My article that ran in The News Journal on Feb. 2, 2012.

I don’t think I’ve ever really complained about any aspect of hunting.

I have expressed opinions about discourteous hunters, questionable hunting laws and overzealous anti-hunters, but opinions aren’t necessarily complaints.

In all my years of hunting I haven’t complained about season lengths, missed opportunities or my personal harvest totals. In fact, I haven’t even complained about the weather.

Until now.

Did I step into a haunted teleportation device some time around Halloween and get transported to some parallel world where Delaware winter doesn’t exist? Was it really almost sixty degrees in the last week of January? Has Mother Nature finally bought into global warming and retired to Florida?

Before my non-hunting readers question my sanity for complaining about a Delaware winter with hardly any snow or extended cold spells, let me explain: Weather affects hunting.

Ask just about any Delaware duck or goose hunter how they fared this waterfowl season, and you’re bound to receive one of two answers: one, it stunk, or two, it really stunk. Many of us sat for hours in boats, duck blinds and goose pits day after day for the past three months with little more to show for our efforts than windburn, a few completed crossword puzzles, and lessons in humility.

I was lucky enough to harvest a few ducks early in the season, but I continue to receive horror stories from hunters who harvested no ducks at all. What’s worse, I’ve heard from Canada goose hunters who never saw a goose in close proximity to their hunting setups.

I don’t believe there’s a problem with the overall waterfowl populations. Instead, I, like many local hunters, believe that this season’s uncharacteristically mild weather from New England through the Mid Atlantic just hasn’t forced ducks, geese, and other migratory game birds to adhere to their usual migration patterns. If conditions are favorable for birds to find food and resting areas in the northern portions of their migration paths, they may be less apt to fly further south at their usual pace.

Migratory bird hunting wasn’t the only thing thrown out of whack by this season’s phantom winter.

Deer hunting has also been strange. Late season, (usually) cold-weather deer hunters typically count on deer herding together and often focus their hunting efforts near winter food sources. This tactic usually pays off, but this year’s winter food sources are similar to those from the early fall. Granted there is less foliage, but the lack of snow cover makes nuts and other food sources easily accessible (including green grass and tree buds, which have been strangely present at various times this winter). Like the migratory birds, deer seem to have deviated from their normal winter patterns as a result of our disordered winter, and have presented new challenges to hunters.

My complaining may be misguided since it addresses the weather’s adverse effects on hunter success rates. The game animals probably love this vacation from Delaware winter, and their survival rates will only lead to higher population numbers.

On second thought, I withdraw my complaint.

It’s good for the game animals to beat the hunters every now and then.

My column from The News Journal on January 19, 2012.

Delaware's 4-H Shooting Sports Program volunteer instructor George Bonniwell shows a young hunter how to range deer from a tree stand.

Although the number of Delaware hunting licenses issued to Delaware residents in 2010 was nearly 35 percent less than in the mid-1970s, the state has seen an uptick in the number of annual hunting licenses issued over the past several years.

Delaware’s strong deer and migratory waterfowl populations entice hunters to hunt the First State, but youth hunting programs are ensuring Delaware’s hunting traditions stay alive.

Through Delaware’s 4-H Shooting Sports Program, a youth development and education program emphasizing positive youth-adult interaction, peer leadership, and development of essential life skills, young people learn the disciplines of safe shooting and wildlife management. The program is open to kids 8 to 18 and is sponsored by the Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Delaware and Delaware State University.

The program encourages participation in natural resource and science programs by exposing participants to related content through shooting, hunting and other activities. It also complements state-sponsored hunter education programs by teaching safe and responsible use of firearms and archery equipment, sound decision making, self-discipline and concentration.

As part of the 4-H Shooting Sports Program, participants attend classroom and field activities, including waterfowl, small game and deer hunting events.

A 4-H Shooting Sports Program deer hunting event was held Jan. 7 on a Middletown-area farm. Following an on-site luncheon, kids 12-18 were teamed with adult mentors for an antlerless deer control hunt.

Delaware 4-H Shooting Sports Coordinator Jim Kemble viewed the event as valuable for developing life skills and strengthening families.

“We are serving an audience that really needs to be served,” Kemble said. “The hunt is really a family outreach event geared toward fun and camaraderie, with the added benefit of possibly bagging a deer.”

Derek DeBloois, 15, of Magnolia, participated in the hunt and harvested two female deer. As a junior instructor in the shooting sports program, he attributed his success to the shooting instruction he received from 4-H and the program’s volunteer hunting mentors.

“I learned different shooting positions and firearms safety from 4-H,” said DeBloois, “and the mentors were very important in [contributing] to our success in harvesting animals.”

Although classroom instruction is an important part of hunting education, there is nothing like live hunting action.

Justin Mabrey, 12, of Hartly, participated in the hunt and encountered multiple deer.

“With the [4-H] deer hunting I’ve actually been able to shoot deer, and any other time I haven’t been able to,” said Mabrey.

He explained how his hunting mentor helped him judge the distance the deer were from his stand before he shot and taught him how to determine button bucks from does.

Girls and boys participated in the hunt, but boys outnumbered girls five to one. Katelynn Norvell, 15, of Smyrna, recognized the small number of female participants.

“We need more females willing to participate. [They] need to realize that [hunting] is not just killing. It’s management of wildlife,” said Norvell. “Even though I didn’t have a chance to harvest a deer this time, it doesn’t mean I won’t try again.”

Hunt coordinator, farm manager and 4-H volunteer instructor Tom Thornton said he enjoys helping out with the youth deer hunts.

“The best part of the whole program is when all the kids come in after the hunt and share the stories they have,” Thornton said. “They’ll talk about this for weeks, and when we run into kids a year or two down the road, they’re still talking about the experience they had here.”

Hunting the First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting available in Apple iBookstore, Amazon.com Kindle Store, and Barnes & Noble NOOK Book Store

WILMINGTON, DE — January 24, 2012 —Hunting the First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting (Second Edition), published in paperback format in 2010,  is now available for digital purchase and download from leading eBook stores, including Apple iBookstore, Amazon.com Kindle Store, and Barnes & Noble NOOK Book Store.

Hunting the First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting (Second Edition) provides an in-depth look at hunting in Delaware and the surrounding region. Author and Delaware native Steven M. Kendus uses his hunting wisdom, experience, and research to preserve Delaware’s hunting legacy by sharing history, tactics, locations, tips, and tricks associated with Delaware hunting. Hunting The First State discusses common game species such as white-tailed deer, Canada geese, and ducks, but it also offers insight into Delaware coyotes, wild turkeys, red foxes, woodcocks, quail, snow geese, crows, rabbits, and more.

“EBook reading devices are everywhere,” said Author Steven M. Kendus. “Hunters are increasingly turning to technology to assist them in the field, and many are favoring iPads, Kindles, and NOOKs over traditional books. After speaking with several ‘old-school’ hunters who received eReaders as holiday gifts, I was convinced that Hunting The First State had to be made available via the major eBook stores.”

Hunting The First State includes more than thirty-five photos of wildlife harvested in Delaware and the surrounding areas and includes techniques, locations, tactics, and folklore from Kendus and some of Delaware’s most successful hunters.

Digital downloads of Hunting the First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting (Second Edition) are available immediately in the Apple iBookstore, Amazon.com Kindle Store, and Barnes & Noble NOOK Book Store from $8.99.

The Delaware hunting seasons are almost over. As usual, I have been trying to cram in as many hunts as possible (which leaves me little time to post hunt updates). Here’s a chance to catch up. Details of my past 4 weeks of hunts are listed below.

12/28/2011 – Duck hunted a private pond with no success. As soon as I walked into the pond before dawn, about 25 ducks flew out — all before shooting time. None came back. I tried the pond again in the evening and saw nothing. As an added bonus, I stepped in the deepest hole while walking out and flooded my waders.

12/30/2011 – Had a great pheasant hunt at Meadowview Preserve in New Jersey. Two neighbors, one of my daughters, my vizsla Gus, and I went on a stocked pheasant hunt in 60-degree weather. Weird weather for the end of December, but we had a nice hunt. We harvested 12 of the 16 stocked pheasants.

Great Pheasant Hunt at New Jersey's Meadowview Preserve

12/31/3011 – Curt Barkus, Gabriella, and I went on our last Delaware woodcock hunt of the season. What a great day it was! Gus pointed 3 woodcocks, and we harvested two. What’s more, Gabriella harvested her first woodcock — ever! Beautiful!

Steven and Gabriella Kendus with Gabriella's First Delaware Woodcock

1/7/2012 – I had the privilege of covering a 4-H Shooting Sports youth hunt. Literally, I saw about 100 deer. I will provide details in an upcoming post.

1/14/2012 – Since the Maryland woodcock season is still open, I purchased a Maryland license and hunted woodcocks with Curt Barkus. Within one hour of our bitter cold morning hunt, Gus got Curt his limit of 3 birds. We pushed on for 3 more hours, and I harvest one woodcock.

Curt Barkus with his first woodcock of the 2011-2012 season

1/16/2012  – Paul Quigley, Curt Barkus, and I hunted woodcocks in Maryland. It was even more cold than the previous hunt. We hunted hard and Got Paul his first two woodcocks in several years.

Paul Quigley and Steven M. Kendus with Quigley's First Woodcock of the 2011-2012 Season

1/21/2012 – Hunted deer in a snow, sleet, and freezing rain storm. I braved the elements for a morning hunt. While I could take the weather, my bow couldn’t. Ice from the freezing rain encased my bow, quiver, and arrows, so I left the woods by 8:30 AM.

I participated in a doe management hunt on Delaware public land on Monday, December 12.I saw a ton of deer, but came home with none.

For those of you who don’t know, this entire week is an “antlerless only” season, so only non-antlered deer can be legally harvested. Because the invited hunters on the management hunt were targeting mature does, we were encouraged to pass up doe fawns and button bucks. Here’s how my hunt went.

I arrived at my stand location about 1:30 PM. I saw my first deer — a 3-point buck — at 2:20. Around 4:00, two fawns and a mature doe came within 15 yards of me. The fawns presented easy shots, but I never had a clear shot at the big doe. I let them pass.

Around 4:30, I saw 8 deer running across the field that bordered the woods in which I was hunting. They entered the woods about 250 yards from me and made their way to me by 4:45. Now all 8 of these deer were in front of me at 20-30 yards. Wouldn’t you know it? Every one of them was a buck! There was one giant, one smaller shooter buck, and 6 little bucks.

Are you kidding me? I see does during buck season, and bucks during doe season!

Bring on the woodcock!

Gus pointed and retrieved 36 birds on a stocked pheasant and chukar hunt

I know many of you count on reading my hunting updates to give you ideas of how things are going in the Delaware woods, fields, and waterways, but I also record my hunts on HuntingTheFirstState.com so I have a record to refer back to in future seasons. As usual at this time of year, I forget to record info about my hunts on this site.

However, I make sure I jot down hunting notes on scraps of paper and post them around my office so I can record them later. Here are my quick notes about my various woodcock, pheasant, duck, and deer hunts over the past several weeks.

11/17 New Jersey Woodcock and Snipe Hunt – I headed to New Jersey public land with my vizsla Gus to hunt woodcocks and snipes before work. Gus pointed and flushed several woodcock in one public hunting field, but I just couldn’t get shots through the thick brush. I then went to another public location that typically holds snipes. Gus and I found no snipes, but I somehow managed to lose the controller to Gus’ e-collar from my lanyard. I spent 40 minutes walking the field until I found it.

11/19 New Jersey Woodcock Hunt – I hunted woodcock on New Jersey public ground with daughter, my friend John, and his son. Gus pointed about 7 birds. John shot 2, and I shot 1. Again the cover was so thick in areas that we couldn’t get good shots.

11/21 Delaware Duck Hunt – I hunted a private Delaware pond with my friend Bill on Monday 11/21. The fog was extremely dense around first light, so we couldn’t see birds, and I am sure they couldn’t see our pond, let alone our decoys. We heard some shooting, and after about 90 minutes, a pair of wood ducks buzzed our blind. They flew over our heads, and we lost sight of them. About 20 seconds later, the two wood ducks dropped in from my left on the edge of the wood line. I fired at the lead duck, and ended up dropping both with one shot. Not wanting to push my luck, I packed up and headed to work.

11/24 Delaware Deer Hunt – I bowhunted deer on Thanksgiving morning in North Wilmington and saw nothing.

11/25 Delaware Woodcock Hunt – I brought my neighbor’s 22-year old son Sean on his first woodcock on Friday 11/25. Gus pointed several birds, and Sean got a couple shots that were close misses. I bagged one woodcock.

11/25 Delaware Deer Hunt – I hunted deer with my bow in North Wilmington. Saw nothing but 2 red foxes.

11/26 Stocked Pheasant and Chukar Hunt (with bonus woodcock) – My daughter, six others, and I hunted stocked pheasant and chukars over Gus. Gus had his best day of all time. He pointed and retrieved 36 birds (yes, 36), and got every hunter a limit. After the stocked bird hunt, my daughter, my friend Bill, Bill’s son, and I drove to a Delaware public hunting spot for a quick woodcock hunt. I arrived later in the day than normal, and the birds moved to the edge of the woods and into think briars. Gus pointed two woodcocks, and we harvested one.

11/26 Delaware Deer Hunt – Went to Greenville with the bow. Six does came into the meadow about 10 minutes before the end of shooting time, but none came closer than 100 yards.

New Jersey opening day of woodcock from Steven M. Kendus.

It is officially my favorite time of year. The deer rut is on, and woodcock season is open locally.

Opening day of New Jersey’s small game season was yesterday, November 12. While many hunters chose to hunt deer, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to bring my vizsla Gus out for his first woodcock hunt of the season. I arrived at my New Jersey public land woodcock hunting spot around 8:15 AM, and by 8:25, Gus was locked up on a woodcock. With one shot, Gus and I had our first bird of the season. The cover was unbelievably thick, so while Gus was pointing birds, I just couldn’t get to them before the birds flew. Or, they would fly low, giving me no good shot through the thick brush. After about 8 points from Gus, I managed to harvest my limit of three woodcocks. Check out the photo.

After my harvest my woodcock limit, I switched to steel shot and tried my luck for snipe at another spot. The field where I normally find snipe was bone dry, so it didn’t produce any.

I arrived home in Delaware around 1 PM and hit the deer woods by 2:30 PM. I made a mock scrape several days ago, and I placed a tarsal gland in a bush. By 4:45 PM, I noticed a buck walking toward me. At first glance, I figured he was a basket rack 8-pointer. Being early in the season, he was a borderline shooter for me, but I clipped my release onto my bowstring just in case. (I was hunting with my bow, even though the Delaware shotgun season is open.) The buck was sticking his nose to the sky smelling the tarsal scent, and he began walking right to me. He stopped to lick several branches on the way, and he gave me a perfect view of him. His right antler was broken off near the base.

Not wanting to shoot this buck (he would have been small even with both antlers), I gave him a pass at 20 yards, 10 yards, and 5 yards. He never knew I was in my stand, so that was a benefit. I figure he lost that antler in a fight with a bigger buck, so I will try that spot again soon.

*** UPDATE – 11/13 ***

Damn. I was out checking a trail camera today, stepped awkwardly on a pine cone, and rolled my ankle. I have a tennis ball size knot on my ankle that I have been icing for four hours. What a time for this to happen! I will continue to ice and hope for the best!

Here’s my article that ran in The News Journal on November 3, 2011. – SMK

While shopping at an outdoors store several years ago, someone questioned my search for a specific type of bird hunting shells during the heart of the deer rut.

“What kind of hunter are you?” he asked. “You ought to be worried about deer. Forget those birds.”

I quickly responded with some witty barb centered on the fact that I already harvested two deer. But his question stayed with me: What kind of hunter am I?

If the question was posed with multiple choice answers like A) big game hunter, B) small game hunter, C) duck/goose hunter, D) other, and E) all of the above, I would circle E with no hesitation.

After all, in Delaware alone, I hunt deer, rabbits, squirrels, turkeys, ducks, geese, woodcocks, snipes, pheasants, quail, doves and crows. I’ve also hunted bears, hogs, various species of antelope and deer, wildebeest, and other mammals and birds in other states and countries. If I could base my definition on the types of animals I hunt, the answer would be easy.

Further considering the question, I thought about the hunting methods I use. I mostly use a bow for hunting big game (although I sometimes use a shotgun, rifle, or muzzleloader), and I use shotguns of various gauges for waterfowl, upland birds, and small game.

Quickly analyzing that basic data, I can provide a simple answer and succinctly define myself as a hunter who pursues various game species using various methods.

However, the answer is more complex and deserves more introspection.

To be clear, I am not a hunter who enters the woods with a bow and arrows or a loaded gun and takes shots at any animals I see. I am an ethical hunter who enjoys the spirit of the chase just as much as harvesting game, and I enjoy the diversity that Delaware’s woods, fields, and waterways offer.

Rather than strictly hunting deer one or two weeks of the year, or solely hunting ducks or geese during the open seasons, I consider myself to be a versatile hunter who enjoys the unique challenges presented by pursuing assorted game, at different times of year, and in varied habitat.
I am a hunter who appreciates the solitude of deer and turkey hunting, and I use my time afield as temporary escapes from life’s daily pressures. Sitting alone in the woods with my senses keenly tuned in to the natural world around me provides a relaxation that I don’t think I could achieve otherwise.

Conversely, I also enjoy the exercise, companionship, and faster pace of hunting small game with good friends and high-energy pointing dogs. Woodcock hunting ranks near the top of my list of outdoor activities, and I sincerely enjoy watching my dog work to find, point and retrieve the birds. I typically hunt with several hunting partners who also enjoy the pursuit of woodcocks, so the camaraderie surrounding the hunts is just as enjoyable as finding birds.

I am also a hunter who is just as much student as I am teacher. I am always looking to learn new game-specific tactics, techniques, statistics and biological facts, and I am always happy to share my findings, insights and opinions with others. I record notes about most of my hunts, so my hunts are just as much about observing and acquiring knowledge as they are pursuing game.

I am a hunter who likes to hunt. Period. If there is a hunting season open, I will find a way to enjoy it.

Therefore, I won’t define myself as any type of hunter.

More importantly, I won’t define you as any specific type either.

With so many things going on in everyday life, I sometimes overlook posting my hunting updates to HuntingTheFirstState.com. I haven’t hunted as much as I would have liked, but I do have some interesting updates. See below.

Duck Hunt – 10/28 – My friend Dave and I hunted ducks this morning on a nice little pond near the Delaware River. Today was a ‘blue bird’ day, but since it was sandwiched between moderate rain yesterday and a nor’easter tomorrow, we tried our luck. We finished setting out the decoys around 6AM, and waited until shooting time around 7AM. I figured ducks would fly early, and they did. Within minutes of legal shooting time, hunters were shooting all around us. We had some shots at few ducks, but we left empty handed around 8:30 AM (since I had to work).

Duck Hunt – 10/24 – Dave and I hunted another pond near the Delaware River. We bagged a mallard and a wood duck before calling it quits around 8:30 AM.

Duck Hunt – 10/22 – Afternoon – I tried a little duck hunting spot in southern New Castle County and had shots at a pair of wood ducks. I bagged the beautiful drake pictured below.

Delaware Wood Duck 2011

Deer Hunt – 10/22 – Morning -  I took one of my daughters deer hunting in the morning. We thought we had a good chance at a deer until all hell broke loose at first light. Today was the opening Saturday of the first Delaware duck season split. It sounded like a war zone. After 2 hours, we left the deer stand. My daughter opted to hunt squirrels instead. She shot one gray squirrel.

Deer Hunt – 10/15 – Afternoon – I was running late and arrived at my Delaware muzzleloader hunting spot at 5:30 PM. I quickly changed and entered the woods at 5:40 PM. As I walked to my stand, 3 does walked across the path in front of me. I dropped one with my Thompson Center Encore at 5:50. Sometimes things just work out! I was thankful for the nice doe for the freezer.

Deer Hunt – 10/15 – Morning – I went to a bowhunting spot before first light. I hunted for an hour and had one little doe behind me. A construction crew showed up near by, so the noise ended my hunt.

My morning hunt lasted all of one hour, since it was curtailed by a construction crew showing up right next to one of my suburban hunting spots. The sounds of power equipment, vehicles, and voices ensured my hunt was going nowhere.

My afternoon lasted less than one hour, but it ended with a bang. Literally.

I was attending a party in close proximity to my hunt club Saturday afternoon, so I threw my bow, muzzleloader, and hunting clothes in my truck. Not expecting much, I left the party and arrived at the hunt club around 5:30 PM. After I dressed and loaded my T/C Encore, I walked into the woods around 5:40PM. Around 5:50 PM, a few deer walked on the trail in front of me. By 6:00 PM, I put a nice shot on doe.

It is rare that a hunt comes together so quickly, but I’ll take it. The doe is nice meat for the freezer, and with the early harvest, I now can be more selective on upcoming hunts.

Bring on the big boys.