Ryan Rothstein

I don’t normally start becoming antsy about getting trail cameras out quite yet, but with the number of local bucks that made it through last season, I’ve been itching more than normal to see what’s out there.
Full disclosure: I have a few cameras set up broadly to cover ground and see what’s around. Typically, I wait until at least Aug. 1 for that, but there’s nothing wrong with getting some early intel. 
And anyway, with Minnesota having a mid-September archery opener, it’s good to gather as much pre-season information as possible if you’re looking to punch your buck tag early.

I never used to get too jazzed about spring. When I was a kid, I remember wishing away the seasons that weren’t fall, because any time that I couldn’t deer hunt was time wasted. Life sure was simpler back then.
These days, I’ve grown to appreciate the nuances that come with spring, particularly those that signal an end to winter and the beginning of a new growing season. Things as small as the first bloodroot blooming modestly on the forest floor cause me to smile and stop to appreciate how such a delicate plant could possibly be so stubbornly tough.