Steve Gruber

The day of traveling to Argentina was so like many, long and slow. The flight from Detroit to Atlanta was easy enough but the flight to Buenes Aires took nearly 10 hours and then we rode 6 more in a van before reaching the lodge. Since the moment we arrived however it has been a wonderful experience and honestly the ride was one I’ll never forget.

We picked up 5 guys from Texas at a hotel in BA before making the ‘the bus ride’ (as it will always be known).  They are the kind of guys you always hope to find in camp. They are all experienced hunters who have also been very successful in business and therefore are at ease with themselves and easy to share stories with. Marty and Mike are father and son and both in the oil industry. I learned that I clearly made a career choice accident based on the financial benefit of big oil. They both seem to enjoy each others company while quickly making new friends. Milton in addition to his career in private industry is also a coach for olympic shotgunners. He was able to share a few coaching tips along the way making us all a little better but make no mistake that man can shoot! Jeff works as a patent attorney in the oil industry and if allowed just might shoot doves 24 hours a day. And John? Well he is a rice farmer which apparently is pretty rewarding as well and carries a smile as big as Texas on his face just about all the time.

My father visitied Argentina a few times before he died and marvelled at the sheer volume of birds in this country, I now know what he meant. Doves come by the thousands or maybe tens of thousands giving me ample time to shoot, miss shoot again and think about Milton’s coaching. My oldest daughter Alyssa was quick to pick up a shotgun take a couple lessons from Patrick our lead guide and within a few minutes had put 6 doves in the bag. You can literally shoot hundreds of birds each day or until your shoulder has had enough. I think I’ve been taking a couple hundred a day between morning and afternoon shoots which puts me squarely in last place and a smile across my face.

Alyssa with guide Patrick and Scrappy waiting for the next wave

We also found abundant perdize which is a nice sized Patridge in several fields. We simply did a walk up hunt and in the second field I took 9 birds in an hour or so. For me that is a terrific day in the field. My father and brother were always the hard core wingshooters and I was never quite the shot they are but have found the love for fast flying birds in big numbers.

Argentina also has numerous big game animals including Red Stag, Water Buffalo, Axis deer and more. We spent three hours floating the river on the third night trying to find Capibara which is the world’s largest rodent. The Capibara can tip the scales above 200 pounds! We caught a glimpse of one or two but have not closed the deal yet. I really want to see one of these things up close and will be floating the river again tomorrow.

The people of the nation of Argentina have been outgoing, friendly and accomodating. I will be back to this wonderful land. You may want to make an entry on your bucket list as well.

We spent three hours floating the river through Argentina last night trying to get close enough to a Capibara with the Excalibur Crossbow. No luck yet on the 200 pound rodents. But we will head out again in a day.

I shall work for no man and I shall ask no man to work for me. This is America! Get off you dead ass and do for yourself. Do not put out your weak and shameless hand and expect me to fill it for you. This is America! Build your own kingdom with your vision do not ask me to build it for you. This is America! Be accountable for who you are and what you do. Take pride in your successes. Draw strength, knowledge and courage from your failures. Stand up. This is America! Teach your children the values that come from your own sweat and not sitting idly by to take the fruits of my labor. This is America! Take pride in yourself, your family, your community and your nation. This is America! Walk tall and be proud of all we are and have done as a nation, This is America!

Over the past couple of weeks I have spent several hours flying just above the treetops in a Buckeye Powered Parachute. The powered parachute is a unique flying machine that moves at only about 30 miles per hour and offers viewing opportunities you can only imagine. The view from a few hundred feet is exhilarating and will change the way you look at the world but that is a story for another day. What I found truly amazing is the number of deer I have seen from the air and the tremendous number of antlered bucks.

This of course is the time of year you can see those beautiful bachelor groups and it is certainly the time of year to get started looking for the bucks you’d like to get close to during the upcoming hunting seasons. A couple friends of mine call this ‘making the list’. They spend scores of hours driving, glassing and checking literally thousands of trail camera pictures trying to make the critical decision of where to put in their time when the time arrives. This is the time of year they get acquainted or hopefully reacquainted with deer in their hunting areas. Getting re-acquainted is great news because it means the deer have been in the area for a few seasons and have finally qualified for the coveted list.

This year the upper Midwest has been blessed by almost perfect conditions to promote better high end bucks. Heavy rains have been consistent for the past 8 or 10 weeks and unlike other years the water has come in big doses but not all at once. From the time I really began transforming into a Whitetail addict in the late 1970’s I’ve listened to farmers, friends and long time hunters and the old timers have always said the same thing; heavy rains in April and May mean big bucks in the fields come October and November.

From the air and from the ground I have seen as many as 25 bucks on just a few acres. Oh be still my pounding heart this really could be the year! I have over the past few years seen 6 legitimate 200 inch deer alive. I’ve never had the chance to cut a tag on such a deer but just to be in the field with deer of that magnitude, deer of that caliber is a blessing no matter how you look at it. Maybe this will be the year I finally have my chance and well maybe not. I will say without question 2010 in the upper Midwest will be the best year ever for producing bucks that measure 200 inches or more. Its true in southern Michigan where I live and it’s apparently true in other states like Iowa, Illinois and Ohio. At least that is what I’m being told by everyone I’m talking to in those states as well.

Seriously can you imagine sitting here talking about numerous 200 inch or better bucks? A few years ago you’d have been written off as a crackpot or a liar. I’m here to tell you without question more hunters have a legitimate chance of seeing and therefore tagging a 200 inch deer this year than any other year in the history of hunting in North America. I will go one step further and tell you most of those giants live in urban areas all around the United States and Canada.

A few weeks ago I held a Whitetail rack that was taken in Wisconsin in 2006. Two official state measurers put the final typical score at just over 215 inches. Boone and Crockett didn’t see it that way but the fact is the deer was a contender to knock off Milo Hansen’s buck from the number one position and guess what? It came from a heavily urbanized area from a tiny woodlot and to the best of anyone’s knowledge no one had ever seen the deer before.

This year will be better! You need to get your cameras out now if you haven’t already and you need to dust off your binoculars and start looking. I’m seeing bachelor groups at all times of the day drifting through the seas of green but the best time of course is still the last couple  hours of daylight.

If you’re looking for an advantage you may want to try a couple of things. First this is a great time to put in a food plot that will still be young and sweet well into the fall months. One of the best things to plant without question is soybeans. That’s right soybeans because after all the nearby fields have become brown and hold little appeal for the local deer your beans will just be getting sweet and succulent. Fresh young clover is another excellent choice to bring in the deer when they are looking for a meal. And here is my tip of the decade; Gatorade. You read it right, Gatorade. I learned this from some local horse owners. It seems that after you trailer a horse for a few hours they often become perturbed and are hard to handle. This was news to me because to be honest I really don’t care that much for horses but it seems no matter how hot it is the horses will often refuse to eat or drink. A few years ago these equestrian types realized that if they added powdered Gatorade to the water not only would the angry horses drink they would relax and all their horse friends and other barnyard pals would join them at the Gatorade bar. Last year I buried a hard plastic watering tank like you can find at any Tractor Supply or Farm and Fleet. I left it so only about an inch was above the ground. I put the tank in the middle of my clover patch near my Shadow Hunter Blind and filled it with clean water and a good dose of Gatorade. Guess what? The horse people really know what they’re talking about and the deer really love Gatorade too. For the record it seems they prefer the original green over any other color or flavor. In my home state of Michigan baiting has been banned but offering your deer a drink remains perfectly legal. You’ll need to check your local regulations to make sure you’re legal as well. Remember where you heard this and let me know if it works for you as well as it works for me.

I will predict here that I believe a new world’s record will fall this year (with or without Gatorade) because of the ideal Whitetail weather and I believe it will be an urban deer that takes the crown! I just checked the calendar and realized most bowhunters will be in the woods looking for the deer of a lifetime in less than 90 days. If you just can’t wait that long and prefer a smoke pole South Carolina’s rifle season opens as always on August 15th.

Shoot straight my friends and keep the faith.