Can everyone here me in the back....yes. Okay. Well we aren't running full out video equipment this season but equipment checks are vital to your operation. Your hunting gear has to be up to par and then some. If it isn't then your wall could remain spacious and your freezer empty. Your wife might be happy about the wall but lack of fresh venison for your grill hurt your feelings more. Whether you are hunting with a bow or gun, you have to take care of them.
Guns are probably the lesser of two evils. Most folks wait until those famous turkey shoots in late November to put couple of punches on paper and call it good for the season. I did this one year, boy was I sorry. It was the last day of rifle season in western Pennsylvania. A colleague from work had allowed me to hunt his 80 acre plot just north of Pittsburgh. To my first dismay, my tree stand had been stolen which was very disheartening in follow hunters of the area. That's just wrong, I there just a few days prior with an awesome setup by the way. There was a small drainage creek from the corn fields just inside the wood line. Judging by the signs around and my previous experiences in the stand, it was a super highway for deer.
So going to my second best option since my seat in the tree was gone, I pulled out my trusty five gallon bucket and sat near a tree. An hour after sun up, here comes Joe Smoe, tramping through the woods...really dude. We traded stories from earlier in the season and planned to drive the woods toward me. Well that was certainly nice of him, as he disappeared into the snowy morning. Snowing...oh yes, it got even worse as the day went on. After a few hours, I decided to get up and stretch my legs. Using a deer trail, I followed down into the ravine. It wasn't long before I came across a nice 6 point buck. At least that's how many points were countable in the blizzard at this point.
The woods were thick, the snow was falling and the buck presented one shot just behind his neck. At less than 25 yards, the 3006 let out a roar. The deer ran away....the hunter stood there in more dismay. What happened, at that distance, the deer would have to be Houdini to dodge that bullet. Well, it was later evident that my scope mount rings had come loose. Think about how you treat your gun... Take out from a nice cozy lodge or car ride to your destination, than expose it to the elements. In my case a 40 degree difference. Repeat this for a week or so while at hunting camp.
It only took millimeters to miss that buck on my scope mount. A simple check of those little bolts during my sighting in would have done the trick. I took it step further to prevent this from happening again, some blue thread lock. Let's look at it another way though, what if you were traveling to Colorado. Did you pack a small tool kit to make such adjustments....you should. Also a laser bore sighter can save you time. After you sight in for the season, put your bore sighter in, and not where in your scope the dot appears. If it changes from your travels, then you need to correct it. And if it still in the same spot...go hunting.
Your weapon of choice is just one piece of the pie though, Your binoculars, range finder, knives (and sharper), and the list goes on. In fact, make a list to check through each piece of equipment, and take spare parts and tools to fix things on the fly. If I had known my scope was loose in the field, a piece of duck tape could have even solved the problem. Better to have than to have not. The more options you have then the more opportunities to succeed.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Thursday, July 25, 2013
No Longer Boy Scouting
50 some odd days away from the first hunting season and I can't contain my excitement. Fishing season is merely a way to pass time for my true passion. At one time though, fishing was everything to me. You couldn't pull me off the shoreline or the dock on the Chesapeake Bay. I even warranted the nickname "Caveman Kurt", being I could catch fish with anything I laid my hands on. That nickname just popped up after 20 or so years yesterday. A colleague new to the hunting season was discussing potential outing's to enjoy the outdoors and a way to do a team building exercises. It wasn't long before he realized I can make anything happen outdoors. The Caveman is back!!
I have several hunting trips lined up starting in September and lingering until the chilly month of January. From several spots in Pennsylvania (east and west), Maryland, Colorado, and potentially Arkansas or Kentucky (waiting to see which pans out). Tennessee was a potential candidate for a few weeks but it seems a future employer didn't find me as a real catch...their loss. Although Nashville would have been sweet. Anyway, with 50 days until the first arrow being drawn (legally), there is lots of work to be done. Finding a compound bow, scouting and more scouting, lining up babysitters, and potentially buying a long range rifle. Did I mention scouting...because that's the big one and most important.
Scouting, for hunting that is, not the organization of young boys, is the most important aspect of your hunting skills. It can tell you the story of an animals movement, habits, and sexual partners...okay maybe not the last one. The rut though does some crazy things to deer so you never know. Hunting an area because it looks promising is like wagering on a lottery ticket. You have the opportunity to beat the house odds here, but it means doing your homework. First thing, that little thing called the Internet, not the one Al Gore said he invented, pull up google earth and print off some topo photos of your area. Step two, laminate them, yes take the extra time to ensure they survive the season.
Next, hit the hunting grounds, but don't just run in guns blazing. Deer can remember you and your scent for quite a long time. You have to hone in your ninja like skills, perform your scent controls, and bring a few necessary items. Here is a good starting list:
Parking your vehicle at the lodge or far away from your hunting area. Then start walking. Take notes along the way, if you were truly hunting, how would I access an area so the deer don't hear or see me. Don't rush either, you are recording all animal signs along the way, tracks, feeding locations, trails, areas of cover (for you or the deer). Did I mention, you should do this during mid day hours. Yes, you certainly don't want to come eye to eye with a buck that is on his way to his bed or buffet line. You may get a kick out of seeing that big buck, but take a mental picture, because he will disappear like David Copperfield. Mature bucks are smarter than most humans, so if you edge up on a deer, kneel down (aka hide) or back out.
You brought a range finder and maybe even some bi-nocs. Use them and glass from afar. During morning and evening hours, bust out your spotting scope and watch the feeding areas. You want to understand the big picture, not just your little niche where your stand hangs. Back to your scouting at hand, take notice to those deer signs, like I said, really take notice. Identify the feeding areas and where they bed down. They are going to travel from A to B and back to A. So tracks and pathways should be your first focus. They check for buck signs...yup, scrapes, rubs, licking branches, and larger tracks in the dirt and mud. If you can't tell the difference in tracks then spend some time on google.
As you dwindle down areas to hunt, you have to think about how you actually get a shot or hang your stand, You don't always have to hang a stand in make a shot on an animal. If you have other means of cover than use it. Calculate your wind direction too. Put in your notes, this stand can only be hunted on a Southerly wind. The wind will also dictate how you access your hunting location, if they smell before you even get to your stand than you may have an uneventful sit. Once you think you have an absolute honey hole you have to prepare your hunting location. Do you need to clear pathways to ensure a quiet arrival to your spot, cut down any branches that could hinder your options or cause you a missed shot. Be anal during this time, I missed a huge eight point, because I never cleared a sapling in front me. My arrow was almost in arms reach from me when it stuck into the tree, and I swear it was mocking me until I cut the tree down to remove it.
I can't stress it enough, make sure your shooting lanes are open. It may require you to get up and down from your stand several times until you get it right. One branch can mean a wall hanger, or an empty freezer. So you found a hunting spot, great. Now keep scouting the area, find more options, because your about to play chess with brilliant animals. Only having one play in your book isn't going to cut it here. Work your way all around the area, you have to be able to know where these deer eat, sleep, poop, and their afternoon hobbies. Hang up some trail cameras along those trails or areas of congregation. We are all busy these days, let the camera do some work for you when you aren't there. With some many tools at your disposal these days, it would be stupid not to use them. The deer signs you found may only be from a small buck and not the big guy.
Hopefully I helped you out by giving some tips and best practices. Scout hard, so you aren't guessing or scratching lottery tickets from your stand location. You want to have informed decisions when hunting and be able to say it just wasn't luck. Chili dogs at 5am are never a good idea either, just saying.
I have several hunting trips lined up starting in September and lingering until the chilly month of January. From several spots in Pennsylvania (east and west), Maryland, Colorado, and potentially Arkansas or Kentucky (waiting to see which pans out). Tennessee was a potential candidate for a few weeks but it seems a future employer didn't find me as a real catch...their loss. Although Nashville would have been sweet. Anyway, with 50 days until the first arrow being drawn (legally), there is lots of work to be done. Finding a compound bow, scouting and more scouting, lining up babysitters, and potentially buying a long range rifle. Did I mention scouting...because that's the big one and most important.
Scouting, for hunting that is, not the organization of young boys, is the most important aspect of your hunting skills. It can tell you the story of an animals movement, habits, and sexual partners...okay maybe not the last one. The rut though does some crazy things to deer so you never know. Hunting an area because it looks promising is like wagering on a lottery ticket. You have the opportunity to beat the house odds here, but it means doing your homework. First thing, that little thing called the Internet, not the one Al Gore said he invented, pull up google earth and print off some topo photos of your area. Step two, laminate them, yes take the extra time to ensure they survive the season.
Next, hit the hunting grounds, but don't just run in guns blazing. Deer can remember you and your scent for quite a long time. You have to hone in your ninja like skills, perform your scent controls, and bring a few necessary items. Here is a good starting list:
- Your topo maps, a writing device and note pad (write in the books would be a great choice)
- Scent control, rubber boats, clothes treated with carbon or other chemicals, camo of course
- A range finder, brush/tree saw, trail markers, and gloves (you have real work to do)
- Of course your daily bread and drinks to stay energized and hydrated
- A fanny pack or small backpack to carry your gear as well
Parking your vehicle at the lodge or far away from your hunting area. Then start walking. Take notes along the way, if you were truly hunting, how would I access an area so the deer don't hear or see me. Don't rush either, you are recording all animal signs along the way, tracks, feeding locations, trails, areas of cover (for you or the deer). Did I mention, you should do this during mid day hours. Yes, you certainly don't want to come eye to eye with a buck that is on his way to his bed or buffet line. You may get a kick out of seeing that big buck, but take a mental picture, because he will disappear like David Copperfield. Mature bucks are smarter than most humans, so if you edge up on a deer, kneel down (aka hide) or back out.
You brought a range finder and maybe even some bi-nocs. Use them and glass from afar. During morning and evening hours, bust out your spotting scope and watch the feeding areas. You want to understand the big picture, not just your little niche where your stand hangs. Back to your scouting at hand, take notice to those deer signs, like I said, really take notice. Identify the feeding areas and where they bed down. They are going to travel from A to B and back to A. So tracks and pathways should be your first focus. They check for buck signs...yup, scrapes, rubs, licking branches, and larger tracks in the dirt and mud. If you can't tell the difference in tracks then spend some time on google.
As you dwindle down areas to hunt, you have to think about how you actually get a shot or hang your stand, You don't always have to hang a stand in make a shot on an animal. If you have other means of cover than use it. Calculate your wind direction too. Put in your notes, this stand can only be hunted on a Southerly wind. The wind will also dictate how you access your hunting location, if they smell before you even get to your stand than you may have an uneventful sit. Once you think you have an absolute honey hole you have to prepare your hunting location. Do you need to clear pathways to ensure a quiet arrival to your spot, cut down any branches that could hinder your options or cause you a missed shot. Be anal during this time, I missed a huge eight point, because I never cleared a sapling in front me. My arrow was almost in arms reach from me when it stuck into the tree, and I swear it was mocking me until I cut the tree down to remove it.
I can't stress it enough, make sure your shooting lanes are open. It may require you to get up and down from your stand several times until you get it right. One branch can mean a wall hanger, or an empty freezer. So you found a hunting spot, great. Now keep scouting the area, find more options, because your about to play chess with brilliant animals. Only having one play in your book isn't going to cut it here. Work your way all around the area, you have to be able to know where these deer eat, sleep, poop, and their afternoon hobbies. Hang up some trail cameras along those trails or areas of congregation. We are all busy these days, let the camera do some work for you when you aren't there. With some many tools at your disposal these days, it would be stupid not to use them. The deer signs you found may only be from a small buck and not the big guy.
Hopefully I helped you out by giving some tips and best practices. Scout hard, so you aren't guessing or scratching lottery tickets from your stand location. You want to have informed decisions when hunting and be able to say it just wasn't luck. Chili dogs at 5am are never a good idea either, just saying.
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