Deer Hunting
Blood Trail Philosophy — Push or Wait?
I was reading the November 2004 issue of Deer and Deer Hunting Magazine over lunch. There was a big article on the “5 Critical Mistakes of Blood Trailing.” It all boiled down to this: Let the deer lie down and die. Don’t push. I remember 10 years ago this magazine was saying the exact opposite: trail the deer immediately. Of all the deer I’ve shot and arrowed, I can only think of two that needed any special treatment. In all the other cases, I’ve could have walked to the deer and tag it immediately. However, I followed the old sage … More . . .
Aching with Anticipation
I had one stand that still needed some work this past weekend. It is my current best stand. While I was sprucing it up in early July, I noticed a missing bolt. One thing lead to another, and I haven’t been back out. There is plenty of sign at several of my prime stands, including this one. I just got pre-occupied with family reunions and such this summer and let things slip away. Now, there it was, 3 weeks into KY Bow Season, and it was still not done. I found the bolt, and a camo blind that goes around … More . . .
On Rifle Selection
There was a time in my life when one deer rifle was all it took. Now I have a safe full of them, and I cannot seem to ever be totally satisfied. Do I need another deer rifle? No. Do I want another? Always. What I’ve found that I really enjoy is the adventure of putting a new rifle into action. I like the process of acquiring a long gun, mounting a scope, building a good load and then proving it in the field. That has turned my deer hunting into an expensive hobby, where it should not have been. … More . . .
More On (MORON ?) Funnels and Signs
A lot of guys have responded to my piece yesterday about funnels and signs. In general, all I can say is that I think all you guys are barking up the wrong tree. It’s all in the salt. You and the state have it all wrong– deer can’t read. Deer don’t need a sign to tell them there’s salt. All you have to do is put out a big enough pile– more salt, bigger deer. It’s all silly anyway. They make these big yellow signs for the deer to see, but then they tell us deer can’t see color and … More . . .
Shamanic Guide — More on Funnels (serious like)
Now you know, after that last post, there’s going to be some city slicker treehugger type that’s going to find this weblog and have an absolute conniption. Oh well. Some folks just don’t get the joke, do they? Then there’s the fellow (bless his heart) that’s going to take this all gospel and go out to Wally World tonight to get himself a nice shiny funnel, and a box of Morton’s. I think it was Ray Knight that told me once that he’d come up with an idea for turkey hunting. He’d been hunting along the Ohio River, and heard … More . . .
Funnels and Deer Signs
When I was learning how to hunt deer, they always told me to look for sign and hunt the funnels. Deer signs were easy. They were big and yellow and they had a picture of a deer on them. In some places, the deer were shown just standing. In other places, the deer were leaping. You wanted to hunt the ones with the walking deer; they were easier to shoot. If you were lucky, you found one with a few big slug holes in it. That meant somebody had hunted that sign successfully. You wanted a fresh sign too– one … More . . .
Shamanic Guide: Why the poopy loads?
I loaded up a bunch of .308 Win for the Savage 99 yesterday. They’re light as 308’s go, they’re more like a hot 300 Savage. Why? Why not load these puppies up to the max? Why not hunt with a 300 WSSSSM or a SAUUUUUM? Why? Why go to all that bother? Whitetail dear are not that hard to kill. The fact of the matter is that if you stay away from pushing the envelope, you do not have to worry as much about: 1) Recoil. It’s amazing what a 5% or 8% reduction from the maximum load does to … More . . .
Shamanic Guide: Some Basic Misconceptions
Before we go further with this beginner’s guide, please let me disabuse you of some of the common misconceptions held among deer hunters: 1) You cannot hunt just anywhere. 2) Always obey all the rules. The game warden can come on private land and arrest you 3) Hunter Ed is not for kids. If you have not taken it, do so. 4) Forget gimmicks. There is no magic recipe for bagging a deer 5) Most of what you hear from old-timers is wrong 6) Camo is not a replacement for being a good hunter; A scent suit is not a … More . . .
In Praise of Ponchos
Some hunters I know sound like girls from my Mom’s generation waiting for the Paris fashion shows. They blow big bucks when the new fall styles come out– tree bark is out . 3D Sticks and mud are in. Goretex? That’s so last year, Man. I can’t say I was ever poor, but I have had little discretionary income to spend on hunting. My first hunting bow was bought used and I hunted with it for over ten years. I don’t spend a lot on hunting clothes. I still have a lot of clothes to hunt with however. Back at … More . . .
Shamanic Guide to Whitetail Deer Hunting
I got up early this morning and something got me to thinking of my first deer season. This was not exactly a memory to be proud of. While I sat with my first cup of coffee, I got to thinking how goofy things were those first few seasons. Despite honestly trying to learn all that I could and devoting an incredible amount of effort, I could never quite get the hang of it all. Those hunts are now treasured failures. Besides getting a laugh out it, I resolved that I would try and spend some effort in trying to pass … More . . .
Scent Reduction
The first batch of clothes is out of the washer and out on the line. The timing was a bit off– it’s supposed to rain tonight and there’s rain in the forecast until Thursday. However, I don’t think I’ll have too much of a problem. Although I agree with those who say hunt the wind, and you won’t need anything else, here’s what I do additionally to cheat: 1) I wash all my clothes in nothing but baking soda. Nothing. Ever. When I’m washing, I run the washer once with nothing but baking soda to clean out whatever stink has … More . . .
How still is still?
They always tell you to be as still as you can when you hunt. How still is still? Hmmm. I’ve been so still at times that a squirrel once climbed up my leg. On the other hand, I’ve taken a buck from the ground at 10 feet with a bow, while his sister stood and watched me draw from 3 feet away. I shot my first deer after standing up in plain sight to take a whizz, but I’ve also been busted sitting in a 25′ tree stand with a stiff wind blowing in my favor. It has a lot … More . . .
More thoughts on the Opener
So here is what I want to know: the low body count in September—is it me or is it the deer? More precisely, is it the lack of hunters or a problem with deer behavior that causes September’s low take? If I am any example, it’s mighty hard to get things going in September. Cold is a lot easier to deal with than heat (my hats off to you guys down South). On the other hand, it’s hard to see deer in September. You see lots of sign, but no Bambi. When you have a whole county of prime whitetail … More . . .
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