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Steve Sherk, Sr.: Lessons on Still Hunting in the Big Woods
Steve Sherk, Sr., 68, has been hunting since age 12 and has hunted every deer season since. Sherk, Sr., is a devout Christian who begins...

Ralph Scherder
Feb 23, 20218 min read
819 views
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Sounds that Spook Deer
The buck worked his way along the edge of the thicket. I got turned and ready in my stand about 60 yards away, and when it looked as if...

Ralph Scherder
Feb 17, 20215 min read
422 views
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5 Tips to Prevent Trail Camera Theft
Running trail cameras year-round on public land, I’ve experienced my share of monkey business. It amazes me the trouble some folks will...

Ralph Scherder
Feb 8, 20215 min read
400 views
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5 Post-Season Scouting Mistakes...and How to Fix Them
Now that deer season is winding down in most parts of the country, it’s time to start looking forward to next year, and for many hunters,...

Ralph Scherder
Feb 1, 20216 min read
886 views
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Chris Singer's 170-inch Allegheny National Forest Buck
Public or private land: Public Land, ANF Date: November 19, 2020 Specs: 11-point, 16-inch spread BTR Score: 173 inches Chris Singer, 38,...

Ralph Scherder
Jan 28, 202110 min read
12,305 views
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Should Bowhunter Education be Required?
Bowhunter education is often synonymous with safety. When we think of bowhunting education, it’s easy to imagine an instructor...

Ralph Scherder
Jan 25, 20216 min read
106 views
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How West Nile Virus Impacts Grouse Populations
Note: Although I wrote this piece almost three years ago, the research data and information are still very relevant. As you know, hunter...

Ralph Scherder
Jan 21, 20215 min read
370 views
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For Grouse, It Starts with Habitat
Something happened in southeast Ohio in the early 1980s, something that will likely never happen again in this generation or the next....

Ralph Scherder
Jan 19, 20215 min read
648 views
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Boom and Bust: Turkeys in the Winter
There’s little doubt that whitetails are number one in the hunting world, but it could be argued that wild turkeys are a close second....

Ralph Scherder
Jan 13, 20214 min read
308 views
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Encounter with an Old Hunter
Last fall, as I was getting ready to walk in to hunt, a truck pulled up beside me in the parking lot and a guy rolled down the...

Ralph Scherder
Jan 9, 20212 min read
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Chad Grove's West Virginia Mountain Monarch
Date Killed: September 26, 2020 Public or Private: Public Land P&Y Gross Score: 152 6/8 inches Recently I had the opportunity to talk...

Ralph Scherder
Jan 7, 20219 min read
279 views
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The First Fork e-Newsletter
If you already subscribe to the FREE First Fork Publications e-Newsletter, thank you! If you're interested in subscribing, all you have...

Ralph Scherder
Jan 6, 20211 min read
39 views
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Semi-Hibernation and Survival: Whitetails in Winter
Following the rut, most bucks find that their fat reserves have evaporated to almost nothing and they’re just plain worn out from chasing...

Ralph Scherder
Jan 5, 20214 min read
1,583 views
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Fur Prices then and Now
I have this framed and hanging on the wall at camp. Last week I was looking at it and it dawned on me...this price list is 100 years old....

Ralph Scherder
Jan 5, 20211 min read
104 views
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Old Hunting Photographs
I love old hunting photographs. I found this one in a gunsmith's shop near Oil City, PA. He had a bunch of old photos tacked to the...

Ralph Scherder
Jan 4, 20211 min read
47 views
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Deer Yards and Migration
After hunting season, a deer’s primary focus shifts from evading hunters to simply surviving Mother Nature. One of the ways they do this...

Ralph Scherder
Dec 30, 20205 min read
144 views
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3 Recipes for Your Ground Venison
Grandma's Camp Chili Yep, this one's straight from my grandma's cookbook. It was always delicious when I was growing up, and it's just as...

Ralph Scherder
Dec 15, 20202 min read
368 views
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The Hunt for the Big 12: Deer Hunting Failures and What I've Learned So Far
Nothing lifts your spirits like getting daytime trail camera photos of the number one buck on your hit list. I’m not talking one or two...

Ralph Scherder
Dec 4, 20207 min read
198 views
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Just A Log
I often complain about black bears toying with my trail cameras. Many times, I find cameras tilted, twisted, dangling, or hanging where I...

Ralph Scherder
Nov 30, 20201 min read
39 views
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Gun Season in the Big Woods
If hunting a highly-pressured parcel of public land, instinct tells us to walk farther than the competition. That can put you into fresh...

Ralph Scherder
Nov 25, 20204 min read
231 views
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