Author's Note: In the next few blogs, I'm going to describe a typical half-day bow hunt based on an actual day I recently enjoyed in the woods. The routine described here would take place when I drive to my friend Duane's home and we go to the hunting area from there. In other cases, we would be staying in a camp and hunting near there, or I would be going out alone.
GUT INSTINCTS
Three hours before sunrise: I get up, stretch, and wander out to the screen porch to take a look at the sky. I see no stars and conclude that it is overcast. We do not have television and I don’t watch the Weather Channel. I could fire up my computer to see what the forecast is, but I’m not invested in what they might report. This is hunting in the old way. I’ll go by what my guts say; what the sky looks like; what I might hear on the pre-dawn breeze; and what experience tells me about hunting with a bow and arrow at this time of year.
5:20 a.m.: I’m in the truck, driving toward Duane’s place. I see lots of deer on the ten-mile drive. They seem quite active today. I hope this carries through into the hours I’ll be out in the woods.
MORNING COFFEE
5:30 a.m.: Duane and I have a cup of coffee. We have a long-standing and fundamental disagreement about coffee strength. My preferred recipe is one heaping handful of fresh grounds per person, boil for thirty minutes then throw a horseshoe into the seething cauldron. If the horseshoe sinks, add more coffee. This is called “campfire coffee” or “cowboy coffee” at times.
Duane on the other hand, starts with a full pot of water on Monday, using just three miserly, tiny, teaspoons of grounds. This brews something – certainly not worthy of being called coffee – that one can easily read a newspaper through.
On Tuesday, and each subsequent day, he sprinkles a few additional grains of finely ground coffee on top of the soggy grounds remaining from the previous day. The result is the creation of some unknown heated liquid that he relishes each morning.
PRE-DAWN DEPARTURE
6:15 a.m.: We head out to the woods in my truck. Sunrise is not until just before 8 a.m. and we have a long hike through the woods in the dark so we can be in our stands well before it is light enough to see. Watching the woods come alive on frosty autumn mornings is a treat not many people take advantage of. It is especially enjoyable from a small platform twenty-five feet up a large spruce tree. (Yes, I’m still climbing trees at my age!)
6:40 a.m.: We park on an old logging road adjacent to a large marsh flooded by beavers some years ago. We suit up in camouflage coveralls, gloves, and camo facemasks. After that we spray down with scent-blocking spray from plastic spritz bottles and put on eighteen-inch high rubber boots. Deer have an incredibly well developed sense of smell, and that is the number one thing hunters have to try to defeat if they plan on seeing any animals.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Showing posts with label scent control. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scent control. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
LAST MINUTE STUFF FOR DEER - PART 2
This is part 2 of the blog started yesterday. It's nearly time to start bowhunting here in Michigan - the seaon opens October 1 - and I'll be using some of thee tips. Good hunting!
BREAK UP YOUR “ELEVATED OUTLINE”.
An extremely effective tactic is to conceal yourself behind some brush while in your treestand. This helps break up your outline, and lets you get away with movement you may make while positioning for a shot. This is not necessary in all trees, but where natural cover is thin, it can make a big difference.
Since I have some stands that are left in place well before the season starts, I usually jam some dead branches I’ve picked up vertically through the grated platform of the stand when I first put the stand in place. Later when I hunt them, I may take two or three additional branches picked up on the morning I hunt. These are put in place by “twining” them horizontally through the original branches I installed. Ideally, the branches will offer some cover from shoulder height downward when I am seated in the stand. You will have to experiment with branch placement when the stand is put in place. You should have room for movement, but leave nothing in the way to interfere with drawing your bow.
HITTING WHAT YOU AIM AT
This is one of the most common “last minute” situations bowhunters have to work on… target practice. Not only do you have to be able to hit what you aim at using gear you are accustomed to, you need to adapt to any new equipment you add. In my case for example, I replaced the arrows I had used for many years with new Carbon Express Maxima shafts. Their “Crossweave” shafts make them stronger without adding weight. These are great arrows, and I have had good experiences with them.
When I first took them to the range, they did not hit where the other arrows did. I expected that, and re-adjusted my sights to compensate. Later, I bought a new set of sights and I had to make another round of adjustments. I’ve had to re-sight my bow while illuminating the target with truck headlights, because I made changes in camp at night. One time I somehow lost a string silencer and replaced it in camp. The point-of-impact for my arrows immediately moved four inches to the right! The point is, do not change equipment without re-sighting.
When I get to the camp I hunt from, among the first things I do is to set up a portable target so I can practice every day. Shoot some arrows sitting on an overturned plastic bucket. Launch a few while standing and facing the target as well as from the extreme left or right positions. Even if you are on the ground, tie a safety strap to a tree and lean out one way or another. See how your arrows hit from these common shooting angles.
In closing, I’ll say that everyone faces a few last-minute challenges. Eliminate as many potential problems as you can beforehand. You owe it to the game you pursue, and each step helps insure a successful hunt.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
BREAK UP YOUR “ELEVATED OUTLINE”.
An extremely effective tactic is to conceal yourself behind some brush while in your treestand. This helps break up your outline, and lets you get away with movement you may make while positioning for a shot. This is not necessary in all trees, but where natural cover is thin, it can make a big difference.
Since I have some stands that are left in place well before the season starts, I usually jam some dead branches I’ve picked up vertically through the grated platform of the stand when I first put the stand in place. Later when I hunt them, I may take two or three additional branches picked up on the morning I hunt. These are put in place by “twining” them horizontally through the original branches I installed. Ideally, the branches will offer some cover from shoulder height downward when I am seated in the stand. You will have to experiment with branch placement when the stand is put in place. You should have room for movement, but leave nothing in the way to interfere with drawing your bow.
HITTING WHAT YOU AIM AT
This is one of the most common “last minute” situations bowhunters have to work on… target practice. Not only do you have to be able to hit what you aim at using gear you are accustomed to, you need to adapt to any new equipment you add. In my case for example, I replaced the arrows I had used for many years with new Carbon Express Maxima shafts. Their “Crossweave” shafts make them stronger without adding weight. These are great arrows, and I have had good experiences with them.
When I first took them to the range, they did not hit where the other arrows did. I expected that, and re-adjusted my sights to compensate. Later, I bought a new set of sights and I had to make another round of adjustments. I’ve had to re-sight my bow while illuminating the target with truck headlights, because I made changes in camp at night. One time I somehow lost a string silencer and replaced it in camp. The point-of-impact for my arrows immediately moved four inches to the right! The point is, do not change equipment without re-sighting.
When I get to the camp I hunt from, among the first things I do is to set up a portable target so I can practice every day. Shoot some arrows sitting on an overturned plastic bucket. Launch a few while standing and facing the target as well as from the extreme left or right positions. Even if you are on the ground, tie a safety strap to a tree and lean out one way or another. See how your arrows hit from these common shooting angles.
In closing, I’ll say that everyone faces a few last-minute challenges. Eliminate as many potential problems as you can beforehand. You owe it to the game you pursue, and each step helps insure a successful hunt.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
LAST MINUTE STUFF FOR DEER - PART 1
This is part one of two parts detailing some observations I 've made over many years of hunting deer with a bow. These little things can make or break a hunt.
By: Ray Hansen
It’s coming. Starting late September in some states, the first of October in others, you’ll be able to get out in the woods in search of deer. If you are like most hunters, you begin to realize that you never quite got around to doing those small projects that can make such a great difference in the results you enjoy. In this article, I’ll pass along a few ideas that can help you overcome the negative consequences of procrastination. They will definitely provide more chances for a successful bowhunt.
“WHERE DID I PUT THOSE GLOVES”?
Get organized! How many times have you had to search high and low for some piece of essential hunting gear? Maybe you just can’t find that one item that absolutely has to go on the hunt, so you run out to try to find a replacement. There is a better way.
I store my hunting clothes (insulated camouflage coveralls, socks, face masks, gloves, red handkerchiefs, insulated vest, my “lucky” shirt, etc. etc.) in a large plastic storage container having a “snap-top” lid. It is always easy to get to, and I never have to look in ten different places to find what I need. I slide it into the back of my truck and I’m “good to go”.
THE “INSIDE-OUT” TRICK
I would not hunt without some form of scent control. Many outdoorsmen simply buy one or more sets of hunting clothes that have scent control systems in the fabric. I have an alternative that has served me quite well.
Pick a sunny, breezy early fall day, rig a temporary clothesline, and hang your hunting clothes, inside out. Get a trigger-spray bottle in about a one-quart size (the kind that uses your hand to work the sprayer, not the “one-finger” style). Also get a one-gallon refill of scent-control liquid. Sporting goods stores usually have several brand names available. In some cases, you can also get a concentrated liquid that can be mixed with water to make as much or as little as necessary.
You can see where I’m going with this exercise. Spray down all your gear and let it air dry thoroughly. On some pieces – such as coveralls – you should spray the outside as well. Wait until the inside dries however. Remember to use the scent control liquid on everything you will wear during the hunt.
I also bring a smaller (one pint) spray bottle along in the woods to do “touch-ups” as needed. Each time I head for a treestand, I also spray my face, head, neck, bare hands and boots after leaving my truck, but before entering the woods.
End of part one. Watch for part two tomorrow.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
By: Ray Hansen
It’s coming. Starting late September in some states, the first of October in others, you’ll be able to get out in the woods in search of deer. If you are like most hunters, you begin to realize that you never quite got around to doing those small projects that can make such a great difference in the results you enjoy. In this article, I’ll pass along a few ideas that can help you overcome the negative consequences of procrastination. They will definitely provide more chances for a successful bowhunt.
“WHERE DID I PUT THOSE GLOVES”?
Get organized! How many times have you had to search high and low for some piece of essential hunting gear? Maybe you just can’t find that one item that absolutely has to go on the hunt, so you run out to try to find a replacement. There is a better way.
I store my hunting clothes (insulated camouflage coveralls, socks, face masks, gloves, red handkerchiefs, insulated vest, my “lucky” shirt, etc. etc.) in a large plastic storage container having a “snap-top” lid. It is always easy to get to, and I never have to look in ten different places to find what I need. I slide it into the back of my truck and I’m “good to go”.
THE “INSIDE-OUT” TRICK
I would not hunt without some form of scent control. Many outdoorsmen simply buy one or more sets of hunting clothes that have scent control systems in the fabric. I have an alternative that has served me quite well.
Pick a sunny, breezy early fall day, rig a temporary clothesline, and hang your hunting clothes, inside out. Get a trigger-spray bottle in about a one-quart size (the kind that uses your hand to work the sprayer, not the “one-finger” style). Also get a one-gallon refill of scent-control liquid. Sporting goods stores usually have several brand names available. In some cases, you can also get a concentrated liquid that can be mixed with water to make as much or as little as necessary.
You can see where I’m going with this exercise. Spray down all your gear and let it air dry thoroughly. On some pieces – such as coveralls – you should spray the outside as well. Wait until the inside dries however. Remember to use the scent control liquid on everything you will wear during the hunt.
I also bring a smaller (one pint) spray bottle along in the woods to do “touch-ups” as needed. Each time I head for a treestand, I also spray my face, head, neck, bare hands and boots after leaving my truck, but before entering the woods.
End of part one. Watch for part two tomorrow.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
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