Archery Tip of the Week

[harvey lee]

OK. here it is, the Tip of the Week as many have asked for. I would like for some to take a date for a Tip of the week. lIke last time, do your best from hunting tips to equipment and so on. Also, if you know the subject, please post it.

August 11-- Harvey Lee-- Getting ready

August 18-- Goldtip

August 25-- ac777

Sept 1--Dark Cloud

Sept 8--BigBucks

Sept 15-- Scoot

Sept 22

[Scott M]

Looking forward to reading these again! I'm still a neophyte (didn't take a shot, passed on two does) and need all the help I can get.

Tom, I'm curious as to what you do to keep sharp for ND. You better have some good tips posted tomorrow!

[Christopher Quast]

Tom I will take next weeks segment

[harvey lee]

Thanks Goldtip.

[harvey lee]

Pre Season tips

Typically, if an archer is looking for a good season, one really needs to do a few things to increase their chances of having a successful season. I will list some of the things I do to help with harvesting some deer.

Sometimes we get all hyped up over harvesting that monster buck but one can have a great time afield just enjoying the outdoors and everything around us while afield. There is nothing wrong with harvesting a nice doe for good tablefare. Sometimes I get to wrapped up in the big boy and do not enjoy the fall like I should.

1-Equipment

Typically I like to start to go over my bow and accessories long before the season start. If one wants to make a clean kill of their deer, one needs to start to practice to make sure that they are shooting very well. After one has the bow all tuned with the field tips, then I like to practice with my broadheads to make sure they are flying true.

2- Stands

I always get all of my stands together and go through all the hinged parts to make sure there are no squeaks and that all the nuts and bolts are tight. This is also a very good time to check out your safety harness to see that it will do the job if needed.

3- Clothing

Now is a very good time to get the clothing out to first, make sure it all fits. Seems every year, the clothes shrink some on me. I like to air out my clothes and get the clothes scent free and place them in a scent free container.

4- Hunting locations

Every new season I like to have up at a minimum 2-3 stands in new locations with all the limb trimming done so any scent left by me while getting these stands ready are long gone. Sometimes I will find a location during the season and need to place a stand up but typically my stands are all up before the season. I always try to have numerous different locations so no matter what the wind direction is for the hunt, I will be set up right. One also needs to change stand locations according to the food source that the deer are feeding in.

5-Trail Camera’s

We have over the past few seasons really started to use trail cameras to help with finding the routes we would like to hunt. If one can afford this luxury, it is a great help in finding these travel routes without sitting on the stand and then finding out the trail is of no value. One can also use their field glasses to look over some travel area to see just where some are traveling.

Basically, I try to have all my gear ready long before the season. Practice enough to know that you will make a good clean shot and continue to practice during the season. I so many times find myself not continuing to practice during the season.

This is really just the tip of the iceberg but it will get one going with a pretty good start to the season.

Good luck to all this fall and hunt safe.

[Meat-Run]

NIce start to the weekly tips Harvey, thanks for sharing. I am quilty of not going over my camo before the seaon so a once over, a good cleaning and off to the scent-proof bag.

thanks,

mr

[ac777]

I'll take the 25th of August. The subject will be on target shooting/Practicing real hunting situations.

[Christopher Quast]

Mine will be on scent control and elimination Hows does this sound and when should I post it?

[harvey lee]

Post it on the 17th or the 18th and the subject sounds great.

[Ryan Becklund]

Thanks for the post Harvey, I am new to bowhunting this year and am getting more excited as the days go by. Any tips would help!

[harvey lee]

Welcome to the exciting world of archery for deer. Keep watching the archery forum for many tips that are posted. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. No question is a dumb one.

[Scott M]

Was out and about and saw two nice bucks rooming where I put my stand last year. I'm thinking of parking it in the same location this year as soon as I can get back out that way. I'll also have another on my new food plot at the family cabin.

I'm planning on getting my mind right for archery. By that I mean that I plan to paper tune and then get the broadheads sighted in. Last year was my first year bowhunting so I really didn't know there would be this huge difference in performance between broadheads and field tips. I found that difference very late in the game, like very near the season opener. I am going to do a lot more broadhead practice shooting. If you need a reason why, look no further than the above paragraph.

It shouldn't take long before I'm feeling on fire with the bow. Confidence is key towards making the big kill in archery.

[koonie]

Get out there NOW and start practicing with your field points and get started broadhead tuning. We are only a month away.

If you have any problems now with your equip or your shooting you'll be hard pressed to get ready by opener.

People should practice way more often than they do. Year round in fact(if possible). You only have to shoot a dozen arrows a day and it will make a huge difference. The first arrow is the most important. So make that one count.

I've been shooting since the beginning of June. Did my broadhead tuning two weeks ago. Money out to 50 yards. I'm ready.

[Dark Cloud]

Harvey - The last few years I took a week and will gladly this year.

Sept 1 and im not sure of the subject yet, need to sleep on it, lol...

[Deitz Dittrich]

Thanks to all for stepping up, cant wait to read your tips!!!!

[Christopher Quast]

First off I'd say that any veteran deer hunter and especially bowhunters know that a mature deer has an amazing sense of smell and this is his number one defense against us and they can smell danger up to several hundred yards away.

First and foremost make sure you don't take any shortcuts when it comes to preseason scouting or hanging stands or just checking your trail cams even if you are in and out it don't matter, because any deer that crosses your path in the next couple of days has your number and will consider that a caution zone.

Here is what I do and it works for me and I have never been blown at or busted and I don't even own any scent block type of clothing. Sure it might give you a little edge, but if you don't take all the normal steps till this point it isn't gonna help you at all.

First of all I should explain what I mean by the normal steps in scent elimination.

1) Shower before every hunt or scouting trip or at least wipe your body down with a field wipe if not around home and on a trip.

2) Put scent killer deoderant on and brush your teeth with baking soda water or chew that nasty expensive gum.

3) Wash and store your clothes properly.

4) Dress in the field if you can and only wear rubber boots.

I start by washing all my clothes in Scent Killer (the original formula) you can use the earth or fall blend, but if a deer smells that he'll know somethings up, anyways getting back to the point you want to keep things as natural or nuetral as possible. Baking soda is what the old timers used and I know a couple of very successful hunters that still use it today. Why do you put it in your fridge? Hmmmm! To kill odors right? or more so absorb them and nuetralizing them Its the same concept and it is a good route to take for the budget hunter in mind.

When I am done washing them the best thing you can do is air dry them outside, but if the weather isn't cooperative just dry them with the Hunter Specialties dryer sheets and then put them in a scent proof container just something that has a good seal. I personally use the Hunters Specialties big green scentproof bags and they work awesome and are very roomy and also very durable and have a double zipper system on them.

Anytime you go into your hunting area (always) and I stress this point wear knee high rubber boots and if you can where your hunting pants that you have ready to go.

If your going to be trimming shooting lanes or touching any vegatation or putting scents out, setting up a mock scrape,etc.etc. be sure to wear rubber gloves in conjunction with these other items.

Before you leave your vehicle be sure before scouting or hunting to liberally spray yourself and all of your equipment such as bow, arrows, release, and of course your fanny or daypack or just anything you bring to your stand down with scent killer and pay special attention to your hat and also your body's normal sweaty areas and also carry some with you out to your stand that way if you get sweated up on your walk you can have that extra reinsurance while on stand.

One last thing I can't stress enough make sure if you need to get gas get it before you take a shower prior to your hunt and don't store your clothes in the garage. Otherwise that shower you took was completely pointless.

But most important of all is play the wind right and if you don't know what I'm talking about here is an example:

If you have a stand on the west side of the woods and the deer bed or always come in from the east and there is a west wind DO NOT hunt that stand location that night, but instead hunt the next best stand location in your favor. And one last thing is hunt as high as you are comfortable with and always where your safety belt.

Sorry this took so long, but my 10 month old twins have kept me busy.

I hope this sheds some light this subject especially for the new guys and gals to this sport I have never wrote an article before and I hope this helps. GOOD LUCK THIS FALL!!!!!!

Chris

[DonBo]

All good advice. I would add to clean all the equipment you may have used (and sweat on) during the summer. Your bow and binocs come to mind. Clean with a good dose of scent eliminating spray and wipe them down good.

[Meat-Run]

Goldtip,

great tip on the baking soda. I'll need to put that on grocery list.

mr

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Rub yourself down good w/ Balsam bows too! Stink like a christmas tree!

[bigbucks]

Harvey I'm game for one again. Haven't picked a topic yet either.

[Christopher Quast]

Rub yourself down good w/ Balsam bows too! Stink like a christmas tree!

Great idea if you have those where you hunt

[ac777]

Good Advice, I too think baking soda works good for washing clothes in as a couple of years ago i had a doe walk right down wind of me almost up to my stand. This year I am trying the scent away laundry detergent.

[Christopher Quast]

I just tried to cover all the bases on this topic and thanks for the compliments guys.

[tednugefan]

those are some great tips.

[Christopher Quast]

hey thanks nugefan glad I could help