TODD'S TUESDAY TIP

Practice the shots you imagine you could be taking from your stand. Too many archers practice on level ground, in good weather, and bright sunlight. You will make very few shots at live game in these conditions during your entire life. Practice bending over a little, twisting sideways, and even sitting.

POP QUIZ!

Here's last week's questions...

1. T / F Rubs on a sapling that are on the opposite side of the tree from a feeding area, generally indicates the evening route of a buck.
TRUE-Rubs that are facing away from a feeding area generally indicate the evening travel route of the buck (he was heading towards his feeding area) while rubs facing away from a bedding area usually show the buck's morning travel route.
2. T / F When sighting in your bow, you should make a sight adjustment after each arrow.
FALSE-Sight adjustments should be made after each three-arrow group. And then from the center of the grouping.
3. T / F The bullseye on all 3D whitetail targets are an exact representation of where you should aim on a live animal.
FALSE-Generally, the bullseye on 3D targets are NOT where you want to aim on a live whitetail. In most cases, you'll want to aim much lower on a live deer. For quartering shots on live game, you'll want your point-of-impact much further left or right of where the bullseye is on the target.

And here's this week's questions...

1. T/ F Due to design innovations, it is no longer necessary to sight in broadheads if they are the same weight as your target tips.

2. T / F String jumping is when a deer sees the arrow coming at him and intentionally ducks under the arrow as it arrives.

3. T / F Crossbows have a greater range than regular compound bows.

Go to www.allarchery.blogspot.com for more of Todd's stuff.

FRIDAY FACTS

Deer are ruminants (cud chewers) and have a four-compartmented stomach, which allows the deer to feed very rapidly.
Deer need 10 to 12 pounds of food per day to satisfy their needs.

THURSDAY'S THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

Tracking a deer through the woods has become a lost art form. Oh sure,
almost anyone can pick up on a well defined blood trail and follow it. But
what if the blood sign ends before you find the animal? Would you be able
to tell which way the animal went based on other sign? What if you just
happen across a blood trail? Would you be able to determine which direction
the deer was heading?
Sadly, most hunters today do not possess even a fraction of the skills
necessary to track an animal beyond a good blood trail.
And tracking can get a whole lot more complicated.
If you were targeting a particular buck in your hunting area, would you be
able to memorize his track imprint and then follow that particular track to
his bedding or feeding area? If you came across a promising track on a deer
trail, could you give a rough estimate of how long ago it was made? Are you
able to use sign other than tracks to determine if deer are using a
particular area?
Here’s my THOUGHT OF THE WEEK… Most hunters only use deer tracks to
identify a travel route. If you could read tracks and other deer sign with
even a modest amount of proficiency, think about how many more hunting
options you would be able to take advantage of.

Go to www.allarchery.blogspot.com for more of Todd’s stuff.

TODD'S TUESDAY TIP

If you hunt with the quiver attached to your bow, make sure you practice and sight your bow in with the quiver attached as well. I practice and hunt with the quiver DETACHED from my bow to avoid as much vibration, noise, and weight as possible. Once in my stand, I hang the quiver on the tree within easy reach.


Go to www.allarchery.blogspot.com for more of Todd's stuff.

POP QUIZ

Every Monday will be a pop quiz. I will post three true or false archery/hunting questions for you to try your knowledge against. If you’re feeling froggy, you can leave your answers in a comment on my blog for the world to see. On the following Monday, I will post the answers to the previous week’s questions and then post three new questions. If you have specific questions you’d like answered, you can either leave a comment on my blog or send me an email at toddlydell@gmail.com.

Here's last week's questions...

1. A hoof print along with a dew claw imprint always indicates a buck track.
FALSE - Large mature does will sometimes leave dew claw marks.
2. If an area has a high buck-to-doe ratio (greater than 3 or 4 does for every buck), it’s easier to call, scent, rattle, or decoy bucks into your setups.
FALSE - Since bucks will find potential mates in greater abundance in areas with high buck-to-doe ratios, the need to compete for mating privileges is greatly reduced. Therefore, bucks are not as susceptible to calls, scents, rattling, and decoys.
3. The most dominant buck in an area will generally make the first scrapes of the season.
TRUE - Due to increased testosterone levels, the earliest scrapes of the season are generally made by the dominant buck in the area.

And here's this week's POP QUIZ...

1. T / F Rubs on a sapling that are on the opposite side of the tree from a feeding area, generally indicates the evening route of a buck.

2. T / F When sighting in your bow, you should make a sight adjustment after each arrow.

3. T / F The bullseye on all 3D whitetail targets are an exact representation of where you should aim on a live animal.

Go to www.allarchery.blogspot.com for more of Todd's stuff.

FRIDAY FACTS

In the early 1900's, whitetail populations in the U.S. was thought to number about 300,000 animals.
Recent estimates put the deer population in the United States at around 30 million animals!


Go to www.allarchery.blogspot.com for more of Todd's stuff.

THURSDAY’S THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

Have you ever seen a cat stalk a piece of string? Ever watch a puppy play
with his favorite toy? Have you ever wondered what was going through their
minds at that particular moment that made them act that way? I sometimes
ask that question to myself about my sons.
I also sometimes think about a whitetail’s frame of mind.
Now I know that animals are not capable of conscious thought and that they
can not feel emotions as we do. I do, however, feel that animals have a
form of “awareness” that fluctuates through varying levels.
After a night of feeding and carousing, is a whitetail less aware of its
surroundings as it heads back to its bedding area based simply on the fact
that it “wants” to call it a night?
Is a whitetail in a better “mood” and more alert on a bright sunny day and
less alert on a wet and overcast day?
Do they get “bored” and perhaps bed down overlooking a highway in order to
pass the time watching traffic?
Here’s my THOUGHT OF THE WEEK…..Can we use these “forms of awareness” to
our advantage as hunters?

Go to www.allarchery.blogspot.com for more of Todd's stuff.

TODD'S TUESDAY TIP

You'll want to make one last scouting trip to the area you plan to hunt about one week before the actual hunt. Any sooner, and you may miss changes in the deer's travel patterns or routines. Any later, and you might alert the deer to your presence and they could avoid the area. As always, get in and out as quickly as possible while leaving as little scent behind you as you can.

POP QUIZ!

Every Monday will be a pop quiz. I will post three true or false archery/hunting questions for you to try your knowledge against. If you’re feeling froggy, you can leave your answers in a comment on my blog for the world to see. On the following Monday, I will post the answers to the previous week’s questions and then post three new questions. If you have specific questions you’d like answered, you can either leave a comment on my blog or send me an email at toddlydell@gmail.com.

Good luck everyone!

1. T / F A hoof print along with a dew claw imprint always indicates a buck track.

2. T / F If an area has a high buck-to-doe ratio (greater than 3 or 4 does for every buck), it’s easier to call, scent, rattle, or decoy bucks into your setups.

3. T / F The most dominant buck in an area will generally make the first scrapes of the season.

YOU MIGHT BE A DEER HUNTER IF......part 2

51. You can quote every verse of scripture that references it’s
biblically acceptable to hunt and eat meat.
52. You think the term “a three-point shot” is not a basketball
reference.
53. You have written several letters to the International Olympic
Committee urging them to include deer hunting in the next winter olympics.
54. You have gone through more deer hunting knives in your life than you
have pairs of socks.
55. State Troopers wait for you along the highway to your deer camp.
56. You think nothing about walking two miles in the dark through heavy
brush to get to your deer stand but complain about having to take the
garbage out to the end of your driveway.
57. You drive to deer camp with more stuff in your truck than you had in
it the day you moved into your new house.
58. You can relate to most of this list.
59. You rented the movies “The Killing Fields” and “Field of Dreams” and
thought they were hunting videos.
60. You call your kitchen a “feeding area” and your bedroom a “bedding
area”.
61. You know where to buy blaze orange toilet paper.
62. Your deer stand gets more annual maintenance than your house.
63. You think that not bathing during deer season brings you closer to
nature.
64. You have a hissy fit if you can’t find your lucky deer hunting
underwear.
65. You take extreme care not to bump your rifle scope but will pound on
the side of your PC when it “acts up”.
66. You think that “getting a little action” means the deer are on the
move.
67. Snow fall takes on a whole different meaning during deer season.
68. You relocate your entire family to another state just because it has
bigger deer.
69. You threaten your boss with physical violence until your leave is
approved for hunting season.
70. You’ll use your compass every two minutes during deer season but will
refuse to admit you’re lost when driving the family car.
71. You watch over your wife’s shoulder as she washes your hunting jacket
but you’ll wear the same pair of socks three days in a row.
72. You’ve named your rifle.
73. You won’t think twice about spending $25 for a deer license but
shudder at the thought of spending that much on your family at McDonalds.
74. You’ll track and log deer movement in detail but you can’t seem to
remember to keep track of the checks you’ve written.
75. You’ve ever tasted an acorn just to see if you can tell why deer like
them so much.
76. You suddenly “find” a wad of cash in your pocket for your wife just
before you leave for deer camp.
77. You’ve ever touched deer droppings with your bare hands to see how
old they were but you have to use a scoop and put on rubber gloves to clean
up after the dog.
78. You think that the great outdoors is just one big bathroom.
79. You’ve ever wondered what a rifle slug would do to that squirrel that
keeps hanging around your deer stand.
80. You can find your rifle shells from last year’s hunt within 10
seconds but you can’t find your car keys that you used last night.
81. Miniature candy bars are considered survival gear.
82. Sharing the outhouse with another hunter at the same time is not
embarassing.
83. You’ve never been at your daughter’s birthday party because she was
born three weeks early and it’s right in the middle of deer season.
84. You’ve ever bought a tree stand for your wife for her birthday….and
she doesn’t hunt.
85. You asked to borrow your wife’s new tree stand.
86. Your wife holds you at gunpoint on the front lawn after you return
from deer camp until you strip and hose yourself down with the garden hose.
87. You won’t tell your hunting buddies where you saw that big buck but
you’ll tell them the problems you and your wife are having with being
intimate.
88. You will spend hours scouting for just the right tree to place your
deer stand but you can’t wait to get out of the mall when your wife is
shopping.
89. Your spotlight can be seen with the naked eye by the space shuttle.
90. You have so many of those little handwarmers that they could be your
home’s primary heat source for the next three winters.
91. Your wife actually thought you were going to get a better job when
you told her you wanted to “make some big bucks”.
92. You have a jackalope mount in your living room.
93. You admire Robin Hood just because he was able to kill the king’s
deer with a long bow.
94. You tell bedtime stories to your deer rifle.
95. Your mother-in-law has to adjust the family Christmas party around
deer seasons.
96. You check for deer sign when looking for your lost golf ball.
97. You know which two diners in your county are open at 4:00 AM on
opening morning.
98. Just by looking at a single track, you are able to tell how big the
deer was, which direction it was heading, and how fast it was going but you
are unable to refold a road map the right way.
99. You practice sneaking up on your wife just to stay at peak
performance level.
100. You know what P&Y and B&C stand for.

YOU MIGHT BE A DEER HUNTER IF.....part 1

YOU MIGHT BE A DEER HUNTER IF…

1. Your annual hunting equipment budget is more than your family’s
annual grocery budget.
2. The term “making a stand” does not indicate your position on a
political or religious issue.
3. Most of your house is decorated in camoflauge and/or blaze orange.
4. You oil your rifle every two weeks whether it needs it or not but
you’ve had to replace two engines in your truck because you forgot to
change IT’S oil.
5. You have the Game Commission on speed dial on your phone at work.
6. Your marriage is on the rocks because you spend most of your evenings
and weekends “scouting”.
7. You know the exact ballistics, energy, and trajectory of your rifle
ammunition but you can’t balance your checkbook.
8. “NO HUNTING” signs throw you into a fit of rage.
9. You plan ALL of your vacation around deer hunting seasons.
10. You spend time at work making lists like this one.
11. You know a deer’s anatomy structure like the back of your hand.
12. Your kids’ yelling gives you a headache but you can spend hours at
the rifle range unfazed.
13. You’ll stop traffic during rush hour just to watch a couple deer
standing in a field.
14. You can field dress a deer without blinking but you can’t change a
diaper without losing your lunch.
15. You can find your favorite hunting spot in the dark but you can’t
find something in your own house that the wife asks you to get for her.
16. The year has three seasons….The Pre-Rut, The Rut, and The Post Rut.
17. You’ll wear attractant scents during deer season but you won’t put on
cologne during a night out with your wife.
18. You can spot a deer half hidden by foliage standing 100 yards away
but you can’t see the dishes in the sink that need to be done.
19. You only get and send Christmas cards to your hunting buddies.
20. You can remember the exact time, date, location, and weather
conditions of every deer you’ve ever taken but you can’t remember your own
anniversary.
21. You can make a gun rack out of a deer’s front legs in 30 minutes.
22. You dive right in to every hunting magazine you get in the mail but
will let bills sit for weeks.
23. Your children refer to deer season as “the time Daddy goes away”.
24. You always wake up before the alarm goes off for opening day of deer
season but you can’t wake up in time for work.
25. Venison is one of the four basic food groups.
26. “DEER CROSSING” signs give you a sense of anticipation.
27. You’ve sent in over 100 job applications to BUCKMASTERS.
28. The picture on your desk of your deer antlers is bigger than the
picture of your kids.
29. You can assemble your portable deer stand in the dark with quiet
efficiency but you wake the baby up every morning getting ready for work.
30. “Dates” with your wife always conclude with you making your wife drive
around to local fields while you hang out the window with a spot light.
31. You can survive in the woods for days eating grubs and strange
looking plants but you complain when the dinner your wife makes isn’t so
good.
32. Your trigger finger has blisters on it.
33. On an afternoon drive in October, your wife comments on how pretty
the leaves are. You keep wishing they would fall to the forest floor so
you can pinpoint deer feeding and bedding areas.
34. You spend an extra $20 a month just to get the Weather Channel on
cable. Then you only watch it during the week prior to deer season.
35. You can skin a deer with precise effectiveness but you can’t carve
the Thanksgiving turkey.
36. You can sit on a deer stand for hours in sub-zero temperatures but
it’s too cold to shovel the driveway.
37. You can track a deer for miles but you can’t find your kids in the
mall.
38. You can hit a deer running through the brush at top speed at 100
yards but you can’t hit the toilet when going to the bathroom.
39. You think it’s logical to spend $200 a year on your license, bullets,
food, camp dues, and gas just to save $100 in meat costs.
40. You have banned your children from ever watching the movies “Bambi”
and “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”.
41. You consider deer dragging to be a scientific art and worthy of hours
of conversation.
42. You give driving directions that include the phrase “turn left after
that field where the big eight point hangs out”.
43. Your bed spread is made up of four processed deer hides.
44. You hang out at the local corner store just to get tips on where the
deer are.
45. You think “Doe in Estrus” deer scent “doesn’t smell that bad”.
46. The winch on your truck has only ever been used to drag a deer out of
the woods.
47. Your watch still has blood and hair on it from last year’s deer you
cleaned.
48. You are always late for church in the fall because you just had to
check out one more field for deer.
49. You have four maps of the area you have hunted all your life but you
refuse to even look at the operating instructions for your new VCR.
50. You consider the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
as being the “spawn of Satan”.