With the opening of Oklahoma archery season only 12 days away, I've been in a mad rush to get everything "ready" for that first hunt. I'm still getting my new IQ bow sight dialed in with the new Bloodsport Punisher arrows I found a good deal on. I am waiting on my new Muddy Stagger steps and Game Winner hang on stand to arrive in the mail, along with the Nocturnal lighted nocks I found on sale. It seems like a lot of new things to worry about with less than two weeks til tree time, but that's pretty much how I operate.
I feel like a good portion of hunters out there are always looking for new gear or methods to gain an edge in the woods, and I'm one of them. Except I'm on a budget. No $300+ tree saddle setups for me, although it's definitely on my wish list. I found budget gear that should check all the boxes I need for this early season.
I'm also guilty of daydreaming about those first sits. If my season plays out like any of the halfway decent scenarios I've thought up, then I'm going to rework my budget for a new freezer! I'm an avid listener of the Wired To Hunt Podcast and have heard so many different ideas for how to hunt the early season. Mark and Dan have interviewed several of the nation's leading "professional" whitetail hunters. Not many of them seem to agree on things such as scent control, hunting early season mornings, or even how often to check trail cameras.
In my very unprofessional opinion, I say do what you think puts you in a best odds situation without mucking up your local deer routines. The herd where you hunt is used to bedding, drinking, and feeding in a pretty regular routine. DON'T MESS IT UP!!! That's my plan. I'm going to start the very beginning of the season on private land, practicing with my new stand and sticks, doing more observation and scent control testing than anything. I would like to fine-tune a few things before I take my setup to the few public spots I think will land me at the very least a fat doe.
I will be looking for transition points on edges of fields, and thick nasty cover type stuff close to any mast trees I locate along a trail. I will not be out there in the mornings until late October. I'm doing this for two reasons. First reason, I like to sleep in and will put off early mornings for after the time change. The second reason, I don't like my odds of not bumping deer going to bed. It's been much easier to get settled above a food source on a field edge before they come out to feed. The downside to hunting the evening sits is tracking a blood trail in the dark. The woods can be spooky at night, y'all. And I'm for real not trying to find come across a possessed owl or some slender man/hillbilly hybrid. I can't run fast enough for any of that.
Anyways...
Evening sits will also help determine where I orient myself regarding the sun's location. Having the sun in your eyes doesn't help you as much as the deer not looking in your direction if the sun is behind you. Keep that sweet tip in mind for hunting morning or evening. Feel free to test out any method you find most logical, but if things keep not working out for you, change your method.
Remember to pay attention, mind your manners, and go home safe.
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Bucks Be Creepin'
If you have ever had the opportunity to observe a group of unpressured deer, you may notice that young deer act a bit different than the older ones, and mature bucks act differently than all other deer. In my experience, this behavior difference is year round.
Last year was my first season to bow hunt, and I was very lucky to have a private piece of land to set up on and arrow my first whitetail. This is a two man ladder stand sitting on the edge between a large wooded area and an overgrown hay pasture, right over a food plot. I didn't know which direction the deer would come from, but I knew they like this particular spot.
I got in the stand super early and fought mosquitoes almost the entire time (that's why this year I invested in a Thermocell) and I was sweating a whole bunch from wearing long sleeve camo. As typical, that golden hour around sundown brought the first movement of the evening. It was a doe and her fawn, just out of spots, making their way to the food plot. I debated on whether to take the mother doe, and my excitement told me the fawn was old enough to run off and join up with her sisters.
Well, due to some bad luck along the lines of not making sure I had space around my cams, I missed way low. This spooked both does, but not enough to skedaddle, just enough to get the mom to stomp and snort a whole bunch. She was out of range so she got a pass. I was a bit relieved and a bit upset, but it was a new experience for me.
I still had 20 minutes of legal hunting light and decided to use it to make my way back to the truck. No way any more deer were going to come through there after that stomp and blow session.
I was wrong.
After getting down and passing the end of the food plot 60 yards ago, I see him in the corner of my eye. I froze and slowly turned to look at him. Once this 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 big bodied buck realized I was looking at him, he about-faced and crashed through the woods. I could hear the leaves and branches crunching the whole way to my truck.
That different behavior exhibited by mature bucks I mentioned earlier? They are the last ones out, almost every single time, not including the time around and during the rut. They are back in the woods, observing the does and fawns, waiting till those last few minutes of shooting light before they tentatively make their way to the food plot.
Now I know why these pro hunters wait in their stands for 30 to 90 minutes after shooting hours. They know if the buck didn't show up during daylight, then he was most likely out there after, happily grazing in the dark. You don't want to spook them from your stand, because then they will have a reason to be cautious around that area. If you can't wait that long in the stand, then have someone drive up to come get you. That way the vehicle spooks them from the opposite direction of your hunting spot.
Like a lot of the most important life lessons, this is one I've learned the hard way. So, take it from me and force yourself to be patient, and you just might give yourself an opportunity you didn't know was available.
Remember to pay attention, mind your manners, and go home safe.
Last year was my first season to bow hunt, and I was very lucky to have a private piece of land to set up on and arrow my first whitetail. This is a two man ladder stand sitting on the edge between a large wooded area and an overgrown hay pasture, right over a food plot. I didn't know which direction the deer would come from, but I knew they like this particular spot.
I got in the stand super early and fought mosquitoes almost the entire time (that's why this year I invested in a Thermocell) and I was sweating a whole bunch from wearing long sleeve camo. As typical, that golden hour around sundown brought the first movement of the evening. It was a doe and her fawn, just out of spots, making their way to the food plot. I debated on whether to take the mother doe, and my excitement told me the fawn was old enough to run off and join up with her sisters.
Well, due to some bad luck along the lines of not making sure I had space around my cams, I missed way low. This spooked both does, but not enough to skedaddle, just enough to get the mom to stomp and snort a whole bunch. She was out of range so she got a pass. I was a bit relieved and a bit upset, but it was a new experience for me.
I still had 20 minutes of legal hunting light and decided to use it to make my way back to the truck. No way any more deer were going to come through there after that stomp and blow session.
I was wrong.
After getting down and passing the end of the food plot 60 yards ago, I see him in the corner of my eye. I froze and slowly turned to look at him. Once this 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 big bodied buck realized I was looking at him, he about-faced and crashed through the woods. I could hear the leaves and branches crunching the whole way to my truck.
That different behavior exhibited by mature bucks I mentioned earlier? They are the last ones out, almost every single time, not including the time around and during the rut. They are back in the woods, observing the does and fawns, waiting till those last few minutes of shooting light before they tentatively make their way to the food plot.
Now I know why these pro hunters wait in their stands for 30 to 90 minutes after shooting hours. They know if the buck didn't show up during daylight, then he was most likely out there after, happily grazing in the dark. You don't want to spook them from your stand, because then they will have a reason to be cautious around that area. If you can't wait that long in the stand, then have someone drive up to come get you. That way the vehicle spooks them from the opposite direction of your hunting spot.
Like a lot of the most important life lessons, this is one I've learned the hard way. So, take it from me and force yourself to be patient, and you just might give yourself an opportunity you didn't know was available.
Remember to pay attention, mind your manners, and go home safe.
Thursday, September 6, 2018
My Scent Control "Strategy"
Scent control is a major portion of whitetail hunting. Hearing and scent are two powerful tools deer use to remain safe, especially during the time of year humans are flooding the woods with scary smells. Managing your scent risk by treating yourself and your gear, along with observing wind direction, can be the difference between getting close enough to harvest a target buck, or only hearing him snort and crash away through the woods.
Here is what I do to prevent getting winded.
Personal Hygiene
Since the scent coming from me is scarier than exhaust or gun oil, I like to make sure I have as many details covered as possible. I start with a shower using Scent-A-Way hair and body soap to block the odor from my "hot spots" and my hair. I also use Dead Down Wind's toothpaste because the taste isn't bad and it helps control that morning mouth funk. I'm pretty fond of the Scent Killer Gold deodorant to avoid too much odor generation. Also, to prevent cold morning winds from sapping all of the moisture from my face, I use the lotion from Nose Jammer. The lotion isn't a scent blocker or preventative. Instead, it uses natural scents to overwhelm senses to keep from spooking the animals.
Clothing
Not too long ago, most people would hang hunting clothing outside a few days or a week before heading out in order to rid the fabrics of unwelcome scents. But now there are a bunch of treatment products such as laundry detergent, dryer sheets, and field spray. I like the convenience of the laundry treatment, followed by storing with a scented wafer. There are other options such as carbon mats to absorb odors or the increasingly popular use of ozone treatment.
These methods don't take near as long and can be repeated after each outing to remove odors deposited from hiking and long sits. I also like to throw my towel in with the laundry so that I'm not using anything that fragrance has been in contact with.
Personally, I like Dead Down Wind's laundry detergent and odor-less dryer sheets. I then store them in a Hunters Specialties Scent-A-Way Scent-Safe Deluxe Travel Bag with a scent wafer. I will be looking into a small ozone generator for my storage bag instead of the scent wafers. I like "no scent" better than a cover scent for my gear to prevent my closet distinctly smelling of dirt or acorns.
Gear
Before I get all of my gear packed to go to the field, I get some scent control cloths and give everything a liberal wipe down. Anything that goes to the stand with me will get wiped down or sprayed with field spray.
In the field
Once I'm parked, and getting geared up I like to do a final spray down of everything. I especially concentrate on the soles of my boots. For this season, I have also invested in the Hunter's Kloak Electronic mist system. I will be using it for cover scent around my stand. The system also has food and estrous scents for attractants. Depending on the time of the year, I will either use earth scent or acorn scent for the system to pump downwind of my location.
I'm not gonna say that my strategy is foolproof, but it's worked for me in the past. I'm always looking to learn a bit more and invest in better equipment. The main goal is to stay off the nose radar as long as possible. Everyone who bow hunts should take some steps to mitigate how much scent you generate and leave behind, so maybe what I do can help you think of some ways to do that better.
Good luck this season!
Remember to pay attention, mind your manners, and go home safe.
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