bowhunting Tips & tricks

[Bent Arrow]

Atsko products. They make really good detergent and UV killer. Leaves no scent and really cleans your clothes. I also like Evercalm. It's more economical than sprays and lasts longer it seems. And last but not least, after you sharpen your broadheads......leave them alone. I know it sounds silly but they won't get any sharper the fifth time you sharpen them, once is enough.

[TEN RING]

A couple 3-5 years ago I read where a guy would grut or doe bleat every 5 minutes if he didn't see anything I thought that was a little to close together , One week as i was hunt and not seeing a lot of buck I firgured I would try it and it worked but I only do it close to the rut, remembering back a couple of times I watched bucks going though the wood they where none stop grunting teal they were out of sight.

[Money Man]

Take a couple shots with your broadheads! Fixed or mechanical, you need to be sure of where they are hitting. I have a friend who hunts with mechanicals because the guy at the shop said they fly like field points. He doesn't shoot with them to be sure of the claim, and I have helped him tracked a couple of deer that were hit farther back then where he was aiming. I know broad heads are expensive, but I would rather invest 1 head to shoot and make sure of where it is going than injure an animal for no reason.

[mdodraw29]

I put a box of baking soda in my truck during the season to absorb any extra odors (just like in the fridge).

[Hutch~n~Son Archery]

Putting the tree stands up a month or 2 before so they will blend in after some time. Then mark you yardages so you know the distances you are shooting.





Hutch

[Ehunter]

One thing I'll add to Hutch's post. If you can do it on the ground you hunt, mark your distances on trees a couple months before season with a spot of spray paint in the color that matches that yardage pin. Green dot for a 20 yard green pin, red dot for a 30 yard red pin, etc. Saves alot of counting and looking when one pops out in a shooting lane quickly. If you hunt public or private land and can't leave the spray paint spots, another good thing it to go buy vinyl ribbon or tape in the colors of your pins. Set them at the appropriate distances on wire (coat hanger) sticks. I do that alot when I hunt field edges. The deer get used to them in a couple of weeks. Just make them short enough they won't get cut with the crops.

[typically8]

Ehunter, thats a gold star idea. I usually just stack a couple of rocks on each other. Now, I am going to get some tape. On a similar note, I have usesd survey tape to mark yardages in 100s when rifle hunting on senderos in South Texas.

[Ehunter]

I'm not just a pretty face ya know.....lol

[foxman333]

Some of the things that I have done:

- Practice shooting lots at farther distances than you normally hunt at. Like for example 65 yards is my farthest pin. That doesn't mean I'd be willing to attempt a kill shot at that distance, but if I can consistently hit at that range then 20 yards is a piece of cake.
- Practice shooting from a similar elevation as where you hunt. I went ahead and built a raised platform out of an old rifle stand that I practice from. Shooting angles can effect where the arrows hit, so I like to know exactly where my arrow is gonna hit, all the time.
- Mark out yardage at your stand. I use thin "stickers" of wood, with the top ends spray painted a color that I can easily see them. These I set up (along with my tree stand) about a month ahead of the season opener.
- As far as sent control, I believe that no amount of scent control is going to ever full out beat the nose of a deer. Deer are animals that rely on their nose to stay alive. I like to think that if a dog can smell drugs in someones gas tank, then a deer can smell you no matter what your wearing or spray on you (yes, i know, deer are not dogs, they have different noses). I believe that what alarms deer, is the amount that they smell you. They are always going to smell you to SOME extent. I do a couple of things to combat this. First, starting with me, I make sure I am freshly clean, and minimize the amount of odor that I am giving off. Then I worry about my clothes. I wash them with just water, thoroughly, then I let them air-dry outdoors. Once dry, I store them in a clean duffel bag with pine bows inside of it. The morning of the hunt, I spray down with scent killer (although I am not fully convinced that they work, but they cant hurt, hopefully). Now here comes my "secret": I buy a little jar of cedar oil. I get it at the local feed-mill. I cut it with mineral oil to stretch it out significantly. This, I put in a dropper bottle, and apply it to all my hot spots (head, armpits, hands, anywhere that i feel gives off heat), and all over my gear. The area that I hunt, cedar is a VERY familiar smell, so its a safe smell, as long as a STRONG smell... This is what I do, and so far it has worked for me!
- I like to target practice from my stand (I try to do this about 2 months prior to season). This part that I consider a luxury. I know not everyone is able to do this, but if you can, than certainly do it. It reinforces your shooting confidence in the stand.

[Bent Arrow]

I agree with you on the scent. I like to set up around Wax Myrtle bushes. They give off a strong scent and in the warmer months it is at it's strongest. Break off a few boughs and put them in a bag with your hunting clothes for a cover scent. I've always been told that ticks don't like the odor of it but I can't give a verdict on that one way or the other. Maybe just an old wives tale.