Author's note: As a reminder, I'll be in bowhunting camp through next week. I may post an update about mid-week, but no regular blogs will be posted until I return.
By: Ray Hansen
The “rifle season” (now the “centerfire rifle” portion of the firearms hunting season) for whitetail deer in Michigan has been from November 15 – 30 for many years. This means that opening day is often during the week. Other states start their rifle seasons on different dates each year – usually something like “the second Saturday in November”.
This insures that the opening day will always be on a weekend – something that many hunters prefer. If they are working a job that allows only weekends off, they can at least get out for opening day of the deer season each year. This may provide the greatest number of hunters an equal footing in the deer harvest, since by far the greatest number of deer are taken on opening day of the season – no matter what state they are hunted in. After that, the herd wises up fast, and fewer deer are seen.
I remember being somewhat frustrated at occasionally not being able to get out in the woods on opening day while hunting in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. In fact one year, I debated about going at all. A new job kept me from getting there for the first weekend. I had only a few days around Thanksgiving to take a last-minute shot at finding a deer.
Well, the holiday came around and the Upper Peninsula was socked with two-feet of heavy, wet snow that fell for two days non-stop. With the truck in four-wheel drive most of the way, I made the drive. Deer were not moving during the blizzard, and all I could do was stick it out in camp to wait for the storm to break. During that time I thought long and hard about where they were holed up and what they might do when the snow quit falling.
I talked to my friend Duane Deno of Gladstone, Michigan – who lived near the hunting area. He said: “they’re holding in the cedar swamps now and will not eat much since snow covers the ground eighteen inches deep or more. When the storm breaks, I think they’ll head for the edges of the old hayfields where weed tops are sticking up out of the snow. When the snow stops you should probably take a stand off one of the fields – maybe a hundred yards or so into the powerline that crosses through the cedar swamp a mile south of here. I’ve seen an eight-pointer in that area. It’s a good buck”.
He was absolutely right. The following morning dawned sunny and without snowfall. I had been watching the powerline for about two hours when the eight-pointer showed up, sneaking along the edge of the cedars, heading for an abandoned field. A single shot from my bolt-action .308 took the deer at forty yards. For all the fretting I had done about missing opening day, and the agonizing wait for the storm to break, this was one of the easier bucks I’d taken!
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
CAN YOU STAND TO SIT STILL?
Author's note: As a reminder, I'll be on a week-long bow hunt starting October 18 and do not plan to post new blogs during that period. I may post an update about the hunt results around mid-week since I am not hunting too far from home.
By Ray Hansen
I’ve spent many years in the woods chasing whitetail deer. Many times, I’m out there when no hunting season is open, and all the shooting I do is with a camera. At other times, if the season is open, I carry a gun or bow, and if I’ve got a deer tag, I fill it.
One thing never changes. When I want to see deer that can be photographed easily, or that can be cleanly killed with a legal hunting weapon, it happens when I’m sitting still and the deer is moving. Try to go out in the woods looking for the opportunity to “sneak up” on a deer that’s going to stand there waiting to be shot, and all you’ll see is white tails flagging as the deer run off. Most of the time, you won’t even see that. The deer discover you long before you see them, and they either flop down and let you walk past, or they slip away undetected. I’ve watched deer do these things to other hunters many times.
I participate in “herd reduction hunts” in Illinois State Parks every year. I’ve found them to be a particularly good place to park your butt, keep your eyes open and ears tuned, and let other hunters who cannot sit still move deer for you. As long as the animal is watching that other guy walking through the woods, it is not paying attention to you. That gives you a big edge.
I’ve talked to guys who said they “walked around, hoping to scare up a deer and get a shot”. What kind of shot? Three fast rounds of high-powered, potentially deadly lead fired vaguely in the direction of a leaping, twisting, running animal? Answer this: Where do you go to practice that kind of shot? As hunters, we have an ethical responsibility to make a clean, humane kill on the animals we target. Therefore, if a “running shot” is taken, it is because the person firing believes he can make that clean kill – not simply wound the animal.
Again, where is it possible to practice that type of shooting – say at a target one-hundred yards away, moving fast and occasionally leaping or changing direction quickly? And having practiced that type of shooting, how well did you do? Were you able to hit an eight-inch circle consistently? That is about the size of the heart / lung kill zone on the average deer.
Another consideration: When firing at deer running in the distance, what is on the other side of the animal? Do you know for certain that another hunter is not out that way? Can you live with the consequences of a tragedy?
This season, especially if you are hunting in an area where other hunters are in the field, pick a good spot, and sit still. Watch for unalarmed deer. You’ll have a safer, more productive time in the woods.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
By Ray Hansen
I’ve spent many years in the woods chasing whitetail deer. Many times, I’m out there when no hunting season is open, and all the shooting I do is with a camera. At other times, if the season is open, I carry a gun or bow, and if I’ve got a deer tag, I fill it.
One thing never changes. When I want to see deer that can be photographed easily, or that can be cleanly killed with a legal hunting weapon, it happens when I’m sitting still and the deer is moving. Try to go out in the woods looking for the opportunity to “sneak up” on a deer that’s going to stand there waiting to be shot, and all you’ll see is white tails flagging as the deer run off. Most of the time, you won’t even see that. The deer discover you long before you see them, and they either flop down and let you walk past, or they slip away undetected. I’ve watched deer do these things to other hunters many times.
I participate in “herd reduction hunts” in Illinois State Parks every year. I’ve found them to be a particularly good place to park your butt, keep your eyes open and ears tuned, and let other hunters who cannot sit still move deer for you. As long as the animal is watching that other guy walking through the woods, it is not paying attention to you. That gives you a big edge.
I’ve talked to guys who said they “walked around, hoping to scare up a deer and get a shot”. What kind of shot? Three fast rounds of high-powered, potentially deadly lead fired vaguely in the direction of a leaping, twisting, running animal? Answer this: Where do you go to practice that kind of shot? As hunters, we have an ethical responsibility to make a clean, humane kill on the animals we target. Therefore, if a “running shot” is taken, it is because the person firing believes he can make that clean kill – not simply wound the animal.
Again, where is it possible to practice that type of shooting – say at a target one-hundred yards away, moving fast and occasionally leaping or changing direction quickly? And having practiced that type of shooting, how well did you do? Were you able to hit an eight-inch circle consistently? That is about the size of the heart / lung kill zone on the average deer.
Another consideration: When firing at deer running in the distance, what is on the other side of the animal? Do you know for certain that another hunter is not out that way? Can you live with the consequences of a tragedy?
This season, especially if you are hunting in an area where other hunters are in the field, pick a good spot, and sit still. Watch for unalarmed deer. You’ll have a safer, more productive time in the woods.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
BIG WALLEYES FROM SHORE
Author's note: I have several items to comment on in this blog. First, I rely on a satellite connection (Hughes) for internet access here in my part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It is usually slow, and at times I simply cannot get connected. Last night was one of them. This is the only service available here at this time, so I guess I'll have to live with it for now.
Secondly, I'll be in bow hunting camp all of next week, so I do not plan on posting any blogs during that hunt. I may try to post an update one day during the week since I am not hunting too far from my home.
Finally, anglers casting from shore start catching big walleyes here near Escanaba, Michigan and in many other bays on the Great Lakes. I am running some information about taking advantage of this bite in today's blog. It has appeared previously here, but it is timely and I have many more readers now so I am presenting it again. I hope it inspires you to get out and try it.
By: Ray Hansen
Once Halloween nears, a new cold-weather creature comes out at night – and this one stalks big walleyes. You’ll spot this stalker at river mouths, at the deep end of piers, along rocky shorelines, on jetties, and most places where deeper water on the Great Lakes swings in close enough to shore that it can be reached with a rod and reel rig capable distance casting. Sometimes clad in chest waders, and at other times in coveralls paired with long hip boots, this walleye killer often shows mercy, releasing big fish as soon as they are reeled in.
These are the fearless members of the night patrol: anglers who have learned that big glass-eyes make a shoreward run during the late-fall season just as they do during the spring. Intercept these active fish, and you’ll get a bunch of great new stories to tell around the campfire.
I’ve got a pair of Jim Grandt rods ( www.grandtrods.com) that have proven their worth in this situation many times. The model XLH70, six-foot, six-inch spinning rod coupled with a “long-cast” style (extended spool) reel spooled with twenty-pound test Cortland Spectron line is a classic. Equally well suited to this task is the seven-foot model C-10 “All American Pro Series” medium/heavy action casting rod, a low-profile casting reel and the same line.
Pair these rods with three and one-half inch to five inch minnow-imitating lures, four inch soft plastic grubs or shad imitators on three-eights ounce jigheads, or one-half ounce Lewis Rat-L-Trap lures (especially the “glow” models), and you are basically ready to go. Tie on a strong snap to help in changing lures without having to re-tie.
Finding a productive spot may take a little detective work. Experienced night patrol members are likely to be tight-lipped about their favorite destinations. Friends that have been doing this in Michigan for many years wear dark colors, avoid using lights (when fishing from shore), and don’t even talk much while casting. You can find potentially good spots by consulting detailed topographic maps, asking discreetly at bait shops, and simply keeping your eyes open and ears on “high alert” for clues.
I once found a couple good places by noticing that nearby motels always had angler’s trucks and/or boats in their parking lots during the day, but the same lots had only tourist’s cars in them at night. The night patrol members were obviously fishing after dark and sleeping during the day! In another area of the Great Lakes, I knew a waitress at a local diner who revealed some information from overheard conversations at breakfast tables.
And how long does this big fish bonanza last? Well… I’ve seen boats catching big walleyes as long as open water allows it, often mid-December. The anglers casting from shore seem to get results through November on the upper Great Lakes.
This type of fishing will probably never become main-stream. It requires too much effort, cutting back on sleep, dressing for cold weather, fishing under sometimes uncomfortable conditions, not being able to find any friends willing to brave the elements, and related challenges. I’ll tell you this much however, enjoy one memorable night patrol trip for big marble-eyes with sagging bellies stuffed with smelt and other oily forage, and you’ll be hooked!
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Secondly, I'll be in bow hunting camp all of next week, so I do not plan on posting any blogs during that hunt. I may try to post an update one day during the week since I am not hunting too far from my home.
Finally, anglers casting from shore start catching big walleyes here near Escanaba, Michigan and in many other bays on the Great Lakes. I am running some information about taking advantage of this bite in today's blog. It has appeared previously here, but it is timely and I have many more readers now so I am presenting it again. I hope it inspires you to get out and try it.
By: Ray Hansen
Once Halloween nears, a new cold-weather creature comes out at night – and this one stalks big walleyes. You’ll spot this stalker at river mouths, at the deep end of piers, along rocky shorelines, on jetties, and most places where deeper water on the Great Lakes swings in close enough to shore that it can be reached with a rod and reel rig capable distance casting. Sometimes clad in chest waders, and at other times in coveralls paired with long hip boots, this walleye killer often shows mercy, releasing big fish as soon as they are reeled in.
These are the fearless members of the night patrol: anglers who have learned that big glass-eyes make a shoreward run during the late-fall season just as they do during the spring. Intercept these active fish, and you’ll get a bunch of great new stories to tell around the campfire.
I’ve got a pair of Jim Grandt rods ( www.grandtrods.com) that have proven their worth in this situation many times. The model XLH70, six-foot, six-inch spinning rod coupled with a “long-cast” style (extended spool) reel spooled with twenty-pound test Cortland Spectron line is a classic. Equally well suited to this task is the seven-foot model C-10 “All American Pro Series” medium/heavy action casting rod, a low-profile casting reel and the same line.
Pair these rods with three and one-half inch to five inch minnow-imitating lures, four inch soft plastic grubs or shad imitators on three-eights ounce jigheads, or one-half ounce Lewis Rat-L-Trap lures (especially the “glow” models), and you are basically ready to go. Tie on a strong snap to help in changing lures without having to re-tie.
Finding a productive spot may take a little detective work. Experienced night patrol members are likely to be tight-lipped about their favorite destinations. Friends that have been doing this in Michigan for many years wear dark colors, avoid using lights (when fishing from shore), and don’t even talk much while casting. You can find potentially good spots by consulting detailed topographic maps, asking discreetly at bait shops, and simply keeping your eyes open and ears on “high alert” for clues.
I once found a couple good places by noticing that nearby motels always had angler’s trucks and/or boats in their parking lots during the day, but the same lots had only tourist’s cars in them at night. The night patrol members were obviously fishing after dark and sleeping during the day! In another area of the Great Lakes, I knew a waitress at a local diner who revealed some information from overheard conversations at breakfast tables.
And how long does this big fish bonanza last? Well… I’ve seen boats catching big walleyes as long as open water allows it, often mid-December. The anglers casting from shore seem to get results through November on the upper Great Lakes.
This type of fishing will probably never become main-stream. It requires too much effort, cutting back on sleep, dressing for cold weather, fishing under sometimes uncomfortable conditions, not being able to find any friends willing to brave the elements, and related challenges. I’ll tell you this much however, enjoy one memorable night patrol trip for big marble-eyes with sagging bellies stuffed with smelt and other oily forage, and you’ll be hooked!
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
BLOWN CHANCES
Author's note: The following account details some experiences I had during a bow hunt in Michigan's Upper Peninsula during 2006. Later that season I bagged a fine eight-point buck with a rifle, but during the bow season I suffered some misfortune. This is an account of the troubles I had while hunting with bow and arrow that year.
I blew chances at two big does on an Upper Peninsula of Michigan bow hunt during 2006. The first was on an old logging road. I heard / watched the deer approach through heavy woods. When she stepped out onto the more open road, I drew my bow and held low thinking she would drop slightly at the sound of the release, to jump away. That is what most of them do, most of the time. If you do not hold low, you tend to hit too high.
Anyway, this one jumped upward, spun around 180 degrees on her hind legs, and ran back the way she came from. My arrow sailed straight under the brisket and stuck in the ground, making a resonant “whump” sound like a solid hit. I climbed down, triple-checked the arrow for hair, blood, or fat, finding nothing. Also, the doe bounded off after the shot without slowing or stumbling. I pronounced the shot a clean miss.
As for the deer reacting to the sound of the shot before it gets there, it is just a matter of physics and how alert or nervous they seem to be. Sound travels over one thousand feet per second, but my arrow is about 225 f.p.s. The sound reaches the deer four times faster than the arrow. Sometimes the deer are not nervous, and they do not react instantly to the sound. Pick a spot on the bottom third of the chest and behind the front leg and you are fine.
At other times they are more alert (having recently encountered a human, smelled something they don't like – such as coyotes - or the weather makes them nervous due to higher winds for example so they can't smell danger as effectively). This day was windy, and the deer were more cautious. Under these conditions I expect the deer to drop a few inches to “load” their legs before leaping ahead. This movement takes just a fraction of a second, but your arrow will hit higher if you do not compensate by aiming a little low.
The second chance came on the last hunt of the last day (why does this last minute stuff happen so frequently)? Anyway, I was in a completely different area. We had seen a ten point buck and two eight-pointers checking does near this spot. I had two very nervous does around my stand, and I hoped they would attract one of the bucks. As it got later in the day, I decided to take one of the does (they had been circling, bedding, and browsing near me for an hour). When the biggest of the two does entered a tiny clearing, I drew my bow and my face mask somehow slid around, partially covering my shooting eye. I could not see through the peep sight. I tried to quietly let the draw back down and straighten the mask, but she caught my movement and spooked.
As for actual chances to take deer on this trip, these were far from the only two chances I had. They were just the two does I decided to draw my bow on. Life-long friend Duane Deno and I saw probably a dozen spikehorn, through six-point bucks in easy range that provided easy kill shots if we had wanted to take them. These smaller bucks are not targeted, because they can turn into larger bucks the following season. We decided however, to take an eight-point buck or better that might pass within range on this hunt. We have learned that any small eight-pointer is shot by the gun hunters in this area as soon as they see it, so it doesn’t do us much good to let them go. Of course, taking a deer with a rifle is usually much easier than with a bow. As I mentioned, we did see some nicer bucks that would have been easy gun shots, but never presented a close enough chance for a bow.
Well... that’s why it is hunting. The animal usually has the advantage and you do the best you can. I have the opportunity to hunt there again through the end of December since archery, gun, and muzzleloader seasons run through all or part of that time frame. I’ll give them a rematch.
Copyright Ray Hansen – 2008
I blew chances at two big does on an Upper Peninsula of Michigan bow hunt during 2006. The first was on an old logging road. I heard / watched the deer approach through heavy woods. When she stepped out onto the more open road, I drew my bow and held low thinking she would drop slightly at the sound of the release, to jump away. That is what most of them do, most of the time. If you do not hold low, you tend to hit too high.
Anyway, this one jumped upward, spun around 180 degrees on her hind legs, and ran back the way she came from. My arrow sailed straight under the brisket and stuck in the ground, making a resonant “whump” sound like a solid hit. I climbed down, triple-checked the arrow for hair, blood, or fat, finding nothing. Also, the doe bounded off after the shot without slowing or stumbling. I pronounced the shot a clean miss.
As for the deer reacting to the sound of the shot before it gets there, it is just a matter of physics and how alert or nervous they seem to be. Sound travels over one thousand feet per second, but my arrow is about 225 f.p.s. The sound reaches the deer four times faster than the arrow. Sometimes the deer are not nervous, and they do not react instantly to the sound. Pick a spot on the bottom third of the chest and behind the front leg and you are fine.
At other times they are more alert (having recently encountered a human, smelled something they don't like – such as coyotes - or the weather makes them nervous due to higher winds for example so they can't smell danger as effectively). This day was windy, and the deer were more cautious. Under these conditions I expect the deer to drop a few inches to “load” their legs before leaping ahead. This movement takes just a fraction of a second, but your arrow will hit higher if you do not compensate by aiming a little low.
The second chance came on the last hunt of the last day (why does this last minute stuff happen so frequently)? Anyway, I was in a completely different area. We had seen a ten point buck and two eight-pointers checking does near this spot. I had two very nervous does around my stand, and I hoped they would attract one of the bucks. As it got later in the day, I decided to take one of the does (they had been circling, bedding, and browsing near me for an hour). When the biggest of the two does entered a tiny clearing, I drew my bow and my face mask somehow slid around, partially covering my shooting eye. I could not see through the peep sight. I tried to quietly let the draw back down and straighten the mask, but she caught my movement and spooked.
As for actual chances to take deer on this trip, these were far from the only two chances I had. They were just the two does I decided to draw my bow on. Life-long friend Duane Deno and I saw probably a dozen spikehorn, through six-point bucks in easy range that provided easy kill shots if we had wanted to take them. These smaller bucks are not targeted, because they can turn into larger bucks the following season. We decided however, to take an eight-point buck or better that might pass within range on this hunt. We have learned that any small eight-pointer is shot by the gun hunters in this area as soon as they see it, so it doesn’t do us much good to let them go. Of course, taking a deer with a rifle is usually much easier than with a bow. As I mentioned, we did see some nicer bucks that would have been easy gun shots, but never presented a close enough chance for a bow.
Well... that’s why it is hunting. The animal usually has the advantage and you do the best you can. I have the opportunity to hunt there again through the end of December since archery, gun, and muzzleloader seasons run through all or part of that time frame. I’ll give them a rematch.
Copyright Ray Hansen – 2008
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