the asking price of your farm? - just kidding!
Looking forward to Bill Winke version 2.0 as you re-emerge in the future and attain a better work/life balance.
Praying for your continued success,
CaseyView post →
Hi Bill, hope all is well. I’ve believe I have watched nearly every episode of Midwest whitetail. I was rewatching the 2011 season and got to thinking what an amazing line up of bucks to had to hunt that year. The Double G-4, Big, G-5, The Mills buck, and Bubba among others possibly. I know you’ve touched on the subject some in your blogs and videos, but I was wondering if you had anymore theories or insight as to what made this time frame so special on your farm? The second part of my question is why do you think the farm was not able to get fully back to pre EHD levels of monster bucks? (Not that you weren’t killing great bucks, Lefty, Skinny, The surprise bean field buck, and others were all incredible deer.) Was 2010-2012 a culmination of great age structure and primo habit coming to a climax or was the post EHD years just a numbers game of less bucks overall and less bucks with superior genetics reaching full maturity? Would love to hear your thoughts and you go into detail about it!
Thanks, ScottView post →
I shed hunt a large tract of public ground in NE Iowa this past spring and was pretty disappointed by sign, sheds, etc. I covered about 10 miles pretty well.
I still had a lot of fun being out and getting a great workout in.
I’m considering finding some better habitat (private land) and knocking on some doors for shed hunting. In your experience from living down there, do you think I would have luck knocking on doors of decent land and getting permission to shed hunt? It would only be shed hunting….although maybe a back way into meeting the right person to have an opportunity once I draw a Iowa tag in a few years.View post →
Hey Bill, hope all is well. I should draw a tag in southern Iowa this year. Due to other planned hunts, family and work, I will be hunting November 13th-20th. I would have preferred a different time but I still think this will be good hunting as the bucks should still be cruising coming out of lockdown. That is my opinion anyway. My question is, what would be you plan/tactics during this week of hunting? It will all be on public land and I expect less pressure then rather than early November. Thank youView post →
Evening Bill hope all is well in your neck of the woods and the family is good. My question or should i say questions are about topo and scrapes.... Im curious when you scout a new property what are some things that get you fired up and really interested in it, ridges, isolated blocks of timber in ag(my favorite) or do you really just pay attention to security and everything else comes second.....
2nd. If you had to pick a terrain that you love to hunt more then others and cant wait to crack what would it be?
My 3rd question is july is coming fast and im curious if you ever make mock scrapes and put cams on them in the late summer if so I'd love to hear your process on doing that(maybe a youtube video) do you do rope scrapes brand of scent etc your process etc.... or do of you fell like corn piles are a better option where legal for inventory in late summer....?View post →
Hey Bill, my family is planting another two acre corn food plot this year on our farm in Fayette county, IA, and we were wondering about mowing a portion. One of our friends told us that if you mow the corn then it is considered baiting, but I’ve never heard that before. Is this true or not?View post →