***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.