Blog Entries tagged 'hunting'

The Definitive Answer on Deer Movement and Moon Phase... Yeah, right!

rhr@yourwildlife.com — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 02:00:00 +0100

Holy smokes... DeRyderM asked about moon phase and deer movement, so I thought I would put together a quick overview and call it good. ...little did I know just how MUCH this issue has been debated in the last couple of months. So...here is the best answer I can give you, based on what I know and my opinions...

Is deer movement influenced by moon phase? I think the better question is, CAN it be...and I think yes, it can.

As we discussed in the last blog entry, [[photoperiod]] is really the driving force behind animals coming into their reproductive cycle � i.e. the amount of daylight vs. darkness each day. Recently, a lot of scientific data has come forth that shows that deer fawn conception dates (i.e. when a doe is actually bred) for specific areas are generally +/- 3 or 4 days around the same date each year, regardless the year, and regardless of the moon phase. For some, research into deer conception dates has been �the end all be all proof� that moon phase doesn�t influence the deer rut. However, while these data are easily quantifiable, and were collected over several to MANY years, some have pointed out that there are limitations to how they were gathered, and whether or not secondary influences like deer density, age, feed, their captivity, etc. affected how the does cycled. Similarly, in the last few years, several well-known �moon phase rut models� have been �shown� to be inaccurate, or only applicable to certain areas, by a variety of hunters posting their observations on various chat rooms and talk forums. So what�s true? What�s really accurate? Unfortunately, probably all of the above...

Without going into all the science, research, data, etc... I�ll give you MY thoughts on the subject, and how I would be hunting if I could be hunting whitetails this year. First, two points..

1)� The whitetail rut occurs at different times whether you are in the northern portions of their range or southern. Case in point, in northern portions, it isn�t uncommon to have the rut occur in late October or early November. In south Texas and northern Mexico, it can occur in January. Photoperiod drives REGIONAL reproduction cycles in animal populations IN RELATION to how those animals are adapted to REGIONAL seasonal shifts and resource availabilities � i.e. when spring green up occurs/the optimum time for young ones to �hit the ground.� Therefore, when predicting whitetail movement off of moon phases, I will admit, that making the blanket statement of �the second full moon after the fall equinox� can be misleading; it all depends on where you live/hunt.

2)� In my experience, the moon CAN affect when animals move � DURING THE DAY. Period. End of discussion as far as I am concerned. I emphasize �during the day� because that is when I�m concerned with animal movement. ...that�s when I can hunt them. What happens at night � for me � simply translates into what they are likely to do during the day.

So, what do I think about the moon phase and the deer rut?

First, we�re going to assume weather, wind, hunting pressure, etc. are all equal, or at least, don�t matter for this discussion. Let�s ignore it for now, because all of that and more can throw a monkey wrench in the works of any best laid plans...

If I wasn�t familiar with a particular area, I would check with local deer biologists and find out when THEY say the BULK of the breeding occurs for does in the region I plan on hunting. Most likely, (for most of you mid-west to northeastern hunters) they�ll give you a week to 10-day period like, �generally the third week November� or something like that. From there, I look at my calendar/moon phase chart to see what the moon phase looks like in relation to this �third week� time period.

Understanding that the GENERAL whitetail �activity cycle� before and up to the rut goes from the seeking phase (bucks looking for does and doe groups) to the chasing phase (bucks running around potentially receptive does) to the breeding phase (where most does are standing for bucks), I backtrack off of the middle of the time-period the biologist (or my experience) gave me, roughly 10 days or so. My bet is, based on their cycle, a lot of buck movement should be going on right about this time. If I had to plan a 7 day period to hunt � without looking at the moon phase � I would generally choose the 5 to 12 days prior to the time when most does should be ACTIVELY being bred.

Now, for the moon phase. My belief is that the moon phase can influence the intensity of activity during a particular phase in the breeding cycle. So... if the full moon (or at least �bright� moon) coincides with the chasing phase, I would expect to experience a higher level of chasing activity than during a dark moon phase. For me, I plan my hunt according to what the moon phase will be � but I keep it general. A lot of people claim that the quarter moon phases see increased activity... I honestly don�t have enough time in the whitetail woods to have an opinion on that, but a lot of folks have started to focus their efforts then. What I do know, is that when the moon is full � I�ll be sitting ALL day if I can. During the full/bright moon its not uncommon to have deer moving a lot during the middle of the day. When the moon isn�t very bright � typically the quarter moon and new moon phases, I�m focusing on the typical morning and evening hunts.

For deer, this is how I use the moon; I simply use it to help guide when I sit on a stand, and when I can expect movement. Because � like a lot of you � my time can be limited in the fall, looking at the moon phase can help me figure out how to budget my non-hunting time to maximize my hunting time. If a full moon (or bright moon) is going to coincide with when I want to hunt, I make sure that all my �chores� are done so I can sit all day. If the moon isn�t full or bright, I feel a little more confident in just hunting the mornings and evenings.

Because there is A LOT of discussion and info out there concerning this, here are two places on the internet you can go to look into more about the moon phase and deer movement. While I know there are more, these are two to get you started.

www.charliealsheimer.com/ca/articles/art_understanding.html � this is Charles Alsheimer�s site, and contains a good bit of discussion on his thoughts regarding moon phase and the rut. His book is still one of the �most referenced� guides on using the moon for deer hunting.

www.forums.qdma.org and search moon phase � the QDMA forum has a LOT of discussion on this, and what I like about it is, it references both research and non-research ideas, and provides other links to dive into.

Understanding that this topic is like asking �what is the best broadhead?� I can�t WAIT to see where the discussion goes. Ok... I�m ready for questions.... :-)

Chris

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$4 Archery Hunting T-Shirts!

aroney@bowcast.com — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 02:00:00 +0100

I came across this deal and thought many of you out there in BowCast land would like to learn how to get some archery hunting t-shirts for $4l.

I don't know about all of you, but I can't seem to have enough cotton t-shirts (with a distant second being hoodies).� In the often misperceived mild climate of Colorado, I wear t-shirts and shorts year round.� I also like to wear a lot of hunting and archery related t-shirts (imagine that).

I came across a company called Field Dressed.� Their website offers t-shirts at $4 a pop.� You read that right, $4 a pop.� I was in disbelief, and actually had to have a conversation with the owner to be convinced this was not "wholesale" pricing.� The owner informed me the price was $4 per shirt, and to make it even more attractive, Field Dressed offers free shipping on any order of 3 or more t-shirts.

So the next thought that popped in my head, is that these t-shirts must be� complete crap as far as quality goes.� But for $12 for 3 shirts delivered to my house, I thought I would see what they are all about.

I actually ended up ordering 4 shirts because I really dug some of the designs they had.� The shirts are acceptable quality cotton, and I have run all three of mine through 2 cycles in the washer, and they did not shrink.� The cotton is regular weight, just like anything you would by from Cabela's or Sportsman's Warehouse.

The cool thing is they have a number of subtle t-shirt designs that show off that you are an archery hunter.� There is a "Archery Evolutions" shirt (that I purchased), as well as a couple designs that simply read "Nock Up".

Check out their website (below) to learn more.� I am not sure where else you can get a quality t-shirt for $4 bucks delivered to your house with some Archery hunting logo and insignia on the T.� With the holidays coming up, this is a low budget way to cloth the hunting heritage family at a price that won't break the bank!

You can order online at:

http://www.fielddressed.com/

If you do order, let us know which designs you liked the best by posting a comment to this blog entry.� Happy shopping!�

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My Goals for the 2008-2009 Season..

michaeledge@bowcast.com — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 02:00:00 +0100

My goal this year is to take a whitetail with my bow. I plan to go in a couple of weeks to shoot a hog with my bow to get ready for the season. I will be going to my hunting camp in grosse tete to hunt both hogs and whitetail. When I hunt hogs I plan to start with a treestand, bit if that does not work I will try and put a spot and stalk. When I am whitetail hunting I will be hunting out of a treestand. Unlike hunting big muleys in the mountains, we cannot spot and stalk because our woods are too thick. My setup this year is a HOYT Avenger set at 60 lbs and 27 1/2 in. draw legnth. I am using G5 sites. I shoot 400gr Easton arrows with 100gr thunderhead browheads. Michael
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Range Finder Shopping List

aroney@bowcast.com — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 02:00:00 +0100

Folks,

As a preview to an upcoming episode Anthony and I are going to do related to range finders, I thought I would share the following "shopping list" that was provided by CJ Davis.

CJ works on the Nikon team, and joins us on next week's episode to talk about all of these considerations (and more) related to range finders. CJ is the PR Director for Nikon Optics, however, he is intricately involved with range finders for Nikon - from product inception, field testing, all the way to final production. We're all in for a treat with a true range finder and optics expert on next week's show! Be sure to tune in. For now, check out some of the considerations CJ suggests below. If you have other questions, feel free to post them to this blog entry and we'll do our best to get them answered.

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Rangefinder Shopping List

From CJ Davis - PR Director of Nikon Optics

#1 - Determine Price - Set a budget. It will greatly help narrow down your choices.

#2 - Key Features:

A) Do you need waterproof?

B) What about angle compensation?

C) Maximum yardage?

NOTE: If you will be using it for gun hunting as well as bowhunting take that into consideration as well.

#3 - Play with different models both in the store and outside of the store (if possible). Features to try out and see how they work for you:

Does the unit fit well in your hand and seem intuitive to use?
Is it confusing or simple to operate? Remember you will be using this in the heat of the moment and simple is usually better.
Is the display simple to understand?
Does it give you the range faster or slower than other models?
What is the accuracy of the unit? Will it read to half yards or less?
Can you get it to read small items across the store?
Are the optics multicoated?
Will it read, or range, by aiming through shoot-thru mesh on ground blinds?
If it is angle compensated what angle will it read to? This can make a huge difference if you anticipate some steep shooting angles.

Once you answer these questions and anymore you can think of you hopefully you will have narrowed your choice down to the right rangefinder for you.

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[...]

Is it Bear season yet?

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 02:00:00 +0100

Hey Everybody...

Last week I was getting big time cabin fever, so Stella and I went out to hang a trail camera. I found a tank on one map that wasn't listed on the more recent maps so I loaded the coordinates on my GPS and we went for a little hike. At the time I was just hoping that the tank would still be around and it might be a little honey hole. I was hoping to find a pocket of Coues Deer but I found something better. I found a place to hopefully stick a bear. I am going to hang some some scaffolding for a treestand later in the year. Yes scaffolding, I am a big boy and I don't like little tree steps. :) Okay, maybe not scaffolding but I am definately going to use a treestand with a ladder. This is one of the videos that I got of the bear. He isn't huge but he will do just fine.

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I must admit that we were in some pretty rough country and I usually don't take Stella on these "Death Marches" but she did really well. The crappy part is that after going "bush whacking" fjor about a mile we found a really nice trail that just about lead to the tank.

Take Care....

J-

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12 Point Drop-Tine Shoots a MONSTER MULIE

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:46:08 +0100

As many of you know I am always looking to highlight our listeners hunts. Well, 12 point droptine sent me this picture and a story of his recent hunt. WOW, now that is a Mulie. Great Job and thanks for sending me the story - Jason

It was about 5:30 when I finally got up and ate breakfast. My guide Dave said he wanted us to go over to the east side of the 3000-acre ranch. We where in Colorado hunting mulies and elk. Me and my father where up their in late December and early January. My dad had already taken his mule deer on the second day. His guide said him and my father where going about 300 yards to the west of Dave and me. We left camp at daybreak to go see if we could spot a nice elk or mulie. We had spotted a nice 12-point elk and started to stalk it when we heard some thing running through the woods. My guide did a cow call and a 13-point elk my father and his guide had scared out bugled. The guide said get behind that log and get ready to draw. When the elk came into view he was at 20 yards. I drew back hoping he would stop and turn broadside he didn’t. He just kept coming right at me I told my self not to shoot till I got a good broadside shot but when the elk got to 5 yards I just had to shoot. The arrow went right through the heart he only ran 40 yards then collapsed. While taking pictures the guide told me there was a monster mulie behind me. Then he told me he was behind a tree and to grab my bow and nock an arrow and draw back. I did and when he stepped out broadside at 10 yards I sent a rage broad head right through his lungs and he only ran 15 yards before dying. Long story short it was my lucky day.

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2008 Turkey Season Prep - Part 6 - Ready to Rock

aroney@bowcast.com — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 22:34:02 +0100

T minus 3 days. I got out to the range a few times this weekend. Friday I never even took my bow out of the case because when I got to the range and got out of my truck, the wind picked up and it was miserable. Turned right around and headed back to take some shots in my basement range.

Satruday proved to be some decent weather, so I got out and did rounds with field tips, then my G5 Tekans. All was good. Even shot the Tekans out to 60 yards and was tackin em'! Felt great and I was definitely experiencing the "Range Shooter's High".

Decided to fling a few Magnus Bullheads in case I have the opportunity to take a head shot at a turkey. Noticed I was again consistently low (I expect this becuase of the 25 grain difference), but had also crept back to the right - consistently and frustratingly (Is that a word?).

I decided it was time to try a stiffer arrow to sail those Bullheads - so I picked up a half dozen Gold Tip 7595's, fletched them up with 5 inch feathers, and got back out on the range. To my surprise, the Bullheads on this stiffer arrow were flying dead on left/right, but were WAY high at 20 yards. I flew a couple out at 30 yards and was dead on. Went back to 20 yards, and just needed to aim about 2 inches low with my 20 yd pin, and I was tackin'.

I am dialed in, and heading out to hunt Nebraska later this week. I'll keep my form up in my basement, but this concludes the blog entries on Turkey prep. Hope you all enjoyed it, and I will continue to answer questionsi or comments in the "comments" secion below.

There's nothing left to do but kiss my wife and daughters, pack the blind and my bow, and hope I get into some birds. More as the season progresses!

Shoot Straight (I hope I do)!

Aneal

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2008 Turkey Season Prep - Part 5 - Tactical Turkey Shot Practice

aroney@bowcast.com — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:44:09 +0100

As many of you have heard me say on the show "Tactical Practice" is the best kind to get you ready for in the field encounters. I have seen folks on the BowCast blog talk about different methods of "practice" and how to mix it up. I believe in anyone's ala carte menu of different ways to practice (eyes closed, line exercises, vegas faces, 3d etc.), you should have an item to choose for [[tactical]] practice. Often that involves a [[3D]] target and shooting from various typical positions you might encounter in the field.

Yesterday, me and my buddy and his wife went out to the range, and with the anticipation of being in the field with a [[Nebraska]] turkey tag less that 7 days away, we thought we'd get down to some tactical shooting to "fine" tune before we are in the field. For our style of hunting, that involves shooting at a 3D [[turkey]] target, and shooting in a blind, as well as different positions (kneeling on both knees, kneeling on one knee, leaning over to get around tree limbs etc.).

In addition, since we tend to hunt with a mix of broadheads (i.e. I will be carrying both the G5 Tekans and a couple Magnus Bullheads), we alternate arrow shots. This type of [[practice]] is invaluable to build confidence, as well as discovering any "weaknesses" in your form when put into real [[hunting]] situations. Snapped some pics of our session to give you a feel for the setup we were working with.

Thanks to Fatcoyote and PinkIce for joining me in a little "Tactical Turkey Shot Practice"!

Enjoy, and shoot straight!

NOTE: To expand these pictures, first click on the title of this blog entry, then click on the picture. If you click on the picture from the "blogs" page, it will simply take you to the BowCast.com home page - this is a bug we are working on.

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Setting up and shooting out of a blind goes a long way in preparing you for a heart pounding shot at a gobbler in the field.

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Tactical practice is something we should focus on - especially as we get closer to any specific hunting season.

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You can move the 3D target to various angles and distances....you never know, you may just practice the exact angle and distance that mirrors the opportunity that you have at taking an animal in the field.

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Lightweight Sleeping Bags

south@eastmans.com — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 07:00:08 +0100

One of the bulkiest items on your gear list for a [[bivy]] hunt is probably your sleeping bag. If it has not been replaced in the last couple of years, chances are you can not only shave off some weight, but also significantly reduce the bulk. Almost all of the major sleeping bag manufacturers are offering sub 2 pound 3 season down bags now. Some have reduced the weight down to as little as a single pound and can be stuffed into a sack half the size of a nerf football. For my early season hunts in August and the first week of September I like a bag rated at about 30-35 degrees. Any later in the high country and you are increasingly flirting with the chances of sub-freezing temperatures. For those hunts I drop down to a 20 degree rating. Some of my favorite bags are from Western Mountaineering, Marmot, Mountain Hardware and Feathered Friends.

Down is graded by measuring how many [[cubic inches]] it takes to weigh one ounce. A 600 fill is 600 cubic inches per ounce. Several things to keep in mind as you shop for a featherweight bag is the higher quality the [[down]], the lighter the weight and the better the insulation it provides. You should be looking for a minimum of 700-fill-power, with 800-900 being preferred. The difference between a 600 and a 800-fill-power bag of the same temperature rating can be over half a pound. The higher the number, the greater the loft and compatibility for the same fill weight.

For a 30-40 degree bag I'd recommend saving a few ounces and go with a half length zipper. Chances are you are not going to get too hot with the higher rating. If your budget will only allow the acquisition of one new bag, but your hunts cover the early August to late September time frame, I'd recommend going with a 20 bag with a full length zipper. You'll be a little warm in the earlier part of the season, but will be able to unzip to help regulate body heat. I made the mistake of sleeping in a 20 degree bag in Nevada with a half length zipper and roasted every night. Marmot has a bag that is rated at 40 degrees and only weighs a featherweight 1 pound. This would be a great bag for warmer climates in the early season. You can pack a long a set of silk or polypropelene thermals and buy a few extra degrees of comfort.

While you might be tempted to find a really roomy bag for greater comfort, keep in mind dead spots mean cold spots. The more contoured the bag the warmer it is going to be. Draft tubes, like baffled collars, help keep heat from escaping on lower temperature bags. Many of the bags are made in a couple or more different lengths so you won't have to be carrying any more weight than necessary. The shell of the bags are made from many different materials. Some are designed to save maximum weight, some for durability and others for maximum [[waterproofing]].

The first thing I do when I buy a new bag is get another stuff sack one size smaller than the one provided. I've found I can reduce the bulk by at least 25% or more. Don't leave your bag in the stuff sack for extended periods as the down will eventually loose its loft and thus its insulating ability after extended periods of compression.

[...]

Anthony's 2007 Mule Deer

aroney@bowcast.com — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 07:29:15 +0100

2007 was a great year for the Full Moon Productions team. The following deer that Anthony harvested will be show cased in a feature article in "Western Hunting Magazine" in the summer of 2008. In addition, you all will be able to catch the footage of this hunt on the next DVD from FMP in summer of 2008. As always, Anthony wanted to give our BowCast community a sneak peek at this very awesome buck.

Anthony shot this buck at 61 yards with a 12 degree cut. The deer was shot on 10/22/2007 at 9:10 AM and recovered at 5:20 PM the same day. The deer scores 190 4/8 inches.

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Turkey Harvest out of Double Bull Blind

aroney@bowcast.com — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:25:09 +0100

I was dusting off some old video, and found this gem. I took this jake out of my double bull in Nebraska back in 2005. If you have never seen a flock of turkeys fighting to establish pecking order, this is a great view.

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Do as I say, not as I do - Review your Bow and equipment

aroney@bowcast.com — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 10:21:23 +0100

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My sun sets to rise again. - [[Robert Browning]]

Read below and see more pics of the deer mentioned in this entry.

Frustrating Start to the Rut

For those of you who listened to episode #26 of BowCast, you heard how both Anthony and I missed (separate hunts) bucks a couple of weeks ago.

Anthony described his miss as being in the wrong setup (and the shot was well over 100 yards).

I described my miss on the episode - I was surprised by the biggest [[whitetail]]

I have ever seen in the woods (probably 150 class whitetail) when I was down off my stand looking for a new stand location. I saw this buck the day before in this area, and backed out and sat my stand the next morning (which was about 700 yards further down the trail from where I saw him).

The buck was at 40 yards and I drew, and to my frustration, he began walking directly towards me. I had already drawn my [[bow]], and in hindsight miscalculated how close that buck walked towards me before my grunts and snorts finally got him to turn broadside. I also had been drawn for a solid 2 minutes so my arms were starting to get a little rubbery. I settled the 30 yard pin on him high, and watched the arrow sail right over him.

Lesson Learned - don't draw to early.

Miss? What Miss?

So, as a good bowhunter, I tended to my bruised ego over the last week. It was a hectic week for me as I was on the road for work and living out of a hotel, and all day long I was thinking about heading out to my campsite where I left my camper, and getting another shot at a good buck. After missing that monster last week, and seeing all the beds and other deer sign I saw in that area, I moved my stand to overlook a trail at the end of a funnel of trees leading into some open (sporadic) feeding fields to the East, and a large field of sage and rolling prairie to the South. I had watched does using that trail from my old stand location, so I went ahead and moved it right at the start of the trail - where I had seen and missed that big buck a week before. They say once you spook a [[buck]] (like shooting at him!) you won't find him back in the same area again. Well, this was the heart of the rut, and I already had seen him there twice, so I was willing to find out and take a chance at either him, or one of his brothers.

I felt very confident in my stand location. It was on the South side of the trail, and I had good morning winds out of the North every time I hunted there the week before. The only risk was my scent blowing out into the rolling prairie, so I got my stand up to a good 25 feet to minimize my scent blowing onto the prairie (where deer could be feeding in the early hours of the day).

Commited to the stand location, I sat the morning. While standing up on my stand for a stretch and watching 2 squirrels bark at each other, I briefly looked over my shoulder (to the west and the direction of my old stand) and saw a real nice 5X5 mule deer feeding away from me. He was about 150 yards, and continued feeding off to the west (away from me). I lost him in the trees. It was about 8:30 AM. I saw him again back on the trail at about 200 yards at 9:30 AM. He continued to move to the West and away from me. The good news is he was bedding in the area. The bad news is he was moving slowly away (and towards where my stand was the previous week!).

I held tight committed to staying in my stand the entire day. The mid-day hours were slow as usual, but I stayed put. At about 2:30 PM, I grabbed my last snack and chugged a couple of gulps of water. Only a couple of hours of daylight left, I wanted to get completely situated. I sprayed down my hat and clothes with some scent eliminator spray, checked my arrow nock and [[broadhead]] hanging next to me, put my gloves on and started some intense glassing of the different trail entry points.

At 3pm, I was glassing straight ahead and heard some leaves rustling to the west (my left). Then, I caught movement. A very good 9-point whitetail was following the trail directly to my stand! 100 yards, 80 yards, short turn headed right towards my stand, 5o yards, 30 yards........still walking. I was ready. Bow was in my hand, I had ranged some trees and could tell by the deer's path that my shot would be under 20 yards if I could just wait and get a good quartering away angle on him. I let him pass in front of me to get that good quartering away angle. I didn't range him again at that point, but I confirmed what I already knew - this was going to be a 7 yard shot!

From Good...To Bad...To Worse

I drew back with the deer in front of me and slightly to my right. I did everything right this week. Drew slowly, settled my anchor points, remembered to breath, picked out a tuft of hair right where the heart should be and squeezed the trigger. I also know that I had a good follow through, because with my eyes open, I watched my arrow take a 90 degree left turn and land behind the deer. He only walked about 5 more yards, and still wasn't even looking up in the tree - he was looking in my direction, but was otherwise unaware of what just happened.

We all know what to do in this situation - forget the questions and nock another arrow. I did, and found to the worst heart sinking stomach wrenching frustration, I couldn't draw back. I looked down to my bottom cam - the string was off.

The [[deer]] was still standing at about 12 yards (now completely broadside), so I did what any of us would have done next without much thought - I tried to see if I could manually yank my string back onto the cam guide.

And then it got worse. As I was trying to pull the sting back on, all of a sudden my right arm got light, and my left arm holding the bow jumped forward. I snapped my string. Game over, thanks for playing.

You can take a look at the buck. Since I couldn't shoot an arrow at him with a broken string, I decided to shoot a couple of pictures of him. Click on any of the images below for a larger image to view.

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Pic 1 - This is after the buck trotted off to about 12 yards. He knows something just happened (I launched an arrow that made a left turn and landed behind him) but otherwise has no idea. I am directly down wind from him and 25 feet up in a tree.

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Pic 2 - This buck's instincts set in, and he tries to get a smell at what is going on.

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Pic 2 and 3 - Bye Bye

Failure? Not entirely.

I had a lot to think about on the two and half hour drive back to my house. After yelling at my wife on an unrelated discussion when I called to tell her I was coming home (I apologized profusely when I got home), I began thinking about if this hunt was actually a failure. During the long drive, I convinced myself it was not. Why? Because I had an opportunity at a couple of great bucks over the last 2 weeks, and I truly did learn some hard lessons. Pretending to be the ultimate spin doctor (yes, my bruised ego still hurts, but is getting better), I thought I would highlight some of those areas where I will be better next time I go out into the woods, as well as some of the accomplishments from a hunt that on paper would qualify as a failure.

Always shoot your bow between hunts, especially after a miss. - As I mentioned, it was a hectic week for me on the road, and I was away from home. Even though I missed the week before, I felt I knew why I missed (and still feel that it was because of bad pin placement). But who knows, it could have been some early stages of the string issue that ultimately blew up in my face. If I had shot just 6 arrows in my basement before packing up and leaving, the string/cam issue may have presented itself, and maybe I could have had time to adjust, or put on my backup string while I had a press handy.Check your equipment. - I usually do a very good job going through my equipment checklist before every hunt. For those of you who do not have an equipment checklist for your bow to guide you through a visual inspection, stay tuned as I will be posting mine onto BowCast soon. However, the checklist is of no value unless you use it each and every time before you go out to the field. Checking how the string feeds into both cams is something I always do....except for once, and you all know how that turned out.Learn about your quarry and make adjustments while hunting. - On an up beat note, moving my stand location is what truly gave me a chance at another nice whitetail. I saw does using this trail and coming in behind (and down wind) of me from my old stand location. I saw does and that monster buck bedded near my new stand location at mid-day the prior week. I recognized that I may not have gotten another chance at the big guy (that I missed in the first week), but had faith that this was a good travel route. Sit All Day - Many times I have gotten off my stand to grab a bite for lunch. This time was different. I made a decision based on my calculations first, and then made the commitment to sit that stand all day. It worked perfectly because that buck came in right around 3pm. If I was coming back to my stand at that time, a lot of scent would have been left around, and I may have spooked him well before he made it to the stand.

I haven't made a decision if I will get back out to this location before the busy holiday season. If I get out again this year, I'll be wiser. If I don't...well, I'll still be wiser ;-).

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