Products That Make a Difference

Every day, hunters see so many worthless products advertised that do not perform as expected when tried. I have used almost every gadget, treestand, scent, and camouflage on the market, and some of these products simply don't work. It really isn't every day that you come across products that revolutionize the way you hunt. Below I am going to write about some of the different products that I use and tell you exactly how each one has revolutionized my hunting experiences.

My SC3 Condo supported on 10' 4"x4" posts

How many days do you come out of your tree stand early because you're not comfortable, or the wind is blowing too hard, or the rain is pouring down? With the Sportsman's Condo, I can sit through any kind of weather imaginable. The SC3 design is roomy enough to put two large office chairs and even a small table. You can't beat it's assembly. All you do is slide 4"x4" posts into the angled sleeves and stand it up. The windows in the Condo are perfectly designed. The height of the window is set perfectly so you don't have trouble getting the gun out the window, and the sliding clips allow for silent opening and closing. In addition, no rain or wind can penetrate around the seal. You don't even have to worry about climbing into a shooting house full of wasps, either! The deer don't mind it and the turkeys don't mind it. I have had both deer and turkeys come within 10 feet of the posts that support my Condo.

During the 2008-2009 hunting season on our lease, the majority of deer seen and harvested came from the Sportsman's Condo. As my girlfriend demonstrated to me, even a girl wearing blue jeans can go sit in the Condo and shoot her first deer during a cold steady rain. On some days, I even carry my laptop in the Condo with me and watch movies or play on the internet as I stay in the woods the entire day. The absolute best part about the Sportsman's condo is it is sturdy and you feel completely safe in the stand, which for some people, makes all the difference.

Christina with her first deer ever, shot out of a Sportsman's
Condo with a .243 while wearing blue jeans!

How many times have you put out scent exactly "as directed" on the bottle, and been disappointed? I have more times than I can count. That is, until I tried a bottle of Harmon's Triple Heat that a buddy of mine gave me to try. It was my first time ever using it so I simply sprayed a limb overhanging a food plot, then I sprayed some on the bottom of my boots and walked up and down the 200-yard long food plot. An hour later while I sat in the stand, a spike appeared and walked straight towards the branch that I sprayed. He began licking the limb and then followed the scent where I had some on my boots. While he was still on my "scent trail" through the long food plot, another small buck appeared, this time a young 6 point. He began walking straight towards the branch as the spike did and while sniffing the branch, he froze for a few seconds, and then bolted off into the woods. I thought that the scent had spooked him as I have seen other brands do before. Moments later, I heard the distinct sound of a buck grunting and a massive gray-faced 7 point emerged from the woods. He was clearly an older age mature buck, so I quickly took the shot. Soon I realized it wasn't the scent that spooked the smaller buck, it was the much bigger buck coming that ran junior off. I was very happy with the trophy buck that Harmon's scents provided me with and gained a lot of confidence in it's use.

Big 6 year old 7 point I shot the first time using
Harmon's Triple Heat several years ago

A few days later I returned to the same food plot and was going to apply more to that branch, but I was amazed at what I saw--the bucks had raked out a 4 foot diameter area and made a large scrape under the limb I had sprayed. Not wanting to get too close to the scrape, I chose another limb to spray. That afternoon, I saw the same small spike this time with a different 6 point and a cowhorn spike. I also saw several does, but not any bucks I was interested in harvesting. Since then, I have had nothing but success while using Harmon's Deer Scents. I don't shoot a deer every time I spray a branch or leaf, but I almost always see deer, and they usually show heavy interest in the scent. My two favorites in his product line are the Triple Heat and the Interdigital Gland Scents. If you have never tried a bottle before, either purchase a bottle at your local store, or try getting it directly from Mr. Harmon's website! You will not be disappointed!

3.5 year old 8-point taken 1-28-09 while using
Harmon's Triple Heat scent

The Trophy Rock has provided me with countless hours of entertainment watching deer go to the Rock to get their daily intake of valuable minerals. It is great for placing in front of a trail camera and seeing how the deer utilize it throughout the entire year. From what I have seen, there are several "peaks" in utilization throughout the year. Does use it most heavily beginning in January through June as they increase their food and mineral intake to ensure their fawns are born healthy. The bucks tend to utilize it the heaviest between May and September here in Alabama as they grow their new antlers. As hunting season begins, activity again increases as deer begin to fatten up before winter. Bucks also utilize the Trophy Rock heavily during late January and February to rebuild their bodies after going through the rut. Something else interesting is that after a while, a large hole ends up being dug out where a Trophy Rock had been placed. Even after the Rock has disappeared, the holes continue to be utilized. After a good rain storm, the deer seem to flock to the site of the Trophy Rock so they can drink the water that accumulates in the hole. I have even watched does stand on their back legs and fight each other over the last few drinks of water that are left!

I placed this Trophy Rock 30 days prior to this picture. Notice the deer are beginning to dig a large hole around the Trophy Rock. For best results, place Trophy Rocks on harder, more compact soils where the nutrients will not leak through as quickly. By placing on harder, more firm soil, the deer will begin digging out a large hole which fills with "mineral water" whenever it rains.

The absolute best part about the Trophy Rock, other than its effectiveness, is that here in Alabama, it is the only mineral supplement that is LEGAL to hunt over. No other mineral blocks, with the exception of a pure white salt block, is legal to hunt over in our state. This is because the Trophy Rock is a 100% natural rock mined directly from the earth with no extra additives. If you have never tried a trophy Rock, nearly every seed & feed store in Alabama carries them, so go by there and get one to try!

Three does drinking "mineral water" out of the 2-foot deep
hole that was dug where a Trophy Rock was placed.