Archery Tips.

[snapcrackpop]

TJM,

So when you are on the corn ladder stand, is the wind in your face with 10 rows of corn in front of you (to the edge of the corn)? Are the beans in front of you or to the side? Are you near a corner of the corn field or the middle?

You wouldn't be high enough to have the wind at your back, right?

Sorry, having trouble picturing the setup, but excited about the idea. I guess I need a drawing.

[Stratosman]

Well written Joel..! You speak the truth about the muscle memory thing, it's amazing but with enough practice and over time it almost becomes instictive when in the stand and that deer walks by.. the last thing you want to think about is second guessing which pin to use.

[tjm]

All i'm doing is making my own tree where ever i want it to be.I cant tell you where to put this stand without looking at the lay of the land.

1st of all hunting corners of fields is more then likely a waste of time in most cases. 9 outa 10 times that deer is going to cut short of the corner and come out on the other fence line or open field 25-50 yards down.Trust me i made all these mistakes a long time ago.Once again this dont apply to every situation but most

2 reasons i like to be a good 100 yards from an open field or from land i cant hunt.1 i already summed it up by losing a deer the other is that most big bucks will hold up 75-150 yards in the waterway,fence line creek line before entering an open field until he feels safe.

Heres a good pointer.Lets say your hunting a fence line inbetween 2 corn fields.At the end of the field is

the field you know or think the deer will be heading out to feed in.If the fence line runs N & S you hope for a E or W wind.Lets say the deer will be traveling south to the open field.I will go down to the south end about 100 yards from the open field and start looking for something out of the ordinary on the fenceline.It might be a lil scrub tree 4' high or a dark patch of high grass.What ever it may be i'll set my corn ladder on the north side of what ever dont look right as far back in the corn as i can be so i can still see a good distance up & down the fence line but still able to get a good shot off

The reason your looking for something outa the ordinary is that big buck will and i mean will hold his head right over or in that lil scrub tree or darker taller grass until he feels safe to continue to the open field.I have seen big bucks stand like this for an hour just waiting to exit to the open field.So if you can find a place like this you'll have a great chance at getting a good standing broadside shot at him

1 thing nice about scouting fence lines is you can get away with leaving sent,spooking deer and still be able to come back the next day and wack that big buck.I have even shot at missed big bucks came back the next day set my stand 100 yards closer to where he came from the afternoon before in hopes he would hold up down further and either got him or seen him holding up but to far for a shot

Morning hunts i try to hunt endges of bean fields along a corn field or anything shorter then the corn.Here is where it's critical to have a min of 3 open shooting lanes.Most of the time all deer tend to hug closer to the corn then in the evenings.Some times i make up to 5 shooting lanes cause the deer are generaly moving faster not stopping to eat as much

This stand has so many options for use.Around this area most farmers have cut all the big trees off so we either have 4'-6' scrub bushes all the way down the fenceline or none at all.If i hunt the scrub bushes i just put my stand right among them.Gets me off the ground for better viewing plus it's easier on the body.During the muzzy season i use this stand more then any other stand we have.Hunt right out in the middle of big cane breaks slough scrub trees.Not a tree big enough to put a stand in and everything is to high to get a shot off more then 25 yards.Now i just increased my viewing/shooting a good 100 yards

The more you can learn about that big buck or deer in gereral where your hunting all adds up.

1 other thing to remember

When scouting try to find an area to hunt where the deer dont walk into the sunset.This type of hunting can be very slow.You generaly will get the tail end of the evening hunt,like 1/2 hour Deer dont like looking into the sun no more then you and i.So E/W fence lines are ok as long as the deer are walking E.Same goes for the morning.Look for deer that travel W,N or S.

[BLACKJACK]

Thanks TJM, that clears up my questions. Looks interesting, I may have to make one, I have several spots where it might work.

[bigbucks]

Ditto, I appreciate the new perspectives on how to setup on fields. I had made those observations, although I wonder if it's as true in country more surrounded by wooded cover. I'll just have to research that a bit.

[chucker34]

Great tips jnelson! I am 2 for 2 on bow deer in my career, which is basically last year. But my worst nightmare is wounding a deer. Practice doesn't make perfect but increases the likelihood!

[delmuts]

for you guys that use a wet stone to sharpen knives; instead of using water or an oil. use liquid dish soap. ( this was shown to me by a retired vetinaryn[can't spell. ] who still had to sharpen his own scalples !) this not only provides lubricant but will clean your stone as well! just wash it off after using. this will help stop /prevent the gunk build up on the stone.

[Dark Cloud]

I know it's only tuesday but I have to work this evening and probably a double shift tomorrow so here goes...

The moment of truth; We spent countless hours practicing and tinkering with our gear. Many hours scouting and hanging stands or preparing blinds. Days if not weeks planting or taking care of food plots. We spend big money on all our gear. Use up vacation time or spread ourselfs thin to get time in the woods. And then when the chance we have been waiting for comes along it can be gone in an instant with the arrow flying harmlessly over the deers back or even worse, a non lethal hit. Now granted the kill dose not make the hunt complete but it is a big part of why we are out there. Heres a few tips to sealing the deal at crunch time.

Visualize how the shot will happen. As a deer is approaching that you are planning on shooting, plan ahead. I say to myself "ok, if he comes down this side of me my first plan is to stop him with a soft grunt in this opening. If he gets by there i'll take him here". Do this even if no deer are around. Visualize every possible shot and scenario. Granted the animals dont always cooperate but use those hours of watching squirrels to visualize the real deal...

Take an extra second: When the animal is where you are gonna shoot and you are drawn. Take and extra second or two to "settle the pin". This is what I say to myself - "settle the pin". Most high misses are not because of yardage estimation errors. They are due to the deer "jumping the string" or us rushing the shot. If we take an extra second and settle the pin will we will greatly minimize high misses. I personally aim heart low to reduce the likely hood of deer jumping the string especially if the animal is nervous,. Low misses are usually due to range errors. If you have used a range finder or visualized and know all the possible shot distances then you should reduce low misses also...

Sometimes we have all the time in the world at shot time others its a fleeting second. But if we have visualized the scenario and settle the pin our odds of success will definatly improve....

[BLACKJACK]

Quote:

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Visualize how the shot will happen.

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Good point!!! If you prepare yourself and think about the deer, buck or doe, coming down the trail, it will help control that 'buck fever'!!!

[Hotspotter]

Nice tip DC, don't think that point can be stressed enough. Being mentally prepared is just as important as being physically prepared.

Joel

[bigbucks]

Nice job, I agree the what if scenarios being played out in your mind really help. They need to start even when you're hanging that stand, picking the tree, trimming those limbs, etc. You have to visualize what you think will happen & other scenarios you think might happen.

It's amazing how you can sit at home in your living room or at your desk at work & visualize that day where the wind's just right for your favorite spot. Along with tha the food source is just prime, & you know about X time Mr. Big or Miss Little or whatever deer uses that spot will coming strolling along the trail in the waning seconds of their life... Ahhh, fall is starting!

[harvey lee]

Very well written post.One does need to take his time and have a plan when the deer is approaching you.

[delmuts]

since this forum has been quiet lately! while scouting/hunting. keep you eyes open as you walk. i was out scouting today,( after the monsoons stopped!!! we had 5 inches + nobody has a guage bigger than 5 inches!) found a better location for one stand( hopefully where my daughter can boom one with the 50 cal.!! ) i walked an area with a lot of oak trees and found a nice size "hen of the woods" mushroom!

the neighbors think i lost it again! i was out in the rain hanging my hunting clothes up in a tree to be rained on. will let them dry and air out. the insulated ones will get packed in a plastic bag til needed. the light weight ones will get sprayed with a scent eleminator and placed in my pack . it is good to feel excited about deer hunting again!

[jlm]

Our next tip of the week will be submitted this evening, stay tuned!

[Deitz Dittrich]

Looking forward to it!!!

[jlm]

Bowhunting Food Sources

Its that time of year, the days are getting shorter and the nights cooler. If you are anything like me, the first smell of a wood burning stove in the Fall brings back some fond memories and the feelings of anticipation are difficult to contain. For those of us that like to spend every extra minute we have in the woods, this is a very special time of year. We fantasize about that monster buck, with its wide white antlers, that just stepped into the bean field (please substitute whatever food source is in your area). We can see his breath in the cool air and hear the crunching of stems and leaves as he makes his way toward your perch where you spent hours to set up just right so that nothing will go wrong! He makes his way within range, you draw, aim, and release. The arrow flies true and you watch your dream buck fall in the distance. Fantasies can become reality with the right preparation and set up. A great percentage of bowhunters will set up over food sources, particularly during the early season because bucks are much more likely to follow a specific pattern (associated with food sources) which is detectable to us savvy hunters. Once this pattern is learned as a result of some serious scouting the puzzle for success can be solved. Hunting a food source is a delicate issue just as important as hunting bedding areas in my opinion. Bumping deer, particularly mature deer, from a food source will almost always reduce your odds of scoring on those particular deer. Herein lies the problem. How do you set up over a food source and not bump deer? We have to walk to the stand, climb into the stand or blind, hoist up our gear, and then we have to do the opposite when legal shooting hours expire. That’s a lot of activity, particularly when its dark out and everything seems to trip us up or snag our jacket! This activity is even more significant when that buck of a lifetime is out in that bean field approximately 100 yards away because he entered the food source in another, out of range area. You can be assured that if he detects your movement from coming and going from your stand, he will either become nocturnal or will find a new spot all together. It is possible to remain undetected but it is extremely difficult. It is so difficult that I would recommend that you do NOT set up directly over a food source, particularly a food source holding a number of good deer. If you have a hot food source, it will remain a hot food source for a long time to come if you do not set up directly over it and bump deer. Instead, look to set up off of the food source. Look carefully for trails or funnels that lead from bedding areas to the food sources. Usually there are several good trails which will provide the option of hanging several stands to account for wind. There are several advantages to setting up on runways leading to a food source. The most significant is that you can get in and out of your stand with much greater odds of not being detected. Another advantage is that even if you get busted by that big buck (maybe he winded you or caught you attempting to draw, or maybe he just decided to look up), he more than likely will eventually continue to use the food source and will just change his travel route to get there. In this case, you can still hunt off of the food source and just change location….this sure beats your monster buck moving to your neighbors food plot! Hunting travel routes will also give you a better opportunity at those deer that have already become nocturnal because they will usually be active in the woods/brush until dark prior to making their way onto their favorite food source. The advantages are too numerous to mention. The point is, once your dream buck knows he is being hunted, he becomes a whole new breed of super buck that will take every precaution to survive. Hence, your odds of success have just taken a nose dive. A major tactic for any serious bow hunter is to remain undetected as long as possible, doing so increases your odds tremendously. One way to increase your odds is to avoid setting up directly over a good food source and instead focusing on trails and funnels that lead directly to that food source. In doing so, you just may make that fantasy a reality. Be safe and good luck to everyone this season from all the staff here at Fishing Minnesota!!

[Captain B.R.K]

Good read jlm!

I think a lot of times when we are out glassin the fields, looking for deer we think about setting up on those fields they hang out in. Well I think that way anyway because I don't want that deer to walk away from me and not be able to have an opportunity at that deer.

This gives us a better perspective of what it means to bumping the deer" and not do those things that I thought I (we) should not do, like "hunt over the food source".

Perfect timing being the season opens up in 2 days and the deer will still be focussing on those primary food sources.

[fishermn]

Excellent, thanks much for the info!

A question for those of you hunting in and around oaks... How have the acorns been this year? I'm hunting in the Duluth area, and just not seeing much for acorns.

[jbtwins24]

im hunting aorund oaks as well as apple trees but the acorns around my area in southren mn are huge. ive never seen acorns this size before. its not just a few they are every where.

[Code-Man]

a buddy scouting for bow said he saw a big buck on it's hind legs feeding out of an Oak tree for 10-15 minutes. Said he had never seen this before and wished he had a camera.

[Dark Cloud]

Delmuts - This has been a good years for mushrooms. This past week or two while hanging and clearing stands we have found over a dozen hen-of-the-woods. And the past few times out we have been picking "pipinki". Our season is still over 3 weeks away but scouting and schroom hunting has been a nice reason to be in the woods...

[delmuts]

awesome! we got some much needed rain last weekend,( although 6 in. is a bit much!!) . the guys are finding them more plentyfull now.

[bigbucks]

This is a day early for the September 20th Archery Tip of the Week. I'm hunting tonight, hoping to be too busy to write it tonight...

I guess maybe this is more like tips of the week (or book) this time or musings of an avid bow hunter with a strange way of thinking. (I suppose some would argue you have to have a strange way of thinking to be a bow hunter, but most of us here wouldn’t really understand that thinking.) Sorry for the length, I know I’m wordy, I enjoy writing.

To start off I’ll put it this way, put it on paper, for me that means put it in the computer for ease of use, but in short, keeping records. In preparation for writing this I looked back at my journals from this opener back through 2004, when I started keeping them. Each of those years, 3 straight, we’ve had a SE wind, usually somewhat strong, on opening day. In fact, much of the first few weeks of the season tend to be rainy with a SE wind. This tells me when you’re looking for your early season stand locations, you better at least have one or two that work well for that wind. Keep in mind that a spot that needs a NW wind in the evening may work perfect for a SE wind in the morning if the deer are returning to cover then, although many times that means a field you have to cross, with deer in it, to get there. One of the main places, my grandparent’s farm, my cousin & I hunt has very few good spots for that wind, but we keep working at it. I log every hunt, what the wind was, how strong, sunny, cloudy, etc. I log where I sat, what I saw & where they came from, including any other animals, other than the normal tweety birds, squirrels, & rabbits, etc. Looking back at these you can keep track of patterns and duplicate good hunt plans & dump ineffective ones. I always try to hunt with a plan, often planning 2-3 hunts ahead. You've got to fit the plans for the rest of your life in with the weather conditions. Okay I can hunt Tuesday or Thursday this week, hopefully both, which is looking like the better day? Which spot do I absolutely have to hunt with the wind predicted? etc. It’s amazing how much you forget or mix together over a year or two. I just start a Word document each year called the 200x hunting journal. I log each hunt, here’s my Saturday morning entry from this year: 9/16/06 Saturday- am Hunted West stand on the South side at the farm until 9:30, strong SE wind, overcast. Had a big fawn apparently by itself come through the woods from the NE about 7:15. Saw what appeared to be the same fawn in the field near killer (a stand name) about 9:45 after I’d gotten down & worked through the woods (between the two stands which are very close to each other). Lots of acorns down & dropping, heavy year for white oaks.

I also keep a document in Excel of my stand sites, with the best wind, plus full range of possibly huntable winds, which in a few cases may be all, at least during certain times of the season. Also track the current crops, primary & secondary draw, ie: salt & acorns, beans & corn, alfalfa & water, morning travel route, whatever. It helps determine where to sit quickly under certain conditions & also maybe what you’re missing in stand sites that you need to look to add to your arsenal.

Always be looking for new stand sites & new properties, along with that, don’t continue to hunt the same stand site several times in a row, at least close together. Early season especially I like to try to hit most of the properties I hunt as soon as I can to try to get a feel for what’s going on where & when. (If you scout a lot, which I don’t, you may know a lot of this ahead of time. I try to let history & experience tell me most of that.) If the deer are moving on one property you may have a tendency to want to keep going back there & burn it out, while at the same time there may be even more &/or better deer moving on one of your other places.

In conclusion I leave this thought, some may argue against this, but it’s worked very well for me. Figure out the food they’re hitting at the time, how they’re getting to it, & what wind allows you to sit down wind of where the deer are coming to the food. If you've tried the wind(s) you think are best & they haven't worked & you know deer are still hitting a spot, try a different wind, even if you think it's wrong, or hunt morning instead of evening, vice-versa. If the sign's there, they're coming there some time, although it may be in the dark. If you find they’re coming out too late & have the option to get back down the trail where they’re staging from the food, do it. Sometimes your property access doesn’t allow that & you have to hunt careful & hope some days they come earlier, hold out for a rainy or really overcast day. They will move earlier, anytime really, during the rut for sure. Try to find another spot until then.

[BLACKJACK]

Good post bigbucks!!!! You mentioned two things, a hunting journal and a stand site log, that I have been thinking about doing, but just haven't gotten around to - you know that dreaded 'roundtuit'. I've been contemplating the journal for the past several years, I even dug out a spiral notebook on Sunday with the idea of doing the journal, and then leaving it in my truck - but then I never got roundtuit. In the past I've wondered 'how many times did I go bowhunting this year'. A journal would answer that. Wish I would have started it 20 years ago, it would be kind of fun to go back and read it.

Same with the stand site log. Thats just an idea that I came up with recently, especially now that I'm trying to do more ground stands, which opens up more stand site possibilities, and I was also thinking of using Excell, so I could sort it by wind direction.

I'm going to start them both tonight!!!

Good post and good tips!!

[bigbucks]

Thanks Blackjack, I can't claim to be the originator of those ideas obviously, I just adapted some ideas to fit me from what I read in magazines. I have harvest log in Excel too with what each deer was, stand shot off, time of day, weapon, distance of shot, weight if I weighed it. It's kind of fun to relive memories everytime you update it. My brother & brother-in-law each started one too, so we push them back in forth & then it's like, "Oh yeah, I forgot about that time you shot such & such deer, that was fun."

The stand log's nice to be able to show your hunting buddies that hunt them with you to give them ideas when you're helping each other pick stands for a particular outing.

Pretty quiet on this thread this week, either most people think I'm cracked in the head (likely) or they're busy writing they're journals & stand logs...