I love lists. They help us in so many ways. With lists, we are able to…
1. Get our thoughts down on paper
2. Organize those thoughts
3. Prioritize things
4. Remember things
5. Etc
As archery hunters, we are faced with a few new gadgets and “must haves” each year. This year, I’m experimenting with shooting glasses. Yep, the same ones clay and skeet shooters use. I’ll let you know the results of my
findings later. But even if you don’t buy anything new this season, we have a LOT of stuff that we need to account for before we step out of the house.
Even if you go with the minimal amount of equipment, you still have a bunch of stuff to remember to bring.
I hate to get caught short-handed in the stand but while I get ribbed for having too much “junk” on my back when I enter the woods, I know that
there’s nothing I’ll need and not have. How do I know? Because I’ve made a list!
My list has evolved over the years. I first created my list about 10 years ago and have been refining and re-organizing it ever since. It’s now broken out by archery and rifle and then by backpack, person, vest, and other within those two categories. Over the top? Perhaps, but the only time I’ve ever been on the stand and needed something was the time I left my release
on the tailgate of my truck…it was on the list…I just forgot to pick it up before I headed to the woods.
I’m not going to bore you with the complete and unabridged components of my list but I do urge all of you to sit down one day and make a list of
everything you could possibly need while on your stand during a single hunting session. You will be very surprised at how large your list will be.
There are many things to think of when you start your list.
1. What will you need to get to your stand? Flashlight? GPS? Stand?
2. What will you need to get into your stand? Safety harness? Lifting ropes? Steps?
3. What will you need once you are in your stand? Binoculars? Range Finder? Cover and attractant scents?
4. What will you need to harvest your deer? Release? Arrows? Bow?
5. What will you need to recover your deer? Rope? Knife? Tag?
Of course the above list is not complete but you get the idea. I haven’t
even included clothing, food/water, emergency provisions, and other necessities.
Break down a typical hunting session into at least the five categories above and expand from there. You may even want to add categories. But go
through every hunting scenario you can think of and start making your list.
Experience will also aid you in making your list. One year, I missed a deer on my initial shot and I fumbled around trying to get a second arrow out of my quiver which was attached to my tree. My list now includes a shoestring that I tie to my tree. I notch an extra arrow to it and let it hang down the side of the tree next to me. Now when (yeah, I said when) I need a second arrow, it’s a simple matter of just reaching behind my hip and tugging the arrow from the shoestring.
Lists can be our friends. They’ll help us stay organized and worry free. We have enough to be concerned about while we’re in our stand without having to wonder what we forgot to bring this time.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
***ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK***
THINK LIKE A PREDATOR
The big cat crouched unmoving on the limb of the tree as its unsuspecting prey grazed closer to his location. Unaware of the danger from up above, the swift, intelligent, and ever-vigilant grass eater continued on its course occasionally lifting its head to look around. The big cat’s whisker twitched in anticipation and the massive muscles tensed under its haunches.
The small animal on the ground moved under the tree and in a blur of sudden movement, the big cat launched itself.
This life and death scenario repeats itself everyday in all parts of the world. The predators range from huge cats on the African safari to small
spiders in the hidden recesses of our homes. The attacks occur from trees, underground, in rivers and lakes, and even in the sky itself. And what
makes a predator so successful is the element of surprise. And in almost every case the predator waits for its prey to approach him.
A largemouth bass might wait in the shadows of a fallen log for a minnow to come by. A rattlesnake may lie motionless for hours in the cleft of a rock until a mouse happens to come near. A bald eagle will sit on a tree top eyeing the water until it sees an opportunity. Success for predators hinges on surprise.
As archery hunters, we too are predators that must utilize the element of surprise. But all too often, we fail to THINK like predators. Far too many archery hunters have a prime area to hunt but fail to connect on a whitetail because they aren’t thinking like a predator. They see tons of
deer sign in an area and think all they have to do is put up a stand in any old spot and the venison will soon be in the freezer. But if we think like a predator, it quickly becomes obvious that not just any tree will do.
The first thing a wild predator must do is locate its prey. They usually don’t wander about aimlessly in the hopes of finding a meal. Rather, they go to those areas that may attract their prey. It might be a watering hole
in an arid landscape. It could be under a branch that hangs close to the water’s surface. Or it could even be the rapids of a river where salmon move slower against the current.
As hunters, we too must find our prey…the whitetail. Don’t wander around aimlessly. Get those aerial photos and topo maps out and pinpoint locations that have possibilities. Look for natural funnels, heavy cover areas, steep hillsides, and edges where two types of vegetation meet. Once you find
these areas, get out there and wear down some boot leather. Walk the areas to get to know them. It will soon become clear how the deer are traveling and where they bed and feed.
Second, a predator watches its prey before commencing an attack. Yes, they may be trying to single out a sick or old member of the herd but often they are patterning the animals they plan to attack. We must pattern the deer as
best we can before the season starts. This includes spending time with a spotting scope or binoculars from a distance. You can also talk to the
landowner to get his take on how the deer move on his property.
Once you’ve somewhat patterned the deer, it’s now time to set up an ambush location. This gets a little tricky because not only do we want to be near
where the deer will be but we must also take the wind into consideration.
We must also be mindful of how we’re going to enter and exit the stand. Wind direction is mightily important because we don’t want to alert the deer of our presence. If the wind is not conducive for that day’s hunt, stay out of the stand.
Once in the stand, all sorts of things must be done in order to maintain our element of surprise. Body and equipment odor must be kept to a minimum, we must remain quiet and still, and we must be prepared for a variety of
shooting forms.
When our prey approaches a shooting lane, many archers begin to lose their composure. Some my stand up quickly and be caught by the animal, some may come to full draw far too soon and be forced to let down, a creak in our stand my alert our prey. Take all of these things into consideration BEFORE you even enter the stand.
Just like a young lion cub, we may not be successful early in our hunting careers. But like that old lioness who seems to be able to bring home the
bacon consistently, we will become better with experience.
Think like a predator before you even enter the woods and you’ll give yourself a better opportunity to bring down your prey.
The big cat crouched unmoving on the limb of the tree as its unsuspecting prey grazed closer to his location. Unaware of the danger from up above, the swift, intelligent, and ever-vigilant grass eater continued on its course occasionally lifting its head to look around. The big cat’s whisker twitched in anticipation and the massive muscles tensed under its haunches.
The small animal on the ground moved under the tree and in a blur of sudden movement, the big cat launched itself.
This life and death scenario repeats itself everyday in all parts of the world. The predators range from huge cats on the African safari to small
spiders in the hidden recesses of our homes. The attacks occur from trees, underground, in rivers and lakes, and even in the sky itself. And what
makes a predator so successful is the element of surprise. And in almost every case the predator waits for its prey to approach him.
A largemouth bass might wait in the shadows of a fallen log for a minnow to come by. A rattlesnake may lie motionless for hours in the cleft of a rock until a mouse happens to come near. A bald eagle will sit on a tree top eyeing the water until it sees an opportunity. Success for predators hinges on surprise.
As archery hunters, we too are predators that must utilize the element of surprise. But all too often, we fail to THINK like predators. Far too many archery hunters have a prime area to hunt but fail to connect on a whitetail because they aren’t thinking like a predator. They see tons of
deer sign in an area and think all they have to do is put up a stand in any old spot and the venison will soon be in the freezer. But if we think like a predator, it quickly becomes obvious that not just any tree will do.
The first thing a wild predator must do is locate its prey. They usually don’t wander about aimlessly in the hopes of finding a meal. Rather, they go to those areas that may attract their prey. It might be a watering hole
in an arid landscape. It could be under a branch that hangs close to the water’s surface. Or it could even be the rapids of a river where salmon move slower against the current.
As hunters, we too must find our prey…the whitetail. Don’t wander around aimlessly. Get those aerial photos and topo maps out and pinpoint locations that have possibilities. Look for natural funnels, heavy cover areas, steep hillsides, and edges where two types of vegetation meet. Once you find
these areas, get out there and wear down some boot leather. Walk the areas to get to know them. It will soon become clear how the deer are traveling and where they bed and feed.
Second, a predator watches its prey before commencing an attack. Yes, they may be trying to single out a sick or old member of the herd but often they are patterning the animals they plan to attack. We must pattern the deer as
best we can before the season starts. This includes spending time with a spotting scope or binoculars from a distance. You can also talk to the
landowner to get his take on how the deer move on his property.
Once you’ve somewhat patterned the deer, it’s now time to set up an ambush location. This gets a little tricky because not only do we want to be near
where the deer will be but we must also take the wind into consideration.
We must also be mindful of how we’re going to enter and exit the stand. Wind direction is mightily important because we don’t want to alert the deer of our presence. If the wind is not conducive for that day’s hunt, stay out of the stand.
Once in the stand, all sorts of things must be done in order to maintain our element of surprise. Body and equipment odor must be kept to a minimum, we must remain quiet and still, and we must be prepared for a variety of
shooting forms.
When our prey approaches a shooting lane, many archers begin to lose their composure. Some my stand up quickly and be caught by the animal, some may come to full draw far too soon and be forced to let down, a creak in our stand my alert our prey. Take all of these things into consideration BEFORE you even enter the stand.
Just like a young lion cub, we may not be successful early in our hunting careers. But like that old lioness who seems to be able to bring home the
bacon consistently, we will become better with experience.
Think like a predator before you even enter the woods and you’ll give yourself a better opportunity to bring down your prey.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Instant Gratification?
We live in a society of instant gratification. We have fast food, quick lube and oil changes, high speed internet, express lanes on our highways,
and quickie marriages. There’s even been talk about movie theaters being forced BY LAW to advertise the actual start time of the movie so people
don’t have to sit through the advertisements and upcoming previews.
As a whole, we’ve lost the ability to be patient. We’ve lost sight of enjoying the moment as it presents itself without artificial stimulants.
The other night, my wife and I sat down with our two boys (ages 10 and 12) and taught them how to play a card game called Hearts. Competition runs rampant in our house and there was great wailing and gnashing of teeth…but I settled down and took my defeat honorably. The point is, we took time out of our usual routine to enjoy the company of each other. We let the evening come to us without TV or the internet. We talked, we laughed, and I happily lost the card game to my overly competitive wife.
It is difficult sometimes to slam the brakes on the hectic routine that always seems to surround us and to simply be patient.
Enter the life of the archery hunter.
As soon as the previous archery season is over, we begin making plans for the next season. We’re thinking about stand placements where that buck unexpectedly sauntered through about 60 yards from where we were set up last year. We’re pouring over aerial photos and topo maps searching for an overlooked bottleneck. We’re out scouting for sign. We put in hours of summer practice with our bows. The days immediately before the season
opener are filled with last minute details and apprehension and most of us
are up VERY early and in our stands well before daylight. As we settle down in our stand, we take a deep breath and await the coming dawn.
For me, all the frantic preparations and logistical nightmares seem to fade away as I blend in with the early morning darkness and try to become one with the woods. I actually look forward to that time after I’m in my stand
and before the first rays of dawn start to filter onto the forest floor. Because once it’s light enough to see, I go into active hunting mode.
Hunting has to be one of the most demanding pastimes that require patience. It ranks right up there with waiting for the spring thaw. Archery hunters especially must show extreme patience since we have to get our prey in close in order to get an ethical and humane shot. We have to have the fortitude to wait for that deer to turn just right to give us the most effective shot placement. Our patience is also put to the test before the season even starts. During our scouting efforts we must take time to carefully pattern the deer we plan to hunt in the early season. We must
patiently go over our maps to look for those areas where the deer will vacate to once they realize they are being hunted. We have to have resilience in finding just the right tree in which to hang our stand…and
then take the time to trim out shooting lanes and brush up our stand site.
Our culture does not readily reward those who take their time to gain long-lasting results. But if you want any type of success in the field this fall, you have to take a deep breath and focus on the task at hand. Don’t hurry your scouting, don’t run through your practice sessions, don’t
“settle” for a stand site that you have doubts about, and above all, don’t rush your shot. We’ve put too much time and effort into that culminating moment to blow it because we hurried things at the last second. Take the time to put the proper effort into all your hunting preparations
but enjoy the moments as they happen. When you finally score, it will all be worth it. But even if you don’t score on a deer this fall, you can still chalk the season up as a success because you’ve taken the time to enjoy
everything up until then that goes into archery hunting.
Don’t let the success or failure of a season be determined on whether you
get a deer or not. You’ll be disappointed many more times than you’ll be satisfied if you do.
and quickie marriages. There’s even been talk about movie theaters being forced BY LAW to advertise the actual start time of the movie so people
don’t have to sit through the advertisements and upcoming previews.
As a whole, we’ve lost the ability to be patient. We’ve lost sight of enjoying the moment as it presents itself without artificial stimulants.
The other night, my wife and I sat down with our two boys (ages 10 and 12) and taught them how to play a card game called Hearts. Competition runs rampant in our house and there was great wailing and gnashing of teeth…but I settled down and took my defeat honorably. The point is, we took time out of our usual routine to enjoy the company of each other. We let the evening come to us without TV or the internet. We talked, we laughed, and I happily lost the card game to my overly competitive wife.
It is difficult sometimes to slam the brakes on the hectic routine that always seems to surround us and to simply be patient.
Enter the life of the archery hunter.
As soon as the previous archery season is over, we begin making plans for the next season. We’re thinking about stand placements where that buck unexpectedly sauntered through about 60 yards from where we were set up last year. We’re pouring over aerial photos and topo maps searching for an overlooked bottleneck. We’re out scouting for sign. We put in hours of summer practice with our bows. The days immediately before the season
opener are filled with last minute details and apprehension and most of us
are up VERY early and in our stands well before daylight. As we settle down in our stand, we take a deep breath and await the coming dawn.
For me, all the frantic preparations and logistical nightmares seem to fade away as I blend in with the early morning darkness and try to become one with the woods. I actually look forward to that time after I’m in my stand
and before the first rays of dawn start to filter onto the forest floor. Because once it’s light enough to see, I go into active hunting mode.
Hunting has to be one of the most demanding pastimes that require patience. It ranks right up there with waiting for the spring thaw. Archery hunters especially must show extreme patience since we have to get our prey in close in order to get an ethical and humane shot. We have to have the fortitude to wait for that deer to turn just right to give us the most effective shot placement. Our patience is also put to the test before the season even starts. During our scouting efforts we must take time to carefully pattern the deer we plan to hunt in the early season. We must
patiently go over our maps to look for those areas where the deer will vacate to once they realize they are being hunted. We have to have resilience in finding just the right tree in which to hang our stand…and
then take the time to trim out shooting lanes and brush up our stand site.
Our culture does not readily reward those who take their time to gain long-lasting results. But if you want any type of success in the field this fall, you have to take a deep breath and focus on the task at hand. Don’t hurry your scouting, don’t run through your practice sessions, don’t
“settle” for a stand site that you have doubts about, and above all, don’t rush your shot. We’ve put too much time and effort into that culminating moment to blow it because we hurried things at the last second. Take the time to put the proper effort into all your hunting preparations
but enjoy the moments as they happen. When you finally score, it will all be worth it. But even if you don’t score on a deer this fall, you can still chalk the season up as a success because you’ve taken the time to enjoy
everything up until then that goes into archery hunting.
Don’t let the success or failure of a season be determined on whether you
get a deer or not. You’ll be disappointed many more times than you’ll be satisfied if you do.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
***ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK***
PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH - As an avid archery hunter and tournament competitor, I sling my share of arrows down range in practices sessions.
For the competition season, I practice under the same exact conditions that I will encounter in tournaments since it’s relatively easy to duplicate those conditions because of the controlled environment. I shoot indoors at a constant distance with good lighting. The only distractions I really have
are the other shooters on the line with me and my anxiety. Sometimes anxiety wins.
For those who do not compete in archery tournaments, practice primarily consists of shooting their bows in the backyard during the summer to get ready for the upcoming archery season. Practice sessions for most archery
hunters consist of shooting their bows at known distances of 20, 30, and perhaps 40 yards on relatively flat terrain in good weather conditions. The only variable to contend with might be a slight breeze.
But to become a better archery hunter, you must practice under the conditions you expect to encounter once the season opens. While some archery hunters will take this into consideration and shoot at varying distances, a vast majority of them do not practice the situations they may be in when it’s crunch time.
Let’s be realistic, very few hunting opportunities present themselves where the hunter is on the same horizontal plane as the deer, the sun is directly overhead, the wind is calm, the hunter is standing upright in a relaxed position, and the deer is completely relaxed and standing broadside. It’s more likely that the hunter is elevated above the deer, it’s not high noon so we have slanting shadows to contend with, there’s some kind of breeze
blowing that hardly stays consistent, we’re usually in some position in our stand that does not promote ideal shooting posture, and the deer is a little nervous and at some angle. Now throw your excited state of mind and
body into the mix and we have the recipe for a blown shot because we haven’t practiced for the situation.
Practicing everyday (or almost everyday) can soon become boring and we quickly begin to lose our concentration and get sloppy with our shooting form. Worse, we might not practice as much as we should. By throwing some real-life hunting situations into our practice sessions, we accomplish two things. Our practice sessions become less repetitive and we can experience some of those situations we might be in once on the stand.
The most important thing I believe archery hunters MUST practice is shooting from an elevated position because of how the arrow travels when
shooting upwards or downwards (please see blog from 4/22/09). If you don’t
practice anything else, practice this!
But throw in those other scenarios I described above. Shoot at different times of the day, especially in low-light conditions. Practice when the wind is blowing at varying speeds and directions. There’s always that one little branch that you missed while grooming your stand site so practice shooting slightly hunched over or twisted a little bit. Even practice
sitting down on a chair…a time might come in your stand when you’ll have to shoot from this position. Practice in weather conditions that are not ideal
such as a light drizzle. And try to find a practice location other than your backyard if possible.
There’s also one other thing you should experience. When we’re practicing, most of us usually take as much time as we need to come to full draw, aim, and release. Sometimes, we don’t get that luxury in real-life hunting situations because you never know when that deer is going to take his next step or bound away. We have to get that arrow into him. So try this the next time you dig out your bow…practice coming to a full draw, aiming, and releasing…all within 4 to 5 seconds! Trust me, you will eventually experience this on the stand.
Once last thing to consider…practice in the clothes that you will be wearing in the stand. This includes everything from a jacket for late season hunting to the camo net you might be wearing over your face and gloves. The kisser button and release WILL feel different with those things on.
Most professional sports teams have exhibition or pre-season games so they can get a true feeling of how the actual game will be. We as archery hunters should be no different. Practice diligently on your shooting form but play those pre-season games so that when it’s game time and your turn
to drop back and throw that pass over the middle, your “receiver” won’t know what hit him.
For the competition season, I practice under the same exact conditions that I will encounter in tournaments since it’s relatively easy to duplicate those conditions because of the controlled environment. I shoot indoors at a constant distance with good lighting. The only distractions I really have
are the other shooters on the line with me and my anxiety. Sometimes anxiety wins.
For those who do not compete in archery tournaments, practice primarily consists of shooting their bows in the backyard during the summer to get ready for the upcoming archery season. Practice sessions for most archery
hunters consist of shooting their bows at known distances of 20, 30, and perhaps 40 yards on relatively flat terrain in good weather conditions. The only variable to contend with might be a slight breeze.
But to become a better archery hunter, you must practice under the conditions you expect to encounter once the season opens. While some archery hunters will take this into consideration and shoot at varying distances, a vast majority of them do not practice the situations they may be in when it’s crunch time.
Let’s be realistic, very few hunting opportunities present themselves where the hunter is on the same horizontal plane as the deer, the sun is directly overhead, the wind is calm, the hunter is standing upright in a relaxed position, and the deer is completely relaxed and standing broadside. It’s more likely that the hunter is elevated above the deer, it’s not high noon so we have slanting shadows to contend with, there’s some kind of breeze
blowing that hardly stays consistent, we’re usually in some position in our stand that does not promote ideal shooting posture, and the deer is a little nervous and at some angle. Now throw your excited state of mind and
body into the mix and we have the recipe for a blown shot because we haven’t practiced for the situation.
Practicing everyday (or almost everyday) can soon become boring and we quickly begin to lose our concentration and get sloppy with our shooting form. Worse, we might not practice as much as we should. By throwing some real-life hunting situations into our practice sessions, we accomplish two things. Our practice sessions become less repetitive and we can experience some of those situations we might be in once on the stand.
The most important thing I believe archery hunters MUST practice is shooting from an elevated position because of how the arrow travels when
shooting upwards or downwards (please see blog from 4/22/09). If you don’t
practice anything else, practice this!
But throw in those other scenarios I described above. Shoot at different times of the day, especially in low-light conditions. Practice when the wind is blowing at varying speeds and directions. There’s always that one little branch that you missed while grooming your stand site so practice shooting slightly hunched over or twisted a little bit. Even practice
sitting down on a chair…a time might come in your stand when you’ll have to shoot from this position. Practice in weather conditions that are not ideal
such as a light drizzle. And try to find a practice location other than your backyard if possible.
There’s also one other thing you should experience. When we’re practicing, most of us usually take as much time as we need to come to full draw, aim, and release. Sometimes, we don’t get that luxury in real-life hunting situations because you never know when that deer is going to take his next step or bound away. We have to get that arrow into him. So try this the next time you dig out your bow…practice coming to a full draw, aiming, and releasing…all within 4 to 5 seconds! Trust me, you will eventually experience this on the stand.
Once last thing to consider…practice in the clothes that you will be wearing in the stand. This includes everything from a jacket for late season hunting to the camo net you might be wearing over your face and gloves. The kisser button and release WILL feel different with those things on.
Most professional sports teams have exhibition or pre-season games so they can get a true feeling of how the actual game will be. We as archery hunters should be no different. Practice diligently on your shooting form but play those pre-season games so that when it’s game time and your turn
to drop back and throw that pass over the middle, your “receiver” won’t know what hit him.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
GOING BACK HOME
Just less than a week ago, my family and I returned from a trip to my childhood home in northern Minnesota. We saw family and friends that we
hadn’t seen in two years, visited places that I hadn’t been to in a very long time, and did a few things that I truly missed doing. The eight days we were there went by very quickly.
But as we visited, traveled, and participated, I slowly began to notice something. Even though the people, places, and things were familiar, I realized that things had changed.
The people were basically the same but everyone had aged a little bit and there were new issues in their lives that hadn’t existed the last time I
was home. The landscape of the area hadn’t changed but there were new buildings where none had existed before and a few old haunts of mine were
leveled or replaced with a whole new enterprise. Some of the things we did were about what they used to be but I found myself enjoying adventures that were more laid back…I have a feeling that my age has something to do with
that.
After getting back home and returning to my regular routine, I found myself
thinking back on that trip and the sense of peace I had while I was there. I truly enjoyed being back to a place I called home.
We all have hunting places that we call home too. All of us have that special spot that holds some memory or experience that gives us a sense of peace whenever we think about it. We may have found other stand locations
that hold greater promise than our “home” spot or we’ve developed other stand locations to give our favorite place a rest, but every once in a while we find ourselves thinking about going back home again.
Our family had been planning our return trip to Minnesota for almost a year. We planned on how many miles we would drive each day and make the
appropriate lodging accommodations. We estimated mileage and planned on the
gasoline budget, we bought food and provisions in advance of our trip for our traveling comfort, and we even allowed for things for the kids to keep busy while we spent all those long hours in the van.
But even though we had plenty of time to plan for this big trip, things were different once we arrived, like I said. The trip was a success and we
all had a wonderful time but just a little bit more planning on our part would have made it that much better.
The same kind of planning should go in to your hunt when you are going back to territory that is very familiar but you haven’t been to in a while. You can have your bow all sighted in, have your climbing stand in excellent working order, taken the appropriate days off from work well in advance, and checked all the weather and wind reports. But if you don’t physically check out the area even with a cursory look before you plan to hunt it, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise.
Remember, things continually change. Big changes you might encounter are new buildings or roads where none existed before, the farmer who gave you permission to hunt his property before may not be in the mood to do so now or he may even have sold it, or the neighboring farmer has leveled a stand of trees to extend his fields…and it was right where the deer liked to travel, or a family of beavers may have moved in and now you have to
contend with flooded areas.
And there are subtle changes that may have taken place too. A crop field may have been rotated and now the deer are using different entry and exit
routes, the acorn conditions may be poor and the deer just aren’t using the oak ridges like they used to, or bedding areas have changed.
There are a whole host of things that could possibly have changed since your last visit.
What I’m trying to say is this…when you are getting ready to go back to that old familiar stand again, don’t plan on just the trip there and the trip back. Take the time to get information about any changes that have
occurred in your hunting area since your last visit. Call the landowner and
pick his brain or contact the local wildlife agency to check on deer feeding patterns or changes in the area you plan on hunting. The very best
way to get the info you need is to physically check out the area BEFORE you plan to hunt it.
Your trip back to that old familiar stand location may be a success but with just a little bit more planning on your part, you can ensure that your favorite stand location will remain a place you’ll want to go back to again and again.
hadn’t seen in two years, visited places that I hadn’t been to in a very long time, and did a few things that I truly missed doing. The eight days we were there went by very quickly.
But as we visited, traveled, and participated, I slowly began to notice something. Even though the people, places, and things were familiar, I realized that things had changed.
The people were basically the same but everyone had aged a little bit and there were new issues in their lives that hadn’t existed the last time I
was home. The landscape of the area hadn’t changed but there were new buildings where none had existed before and a few old haunts of mine were
leveled or replaced with a whole new enterprise. Some of the things we did were about what they used to be but I found myself enjoying adventures that were more laid back…I have a feeling that my age has something to do with
that.
After getting back home and returning to my regular routine, I found myself
thinking back on that trip and the sense of peace I had while I was there. I truly enjoyed being back to a place I called home.
We all have hunting places that we call home too. All of us have that special spot that holds some memory or experience that gives us a sense of peace whenever we think about it. We may have found other stand locations
that hold greater promise than our “home” spot or we’ve developed other stand locations to give our favorite place a rest, but every once in a while we find ourselves thinking about going back home again.
Our family had been planning our return trip to Minnesota for almost a year. We planned on how many miles we would drive each day and make the
appropriate lodging accommodations. We estimated mileage and planned on the
gasoline budget, we bought food and provisions in advance of our trip for our traveling comfort, and we even allowed for things for the kids to keep busy while we spent all those long hours in the van.
But even though we had plenty of time to plan for this big trip, things were different once we arrived, like I said. The trip was a success and we
all had a wonderful time but just a little bit more planning on our part would have made it that much better.
The same kind of planning should go in to your hunt when you are going back to territory that is very familiar but you haven’t been to in a while. You can have your bow all sighted in, have your climbing stand in excellent working order, taken the appropriate days off from work well in advance, and checked all the weather and wind reports. But if you don’t physically check out the area even with a cursory look before you plan to hunt it, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise.
Remember, things continually change. Big changes you might encounter are new buildings or roads where none existed before, the farmer who gave you permission to hunt his property before may not be in the mood to do so now or he may even have sold it, or the neighboring farmer has leveled a stand of trees to extend his fields…and it was right where the deer liked to travel, or a family of beavers may have moved in and now you have to
contend with flooded areas.
And there are subtle changes that may have taken place too. A crop field may have been rotated and now the deer are using different entry and exit
routes, the acorn conditions may be poor and the deer just aren’t using the oak ridges like they used to, or bedding areas have changed.
There are a whole host of things that could possibly have changed since your last visit.
What I’m trying to say is this…when you are getting ready to go back to that old familiar stand again, don’t plan on just the trip there and the trip back. Take the time to get information about any changes that have
occurred in your hunting area since your last visit. Call the landowner and
pick his brain or contact the local wildlife agency to check on deer feeding patterns or changes in the area you plan on hunting. The very best
way to get the info you need is to physically check out the area BEFORE you plan to hunt it.
Your trip back to that old familiar stand location may be a success but with just a little bit more planning on your part, you can ensure that your favorite stand location will remain a place you’ll want to go back to again and again.
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