I Went In For Arrows, I Came Out With An Archery Shop.

It was a day like any other.  I took a few minutes during lunch to peruse Craigslist and view the latest treasures people were hawking.  I spotted an ad for used arrows.  Now I have more arrows than I need, but I know some friends who needed to fill some gaps in their dozens, so I dialed up the number and made an appointment.  Turns out the arrows were amongst the foreclosed remains of an archery business. 

It’s A Bit Too Early For Tag Soup

It’s getting to be that time of year.  We started in Wisconsin in mid- September with early bow deer season.  Then we took a break for the gun deer season and now that’s wrapping up in time for the official start of die-hard deer season. I’ve fared pretty well so far this year.  An early season archery doe and an early out-of-state archery buck has me in the game.  But I still wear my Wisconsin archery buck tag on my back.  There’s some quality hunting time left and for some reason, I’m stoked about getting out there in the cold.

How To Miss…

A guest post from an anonymous member of my hunting party “documenting” his 2012 Wisconsin Gun Deer Opening day:

Here’s a great tutorial to improve your chances of blowing your deer hunting experience.

Prior to your Hunt

- Ditch the scope and use iron sights.  Avoid anything that will help you clearly see the sights, including white or flourescent paint, fiber optics, etc.

- Keep your shotgun warm and dry in a safe place.  Never practice shooting your shotgun with your hunting setup.  Make sure you live in an area where there are no old quarries, dirt mounds, other suitable abandoned areas for practicing.  Don’t bother trying to join a shooting club because they make in nearly impossible to join and typically aren’t very friendly to outsiders.

Your Hunting Setup

- Hunt in an area where there are an abundance of other hunters, campers, dogs, motorcycles/ATV’s, etc to make the deer especially skittish. 

- Hunt early morning when visibility is less than optimal.

- Hunt during thick fog so you can’t get an ideal sight picture of the deer that show up.

The Shot

- Avoid the use of any kind of brace for your shotgun.  Resting your left elbow on your knee like you practiced would only help stabilize your shot and decrease your chances of a clean miss. 

- Be sure to rush your shot.  Getting the front sight, rear sight, and deer in alignment are really just a suggestion by those shooters that take their world way too seriously.  Just go through the motions and yank the trigger as quick as you can.  Being patient and waiting for the deer to get comfortable in their location will also decrease your odds of a miss. 

Tips compiled by the latest member of the “Missed his Opening Day Deer” Club.

Sponsored by PETA, the Brady Campaign, and other distinguished gun control advocates.

The 2012 Concept Archery Hunt – Part 2- Stalk ‘Em If Ya Got ‘Em

In part one of the 2012 Concept Archery Hunt, I mentioned how I went back to find the lost arrow.  Well there was more to the story that evening.  After spending the time roaming around in the woods to find my arrow, I had to decide how and where to set up for the rest of the evening hunt.  Should I hunt the food plot somewhere, or hunker down in the woods near the trail?  Since I burned my buck tag the night before, I was just out for does.  I had no stand or blind and was actually excited to “wing it”. 

Fight Fire With Climber

Earlier this month I posted about the frustrating situation I and my hunting buddies are having with our landscape nursery hunting location.  I was about to write off the place as not even worth hunting.  When I am not comfortable with the security of my equipment, I can’t fully enjoy my hunting experience and be in my ‘happy place’.  The bottom line is: until I purchase my own land with high, electrified fences, topped with razor wire and surrounded by a moat full of crocodiles and sharks with laser beams attached to their heads, I’ll never have the perfectly secure hunting spot .

The 2012 Concept Archery Hunt – Part 1-B.S.I. (Bowhunting Scene Investigation)

I’m just back home from the Week-long 2nd Annual Concept Archery (www.conceptarchery.com) Hunt and have lots of stories.  It was a fantastic week of fun, family, and friends.  Oh and plenty of hunting too.  I’ll just start with the story where arrows were flying!

Thursday afternoon in camp, I noticed a beautifully crested C.A.S. (Cliff Touroo) http://www.cascustomarrows.com/ custom Gold Tip XT Hunter arrow just laying around camp. Just a single one. I knew it was Jons because I always admired that set of arrows he had. So I said “Here you go Jon, this was laying around”. He informed me that particular arrow had been misfired in his basement, cracked on a concrete wall and cut down an inch or so.

My Happy Place

When I am in the deer woods, with a bow in my hand, I am in my happy place.  I am almost completely content.  There are always variables to a days hunt that can alter my contentment a degree here or there.  But in general, I am pretty happy there.  I have written in the past about the pro’s and con’s of public and private hunting land based on my experiences and can say they score pretty evenly.  No matter where my stand is, it is my happy place when I am in it.  But recently, the variables mentioned earlier have started to have more of an effect. 

You Leave Your Scent Everywhere. What Else Do You Leave?

As I was thinking about what else I need to inform my brother (He’s going bowhunting for the first time) about before our first hunt Saturday, I was struggling to put my routine into words. I have a scent-reducing routine before I go hunting, but it’s so second nature to me that I have a hard time explaining it all.

The Ultimate Super Duper Whitetail Strategy

This morning I took a few minutes in between chasing-kid sessions to read an article or two out of my new sporting magazines.  They often feature well written articles with colorful diagrams titled something like,  “The Best Deer Ambush” or “The Ultimate Tree Stand Setup”.  In these articles are very complex and detailed illustrations of just how to arrange your tree stand on your property to get the best shot at a deer.  Included are all the whitetail amenities that you should have for the best odds of success. 

Makeshift Mentoring – Part II

My original “Makeshift Mentoring” post wasn’t intended to be a multi-part article.  But as recent events have unfolded, it has become appropriate and necessary to continue the subject.

I hosted my brother and nephew for a weekend of camping and archery a while back this summer.  My nephew really seemed to enjoy shooting a bow.  All the while my brother sat and watched and plinked with a pellet gun.