Hunting season is filled with moments that you look back on and wish you would have done things differently. That’s hunting hindsight.
Hindsight is most always 20/20 when it comes to hunting.
Especially during bow season.
A couple of evenings ago I had literally just sat down in my stand when I remembered the advice of our youngest son, Tristan. Earlier that day he had told me that the bucks were really responsive to grunts and the ratting horns.
So.
“Rattle, rattle, rattle!”
I’ve never had much luck with the rattling horns but I brought them with me just in case.
Before I got completely situated, I decided to go ahead and put out a couple of grunts and then rattle some in spite of the crazy, gusting wind that was blowing. HARD!
I went back to organizing my little tree stand area for that night’s sit.
No more had I turned my head when BAM! Here come TWO nice bucks charging down the hill, right to the little patch of timber about 50 to 60 yards to my right.
Wow!
That was fast!
Getting overly excited and thrust into “what to do now mode,” the only thing I could think of as I watched them frantically search for the “scrap” they thought they were coming to get in the middle of, was to get out my grunt call.
So I did what I thought would keep them close and come over to me so I could get a shot at one of them.
I grunted lightly.
They looked, of course, but as I raised my arm, to quietly reach for my bow and get into position to possibly shoot, my grunt call fell off my lap (stupid I know) right into the trees below my stand, startling them just enough to run back up the hill from where they came.
To top that off, shortly afterwards one of my gloves dropped into the bushes as well.
If I hadn’t been piddle poking around with my stuff I would have seen them come out of the timberline and I would have been making plans as they charged down to my rattling.
I would have been anticipating their move and been prepared.
Secondly, KEEP CRAP OFF MY LAP!
Put it on hangers or in my pockets. To my defense, though, when I’m wearing my harness it’s hard to really get to my pockets because I’m so bound up.
The moral to this story is this.
Always be ready for ANYTHING and learn from your mistakes.
Be teachable, even if you’re both student and teacher.
Hunting lessons are not just for hunting. They can be applied in day to day real life.
Be ready for anything that might come your way and be looking around and not down. You might miss an opportunity if you’re not ready for it.
A Successful Archery Season Requires More Than Just A Pretty Bow
To have a successful bowhunting season you’ve got to put in the time to practice shooting your bow from comfortable yardages but also from the distances that are not so comfortable.
With the close of last year’s archery season and the warmer days coming in like a hard rain, literally, I am finding myself thinking about NEXT archery season. In our household, not only do we hunt as a family but we also practice as a family. Generally, we get really excited thinking about preparing for the next “round” of hunting and we start practicing and putting in countless hours of flinging arrows.
Hunting for us is serious business.
Bow Tournaments Are A Great Way To Get In Some Extra Practice
One way we get in some practice, and my favorite way, is shooting bow tournaments. As a rule, it’s my job to get online and seek out shoots that are close in proximity to our house. For us, the 3D target shoots are best because you are actually using targets that look like the animals and the vitals are clearly marked to really help you know where on the animal you need to fire that arrow.
The best place I have found to find a shoot near you at the website 3DShoots. The website is easy to navigate through, making finding a tournament for your family a piece of cake.
Bow tournaments are actually a lot of fun and if you get a group together, it makes it even more enjoyable. If you’ve never been, you definitely need to try it out.
There are several of us in our family that shoot bows and getting up early on a Saturday morning to shoot a tournament is usually the ONLY way I can get three boys up without struggle…unless they’re getting up to go hunting of course. Once we’ve up, though, we’re ready to put the hammer down on each other.
It’s competitive in our family and I mean competitive. But once we shoot at the first target all bets are off and we’re all on our own.
There are usually 30 to 40 3D targets at the bow shoots. Normally you go through half of them and then come back for the second half. There is absolutely ZERO stress during the competition. It’s a laid back atmosphere and you meet a ton of new people. Really the only stress you encounter is with your own family.
Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect. It Makes Progress.
I am very competitive in bowhunting but mostly with myself. And let me tell you that the day is ruined, and everyone else’s, if I lose an arrow. It’s not uncommon for me to lose one per tournament. I might mention that I have gotten better about hurling an arrow into the abyss of no man’s land…never to be found again. Over the years I’ve stock piled up and now have quite an arsenal of arrows so if I lose one (or two) it’s okay.
All in all, tournaments give you a lot of quality practice and after several hours of walking around and laughing, you don’t even realize you’ve shot forty times. It’s a ton of fun.
Working Out Is Another Way To Prepare For Bow Season
Another way I get ready for bow season is running and working out. I used to run anywhere from 3 to 5 miles a day getting my heart rate ready for those long treks through the woods. But this year I’ve changed it up by lifting weights to increase my strength. My goal is to increase the poundage on my bow.
I also, occasionally, use an AccuBow Bow Trainer. I love my Bow Trainer. It’s a rubber band system that allows you to strengthen the muscles needed to pull back your bow easily and without injury. In the past, this method has actually allowed me to increased my poundage so I would definitely consider it to be an important tool.
Backyard Targets Work Perfectly For Getting In That Extra Shooting Time
This poor old deer target had seen better days but let me tell you that not only was it my FIRST target but it was where I got my most practice in the very beginning of my bowhunting journey. I can’t stress enough how important muscle memory is and how crucial it is for proper arrow placement when that deer comes in range.
Put up targets in your back yard and you will have 24/7 access to them. We’ve actually done that and normally at least one of us daily will go back there and take anywhere from 20 to 30 shots just to keep loosened up. We’ve even been known to have competitions amongst ourselves just for the fun of it. There are some good climbing trees not too far from the targets and we’ve also put our climbers up and shot out of them for even more practice.
The possibilities are endless of what you can do to get in some good old fashioned practice. Whatever you do, don’t get discouraged and give up. It’s a constant work in progress. But you’ve got to put the work in. But when you’re out there practicing and having fun it doesn’t seem like work at all. That’s just the way I like it.
Why I Think Scent Killer Is The Best Scent Control Spray For Your Hunting Clothes
Hunting is a challenge all by itself but SUCCESSFUL hunting is even more of a challenge. When you’re out in your stand or in your blind, there are many factors that affect whether or not you’re going to catch a glimpse of that deer you’ve been tracking all summer or better yet get close enough to actually take a shot. One of those factors during hunting season is scent control and eliminating odors.
Scent Control And Elimination Is Key When You’re Hunting
Although total scent elimination is impossible, Scent Killer Gold offers products in every area to control the scent you leave when you’re out hunting.
Personal hygiene is the first critical step in scent control when you’re in the woods and Scent Killer Gold has several products that absolutely are the checker in that area.
Scent Killer Gold Scent Elimination Body Wash and Shampoo
After using the Scent Elimination Body Wash and Shampoo, my hair was not only soft and clean but I found that after using it my hair was void of any previous shampoo smell and basically scent-free.
Anti-Perspirants and Deodorants
Roll-on antiperspirants and deodorants tend to break me out under my arms but the Scent Killer Gold antiperspirant rolls on easily without a rash or breakout.
The List Of Benefits Are Long
One of the reasons that I will always use Scent Killer Gold is because it is a clothing spray that continues to do its job 20 days after it’s been applied AND dried. That’s impressive.
Another reason that it’s our go-to scent control spray is that it works both wet AND dry. It has odor fighing ingredients that attack a wide range of odors. The most important odor, however, is human odor.
Scent Control Requires Consistent Use
When bow season begins each fall, about the week before, we gather up all of our hunting clothes and we wash them in scent-free laundry detergent and then hang them on the clothes line. Afterward we spray them down and leave them outside until that first hunt.
What’s great about the Hunt Dry Technology Plus is that it let’s you spray it on your hunting clothes hours, days, and weeks before you actually go hunting. I have yet to come across a scent control spray that does that. There is nothing worse that been forced to go out with wet hunting clothes because you just sprayed down. Scent Killer Gold eliminates that problem.
Scent Control Laundry Detergent
Now as far as detergents go, we either use Scent Killer Gold or just the regular Scent Killer laundry detergent. In my opinion, both are good. And we’ve actually used both, depending on what’s available at the time. Believe it or not, they even have dryer sheets! Yes, dryer sheets! They’ve got it all.
Yes, Scent Killer Also Has Field Wipes
Another product the Scent Killer sells is field wipes. They’re basically a hunter’s “baby wipe” and easily accessible for on the go and are the next best thing to a shower. You can use them for hunting, camping, hiking, and backpacking. They are a definite must-have for your hunting bag and they’re enriched with Vitamin E and aloe. They’re made with a special anti-odor formula making it convenient to battle human scent.
I just can’t say enough good things about this scent control clothing spray. I’ve tried so many over the years. I literally leave my bottle by the front door all hunting season so that it’s easily accessible and I never forget to spray down.
Proof Is In The Pudding When It Comes To A Good Product
Last year I sprayed our clothes down before going out on that last day of Missouri’s bow season and I’ll just say that I had two does and a little buck come to the base of my stand, look up and never miss a beat.
In the past, using other products I have had a different experience where the deer definitely smelled me but not with this product. You are not going to be able to fool deer but you can surely cut down on your scent in the woods and eliminate and control as much as possible. And I believe Scent Killer Gold and all the products that go along with their product line is the best on the market to do just that.
Finding The Right Scent Dispenser To Fit Your Need
If you’re looking for scent dispensers to take out with you to your stand, all you have to do is go online and there are literally tons to choose from. That being said, I recently tried Buck Cage “The ORIGINAL” Polymer Bead Scent Dispenser” and I am hooked. Nothing I have seen or tried has even come close to the convenience and ease of this little gem.
The first thing that caught my attention was its size. It’s small, about the size of a medicine bottle and it fits easily into your pocket or hunting pack making it ideal to take with you on your hunt. It’s also biodegradable and earth-friendly which we all know is great for our environment.
Scent Dispersers Are Simple To Use
Buck Cage comes with some pretty easy directions too…just one, two, three, four, and you’re done and ready to hang it in the tree right there by your stand. All you do is pour ½ oz deer urine or scent into the carrying container. Next, place your Buck Cage into the charging container. Allow Buck Cage to absorb the scent for around 40-60 minutes (not seconds) and then you’re good to go. Just hang it in your tree and that’s it.
We’ve all had the drag rag we’ve either tied to our boot or belt loop dragging it through the woods behind us. I’ve even gone so far as to take an unused tampon, saturate it with doe urine, and then hang it from a limb close to my stand or blind. The Buck Cage is reusable and easy to wash so you don’t have to throw it away when the scent dries up.
The best part…it comes in PINK CAMO!!!!!! It comes in Hunter Orange and Traditional Green Camo but for me, I like to stand out. Plus it keeps all the men in the family from using MINE. They come in single packs and triple packs and have refill packs to make changing your scents easy and mess-free in the handy charging and storage container.
If you’re looking for a handy little scent dispenser Buck Cage is the one to get.
Why It’s Important To Wait After Executing A Shot In Bowhunting Rather Than Jumping The Gun
I won’t even pretend that I am a quick learner at anything. It’s normally through my vast mistakes that my most rewarding lessons have occurred. This applies to every area of my life.
From dating the wrong guys in high school to choosing a bad hair cut that can’t grow back fast enough, or just simply trusting the wrong person to confide in. I have made my fair share of bad choices against the advice of well-meaning family and friends. But one thing is for sure. I have always received my best hunting advice from the one person I know is an expert in the field. He’s not only my hunting buddy. He’s my hunting husband.
As it is with everything, the best advice usually comes after the biggest mistake. This stands true with bowhunting as well. One of the greatest pieces of advice my hunting mentor, and my biggest fan, ever gave to me came AFTER one of the most significant mistakes of my bowhunting history.
If I had heard it once I had heard him tell me a hundred times. “If you make a shot WAIT for at least 30 to 45 minutes BEFORE getting down from your treestand to begin tracking your deer.”
You’ve noticed that I capitalized WAIT and BEFORE because I had heard him say that so many times over the years. I KNEW to do this but because I am an impatient soul and have a hard time sitting for long periods in the treestand at all, I needed it tattooed on my forehead to get the point across.
I have always received my best hunting advice from the one person I know is an expert in the field. He’s not only my hunting buddy. He’s my hunting husband.
Not heeding to good, sound advice can sometimes cost you if you don’t take it to heart and put it into practice. By not following my husband’s rule of thumb, it almost cost me finding my buck.
Old Habits Die Hard
It was in the middle of archery season. I had been playing tag with a certain eight-pointer that had shown up on our trail camera multiple times.
Up to that point, I had never had the chance at a shooter buck, and I had my heart set, THIS PARTICULAR SEASON, on him. He was the one. I wanted to harvest HIM.
I would get to my stand early and leave in the dark. In the morning hunts, I would walk out there in the pitch black, feeling my way up the ladder stand with nothing more than my Bushnell headlamp on my head.
I did this every day. I did this for weeks.
Until early one Saturday morning when the stars were aligned just right. He came sashaying up from below my stand with only one thing on his mind. He was trailing a doe.
As it is with everything, the best advice usually comes after the biggest mistake.
I’m not going to lie. When you are in your stand and a deer comes within shooting distance, your heart beats faster than it ever has before. Your adrenaline is in overdrive and you begin to tremble and shake.
Maybe not every hunter feels like that. Personally, I get excited, as well as a little nervous, when I know I’m getting ready to take a shot.
He was about 20 yards in front of me when I stood up to draw my bow. Although my memory says he was broadside, looking back at the trail camera pictures proves otherwise.
In the excitement of the moment, I didn’t realize that he was ACTUALLY quartering TOWARD me a little bit. So when I executed my shot into the “vitals” I didn’t get the penetration as I thought. I did get some penetration. However, I also managed to stick my arrow down around his “buck parts” as well. But, I didn’t know this at the time.
BE PATIENT
It’s Always Better To Wait Than To Push
After I shot and he took off running, I did what any non-seasoned hunter would do. I immediately climbed down from my ladder stand to see if there was any blood. Then, I got back UP into my stand to send my husband a text letting him know I had just shot “the buck.”
After texting me back “Good job” he told me to stay put for about 30 to 45 minutes to let the deer lay down and die. To not push him and make tracking the blood easier. In an investigative, hesitant “texting voice” he asked, “You didn’t get down yet did you?” And of course, my answer was “NO?”
The truth of the matter was that I had climbed down SEVERAL times, and then scurried right back UP again.
Because my stand was fairly close to our house, I actually made several trips back and forth in hopes of seeing my dead buck laying there ready to field dress. But that didn’t happen.
My husband and one of our sons were at another farm hunting. I knew it would be a while before they would get there to help me track my deer. A couple of hours passed before they returned home. The first question my husband asked me was “How long did you stay up in your stand before getting down?”
I wanted to lie, I really did. But the trail camera set up in front of my stand had the proof. I had made multiple treks to and fro looking for blood and looking for my deer.
Busted!
My son, husband and I began the search and started with the first drops of blood I had found. It was slow. A drop here and a couple of drops there but nothing substantial. We tracked small droplets for hours, over barbed wire fences and along creek banks. The trail was winding and sparse with blood.
After several hours we came to the conclusion that we were pushing him. We needed to let him lay and marked the last major blood spot we found. We decided to wait until morning.
LISTEN TO GOOD ADVICE
Sometimes getting caught up in the moment overrides any sound hunting advice we’ve been given
I felt devastated. How could I have been so stupid to have gotten down right after I took the shot? I knew better. My husband taught me better. But that side of me that occasionally takes over my common sense took control that morning. And I had no one to blame but myself if we couldn’t find my buck.
To say I didn’t sleep that night would have been an understatement. I tossed and turned worrying about him injured and laying out there dying a slow, painful death. Replaying the morning’s events, in my mind, from beginning to end, made me sick from the whole ordeal. I wanted to quit hunting. It upset me that much.
The next morning we all went out looking again but couldn’t even find a tiny blood trail. We ended up calling a friend, who had a tracking dog for help. Bruiser led us straight to my buck in a matter of minutes. By the time we found him, he had managed to make it to the water’s edge by the lake. Coyotes had eaten his back end so the only thing left to salvage was, thankfully, the backstraps.
It was a horrible experience and it’s one that I will never forget. I could have avoided it if I had just listened to some of the best hunting advice I’ve ever received.
Not only did that hunt have a great impact on me but my husband’s unyielding wisdom did as well.
Since then I have branded his advice of WAITING on my heart. I will never forget the lesson that came along making that one crucial mistake. I am now more concise and conscientious as a hunter.
LEARN FROM IT
Every Silver Lining Has A Lesson Attached To It
What I learned, as a result of not listening to my husband’s advice is to WAIT before tracking a deer. Hunting is all about patience. It doesn’t hurry or rush. Nature is the same. It doesn’t hurry either.
Also, that hard lesson reminded me of the importance of regular and consistent shooting practice. The more time you set aside for practice, the better your accuracy will be.
Another incite I gained from this experience was to pay attention to your surroundings and always be ready. Deer move very quickly and can be quiet in front of you before you even realize it.
However, the most critical thing I learned as a result of ignoring what I knew to be true, is that NOT putting solid hunting advice into play could sacrifice the very thing you’ve worked hard to achieve. Not only could it cost you a successful harvest. But even worse, not heeding to good instruction could cost you your life.
