Whitetail Wizard

Friday, March 31, 2006

Bear Hunting: Lots Of Excitement

Bear hunting used to be a passion with me, and on several occasions, I headed north into Ontario when spring bear hunting was still legal in that province.

I’d hunt with friends who came every fall to Michigan to hunt whitetails on my ranch. It was on one such hunt when I first developed a bow mount for a red-dot sight. Outdoor Writer Dave Richey brought a Tasco red-dot sight home from an Outdoor Writers Association of America conference for me to try.

It didn’t take long to determine that this was an innovative sighting system that would work. It was deadly accurate once it was sighted in, and I couldn’t wait to try it on a bruin.

A day later I was sitting in a spruce watching a bear bait. I was told that a big bear was visiting this bait site, and there I sat, perched in a tree with black flies buzzing around, and waiting for a bear to arrive.

The first animal that came in was tentative. It would stop, start, take a few steps, and look around. It was obviously frightened of the larger bear, and once the 125-pound bear got close enough, it snatched a piece of meat and bone and ran off into the swamp.

It made one more foray out to the bait, but it wasn’t wasting any time. It didn’t want to get ambushed by the much larger boar. Again, it ran off over a nearby large rocky area and disappeared.

Next in was a sow with twin cubs. I had practiced drawing on the other bear, and now I practiced drawing and aiming at the sow and her cubs. She appeared apprehensive, and spent more time looking around while the cubs fed, and soon they moved off and were out of sight.

Time seemed to drag by. One long minute after another, and then an hour or two with nothing to watch except the black flies hovering nearby. I was wearing a face mask and gloves in an attempt to keep from getting chewed up. I know that some people are allergic to multiple black fly bites, and I didn’t want to learn if I was allergic or not.

The sun was on its way down, and deep in the swamp the light was slowly going when I heard a soft twig snap. I looked slowly around, paying close attention to routes that had been used by other bears, and finally spotted two black ears in the brush.

It was impossible to see the entire animal, and it stood for long minutes without moving, and then it crossed through a small opening. It was a large bear, and it worked my way in a slow but deliberate manner, stopping often to check the breeze.

The bear kept moving closer, stopping often, and nosing at the area where the sow had stood. It sniffed where the cubs had dragged off a piece of meat, and was likely thinking of a cub dinner than feeding on meat scraps and old baked goods.

The bear was only 25 yards away, and facing in my direction. There was no shot, and all that could be done was to wait for the animal to reach the bait and start feeding. Once it settled down, and began to eat, it may turn to offer a good shot.

By now the sun was nearly gone, and long purple shadows drifted across the small clearing where the bait was, and slowly, the animal circled the bait one last time.

It was facing directly away from me now, but its travel pattern would soon open up one side for a quartering-away shot. I knew it would soon offer a shot, and my heart beat picked up a little as the bear raised its head and seemed to stare right through me.

The bruin paused, lowered its head and sniffed where the first bear had fed, and started to turn its body for a quartering-away shot. The bear took two more steps and stopped, and my Oneida bow came back to full draw, and the red-dot settled low and behind the front shoulder.

The arrow bit home, disappearing into and out of the animal, as it spun and bit at the arrow wound. It wheeled and headed off into the swamp, and then I heard a loud crash and an eerie death bawl.

I climbed down, happy to be out of the tree, and followed the Game Tracker string 35 yards to my bruin. It was a 300-pound bear with a glossy unrubbed hide, and it was dead.

One thing that bear taught me was that bruins are often easier to shoot that a big buck, but in the back of my mind was the thought that here is an animal that can fight back. I had the bruin field dressed, and was finishing up skinning it when my friends returned.

This is the story of the first animal killed with a red-dot sight. i now have my own red-dot sights made, but that lesson from many years ago also taught me that thinking out problems, and solving them, is fun.

The red-dot industry has never been better, and I’m still tickled to have introduced this sight to hunters after shooting a fine Ontario black bear. It’s been a long, fine run for me and my bow-mounted red-dot sight.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Focus: Shooting A Buck Is All About Focus

Shooting a whitetail buck is easy. Actually, the more deer a hunter shoots with a bow, the easier and more focused the hunter becomes.

People ask what my secret to shooting is. One of these days I may write a book and share all of my secrets, but maintaining our focus from beginning to end of the shooting process is a major item and there is no way to shortcut this process.

It must be stated that being very familiar with the bow, and knowing where the arrow will hit on each and every shot, is a must. People who have no clue where the arrow will hit will not be very proficient.

Hunters who have the ability to concentrate are the ones who make wise decisions, don’t get overly excited, have the ability to stay focused and not lose their cool, and end up making a good shot.

Practice at shooting from various angles and heights will help. Shooting often enough to make a smooth and easy draw is important, and it’s of the utmost importance to maintain a constant anchor point. Allow your anchor point to creep forward while aiming will not lead to consistent arrow placement.

Focus on the deer. Don’t focus on the entire deer. Once you decide the buck has antlers, and they are what you want, forget about the bone growing out of the buck’s head. If your mind stays focused on the antlers, the chances of hitting the deer in the antlers is very good.

Forget about the antlers. Instead, watch the deer closely and be prepared to draw, aim and shoot on a moments notice. Wait for the deer to turn and offer a high-percentage shot. I’ve lectured on this many times, and it continues to bear repeating: wait for a high-percentage shot. Don’t take a marginal or low-percentage shot.

Wait, and when the buck turns to offer the ideal shot, begin the draw. Make it smooth, and concentrate on nothing else about where the arrow must go to kill the deer.

I tell people to pick a precise spot. Behind the front shoulder is the standard advice people give other hunters. That is fine, up to a point, but concentrate on a precise spot. If your vision is keen, pick out a specific hair and aim to hit that hair at the right point behind the shoulder.

People must guard against losing their focus. They get to thinking so much about the fact that here is a deer, a buck with fine antlers and it is standing in front of them, that they go through the motions of aiming at the proper spot to kill that deer. If they are not careful, it’s very possible that the arrow could hit several inches from where they want it to go.

We’ve all seen these sorry situations. A hunter shoots a deer, and when asked where it hit the animal, they usually say in the heart or lungs. It’s where they think they were aiming, but upon recovery after a lengthy trailing job, they find the deer.

It was hit through the intestines, and may have traveled a mile before succumbing. The reason for the arrow hit in that location was because the hunter lost his focus.

This is some pretty heady stuff, this shooting of deer, and the great anticipation, adrenaline rush, the heavy breathing, the jerk-back-and- shoot philosophy often takes over, and the buck is wounded. The hunter can’t understand why it was hit there when they were aiming right behind the front shoulder.

Somewhere between the bow being drawn, and the shot being taken, the hunter forgot what he was doing. A lack of concentration make it nearly impossible to accurately place the arrow.

Some hunters, on thinking back on the shot, were thinking of the bragging rights they would have over their hunting buddies. Some were already viewing the mounted rack on their den wall. They went into the hunt with everything in their favor, and came away from the hunt knowing full well they messed up a golden opportunity.

Concentration is a so critical to success. I can tell you what to do, but I can’t crawl inside your skin and make you do it right. This is where self-training becomes so important, and only you can do that.

Focus, concentrate on maintaining your focus, and with luck and a newly acquired skill, when that shot comes this fall, you will be willing and able to do it right.—The Whitetail Wizard

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

A Spring Deer-Hunting Wish List

These first warm days of spring cause me to start thinking that there is only six more months before we can climb into a tree stand, and start deer hunting again.

Those six months will pass before we know it, and between now and then, it’s time to develop a wish list. That wish list may include a new C.P. Oneida bow, a red-dot sight, dreams of a massive 10-pointer at 15 yards, digging a new pit blind, or a whole host of other items.

One of my buddies loves wool clothing. He and I spoke a few days ago, and he is going shopping for another set of green-and-black checked wool jacket and trousers. He wears wool in cool or warm weather, and likes it because it is so quiet. That is the top item on his wish list, and since he loves to hunt from cedar or pine trees, the coloration makes it impossible for deer to spot him unless he moves, which he doesn’t.

Another friend, getting a bit long in the tooth like me, is tired of strap-on tree stand steps and hanging a small stand several times every year. He’s shopping for the sturdiest and most well-built and quiet ladder stand that he can find. He wants arm rests on it, a large enough platform to move slightly if necessary, and something that is easier to climb than going up and down strap-on tree steps. He fears falling, and wants a ladder stand because they are the easiest and safest of all tree stands to use.

Still another hunter is looking for one of those fabric covers that enclose a tree stand, and he wants one that has an umbrella-like cover to allow him to hunt on those rainy days. He tends to be a bit fidgety, and he knows it, and wants to help conceal his small motions.

One of my hunting buddies is trying to figure out an easier way to dig a pit blind than with a shovel. He’s tired of having to chop through tree roots, dig out big rocks, and I’ve recommended that he pay some kid $25 to dig it for him. He’s warming to that idea, but figures the kid will probably want $50 or more to dig it to his specifications. It’s one of the key items on his spring wish list.

OK, enough about them. What about me?

I’m impossible to buy for. If I want something, I go out and buy it. So what is it that trips my trigger, and is there something I’d like?

I’m still working on the idea but I want a way to eliminate all human odor from an elevated or ground-level coop. I’ve messed around with 30-foot pieces of metal chimney sections secured to a tree, and it carries scent away from the stand.

But once a window is opened to take a shot, human scent can seep out.  Some have suggested a sealing the window opening with a thin layer of plastic similar to Saran Wrap, and that might work if the Game Tracker string would pass through the hole. I’ll have to experiment with it a little bit, but one question is how to keep the plastic in place so it doesn’t come undone and flap around and spook deer. I’m also concerned about the shiny colored wrapping that may spook deer.

I hunt with knee-high rubber boots, and they are such a hassle to put on and take on when wearing two pair of bulky socks. I’d be the first one in line to buy an all-rubber zip-up boot that would deliver scent-free rubber with the ease of a zippered boot. Pull the zipper down, pull the boots on or off, and that would be something great.

Let’s see. What else do I need. Nope, my raggedy coveralls still have some life in them. My heavy December furry hat is just fine, and my bow and red-dot sight works perfectly. I hunt my own land so have no other special needs.

I think about October quite a bit, but frankly, we have half-a-year to go before the season opens. I may take interest in some other item, but I try to keep my hunting life as simple as possible. If I can’t carry it in my pocket, I don’t need it.

It’s my thought that I’ll continue giving the scent-free elevated or ground coops more thought. If it can get this thing right, it will be great news for deer hunters because it will eliminate any possibility of a deer getting your scent while hunting.

Let’s see now .....—The Whitetail Wizard

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Forget Multiple Sight Pins On A Bow

It was years ago, and I was hunting Colorado for elk. That evening a young hunter came into our camp with a sad tale of woe.

“I had shadowed this big 6X6 bull elk for most of the day,” he said. “The bull finally slowed down, met up with some cows in a grassy alpine meadow, and just before dark the cows and bulk walked into the black timber and within 30 yards of me.”

The young man had time for just one shot. He came to full draw, went to put his 30-yard pin on the heart-lung area of the bull, and as adrenaline coursed through his body, he mind back-fired.

He had five pins for various yardages, but in the heat of the moment, he forgot which of the five pins was for 30 yards. He doesn’t know for sure, but thinks he put the 50-yard pin on the bull and missed.

The bull and the cows launched into a wild and panicked run down the mountain, and the dejected hunter had a long hike back to camp. During the two-hour hike, he had ample opportunity to ponder his improper actions.

There’s nothing much that can be said under such circumstances. Muttering “too bad” didn’t seem adequate, but what more can be said?

Hunters come in to buy a new bow, and ask us to mount their five-pin super deluxe archery sight, and I always ask them what the different pins are for. They always reply “ 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 yards or some other combination of yardages.

I ask if they are competent at judging yardage, and they often reply that they carry a laser range-finder. That is fine, if time permits, but often a deer or an elk offers one opportunity for a shot, and it doesn’t include much time for using a range-finder. Judging distance is an acquired art that comes from guessing the distance to an object, and then stepping off 36-inch steps.

On a once-in-a-lifetime hunt, misjudging yardage can cost a hunter a wonderful trophy. Under such conditions where a bow must be drawn while calculating the distance, and the shot must be taken immediately, there is no time to try to remember which pin is for what yardage.

I tried pin sights years ago and gave up on them when I introduced the red-dot archery sight over 20 years ago. A red-dot sight isn’t for everyone, but once a bow hunter learns the basic principles of its use, it is extremely fast to bring on target.

An elk is a big animal. Most bows, with a draw weight of 55 to 60 pounds, will push an aluminum or carbon arrow at a fast enough speed to shoot an elk at 50 yards. The trick is knowing the exact distance within a yard or two.

I developed the “gapping” method for the red-dot sight. It means knowing the distance to the elk, knowing how much your arrow will drop at various distances. A bow sighted in for 20 yard shots will be slightly (an inch or two) low at 25 yards, two to three inches low at 30 yard, eight inches low at 40 yards and 12 to 14 inches low at 50 yards.

The above are rough averages, and may be slightly different based on draw length, arrow weight, amount of poundage, anchor point and other factors. Each hunter must establish a table of arrow drop from 20 to 50 yards based on the equipment used.

So, if the elk is 30 yards away with a bow sighted in at 20 yards, a dead-on hold will hit the vitals. If the animal is 40 yards away, the hunter must “gap” (hold over) roughly eight inches higher than normal. A bull at 50 yards will require a holdover of 12 to 14 inches above the desired point of impact.

There is no substitute for practice at longer distances if the hunter plans a western antelope, elk or mule deer hunt. The same principle applies if a hunter uses a single pin. Multiple-pin sights can be a recipe for disaster until the hunter trains specifically for such shots, and can remember which pin is used for which distance. It’s easy to forget.

A single pin or a red-dot sight allow the gapping technique to be used. It offers a quick and easy aiming system with a single sight in front of the eye, and holding over the desired point of impact is much simpler with a single aiming device.

Guess wrong with a multiple-pin sight, and chances are very good that the hunter will shoot over or under the animal and miss, or even worse, make a non-fatal hit.

My method of gapping is not confusing, but does require cool nerves and a steady hand, and an ability to accurately judge distance. When that opportunity you’ve waited for walks out in front of you, draw, aim, and accurately place the arrow where it counts. It requires practice, but so does everything else about bow hunting.—The Whitetail Wizard

Monday, March 27, 2006

When Just Being There Is Enough

There have been many bucks taken off my ranch over many years, and I’ve taken many of them, but there are times when a big buck just isn’t why I hunt. There are certain days when just being in the field, with a bow in hand, is enough.

Granted, it’s great fun to see a large buck weaving through the tag alders, a white glow blurring over his head, and counting points in a tag alder swale is next door to impossible.

There is a buzz when antlers are first seen. If that first glance looks large, high and wide, the buzz becomes even stronger. I grab my Swarovski binoculars, and try hard to count points. It’s virtually impossible if the buck is walking through the alders, and even if a buck is standing 15 yards deep in an alder swale, it is virtually impossible to accurately judge the rack.

It’s that unknown factor that gets our heart to beating faster. Just how big is that guy, we wonder. Sometimes we learn, and sometimes the buck walks off and is never seen again, and that is when we wonder.

My eyes stay glued to a buck, and there is always that thought: will he come my way? Honestly, sometimes they do and more often they don’t, and therein lies some of the magic of hunting whitetail bucks. It’s that ability to look and wonder, and then watch it disappear. It’s like going to the movies in the old days, and invariably just when everything was ready to happen, and the film strip would break ... and we’d never know.

Sometimes a big-buck sighting comes just after I’ve taken a good one, and the itch that needs scratching to shoot a buck just isn’t there. Then I question myself: Do I really want to shoot this buck or should I let him drift on by and consider him later in the season or next year?

Fooling a buck, and having him come within easy bow range and giving him a bye, is as powerful as a strong narcotic. It can be habit forming as well, and knowing that the power of life and death is in your hands, is a strong motivator toward intelligent deer management.

Dealing with whitetail bucks on a year ‘round basis, means feeding them, making certain they have nutritious food, watching over them like a mother hen over her chicks, gives me many fond and pleasant memories that go a long ways toward a better and greater understanding of deer and why they do what they do.

Studying deer is a passion, and one doesn’t need a deer ranch to do it. Some folks I know study deer every day. They know when and where the deer will emerge from the swamp to the apple orchard. They know what time this movement occurs, and they know which bucks and does are there, and are seldom surprised when a new buck shows himself during the rut after moving into a new territory.

Does are fun to watch, and they can teach a deer watcher about buck behavior, but let’s face it. Most modern-day hunters understand the need to take a good number of antlerless deer each year, but the bottom line is that we love those antlered deer, both large and small.

It is a long-held dream of many hunters to arrow a really fine buck. An animal that would make other deer hunters envious. Every year, it seems, a hunter who borrows equipment and goes out to sit in the woods without a clue about deer hunting, will wind up shooting a big one.

Is this fair to long-time hunters? Fairness has nothing to do with it. Hunters can be lucky or skilled or have a bit of each going for them.

Some hunters say they would rather have luck than skill. A skilled hunter is one who watches deer at every opportunity, and when the opportunity presents itself, they are skilled enough to do the job. In many cases, a skilled hunter makes his own luck.

However, regardless of how many big bucks I’ve shot, there is always eager anticipation for the coming year. There is the urge to study deer travel routes, where the animals bed and feed, and how they move from one area to another.

Study deer, and you will build up your supply of luck. And when the time comes, you’ll have to decide: Do I really want to shoot this buck, or is there more to deer hunting than killing this animal?

Hunters who have killed many bucks often learn that there is much more to hunting than killing. It may be hard to believe for some folks, but truer words have never been written.—The Whitetail Wizard

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Tricks For Bow Hunting Gobblers

My son, Matt, and I have taken gobblers over the year and shooting them with a bow is far more exciting than hunting them with a shotgun ... at least for us.

There any number of ways to hunt these sharp-eyed birds, but one thing is a constant. Hunters must have some way of concealing the movement necessary when drawing a bow.

Trust me, it’s not easy. Turkeys see well, hear well, and there often is enough of them around a gobbler that coming to full draw isn’t easy.

One way of doing it, and the most effective way, is to use a pop-up ground blind of camouflage material. These blinds take hardly any time to set up, and a bit of natural grasses or broken tree branches can allow a hunter and his blind to blend right in.

One way to do it is to locate a gobbler or two the night before, watch them fly up to roost, and return the next morning well before dawn. Set up the blind in the dark as quietly as possible, climb inside, sit down and stay quiet.

Sometimes gobblers will gobble first, but often small birds will be chirping and then the crows start to fly. The cawing of crows often triggers a spirited gobble.

I prefer to let the birds gobble two or three times before making a soft and short yelp. That’s it, just one very soft call. Gobblers aren’t deaf, and if they hear it and haven’t been spooked, they will answer.

Just sit tight. It’s not necessary to answer every gobble. In fact, let them gobble one or two more times, and make one more soft tree yelp. Listen for the birds to gobble from the trees, and then beat old turkey wing feathers against tree branches like a hen flying to the ground.

The gobblers will hear that, and often gobble again, and one more soft yelp is usually all it takes. If you are using decoys, there are different schools of thought on decoy placement.

I like to use two hen decoys and one jake decoy. I like the jake decoy facing the blind and the hens five or six yards farther out. When the gobblers come to the decoys, it’s best to place the jake about 18 to 20 yards away and facing the pop-up blind. This will normally put the live gobbler between the jake decoy and you.

Gobblers almost always will head for the jake decoy, and I’ve watched adult gobblers jump up on the jake decoy, knock it over, and start spurring the decoy.

Shooting the gobbler is pretty easy with a shotgun, but it is much more difficult with a bow. Gobblers can stand still for long minutes, but when they come to the call and decoys, they are moving around.

Two certain shots are possible. A shot taken at a gobbler facing directly at the hunter is fairly easy but I know many people who wind up killing the bird but slicing off the beard in the process.

Wait for the bird to drop his wing-tips, spread his tail feathers, and prance around. Once the bird stops, aim for a spot just below where the beard comes out of the chest, lower the sight three or four inches, and try to hit just to one side or other of the beard. Done properly, this will kill the bird.

The other way is to wait for the bird to start strutting, and let the gobbler turn all the way around to face the jake decoy. Aim for the center where all the tail-feather quills go into the back end of the turkey, and take a well-aimed shot.

A mortally wounded turkey will almost always shoot 10 to 12 feet straight up into the air, and fall back dead. I strongly suggest using a Game Tracker unit, because if the bird is not mortally wounded, it will fly or run off. The bird may not travel too far, but if it goes out of sight, they can become nearly impossible to find. A string tracker can be a big help in recovered the bird.

Do not take side shots at a gobbler. The wing bones and feathers are heavy, and it’s difficult to place an arrow through the wing feathers. I’ve talked to a few turkey hunters who say they shoot their bird at the juncture of the head and neck with an arrow, but it would be a difficult shot because a gobbler’s head is always moving.

Of utmost importance is to position the blind so a shot can be taken sitting down. If the tent has horizontal and vertical windows, position a vertical window in front of you. Sit back, with full camouflage on, and wait for the bird to get into the proper position for a shot.

Turkey hunting with a bow is a challenge. It’s not easy with a bow, but when it works, it offers a surge of adrenaline that will be hard to forget.—The Whitetail Wizard

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Choosing Arrows: Aluminum Or Carbon

There are several arrow companies in North America, and there once was a day when the only shaft a hunter could find in my archery shop was made of aluminum. It was all I sold, and all that I used.

A friend suggested that we stock some carbon shafts. I’d heard all the old horror stories from the past, and I argued mightily against carbon. The friend told me there were excellent shafts on the market that flew as accurately as aluminum.

To shut him up I tried shooting carbon shafts. They seemed to fly well on the target range, and the arrow speed was right up there. How would they work in the field? That, I thought, would be the big test.

I sharpened two Patriot broadheads that I had made and sold for many years, and took two Game Tracker carbon arrows out with a razor-sharp broadhead on the end. I wanted to shoot two deer, and learn for myself how they worked on a buck and doe.

It didn’t take too long before a doe walked past my tree stand, and stopped in a perfect broadside position. I had shot aluminum shafts for so long, it just seemed to be foreign to lay a carbon shaft across my BoDoodle rest.

The bow came back to full draw, and I made a smooth, well-aimed release. The arrow sliced through that doe like a hot knife through warm butter, and the doe ran 50 yards and collapsed. The broadhead had sliced through her heart.

Hmmm, I thought. That seemed almost too good to be true. I sat back in my stand and waited, knowing that a nice 8-point buck would be coming through 15 minutes before the end of shooting time.

That 8-point had been passed up many times, but he had scraggly antlers, and I didn’t want him breeding does during the rut. I had a family in mind that needed fresh meat, and this would remove the buck from the gene pool while providing them with quality venison.

A hour passed, and the woods settled down from me shooting the doe. Soon I saw antlers coming through the brush. The other Game Tracker arrow was nocked and ready with a Game Tracker string tied behind the broadhead.

The buck stepped forward and stopped, facing directly away from me. He scanned the countryside as if sizing up the terrain and determining his next path of travel.

He moved around, and every shot he offered was a low-percentage shot that I wouldn’t take. I could wait for another day or two, but was keen to try this new carbon shaft. Eventually, the buck turned away again, and slowly turned to offer a perfect quartering-away shot at 20 yards without a twig or anything between us.

The bow came back again, and I aimed, and the shot was taken. The two-blade head exited behind the front shoulder on the opposite side, and the Game Tracker string spooled out with a double line. The buck ran 30 yards, fell, tried to get up and fell again.

Two perfect shots. The arrows performed well, and I later checked out both arrows. Both remained perfectly straight, and I used them again later in the season to kill other deer on my ranch.

Archery shops, such as mine, estimate that 75 to 85 percent of their arrow sales now are carbon shafts. A few diehards still buy aluminum, but at least 75 percent of my clients shoot carbon. They like way these arrows shoot, right out of the box, and they like the performance. Best of all, many people find themselves being able to arrow two or three deer with one arrow.

One of my hunting buddies performed a different kind of test with carbon shafts. He shot a 300-pound black bear, a dandy buck and a heavy beamed Quebec-Labrador caribou with the same carbon arrow. Three different animals with the same shaft, and he said the arrow was still straight and shot well but he thought it deserved retirement status.

Carbon arrows have taken over the bulk of the arrow sales. Should you shoot aluminum or carbon? It’s like choosing a blue or yellow toothbrush. If it works, use it, and many bow hunters have learned that carbon arrow shafts do work amazingly well.

But, some people are like me. They have to learn for themselves, and choosing aluminum or carbon is like choosing Democrat or Republican as a political choice. It’s a matter of personal taste, and I’ve made my choice with arrows and politics.—The Whitetail Wizard

Friday, March 24, 2006

Is It Possible To Think Deer Daily?

I admit it. My mind is narrowly focused on two outdoor passions: bow making and hunting whitetail deer.

People often wonder how I can think about these two topics all the time. It’s apparently quite easy because I’ve been doing it for many years.

It’s not that other thoughts don’t cross my mind, but besides my lovely wife and my children, I have two all-consuming passions—bow making and deer hunting.

There is hardly a waking moment when I’m not thinking of one or the other. I heard someone ask my buddy, Dave Richey, if the only thing he thought about was writing.

His answer was straight forward and honest: “Writing is my job, it’s how I make my living, and thinking about what I will write next is a burning passion. It’s what I do, and it’s what I must think about every day.”

It would be easy to steal his answer, but I’ll paraphrase mine: Hunting whitetails with a bow, and making bows to hunt whitetail deer with, is what I do. It’s my avocation and vocation; it’s my job.

Amazingly enough, when I’m hunting, I am totally aware of my surroundings, and what the deer are doing. I never lose my concentration on the deer, but I solve many bow manufacturing problems while sitting in an elevated coop, ground blind or tree stand.

Conversely, while solving knotting bow-making problems at work, my mind often drifts to deer hunting even though I can separate the two different thought processes without losing track of my primary objective at the time.

Is it possible to intermingle the two at the same time? Well, it kind of happens that way on occasion. I’ll be thinking about solving a limb design idea when a shooter buck walks in. The bow comes up, and my body becomes fully automatic.

My subconscious takes over as the bow comes to full draw, and as the red-dot sight settles low behind the front shoulder, and the release trigger is touched, there is a lingering thought about the bow limbs.

Thinking through knotty problems is easier when deer hunting. The answer is really quite logical if you think about it. The hunting field always has some noise, but the telephone isn’t ringing and there aren’t a half-dozen people within earshot talking about something else.

I’m in my stand to hunt, but all of us need something to keep our mind active as we wait for deer to start moving. This hunting time is the most peaceful time of day for me, and it’s easy to let my mind roam at will.

It’s much the same as something else that Richey told me many years ago. He said that some of his best story ideas come while he is sleeping, and during his freelancing days for outdoor magazines, he would often awaken from a sound sleep with a great story line.

He would slip quietly out of bed, go into his office, and write the story while it was still fresh in his head. The same thing happens to me.

A problem may vex me for weeks at a time, and while I am asleep, the answer to the problem tugs my eyelids open. The answer was lurking in my mind all this time, and falling asleep allowed it to slip out. I suspect the same thing occurs to others who work with their hands and mind.

So I don’t find it awkward or mysterious to be able to think out problems while doing something else. It’s like walking and talking; walking and chewing gum; and sometimes doing three things at once.

I get so absorbed into making bows, and hunting whitetail bucks with a bow, that it’s as if my brain is half-filled with bow-making thoughts and deer hunting thoughts. One thought feeds off the other, and it’s easy for me to separate the two whenever the need arises.

Of course, I’ve been deer hunting much longer than I’ve been making bows, but I’ve been able to efficiently separate the two passions until such time as they both come together in an unforgettable moment.

That often happens while hunting on my deer ranch. And when the two passions meld while aiming at a big buck, it is one of the most memorable events of my life.—The Whitetail Wizard

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Remembering A Good & Bad Night

The wind blew in strong swirling gusts, the rain pelted down, and a huge rain drop formed on an overhead pine limb, and with precision accuracy, hit my neck in the only exposed location before trickling down my back with an icy chilliness.

I wondered why continue sitting out here? I could be warm and dry back at the house, and instead, there I sat. Miserable but having fun..

Another huge gust rocked my tree, and just for something to do, I came to full draw. The tree swayed, and my sight was all over the place. Had a good buck walked within shooting range the wind would have caused my sight to sway from the deer’s hind end to his nose and back again.

No whitetail deer with an ounce of sense would be out wandering around. They can’t hear anything over the keening wind, and if they looked up into any tree for danger, a big rain drop would splatter against their eye. It would be impossible for a deer to smell me even directly downwind. My scent, if there was any, would blow past the deer before they could smell it.

So, why stay? It was a question I asked myself several times. Is a deer worth subjecting yourself to getting soaked. My outfit, although reasonably warm, was soaking wet. I won’t hunt in a rain coat because they make too much noise.

The wind continued to build, and then the final indignity was delivered. It started to snow, and some of it stuck to my coveralls until what little residual warmth was left melted it. I was wet through, through my jeans, and then the trickle that had run down my neck became cold.

A twig snapped, and I was instantly alert until a small dead tamarack limb fell onto a slightly larger limb and both piled up at the bottom of a nearby tree. Cool, I thought, the wind is breaking up that old tamarack. It will go down this winter anyway because it has seen its better days.

Not a bird moved. They were probably crowded close to the trunk of my pine tree and hanging on for dear life. The porcupine I’d seen previously while sitting in this tree had more brains than me. It had hightailed it to some place out of the weather. The chickadee that had roosted momentarily on my arrow several days before had probably been blown into the next county.

Another quick peek at my watch. Still 30 minutes to go before shooting time ended, and that made me shiver. A moment later another shiver, and it dawned on me that I was cold. I took off one glove, and it promptly fell to the ground below my tree stand ladder. Great. Wonderful. A big mistake compounded by many little ones.

The shivers became more frequent, and another look at my watch told me that only two excruciatingly slow minutes had passed. Use your head: think of something warm. Ah yes, a thick steak dinner and a cup of hot chocolate. That made me feel warm for just about as long as it took you to read that sentence.

This was a waste of time. My buddy, I knew, was a half-mile away shivering in his stand. Serves him right, I thought, to be out hunting on a wicked evening like this. He was probably thinking the same or worse about me.

My watch was checked again, and finally I decided that enough was enough. A cautious look around was made, and nothing was seen, and I heaved my rattle bag hard against the ground 15 feet below. It rattled and clattered as it hit and bounced, and there were no snorts. No noise except the cold wind howling.

The bow was lowered to the ground, I had three secure hand and foot holds, and down the ladder I went like a wrinkled prune. My hands, never a pretty sight, had more wrinkles than Santa Claus.

I walked across the field, and heard footsteps behind me. My buddy was bird-dogging my tracks, and we both headed for the truck. It wasn’t a race but I admit to stepping along rather smartly. The bows were stowed in their cases, and we bailed into the cab of his truck.

“Great night,” he whispered. “See anything?”

“Nope, just you. It was a rotten night.”

“Yep,” he said, “but we didn’t have any competition in the woods, did we?”

And that was the best part about hunting last night. That and when the truck heater finally began blasting out some hot air. It was a welcome reprieve from the storm, and a reminder of how dumb some bow hunters can be. It makes a normally sane person wonder we hunt on such nights.

It’s like the old question of why people climb mountains. The answer is because the opportunity is there, so ... why not? 

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

What’s Up With Whitetail Racks

Antlers, like attractive women, gives strong meaning to that phrase that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Whitetail buck and their antlers have the capacity to be attractive, beautiful, bizarre, oddly out of shape or pretty strange looking.

Some racks I’ve seen are downright ugly. And some, like the buck above, seem just a tiny bit off-center. They tend to look a bit out of kilter, and some are a bit or a lot on the nontypical side.

Personally, I find the above buck attractive. It’s delightfully obvious that he has more going for him on one side than the other, but that is very common among many nontypical racks.

What is it about deer antlers that turn people on? It may be that deer, like people, aren’t alike. They have differences that make them ugly to one person and beautiful to another.

I’ve always had a fondness for deer that have a good antler formation. They can be typical or nontypical, and I find a buck like the one above every bit as delightful to look at as a wide-beamed perfect 10-pointers.

There is a three-beam buck living on my property, and I shot one of them two years ago. An extra beam came out of the left antler, curved around and it was difficult to see unless the animal was perfectly positioned in good light.

That three-beamer took most of the season to find, locate, and to be there when he decided to move. The buck in the photo above was seen on just two occasions, and never seen again.

I’ve studied antler formations for over 50 years, and once a buck gets to 4 1/2 years of age, they often have a well defined antler formation from one year to the next. However, those antlers can change.

An injury to one side of the body often leads to a strange quirk in the antler on the opposite side. A buck that has had a significant injury to one testicle can grow a rather bizarre rack. And, an antler that was injured while it was covered with velvet and still growing, could grow up, down, sideways or whatever.

I’ve seen bucks that develop a growth on antler tines that look like an acorn, and I’ve seen photos of a famous Texas whitetail that had so many short points of one or two inches in length that it looked like two stubby cactus growing out of its head.

Some bucks develop extremely wide spreads but it’s uncommon for a very wide rack to have tall antlers, but it sometimes occurs. Years ago a hunter shot a 1 1/2-year-old buck on my ranch that had 14 points. The rack wasn’t much more than a small basket rack, but it had all these short points growing out.

Occasionally we’ll see a drop-antler growing off a buck, and two or three have been killed off the ranch. It seems like all of them have come from one specific area, and chances are the father to those deer lived long enough to breed many does and a few drop-points were born.

I know hunters who dream of the perfect typical buck, and we have many of those on the ranch. They are symmetrical, each point the same length as the corresponding point on the opposite sight. They usually are about the same antler length and circumference around the base.

Last year we had a few bucks—mostly 8-pointers—that when viewed from the side had a rack that looked flat across the top of the left and right antler. They looked as if a large turkey platter could be placed across the antlers, and it wouldn’t tip or fall but sit flat and level.

Antlers are seen in so many different varieties that people form a like or dislike for certain antler growths. Some like beams that circle around and almost touch in front while others like racks that are high. Others go for the high and wide racks while some favor tall and compact racks.

Each one has a distinct form and sense of beauty about it, and for me, much of the joy of deer hunting comes from seeing such a lovely bunch of antlers. It’s really hard for me to say what I really like best.

There have been many perfectly formed racks that I’ve taken, and there have been some of those freaks of nature that have fallen to my bow. Each one holds a special place in my heart, but in many cases, the oddly shaped racks with drop points or double brow points, fascinate me.

Will Rogers once said he never met a man he didn’t like. I suspect Will may have been fibbing a bit, but to paraphrase him, I’ve never met a buck with a big rack that I didn’t like.—The Whitetail Wizard

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

A Bow Hunter’s Daily Planner

Good bow hunters leave nothing to chance. They know what their plan will be every day they hunt, and if coincidence or bad luck occurs, savvy hunters switch to Plan B.

The majority of good bow hunters have a loose plan. They seldom think about it because their plan is basically the same from day to day. All that may change is the weather, wind direction, and how deer move. The important thing is for hunters to have everything that they can control in place before they climb into a ground blind or tree stand.

Smart hunters do most of these things on full automatic. For those new hunters, or bow hunters who haven’t hunted long enough to acquire many of these skills, tricks or ideas, here is a check list for the future. Paste a copy to your back pack, memorize it, or write it down on the palm of your hand like a kid cribbing for a class test.

1.Have a detailed plan with an idea of how and where you will hunt.

2.Have good knowledge of the terrain and where deer come travel.

3.Always be downwind of where deer move, and if in doubt, at least be crosswind.

4.Know which deer—bucks or does—frequent the area. Some areas are better noted for big bucks than anything else.

5.Make certain your back pack has everything you need including a spare release, extra spool of Game Tracker string, compass, light, matches, Space Blanket and other necessities. Don’t forget the license.

6.Wear clean hunting clothing and clean rubber boots. Scent eliminating sprays can help.

7. Wear Scent-Lok clothing if you wish to help eliminate human odor.

8.Shoot your bow two or three times at a target before going hunting. Know exactly where your bow is shooting at all times.

9.Use a Game Tracker string tracking device. It can eliminate long hours of searching for blood from a wounded deer.

10. Make certain broadheads are razor sharp. Never settle for “that feels pretty good.” Make certain the head is sharp.

11.If hunting from a tree stand, wear a safety harness while climbing into, out of, and white seated in the stand. Don’t fall asleep.

12.Observe everything about a tree stand and the ladder before and during the climb. Visual inspections can save your life.

13. Always maintain three points of contact when climbing ladder stands or screw-in steps or wood ladders. That means either two feet and one hand or one foot and two hands. Don’t take unnecessary risks.

14.Study the terrain within your shooting area. Know where shots can be taken and where they cannot. Know your open shooting spots.

15.Know where the deer trails are, and learn how to pick holes through heavy cover. A hunter may not be able to shoot through it but they may spot a buck moving through.

16.If you use a grunt call, do so sparingly. Too many hunters toodle on the thing too often. Calls work best when a buck is visible.

17.Study every deer that comes within range. Know which shots are high percentage opportunities—broadside or quartering-away—and forget about every other kind of shot.

18.Once your buck is spotted, keep an eye on him and wait for the deer to offer the shot you want. Don’t develop tunnel vision and ignore other deer. More good shots are ruined when the hunter ignores other deer, starts drawing his bow, and is spotted by a non-target animal.

19.Pick a spot. Don’t aim for the center of mass, but pick the exact spot to aim at. Do not lift your head at the shot. To do so can cause the arrow to go high. Don’t drop your bow hand until the arrow hits.

20Know where the arrow hits. It can offer good clues to how far the deer may travel before it falls.

21.Know your range, and know how far you can accurately shoot, and don’t exceed it your skill range.

22.Learn to sit motionless and silent. The two are not the same. Be still and quiet, and draw smoothly without a herky-jerky movement. Deer spot motion well.

23.Learn to read a deer’s body language. It can offer clues as to what they are planning to do, if a buck is following behind, and many other things. Each deer is an individual, and that means each animal can and may react differently to various stimuli.

24.Hunt alone. One hunter can be silent and motionless, but it is very difficult for two people to do so.

25.Once a shot is taken, remain motionless and silent. Keep your eye on the animal that has been shot, and often you can see or hear it fall.

26.Another reason for No. 25 is that it can avoid spooking other deer in that area. The stand can continue to be productive if other deer are unaware of a hunters presence.

27.Ease in and out of a hunting area, and have two or three entrance and exit routes. Vary your routine. Don’t become predictable, and don’t hunt the same stand two days in a row if it is possible.

28.Don’t shoot at deer that stand with their head up. Shoot when they are head down, feeding, looking at other deer or distracted by common sounds in nature, such as cawing crows or scampering squirrels.

29.Be prepared for a shot at any time. Don’t be caught with the bow anywhere other than in your hand.

30.Shoot once, shoot straight and don’t miss.—The Whitetail Wizard

Monday, March 20, 2006

Clothes Don’t Make A Deer Hunter

A few of my buddies hoot on me about my hunting attire. Most don’t realize that I don’t dress to please them.

My thoughts on hunting clothing are rather sparse. I have the same pair of camo coveralls that I’ve worn for many years. You know the kind: a bit ragged around the ankles and a bit threadbare in places.

My coveralls have a few rips and tears, but that adds character. I wear a cap in mild weather and a heavy cap with ear flappers when it starts getting cold. When it really gets cold I add a scarf around my neck.

A pair of knee-high rubber boots completes the outfit. I don’t bother with a face mask or painting my face. Sit still with your head down and the cap pulled low over your eyes, and it doesn’t make much difference. Don’t more or make noise, and the deer won’t know you are there.

I’ve had people come to hunt my ranch, and some are duded out in the latest fashion after a quick stop at L.L. Bean or one of the better clothing retailers. Their clothing is stiff while mine is soft and comfortable. Theirs still has that new smell that clothing often has while mine smells like a fall day with a little cedar smell for good measure.

Leather hunting boots may be comfortable but leather holds every bad smell possible. Gas, cooking odors, you name it; it seems to stick to leather boots, and just think, you wear those odors into the woods. My rubber boots can be rinsed off with a garden hose and it doesn’t bother them or the deer one bit.

My clothing has no odor, and is seldom washed. There is a problem with how most people wash camo clothing.

Most detergents contain whitening agents. You’ve seen the commercials: whiter whites, brighter colors. There is a reason for that. The reason is the detergent contains chemicals that make white shirts whiter. Who wants that in the woods. I don’t own a white shirt.

Anybody have a guess what those whiteners do to your camo clothing. They make them clean but the camo patterns are brighter. Wash your hunting clothing in something without whitening agents, and the camo pattern remains the way it is supposed to look. It is supposed to help you blend in with the vegetation. Wash the clothing in clean water, hang it out to dry, and the dirt is gone without any odor or brighteners.

There is a whole raft of clothing companies that manufacture camo clothes for bow hunters. Savvy hunters know that if a person is hunting in the hardwoods, they should be wearing a hardwoods pattern.

Hunt out west in arid desert country, and green or grey camo clothing makes you stick out against the background. Match your camo with the season and the terrain being hunted.

But back to my hunting attire. My wife tells me my coveralls are getting worn, and my reply is they are getting broke in. If she says I need new stuff, I reply that I still have several useful years left with my clothing.

There is much to be said about being comfortable. New clothing can make a raspy sound when it is new. A buddy of mine hunts in wool regardless of the temperature.

He’s convinced that wool doesn’t make a noise. That’s not true; it does make a soft noise that can sound like fur rubbing against tree bark. It is warm when the weather is cool, breathes well, and is not overly warm in warm temperatures. He swears by it, and he shoots one or two good bucks every year.

For him it means the clothing makes a natural woodsy sound. Wool doesn’t rasp when rubbed against bark. Many of the fleece patterns work equally well, but I warn people about fleece backed with a hard finish cloth. It can be very noisy in the woods.

Most hunters, myself included, want comfort and quietness with their hunting clothing. It is difficult to find both qualities in new garments. Another friend of mine, when he buys new hunting jackets and pants, washes them a dozen times before he wears them into the woods. Frequent washing will help break down and soften fibers, and that means a quieter hunting garment.

Me, I’m happy with what I wear. I am quiet, feel comfortable, and the deer never pay any attention to me. And that’s just what I want.—The Whitetail Wizard

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Outdoor Practice Is Good Practice

A 3-D course is in place down in a cedar swamp on my ranch. Twenty targets are widely spaced out, and all are set at difference distances.

Some are broadside and some are quartering away. Some are fairly easy shots, and some are long-distance shots that are very difficult because you shoot from the top of a hill down to the bottom.

A 3-D course is excellent practice because it forces hunters to learn how to accurately judge distance. The troubling part is that I’ve installed only one spot from which a shooter can launch an arrow.

Tricky? You bet. Some shots are taken through cover, some require a hold-over, and shooting from an upright distance will put your arrow through overhanging tree limbs and result in a complete miss.

There are bear, boar, coyote, deer, elk, turkey and many other critters to shoot at. This type of course is different every time you shoot it because it is in wooded cover, and subject to changing light conditions.

There are times when a bow hunter will be shooting somewhat into the sun with a backlit target, and in the next location the sun may be behind you or off to one side. Some targets are relatively concealed in heavy cover, and it takes a sharp eye to spot the heart-lung area.

A turkey target, half hidden in the brush is hard to see, and requires total concentration on acquiring the correct sight picture and being able to shoot accurately. This is where knowing your bow is of primary importance because a poorly aimed shot often finds the archer spending too much time looking for lost arrows.

There are many variations of a 3-D course. Some offer running targets but I don’t care for them because I don’t think hunters should shoot at a running deer.

A friend of mine has a running deer target, and some bow hunters, after having shot the course a few times, can consistently hit the moving target. However, that target travels at a set speed while deer move at the own pace.

Another man I know has made a “bionic” target. He is a welder, and took a sheet of steel, and cut out the body, feet, legs and head of a deer. In the heart-lung area is a six-inch hole.

The purpose of this target is to hit the heart-lung area every time, which means the arrow flies silently through the hole. It is a popular target, and all day you can hear the metallic “ping” of an arrow slamming into thick steel plate.

It virtually destroys arrows. Arrows miss the hole, slam into the steel plate, and they are not usable again. Some people save their slightly bent aluminum arrows for this target, and being slightly bent ensures that they seldom go through the hole.

The people who consistently shoot through the hole are those who spend a great deal of time shooting. They also know their bow, and what it is capable of doing.

Some people have elevated stands that enable people to shoot down at the target. This simulates hunting from a tree stand or an elevated coop, and gives bow hunters excellent practice at shooting down at an angle. One reason why many people miss this shot, or make a bad hit, is they don’t practice enough.

Hunters can go to the stands and practice but it’s just as easy to shoot off a roof at a 3-D target in the backyard. A buddy of mine has a deck on his house, and his front yard falls away.

At one point his deck is 15 feet off the ground, and a target is place 15 yards away. He normally shoots sitting down, and thus shoots through gaps in the railing. If one uses their imagination, it is like shooting between tree limbs. It’s possible to become very good at hitting deer from a tree stand with practice like this.

Is this the only way to practice? Of course not. Practice can come while shooting at a hay bale, into a McKenzie target or a sand pile. Shooting, regardless of what you shoot an arrow into, can provide superb practice during the off season.

Next fall, when a buck like the one above steps out in front of you, there will be no hesitation. You know the distance, how high above the animal you are if hunting from a tree stand, and making that shot is easy because you’ve practiced it time and again.

Our role, as ethical bow hunters, is to make a quick clean kill. That means accurate arrow placement every time, and the only way that can happen is through constant practice.—The Whitetail Wizard

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Why Buy A New Compound Bow?

Oddly enough, I get asked the above question quite often. A hunter with a C.P. Oneida bow comes in, to have his bow checked or a new string installed, and they occasionally ask this question while admiring the newest models.

From a person who makes a living selling books, it’s one we hear often. And, in these economic times, it probably is a good question for someone to ask.

There are many reasons to buy a new compound. Let’s take a brief look at some of them.

*Improvements are made every year on our bow. I believe our bows are at the top of the bowyer’s art, and that should be of paramount importance to someone considering the purchase of a new bow. Is it better, and in many cases, significantly better than my present bow?

*Is it smoother and easier to draw? Many bows are rough when they roll over as the bow comes to full draw. A smooth draw and smooth shooting bow makes launching arrows more fun and much easier.

*How does a new bow feel in your hands? Some bows are simply more comfortable to hold, before shooting or as the bow comes to full draw.

*Is there any felt recoil? We’ve made some unique changes in our bow designs, and the way in which they are manufactured has solved the recoil that is felt when shots are taken with other bow. The recoil may not be excessive in other bows, but it can be felt and it is disturbing to some people. An archer or bow hunter doesn’t feel any recoil in our new models.

*Is the draw really smooth? With many bows, there is a noticeable feeling when the bow rolls over as it comes to full draw. Our new bows have eliminated that feeling, and ours are now the smoothest drawing bow on the market today.

*It seems that many people want to shoot a very light bow. Our bows weigh from 3.10 to 4.6 pounds. A bow that is too light is difficult to hold steady when a hunter is drawing 55 pounds or more. Our bows are certainly not heavy nor are they light. They are at the precise weight they should be for accurate and consistent arrow placement.

*Some people worry too much about moving parts. Our new bows are easy to tune, and have fewer moving parts than ever before. Part of the bowyer’s art is to make bows that are less complex and easier for the owner to work on, if that need ever arises.

*One common complaint by some folks is “we want a quiet shooting bow.” Well, so do we and our latest bows are whisper-quiet. The shot is taken and it can hardly be heard. It is one aspect of our newest bow technology that we are very proud of.

*These are just some of the reasons to buy a new bow. Another one is to acquire the latest technology. Working on new models, changing things around a bit, using high-quality products—all of these things are important when someone decides to buy a new model.

However, as much fun as having a new bow to practice and hunt with may be, the thought of being afield with a new model bow is comparable to choosing between a beater and a new car. Obviously a new bow or vehicle is more fun to drive or shoot, and the most important thing is how well the new bow shoots.

Anytime an archer or bow hunter can improve their ability to place the arrow in the right spot, time after time with ultimate confidence, it is a vast improvement over what may have been possible before.

I can build bows, and advise people to practice, but it’s a proven fact that people practice more with a new bow than with an old one. That helps boost their confidence, and that is always a good thing. Confident hunters shoot better, are more accurate, and make killing shots.—The Whitetail Wizard

Friday, March 17, 2006

Using Natural Sounds To Cover Human Noise

One thing is certain about deer. They pay attention to any natural sounds heard in the woods.

The smart bow hunter learns to use those natural sounds to their advantage. A couple of anecdotes come to mind.

Several years ago there was a nice buck I’d been hunting, and he seemed unnaturally preoccupied whenever an airplane flew over. There used to be a guy that lived nearby, and he owned an airplane.

He would fly over my land at about 6 p.m. in October when deer were on the move. He would fly over, turn around, head off in another direction, and then head back my way. He probably never traveled over five miles from his little landing strip, and I used that airplane several times to shoot a deer.

This buck always seemed to stop and look up whenever he flew over, and I swear I could probably fall out of my tree stand and not disturb the buck. One night was very calm, and such nights make it difficult to arrow a whitetail buck.

The buck stepped out, and was only 10 yards from me. I could hear the plane coming, and the buck heard it as well. The plane passed just a bit south of where the buck was standing in a narrow opening, and the animal stared up into the sky at the passing plane.

Once the plane was directly overhead, and the buck’s head was pointed skyward, I came to full draw. The arrow was through the deer and could be seen sticking out of the ground before the animal responded to being shot.

There was another time when I was sharing a tree with a porcupine. I didn’t see the animal when I climbed into position. I sat still and didn’t move, and a nice 8-pointer walked into the clearing. The quill-pig began moving around above me, and made that soft little grunting sound.

The buck heard it, and his head came up and looked up into my tree. I was well camouflaged in the cedar, and the buck spotted the porkie, and once the animal was identified, the deer ignored it and continued to feed.

It was another very still night, and the buck moved slightly, and I moved just two or three inches while making the soft grunting noise the porcupine had made. The deer lifted its head, cocked an ear toward my tree, and I gave him what he wanted—two soft little grunting noises. Satisfied, the deer settled down.

He turned and was positioned just right, and I gave two little soft grunts as I came to full draw, and the deer didn’t bother to lift his head until the arrow struck home. By that time, it was too late for him.

I’ve used the cawing of crows, the rustling noises of squirrels and chipmunks running through dry leaves, the honking of geese overhead, and a variety of other natural sounds to cover my draw and my shot.

A few times I’ve allowed other deer to serve as a distraction to the buck I’m trying to shoot. Fawns go running back and forth in youthful exuberance, and I’ve arrowed bucks as they watch the young deer at play.

Every year I’ve watched young bucks practice head-butting and antler meshing, and although they don’t work as hard at it as big bucks do, a larger buck will watch the young bucks as if he were a coach, and it’s easy to take advantage of a buck under such circumstances.

Once I shot a nearby buck as he stood watching a doe that was snorting at something out of my sight. Apparently the doe could see it, but the buck could not, so he watched the doe as she stomped her feet and snorted. My arrow took him through the short ribs as he stood quartering-away, and it was an easy shot.

Natural sounds won’t always help a hunter, but be mindful of the times when a buck is occupied with some natural sound they are accustomed to hearing, and use that opportunity to prepare for and to take a shot.

It’s an ace in the hole that can pay off. —The Whitetail Wizard