Well another week has passed which brings my Sika deer hunt closer to reality. The summer has really shown some hot and humid weather like last year, which hopefully it doesn't carry into the fall. A cool and crisp fall would be quite the treat to have deer up and moving during the day instead of gallivanting in the week hours of the night while hunters sleep restlessly. It would be disheartening to see another abnormally hot fall, which in turn pushes rut activity into late night hours.
With my Sika deer hunt days away and providing a great kickoff to my 2012 season, I found myself having to go solo again. Granted I have spent a majority of my hunts alone and on my own adventure schedule, but it takes away from the collaboration with a hunting buddy. An extra set of eyes, a second decision making process to keep your mind at ease, and that doubling of your chances to harvest an animal (not to mention the mitigation of the safety risk of hunting alone). That all goes away when you are hunting solo and making your adventure that much harder. The weather will play out as mother nature desires, animals will move as they feel, leaving the only thing at this point you can count on, your equipment.
So the equipment list has been drafted and reviewed like a letter to Santa at Christmas. The things you have, items still to buy, and the really nice stocking stuffers you wish to have before hitting the woods. Have you ever hit the woods though to find out your headlamp battery is dead, which makes for a long and noisy walk to your hunting spot. What if it was a more vital piece of equipment like you rangefinder making you shooting distances best guess vs being spot on. These situations can lead to a miss, a fall in the dark, or even failing to harvest that animal. So we make checklists when preparing our equipment and supplies, first to ensure have everything we need or may want to take for those in case situations. Then you strap, stuff, and hang as much equipment on your person prior to marching into the woods. STOP...take a few minutes, turn on items with batteries, check levels and replace as necessary. This is your last chance before climbing into that hunting spot having the tools available to make your hunt complete.
I spent a day or two gathering equipment for each hunt, especially when the hunt conditions are different like traveling via boat to your hunting spot vs a short walk from your truck. You can't just say, its alright I have more in the truck at this point, when you are 5 miles away deep in the marsh. Carry extra clothes, socks, drinks, and more are so very important when distance hunting. This doesn't even cover the various items you need when traveling via boat. That dry you thought you may have had on the way in turned into a morning shower. I know I wouldn't want to have to sit for a few hours in a stand if I was soaking wet. All conditions you may encounter during your hunt have to be considered early on and the preparation for potential is ready for anything.
Don't let yourself down by failing to check your equipment and have a response plan ready. So before you lay your head down for the night, turn over, pick up your alarm clock and double check that battery. Nothing is worse than showing up to hunting spot late and watching the tail of the big one wave away in the other direction.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Another Year Older and Getting In Shape
Well I was able to download the second round of trail cam pictures from my local hunting spots. It provides that wonder to help pass time and puzzle the mind. Will I be able to shoot one of these deer this year, are they following the feeding patterns of the moon, and what will be on next weeks trail camera. It's the good ending to film that keeps that wonder in your mind to look forward to more. The usual players were on the prowl and a few newbies. There was a certainly one notable newbie that grabbed my attention.
I had to look back to the buck I shot last year to figure out this riddle. There was only one picture from this round of photos that captured an upcoming buck. It presented the same characteristics of the buck I shot last year, wide forked antlers with barely noticeable brow ties. His body size was certainly that of an old mature buck, thick necked, sagging belly, and grey faced. I compared the new buck to that of photos from last year, the I had was blurry, and this new buck was far in the background. His wide forked antlers sitting high and brow ties to blurry to see. The picture below shows the new buck in the background.
It was shear luck though that first picture I opened from 10/22/11 was the buck. A small five pointer with on brow tie on his right antler. This year though, the buck had grown leaps and bounds. I was amazed at the growth spert. It was undoubtly a match and presented a trend of gene pool simularities from my buck. Could the mature buck I shot last year be the father of this buck....I would venture to say yes. I could only see the trend though from the recent picture, showing those wide forked antlers and absence of stout brow ties. You can see last years picture of this 5 pointer below.
It had occurred to me though, that the antler growth from last year was in further development than the same time this year. Was the harsh summer of extreme heat and dry conditions to blame? Again, it will be wonder left in my mind to think about these aspects of the hunt. The month of August here has felt like an eternity, it has finally showed signs of the hot weather giving up. Last year it pushed all the way into early winter, causing the bucks to only show rut activity at night.
So this little 5 pointer from last year had managed to break off on his antlers in early December and he still managed to eat well and grow a health mass this year. Another year older meant so much more to him, walking in the foot steps of his father. Its now my turn to take some time to get in shape and walking tall like this 5 pointer. I traded in my couch for a tredmill and set goals to blow the dust off these bones. Catching my breath due to an exciting shot is enjoyable, doing it after climbing my treestand is a shame. With full gambit of hunts on the schedule, I can't afford to be caught catching my breath for being out of shape. A healthy hunter is on that stays in shape.
I had to look back to the buck I shot last year to figure out this riddle. There was only one picture from this round of photos that captured an upcoming buck. It presented the same characteristics of the buck I shot last year, wide forked antlers with barely noticeable brow ties. His body size was certainly that of an old mature buck, thick necked, sagging belly, and grey faced. I compared the new buck to that of photos from last year, the I had was blurry, and this new buck was far in the background. His wide forked antlers sitting high and brow ties to blurry to see. The picture below shows the new buck in the background.
It was shear luck though that first picture I opened from 10/22/11 was the buck. A small five pointer with on brow tie on his right antler. This year though, the buck had grown leaps and bounds. I was amazed at the growth spert. It was undoubtly a match and presented a trend of gene pool simularities from my buck. Could the mature buck I shot last year be the father of this buck....I would venture to say yes. I could only see the trend though from the recent picture, showing those wide forked antlers and absence of stout brow ties. You can see last years picture of this 5 pointer below.
It had occurred to me though, that the antler growth from last year was in further development than the same time this year. Was the harsh summer of extreme heat and dry conditions to blame? Again, it will be wonder left in my mind to think about these aspects of the hunt. The month of August here has felt like an eternity, it has finally showed signs of the hot weather giving up. Last year it pushed all the way into early winter, causing the bucks to only show rut activity at night.
So this little 5 pointer from last year had managed to break off on his antlers in early December and he still managed to eat well and grow a health mass this year. Another year older meant so much more to him, walking in the foot steps of his father. Its now my turn to take some time to get in shape and walking tall like this 5 pointer. I traded in my couch for a tredmill and set goals to blow the dust off these bones. Catching my breath due to an exciting shot is enjoyable, doing it after climbing my treestand is a shame. With full gambit of hunts on the schedule, I can't afford to be caught catching my breath for being out of shape. A healthy hunter is on that stays in shape.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Pre-season and Scheduling
As hunting season gets closer, planning and scouting are keys to keeping your mind off that big buck standing in front of your trail camera already. Without good planning and solid scouting though, that big buck could be sitting in front of your trail camera next year too. Just like taking a test that you want a good grade on, it pays to do your home work.
So as the summer months slip by, which feels like an eternity, it provides time to plan out the fall hunting trips. First on the stop on the Merky Water Adventures will be a Sika deer hunt in Maryland. This was a hunt that we did last year and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. One thing we didn't like was the high hunting pressure of the area we selected. With that being said, I have plotted a course for a new area, Ellis Bay WMU. Its a bit further south but provides just as much area as the Fishing Creek WMU near Cambridge, MD. We had gone into that hunt last as blind as a pirate with pink eye. So this year, we have studied aerial photos, called local wildlife management offices, and planned an early scouting/hunting trip in September.
The goal here to locate a good hunting area that provides the conditions for steady sika deer population and less hunting pressure. We felt like bumper boats last year trying to the prime hunting spots. If it works out, we will be able to add another hunting area to our armory. We even went low budget and booked a campsite at near by campground. The conditons will most likely be hot, as it falls into the first week of September and mosquitoes will be trying to hunt us down like a prom date. So the thermacells are packed and light camo is a must.
I feel like the hunting season is going to be a blur as almost every weekend is dog earred for a different hunt or area already. So the following week is the soft opening for the PA bow season and my 31st birthday. So it will be slick head hunting at my local spot and birthday cake for me. A little fresh backstrap wrapped in bacon would be a great present for the party.
Once more trail camera pictures come in it will dictate staying local or heading to western PA for antlers. I plan on taking a week of vacation once the rut gets on heavy and spending some time with my uncle and cousins. Then its back to Maryland for a second Sika deer hunt with my co-worker Josh. At this point I will be a 1000 miles on the odometer and climbing. In addition to driving miles, I have found an opportunity to hunt Colorado for elk and mule deer with my friend Jeff and will be putting my feet in the air. This isn't even up to halloween yet either. Pencil your calendars early on and stick to your goals for the season.
So as part of my planning process: area scouting, equipment review, and personal training are on the front burner. I will discuss these in my next post. Until then, make that big buck dream a reality and do your homework folks.
So as the summer months slip by, which feels like an eternity, it provides time to plan out the fall hunting trips. First on the stop on the Merky Water Adventures will be a Sika deer hunt in Maryland. This was a hunt that we did last year and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. One thing we didn't like was the high hunting pressure of the area we selected. With that being said, I have plotted a course for a new area, Ellis Bay WMU. Its a bit further south but provides just as much area as the Fishing Creek WMU near Cambridge, MD. We had gone into that hunt last as blind as a pirate with pink eye. So this year, we have studied aerial photos, called local wildlife management offices, and planned an early scouting/hunting trip in September.
The goal here to locate a good hunting area that provides the conditions for steady sika deer population and less hunting pressure. We felt like bumper boats last year trying to the prime hunting spots. If it works out, we will be able to add another hunting area to our armory. We even went low budget and booked a campsite at near by campground. The conditons will most likely be hot, as it falls into the first week of September and mosquitoes will be trying to hunt us down like a prom date. So the thermacells are packed and light camo is a must.
I feel like the hunting season is going to be a blur as almost every weekend is dog earred for a different hunt or area already. So the following week is the soft opening for the PA bow season and my 31st birthday. So it will be slick head hunting at my local spot and birthday cake for me. A little fresh backstrap wrapped in bacon would be a great present for the party.
Once more trail camera pictures come in it will dictate staying local or heading to western PA for antlers. I plan on taking a week of vacation once the rut gets on heavy and spending some time with my uncle and cousins. Then its back to Maryland for a second Sika deer hunt with my co-worker Josh. At this point I will be a 1000 miles on the odometer and climbing. In addition to driving miles, I have found an opportunity to hunt Colorado for elk and mule deer with my friend Jeff and will be putting my feet in the air. This isn't even up to halloween yet either. Pencil your calendars early on and stick to your goals for the season.
So as part of my planning process: area scouting, equipment review, and personal training are on the front burner. I will discuss these in my next post. Until then, make that big buck dream a reality and do your homework folks.
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