Hunting Sense

Taking big bucks is as much about chance as it is about doing your homework. Even though lady luck has to be on your side, there are a few things you can do to help her out. Below is a list of ten tips and tactics that will help you increase your odds at taking home a monster buck the next time you go to the woods.

1. Know your hunting area. Know the feeding areas, the bedding areas, the trails between the two, where the deer go when hunting pressure increases. Study topographical maps and aerial photos to help locate intercept points at funnels created by topography, vegetation, and edges such as fencerows, clearcuts, field edges, creeks, sloughs, and lakes.

2. Go deep. Most hunters go less than a half mile from where they park and the deer know it. Go to those hard to reach spots where you have to put in some hiking to get to. As a friend of mine use to say, where the road ends, big bucks begin. This is where you’ll more often find those elusive bucks.

3. Be aware of the weather. Make the wind work for you, adjusting your strategy according to it. Also take advantage of any changes in the weather. If there is a low pressure system moving in the deer will be moving more, increasing your chances.

4. Go early and stay late. Get to your position well before sunrise, stay all day, and don’t leave till after the sun sets. Dawn and dusk are excellent times to see deer moving to and from bedding and feeding areas, but many deer have been taken between 11 and 3. Stick it out when others go in for lunch and you just may be showing off your buck to them before they go back out for the evening.

5. Dress appropriately. Dress in layers so that you can adjust to varying weather conditions like colder temperatures or rain. Being overdressed or underdressed with no way to compensate for comfort can ruin the hunt. The more comfortable you are, the longer you can stay, the better prepared you’ll be for a shot, and the better your chance of not going home early empty handed.

6. Make yourself comfortable. When you decide on a stand or a seat, make sure it’s comfortable enough to spend long periods on. If you have to keep standing or moving because you’re uncomfortable or sore, the likelihood of spooking a deer increases. So short of taking the lazy boy with you, make sure you are comfortable even if it adds a little more weight to carry in.

7. Choose your stand or blind location wisely. Whether you’re hunting from a tree or from the ground, location is key. Don’t set up too close to a well used trail where the deer are likely to see you. If there aren’t enough shooting lanes, clear some, taking care to avoid trimming so much that the deer will notice it and avoid the area.

8. Rattle and use calls. Don’t be afraid to try rattling to draw in a buck. During the rut a mature buck will respond to other deer fighting for the rights to his territory. Don’t give up if it doesn’t work immediately, it takes time. Also, deer are very vocal, so using different calls from fawn bleats to buck grunts can help in bringing in a buck or stopping him long enough to get a shot.

9. Let smaller bucks walk. Passing by on a decent buck standing broadside to you is hard to do, but necessary if you want to wait for the big one. Decide what it is you are after and don’t settle for less, no matter how nice they may be.

10. Take your time. No matter how big the rack is and how bad you want to get a shot, don’t rush yourself. Take the time to steady yourself and concentrate on shot placement. If you rush not only is there the chance of missing, but there is the very likely possibility that you’ll only injure the deer and lose him. If it is the buck of a lifetime, make sure to take the time to deliver the shot of a lifetime, he deserves it.

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This article about an Idaho hunter becoming lost in the woods made me think about how easily that can happen.

Many of us are confident about our skills in the woods and forests and don’t consider the possibility of getting lost.  When the area is one we frequent, this is even more likely to be the case.  Exploring a new hunting spot is where becoming lost is most likely to occur, but it’s something that can happen no matter where you are.

With this in mind, here is a list of things you should do to help keep yourself from becoming lost in the woods or if you do, to help you come out alive.

1. Tell someone where you’ll be and when you’ll be back.  Letting someone know where you’ll be and approximately when you’ll be back should be a given.  Even if you don’t become lost, the possibility of being injured and needing help is always a real one.
2. Whenever possible, hunt with a partner.  Hunting with a friend  improves the chances of help being close by when you need it.  It also never hurts to have someone along to help with the dragging if you get lucky either.
3. Watch the weather and be prepared for sudden changes.  The woods can become a different place when the weather changes.  A sudden snow storm can turn familiar surroundings into an unfamiliar landscape in a matter of hours.  Keep up to date on weather conditions so you can plan to leave early if you need to.
4. Mark your trail.  Marking your trail in and out so it is easily visible is a simple way to never get lost.  There are many products to do so with and are both inexpensive and take up very little room in your pack.
5. Carry a compass or GPS unit.  Carrying a compass and knowing how to use it are something every outdoorsman should know how to do.  If a compass isn’t your thing, GPS units have gotten smaller, simpler to use, and more reasonably priced.  They are potential lifesaves and can also be used to mark promising spots to revisit and hunt as well.
6. Get a map.  Maps are an essential tool for any hunter.  Topographical maps are great for hunting purposes, but if they focus on too small an area they may not be good if you happen to get lost.  Most states now offer an atlas of topographical maps that cover most of their areas.  If one of these isn’t available, a standard road map of the state will at least allow you to find the distance to the nearest roads and whether to sit still and wait for help or try to get out on your own.
7. Be prepared in case you do get lost.  A few survival items carried in your pack can be the difference of survival and death if you do get lost.  A thermal survival blanket, emergency whistle, waterproof matches, and energy bars are a good start to include.  Depending on the amount of room in your pack, there are additional items that can make being stuck in the wild more comfortable.

These are seven basic things you can do to keep from getting lost in the woods, or at least survive if you do get turned around and have to spend the night.  Always try to remember them and maybe you won’t end up like the hunter in the article linked above.

If you have any other suggestions, feel free to share them with everyone by leaving a comment.

Cliff

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