THE RESET

I love baseball. It’s great to settle down in front of the television to
watch a major league baseball game…especially if the Phillies are doing
well. But to many people, baseball is boring. They think all baseball
involves is pitch the ball, hit the ball, catch the ball, throw the ball,
etc. But there are many little things going on within the game that make it
interesting.

One of the things I enjoy watching are the rituals that some hitters go
through before they are ready to receive a pitch. They go through all kinds
of manipulations with the dirt, the bat, their batting gloves, their
helmet, everything. AND THEN….most back out of the box and do it all
again….after each pitch!!!!

However, what these professional baseball players are doing is nothing less
than what we should be doing as archers. In reality, they are adjusting to
the right stance, getting the proper body alignment, achieving the correct
grip, and mentally preparing for the next pitch.

After that arrow is gone and we’ve followed through properly (see blog
entry from 12/7), our body is not in the proper position to immediately
shoot another arrow. While our stance should not change, our posture needs
to be reset, the next arrow needs to be reset, our bow needs to be reset,
our grip needs to be reset, our string hand needs to be reset, and most
importantly, our mind must be reset.

I’m not saying to back completely off the line and start all over but
everyone should have a pre-shot routine that they go through before
shooting every arrow!!! At a minimum, that ritual should include a mental
check list of the following…

Stance and body posture
Nocking the arrow and hook the release
Grip the bow and bring it into position
Slow Draw and anchor the string hand
Aim! Aim! Aim!
Release
Follow through

AND THEN….RESET…and do it all over again.

If you develop a pre-shot routine, the process of repetition will soon
train your body. You will find that you no longer have to really think
about it and that your body will tell you when something isn’t right. And
listen to your body. If something just doesn’t feel right, let down, and
RESET.

And just like the major league baseball player, don’t dwell on what’s
already happened. You can’t get that bad shot back any more than a batter
can get that strike back.

And RESET your mind to focus COMPLETELY on the next shot. And by that, I
mean FOCUS ONLY ON AIMING when you come to full draw.

Remember…we don’t shoot three arrows at a time when practicing…we shoot one
at a time.

And don’t forget to check out my instructional archery videos at
www.youtube.com/archery64.

Nerves or Lack of Focus?

About a week ago, our archery club held a grocery shoot as a fund raiser.
The last round of the night was for a very nice bow stabilizer. We had a shoot-off and soon it was down to two shooters….a friend of mine from the club and a shooter from another club.

My friend and I were shooting on the same lane all night and he had put his last five arrows in the bullseye. His opponent shot first and was well outside the bullseye ring….all my friend had to do was come close. But then
he did something he hadn’t done all night…he came to full draw, aimed…..and let down. He did this twice. His nerves were getting to him.

Instead of letting his body do what it knew how to do, his mind took over.
Instead of focusing on the tiny little “X” in the middle of the bullseye,
he was worried about other things.

Have you ever watched a little child carry a plate of food across the living room or out in the yard during a picnic? If the child does not focus
on that plate the entire trip, the plate begins to dip until it is at an alarming angle.

Have you ever been driving and so lost in thought that when you snapped out of it, you don’t remember driving the last few miles?

Have you even been watching CNN and tried listening to what the reporters were saying while trying to read the scrolling news stories at the bottom of the screen….at the same time. I can’t do it!

Have you ever had a tall 8-point come in to your shooting lane at 7:15 AM, come to full draw, and sail the arrow over his back…only to realize later
that you honestly didn’t remember where your kisser button was when you were at full draw?

My point is…we can’t truly focus 100% of our attention on more than one thing at a time.

When its crunch time and your nerves are screaming at you, there’s only one thing you can do….relax, find that aiming point, focus all of your
attention on it, and let your body release the arrow like you’ve trained it to do.

As for my friend…he still has his old stabilizer on his bow

Things I think about...in no particular order

Everyone should be required to take marksmanship proficiency tests in firearms and archery before being allowed to enter the woods.

We should be permitted to shoot out the tires of road hunters.

Game Commissions are doing the best with what they have to provide adequate deer populations.

If you shoot it, you eat it.

State firearm safety courses should include how to track a wounded animal.

Crossbows should only be permitted for use by those with physical limitations.

Sunday hunting should not be allowed anywhere for anything!

They should have pull-off areas along highways so we can safely watch deer in the fields.

Kids should start out shooting bows with mechanical releases and then learn how to shoot fingers.

PETA...’nuf said.

Every deer you’re fortunate enough to harvest should be considered a trophy.

Wearing a safety harness while in a tree stand should be required by law.

While in deer camp, discussion topics such as taxes, mortgage rates, and computers should be forbidden.

I’ve never seen a Game Warden walking in the woods when they weren’t on a road or trail….wait….I’ve never seen a Game Warden walking.

Why don’t you ever see deer cross the road near those “Deer Crossing” signs?

I prefer to archery hunt in the evenings but rifle hunt in the mornings.

As I get older, my tree stand gets closer to the ground.

My dad is the best hunter I’ve ever known.

***ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK***

Draw Length

I am 6’3” while my wife is only 5’2”. Imagine my discomfort when I try to cram myself behind the wheel of the family roadster after my wife has driven it….and she didn’t re-adjust the seat. IF I am able to get in, I must adjust the seat way back so that my knees are out of my ears, adjust both side mirrors, the rearview mirror, the steering wheel, and even sometimes the radio. I would not even attempt to drive that vehicle until it was adjusted to fit me because it would be very unsafe, very uncomfortable, and very unproductive.

The same concept should be applied to our bows. Our bow should be adjusted to fit us instead of us trying to cram ourselves into impossible positions to fit the bow.

In my youth instructional program last week, a young shooter was getting frustrated because she couldn’t hit the target consistently. I hadn’t had a chance to work with her before. I watched her shoot three arrows and could plainly see her problem. First, the draw length of the bow was too short and this caused her bow arm to be bent too much. Her entire shooting side was tensed up and quivering. Second, her peep sight was way too high. She was struggling at keeping the kisser button where it was supposed to be and trying to see through the peep. I gave the bow about another inch of draw length and moved her peep sight down. At full draw, her body now looked relaxed and she put her next two arrows in the bulls-eye and the third one just outside the bulls-eye. I wish you could have seen the look of joy on her face.

I am an advocate of having your bow elbow “locked” when at full draw. If your body is properly aligned and your stance is correct, this will give you a direct line from your grip to your front shoulder. If your elbow is bent, you will be using forearm and upper arm muscle groups to hold your bow at full draw. Small muscle groups like these will tire quickly and cause inconsistency in your groupings. Also, if your elbow is bent, you can not ensure that you are bending it at the same angle every single time at full draw. You will come to full draw, put the kisser button where it’s
supposed to go, and THEN adjust your bow elbow angle accordingly.

And remember, a draw length that is too long can cause its own set of problems. So get to an archery pro shop and have a technician take a look at your draw length at full draw. A slight bow adjustment can make a world of difference.

And mom and dad….remember….your kids are growing. That bow that may have perfectly fit your child last year may need to have some adjustments made this year. Pay attention to your child’s shooting form.

Kids and Equipment

Our archery club’s instructional youth program has started and we have about 40 kids participating this year. As a certified archery instructor, I help out where I can but find that most of my time is consumed with adjusting or applying equipment to bows. While our club supplies bows for children to use who don’t have one, many kids do have their own bows and bring them to the club. But many times, I see equipment that is insufficient or lacking completely on the bows these kids bring to the
club.

Now what kid doesn’t enjoy shooting a bow? Even as an adult, I thoroughly enjoy the feeling of coming to full draw, aiming carefully, triggering my release, and watching my arrow hit its mark……sometimes. But what happens when a child follows their instructor’s advice to the letter and still doesn’t hit what they’re aiming at….or even come close? They start to get frustrated.

As adults, we have the resources, finances, and contacts available to us to
pinpoint an equipment problem and correct it. Once we have the proper equipment and have adjusted it accordingly, we know that is then comes down
to practice in order to get better. Children do not have the resources, finances, or contacts to determine equipment problems. They have to rely on adults and usually the first line of defense for them is the parents.

If a child is given poor equipment, how can they possibly be expected to hit what they are aiming at? When they don’t, they begin to get frustrated and if it lasts too long, the child loses interest and may never pick up a bow again.

I’ve seen kids try to shoot bows without arrows rests, bows without sights of any kind, and arrows of different lengths and weights. I’ve even had parents who don’t know if their kids shoot right or left handed. But the biggest pet peeve of mine is parents who make their kids shoot with their fingers because …“I don’t want to spend money on a release in case my kid doesn’t like archery.” Well guess what? Even with the best equipment, most kids won’t be able to hit close to where they are aiming if they shoot with their fingers. Your child WILL lose interest!

My own child almost hated shooting a bow while he was using a club bow. But after we bought him a used bow that fit him, put on the right equipment, and made the proper adjustments, he started putting his arrows closer to
where he was aiming. Now, he looks forward to shooting and WANTS to improve his shooting.

While some of it may be attributed to financial issues or simple lack of knowledge, many parents will not provide their children with the proper
archery equipment. But they expect them to go out and shoot some old mismatched arrows that an uncle gave them on a stripped down bow given to them by a neighbor…and have fun doing it.

So Mom and Dad….do you and your kids a favor…provide your children with the proper archery equipment. I am NOT saying it all has to be brand new. But if your child does have a used bow, get to a pro shop and have it adjusted
to your child. Make sure the bow has equipment on it that is going to give your kid a fighting chance at hitting the target. And for goodness sake,
find a mechanical release for your kid to use.

Youth

Each year, it seems that the ranks of hunters are shrinking. Older hunters decide they’ve had enough and hang up either the rifle or the bow while many of today’s youth find other things to do rather than sit up in a tree. Still others become disappointed and just decide to quit.

But once in a while, a parent, relative, or friend brings forth a youngster who is eager to join the army of camo and blaze orange that go after
whitetails each fall and they want to experience the whole spectrum that hunting whitetails has to offer.

I remember sitting in the kitchen when I was too young to hunt listening to the men as they gathered around the table pouring over maps and making final adjustments on the night before the opener. Being too young to participate, I stayed out of the way but hung on every word. I would be up WAY before daylight as the hunters gathered at our house before heading out. I longed to go with them as they piled into the trucks and disappeared into the early morning darkness.
My father had created in me, a desire to be part of the hunt. And I am thankful to this day that the other members of our hunting party welcomed me into their ranks. When I became old enough to join the men at the table, they continued to teach me and show me the way so that my love of hunting never waned.

Children are our hunting future and when any of them express even the slightest desire to become part of the hunt, they should be welcomed with open arms.

When finally brought into the presence of other veteran hunters, youngsters should be sat down often and happily have knowledge imparted to them. Patience should be shown to them when they ask questions where the answers
seem obvious. They should not only want to join our brotherhood but we should want them to join us as well. They should be nurtured in an
environment that makes them feel welcome.

Sadly though, a child’s desire to be made part of the hunting experience is sometimes damaged or destroyed by others. Whether intentional or not, poorly chosen words, demeaning remarks, or even a blatant disinterest in them, can quickly alter the way a young person feels about being “part of the gang”.
Sometimes, a youngster will talk for months about the upcoming season and the fellowship they are looking forward to spending with the other members of the hunting party…only to have that desire dashed against the rocks because of a few callous remarks. In addition, the person who was so careful to develop a love of hunting in the youngster now doubts whether that young person should continue to be exposed to such an environment and
may even desire to be rid of it himself.

So, the next time an excited youngster is brought into the fold…welcome them and make them feel as being part of the group. Be careful what you say
and how you act around them so that a burning desire they once had is not extinguished. Remember….our numbers are shrinking and a poor choice of
words could make it likely that we won’t see that youngster (or their mentor) at the kitchen table next year.

***ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK***

Gripping the Bow

There’s a lot going on when we come to full draw with our bow. There are a lot of physical and mental things that we have to remember and properly execute if we ever hope to have consistent arrow groupings. However, one of
the most overlooked components of archery mechanics (and yet perhaps one of the most important) is how you grip the bow at full draw.

The grip of a bow is designed so that it LOOKS like it should be gripped very tightly like we would a hammer. Do that though, and you’re asking for trouble. In reality, we shouldn’t be gripping the bow at all….we should be blocking it.

Whenever someone comes up to me and says they can’t get consistent groupings with their bow, the very first thing I look at is how they hold the bow at full draw. Ever hear the phrase “This is where the rubber meets the road”? Let me tell you, when it comes to archery, the grip is where the rubber meets the road because it’s the only place where the hand meets the
bow at full draw.

If you grip the bow with any kind of tightness at all, you run a very high risk of having the bow torque on you at release. That means that your hand, wrist, forearm, shoulder, and back will all fight against the natural
movement of the bow in order to hold it on target. Due to the involuntary nature of this muscle reaction, torque is difficult if not impossible to
control. In effect, this means that you will have inconsistent impact points on your target.

A loose grip (or better yet…no grip at all) will allow the bow to move naturally after release and have the same movement for each release. This allows us to dial our sights in better and give us more consistent groupings.

But…how are we to hold the bow if we can’t grip it? First of all, your bow should have a wrist strap on it. This will prevent the bow from falling
after release. However, your instinctive reactions will naturally grasp the bow after release. I’ve yet to see a bow flop all over that place after
release when I’ve shown someone how to properly hold the bow at full draw.

Do this. Standing up and looking straight ahead, extend your bow arm straight out to your side. Make the “stop” sign with your hand. Now relax
your fingers and thumb. Look at your hand. THAT is the position that your bow hand should be in when you come to full draw! Notice how the line of knuckles is angled to about 45 degrees? That is a good point of reference when you are at full draw. At full draw, your fingers should be loose and relaxed. Let your fingers fall where they will but avoid the temptation to
grip the bow.

You may feel like your going to drop the bow the first few times you try this but you won’t. By the time your fingers instinctively grab the bow to keep it from falling, the arrow has already cleared your bow and is well on its way to the target.

Before you even hook your release to your loop, your bow hand should already be in the proper position on the grip. As you come to full draw,
let you fingers relax so that you are not gripping the bow in any manner.
You will find more consistent groupings and a less stressful shooting experience.

***ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK ***

Well, we’re two weeks into the full archery season here in Pennsylvania and I’ve yet to draw back on a deer. I’ve been out three mornings and three
evening and have yet to have a deer come within range. The deer are leaving lots of sign though and some of the bucks are chasing already. Scrapes and rubs are showing up too. I’m hoping the rut kicks in early and runs a bit longer than normal. The cool temperatures are to moderate this week but the cold snap we had has removed a lot of leaves from the trees. Farmers should be harvesting their corn fields soon too.

What I’m trying to say is this…if you’re like me and you haven’t taken a deer yet this archery season, don’t give up hope. The forests are quickly
changing over to their fall plumage, the cool temperatures are getting whitetails in the mood for their annual fall mating rituals, and those corn
fields that deer like to stay in 24/7 are about to go away. A LOT is going to change for the better within the next couple of weeks!

A VERY SUCCESSFUL OPENING DAY

Well, our first archery outing of the season did not provide much in the form of whitetailed deer for my son McLane and I…

We left our house at 2:30 AM for a 2 ½ hour drive.
We sweated getting to our stands and then got cold after sitting in them for a while.
At 8:30 AM, two cars came down a road we didn’t know existed about 50 yards from us.
It was hard to see very far with all the leaves still on the trees.
The game cart broke down several times as we hauled our gear about 500 yards back to the vehicle.
Had to drive several miles to a hardware store to get material to fix the
game cart.
We were tired, sore, and sweaty by the time we got into our evening stands.
Had about six hunters walk through the field we were hunting. One was hunting doves with a shotgun.
Took a wrong turn on the way back home.
Had another 2 ½ hour drive home yet and paid over $10 in tolls for the day.
We were utterly exhausted by the time we got home.

And in the end, we only saw one small fawn in the morning.

But you know what…..it was a good day!

We had a great time even though it seemed a lot of things went wrong.
Yeah…we could’ve grumbled about all the other hunters. We could have complained about not seeing any deer. We could have whined about how hot and then how cold we were. We could have moaned about a lot of things.

Had we thought about all the bad things, we would have had a horrible hunt.

We wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the milk and Jolly Ranchers we shared during the morning drive. We wouldn’t have been able to laugh (quietly) as we made faces at each other from our stands. We wouldn’t have recognized
that we were helping each other by carrying equipment or pulling the game cart. We wouldn’t have been able to make an adventure out of getting the parts we needed to fix the game cart and enjoying the french fries and shakes we had on the way back to the woods. We wouldn’t have giggled as we tried to toss candy to each other from one stand to another in our evening hunt. I wouldn’t have been able to adore my son as he napped contentedly in his stand. We wouldn’t have had a great time listening to the radio on the way home and making fun of lyrics.

The day wasn’t about seeing or harvesting a deer. In fact, that day wasn’t even about the hunt. It was about spending time with my son. It was about
me being a hunting buddy to him and simply enjoying his company. I pray that it was a day he’ll always remember with fondness even though we didn’t
bring home a deer.

As I write this, I am becoming quite emotional. I know a day will come when my sons will leave the house, find wives, and begin families of their own.
I know they’ll choose their wives and children over me for outings and adventures. It doesn’t upset me but it makes me terribly sad.

So...to anybody who is taking time out of their busy day to read my ramblings…..if you have children, enjoy them! Don’t sweat the little stuff
and make the best out of the time you have together. If they are grown, call them today.
If you don’t have children, call your mom and/or dad and tell them how much they mean to you. It will mean a great deal to them.
Find someone that means something to you and tell them what they mean to you.

***ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK***

TOO LITTLE TOO LATE?

There’s a Christmas song that has the following words in it…”it’s the most wonderful time of the year”. With the temperatures starting to cool off, school back in session, and the hint of fall in the air, it is INDEED the most wonderful time of the year because that means that archery season is upon us!

For six months, I’ve been preaching about getting ready for opening day and I hope you have taken my suggestions and recommendations to heart. But I know there are many of you that have put off things due to work, chores, or other commitments. So now, when you dare to peek at a calendar, you get a bit nervous because the opener is only a week or two away and you KNOW you
aren’t as ready as you’d like.

It’s now really too late to be 100% ready for the opening day of archery season if you haven’t been preparing all summer but there are some things you can still do to at least get you closer to being ready.

Get a license. ‘Nuf said.

Go over your equipment. Make sure the bow string and cables are in good shape, all bolts and nuts are tight, and that your bow is as silenced as
you can get it. Check out your stand for rust or lose bolts. Make sure your safety harness is in PERFECT working order. Carefully go over each and
every arrow and look for cracked nocks or shafts. Ensure your broadheads
are sharp.

Practice one hour per day. Set aside at least one hour per day for shooting practice between now and three days before the opener. If you haven’t been practicing all summer, an hour per day is all the shooting you should do
since you’ll quickly tire and start to lose your groupings.

Sight in your broadheads. On the third day before the opener, sight in your broadheads with as few shots as you can. Once they are sighted in, you are done shooting your bow until opening day so your shooting muscles will have a chance to rest.
Remember though…and this is important because not many hunters do this…you must practice DURING the season! If you haven’t practiced since before the season started and your chance at a deer doesn’t come until the end of the
season, it could be six weeks or longer since you’ve shot an arrow.
Practice DURING the season!

Make sure you have a place to hunt. Several years ago, I got permission to access a friend’s farm whenever I wanted to. I still ask him every year if it’s ok if I hunt his property. Don’t assume you’ll still have your regular archery spot available even if you own your own property. Get out there and
make sure things haven’t changed too much since last year.

There’s a lot of other stuff you need to do between now and the opener so don’t wait. Do everything you can starting NOW to get ready.

***ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK***

UNDER PRESSURE

Very few of us are fortunate enough to have enough of our own property where we’re able to keep other hunters out and pursue deer in their natural
state. Many of us are forced to hunt on public land or get permission to hunt on private land. Either way, we end up sharing the woods with other
hunters and deer are very seldom in a relaxed state of mind. Nothing is more frustrating than to be in a stand overlooking a perfect set up only to have some goober come wandering through who has obviously never heard of noise discipline.

Early in my hunting career, I used to get very upset when another hunter would mess up my hunt. I knew that every deer in the area was moving to
less crowded parts of the woods. As I grew older and began studying deer and hunting tactics in depth, I discovered escape routes. These are corridors that deer use when they are under pressure and are attempting to
get into protective cover. Understand, these are not necessarily funnels that I discussed in an earlier blog. These could be anything that allows a deer to get from one area to another quickly and covertly.

Opening morning of archery season or rifle season is pretty much the same across the nation. Most hunters are up early and quietly get in their stands well before daylight. And then comes daylight and all heck breaks
loose.
If its rifle season and you’re on public land, the surrounding shots come often for the first couple of hours. But whether its rifle or archery season, many more hunters are NOT seeing deer and they decide to get out of
their stands in search of better opportunities. They may wander around for a couple hours before finding a spot to sit for a while. Around lunch time, they head back to camp or their truck for a sandwich. Afterwards, the come back into the woods and sit for a bit. But shortly, they are on their feet again until they find a stump to sit on until they head out to get to their vehicle before dark.

Look carefully at what is happening here. If you are set up next to an escape route, you have the opportunity to see deer all day long! Each time those hunters move around, they move the deer! Can you see now how the deer
are under pressure how to put the other hunters running around the woods to work for you?

A number of years ago, I found a good escape route in an area I hunt on State Forest land. Now get this…my primary stand location is 200 yards from a road, about 300 yards from a parking area, and a hiking trail come to within 150 yards of my stand. But the ridge above me is littered with
mountain laurel and is very thick. Deer love to head into that stuff from the flats below me when the shooting starts. Connecting the mountain laurel above me and the flats below me is a brushy corridor about 30 yards wide
that runs from top to bottom. It’s not much but it’s what the deer use to get into the mountain laurel for protection once they realize they are
being hunted.

You may not be able to see escape routes from aerial or topo maps…you’ll have to get out there and find them. And understand that these are escape routes. It is very unlikely you’ll find any other sign except for perhaps tracks and maybe some droppings. You likely won’t find rubs, scrapes, or beds. Also be aware that deer will probably not be sight-seeing as they
come by you. You’ll have to be on your toes and prepared for a quick shot.

Patience is the key when hunting escape routes. The action may be going on around you early on but all you have to do is wait for those deer that are under pressure to start filtering by you to their “safe” haven.

***ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK***

WEATHER

I, for one, am very thankful that we are not able to fully pattern deer and anticipate what they will do under every circumstance. Yes, we can generalize their tendencies, categorize their habits, and theorize their reactions but we can not wholly predict them. Being able to do so would likely be fun for a while but it would soon lose its appeal as the challenge of matching wits with the greatest game animal in the world would cease to exist.
So, anybody who tells you that EVERY deer will do the EXACT same thing ALL the time under CERTAIN conditions, is just a plain liar or is very ignorant
of deer behavior.

There are a wide range of factors that influence deer behavior. But for today, let’s talk about how the weather generally affects deer movement without hunting pressure.

There are three weather situations where most deer will generally bed down and not move unless absolutely forced to do so…they are heavy snowfalls, heavy rainfalls, or high winds.
If you’ve ever wanted to put your woodland skills to the test and try still hunting, this is the time to do it because a deer’s hearing, smelling, and eyesight are reduced to about our level.
It takes a hearty hunter to step outside a warm cabin and enter the woods under these conditions but this is when your chances are the best for
finding a bedded deer at close range in heavy cover.
Be ready to hunt food sources after the storms pass. Many times, deer will bed for a couple days waiting out the storm. When it’s over, they’ll be ready to eat.

At the other end of the spectrum is when it’s a beautiful sunny day with moderate temperatures and little or no wind. Deer are most alert at this time and if there are crunchy leaves on the ground, you can almost forget about walking up on a deer. The good news is that most deer will generally be active and this is a good time to be on a stand near trails or feeding areas.

Light rain or light snow with little or no wind does not seem to bother deer one way or the other. I am convinced however, that the precipitation falling across their field of vision somewhat reduces their ability to pick
up hunter movement and the heavy atmosphere hinders a deer’s sense of smell. Light precipitation also means a soft forest floor and footsteps are now muffled. On stand, a hunter will have to use his eyes a lot more.

There are many combinations of wind, temperature, and precipitation and those various combinations affect deer behavior differently. Many hunters are fair-weather fellows and are not willing to give up the comfort of a warm and dry cabin to venture out into the elements where the chances for success may be increased due to adverse weather. But with today’s high-tech clothing options, we can remain warm and dry on stand.

Give hunting a try in weather that is not so pleasant. Not only will you find that you may very well have the woods almost to yourself, but the
weather may help you in putting a deer on the meat pole.

***ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK***

DECOYS - PART 2

***I am looking for feedback on my blog. Please feel free to leave your comments. Thanks***

In my last blog, I briefly touched on the use of a buck or doe decoy when hunting whitetails and how they might just be the trigger that fools that buck into coming within shooting range or at least hanging around long enough to give us a shot. In this installment, I’ll be discussing what, when, where, and how to use doe and buck decoys.

Around the end of October, bucks begin to establish their dominance for the mating rights that will soon follow. These rituals include the making of scrapes and rubs. These markers provide a way for deer to communicate to
each other. First they are visual but second, mature bucks deposit their scent in scrapes and on rubs advertising that they are the big man on campus. This is HIS turf and he will bring down the hammer on any other buck who might try mating with HIS does. Not only is the buck constantly looking for receptive does but he must also continually defend his right to breed with them.

First and foremost on his mind however, is breeding. A buck knows other bucks are in his area and if there is a receptive does nearby, he either has to be the first one to her or he has to fight.
Ever have this happen? You see a buck in the distance that has picked up the doe-in-heat scent you put out. But for some reason, he stops about 60
or 70 yards away. He’s looking in your direction but you know he hasn’t picked you off.
Why won’t he come in???
It’s because he has smelled what he believes is a receptive doe but he can’t see what he expects to see. He expects to see the doe that is giving off that wonderful odor. When his eyes can’t confirm what his nose has
smelled, a buck will sometimes hesitate to commit himself into coming in.
Now put a doe decoy out in front of your stand. When that buck stops at 70 yards, his eyes are now able to confirm what his nose smelled. The buck is now much more likely to commit himself to your set up.

A mature buck must also physically defend his right to breed with the does in his area. If you use rattle antlers or a grunt tube, a buck will sometimes circle downwind to validate the noise with his nose. This is where a good dominant buck scent comes in handy. Combine that with a
doe-in-heat scent and you have a one-two punch that will make it hard for the buck to resist.
But remember, a deer likes to confirm with its eyes what its nose or ears have detected. That buck that’s holding up at 70 yards now expects to either see two bucks squaring off or at least another buck. If you have that buck decoy in front of you and the buck sees it, you have completed the mental circuit for the buck to commit.

A couple key points to remember though.
When using a doe decoy, a buck will generally approach the decoy from the rear. When using a buck decoy, a buck will generally approach the decoy from the front. So don’t set up your decoy facing directly towards or away from you so that you’ll have a better chance at a broadside shot.
Set up your decoy about 10-15 yards from your stand. This will give you a little leeway in case the buck hangs up a few yards away from your decoy.
Use a scent eliminator on your decoy after you have it set up and then place your attractant scent on a stick under your decoy. It will give that
buck one more thing to think about so he can’t think about you.
Place your decoy in an area that a deer can see it.
A full size 3D deer works best. “Frank” is my 3D target deer that doubles as my decoy. When I take the antlers off of him, he becomes “Francine” and
is quite alluring.

Give decoys a try this fall and I think you’ll find more deer coming in to your set up.

***ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK***

DECOYS

***I am looking for feedback on my blog. Please feel free to leave your comment. Thanks.***

A number of years ago, our whole family took a vacation together at the Outer Banks. During our stay, my brother-in-law, Michael, and I decided to play a round of golf. As we were driving our cart between holes, we noticed a $5 bill lying in the middle of the cart path. As Michael stopped the cart, I quickly scampered towards the $5 bill. But just as I reached for it, the bill suddenly scooted away from me. Thinking that the wind was responsible, I took a few steps and once again reached down for the bill. But yet again, it fluttered away.
“Oh!” Michael muttered.
I looked up and hiding behind a nearby sand dune was a 10 or 11 year old boy. He had a small stick with a long length of fishing string on it. And at the end of the fishing string…..was that $5 bill! The boy was laughing and Michael and I realized, with smiles, that we had been tricked big time! We had been duped into believing that the $5 was ours for the taking but in reality, we had been lured into a child’s clever scheme.

Archery hunters are always looking for ways to get closer to deer so that when we release our arrow, we have a greater chance of taking them in the boiler room for a quick and humane kill. But more often than not, we are actually looking for ways to get the deer closer to us. We want the deer to be duped into believing one thing, but in reality, we are luring them into a clever trap.

We use attractant scents to fool a buck’s nose. We use grunt tubes and rattling antlers to fool a buck’s ears. Both methods can deceive a buck into thinking that we are either a hot doe or another buck moving in on his turf. Sometimes, these tricks work and the buck comes close enough to us to give us a shot.

A few years ago, I brought two bucks 100 yards across an open field to within 15 yards of my stand using just a grunt tube and a can call (doe bleat). Unfortunately, by the time they presented a clear shot to me, I ran out of daylight. Two does had also come directly beneath my stand from the opposite direction.

But another way to fool a buck is the use of a decoy. This technique fools a deer’s sense of sight. When combined with scents, grunt tubes, rattling antlers, or can calls, a buck or doe decoy will very often close the deal for a buck and bring him in for a shot. Very often, a buck wants to confirm with his eyes what his nose or ears have picked up.

If a buck smells what he thinks is a receptive doe, he will follow the scent trail and expect to SEE a doe at its origin. The same principle applies to a buck’s ears. If he hears what he thinks is another mature buck or a pair of bucks battling it out, he will come in and expect to SEE a buck at the source of the sound.

There are buck and doe decoys and each should be used at different times of the season and under different circumstances. In my next installment of “Archery Tip of the Week” I’ll discuss when, how, and where to use buck and doe decoys.

Many archery hunters use products to fool a deer’s nose and ears. Very few use decoys to fool a deer’s eyes. I hope that this season, some of you will try out decoys and I’ll bet that if you use them correctly, you’ll have better success at getting that buck within range.

Temptation

A little over a month ago, I blew out my right Achilles tendon while playing softball. I was looking at a stand-up triple but never made it to
first base. Since then, I’ve had surgery, developed complications a couple weeks later, and ended up in Intensive Care with two blood clots in my lungs. It was a scary thing considering that both clots passed through my
heart and ended up lodged in my lungs. I’m happy to report that I feel much better, am on the road to recovery, and can’t wait to shoot my bow again.

While many good things have actually come of this whole mess, one BIG thing is that I have not had a dip of snuff since the day I was admitted to the ER on July 17. It was a two-decade old habit I’ve tried to break many times
without success. But something is different now…this time, I WANT to quit.
It’s amazing how a near death experience can change a person.
Now, don’t get me wrong…my body still craves that nicotine and it plays games with my mind. I’m still tempted to dip. It’s still early yet but I pray that God will give me the strength to kick the habit this time and
resist the temptation.

As hunters, we are forced to battle some form of temptation from time to time too.

It’s tempting to shave off a couple of minutes and not bother with the safety harness.
It’s tempting to hang the stand on the property you don’t have permission to hunt.
It’s tempting not to follow up on a shot that you’re pretty sure you missed.
It’s tempting to take that shot that you know is outside the range of your comfort zone.
It’s tempting to stay on stand just a few minutes past legal shooting hours.

But every time we overcome the temptation to do what we KNOW is wrong, we build up inside ourselves a little thing called “character”. And each time we overcome a temptation, getting passed the next one becomes easier. Soon, we get to the point where we are no longer tempted because we have trained our minds, bodies, and hearts to do the right thing automatically without even thinking about it.

It’s not easy to resist temptation and sadly we all probably know someone who has no reservations about giving in to questionable, unethical, or even illegal hunting practices. But don’t let yourself be lured into this way of thinking.

You’ll be surprised at how good you feel when you do the RIGHT thing while knowing that the WRONG thing was easier or could produce better results.

***ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK***

SCOUTING

“Always be prepared” is a motto that every archery hunter should adopt.
Very seldom does it happen that a hunter walks into a piece of woods he’s never been in before, finds any old tree, hangs a stand, and arrows a deer sporting head gear. It does happen but much of it is attributed to luck. As for me, I’d much rather stack the odds in my favor just a little bit. I want to know where the bedding and feeding areas are in the area I hunt. I want to know where that little stand of white oaks is located and when they start dropping acorns. I want to about that draw coming down from a ridge
that seems to funnel deer up and down from the flats below. I want to know where the rub lines and scrapes are located. I just want to know. I want to
know that the stand site I eventually select is going to provide the best shooting opportunities when the opening horn is sounded.
So, how do we get to that point? The answer is scouting so that we’ll be prepared.

Many whole books have been written on what to look for when scouting for whitetails so I can’t possibly tell you everything you should be looking for. What I can do is give you a place to start though.

Topographical maps and aerial photos are an invaluable tool when starting out. Using topo maps from your kitchen table you can pinpoint hilltops,
topographical funnels, draws, spurs, and ridge lines. Aerial photos allow you the ability to find fields, wooded funnels, heavy cover areas, and edges where two types of vegetation meet. Many of these maps can be found online for free. I like to print my topo maps on see-through sheets and
then overlay them onto print-outs of the aerial photos to give me an overall portrait of the cover and topography. If you do this, make sure both maps are in the same scale. Many of the things I want to know about can be found without having to leave the comfort of my home. While there is much more information that these two types of maps provide, deer will utilize all the terrain features I’ve mentioned. If you can find a ridge line that has a couple draws leading down to a field edge, you may have found a good early season stand site. The corner of a field that is hidden behind a hill from prying eyes is a prime area for deer to gather in the
late afternoon.

Patterning deer on fields from a distance with binoculars is another form of scouting for early season hunting. Be aware that once the deer feel that
they are being hunted, it won’t be long before the deer wait until dark to enter the field. But here’s the cool thing. Very seldom will deer totally abandon a feeding area. The deer are still near the field but now they are
hanging back in staging areas around the field until darkness. They’ll still generally leave their beds at the same time each day, but they’ll take their sweet time getting to the field. For bucks, look for ridges near
the field edge. Bucks will sometimes check out the field from a vantage point before using the cover of darkness to access the field. Back tracking trails from the field edges to find heavy cover areas where deer might
stage before entering the field is another good way to find where the deer are hanging out.

The very best method of scouting is to physically get out into the area you plan to hunt and check it out personally. Ideally, the preferred time to do this is after all hunting seasons have closed and before the spring green up. Yeah, it may be cold but you accomplish two things at this time of year. First, the woods will look very similar to what you’ll face in the fall. Summer scouting is more comfortable but with all the leaves on the trees you may miss important features in the distance. Second, you won’t be disrupting deer patterns. They’ll have plenty of time to forget all about
your intrusion into their world by the time the season opens in the fall.
Whatever you do, try to avoid scouting your hunting area in the weeks immediately before the season. A wary old buck may not be over your presence before the season opens.

Most important of all is to enjoy your scouting excursions. Involve the family or hunting buddies on your outings. Scouting during the off-season can keep you pumped up.

***ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK***

SAFETY
A lot of things can completely ruin a good hunt. Missing a standing broadside shot at 22 yards comes to my mind immediately but other things
can contribute to turning a good hunt into a bad hunt. These things might include…
Weather
Another hunter moving through your area
A drive that gets totally messed up
The list is endless. But nothing will ruin a good hunt faster (and perhaps ruin your life) than having an accident while hunting.

There’s no way we can totally eliminate all the chances of us having an accident while in the field but there are many things we can do that will
drastically reduce those chances.

First and foremost is the wearing of a fall restraint device (safety harness) while hunting from an elevated stand. Most hunting accidents occur while a hunter is getting into or out of a stand. Your harness should be on and clipped to a safety rope while both feet are still firmly on the ground. Quite often, we are entering our stands in the darkness. Sometimes our stands are wet or even ice covered. Lots of time, it’s very early in the morning and we may still be a little sleepy. Any of those elements alone are a recipe for disaster unless we take precautions that only take a
few seconds to incorporate into our hunt. No deer or deer hunt is worth even taking the chance of a fall that could result in serious injury or
even death.

Always let someone know where you’ll be and about what time you’ll be back.
If you plan on being back shortly after dark but you arrow a deer just at dusk that you now have to wait on, track, field dress, and then get back to your truck, make sure you contact someone to let them know you’ll be late.
Carrying a cell phone is always a good idea. I put mine on vibrate while I’m in the stand with strict orders for my family to call me only in an emergency.

Always follow the legal blaze orange clothing requirements for the state you are hunting in. Many times archery season overlaps with rifle, muzzleloader, small game, or fall turkey hunting seasons that require archers to wear and/or display blaze orange.

Read up on and follow all local, state, and federal hunting regulations. We may not understand why certain game laws are in the books (wearing a back tag in Pennsylvania comes to my mind) but many laws are instituted because they have safety in mind.

If you are hunting with others, insist they follow safe hunting practices as well.

Many accidents occur because someone is not paying attention. The excitement of the hunt sometimes becomes overwhelming and safety is
ignored. Pay attention to every move you make while hunting.

An accident not only will affect you, but will affect your family and friends. Hunt safe.

***ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK***

HUNTING FUNNELS

We’ve all been there. We know there are plenty of deer in the area we hunt because we’ve seen their sign and even the deer themselves. We’ve watched them come out to field edges to feed in the late summer, found those oak ridges that whitetails love so much, and even identified some potential bedding areas. The problem is, we can never seem to be in the right place at the right time. We put our stand in tree “A” and they pass by tree “B”. The next afternoon we set up in tree “B” and we watch them walk by tree “C”. The deer seem to be traveling wherever they choose at that particular time. An archery hunter can go mad trying to figure out deer travel patterns. So what can we do? How can we place ourselves in a spot that we KNOW a deer will walk by that’s within shooting distance? The answer my friends can be stated in one word…funnels!

A funnel is created by natural or man-made “obstacles” that condense deer travel down to a narrow corridor for a short distance. These obstacles can be any number of things…lakes, swamps, fast moving and deep streams, steep hillsides, fields, heavily traveled roads, buildings, large amounts of fallen timber, rock slides…anything that makes the deer detour so that they are forced into a condensed travel passage.

Deer are basically lazy creatures and they prefer travel routes that offer the least resistance while still providing adequate cover. Except for perhaps the rut, bucks will not forsake safety for ease. Generally speaking, deer will skirt lakes, they’ll cross fast moving streams in the shallows, the will avoid going up or down steep hillsides, they stay away from crossing open fields, and they’ll shy away from roads and buildings.

By utilizing free online aerial photos (Google Maps are excellent) you can easily identify most funnel locations. Remembering what I said before, look for anything that might force deer into a narrow travel corridor. A prime example would be a hedgerow across a field that connects two large wooded areas. Instead of crossing the open field, deer will utilize the hedgerow to get from one wooded area to the other.

Topographic maps are invaluable in finding steep hillsides from your kitchen table. The closer the contour lines are together, the steeper the hill. If you find a steep hillside that levels out 50 yards from the edge of a field, lake, or swamp chances are you have found a good funnel. Think about it…a well placed tree stand directly in the middle of this funnel allows the archery hunter a 25 yard shot to each side. But remember, the funnel must connect two areas that the deer want to get to.

If you can find a funnel that connects a bedding area to a feeding area, you’d better be prepared for some action. In this type of situation, you’re going to want to be on stand very early in the morning because bucks are usually the first to head back to their bedding area. And you’ll want to stay on stand as late as you can because bucks will generally be the last to approach a feeding area.

I know I’ve mentioned this before but you’ll want to pay very close attention to how you enter and exit your stand. In such a confined area such as a funnel, scent control once on your stand is also of vital importance. Do NOT, under any circumstance, get into a stand in a funnel where the wind is blowing in the direction you expect the deer to be coming from. If they scent you, you will never see them.

Hunting funnels can be a season-long provider of shooting opportunities. I hope we are never able to completely figure out deer travel patterns…what would be the fun in that? But funnels do have the potential to provide us those little honey holes that we can go back to over and over again.

Wonderful Lists

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.

***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.