Lets share our "not so obvious" bowhunting tips.
08-16-2010, 06:18 AM
#41
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Denham Springs, La.
Posts: 356
Always make sure you practice in full gear before the season. Make a mock hunting setup at your house. Fully dress out as if your in your stand. I can go on forever about this one with certain facemask and collars throwing off shots or altering your form.
08-16-2010, 10:49 AM
#42
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 242
When it gets to the point when you have that deer coming into bow range, as a beginner, you will get excited and want to get an arrow off as soon as you can. I'm a young hunter and had this happen to me, just as most beginners do. The first buck I took, I remember looking through my peep hole right past the sights and just staring at this deer in awe. I was able to concentrate enough to take a shot and made a marginal hit. From that point on, I treat each and every deer approaching as if I'm going to take a shot. And when it is a potential shooter, I am looking at the shoulder as much as possible. That first experience with a large buck has put enough fear into me that I won't be found in that situation of total loss of control again. I practice this routine when target practicing as well. It makes the moment of truth a little easier to handle than when I was first faced with that opporutinity. I felt like Jessica Simpson had flashed me and I had no control of what was about to happen 
08-16-2010, 07:30 PM
#43
Typical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Virginia
Posts: 753
Thanks, everyone. I think there is some good advice on here. I learned a couple of things. I think my suggestions are fairly obvious, but I think some people overlook them, especially newbies.
1) When you scout where you're going to hunt: As other people have said: hunt the wind...when you can. I do it whenever possible, but I mainly hunt in the mountains, so winds can and do often change during the day or swirl, especially in saddles, which can be great places to hunt. So it's good to take precautions. I am fanatic about keeping myself and my hunting clothes and equipment scent-free. I don't use carbon-activated scent-blocker camo, but...
I wash everything in UV-free and scent-free laundry detergent. And, before I wash my actual hunting clothes in the washer, which still has perfumed residue from the regular detergent, I wash the clothes I wear in the car or in the cabin on hunting day with scent-free and UV-free detergent to wash out the residue and reduce the amount of perfumed scent that rubs off on my body before I put on my hunting clothes. I wash myself in scent-free soap and use scent-free deodorant. I use Scent Killer and it works really well, I've had deer (very wild deer at that) walk right under my tree and the downwind from me the same path I walked in on, but they didn't scent me because I used Scent Kilelr spray lavishly on each laye rof cothing I put on, as well as my equipment and my gloves before I walked to my stand, all over myself and my equipment after I set up and sprayed it over my walk-in trail for 20 yards from the stand and beneath my stand.
That said, try to pick multiple stand locations for multiple wind directions so you can be ready no matter which way the wind blows. I see LOTS of deer, relative to other people wiht much more hunting experience who hunt the same area I hunt, and, as far as I know, I have only been scented once in the past 3 seasons I have hunted, using this approach (Note that I don't claim to know about all of the deer who got near my stand, but, as far as I know...)
2) Pick out specific trees/blind locations when you scout in pre-season (and in-season), look up at the tree/blind location from where you think deer will most likely give you a shot at them (i.e., along the main trail, etc.). Look at it from about their height and the height of their vital area, so you can see things from their angle. This will help you (a) see if you will be silouetted or other give-aways you might not otherwise notice and (b) so you can see any stray branches that might interfere with your shot and either cut them away before the day of the hunt (so you don't make a bunch of noise and spread your scent any further than you have to doing it the day of the hunt ) or be aware of the non-obvious branches you can't cut away, so they don't ruin your shot. This approach also will make you more aware of your most potentially productive shooting lanes and may make you change your mind about stand locations. Once you've found a site, mark it with a reflective pin or similar reflective material so you can find it in the dark.
3) I always wear a facemask. I think it breaks up my human profile and keeps bugs off.
4) When a deer comes into range, I usually squint, as I think that makes my eyes less noticable, especially if I move them to keep track of multiple deer. I also think it makes any necessary head movement less obvious than having two big white balls moving around.
1) When you scout where you're going to hunt: As other people have said: hunt the wind...when you can. I do it whenever possible, but I mainly hunt in the mountains, so winds can and do often change during the day or swirl, especially in saddles, which can be great places to hunt. So it's good to take precautions. I am fanatic about keeping myself and my hunting clothes and equipment scent-free. I don't use carbon-activated scent-blocker camo, but...
I wash everything in UV-free and scent-free laundry detergent. And, before I wash my actual hunting clothes in the washer, which still has perfumed residue from the regular detergent, I wash the clothes I wear in the car or in the cabin on hunting day with scent-free and UV-free detergent to wash out the residue and reduce the amount of perfumed scent that rubs off on my body before I put on my hunting clothes. I wash myself in scent-free soap and use scent-free deodorant. I use Scent Killer and it works really well, I've had deer (very wild deer at that) walk right under my tree and the downwind from me the same path I walked in on, but they didn't scent me because I used Scent Kilelr spray lavishly on each laye rof cothing I put on, as well as my equipment and my gloves before I walked to my stand, all over myself and my equipment after I set up and sprayed it over my walk-in trail for 20 yards from the stand and beneath my stand.
That said, try to pick multiple stand locations for multiple wind directions so you can be ready no matter which way the wind blows. I see LOTS of deer, relative to other people wiht much more hunting experience who hunt the same area I hunt, and, as far as I know, I have only been scented once in the past 3 seasons I have hunted, using this approach (Note that I don't claim to know about all of the deer who got near my stand, but, as far as I know...)
2) Pick out specific trees/blind locations when you scout in pre-season (and in-season), look up at the tree/blind location from where you think deer will most likely give you a shot at them (i.e., along the main trail, etc.). Look at it from about their height and the height of their vital area, so you can see things from their angle. This will help you (a) see if you will be silouetted or other give-aways you might not otherwise notice and (b) so you can see any stray branches that might interfere with your shot and either cut them away before the day of the hunt (so you don't make a bunch of noise and spread your scent any further than you have to doing it the day of the hunt ) or be aware of the non-obvious branches you can't cut away, so they don't ruin your shot. This approach also will make you more aware of your most potentially productive shooting lanes and may make you change your mind about stand locations. Once you've found a site, mark it with a reflective pin or similar reflective material so you can find it in the dark.
3) I always wear a facemask. I think it breaks up my human profile and keeps bugs off.
4) When a deer comes into range, I usually squint, as I think that makes my eyes less noticable, especially if I move them to keep track of multiple deer. I also think it makes any necessary head movement less obvious than having two big white balls moving around.
08-16-2010, 07:38 PM
#44
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: MN
Posts: 1,260
1. You see or hear a deer coming always have your bow ready with your release. Better to be ready then caught with your pants around your ankles.
2. Never ever look a 170 in the eye. Your body will lose control and u will pee yourself!
2. Never ever look a 170 in the eye. Your body will lose control and u will pee yourself!
08-17-2010, 04:07 AM
#47
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Pensacola Florida
Posts: 326
08-17-2010, 06:45 AM
#48
Fork Horn
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: At the bar
Posts: 192
heres something i picked up from someone. i hunt near a lot of apple trees during bow season. i was thinking of a good snack to bring with me on long sits without putting odd scents into the air. apples! i dont know why i had never thought of it before.
08-17-2010, 07:40 AM
#49
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: central and east texas
Posts: 4,894
biggest buck i'd ever seen,
i dropped my range finder,
it hit damn near every step on the way down, louder than all get out in this very quiet patch i am hunting,
i put my bow in the hanger,
climb down to retrieve it and turn around,
well lets just say he could run like the wind blows, looked like he was doing the hurtles over the thicket..
anyway, i think what ever makes em curious.
sometimes while runnin the chainsaw, i'll look up or turn around, and there are deer within 40 yards of me, and my buddy will vouch for me. I haven't taken a chainsaw in on openin day....yet!!
i dropped my range finder,
it hit damn near every step on the way down, louder than all get out in this very quiet patch i am hunting,
i put my bow in the hanger,
climb down to retrieve it and turn around,
well lets just say he could run like the wind blows, looked like he was doing the hurtles over the thicket..
anyway, i think what ever makes em curious.
sometimes while runnin the chainsaw, i'll look up or turn around, and there are deer within 40 yards of me, and my buddy will vouch for me. I haven't taken a chainsaw in on openin day....yet!!
08-17-2010, 08:37 AM
#50
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Horseheads NY
Posts: 1,138
biggest buck i'd ever seen,
i dropped my range finder,
it hit damn near every step on the way down, louder than all get out in this very quiet patch i am hunting,
i put my bow in the hanger,
climb down to retrieve it and turn around,
well lets just say he could run like the wind blows, looked like he was doing the hurtles over the thicket..
anyway, i think what ever makes em curious.
sometimes while runnin the chainsaw, i'll look up or turn around, and there are deer within 40 yards of me, and my buddy will vouch for me. I haven't taken a chainsaw in on openin day....yet!!
i dropped my range finder,
it hit damn near every step on the way down, louder than all get out in this very quiet patch i am hunting,
i put my bow in the hanger,
climb down to retrieve it and turn around,
well lets just say he could run like the wind blows, looked like he was doing the hurtles over the thicket..
anyway, i think what ever makes em curious.
sometimes while runnin the chainsaw, i'll look up or turn around, and there are deer within 40 yards of me, and my buddy will vouch for me. I haven't taken a chainsaw in on openin day....yet!!