Whitetail Wizard

Thursday, November 30, 2006

Ring In The New Bow Season

There are some things in this world that are terribly important, and I consider December bow hunting at the top of the list. I’m glad the firearm season has ended, and happy that the nearby woods will soon be quiet.

There is something about cold weather, snow and deer that make me feel good. I enjoy sitting in an elevated or ground-level coop, and watching deer meander by.

I’m always on the lookout for a big buck, and I’ll pass up a bunch of smaller bucks for a chance at a big one. Some of Michigan’s largest bucks have been taken in December, and there is a good reason why.

Most of the does have already been bred, and a buck knows it is time to replace some of the weight loss he suffered while chasing estrus does. He knows that eating well now before severe weather arrives is the key to his making it through the winter.

Often, at this time of year, the deer don’t move until late but if snow covers the ground, it makes it easier to see the animals in that last 30 minutes of legal shooting time.

December also is a month when storms play an important role in the movement of big bucks. They often move well and feed hard before a big storm moves in, and that can place them in front of a hunter who happens to be in the right spot at the proper time.

As a general rule, bucks will move to green fields and other food sites at various times of the day but hunters should try not to over-hunt an area if possible. Deer often lay up near a green field or bait site, and if they see a hunter walk into a stand and crawl up into place, they often just sit tight and wait until dark and the hunter leaves before they move.

One year a friend of mine hunted his wife’s stand two days in a row. Nothing came to his bait site either day. The third day he walked in and walked 25 yards back into the woods near her stand, and deer went flying in all directions.

That night they didn’t see him walk into the stand, and that night the deer moved to him early. He shot a buck that evening, but later in the season, he tried the same thing again and the deer just waited him out. We was on top of a hill, 200 yards from the blind, and watched several deer move in to feed after he had left.

What can work is to have someone drop you off at your stand, and then come back in to pick you up. Deer can’t count, and if two people walk in and one leaves, they assume the hunter has left. The walking hunter will spook any deer away while walking in, and then when another hunter walks in after shooting time ends, that also spooks off the deer. The hunter in the stand must be extremely quiet and not move until the other person shows up.

I’ve also found that deer will come to feed at all hours of the day. A hunter who can tough out the weather, can be in a good position to take a mid-day deer. Left relatively undisturbed, I’ve seen deer lay down for an hour, get up and feed for 15 minutes, and walk off to bed down again. An hour, and sometimes even 30 minutes later, may find the deer coming in to feed again.

Is winter deer hunting for everyone? Of course not. Many people can’t handle the cold, and some have had their fill during the earlier season. Not me. I never can get enough of bow hunting, and always feel bad when January 1 rolls around and I know the season is ending.

That leaves me with 32 days of hunting to go, and it’s my intention to make the most of each of those days.—The Whitetail Wizard

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Weather Changes Are Good Now

The severe weather change that was supposed to arrive today most likely will blow through Michigan sometime tonight. The chance will be good for it helping deer hunting, but it’s too bad it didn’t arrive during hunting hours.

The weather is not like going to a local fast-food restaurant. You really can’t have weather your way or on demand. It just doesn’t work like that.

Snow is in the immediate forecast, and I’d be surprised if some doesn’t show up tonight or tomorrow. This weather front could produce a little bit or a lot of snow, and it has the capability to produce cold weather. This double-barreled combination is exactly what hunters need as we prepare for our December bow and muzzleloader hunts.

Cold weather, and a foot of snow forces deer to move more often to stay warm, and the snow makes finding food a bit more demanding.

Wildlife biologists tell us that a deer needs a bushel of browse or food per day. If they don’t receive that much good food, or they are filling their stomach with low-protein groceries, it is entirely possible for whitetail deer to starve with a full belly.

It happens every year in northern Michigan deer yards. Deep snow prevent deer from leaving, and the browse line is so high that only the older deer can browse while standing on their back legs. Doing this causes them to expend their energy trying to forage, and if the winter severity index (a mix of cold temperatures, snow, and prolonged bad weather), button-bucks often die first. Next comes the doe fawns, and somewhat surprisingly to some people, adult bucks often die early.

Why? It’s simple. If a buck starts out at 150 pounds, and loses 25 percent of his weight during the rut, it means that the animal may drop to 110-115 pounds if they can’t regain weight before bad weather sets it. Once a deer—any deer - begins to live off fat reserves in its bone marrow, that animal is dead but just doesn’t know it yet.

Cold and snow is good for hunters but not necessarily for the deer. My deer always have enough to eat but it’s a different ballgame for those deer that live on state land or in areas where access to quality food is just not available. Most deer yards have slim pickings to offer winter deer, and if they can’t get out to feed, they will eat their fill of non-nutritious browse and die with a full belly.

Nothing people can do will help. One major problem I see is those well-intentioned folks who have a few deer living behind the house. Every day they faithfully carry out two gallons of food, and the deer have to find whatever else they can to fill their stomachs.

The deer become accustomed to the daily handout, and suddenly in January or February, the people head south for a month or two in the sun. Suddenly that handout is gone, but the deer have become used to getting it, and it can be enough to tip them over the edge into starvation.

Starving deer are not nice to look at. They get fuzzy-faced, their hip and rib bones stick out, and they seldom move. Eventually, the combination of not enough food, snow and cold weather takes its toll.

Either that or a pack of coyotes in the Lower Peninsula or wolves in the Upper Peninsula, move into the deer yards for dinner. Most of them start feeding on the soft underbelly of deer, and some animals go into shock and mercifully die a quick death from their wounds. Others huddle up near a tree, don’t move, and often die on a very cold night.

We rarely get that kind of snow in the Lower Peninsula although some deer die-off occurs every year. Some deer, like some people, do not have the drive to fight for survival.

Which is why hunters who take some of the smaller deer in December may be doing other deer a favor. It’s better they are taken, processed, and provide nourishment for humans than to die a lingering death in some snow-filled and lonely swamp.—The Whitetail Wizard

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Hanging In There But For What?

It seems as if my rump has set in every stand on my ranch over the past few weeks. I’ve sat in ground blinds, tree stands, elevated coops, and even sat in one of my pit blinds one day.

I’m the kind of hunter who likes to move around. Occasionally, when a buck is seen frequently in one spot, I may set there for two or three days in a row in hopes of spotting the animal.

My deer-hunting pleasure comes from trying different locations. We all know it doesn’t make good sense to hunt the same spot all the time, but there are people who do just and and kill some nice bucks. Back in the days when I chased trout more often than I do now, there was always a driving need to see what lay around the next bend.

It’s much the same thing with deer stands. I seldom sit in a tree stand these days, and why do it? My elevated coops are in great spots, and they provide good hunting. Besides ... I enjoy having a bit more room in a coop than is found sitting in a ladder stand.

There is always that little element of surprise that comes when hunting a different stand on a regular basis. It’s fun wondering what may be happening at this or that stand, and the only way to find out is to go there and spend some time.

I’ve got enough stands on the ranch where it would be possible to hunt a different stand every day for a month. That is, providing we didn’t have an easterly breeze day after day.

And, for me, that is the most fun of all. Clicking through the catalog of ground and elevated stands in my mind, judging the merit of this one over that one, and going there to check it out.

Some days the wind will chase me off if it switches once I get into position. I carry milk weed pods with me, and am constantly releasing one or two into the wind to determine exactly where my scent will travel. An abrupt wind switch can ruin a stand if the hunter stays in place, and once deer get spooked from a spot, it’s difficult to get them back.

Now me, I’m hoping for some cool or downright cold weather in the next two days. A drop in temperature would certainly help, and snow would be like frosting on the cake.

Now me, I’ll continue to shift around from one stand to another. Sooner or later, when this weird weather changes, a nice buck may wander out in front of me and offer a deadly shot.

When that time comes, I’ll be ready and I’m looking forward to the December hunting. It’s one of my favorite times of the year.—The Whitetail Wizard

Monday, November 27, 2006

What To Do In Bad Weather

I’m tired of writing about bad weather. The more positive aspect of a daily blog would be to suggest other things to do that would help bow hunters once the weather straightens itself out.

It’s fairly easy for me to do. I can drive to my Buck Pole Archery Shop in Marion, and can shoot all day if I want. It’s what I do every day, and although I don’t really need a full day of shooting arrows, I’ve got to think of those of you who don’t own an archery shop.

One thing that I find helpful is to spend some time walking around the house. Adjust your red-dot sight or other bow sight to the ambient light level, and start drawing your bow.

Pick an object, that fancy end-table lamp. Come to full draw on the on-off switch. Turn away, and swing back on the switch again from a slightly different angle, but please, no arrows on the string or you can fight your own battles.

Another step brings us to a family photo. Paint your face with the red-dot sight, turn away, take two or three steps and come to full draw and aim at it again.

What this does as you wander the house, coming to full draw and aiming at an apple, the knob on the kitchen stove, the empty coffee cup sitting on the kitchen counter, or the shiny lever on the toilet, is becoming more accustomed to your bow.

It helps strengthen arm, wrist, hand, shoulder and back muscles by drawing the bow, coming to full draw and quickly acquiring the target. The only difference between this in-house training and hunting deer is this aids in acquiring the target quickly while coming to full draw.

We all know that only practice can help a bow hunter shoot a deer. However, the quicker we can learn to pick up the precise aiming point while drawing the bow will make it that much easier when a whitetail steps out in front of us.

Many of us have a hay bale or 3-D target in the back yard, and one guy I know has a 17-yard archery range in his basement. He can shoot all summer or winter is his heated basement.

However, going outdoors and shooting at 3-D targets from different angles is excellent practice. Climbing onto the roof or shooting from a tree in nasty weather may mean taking an unnecessary risk, but the more normal conditions we can practice with, the better we are when the deer steps out and is well within shooting range.

One thing I suggest people do is to shoot sitting down and standing. I practice drawing, anchoring and shooting my bow from both positions. Another thing that helps is to wear your winter hunting clothing.

It’s one thing to pull 65 or 70 pounds during the summer and early fall, and it’s another to do it when the temperature hovers around 10-15 degrees and you are huddled in several layers of clothing. The cold, inactivity, and remaining motionless causes winter muscles to tighten up, and coming to full draw under such circumstances is very difficult.

This becomes even more difficult if you will shoot while sitting down. Practice at it, because most people need to let off about five pounds of draw weight when cold weather arrives.

Admittedly, this isn’t the same as an actual bow hunt. You are not practicing drawing on a deer, and the wind isn’t howling and snow flakes aren’t falling down your neck.

It can and will keep your muscles loosened up, and allow you to more quickly acquire the target while coming to full draw, and that is worth the effort.—The Whitetail Wizard

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Looking Back At Some Great Bow Shots

There are various degrees of skill levels involved in bow hunting, and let’s face it: some bow hunters and target archers are deadly shots. However, some of the best target archers can’t shoot live deer, or, conversely, some bow hunters cannot shoot targets.

I’m not quite as good a bow shot as I used to be. Being 75 years of age has removed a bit of the edge that I once had, but I can still shoot well. There were times when I could Robin Hood an arrow on demand. I still do it fairly often but not with the same consistency as years ago.

Following this line of thought brings up some memories of some great shots. Anyone who knows me knows that I do not like to fly, but Dave Richey talked me once into coming with him to Quebec on a caribou hunt. One guide was from Ontario, and the other from Newfoundland, and they soon put on a caribou drive.

Richey had hunted and killed numerous caribou with a bow but it would be my first time. The two guides circled way around, and came downwind toward us. We were on a tiny point, and they told us the caribou would run the point, jump in the lake and swim to shore.

Here they came, and for a big animal, a caribou can run surprisingly fast. I’d practiced often at 60 yards, and I swung ahead of the largest bull, and launched an arrow. It came down, and plunked that caribou just before he jumped into the lake. He swam to the shore 50 yards away and died. That was a memorable shot.

Threading a needle is never easy with sewing thread and needle, and it’s even more difficult when shooting at a whitetail buck in thick cover. I’d practiced long and hard to get everything right, and I spotted this 10-point working down through the tag alders and heading my way.

At one point I knew he’d be just 30 yards away but tag alders are as thick as hairs on a dogs back. The trunks intertwine, and walking through them is difficult, but shooting into them is even more so.

The buck moved slowly through the alders, stopping often, looking around, and then moving forward. Firearm deer hunters often have to pick holes ahead of a deer, and that was my plan. One spot was a tiny bit more open than other spots, and it was located in a spot where the buck would be broadside to me.

The opening offered a two-inch hole at just the right level on the bucks body, and the shot would have to be perfectly place. If it was off an inch, it would kill an innocent tag alder. And obviously, if the shot missed, it would spook the buck from that area.

The buck was just two feet from the tiny opening when I came to full draw. My red-dot sight tracked the animal, held on him, and then it moved as the deer edged closer to the tiny opening.

There, stop, I muttered, and the buck stopped in just the right spot. I placed the internal red dot just behind the shoulder, eased out my breath, and softly triggered the release. The bucks legs kicked back as the arrow sliced through the chest cavity, and then the animal bolted.

The clack-clack sound of his antlers beating against the alders was easily heard, and then came the sound of him crashing to earth. The Game Tracker string stopped going out, and I waited five minutes before following the string to the big buck.

Threading a needle calls for plenty of practice, excellent vision, and a cool hand. It would be easy to miss or to make a bad hit, but I had the utmost faith in my ability to place that arrow in the right spot.

There are other tough shots that I’ve made (and some I’ve missed) but I’ll save some of them for another day. Now that Thanksgiving weekend has passed, we have four days of firearm hunting for those who wish to pursue deer, but for us, it’s back to the bows..

There isn’t much that we need right now except for some cold weather and snow. That will get the deer up and moving, and make the bow hunters happy that we still have another month to hunt.—The Whitetail Wizard

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Unseasonable Weather Hurts Deer Hunting

So maybe there is something to all this global warming business. It seems as if our weather patterns are changing, and if our recent weather is any example, global scientists may be right.

This has been a most unusual late fall. We normally have snow on the ground by now, and although we’ve had some and it has melted, the weather has been holding in the 40s and 50s.  East winds are common, and with the warm weather and minor disturbance of firearm season pressure, the deer are still reluctant to move.

A look at the weather forecast offers little encouragement for deer travel to change much, at least through mid- to late-week. The coldest temperatures through next Thursday are supposed to appear on Thursday with evening temperatures dropping to the high 20s.

That is hardly cold weather, and there is nothing about 28-degree temps that will make deer move. We can hope and wish for lower daytime temperatures, but there isn’t any in the forecast

A high of 20 degrees during the day and colder than that at night, and several inches of snow, would help. It doesn’t look as if anything approaching cold and snowy conditions will appear until sometime in mid-December, if then.

The weather this next week is supposed to be rainy. That won’t make deer move, and the only thing it does do is muddy up my roads. Now, having griped about the weather as everyone else does, the opportunity to keep deer hunting is still available.

Most evenings the deer fail to move until right at the end of shooting time or after dark, but on the rare occasion, some animals do move during daylight hours. It’s not something anyone can build a hunting trip around, but that is the primary reason those who can do so, hunt every night.

One thing hunters can do, and it requires quite a bit of work, is to develop hunting sites in several different locations that can be easily accessed and hunted when the wind is right for that stand. I know a few people who have two stands set up in key locations.

One will work if the prevailing wind is right, and the other stand will work best when the breeze blows from the south or east. A friend of mine has such a set-up, and his key ace-in-the-hole tree stand is good only on a south, southeast or southwest wind.

It’s close (within 100 yards) of a house and paved road, and on a south, southeast or southwest wind, he can be in the stand in two minutes. He climbs up, sits down and gets ready. The deer always head north, and cross the road to feed. A south or southwest wind puts those animals right in his lap providing he sits still and doesn’t move.

The deer, if they catch his scent, never do so until they are well past him and slipping past the house. Any human odor is apparently associated with the house, and it doesn’t affect deer travel.

Establishing such hunting locations is never easy, but natural barriers, such as roads and houses or fences, can be used to your advantage. Deer often circle, and may try to pick up your scent from downwind, but there are times when one of these natural objects can work to your advantage.

I have a high fence that surrounds my ranch, and one of my coops on the east side of the property is within 20 yards of the fence. It’s a great spot to sit on a west wind because the deer seldom go behind the coop because it is too close to the fence. Another high coop works in much the same way when the wind is from the south. The deer come from the south, move into the open to the north, but seldom walk behind the coop.

It should be stated that movement and noise cannot not be made because deer are a bit spooky under such conditions. Think about it now, and if you can use any such barrier (lakes and rivers serve the same purpose) plan now to build one or two in a new spot.

Recognize that it can only be used at certain times. Planning ahead for next years deer season, and such variable wind conditions, can be a smart move.—The Whitetail Wizard

Friday, November 24, 2006

Thanksgiving Day Weekend Big For Hunters

Many hunters find themselves getting all wound up for the Thanksgiving weekend of deer hunting. The big dinner is out of the way, being with family and relatives is over, and tomorrow and Sunday shape up as a major hunting attraction for firearm hunters.

Here, at the ranch, nothing much changes. People who hunt on Nov. 15, often hunt with a rifle. And then, everyone switches back to using a bow. Bow hunting is far more popular here than hunting with a firearm.

Deer are starting to move a bit more each day, and although the deer movements are not spectacular (except once it gets dark), almost everyone who is hunting is seeing whitetail deer. A few really trophy bucks have been seen but often far out of bow range.

Which leads me to a thought. Often, hunters may only get one good chance at a buck during the course of a season. That chance may come early or late in the season, and the hunter must be up for the opportunity. If they miss this chance, there’s no one else to blame.

It’s difficult to stay mentally prepared day after day for a buck, but I can tell you from long experience, that if a hunter lets down his guard, and a buck moves through when the hunter is twiddling his thumbs, that lost opportunity may never come again that year.

Holding the bow at all times is difficult. The arm, wrist and hand gets sore and tired, and it’s easy to hang the bow on a hook. Go ahead, be my guest, but if a buck moves through and you must lift the bow off a tree limb or hook, attach the release, draw, aim and shoot, chances are excellent that you’ll get through one or two of the early steps but miss out on taking the shot.

Some who sit in a coop lay the bow across a padded bench. It’s much faster to pick up the bow, draw, aim and shoot, but it’s still not the same as being ready for a shot at all times. That readiness is what can put a good rack on the wall and venison in the freezer.

Sometimes a buck will cooperate with a person hunting over bait, but often during the rut, a buck will walk through the bait pile without stopping, walk out the other side and disappear without a shot being taken.

Studying whitetail behavior can teach hunters when a buck may be coming. There is no time for second-guessing on bucks. Hunters who watch trails know that a buck can move down a trail silently, and daydream for five seconds, and the buck can be moving past you.

Trail watching gives hunters fewer opportunities to get ready. Whenever hunting on a trail, the bow must be in the hand at all times. I nock the arrow, and attach my release, and prop the bow against my leg. A friend sticks the end of his C.P. Oneida Black Eagle into his rubber boot on the outside of his left leg (he’s right-handed), and when a buck approaches, he begins the draw with the lower limb in his boot.

By the time he is back to full-draw, the buck is within range, and he is aiming and waiting for his shot. Drawing on bucks requires some practice to avoid being spotted by the buck or some other nearby deer, and he just doesn’t get caught drawing on deer.

The other trick is to wait for a high-percentage shot. When it comes, concentrate on that one lethal spot, and shoot. Too much deliberation is as bas as not being prepared.

Hunting the Thanksgiving weekend is something that thousands of hunters do. I’ve talked to lots of deer hunters recently, and all are reporting seeing more bucks this year than last.

And that, my friends, is a major improvement.

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Family & Friends: Two Important Things Today

Family and friends are two important things to my wife, Ruth, and I on Thanksgiving, and we enjoy sharing this time together. It doesn’t matter which day of the month it is to me, all of my family and friends know I live to hunt deer..

Deer season is open so I will hunt deer daily during the season, holiday or not. It appears as if Sunday will be nasty, or so the forecast goes, and perhaps the rain turning to snow will cause deer to move. The deer are starting to move more now during the dark of the moon, and it should keep increasing as time goes on.

This is a day when I give personal thanks to all those who have helped me in one way or another over long periods of time. Some have given of their time, others have given mightily of their time and talents, and others have just been there to help however they can.

A few of my friends have been around for 30 years, back to the day when I owned a machine shop in Marion and was hunting open land behind my home. Those folks have helped me develop Oneida bows for the original company, develop the red-dot sight industry, and was there when I bought Oneida several years ago.

They’ve been through the evolution of my forming C.P. Oneida Eagle Bows, developing the Black Eagle, the Extreme and other bows, and have helped in so many other ways.

To these people, who have been there during the formative periods and up to the present, I offer my deepest gratitude. They’ve offered words of encouragement, never gave up on me, and have given of themselves to help me and my businesses succeed.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to have a chance to build bows, and do it my way. Look at one of my C.P. Oneida Eagle bows, and it will quickly become apparent that these bows look unlike any other compound bow on the market. There is a look of originality to my bows, a look that makes them stand out from all the others.

This is not by accident. It is a matter of design, and the design changes these bows go through from one year to the next may not be easily seen but they can be felt when drawing and shooting the bow.

My bows look different because they are different. This design, I feel, offers a much smoother draw curve while delivering faster arrow speed and flatter arrow flight. I never knock someone else’s bows; I just want mine to look different and shoot different. Based on sales, many bow hunters agree with my philosophies on bow development.

So, my family and friends are very important to me. Some make subtle design change recommendations, others help generate publicity and give readers a new look at what we have done to make our bows smoother, and some supply a strong back to help when needed.

None of these friends rate higher marks than others, and on this Thanksgiving Day, I give thanks for all of those who have stood by me over many years. All have my best interests in mind, and each of them know who they are and why I appreciate their efforts.

Claude Pollington and C.P. Oneida Eagle bows, Buck Pole Archery Shop and the Buck Pole Deer Ranch wouldn’t have been possible without the caring and efforts of many people. To one and all, including my many customers, I deeply thank you.—The Whitetail Wizard

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Bow Hunting: Other Rewards Than A Kill

There are times when the little things mean more than the big ones. A bow hunt is much like that: there are rewards other than a kill.

It’s always fun to see deer, and after years of hard word, patience and plenty of money, it is rewarding to see some nice bucks. The operative word is is “see.” It’s not always necessary to make a kill.

A fine hunt can be had without ever drawing and shooting an arrow. My friend Dave Richey draws on every deer he sees while hunting, and finds it very gratifying to come to full draw, aim and then let down on the bow string. He compares it in some weird way to catch-and-release fishing. He feels good granting a deer life.

The sight of a buck hazing a doe is fun to watch, and early fall when the first cool nip is in the air, it’s enjoyable to watch fawns run and jump, and chase each other. They remind me of young children at play.

It’s a hoot trying to figure out a big buck. It’s never easy but when all the puzzle pieces come together, the jigsaw puzzle that is deer hunting can seem so easy. At times it is quite easy to shoot a big buck, but if he figures you are on his case, he gets savvy in a hurry.

Bow hunting requires accurate shooting, and I shoot my C.P. Oneida bow on a daily basis. It keeps me tuned in to shoot, and repetition is necessary to consistently shoot with good form. Good bow hunters practice at every opportunity.

Sometimes the other wildlife is all there is to watch, and I’ve seen bobcats, coyotes, eagles and other wild game and songbirds. There are a few porcupines on my ranch, and some raccoons and opossum. There are red foxes, although not many with coyotes in abundance.

Bow hunting means watching a good friend shoot a nice buck, and sharing in his enjoyment of the event. This bow hunting also means wisely managing the deer herd. Some of that management means removing some does and doe fawns and some small bucks that show very little promise of becoming anything that a hunter would consider exceptional.

Years ago, we had what I called “paddle-horn” bucks on the ranch. There were many bucks where two tines would grow together to form a paddle instead of two distinct points. We occasionally will see a small paddle-horn buck, and it is removed before it breeds and perpetuates that particular abnormality.

We’ve worked hard in the past year building new coops. They have thick amber glass so deer can’t see into the coop but the hunter can see out. The shooting window operates with velcro straps, and the window can be opened all the way or just wide enough to allow a shot. Two strips of velcro hold it open or closed, and they are a big improvement on old wooden sliding windows.

Some of this hunting we do is to study and watch deer, and to learn from them. Studying the animals allows us to learn their body language, what it means, and how we can interpret it to become a better bow hunter.

I am constantly experimenting with new bow developments for upcoming production. My desire is to build the perfect bow, one that cannot be improved upon. It’s not an easy task, and who knows whether I’ll ever work out the few remaining kinks, but I try some of my newest innovations while bow hunting.

My bows must satisfy me before I’ll put the new C.P. Oneida Eagle bow on the market. The fields and woods are my proving grounds, and being afield with a bow in hand is what I enjoy most about hunting.

I watch the summer change to fall, and then to winter, and this change of seasons is appealing. It’s part of what I do, and speaking only for myself, I can’t think of anything I enjoy more.—The Whitetail Wizard

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

What’s New & Different about Blog No. 401?

Well, probably not too much unless one wants to count the fact that the second rut is no underway.

This second breeding period enables many of the younger whitetail does to get bred, but the weather isn’t conducive for too much chasing. I’ve watched a few bucks nosing around among the young does, and a couple have taken off after the young animal.

The first rut falls into an apparent pattern. Much of the active rutting takes place in late October through early November, and then about 28 days after the primary rut, we see a much smaller and less noticeable rut. If you aren’t watching the larger bucks at this time of year, the second rut will be easy to miss.

Bucks have been laying low, and venturing out only after dark, but wherever I put out feed, it’s gone the next day. Does and fawns, and some young bucks, are feeding as much as possible before winter sets in but when all food disappears from feed sites at this time of year, it usually means the big bucks are filling up in hopes of building up some of their weight lost during the early rut.

My food sites are cleaned out. Everything is gone, and although the bucks haven’t had much reason to move during the past week or so, they are coming out to feed after dark. But, in the past few days, more and more bucks are being seen.

Most of the larger bucks have lovin’ on their mind, and they are chasing the small and younger does now. So what does this mean for the average hunter?

Frankly, not too much. It does put some bucks on the move, but guesswork and a knowledge of the terrain can help although the second estrus cycle doesn’t last very long. It can provide a brief flurry of activity, but deer are like people, they don’t all mature at the same time.

Although the second estrus may be short-lived, it can drag on for some time as the late-born fawns come into their first estrus cycle. That can occur anytime from now through February although most of it occurs in late November and into December. Obviously, some older bucks may breed some does even later in the season.

Most hunters are looking for bucks in the first place, but antlered bucks that are nose to the ground or hanging very close to a young doe know she is close to entering her first estrus cycle, and they don’t want to miss a chance to breed her.

Sometimes these young does will go off and stand alone, seemingly uncertain of what to do, and they wait, probably instinctively, for a buck to show up. Be alert to young doe fawns that appear to be alone, uncertain and apparently waiting for something.

It usually doesn’t take a buck long to find her. He will smell her, perhaps try to mount her, and she will probably run off. Thus begins the chasing phase, and he will stick close to her until she finally will stand for him to breed her. He may stick with her for a day, and perhaps breed her again, but once conception has taken place, the buck is off and looking for another young girl friend.

This second rut lacks the pizzazz of the primary rut. Gone is most of the chasing and most of the antics of the pre-rut or chasing phase. Cold weather and snow is coming, and most bucks want to breed as many does as possible but they also must eat to make it through the winter.

Most second-estrus breeding bucks apparently consider the second rut a late-season bonus. It doesn’t really last very long, and it’s nothing like the primary rut, but if a hunter hits it just right and has a bit of luck on his side, a young doe may run a randy buck within bow range.

There is seldom a second chance. Be alert and ready at all times, and every year late November and December produces some truly large bucks. Look for cold weather and snow to help jump-start the second rut.—The Whitetail Wizard

Monday, November 20, 2006

400 Daily Blogs & Still Rolling

It’s hard to believe this is my 400th consecutive daily blog, but that’s what the numbers say. My topic tonight is one that all of us are dealing with right now.

Warm weather, a lack of deer movement during the day, and very little (if any) movement just before dark. I sat out tonight until shooting time ended, and saw three does and fawns. They all acted like they didn’t know what to do, and they would feed a tiny bit and burrow back into the tag alders and out of sight.

The deer, when they do move, are suspicious of everything. They stop, sniff the air, try smelling from a different angle or position, and move on in a nervous way. It’s as if they expect the Boogey Man to jump out at them.

Here’s the problem if you haven’t figured it out already. The major obstacle to good deer travel (and hunting) right now is the lack of two things—cold temperatures and snow. We’ve heard all about global warming, and there may be something to it. I know the fall this year is much warmer than normal.

We need an Alberta Clipper to come sailing through northern Michigan, and camp on top of us for a week. We need a foot of snow, and we need really cold temperatures to make deer move.

What we don’t need is semi-cool temperatures. We need the temperatures down to 10 or 15 degrees, and even colder weather would be better. Zero would be perfect, and with a foot of snow on the ground, the deer would have to move.

Cold temperatures make deer move, and snow deep enough to cover most of the browse is the final straw. Those two factors are the key ingredients for a major late November deer movement.

Deer must get up to move around to stay reasonably warm, and if snow covers the ground, the animals have to forage harder. This means they must move more often, spend more time looking for food, move during the day and night hours, and those weather conditions are exactly what we don’t have.

It’s been slow since before the firearm season started a week ago. It’s supposed to cool down to around 30 degrees tonight, but then the temperature will rise during the day tomorrow. The deer feed after dark, and bed down during the day. There is no need to move.

There is nothing about the weather to make deer get up out of their bedding areas to move. They can exist forever in this kind of weather.

Hunters are advised to watch the weather. One of these days, the weather forecast will predict a storm coming down from northern Canada and bring cold temperatures and snow flurries. It’s a promise that once that storm gets close, the deer will be up and moving about.

If the snow falls, and the temperatures stay cold, the deer will be moving day and night to feed. Determine where the major food source is in your area, and take up a stand nearby.

The colder the weather and the deeper the snow become the two most important things to keep in mind. Once the snow gets knee-deep, if such a thing does happen during hunting season, and the temps drop into the teens or single digits, get ready to play the wind like you’ve never played it before.

Take up a position downwind of the travel routes to the food source, and sit still. It’s tough hunting in the bitter cold because extra clothing is needed to stay warm, and that makes it more difficult to draw the bow, but being on hand when the deer move is important.

Many hunters crank their bow down several pounds, and practice shooting at the reduced draw weight, and they will be ready. I have no idea when the cold and snow will come, but when it does, it pays to be ready to hunt hard.

With luck we will have some snow for Thanksgiving, and hopefully some colder weather. Be ready for it, and be ready for the next 400 daily blogs. Tune in here every day for some of the latest on whitetail deer hunting techniques.—The Whitetail Wizard

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Deer Are Spooky After Rifle Hunting

Any type of human hunting activity will spook deer, but bow hunting has far less impact on the animals than rifle hunters.

We had eight hunters in a week ago, and all hunted with firearms. The shooting, increased number of people in the woods, and other factors such as weather and wind, teamed up to make the deer pretty shaky.

The result is that most of the deer are moving just before dark. As the ranch quiets down, and hopefully we get more cold weather and some snow, the deer movements will pick up.

For now, we’re hoping the ranch roads continue to tighten up and that the deer continue to move. Often, after the firearm season ends, it takes a week or two for the animals to settle back into the pattern of moving long before dark.

There are several really big bucks still running around on the ranch, and most of them are now concentrating their rutting efforts on the younger does. This results in some long, hard chases. The young does have never been through the rutting season before, and the bucks are chasing some of them very hard.

I’ve seen some young does get bred, and it’s a wonder they can stand for a 200-pound whitetail buck. Their back legs quiver from the effort, but the breeding process doesn’t take long. As soon as either animal senses that conception has taken place, the buck is off off on his relentless search for another young doe to breed.

This second rut doesn’t last long because there are very few of the younger does left. We get enough recruitment of young fawns from our mature does, and recognize that too many small does beget too many small fawns. Wise management practices have taught us that a big buck and a big doe will produce big fawns. In time, those big fawns eventually turn into big deer.

For now, hunters are finding it difficult without hunting pressure, to get deer up and moving. They will move during the daylight hours, but many hunters find it difficult to sit all day in hope of seeing a deer or two but the only other way is to do a deer drive.

We don’t drive deer on this ranch. We want the deer to move naturally, and not be forced into going somewhere they don’t want to go, which is difficult to do at any time. Instead, we try to make certain that hunters are on stand in the best possible location for a shot if the animals do move early.

Oddly enough, it’s often the bucks that get up and go for a walkabout during the day. They have become so accustomed to moving day or night during the rut that they will wander a bit during daylight hours. Sometimes that movement will place them in front of a bow hunter and sometimes they be too far away for an accurate shot.

This slowdown of deer movements will pick up as the deer become more accustomed to the absence of loud gun shots and more people in the woods. Once they get over their jitters, it can again become time for the bow hunter to be afield.

Some of the largest bucks taken each year are shot during December. I’m looking forward that time of year.—The Whitetail Wizard

Saturday, November 18, 2006

I Sometimes Get Heart-Warming Notes

Claude:

I was sitting in my tree stand enjoying the evening hunt in Barry County next to state land a few weeks ago. It was a perfect evening for hunting; the sky was partly cloudy with a very slight breeze from the northeast.

I soon found myself daydreaming about the events that happened to me last year. On Oct. 18, after work, I was heading to my favorite deer hunting spot when a car crossed the center-line and hit my truck head-on.

I survived the accident but had severe left shoulder pain that caused me great difficulty when trying to shoot my recurve bow. I had been deer hunting for 17 years with a recurve, and the accident did not make it easy for me to shoot with a gimpy shoulder.

I decided it was time to switch to a compound bow or stop bow hunting. A friend shoots a C.P. Oneida bow so I thought I’d check them out. I drove from my home in Hudsonville to Marion on Nov. 19 to visit the Buck Pole Archery Shop.

It was there that I met Claude Pollington, and told him my hard-luck story. He handed me a C.P. Oneida Black Eagle bow with a red-dot sight.

This bow looks somewhat like a recurve with its recurve top and bottom limbs. It certainly shoots an arrow much faster than a recurve.

I had never shot with a red-dot sight or a release so I thought this would be an interesting challenge. Pollington gave me some tips and showed me how to shoot.

The first thing I noticed was how easy and smooth the draw curve was, and when I shot an arrow there was no felt recoil in my arm, hand, shoulder or wrist. I’ve shot other compounds over the years, and this one was smoother shooting than my old recurve.

It took me several arrows and some minor adjustments to my stance and how I drew and anchored for a shot, and I started to shoot some very tight groups.

Pollington kept reminding me to hold my head up, keep both eyes open and always anchor at the same spot each time. Needless to say I walked out the door with a new bow, new 33-mm red-dot sight, new Gator Jaw release, a dozen new Maxima carbon arrows, and best of all, renewed confidence.

And then I quit daydreaming about all that had happened a year before, and realized a buck had slowly approached from behind me and to my right.

It was a nice 10-point. My heart start pumping, doing flip-flops in my chest. The buck slowly worked his way in front of me and when he turned broadside it was time to put my practice and Pollington’s sage advice to the test.

I settled the red-dot sight low behind the front shoulder, and slowly touched the trigger release. The arrow hit right where the red-dot was placed and stopped against the leg bone on the opposite side.

The string from my Game Tracker peeled out of its spool like I had hooked a huge fish. After what seemed like minutes but was actually only a few seconds, the string stopped.

I waited a bit longer to make sure no more string would be taken out. I finally climbed down and began following the string. It went 75 yards before I came to the end of the string where it had broken.

The blood trail from there on was easy to follow, and I soon found the buck 25 yards farther down the deer trail.

I was truly excited. This new bow and sight system makes an awesome combination. 

My old recurve is now collecting dust, all thanks to Claude Pollington and his line of great C.P. Oneida Black Eagle compound bows.

Thanks Claude! —Ross Dalman

The Wizard’s Note: The above is an unsolicited testimonial from a happy hunter. His injuries wouldn’t allow him to shoot a recurve any longer, and I spent time showing him my shooting techniques that have produced for many years.

He found the bow easy to draw, easy to aim with my red-dot sight, and easy to shoot. His injuries have healed, and he scored on a nice 10-pointer this year. It couldn’t have worked out any better. Thanks for the great comments.—The Whitetail Wizard

Friday, November 17, 2006

The Deer Are Moving Late

Hunting pressure has been very light on the ranch during this period of battling a serious cold. The sniffles and everything else that goes with an early-winter cold is still hanging on, but there are some signs that I’m starting to rebound.

Having a cold during any part of deer season is the pits. However, since opening day on Wednesday, the hunting pressure on the deer has been very low. The deer aren’t moving until almost dark, and I suspect that will change once we get some cold weather and a light snow.

If nothing else, the lack of hunting pressure combined with windy and cooler weather, is starting to tighten up the ranch roads. They’ve forecast some rain, but it hasn’t come nor have we got any snow.

With no one driving the ranch roads, the colder night temperatures and wind are helping to dry out the trails and making the ground harder. We’re hoping that another cold night tonight and a bit of wind and cooler temperatures tomorrow will put them back into decent shape.

There is an area with a large number of deer 400 yards behind the house, and watching that clearing gives me a good idea of what is happening elsewhere on the ranch. The last two evenings the deer haven’t moved at all during the late afternoon and early evening, and what deer movement there is comes right near the end of shooting time.

I’ve been sleeping in, and trying to get to feeling better, and haven’t been studying the field behind the house in the morning. I believe that a morning hunt could work quite well. When deer move late, some animals will still be moving at dawn. Being in the right spot at the right time could be very productive.

Some of the bucks are still chasing does, but the rut is nearly over. However, soon some of the younger deer will come into their first estrus, and buck hunting will pick up as antlered deer chase after the young does.

Most of the does have been bred by now, and when the second rut turns on, it will increase the odds slightly of seeing a buck. It’s estimated by some deer biologists that 85 to 90 percent of the adult does are usually bred by now, and the secondary rut will result in most of the younger does getting bred.

This primary and secondary rut will find almost all of the does, both young and old, being bred before early December. A few older bucks will keep their antlers until February and March, and they are capable of breeding until their antlers are shed.

That’s it for tonight. Good luck hunting over the weekend.—The Whitetail Wizard

Thursday, November 16, 2006

No Good News On Deer Hunting

November always features changing weather patterns, and that has been true all month. It was foggy weather yesterday on the firearm deer opener, and it has been very windy today.

The forecast doesn’t look any better until Saturday or Sunday, and by then, it may continue its pattern of windy conditions. I always try to be optimistic but it seems I’ve been a bit pessimistic lately.

The weather conditions are enough to drive a hunter nuts. Just about the time we think things are switching around, the wind shifts to the east, rain falls or snow melts and turns my ranch roads into a gumbo of mud. Dark clouds, the color of soot-stained cotton balls, are racing across the sky in a threatening manner.

My cold is wearing me out, and I’ve sat out a couple of evening hunts. I hate sitting inside, regardless of the weather conditions, but I don’t want this nagging cold to turn into something worse.

I feel somewhat guilty about not going out to hunt, but common sense and my friends who urge me to stay indoors, have convinced me it is the wisest thing to do. I know they are thinking of me, and that is important to all of us.

This cold is dragging me down, and nothing good will come of it if I get sicker. So, if you will excuse me, I think I’ll toddle off to bed like a good boy. It seems the sensible thing to do.

Stop by again tomorrow night, and maybe I’ll be on the mend. Hunt safely.—The Whitetail Wizard