Sunday, June 25, 2006
Welcome To My World Of Whitetail Deer
It is hard to believe that this weblog on hunting whitetail deer has been up and running daily since last September. It has, and each day I jot down topics for blog consideration in the months ahead.
I’ve been hunting whitetails for over six decades, and have studied the animals for even longer. I hunt every day of the bow and firearm seasons, and must be sick in bed to miss a day in the field.
Most of my whitetail deer hunting has occurred here in Michigan, and on my 1,000 acres, although I’ve killed deer in other states. I own a high-fenced area, manage my personal deer herd for quality, and am proud of it.
I manufacture the C.P. Oneida Eagle Bows, and have an archery shop in Marion, Michigan, 15 miles southeast of Cadillac. It’s my habit to study deer every day, and along the way, I’ve learned some deer hunting tricks that can pay off.
It’s some of these observations and hunting tactics that are passed along on a daily basis through this weblog. The weblog is about my hunts, my thoughts, and some of the deer taken on my land.
It is not a vehicle to advertise my businesses, to sell more bows and other archery equipment, or for any other reason than to dispense deer-hunting wisdom that is available to one and all.
You’ll find, after reading several blogs, that I truly want to help hunters become far more successful in the fields, swamps and woods of this state or any other. I accept the fact that hunting a high-fence enclosure is different than finding a spot on state land, but 1,000 acres of heavy cover, rolling hills, swamps and open fields makes my deer equally tough to hunt.
They are still frightened of people, and everything I see on my land is what you will see on federal, private or public land. A deer is a deer, and they are a mass of nerves stretched as tight as a fiddle string. My bucks and does must be hunted, and poor hunting skills will fail here just as often as they fail outside my fences.
I’m a stickler for detail. Tree stands, ground blinds, pit blinds, elevated coops—all must pass muster. All must be safe and silent. All must be placed with great attention to detail, and hunters must play the wind every time they hunt.
My buck-to-doe ratio is heavily weighed in favor of bucks. It’s no walk in the park to take a buck here, and hunting for an old dry doe requires skills not needed for younger bucks. Oddly enough, each year we spot a buck that is 4 1/2 or 5 1/2 years old, and the animal has never been seen before because they have doctorate degrees in avoiding humans.
So hunting an enclosure can actually work on my behalf in helping readers better understand deer travels, where they bed and feed, and ways to determine proper stand placement. My deer are obviously confined within 1,000 acres, but that doesn’t mean they are sitting ducks. Many of these deer are more savvy than outside bucks.
Many hunters are never properly prepared for a shot. A buck steps out, and some hunters don’t have their bow in their hands. It becomes problematic whether they can pick up the bow and get off an accurate shot before the animals move off.
I stress being prepared, and to always be ready for a shot. Most of my stands are situated to provide the best chance for a broadside or a quartering-away shot. They are so positioned to eliminate those awkward-angle shots that can wound an animal.
You, the reader, may agree or disagree with my thoughts. It’s your choice, but the key factor to remember here is that over 60 years of bow hunting experience goes in to the creation of every one of these blogs. Disagree, if you will, but give each one considerable thought before doing so because there’s no money to be made off this blog.
My reason for doing this is to help hunting avoid the bad habits that plague many hunters. Reading these daily weblogs can cure some of your problems, and point you in the right direction toward becoming a more successful hunter.—The Whitetail Wizard