This week I continued to check cameras and actually had a couple of nice bucks show up on camera. We still haven't gotten to the point of maximum antler growth for the bucks but they are very close. Over the years I have noticed that bucks are more likely to get up and move more in the day time this time of the year but it's almost like they know when deer season comes in and will go nockturnal. However, anything you can learn about a mature bucks habits or patterns is always helpful. Most of the time you can get a pretty good idea of how old a buck is by looking at trail camera pictures of him, four and a half years old being the minimum age for a buck to be deemed mature, and this way when you're in your stand and only have a certain amount of time to make a shot or to pass on it being able to recognize the deer immediately becomes very key. I also started back shooting my bow this week and that is something I should've been doing for the last couple of months because that is definitely something I need all the practice I can get with it. Either way I'll be trying shoot my bow four or five times a week between now and October 15th, the first day of bow season.

Hey, my name is Alex Short and I will be blogging about my 2016 whitetailed deer season and what all preperations go into getting ready for the season and also what all is required during the season to put yourself into positions in order to hopefully be successful. For those of you that love deer hunting the way I do you know that being ready for the upcoming season is a year aroud job. The season in South Alabama runs from October 15th until February 10th and my preperations starts a couple of days after the season ends. I'll start by checking trail camera photos to see which bucks survived the season and which ones did not in order to get an idea for what deer will be on my list for the next season. It is also a good time right after the season to do a lot of scouting for the next year because for the most part everything will look the same then as it will in the next season. This is important to do becuase you have to be very careful about how much walking around you do during the season because too much human scent is more than enough to make a mature buck turn the other way and find somewhere else to call home. I generally keep my cameras in the woods through the end of April becuase I have them out for turkeys too. During the spring it is time to plant summer plots and put out salt licks. After the deer lose their antlers and are starting to grow them back it is crucial that they get all the protien they can get in order to achieve maximum growth in the offseason. After all this is done you get to take a break for a few months but then around the beginning of August it is time to start putting trail cameras out again, even though they have not grown to full potential yet you can go ahead and start setting your sights on the ones the look like they will be shooters by the time the season comes in. Now I have you caught up with where I currently am in my preperation and I look forward to documenting what I hope to be a successful season.