It’s almost here! Whitetail Bow Seasons are opening soon all around the country! You’ve waited 9 months, scouted your hunting area and it’s finally time foe you to bowhunt deer again. But what’s the best strategy for hunting during the early season? How do you increase your chances of tagging your target buck?
In this video we will talk about their approach to hunting the early season. Where and when they recommend we hunt as well as a few things we should avoid.
When it comes to spooking deer in the dark, is your flashlight the biggest culprit! Does a flashlight spook deer, or not?What Say You?
Make sure to watch this video so that you can avoid one of the most common deer hunting pitfalls.
Donald Duck (my long time bowhunting buddy Don Beckwith) came down early to work on some last minute hunting chores ahead of the upcoming opening day. His first project was to check on his two food plots. One is at a bowhunting haunt that I call “Telephone Pole Alley.” It is a narrow 100 yard cut through the thick woods that leads to a weather worn, wooden, out of use, telephone pole. And, the thing that years ago attracted me to this telephone pole place, is the scrapes that always show up every year along the edges of the trees.
Here is a pic of the food plot growing in the narrow opening that leads to the pole. The open area is less than 15 yards wide.
If you’re like most of the people I have conversations with about food plots, one glance at that picture and you say, “that won’t bring in any deer. Food Plots are much larger.”
It’s certainly true that most food plots cover a lot of ground. But in my experience big plots are a waste of this bowhunters time. And I’ll come back to that very soon. Right now we’re talking about the Duck, his get ready for the hunt, and the start of the season.
He set up a ground blind, it’s an old one he was given on a hunt with Keith Beam and that blind has been through some rough treatment. Don cobbled it back together from poles, hubs and other parts we have accumulated. And located the blind by a cross trail at the food plot.
Find out how Steve Bartylla sets up Whitetail Staging Plots to create an Social Gathering area for your local bucks. Learn how Steve sets up to give him the best odds for making a successful shot — in this video episode of Grow ‘em Big.
Some say don’t shoot does, others say shoot a lot. In ‘Grow ‘Em Big,’ Wildlife Biologist Steve Bartylla tells us how to determine what is needed for your hunting area and then how to do it right.
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I’ve been using a Vosker security camera for the past three years with excellent success. At the time of purchase digital cell cameras were just becoming available and I purchased it, despite its “security camera” advertisement. With a built-in solar panel, I rarely changed batteries and the camera sent as many as 100 images per day with little battery drain. Better yet, the images arrived instantly and I did not have to wait until a designated time to conserve battery life as with other cameras.
A black bear had ripped the camera from a tree on two occasions, breaking the attachment strap holders built into the rear of the camera. Despite this problem, I was able to wrap it tightly to a tree which held it in place for a year and did not detract from performance. Last month, the camera transmitted daylight pictures as usual, yet infrared images were completely black. I called Vosker and they thought the problem was due to a defective media card. Since the camera was still in the woods, they were unable to verify the problem.
The Vosker 200 is a very well-built camera that opens with a side section and the battery compartment pops open with the push of a button on the rear of the camera. When I retrieved the camera I opened the front and turned the device off to conserve battery power and brought it to my home. I got in just before dark and set the camera on my desk anticipating to replace the batteries and media card first thing in the morning.
After a fresh cup of coffee, I opened the camera, cleaned the media card, and powered up the device. It functioned properly so I turned it over and popped open the battery department. OMG. The batteries were crawling with insects. Immediately, I dashed to the front porch, laid the camera in the grass, and went back inside for insect spray. I doused the battery department and let it rest while the bug spray had its intended effect. An hour later, I returned, and removed the batteries and at least 50 dead ants, some with wings. Hoping that fresh batteries would solve my problems I installed eight AA’s and let the device charge overnight. The next day, I was astounded to find 50 more ants in the front compartment, and 50 more the next day.
I called Vosker several times and they still believed the problem was the media card. I purchased a brand new Class 10, 32GB card, but now the camera failed to function at all. Had three soakings of bug spray damaged the electronics? I wiped all of the contacts with alcohol pads and did my best to clean the camera, yet it still didn’t work. Since the camera was more than a year out of warranty, Vosker gave me a substantial discount on another model, yet said they do not repair cameras that are out of warranty.
Candy Nolan (the ‘Swamp Girl’) takes us bowhunting for Wild Wild Hogs in the south Florida swamp. When Candice locates a group of wild hogs she puts a stalk on them. As she gets within box range she singles out a big boar and drops him.
This is Candy’s favorite animal to hunt and then BBQ! The perfect shot placement can be tricky in the dense Florida swamps. You need to know the pigs anatomy, so here’s a look:) keep calm and eat bacon. It’s Hawg Dynasty!
Balancing a deer population with the habitat and available food requires harvesting the appropriate number of does. In some areas this may be a lot, a few in others, and even none in isolated cases. Being able to separate them by age in the field allows you to selectively harvest antlerless deer based on whether your goal is to harvest more mature does and reduce the deer herd, or harvest younger does and allow the deer herd to grow.
In this video, Kip Adams shares tips to help you separate adult does from younger does in the field, and even identify whether fawns (deer under 1 year of age) are does or bucks. The 18-deer quiz then allows you to practice what you learned by giving you a few seconds to identify wild deer in live footage from the field.
In each of nine scenarios, with 18 deer in all, Kip then provides his analysis of the deer in the scenario. This is especially pertinent when you have a group of deer in front of you during hunting season. Estimating the sex and age of live antlerless deer is a great skill for hunters and critical for the collection of reliable observation data.
The ability to separate live antlerless deer into two general age groups – fawns and adults – is obtainable for all hunters with a little knowledge and some practice.
The three key characteristics are body size and shape, head size and shape, and animal behavior. “The team at The Bearded Buck gave us full access to their incredible collection of whitetail footage from years of their hunts,” said NDA’s Chief Conservation Officer and host of the video, Kip Adams. “The result is NDA’s most comprehensive and realistic look at how to age deer in the field.” We are grateful to our partners at The Bearded Buck for their support with this project.
By Tink Jackson
I utilized available cover and made my way back to within 200 yards of a stand of trees. Glassing for a few minutes I could not find a single deer. No ears, no horns, nothing. They had continued to move on.
I looked south from the trees and could not find them. Where had they gone? After a few minutes I noticed an old cow trail with a lot of really fresh deer tracks in it. In this dry windblown dirt I might just be able to track them down. I got my mind right and off I went.
This was about 9:30 AM. I tracked them for 4 miles and finally lost the trail in a grassy lowland in a small draw. They were headed south, but the terrain and some laid over grass told me that they had turned west, in the direction of a canyon.
I headed west observing every busted twig and bent piece of grass. Covering as much country as I had, I realized that if they got to the canyon they would be sitting at my vehicle waiting for me! Now wouldn’t that be a laugh.
Equipment
Let’s begin with treating our equipment. This is commonly overlooked by many hunters. It really matters how seriously you take personal hygiene and if you throw your hunting clothes and gear in the back of the truck on top of those oily rags that are laying next to the leaky gas can.
Simply put, a whitetail does not care if the offending odors it smells are coming from you or your equipment. All it cares about is ‘something ain’t right here and I’m not sticking around to find out what it is’. Obviously then, it is as important to treat our equipment as it is to treat our clothes and ourselves.
Before I bring stands, tree steps, climbing sticks, safety harnesses, bow, release, arm guard, ect. into the woods, I wash them in a mixture of water and ‘Scent Killer’ liquid soap from Wildlife Research Center. After allowing them to sufficiently air out in the yard, I transport them to the desired location.
While in transport, I either seal them in a plastic bag or, for items that are not practical to store in a bag, I lay them on the bags. Once I arrive at the hunting location, I give them a liberal dousing of ‘Scent Killer’ Spray to offset any odors they may have picked up in transit. Now they are ready to enter the woods with you.
Visit Fred Lutger’s web site Freddie Bear Sports
By Fred Lutger
Fred Lutger admires the exceptional wild turkey taxidermy mounts at the NWTF Show.Wild Turkey hunting is one of my passions and the NWTF show is a turkey hunter’s dream.
I had a short visit this year but still managed to completly walk around the show floor. Not only does the show offer many vender displays but has a full schedule of seminars, auctions, calling contests and call making contests, an art and photo contest as well as the camaraderie of the best people on this planet, wild turkey hunters.
I have many friends in the hunting industry and I look forward to seeing faces I don’t get to see as often as I’d like. This show is a great way of bringing those friends together. My wife/partner/confidante/love of my life, Kathleen Considine, made the trip with me and saw the show for the first time. She got to put faces to the many names she has heard me mention and talk about.
She was also impressed with the Gaylord Center. We not only saw the show but visited the indoor gardens at the center, took the boat ride and visited the restaurants and pubs at the center.
A quick dash downtown to the music center fueled plans for a future Nashville trip to visit the downtown bars and music venues. That trip will wait until this years spring turkey seasons.
I have bowhunted nearly every big game animal in North America and people often ask which hunt I think is the best. Hands down, an archery elk hunt in the Rocky Mountains in mid-September is tops. Just walking, hiking, and camping in the Mountain West is a thrill. Crisp mornings, golden aspen leaves, and spectacular scenery capped each day with a blazing campfire are near heaven. Add a 600-pound animal with daggers on its head that screams and bugles, and you have the ultimate hunt.
Public land hunting in the West is very different than the Eastern experience. Eastern states sell licenses over-the-counter and anyone who is old enough can buy one. This means, that a public tract of land can have unlimited deer hunters which leads to a very bad experience, especially if your goal it to enjoy a serene day in the woods. Western states have far more public land than Eastern states and they strictly limit the number of licenses sold and that number is based upon the population of a specific animal. Booming populations mean more tags, while a disease or starvation die-off creates fewer opportunities.
My oldest grandson lives in Boise Idaho and I embraced our first chance to hunt together. He was 14 which meant I could fly to Boise, rent a pick-up, and drive to our hunting unit. As a resident, he was able to buy an elk and deer tag, while, I drew a non-resident bull elk tag. Eastern hunters often associate elk hunting with pack horses and dizzying heights in search of elk. Ironically, our plan was to drive to the end of a gravel road, make camp, and hunt the next morning. We would be hunting with three friends who had scouted the area, yet this was our first time. As we lay in our tent that night, we heard elk bugling all around us and the next day seemed very promising.
When daylight finally arrived, bugling had ceased yet we spotted elk moving above the timberline. In early September it is common for elk to graze in open meadows in the wide open spaces and retreat to dark timber as the day grows warmer. Climbing mountains with an emergency backpack, binoculars, rangefinder, water, and a crossbow is a challenge. An intelligent person would arrive in the area two to three days to become acclimated to altitude before hunting. My head said that made sense, but my heart said, “Bologna.” Luckily, my grandson carried my pack on the final climb to a nearby saddle. I planned to sit and watch this promising mountain crossing while he and a buddy attacked the high country.
Idaho does not allow crossbows in most of their archery seasons, however, I have not been able to draw a compound bow since my late 60’s and qualified for a crossbow permit. Even with this opportunity, the bow had to have a zero magnification sight and I opted for a Burris FastFire III sighted in at 25 yards. My bow was the Barnett Hyperghost that shot a .209 arrow in excess of 400 feet per second. I counted on the slim shaft to increase penetration with a Wasp 100-grain three-blade fixed head. Although the bow and sight system had traveled 2500 miles through airports, over dusty roads, and up and down mountains, the sight held true on the discharge target I used at the end of each day.
This big mule deer buck offers the dream shot. Quartering away, head down and feeding, an arrow behind the shoulder will fill your tag in seconds. As ideal as this situation appears, it has a very low probability of happening and hunters must build probability into every ambush situation. Sure, we’d love to have deer walk right up to us, and look the other way, while we raise our bow and shoot, yet that scenario is very unlikely. It’s far better to prepare for reality and if lady luck makes our success easier, we’ll celebrate.
This single shot at 62.5 yards with a TenPoint Viper 430 demonstrates just how accurate a crossbow can be. I was aided by the Burris Oracle X rangefinding scope which selected the exact range for the shot. Crossbow hunters have the advantage of accuracy, especially if they can get a rested shot so that ranges of 30 or 40 yards can be near automatic. You should not shoot beyond ranges you have practiced, yet 30 or 40 yards can easily be duplicated in a backyard setting.
Earlier this month, I blogged about a point-and-shoot setup and that’s exactly what I will use for my upcoming mule deer hunt in Idaho. I sighted in my Meopta red dot scope at 25 yards using a 300-grain arrow and 150-grain target point to match the 150-grain Sevr Robusto broadhead I’ll be using on the hunt. I’ll pack my Final Rest and plan to watch several waterholes and feeding areas with the TenPoint locked on. To test the versatility of this setup, I shot a test arrow at 40.5 yards yesterday while aiming high on the shoulder of the Back-to-Back target. As expected, with a slight aiming compensation, I can use a single-dot aiming system with total confidence at a medium range.
The closer you are to an animal the more likely it will smell you, hear you, or see you. I had a chance to ambush a mule deer two years ago as the animal walked along a ravine trail 50 yards away. Slightly adjusting my prone stance, I crushed a leaf and the buck quartered directly toward me, preventing an ethical shot. Despite an animal in the rut and walking casually along a trail, the crush of a single leaf ruined the opportunity. Sounds like clicking a safety to the “off” position, brushing your sleeve against the trunk of a tree, or even the tiniest unnatural sound can spoil a shot. When winds swirl, the closer to the animal, the greater your likelihood of being detected.
I have hunted African animals from waterhole ambushes for nearly 10 years and have never had one jump the string from a crossbow. African animals know that waterholes are places of great danger and almost always approach with their muscles coiled for escape. I once chewed a bite of apple with my mouth closed and had a kudu bull raise its head from 20 yards away. The sound of a compound bow’s release can cause a deer to duck before an arrow will reach it, however, this rarely happens with a crossbow and should never happen with crossbows 400 feet per second or faster. For this reason, you can plan your ambush from deeper into cover and improve your chances for success.
Opening day is the Christmas morning feeling for adults. No doubt, you have been thinking, planning, and preparing for this special event even if you’ve done it many times before. The first day of archery deer season can be your state’s first legal hunting day or the first day you can go hunting. Either way, if you are serious about success, don’t take these missteps and screw up your best first chance.
One of the worst things a deer hunter can do is buy gas on the way to a hunt. The scent of petroleum is so strong, most humans can smell it. Even if you wear plastic gloves when gassing up, your feet will be soaking up the smell of gas. Back in the car or truck, that smell transfers to your gas pedal and floor mats. If you use a UTV, you probably have driven it with your street shoes so it is contaminated also. It’s best to keep your boots and clothes in a plastic container and change them in the field.
Wind direction should determine which stand you hunt and if you should hunt at all. On opening day, deer will probably have a routine of feeding and bedding and if they don’t smell danger, they will continue that routine. If you pollute your environment with human scent, deer will detect you and detour you long before you see them. Even if you take appropriate scent control measures (shower, spray down, use ozone scent eliminators) a deer’s nose is so sensitive, it will detect you from downwind.
I have several stands with excellent early morning potential, yet I don’t hunt them because I’ll spook deer on the way in. Keeping the two previous points in mind, you want to stalk your stand such that you don’t spook deer. For this reason, many hunters choose to hunt opening day in the afternoon so that they can approach quietly in full daylight, access wind direction, and move when most deer are bedded. Ironically, if deer are used to vehicles, farm equipment, or UTV’s it may be best to drive as close to your stand as possible.
I’ll never forget climbing a mountain an hour before daylight, upping a tree in my climber, and watching a herd of deer approach at first light. The lead doe walked directly under my stand with a buck trailing the group. Suddenly, she smelled some buck lure I’d posted, snorted, and nearly exploded in her escape. This was the early season when doe-in-heat lure was unnatural and she wasted no time in her retreat. Curiosity lures may stop a deer in a location, but save the rut scent for a more appropriate time.
“Shooting houses” were born in the South where hunters waited in a small enclosed blind that helped deal with bugs and bad weather. Primarily a rifle hunting strategy, hunters could sit with greater comfort and avoid creepy crawling things that made hunting unsavory. Today, that concept has been elevated, literally, and many hunters now hunt from an enclosed structure from five to ten feet above the ground. If youngsters or senior citizens are among your hunting group, box blinds are particularly suited to them.
Box blinds come in many configurations, but most have a roof, a door, and many are enclosed. A blind with a door and windows has great insulating power and is ideal for hunting in windy or cold weather. A small portable heater will allow you to hunt in relative comfort and spend the entire day if needed. Most hunters embrace the comfort of a box blind which includes a chair with pads and a small table for coffee cups and sandwiches. If you hunt with a youngster or two, the hunt quickly morphs into a picnic. Tinted windows are a popular option so that you can see deer but they cannot see you. Enclosed blinds are also more scent-containing than an open tree stand.
A square or circular structure on stilts will spook deer for a week or two, however, deer soon become accustomed to them and even roaming bucks will not be alarmed as they see does and fawns near the stand acting normally. The cost will be a factor since purchasing a commercial blind or building one will cost between $1,000 and $3,000. That may seem like a huge sum, but the blind should last at least 10 years and you can get great enjoyment from one. Finally, some box blinds are stationary while others can be taken down and erected in a new location. I had a porch built on my blind so that I had the option of sitting inside or in the open.
My daughter has three sons who love to hunt and my box blind is the perfect “school house” to help them become proficient hunters. One has serious pulmonary issues and sitting in an open stand during the rut is a major health concern. The enclosure helps keeps temperatures in the moderate range. Also, youngsters need a lot of coaching in the early years about safety, deer behaviors, and especially guidance at the moment of truth. The youngest grandson hops out of bed but only lasts an hour in the stand until he curls up for a nap. All good. An enclosed blind allows kids to be kids and keeps the fun front and center.
Bowhunter Sam Davis, pro-staffer for Grim Reaper Broadheads, shot this big buffalo with a Pro 3 broadhead (3-blade, 1 3/8″ mechanical from Grim Reaper Broadheads). This video covers the hunt, including Sam’s incredible stalk and his perfect shot. The Huge Bison goes only 20 yards. Sam absolutely “Watches ’em Drop.”
When Elk cows comes into estrus, a herd bull performs courting behavior that is different from his herding behavior. The herd bull will approach cows slowly and carefully. He holds his antlers high and his tongue is flicking. He will do everything he can to win her over.
If the cow is not ready to mate, she will move away from the bull with her head low, and her neck is moving side to side. The bull will immediately stop his courting efforts. However, Cows will accept the herd bull’s attention when they are ready.
Simple! That describes what the deer we see (and don’t) experience in the Deer Woods. It is a much simpler place than what we people experience.
All of us have much more complicated issues going on in our lives than deer do.
This morning, right after daylight, the first thing I saw was was 4 wild hogs rooting in a growing wheat field 100 yards from me. Three were mature adult hogs of good size. The 4th hog was a black boar that was double their size. He was “Big” but not as big as the particular black boar I see almost every morning between 7:00 and 8:00. (He did a no-show this morning.)
During the first hour after sunrise I had watched 11 whitetail deer that were browsing and doing deer stuff. The closest were 45 yards and the furthest were over a hundred yards off.
Here is a picture of one of the closer ones. a young buck that was close enough I could use my iPhone.
While Dominant Elk Bull’s display will attracts cows, bulls will also herd females to try to keep them from escaping to a rival Bull. The more a Big Bull works and advertises his dominance, the less likely cows will leave him.
Elk bulls will continue to charm females in their harems with bugling and displays, but it is the cows that will size up the bulls in the area and decide who looks most attractive. Cows do not want to be harassed by younger bulls that constantly chase down unattached females, so a big dominant herd bull that keeps younger bulls at a distance gives cows the peace they want to keep feeding for the winter ahead.
A Big Herd Bull will cut off cows that have ventured too far away, rushing at her with an aggressive display. The herd Bull will also use a similar technique to move the harem to safety, to an area to bed down, or simply away from another competitive bull.
When cows comes into heat, a herd bull performs courting behavior that is different from his herding behavior. The herd bull will now approach cows slowly and carefully, with antlers high and tongue flicking, doing everything he can to win her over. If a cow is not ready to mate, she will move away with her head low, weaving her neck side to side and the bull will stop his immediate courting. Cows will accept and tolerate the herd bull’s behavior when they are ready.
The first step to elk-hunting success is finding where they live, but that’s not easy. Elk need food, water and shelter, so study maps or aerial photos or look at Online Maps. Locate where you plan to hunt elk and closely search for hillsides, especially north-facing slopes that will be shaded.
Elk will live near busy roads, paved or unpaved. Find restricted access areas and go over them. Then you have to move in a few miles to find potentially good Elk areas. Most bowhunters backpack in, but horses, llamas and mountain bikes can also help bowhunters escape competition.
Elk have huge ranges, and can bed several miles from where they feed. They also travel to different areas because of changes in the seasons.
Always look for fresh elk sign while bowhunting. You know Elk are around when you find recent rubs, tracks and droppings. One sign, however, is the most important. If it smells like elk, they are close! You may have busted them out of their bedding area or else they are close to where you are.
Every time you hear a bull elk bugle, you understand why chasing Elk with a bow is so exhilarating and addicting. Elk bowhunting season occurs during the rut, which is when bull elk are most vocal and active because they are searching for rutting cow elk.
