Archery Tips.

[TomBow]

I purchased a D-Bull T2 off hsolist for $240 a few years ago and have used it almost exclusively for turkey hunting which has worked well even in the middle of wide open fields, and the turkeys have pretty much ignored the blind. Deer are much more cautious of the blind so take Chucker's advice and tuck it into cover and brush it in well, unless you can leave it in a spot and let the deer get used to it before hunting it. As far as scent control and scent killer, treat the blind like your hunting clothes and spray it with scent killer and air it out between hunts, and always play the wind. Be concious of open windows behind you in the blind. Both deer and turkeys get spooky when they can see through the blind and if you move in front of the back-side window, the deal is done.

Make sure you buy a blind of adequate inside-height when looking for a bowhunting blind. I missed a shot with my recurve this spring when the upper limb hit the inside top of the blind.

Great tip, Chucker!

[harvey lee]

1-Wind Direction

Playing the wind is very often not taken seriously enough. Not paying enough attention to wind direction is more than likely one of the main reasons for not having more success. One of the fastest ways to ruin a good hunting stand location is to set the stand up with a bad wind. Some hunters just don’t take a whitetail keen sense of smell serious enough. A mature buck standing down wind of you is not going to come walking right up to you. Once a mature buck scents you in that area it could well be the last time he comes in that area again and if he does he will be even more cautious than before. You cannot give up the wind in your favor to have consistent luck with a mature whitetail. One cannot get lazy and say it will be o.k. for tonight as you may have just ruined any chance of harvesting a mature buck in that area for the year. I set up numerous stands so no matter what direction the wind is I will have a different stand to hunt. Nothing will ruin a stand location faster than hunting it with a bad wind.

2- Getting to and from Your Stand.

One very easy way to again ruin a good stand is not paying attention to how you get to and from your stand. Any good stand will have a good way to enter and exit without letting the deer know that you are coming or have been there. Sometimes this means walking way out of the way or maybe even not placing a stand there all together. You need to get to that stand without any deer seeing, smelling , hearing or having any of your scent blowing into the area of the deer on the way in or out. Also try to avoid walking on leaves on the way in so they don’t hear your boots in the dry leaves and avoid real brushy areas so you leave as little of your scent as possible in the area you walk. If you have a waterway in the area, that also would be a great access to your stand.

3-Too Much Scouting

I try to do as little scouting in the area that I plan to hunt as possible and yet do enough to have a good idea where the deer routes are. Every time you walk through the woods you are going to leave your scent and also jump deer to make them more alert. If one has hunted the same areas for years then there is no real need to do a lot of scouting as a whitetails travel routes rarely change. I also like to set up my stands long before the season starts to let the area rest, as well as remove any scent I left while putting the stand up. A mature whitetail will not stay in the area for long if you are wondering about all the time and jumping them and also leaving a lot of scent.

4-New Stands

Whenever I place a new stand up for the season I always follow all of the statements made above. One thing that is a given is that your best chance of harvesting that trophy buck is the first time you hunt it. The percentage goes down every time you crawl up into it. Your best hunt will always be your first. So many archers will over hunt the stand and make it a stand not worth hunting anymore. One always wants to keep hunting that stand that they always see a lot of deer in, but keep hunting it and those numbers will go down to zero in a short bit. I also will only hunt a stand a few times a season so to not ruin it.

In closing if you are hunting your stand and not seeing some decent bucks it more than likely is not the location of the stand. It will probably be something more in the line of any or all of the items mentioned above. If one practices all of the above then your hunting success should increase every year.

Another important factor is to practice, and continue to practice throughout the archery season with your bow. I hope you have a great hunt this fall.

Tom Hatlestad /harveylee

FM Pro-Staff

[Deitz Dittrich]

awesome Tom.. very good.. I just may have to put you down for another tip...LOL...

[harvey lee]

I could probably come up with another something.I dont know if it would be worth reading but I could come up with something if you are short.As you can tell I am not a writer.

I do believe I am better with a bow in my hand than a pen.

[BLACKJACK]

Good tips Harvey. A lot of what you said reaffirms what I believe and wrote in the other post about First Timer Tips. The wind, the wind, the wind, the wind is the key. Most times before I go hunting, I log into the National Weather service site and check the wind, and also check to see if its going to change. Nothing worse than getting into your stand, planning for a certain wind, and then it changes on you.

[chucker34]

Great tips Harvey Lee! And don't apologize for the writing, I thought it was written very well! If you're more dangerous with the bow, I'd hate to be the deer and turkey that walk in front of your stand or blind!

I was busted a few times on the wind last year and learned my lesson. You wouldn't believe how quickly a deer will raise his head 100 yards away and start backing up like somebody just took a large [PoorWordUsage], pardon my French.

[Lucky One]

When you talk about bucks getting spooked and staying clear of an area due to scent and over hunting does this last forever or will they return later.

[harvey lee]

They may well return later in the year if they have only winded you once.If you continue to push your luck then he will be out of there for the rest of the season.The next year he can and might return.My sons friend that hunts with us will hunt the same stand for a 3 day stretch and then back at the same stand again the next trip.Last year on the first weekend he saw 2 nice bucks and a few smaller ones.He also saw many does.After 2 weekends he saw next to no deer for the rest of the season.This same area has been very good for years and will be again this fall until he uses it for 3-4 days and then the same process starts all over again.I have suggested many times not to go in there any more or only 1 time per week and only when the wind is right.This fall he will go and do the same thing and what can I say anymore? You can push mature bucks out of a area faster than you realize.The does will even leave in a matter of time.

Thanks Chucker34 for the compliment,and yes the deer are in trouble.Not to brag but my buddies gave me the name Lee Harvey.

[bmc]

Deitz,

I wouldn't mind to give a talk on treestand safety, something we should all be concerned about. It's absolutely scary how many people don't take this seriously!

Brian

[harvey lee]

bmc

That would be a very good read.Sometimes when we are getting ready for the upcoming season and excitement we can forget about the stand safety.One needs to check out all the nuts and bolts and also check your safety strap.

[Deitz Dittrich]

bmc, awesome, I woudl love that.. you are on for the week of Sept 27th!!!!!

thank you so much for stepping up to the plate on this!!! Cant wait to read it!

[delmuts]

that would be a good read!!( course i never use one!) but maybe i should??? i have fallen off my tree seat,( with my feet on the gound!! ) when i fall asleep!!

[Dark Cloud]

Lucky One - Mature bucks can easily be pushed out of an area or go nocturnal. But when you throw the rut into the mix they will turn stupid easily. My dad had a real nice 8 pt bust him twice out of the same stand a few years ago. The first time he just caught a evening down draft and got a little spooky, the second he came in to calling circled down wind and spooked. About a week later he came following a doe and dad took the wind out of him. The lure of a hot doe has ruined alot of mature bucks lifes, kinda like alot of us guys, lol....

Great tips so far guys. I plan on doing mine on the moment of truth....

[tjm]

I'll put my 2 cents in

Time after time i see/hear of guys telling me about how many deer they see each time out it's less and less with each outing

I have been here many times years ago.Playing the wind,watching my scent only to find out my stand was way to close to the bedding area after it was to late.I had scared the deer off i was after.Knowing the bedding area in my mind is probly more important then your wind/scent.

1 way to find a bedding area is scout after season.Look for many rubs on trees in a small area.You'll probly see several areas within a 100 yards that looks like a great place for a tree stand in mid to late October (Wrong) This is more likely to be his bedding area.Stay away,find some trails depending on the cover but stay atleast 200 yards away.Set several stands up so you can use 1 of those areas according to the wind direction and what time of year it happends to be they mainly follow certain trails to there feeding ground on a weekly basis.More times then not a big monster buck will walk with the wind at his back once he has a set pattern.

We put out trails cams to find these areas.If you have the time to try and pin point these areas you can figure out when this buck arrives on a daily basis late October and again in late nov-dec.Over half are big bucks are shot right in the middle of his bedding area.Were in stands sometimes at 4am knowing he probly comes in at 4:30 roams around until 8 or 9 marking trees checking out his scrapes etc..

From year to year bucks will use the same areas to bed in.Maybe that buck was shot off last year but another buck will generaly take over that spot.Big bucks generaly see the same thing as other bigger bucks do.Keep this in mind.If you see a nice big buck woorking an area over.More times then not he will be back or another buck of that size will be doing the same pattern year after year.

We have a couple spots i have never seen a small buck at always big boy or nothing at allWe have taken several big bucks off this stand over the past 6 years.No need to even scout this area anymore cause with the certain wind someone will get a shot at a 150 class buck or bigger with only a few outings on this stand.Other area is the same way but we need an East wind to hunt it.Not many days you get a straight East wind

I'll give away a secret not many guys know.Early season when the bugs are thick.Use Benz to keep those vampire bugs away.When you get to your deer stand spray some in a couple areas you want the deer to stop in for a shot.Not sure whats in it but man it stinks the deer seem to like it.They will lick what ever it's on.I had deer stand on there hind feet under my stand licking my tree where i had put my hands,feet clothes etc..Go out to a park or field and give it a try you'll be surprised at how the deer react.I tried a scent trail with this many times.Never had deer follow it to my stand but they sure will stop long enough to get you a great shot off.Went to a park with lots of deer and had several follow my trail about 10 yards or so that was all they wanted of it.

[BLACKJACK]

What is Benz?

In farm country, do you think deer really bed in the same area every night? I've always felt that they're more 'wanderers', bedding where they end up in the morning, in some tall grass or brush. Later on as the crops get harvested and pheasant hunters drive them out of the open areas, they'll bed in the wooded areas, but I still have my doubts whether they go to the same area every night... I guess what I'm saying is that I have yet to find an area where it looks like deer bed on a consistant basis.

[tjm]

Blackjack

Benz is the same as off or any other kind of bug repelant.Comes in a small orange plastic bottle 3" high.The only bug dope you can use in Alaska that actualy works.Very strong

As far as big bucks in farm country.Well i'm in south central part of the state so i can relate to what deer do in farm country better then i can in all woods.

In farm country you have 2 types of bucks.1 being he roams all the time never in the same place twice.When we run into this kind of buck we normaly just pass on it dont even waste your time unless you have nothing else to go after.Not many of these bucks around but you'll know 1 when you see it

Over the years when i see a 170 class buck in open farm ground i always said i know why he still walks.Not because he lived in an area no one could hunt it's more then likely he never stayed in the same place twice.This kinda buck will lay in plowed fields during the gun season or right up next to a farm house.Kinda like having a dog that runs away from you when a loud noise goes off.Scared all the time.Always waiting to run off over nothing

The other kinda buck you have is 1 that will use fence lines swamp edges crop edges,etc..These are the ones you need to get on.Corn ladder stands work very well.Ground blinds work ok if you have a bean field or grassy area.Otherwise if there is 1 tree just big enough to hold you up on that fenceline more times then not that big boy will use that tree to direct him to the next location he will pass within several feet of that tree.We shoot a lot of nice bucks this way.Find out what way he likes to go then wait until the wind will be blowing at his butt set up and wackumm

You'll find out with lots of spotting and with the help of trail cams most deer will end up in the same area within reason..might be 200 yards or it might be 10 feet.Deer work a certain pattern.

Now lets say your area is all farm ground.Most of those deer are on 3 day paterns.Weather plays a big roll along with what time of year it is.Opening of bow season until bird season opens this will hold true in 90% of big bucks.Once bird season kicks in look for 2 corn fields with a good fence line he'll probly be using that heavy just as the sun goes down.Generaly that time of year you need to find a bean field on 1 end of those 2 corn fields.He will be picking up left over scraps.Never hunt the end of that fenceline where the bean field corn and line fence all meet.Chances are you'll get busted by a doe or 2 way before he will arrive.Most big bucks will walk into the end rows of the corn about 50-75 yards before exiting

How many times have you walked along a fenceline inbetween 2 corn fields and right before you get to an open area that path just became 50% of the size it was several yards back.This is why.

When you see big tracks come off a fenceline like that 9 outa 10 times it's made at 11pm etc..You can follow the tracks and those same tracks will end up walking right down the road for a half mile into a farm yard eating apples.I been on hundreds of cases like that they all end up telling me that deer did this way past hunting hours.Dead end,back track a couple sections

Last year we had 2 bucks we were try'n to pin point.I set cams up in 3 different sections just like clock work they kept walking by.Never could figure out what they were doing.Well 1 early morning it was 3/4 full moon i was down the road 5.5 miles from where we figured these buck were at setting cams out all over on fence lines only to get pics late at nite.There habbits were almost a 6 miles straight path up and down the same fence line everyday from 1 end to the next and back by morning so thats 11.5 miles everynite they made.Now if someone told me this i would just chuckle and say realy wow thats a long haul.

That next week my brother shot 1 about 5 days later we got the other 1.So my point to this is dont get all worked up if you cant pinpoint where he is.Just keep doing more homework.Sooner or later it will pay off.Besides that hunting 1 on 1 with a certain buck is way more of a chalange then going out setting up a stand and waiting for what ever walks by.If you can consitantly shoot nice bucks in open ground with a bow you done acomplished a lot in my mind.Tells me you spent many days enjoying what you love most.Not killing but hunting..So good luck to you all and i hope everyone shoots a smaller buck then me this season

THAT INCLUDES YOU TO GEORGE

[BLACKJACK]

tjm, good post!!! I like your attitude "Not killing but hunting". The truly good deer hunters that I know, the ones that always get a deer, spend a lot of time at it, scouting, sniffing around, scouting some more.

Couple of questions: You mentioned a 'corn ladder stand'. Are you talking about a tripod stand set up in the corn? Seems to me you'd stick out like a sore thumb if you were above the corn. Explain what you mean please.

Trail cameras, what kind do you use and how do you keep them from getting ripped off. I've been hesitant to put mine any farther than my home place because I'm afraid of them 'taking a walk'. And the cheaper cameras that I might be tempted to put on on someone else's back forty aren't fast enought to capture a deer walking by, you have to put it on a bait site.

Thanks for the advice!

[tjm]

Corn ladder stand is basicaly an over grown 6' step ladder with the paint try/holder facing the other way.Put this stand about 5 rows into the corn.brake a few tops off the corn making some shooting lanes.

If you own the corn or got the ok from farmer stick the stand back in there 10 rows and clip more corn off as needed.You''ll get deer walking in the next corn row over from ya a lot.

I normaly use mine like a tree stand then when i see deer coming down the waterway or edge i just slowly keep stepping down the ladder as it aproaches.Most deer feel prety safe in corn.Calm days you'll hear the deer feeding way before you'll see it so ya have plenty of time to get ready.Windy days you look for the deer pulling ears off the corn.

Faded carharts work well after a good frost.Early season i found that the old army issued colors work best.I have some corncamo it only works well on the evening hunt when the stalks are dry when wet you stick out like a sorethumb to deer for some reason

Also works very well for hunting cat tails or canebrakes

As far as trail cams go.We have about everyone made.I just picked up a big lcd battery about the size of a small car battery from bass pro when i was in Texas so i'll give that a try.If that dont work were going to invest in battery stocks.If it works were going to buy a few more.Be heading out wed for a trial run so i'll let ya know

[xedge2002]

is the corn ladder stand just a ladder or is it something you buy from somewhere?? Could you take a pic of your and post it or email it to [email protected] you have my interest up now because I have a lot of corn I can hunt with very few to no trees.

[tjm]

Here is 1 that was built for the 2x plus hunters.This 1 has attachments to go higher if needed or you can use it as a ladder stand by attaching a couple more legs and adding a strap to it

Other ones we use are basicaly built from the ladder stands you buy just add a couple of things and your off.

Here is a prime example of why i have corn ladder stands.Look in the center of the pic you'll see a waterway.Now i can hunt everything you see in the pic except the trees in the back ground.

99% of bow hunters drive by areas like this cause knowing the woods is off limits.For me this is a great spot to shoot a monster buck.Set that ladder stand up 100 yards away from the woods over looking the waterway there goes 500 bucks for a shoulder mount.

Reason i say about a 100 yards is so i dont P.Off the land owner next door if that buck makes it back to the woods.I try and stay far enough away so if i hit a big buck he will drop before he gets that far.Several years back i hunted 10 yards off an area like this hit a monster the land owner told me too bad buddy that deer is not leavin my land period.Even had game warden try with no luck i just decided to hunt far enough away so this might not ever happen again

This last pic is an area 1 can have dreams about all night long.Just the way the landscaping sits and the crop placements are at this is a monster buck killing waterway

[hill7410]

Looks Pretty awesome, just one question, so you never were able to get that buck off of the guys land. What was his problem that he would not let you go and get, some people I just dont get, if you know you shot it, why would someone want it to lay and rot?? Doesnt make any sense to me.

[tjm]

He's 1 of those guys if the game is on his land he owns them.Another guy who doesn't hunt his own land but hunts everyone elses

The game warden told me the next day when he stopped at my house to tell me that bad news.If that deer is gone,moved,or the rack cut off at any given time he would make sure the land owner got a very hefty fine

So every week i called the local game warden up and asked what was going on.Well he says not a thing.The deer is still in the same spot just ate up by all the critters.

Warden was called to his place again over the winter some sleds were on his land.So he checked out to see what was left of the deer i had shot.Dug around the snow where all the animals were digging up what was left and by then the antlers were about all ate up.

My best guesss was that buck scored in the mid to high 170's.At that time it would have been the best buck i had shot with a bow.To this day when i drive by and look down that waterway i just grit my teeth

[BLACKJACK]

tjm, thanks for the pics. That old saying ' a picture is worth a thousand words' sure applies here. It DOES look like a step ladder!!

So basically you set that up 5-10 rows into a corn field and watch the waterway? The deer don't spot you sitting up there like a bump on a log?

In the past I've set up in cornfields, only on the ground, breaking down a few stalks for a shooting lane. It works ok except the deer are right on top of you before you see them.

[tjm]

The legs need to be in the ground to make it stable

The stand is set up just high enough for a good shot not so you stick out like one would think

I normaly set up around ten rows back all depends on how high the weeds are The taller the weeds in the waterway the closer you need to be

If your going to make one do it so it will fit down a corn row while it"s attached to your back Just make the legs about six inches long before you weld on the cross member this will give you plety to stomp in the ground

General rule is the seat should be even with the start of the tasel on the corn stalks

[Hotspotter]

Routine – The power of practice

How many times have you taken a deer, turkey, or other game animal, then thought back on the occasion only seconds later, to realize you can’t remember many of the details? You don’t remember your draw, your release, or at least any recent memories you do possess are cloudy at best. The deer may be dead, or you may have missed cleanly, but your head is spinning and for your life, you can’t seem to remember crucial details regarding the situation.

In our excitement, and haste to harvest the animal, it seems like our thought-process can take a backseat to our instincts, exhilaration, and ultimately, our actions. Vision can be blurred, arms and legs shaky, and our thinking can be inconsistent at best.

Enter routine.

Shoot your 20 arrows a night, or 50 a week; practice in your hunting clothes at different distances; follow whatever preparation routine it is you choose to follow, but whatever you do, make it habit. Don’t get in a “rut,” and be lazy in terms of failing to prepare, but make sure that you draw the same way, acquire target in the same manner, and release that arrow in the same style every single time. Correcting mid-season sloppiness, and poor shooting will be much easier if you have a “gold-standard” from which to start from.

Know thy equipment.

Be familiar with your bow, and know its limitations when paired with your hunting arrows and broadheads. Stick to these thresholds like glue. Understand your arrow flight as it relates to trajectory, and use it to your advantage. Know that a 30 yard broadside shot with a small limb centered on the vitals at 13 yards is nothing to sweat; understand that the pencil-thin twig at 18 yards over the top of its back is the deal-killer.

My goal when I enter the woods this fall, whether I’m trying to take a doe for the freezer, or a buck for the wall, is to make a quick, clean, ethical kill. I know that my sheer excitement for hunting can prevent my ability to think straight and act accordingly. That’s why I rely on my practice routine, and muscle-memory to revert to a sort of auto-pilot when it’s crunch-time. Hopefully, when your instincts take over this fall at full-draw on a trophy deer, you’ll have trained your body and your senses in a manner that allows you to take the buck of your dreams without hesitation and without worry.

Joel