A late would have to ensue in order to have a work free Friday for the first day of Maryland Deer season. Now if I could just ignore those emails on my phone and stay focused on the hunt. Easier said than of course, but simply turning that little sucker off can solve the problem quickly. This trip will take me south of Philadelphia, over the Mason-Dixon line, past Lord Baltimore and turning to the west. The landscape changes abruptly from the concrete jungles into quaint farm lands and sprawling patches of forests.
The destination is Patuxent River State Park, which provides ~3000 acres of huntable land. As most of the land is heavily wooded, its surrounded by agricultural fields of beans and corn by local farmers. As food isn't an issue, will it keep them out in the open with little to no pressure thus far? As this is the first time hunting this early and a new area, the immense workload was piling up fast. Arriving at the local WalMart to obtain my tags and few necessities for the trip the hunt was about to begin.
The first course of action was to scout the area. My co-worker would be joining me the next day and was already familiar with the area. My task was to pin point some deer activity and get in close. The plan for tomorrow was to sit on a pond about mile into the woods. As the heat is still lingering from summer, we figured water would be a deer's best friend right now. Although I would learn that the Patuxent River was decent in size, and the maps gave it little credit. The hunting area runs in a west to east orientation. Approximately 10 miles long and in some spots only a few hundred feet wide.
With the truck in park, my gear quickly assembled and my boots were on the trail. Heavy vegetation was expected as we are merely a couple days into September. So choosing an area with a small opening or a heavily traveled corridor was on watch list.
The first leg of scouting didn't turn up very much. One or two good areas to sit with some decent vantage points were identified. To my dismay though, deer sign was scarce. This just wouldn't be a high probability spot....yet. As I mentioned before, its early season, deer have hardly been pressured and are out in the open enjoying the farmland buffet. Returning to my truck to hydrate and regroup because another area would have to be scouted in a timely manner. This time my tree stand and bow would be coming with me
The gear on my back instance stirred up memories from Sika deer season. I was already carrying too much from what was actually needed. This would hinder my distance traveled significantly. Taking an open area that was off limits to hunting, it would give me easier access to getting further in the woods. As it was all state park land, it wasn't trespassing. Quickly my path is met with heavy vegetation and a steep ravine to cross that split the two open areas. Wearing not much more than my gilly suit and under armor, the briars would win this battle. The second open area led me further west before it dropped me into the woods. Following a foot path down, the elevation dropped into a thick overgrown forest.
Crossing over a small creek would allow me to view fresh deer tracks in the mud. This was all I needed to stop and hang my stand. As sweat was pouring out of me and hints that I am surely not in shape yet, the hunt was on. The briar battle would begin again at the base of the tree that overlooked the trail, the creek crossing and small opening for deer to step out. Shortly after a few more pricks, I was overlooking the forest floor from above. The first thing was too cool off, hydrate, and stop sweating. Luckily a light breeze out of the NE would assist me. My attention focused on the creek crossing and small open area.
After an hour or so, the signature crunching of leaves came to my left. Slowly would I have to turn in order to catch a glimpse. Deer! It felt great to see deer on first day of the season. The winter, spring, and summer are merely a waiting game until deer season starts again. The two deer that had appeared we slowly grazing on leaves that overhung on the foot path. As they believed to be the only ones around, they would rip and tear leaves from small bushes and trees vigorously. The first one in view was a small doe, with a burnt red coat that shimmered with twitches to ward off the flies. The other was her brother, his coat almost a dull gray with two small buttons emerging from his head. Collectively they might weigh over 100 pounds soaking wet, but the fact of the matter is that it wouldn't be worth harvesting a bag of bones.
Simply relaxing back in my stand, the show of the duo would give me a cheerful smile. There isn't a TV show in the world that can provide this level of enjoyment. This was real high definition, surround sound and 3D all in one. As the sister approached directly under my stand, the sweat droplets from earlier caught here attention. With a quick stare at her brother, they would just veer off the trail and continue to graze. It wasn't a few feet off the trail that the two disappeared into the vegetation.
Sitting a while longer, movement in the form of crunching leaves would turn my attention back to the open area. To my dismay, it was the flash of white tails popping in and out of the brush moving away quickly. The deer had moved in so quietly had been under my nose without knowing. That is a testament as to how thick it was in the forest. To their advantage, they would arrive directly down wind of me and their noses told them danger ahead. The walk back was much cooler, as temperatures were falling fast. It would be a tease as tomorrow was set to hit above 80. The ravine crossing was slightly more dangerous as the slope coupled with entangling briars pushed to take a leap of faith to the other side. All in all, it was good day though.
To be continued...
Monday, September 9, 2013
Monday, September 2, 2013
2 Orders of Hunting, Hold the Heat
The smell of the maple trees and sight of acorns is almost tangible. 4 three days stand between me and the woods. Maryland, like some other grateful states, opens a bit earlier than the Keystone State. Pennsylvania hunters will have to wait one more month before arrows can fly. South Carolina allows you a chance at a velvet buck as their season opens in August. That will be one for the bucket list, as any of states around me would never consider that as a possibility.
As I spend these last few days waiting for the green light, its provides the chance to double check gear, shoot those final perfect practice shots, and taking one a gaze at the hunting areas from my desktop. Of course, taking those hunting maps and transferring them into field plans, laminated, highlighted, and noted with specific information from my scouting.
My hunting pack is set with scouting gear still, as the first day, I am going to give the area one more glance. As the heat is still turned up, the focus for the hunt is water. The area of woods has two small ponds separated by about a mile with small creek beds snaking through. With hopes to find some serious deer signs around these ponds, it will be my best chance in the early season. The woods have agricultural fields to the south, so hopefully it will put in the deer's pathway of daily habits. Eat, drink, sleep.
The original forecast had a the heat breaking in the mid week, but now it seems that it will linger on a bit longer. This will be a first time hunt to this area anyway, but at least having some odds in my favor would help. Not only will heat hinder deer movement but it will surely beat me down sitting on stand all day. The outfit I have chosen will literally be the least amount of clothing to be worn. Keeping cool, means less sweating, and in turn less scent. During the sit on the water hole, wind management will be high on the list as not blow my chances.
All of my clothing that will be used is going through the scent control cycle: washing with baking soda, dried with no dryer sheets, and than directly back into zip lock bags. All my clothing bins are separated by seasonal requirements (lightweight to heavy). There are the hunters though that hope their tag will get filled early on and those heavy warm clothes get to stay packed away. Not me though, you have to drag me out of the woods at the end of the season. The colder weather brings out warming technique rituals: layered clothing, hand warmers, tea in the thermos, and day dreaming of the first hot meal upon arrival back at camp.
With state of the arm technologies available to hunters these days, its on hunters as to how far they want to take scent control. From skin tight carbon impregnated garments to expensive Ozone generating equipment. My philosophy is if you just follow a solid regime of scent management, it will allow that buck to come in close enough and hang out just long enough for that shot. With the heat being a factor on this hunt, having a few extra tricks up my sleeve may be the winning combination. A mid day shower to rid the sweat and grime and fresh pair of clothes to back it up is one way.
During my time in Maryland, there are a few farms to the south of the hunting area. If permission could be gained with the resident, it could allow a better stalk into the area I hope to hunt. Any time you interact with landowners, be polite and don't beat around the bushes. That means be completely honest, but the more upfront information that's provided can subside doubts that they may have. And as always, offer to lend a hand if means getting access to a hot spot. Private land access is a huge hurdle these days and there isn't anymore land being made.
Until next time, hunt hard and make the hunt happen.
As I spend these last few days waiting for the green light, its provides the chance to double check gear, shoot those final perfect practice shots, and taking one a gaze at the hunting areas from my desktop. Of course, taking those hunting maps and transferring them into field plans, laminated, highlighted, and noted with specific information from my scouting.
My hunting pack is set with scouting gear still, as the first day, I am going to give the area one more glance. As the heat is still turned up, the focus for the hunt is water. The area of woods has two small ponds separated by about a mile with small creek beds snaking through. With hopes to find some serious deer signs around these ponds, it will be my best chance in the early season. The woods have agricultural fields to the south, so hopefully it will put in the deer's pathway of daily habits. Eat, drink, sleep.
The original forecast had a the heat breaking in the mid week, but now it seems that it will linger on a bit longer. This will be a first time hunt to this area anyway, but at least having some odds in my favor would help. Not only will heat hinder deer movement but it will surely beat me down sitting on stand all day. The outfit I have chosen will literally be the least amount of clothing to be worn. Keeping cool, means less sweating, and in turn less scent. During the sit on the water hole, wind management will be high on the list as not blow my chances.
All of my clothing that will be used is going through the scent control cycle: washing with baking soda, dried with no dryer sheets, and than directly back into zip lock bags. All my clothing bins are separated by seasonal requirements (lightweight to heavy). There are the hunters though that hope their tag will get filled early on and those heavy warm clothes get to stay packed away. Not me though, you have to drag me out of the woods at the end of the season. The colder weather brings out warming technique rituals: layered clothing, hand warmers, tea in the thermos, and day dreaming of the first hot meal upon arrival back at camp.
With state of the arm technologies available to hunters these days, its on hunters as to how far they want to take scent control. From skin tight carbon impregnated garments to expensive Ozone generating equipment. My philosophy is if you just follow a solid regime of scent management, it will allow that buck to come in close enough and hang out just long enough for that shot. With the heat being a factor on this hunt, having a few extra tricks up my sleeve may be the winning combination. A mid day shower to rid the sweat and grime and fresh pair of clothes to back it up is one way.
During my time in Maryland, there are a few farms to the south of the hunting area. If permission could be gained with the resident, it could allow a better stalk into the area I hope to hunt. Any time you interact with landowners, be polite and don't beat around the bushes. That means be completely honest, but the more upfront information that's provided can subside doubts that they may have. And as always, offer to lend a hand if means getting access to a hot spot. Private land access is a huge hurdle these days and there isn't anymore land being made.
Until next time, hunt hard and make the hunt happen.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Bow Madness
Finally, I have taken up traditional hunting with a compound bow. It took me a while to find a good deal on one, to the point where it cost less than my crossbow. The process was grueling and homework had to be done on each bow and manufacturer. It came down to PSE or Matthews. Considering it was my first compound bow, spilling out my wallet at the store was not very favorable. Matthews makes incredible bows, but you pay for that level of technology and performance. PSE on the other makes great bows too, but they consider the everyday hunter when it comes to your wallet.
Not everyone is a professional hunter, and we have to shell out the cash for our equipment. With that being said, if you set a budget and hunting plan each year, you can account for a bow upgrade or additional hunting trips. If I went with the Matthew's Chill, then at least two of my western PA trips would have to be cut. By going with the PSE Bow Madness, (and the incredible deal I got from Gander Mountain) one of my western PA trips can be extended for a week.
So two years ago, my hunting passion was revitalized. The usual three days of rifle season after Thanksgiving would be part of my season not just my season. Previously, my job had kept me traveling all over the US, making hunting locally nearly impossible. The holiday was about the only thing to keep that tradition after Thanksgiving of going hunting with the family at the farm. Even then, my job beckoned and kept me away from that sometimes. Spending a turkey dinner under a canopy leaden with 30 strangers responding to a train derailment. Never once thought it would happen in my lifetime but it sure made it memorable.
With a corporate change in my career, it set my resting place in one spot finally. Even bought a nice home on top of the hills. Alright, so I still live in suburbian hell for right now. By finally having some roots to call home, and not a hotel room with four walls, two towels, and TV. Actually we have a bunch of towels in the house but always get used before I need one. With my roots set locally, the hunting passion could now flourish again. During my years as a road warrior, it lended a chance to make friends and develop relations with land owners.
I found it to be a great time to follow up on those offers, "you can hunt my land anytime" offers. It wasn't long that my boots were stomping through the woods to check properties. A local hunting spot even bubbled up from a co-worker. At one point, the old PSE, nearly first compound bow that dad had gotten me shoot a couple of arrows at deer. This was evidence though that the deer clearly had the advantage to escape. Being my work schedule was still quite busy, a crossbow was enlisted to help my success rate. It did just that, 10 for 10 in two years. That is 10 deer hit, 10 deer harvested. Those one or two misses can be blamed to buck fever or even human error.
This year though, I planned my schedule accordingly and accounted for time to practice on a compound bow. With a closely monitored budget, I waited and waited, and waited even more. Then one day, the deal of a lifetime came along. If you may remember in an earlier blog, my spending goes as such: On Sale, Clearance, and Free. It works out if you are patient enough. This started by monitoring the online prices of major outdoors stores (Cabelas, BassPro, and Gander Mountain), and the occasional visit to each location near by. We had found ourselves in Virginia for a Christening, and decided to take a short drive to Maryland to check out Gander Mountain.
As new bows for 2013 where being displayed across the back wall, the three, little lonely leftovers from 2012 sat on the end. Hung up like old news, they could only hope that someone would buy them. Honestly, with the price tag on PSE bow sitting there, how didn't anyone else buy it. The bow was marked down below half of the original price. It was steal instead of a deal. And this guy took it home. I am proud owner of a PSE Bow Madness and can enjoy it even more with the money I saved by switching to Geico (just kidding, I am a Nationwide fan).
As you can see below, it even rode on a pillow all the way home.
Not everyone is a professional hunter, and we have to shell out the cash for our equipment. With that being said, if you set a budget and hunting plan each year, you can account for a bow upgrade or additional hunting trips. If I went with the Matthew's Chill, then at least two of my western PA trips would have to be cut. By going with the PSE Bow Madness, (and the incredible deal I got from Gander Mountain) one of my western PA trips can be extended for a week.
So two years ago, my hunting passion was revitalized. The usual three days of rifle season after Thanksgiving would be part of my season not just my season. Previously, my job had kept me traveling all over the US, making hunting locally nearly impossible. The holiday was about the only thing to keep that tradition after Thanksgiving of going hunting with the family at the farm. Even then, my job beckoned and kept me away from that sometimes. Spending a turkey dinner under a canopy leaden with 30 strangers responding to a train derailment. Never once thought it would happen in my lifetime but it sure made it memorable.
With a corporate change in my career, it set my resting place in one spot finally. Even bought a nice home on top of the hills. Alright, so I still live in suburbian hell for right now. By finally having some roots to call home, and not a hotel room with four walls, two towels, and TV. Actually we have a bunch of towels in the house but always get used before I need one. With my roots set locally, the hunting passion could now flourish again. During my years as a road warrior, it lended a chance to make friends and develop relations with land owners.
I found it to be a great time to follow up on those offers, "you can hunt my land anytime" offers. It wasn't long that my boots were stomping through the woods to check properties. A local hunting spot even bubbled up from a co-worker. At one point, the old PSE, nearly first compound bow that dad had gotten me shoot a couple of arrows at deer. This was evidence though that the deer clearly had the advantage to escape. Being my work schedule was still quite busy, a crossbow was enlisted to help my success rate. It did just that, 10 for 10 in two years. That is 10 deer hit, 10 deer harvested. Those one or two misses can be blamed to buck fever or even human error.
This year though, I planned my schedule accordingly and accounted for time to practice on a compound bow. With a closely monitored budget, I waited and waited, and waited even more. Then one day, the deal of a lifetime came along. If you may remember in an earlier blog, my spending goes as such: On Sale, Clearance, and Free. It works out if you are patient enough. This started by monitoring the online prices of major outdoors stores (Cabelas, BassPro, and Gander Mountain), and the occasional visit to each location near by. We had found ourselves in Virginia for a Christening, and decided to take a short drive to Maryland to check out Gander Mountain.
As new bows for 2013 where being displayed across the back wall, the three, little lonely leftovers from 2012 sat on the end. Hung up like old news, they could only hope that someone would buy them. Honestly, with the price tag on PSE bow sitting there, how didn't anyone else buy it. The bow was marked down below half of the original price. It was steal instead of a deal. And this guy took it home. I am proud owner of a PSE Bow Madness and can enjoy it even more with the money I saved by switching to Geico (just kidding, I am a Nationwide fan).
As you can see below, it even rode on a pillow all the way home.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Hunting...What Drives You?
On the brink of a new dawn, we rethink our preparations, the outcomes, the what ifs, and the big bucks that dance around in our heads. With just over three weeks before arrows can soar and fur can fly, now is the time to hold the line. Practice makes perfect, perfect in a deer hunting world doesn't happen very often though. Deer hunters have to be adaptive, mentally focused, persistent, and forever aware of their surroundings. What starts as a physical game will eventually turn into a mind battle with a mature whitetail.
So why to hunters engage into a challenge like this...? It's not like we really take deer as an enemy and find ourselves running up the steps of the art museum Rocky style. Or finding a local butchery to beat up on hanging sides of beef. The outdoors offer so much more than perfecting laid concrete steps. When you step into the woods, every step we take is different and the path to the top is forever changing. Watching the forest wake up in the morning and then slowly doze off to sleep in the evening. My local hunting spot does it like a train schedule.
The woods are deathly quiet, pitch dark. With the low hanging canopy of the juniper trees, star light is completely masked out. Only with a full moon overhead is my pathway pre-lit reminding you of movie theatre aisles. Each step taken slowly with the up most care as to not make a noise. Your minds spins in hopes of not cracking a freshly dropped branch. In such a case though, we take advantage of the action. Having your grunt tube at ready and quickly disguising yourself as a deer. A few soft, short grunts and then scratching your feet as if you were making a scrape. After a minute or so the trip continues into the darkness.
The arrival to 'spot' may warrant climbing a tree, slithering into a ground blind, or just sitting down on the forest floor. We lay back and wait for the show to begin. Mine starts with eastern slope becoming back lit with a glow from the rising sun. The first early movements of deer trickling back to their beds for the morning slowly begins. With light still on low, they tip toe through the almost silent vegetation and soft soils. Many of times, they have crept past me, only to find out later on my trail camera as proof.
Next come the squirrels. Down the trees, reporting to their work locations to find food and burying it. Then dig up previously found food and move to bury it once again. Then the crows crack the cool morning air with calls back and forth to one another. At this point, the feature presentation is about to arrive. The pones travel down hill after grazing on Mr McCann's grass and ornamental flowers all night. Then into the juniper forest, halfway to their bedding area with gazing eyes. Just a bit further to their cozy meadow deep in the ravine. With sleep on their mind, they have their nose on high alert.
The antlered kings may have half opened eyes, and ears that have listened to every sound in the night air but their nose never lies. That full belly can almost be laid to rest as they step across my view plane. As mentioned before, the pones or younger deer lead the way with mature doe closely behind. Then, providing the coast is clear, the mature antlered giants arrive. Sleep deprived both the hunter and the deer, the final chess match begins. Will the antlered giant cross my pathway, will he catch a smell of my morning bacon sandwich on my breath, or will he mosey around as if we were never there?
Well this is a perfect morning so far, having the antlers just show up within view is a start. Or to even have fur walk in our direction builds up our blood pressure to near boiling. The excitement fills the air, if only it covered our scent at the same time. Hopefully we have done our homework on this king of the chess game, scouting from afar, scent control in place, wind played in your favor, and your weapon shooting straight and true.
What seems like minutes and hours, ticks passed in only seconds. The crack of the air when the gun shoots or the arrow leaves your bow. Did my shot hit home?...or will the game of shadows continue. The wonder that quickly fills our minds and can flood out a perfect shoot into doubt. Will a painted red carpet be laid out for a prize at the end, we can only hope. Hunting drives us so hard to just lay our hands on our harvest. To some this is our proof of success, but we know it doesn't take antlers on a wall to do so.
So why to hunters engage into a challenge like this...? It's not like we really take deer as an enemy and find ourselves running up the steps of the art museum Rocky style. Or finding a local butchery to beat up on hanging sides of beef. The outdoors offer so much more than perfecting laid concrete steps. When you step into the woods, every step we take is different and the path to the top is forever changing. Watching the forest wake up in the morning and then slowly doze off to sleep in the evening. My local hunting spot does it like a train schedule.
The woods are deathly quiet, pitch dark. With the low hanging canopy of the juniper trees, star light is completely masked out. Only with a full moon overhead is my pathway pre-lit reminding you of movie theatre aisles. Each step taken slowly with the up most care as to not make a noise. Your minds spins in hopes of not cracking a freshly dropped branch. In such a case though, we take advantage of the action. Having your grunt tube at ready and quickly disguising yourself as a deer. A few soft, short grunts and then scratching your feet as if you were making a scrape. After a minute or so the trip continues into the darkness.
The arrival to 'spot' may warrant climbing a tree, slithering into a ground blind, or just sitting down on the forest floor. We lay back and wait for the show to begin. Mine starts with eastern slope becoming back lit with a glow from the rising sun. The first early movements of deer trickling back to their beds for the morning slowly begins. With light still on low, they tip toe through the almost silent vegetation and soft soils. Many of times, they have crept past me, only to find out later on my trail camera as proof.
Next come the squirrels. Down the trees, reporting to their work locations to find food and burying it. Then dig up previously found food and move to bury it once again. Then the crows crack the cool morning air with calls back and forth to one another. At this point, the feature presentation is about to arrive. The pones travel down hill after grazing on Mr McCann's grass and ornamental flowers all night. Then into the juniper forest, halfway to their bedding area with gazing eyes. Just a bit further to their cozy meadow deep in the ravine. With sleep on their mind, they have their nose on high alert.
The antlered kings may have half opened eyes, and ears that have listened to every sound in the night air but their nose never lies. That full belly can almost be laid to rest as they step across my view plane. As mentioned before, the pones or younger deer lead the way with mature doe closely behind. Then, providing the coast is clear, the mature antlered giants arrive. Sleep deprived both the hunter and the deer, the final chess match begins. Will the antlered giant cross my pathway, will he catch a smell of my morning bacon sandwich on my breath, or will he mosey around as if we were never there?
Well this is a perfect morning so far, having the antlers just show up within view is a start. Or to even have fur walk in our direction builds up our blood pressure to near boiling. The excitement fills the air, if only it covered our scent at the same time. Hopefully we have done our homework on this king of the chess game, scouting from afar, scent control in place, wind played in your favor, and your weapon shooting straight and true.
What seems like minutes and hours, ticks passed in only seconds. The crack of the air when the gun shoots or the arrow leaves your bow. Did my shot hit home?...or will the game of shadows continue. The wonder that quickly fills our minds and can flood out a perfect shoot into doubt. Will a painted red carpet be laid out for a prize at the end, we can only hope. Hunting drives us so hard to just lay our hands on our harvest. To some this is our proof of success, but we know it doesn't take antlers on a wall to do so.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Equipment - Check, Check 1,2
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.
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.
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.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Cold Water Crankin II
The water had warmed significantly since the last cold water crankin effort. We elected to tryout the smaller lake at Penn Warner this time. Word around the campfire was that it was heating up. Temperature yes, fishing....still slow by my standards. If we had to fish that lake again, they better be jumping in the boat. Aside from the shallow water, the cold breeze off the chilly waters, and maneuvering around tree stumps, the trip was a partial success. Our goal was to catch some toothy fish like pickerel and pike before waters became too warm. The morning started out with a very brisk 37 degree air temp and strong winds from the west.
We tried to capitalize on the shallow lake in hopes the water would have been warmer and with that increased fish activity. The shallow stump filled lake was hard to navigate with cloudy water and strong winds. We covered a lot of area with three of us in the boat though. Each throwing different combinations of cranks and colors. After a few hours, it felt like we threw everything but the kitchen sink. But there was hope, the rookie we took fishing hooked up with a nice pickerel on a lipless watermelon colored crank bait. It wasn't long before we matched suit with similar combinations.
During the late spring and summer the lake is typically covered in lily pads which could be seen just starting to grow. A prime opportunity to drag a frog across the pads to invoke a bass to swallow like a garbage disposal. The early action on the other hand was mild at best. We had slammed them last year on the larger lake under the same conditions. This would be a learning experience for us and something to reflect upon. But another day fishing is better than any day at work.
Check out Rob below with his first pickerel he has every caught.
We tried to capitalize on the shallow lake in hopes the water would have been warmer and with that increased fish activity. The shallow stump filled lake was hard to navigate with cloudy water and strong winds. We covered a lot of area with three of us in the boat though. Each throwing different combinations of cranks and colors. After a few hours, it felt like we threw everything but the kitchen sink. But there was hope, the rookie we took fishing hooked up with a nice pickerel on a lipless watermelon colored crank bait. It wasn't long before we matched suit with similar combinations.
During the late spring and summer the lake is typically covered in lily pads which could be seen just starting to grow. A prime opportunity to drag a frog across the pads to invoke a bass to swallow like a garbage disposal. The early action on the other hand was mild at best. We had slammed them last year on the larger lake under the same conditions. This would be a learning experience for us and something to reflect upon. But another day fishing is better than any day at work.
Check out Rob below with his first pickerel he has every caught.
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