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...
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Ralph Scherder
- Feb 17, 2021
- 5 min
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...
253 views0 comments
Ralph Scherder
- Feb 8, 2021
- 5 min
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...
382 views0 comments
Ralph Scherder
- Feb 1, 2021
- 6 min
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,...
882 views0 comments
Ralph Scherder
- Jan 28, 2021
- 10 min
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,...
11,492 views0 comments
Ralph Scherder
- Jan 25, 2021
- 6 min
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...
104 views0 comments
Ralph Scherder
- Jan 21, 2021
- 5 min
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...
365 views0 comments
Ralph Scherder
- Jan 19, 2021
- 5 min
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....
629 views0 comments
Ralph Scherder
- Jan 13, 2021
- 4 min
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....
299 views0 comments
Ralph Scherder
- Jan 9, 2021
- 2 min
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...
75 views0 comments
Ralph Scherder
- Jan 7, 2021
- 9 min
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...
273 views0 comments
Ralph Scherder
- Jan 6, 2021
- 1 min
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...
36 views0 comments
Ralph Scherder
- Jan 5, 2021
- 4 min
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...
1,577 views0 comments
Ralph Scherder
- Jan 5, 2021
- 1 min
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....
29 views0 comments
Ralph Scherder
- Jan 4, 2021
- 1 min
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...
41 views0 comments
Ralph Scherder
- Dec 30, 2020
- 5 min
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...
138 views0 comments
Ralph Scherder
- Dec 15, 2020
- 2 min
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...
367 views0 comments
Ralph Scherder
- Dec 4, 2020
- 7 min
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...
161 views0 comments
Ralph Scherder
- Nov 30, 2020
- 1 min
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...
38 views0 comments
Ralph Scherder
- Nov 25, 2020
- 4 min
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...
227 views0 comments
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