When I was a bow technician for a national outdoor retail chain, my duties
included a lot more than working on bows, selling bows, or dispersing
information about bows. We also offered hundreds of archery and hunting
accessories. I took it upon myself to know as much as I could about all the
products we sold in the archery department so I could give hunters accurate
information as well as my informed opinion on the product. I can’t count
how many times I was asked what I thought about a particular product. Not
only that, but I was constantly asked how to use various products as well.
The use and application of scents was always a subject I discussed at
length with anyone who would listen.
SCENTS SENSE
Scents fall into two basic categories…cover and attractants. On the
surface, it would appear that you can never go wrong with using cover or
attractant scents whenever you want for whitetails. But you may be doing
more harm than good if you use either type of scent at the wrong time.
COVER SCENTS
To the nose of a whitetail deer, we are very stinky creatures. While we
should all take steps to eliminate as much odor from our bodies, clothing,
and equipment as possible we can still utilize cover scents as an added
precaution. Cover scents are to be used exactly what they are advertised
for…to cover OUR scent. But be cautious of cover scents that have an odor
themselves. Acorn scented cover scents are popular but if used very early
or very late in the season that scent is not normal to a deer at that time
of year. The best time to use an acorn scented cover scent is when the
acorns are dropping or shortly thereafter.
ATTRACTANT SCENTS
Attractant scents must be very carefully timed. During the early rut, when
bucks are establishing dominance amongst themselves, a dominant buck scent
is ideal. Later on, when the bucks are on the prowl for romance, a
doe-in-estrus scent is the way to go. But again, use these scents too early
(and sometimes too late) in the season and you run the risk of actually
having deer avoid your area because they may feel that something just isn’t
right with that particular scent at that particular time of the year.
CONCLUSION
You know those stores that specialize only in Christmas products? They all
seem to have that peculiar holiday smell to them. Now walk in to that store
in the middle of the summer. Your nose tells you it’s Christmas time but
your brain tells you it is July…the two just don’t go together.
Experiencing that scent at that time of year is the same type of confusion
a whitetail has when they detect an odor that is out of time with the
season.
By paying attention to what’s going on in the habitat around you and
understanding the timing of the whitetail’s breeding cycle, scents can be a
very powerful tool for us archery hunters who must get our prey in almost
on top of us. If the dominant buck in your area smells an adversary for his
does and comes charging in for a fight or if that same buck is focused on
finding the source of the aroma of love, scents are a MUST HAVE!. And don’t
get me started about combining scents with calls and decoys during the rut.
Oh boy!!
Check out my blog, videos, and lots of other stuff at www.thinkarchery.com.
If you would like to discuss this or any other archery topic with me
directly, please feel free to email me at todd@thinkarchery.com
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Friday, September 30, 2011
DEER AND THEIR CORE AREAS
We all have roads around where we live that we know very well. We know them
so well in fact, that on a dark night we are applying the brakes to our
vehicle long before we see the curve in the outer-most reaches of our high
beams. We may accelerate coming out of a curve because we know that in
front of us lies a long straight stretch of road. And we might put our
blinker on going up a hill, knowing that our blind turn is just over the
crest. With the recent deluge of rain we have experienced here in the
northeast this fall, many outlying roads are flooding even with a moderate
amount of rain. But almost without thinking about it, we are quickly able
to plot out an alternative route to our destination when we happen upon a
closed road.
We have become so familiar with our surroundings that our actions become
almost second nature to us.
MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE
Deer are masters of their environment. While we may think we know the area
around our homes pretty well, it is literally a matter of life and death
for the whitetail to know their core areas intimately. Not only must they
know their homes very well, it must come fully furnished.
MY HOUSE IS A VERY VERY VERY FINE HOUSE
Deer must have three things in their core area in order for it to hold
them.
· Security. They want secure bedding areas and accessible escape routes
that can get them out of danger and the area quickly.
· Cover. Bucks especially want to have as much between them and prying
eyes as possible. This will include hedgerows that connect two larger
tracts of woods, depressions that allow covert movement, and thick
nasty areas where they can go to hide out.
· Food and water sources. Food sources may include agricultural crops,
meadows, and seasonal acorns. In the fall and winter, deer are
opportune eaters and will consume whatever browse they can find.
FIND THE DOES
While bucks will and do leave their core areas during the rut to search for
receptive does, if there is enough security, cover, and food sources, the
does will be in abundance within that bucks area of operation. Find the
does and you find the bucks…especially during the rut.
CONCLUSION
It may seem that the deer disappear off the face of the earth once the
hunting season has been going for a couple days. The truth is that it takes
a LOT to force a deer to leave its core area. They know their environment
so well, that they simply slink away without you seeing them and hole up
until the pressure lessens.
Think about it…if you knew you were being hunted by some bully who was
watching the roads you normally travel and the restaurants you normally eat
at, wouldn’t YOU find alternative roads and diners? Wouldn’t YOU find a
nice little hidey-hole to escape to when the bully got too close for
comfort? You bet you would…and so does that buck.
Check out my blog, videos, and lots of other stuff at www.thinkarchery.com.
If you would like to discuss this or any other archery topic with me
directly, please feel free to email me at todd@thinkarchery.com
so well in fact, that on a dark night we are applying the brakes to our
vehicle long before we see the curve in the outer-most reaches of our high
beams. We may accelerate coming out of a curve because we know that in
front of us lies a long straight stretch of road. And we might put our
blinker on going up a hill, knowing that our blind turn is just over the
crest. With the recent deluge of rain we have experienced here in the
northeast this fall, many outlying roads are flooding even with a moderate
amount of rain. But almost without thinking about it, we are quickly able
to plot out an alternative route to our destination when we happen upon a
closed road.
We have become so familiar with our surroundings that our actions become
almost second nature to us.
MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE
Deer are masters of their environment. While we may think we know the area
around our homes pretty well, it is literally a matter of life and death
for the whitetail to know their core areas intimately. Not only must they
know their homes very well, it must come fully furnished.
MY HOUSE IS A VERY VERY VERY FINE HOUSE
Deer must have three things in their core area in order for it to hold
them.
· Security. They want secure bedding areas and accessible escape routes
that can get them out of danger and the area quickly.
· Cover. Bucks especially want to have as much between them and prying
eyes as possible. This will include hedgerows that connect two larger
tracts of woods, depressions that allow covert movement, and thick
nasty areas where they can go to hide out.
· Food and water sources. Food sources may include agricultural crops,
meadows, and seasonal acorns. In the fall and winter, deer are
opportune eaters and will consume whatever browse they can find.
FIND THE DOES
While bucks will and do leave their core areas during the rut to search for
receptive does, if there is enough security, cover, and food sources, the
does will be in abundance within that bucks area of operation. Find the
does and you find the bucks…especially during the rut.
CONCLUSION
It may seem that the deer disappear off the face of the earth once the
hunting season has been going for a couple days. The truth is that it takes
a LOT to force a deer to leave its core area. They know their environment
so well, that they simply slink away without you seeing them and hole up
until the pressure lessens.
Think about it…if you knew you were being hunted by some bully who was
watching the roads you normally travel and the restaurants you normally eat
at, wouldn’t YOU find alternative roads and diners? Wouldn’t YOU find a
nice little hidey-hole to escape to when the bully got too close for
comfort? You bet you would…and so does that buck.
Check out my blog, videos, and lots of other stuff at www.thinkarchery.com.
If you would like to discuss this or any other archery topic with me
directly, please feel free to email me at todd@thinkarchery.com
Thursday, September 15, 2011
THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER
I remember the horror stories well. When I first joined our deer camp, I
was quickly informed that the deer numbers were way down from years ago.
Time was, a hunter could see 40 or 50 deer in a single day. But not
anymore. Now they were lucky if they saw one or two….all season! I was a
bit disappointed by this information but I soon discovered the reason for
the decline in deer sightings.
SQUATTER’S RIGHTS?
Many of the camp members had been hunting the SAME stand locations year
after year…regardless of wind direction, hunting pressure, or food sources.
I was blessed to have early success at deer camp. I bagged a buck in four
out of my first five seasons there. I just couldn’t understand why I was
seeing and harvesting deer while most of the other guys were not seeing
anything. I would love to tell you that it was because I was a superior
woodsman and hunter extraordinaire but alas…such is not the case. The real
reason why I was seeing deer and my fellow campmates were not was simply
because I was a new camp member and therefore had to find my own spot to
hunt. I had to find a place where none of the other camp members hunted.
Not a spot that someone had been hunting in for…oh….the last 20 years or
so!
IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME…FOR AWHILE ANYWAY
Deer cannot reason like you and I but they do have instincts that warn them
of danger. If they are repeatedly exposed to the sight, sound, or smell of
a perceived danger in a specific location year after year, they will
instinctively alter their travel patterns to avoid that area. The does will
train their young to also avoid those areas and that is then passed down to
other generations. Pretty soon, the hunter that has been sitting in that
same stand for 20 years will be complaining that the deer that once were in
abundance have left the area. In reality, the deer are still there but are
avoiding that spot.
HIT THE ROAD JACK
What I’m trying to tell you is this…if you have a stand location that once
provided lots of deer sightings every season but now seems barren of deer,
and you have been in that same stand every year, maybe it’s time to find a
new hunting spot.
And you might not have to go far either. It could be just a short hop to
the other side of the ridge. Instead of hunting that spur that comes down
the mountain, try dipping into the draw that comes up the mountain. Try
finding a staging area instead of hunting the field edge.
CONCLUSION
Trust me…I know how hard it is to leave a stand location that USED to
provide lots of deer sightings and the occasional meat in the freezer. You
keep thinking that this will finally be the year that the deer come back in
the numbers of old and you had better be on that same stand…again.
It’s time my friend to give up the ghost and explore the woods for a new
hunting spot. And if you can find more than one new spot, your chances have
just gone up on seeing more deer this season and next.
Check out my blog, videos, and lots of other stuff at www.thinkarchery.com.
If you would like to discuss this or any other archery topic with me
directly, please feel free to email me at todd@thinkarchery.com
was quickly informed that the deer numbers were way down from years ago.
Time was, a hunter could see 40 or 50 deer in a single day. But not
anymore. Now they were lucky if they saw one or two….all season! I was a
bit disappointed by this information but I soon discovered the reason for
the decline in deer sightings.
SQUATTER’S RIGHTS?
Many of the camp members had been hunting the SAME stand locations year
after year…regardless of wind direction, hunting pressure, or food sources.
I was blessed to have early success at deer camp. I bagged a buck in four
out of my first five seasons there. I just couldn’t understand why I was
seeing and harvesting deer while most of the other guys were not seeing
anything. I would love to tell you that it was because I was a superior
woodsman and hunter extraordinaire but alas…such is not the case. The real
reason why I was seeing deer and my fellow campmates were not was simply
because I was a new camp member and therefore had to find my own spot to
hunt. I had to find a place where none of the other camp members hunted.
Not a spot that someone had been hunting in for…oh….the last 20 years or
so!
IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME…FOR AWHILE ANYWAY
Deer cannot reason like you and I but they do have instincts that warn them
of danger. If they are repeatedly exposed to the sight, sound, or smell of
a perceived danger in a specific location year after year, they will
instinctively alter their travel patterns to avoid that area. The does will
train their young to also avoid those areas and that is then passed down to
other generations. Pretty soon, the hunter that has been sitting in that
same stand for 20 years will be complaining that the deer that once were in
abundance have left the area. In reality, the deer are still there but are
avoiding that spot.
HIT THE ROAD JACK
What I’m trying to tell you is this…if you have a stand location that once
provided lots of deer sightings every season but now seems barren of deer,
and you have been in that same stand every year, maybe it’s time to find a
new hunting spot.
And you might not have to go far either. It could be just a short hop to
the other side of the ridge. Instead of hunting that spur that comes down
the mountain, try dipping into the draw that comes up the mountain. Try
finding a staging area instead of hunting the field edge.
CONCLUSION
Trust me…I know how hard it is to leave a stand location that USED to
provide lots of deer sightings and the occasional meat in the freezer. You
keep thinking that this will finally be the year that the deer come back in
the numbers of old and you had better be on that same stand…again.
It’s time my friend to give up the ghost and explore the woods for a new
hunting spot. And if you can find more than one new spot, your chances have
just gone up on seeing more deer this season and next.
Check out my blog, videos, and lots of other stuff at www.thinkarchery.com.
If you would like to discuss this or any other archery topic with me
directly, please feel free to email me at todd@thinkarchery.com
Friday, August 26, 2011
BOOK REVIEW - "THE BOWHUNTER'S GUIDE TO BETTER SHOOTING"
TITLE, AUTHOR, AND PUBLICATION INFO
“THE BOWHUNTER’S GUIDE TO BETTER SHOOTING”
by Patrick Meitin
Copyright 2011 by Petersen’s Bowhunting and InterMedia Outdoors Company
299 pages
SUMMARY
This book is stuffed full of archery and shooting information. Mr. Meitin
not only gives expert advice on the mechanics of proper form and shooting
methods but he provides in-depth technical guidance on everything from the
parts of the bow, to arrow flight, to setting up a challenging 3D course.
The book covers all aspects of traditional and modern archery shooting and
equipment.
BREAKING IT DOWN
Plain and simple, this book tells you how to make yourself a better archer
on the range and in the field. There is something for everyone here that
will keep even the most experienced archer flipping through the pages
looking for that next little nugget of wisdom. Be warned however, this book
is not for the novice archery shooter. I’ve been shooting bow for a number
of years now and I had to force myself to slow down while reading this book
in order to be able to absorb the huge amount of information.
LIKES
· There is a chapter at the end of the book dedicated to getting
children and family members involved in the sport of archery. As a
youth archery instructor, I applaud the writing.
· What a great reference guide this book will make! If you are having
issues with any part of your shooting form or equipment, having this
book to turn to will help lead you back to your happy place.
· I tire of authors who try to please everyone by being politically
correct. Mr. Meitin comes right out and says it, “Wheat is harvested.
Animals are killed.” Bravo, Mr. Meitin, bravo.
DISLIKES
· An archery book that is technical in nature should not include both
traditional and modern archery equipment and shooting methods. They
are so vastly different that each deserve to be in their own volumes.
Check out my blog, videos, and lots of other stuff at www.thinkarchery.com.
If you would like to discuss this or any other archery topic with me
directly, please feel free to email me at todd@thinkarchery.com
***Disclaimer-This book was provided for my review by the editor of
Petersen’s Bowhunting Magazine.***
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
WAY TO GO BOYS!!!!
My two sons, McLane and Walker Lydell, have just completed the fourth and
final leg of the Pennsylvania State Archery Association’s state archery
tournaments. This was the first year that the boys competed in all four
state tournaments and it was Walker’s first time competing in ANY archery
event.
It was a mad scramble for them to go from shooting 20 yards all the time to
distances ranging from just under 11 yards all the way out to 50 yards.
Bows sights had to be changed out, new arrows purchased, and lots of
practice had to be done.
I couldn’t be prouder of my guys struggling through one shoot that reached
98 degrees, gnats and bugs all over the place, and having to get up very
early on weekends to attend these state shoots PLUS the regional shoots
in-between. In competition alone, the boys shot over 1000 arrows!
Indoor (April)
Walker – 2nd Place Junior Male Unlimited Class B
McLane – 1st Place Junior Male Unlimited Class A
Target (June)
Walker - 1st Place Junior Male Unlimited Class B
McLane – 1st Place Junior Male Unlimited Class A
Field/Hunter (July)
Walker – 1st Place Junior Male Unlimited Class B
McLane – 1st Place Junior Male Unlimited Class A
Bowhunter/Animal (August)
Walker – 2nd Place Junior Male Unlimited Class B
McLane – 1st Place Junior Male Unlimited Class B
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
EARLY SEASON TACTICS
Don’t you just love those videos on TV where the unsuspecting victim
approaches the seemingly normal birthday cake only to be totally surprised
when the trap is sprung and it smashes into their face? The birthday person
had seen lots of birthday cakes before where nothing out of the ordinary
occurred and this cake was approached in a relaxed manner with no thought
to a set up.
IT’S A PARTY
In the early archery season, deer are locked into their late summer / early
fall feeding patterns. They haven’t been harassed at all for many months
and for the past several weeks, they have been leaving their nearby bedding
area and travelling to the bountiful and easily accessible food source in
the back corner of the roadside field.
SURPRISE!!!
But if you’ve done your preseason scouting, on the opening day of archery
season you will be in a stand on the field’s edge. If you’ve used scent
control and are playing the wind correctly, our unsuspecting victim should
be coming down the trail to the seemingly normal food source. And if you
are patient and have been practicing, you should be able to spring your
trap.
IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS
Some things to remember though…
First, have an exit strategy. If a bunch of deer are feeding in the field
you are hunting but the deer you want does not show up on the first night,
you need a plan to get out of your stand and out of the area without
disturbing the whole herd. You do NOT want to walk through the field and
blow them all out of there.
Second, if the wind isn’t right, don’t hunt that location.
Third, it won’t take Mr. Big long to realize he’s being hunted. If you
don’t get him on the first or second night, give the location a rest for a
while.
Fourth, if the animal you want is not coming to the field until after legal
shooting hours have expired, look for a staging area about 50-150 yards
from the field. Sometimes bucks will find an elevated location to check out
the field during daylight hours before committing to it after dark.
CONCLUSION
I’m not sure which is better to hunt…the first week of archery season when
deer are relaxed and in predictable patterns or the pre-rut when calls,
scents, and rattling can bring on an extra element of excitement. I will
admit that early archery season is something I look forward to each year.
The weather is agreeable, I’m excited to be archery hunting again, and the
deer are somewhat foreseeable in their movements.
Missing the early archery season is a mistake and could cost you the buck
of a lifetime.
Check out my blog, videos, and lots of other stuff at www.thinkarchery.com.
If you would like to discuss this or any other archery topic with me
directly, please feel free to email me at todd@thinkarchery.com
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
PROPER DRAW WEIGHT
All of us have different levels of physical strength. What might seem an
easy feat for one person, could be an impossible task for someone else.
Form is also a factor when it comes to performing a physical endeavor. If
he doesn’t have the proper form, the strongest man in the world will drown
if he doesn’t know how to swim.
Sadly though, the public usually puts physical strength on a pedestal and
forsakes the more cerebral approach. Some archery hunters will take the
manly approach and draw as much weight as they possibly can. Not only can too much draw weight possibly cost you a deer, it could be hazardous to
your health.
MACHO MAN
Ever seen this guy on the archery range? Just as he is about to draw his
bow, he aims it to the heavens, spreads his feet into a wrestling stance,
and begins to draw back his bow. His lips are pursed and his eyes bug out a
little until the cams roll over and he gets into the valley. As he brings
his bow on plane at full draw, his body quivers, he aims quickly, and at
release, exhales loudly in relief of the pressure.
IS YOUR DRAW WEIGHT TOO MUCH? HERE’S THE TEST..
This guy could be big or small but it’s obvious that he is drawing WAY too
much weight. Chances are good that he will eventually pull a muscle but
chances are even greater that if he goes through those gyrations on the
stand, every deer within 100 yards will see him!
So how do you know if you are drawing the right weight for your body style
and strength level? Here’s the test…sit on a chair with both feet flat on
the floor. Hook your release and bring your bow arm up on the plane with
your target. You are drawing too much weight if you are not able to come to
full draw in that position while keeping your pins on the target.
CONCLUSION
You only need about 35 pounds of kinetic energy (KE) for the average
whitetail deer and arrow velocity is part of the formula for determining
KE. Arrow velocity is partially determined by draw weight.
Don’t suffer the fool well who is bragging that the draw weight of his bow
is set at 82 pounds…..unless he can smoothly come to full draw and hold it
there. Then you might want to consider just staying out of his way.
Check out my blog, videos, and lots of other stuff at www.thinkarchery.com.
If you would like to discuss this or any other archery topic with me
directly, please feel free to email me at todd@thinkarchery.com
easy feat for one person, could be an impossible task for someone else.
Form is also a factor when it comes to performing a physical endeavor. If
he doesn’t have the proper form, the strongest man in the world will drown
if he doesn’t know how to swim.
Sadly though, the public usually puts physical strength on a pedestal and
forsakes the more cerebral approach. Some archery hunters will take the
manly approach and draw as much weight as they possibly can. Not only can too much draw weight possibly cost you a deer, it could be hazardous to
your health.
MACHO MAN
Ever seen this guy on the archery range? Just as he is about to draw his
bow, he aims it to the heavens, spreads his feet into a wrestling stance,
and begins to draw back his bow. His lips are pursed and his eyes bug out a
little until the cams roll over and he gets into the valley. As he brings
his bow on plane at full draw, his body quivers, he aims quickly, and at
release, exhales loudly in relief of the pressure.
IS YOUR DRAW WEIGHT TOO MUCH? HERE’S THE TEST..
This guy could be big or small but it’s obvious that he is drawing WAY too
much weight. Chances are good that he will eventually pull a muscle but
chances are even greater that if he goes through those gyrations on the
stand, every deer within 100 yards will see him!
So how do you know if you are drawing the right weight for your body style
and strength level? Here’s the test…sit on a chair with both feet flat on
the floor. Hook your release and bring your bow arm up on the plane with
your target. You are drawing too much weight if you are not able to come to
full draw in that position while keeping your pins on the target.
CONCLUSION
You only need about 35 pounds of kinetic energy (KE) for the average
whitetail deer and arrow velocity is part of the formula for determining
KE. Arrow velocity is partially determined by draw weight.
Don’t suffer the fool well who is bragging that the draw weight of his bow
is set at 82 pounds…..unless he can smoothly come to full draw and hold it
there. Then you might want to consider just staying out of his way.
Check out my blog, videos, and lots of other stuff at www.thinkarchery.com.
If you would like to discuss this or any other archery topic with me
directly, please feel free to email me at todd@thinkarchery.com
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