Unfortunately, I write exactly the same when writing articles. The catch is that I come in anywhere from 3000-5000 words and then have to go back and trim them down to the 1700, 2000 or 2500 word assignment length. After I'm done, the editors often find ways to trim even more, all while trying not to alter any meaning or remove important info. Here, I just leave it however it came out and don't edit down.
Actually, I liked the Cam piece I have in that issue better than the Plan piece. I don't think I've ever heard, read or saw someone setting cams on lick branches over summer and early fall before (though no doubt some people do it). It's a great technique for getting a census in WI & IL, where baiting and minerals are illegal.
I had this conversation with Gordon Whittington about a month ago, when he asked for an early season hunting piece. I told him I didn't want to do it, because how many times can you write: find a buck you want to kill, find where he is feeding or watering, figure out how he's getting there most often and determine if he is arriving occasionally before dark or always after. If pretty consistently or even occasionally before dark, you can set a stand on the food or water. If consistently, hunt it until you kill him. If occasionally, just wait to hunt it when a cold front moves through and try to kill him then. In exclusively after dark, try to setup closer to bedding, if you can, but not so close as to bust him, and only hunt him on cold fronts...Honestly, that's the entire article in one medium paragraph, and every magazine runs at least one for early season.
I convinced him to let me do a piece on setting goals/creating a hit list and how to decide which hit list buck to go for on any given day, as well as which ones not to waste time on. Like covering the lick branch cam setup in the other article linked above, I really like it when I can do something everyone else hasn't done 12392387612826344512342 times before, that is still somehow useful and honest/legit.
And you are 100% correct....$$$$$$$$$$$ makes the world go round. Every once in a while, though, those of us making $ doing something they love doing can give a little back to those with real jobs that support them/directly/indirectly pay their salaries doing dream jobs. I had a rant about that on QDMA's site yesterday.
P.S. Did anyone ever figure out how to turn email notification off, WITHOUT remembering to leave every thread you post in and returning to click unwatch? I've twice went through all the settings and I have to be missing something.
