Turkey Hunters might be even more passionate about chasing a long bird as a Whitetail Deer Hunter chasing a monster buck.  The reality is both require skills, determination, practice and right equipment.  I will profess that I am not as skilled as a Turkey Hunter as I am a Deer Hunter but I love to chase those birds with a bow.  I have just started getting hard-core with Turkey Hunting over the past few years. Turkey in itself is hard enough but swop out a shotgun with a bow and it becomes even more difficult.  My goal is to help you learn from my mistakes and share some pearls I have learned.

There are three areas I would suggest you consider for this upcoming season and they are 1) What Equipment & Resources are you using 2) Strategies & Bowhunting Tips to consider and 3) Practice Scenarios. If you are a beginner or intermediate turkey hunter this article may benefit you.  If you are a very seasoned Turkey Hunter not sure this article is for you.

Equipment and Resources

Like Deer Hunting there is no one product or company that has the magic bullet or in our case arrow.  There are many good products and companies that provide great products.  In my opinion Turkey Hunting Equipment becomes very personal.  For example; some folks are better with one type of mouth call vs. another.  Some hunters only use a box call or slate.  Others use all of them.  As a bow hunter, I like a mouth call b/c it helps me deal with one less thing.  I have been trying a number of mouth calls over past few years.  This year I have found the Knight & Hale mouth calls fit me well.  Does not mean the other Primos calls I have used don’t work well.  I am currently practicing with the Primos Lil’ Hot Box and really like it.  I will be hunting with it.  I have also tried the new Knight & Hale Push – Pull Plus call.  I like it and it is good call for someone just getting into chasing birds.  I think it boils down to confidence in your equipment.   Try them all as much as you can.

Next you need to utilize the DVDs many of the companies provide with their calls when you buy them. Most of the time they are good.  I love the DVD that Primos puts out with many of their calls.  They do a very good job of educating you on how to use calls.  Other resources would be to get a mentor to help make sure you are making the calls correctly.  If you do not have this go to www.NWTF.com and they have a place to listen to different Turkey Calls to compare your calling to.
Take away is to try a number of brands & products to see what works best for YOU.

Strategies & Bowhunting Tips

If you bow hunt big game with your bow there are many skills you can bring to Turkey Hunting.  With that said these long beards can be very difficult and require some new thought process.  You are NOT going to get busted because your scent is not under control.  You will get busted if you move too much because their eyesight is Great.  They also excellent hearing some you have to be quite and make good calls or it is a NO GO!  We have some good resources on specific Strategies and Bowhunting Tips at www.blog.stickmearchery.com for you to reference in areas such as Shot Placement, Calling, Broadheads and Video.  For this article consider scenarios where you would hunt from a ground blind and scenarios where you would hunt from the ground with a bow.  Both of these scenarios can be very productive and produce great results but do require some thinking ahead.  For example; if hunting off the ground need to ensure have enough back drop cover to draw bow and decoy placement is important so you can draw bow for clean shot without being seen.  Bill harvested this big Osceola Gobbler with his bow hunting from the ground.

Practice – Practice – Practice

We also hear about shooting our bow prior to Deer Season.  Well you should practice now for Turkey Season if you dare to hunt with a bow.  Practice from your ground blind and practice from the ground if that is how you will be hunting.  Now take it up a notch and put the mouth call in your mouth and draw your bow.  Try making a Cluck at Full Draw that sounds real.  Hold the bow for a few seconds then let it rip.  Did you hit where you need to?  If not, keep practicing.  The reason for this is if you are going to hunt by your self you may need to mouth call to get that Gobbler within Bow range.  Practice it now and it will pay off.  Practice when ever and where ever you can.  I drive my family crazy with my constant calling while I am in my office.  I have also been known to have my calls with me while watching my boys baseball practice.  I will go out into the field away from everyone so I can practice.  At the same time watching my boys play ball.

Products referenced in Archery Shop

Knight & Hale Push – Pull Plus
Primos Diagram Calls
Knight & Hale Judgment Day 4- Pack Diagram

Other new turkey calls for 2011 are the following……

Flextone Big Sexy Mouth Call

Primos Lil Hot Box

If you are like me you are already beginning to think about Turkey Season.  I hunted for the last time this past week and have already had a mind shift toward chasing some long beards across the USA….  In spite of growing up on a ranch in Florida Turkey Hunting was not a big part of what we did.  We hunted Deer and Hogs.  Over the past several years I have fallen in love with bowhunting turkeys.

Chasing an Osceola Turkey or any turkey can present its own challenges but add a Bow and Arrow to the mix.  It can be just down right tough.  This year we will be Turkey Hunting in Florida, South Carolina, Illinois and Kentucky.    Let’s talk about some sure fire ways to killing a bird with a Bow and some sure fire ways of messing up (Which I have done plenty of).

Starting with the basics are key no matter if you are hunting with gun or bow.  This includes practicing your calling, thinking about set ups, and getting your equipment ready.  Now you might be awesome caller but I am not.  I am good but do not profess to be an expert.  I have some buddies that are ridiculously good.  So, for me I will start calling and practicing my calls over the next month (in the truck, at home, baseball practice….).

A Turkey has unreal hearing so you have to be able to “talk the talk” or that old bird or hen will not respond.  Thus the hunt is over!  This becomes especially more pronounced as the season progresses and the birds have been hunted.  Expand your calling ability by learning new types of calls or calling scenarios.  If you are good at box call try to use a mouth call or vice versa.  This may help you close the deal on a gobbler that is held up but will not come all the way in.  That extra sound may do the trick.  I have gotten better at the mouth call and slate call over the past few years.  Although, I still have  difficulty in making a purr with my mouth call.  So, I rely on my slate or friction call to do it.  I will continue to practice but until then I will use different calls to help me in the field.  Practice with a friend and have them critique you.  You may think you sound great but all reality is you may need some work. Now is the time to work on it.

Next think about your set ups…….1) How will you hunt these birds on the ground?  2) Will you use a ground blind, hunt on the ground, listen, spot and stalk, ect…  I do not believe there is only one way to bowhunt a Turkey.  All can be effective.  There is no question that hunting from the ground can be very challenging because of the lack of concealment beyond your camo.  Consider scenarios where you will have some backdrop, logs, bushes, trees to help conceal you as you draw your bow.  Bowhunting out of a ground blind is pretty straightforward.  A key factor is where you set up your blind in relation to where the turkey is going to be coming and where you place your decoys.

Something I have seen over the years is that a Turkey will NOT get alarmed at the sight of a ground blind newly placed in an area.  They will be so focused on the decoys they will pay no attention to the blind.  So, worry less about concealing the blind but more on where to place it to ensure you can pull the birds in for effective shot.  Now, I love to hunt from the ground.  It can be very challenging but I enjoy the challenge.  So what are some good lessons to follow.  In this case position yourself within your effective shooting range but find cover to allow you to draw your bow.  Strategic placement of your decoys can greatly help you here.  When that gobbler comes in and is so focused on that decoy he will be less focused on what is around him.  This allows you to draw your bow and make the shot without getting busted.  Finding the right backdrop or creating the right backdrop is vital to you being able to pull this off.  Additionally, I am a huge fan of a 3-D leafy type of camo.  I have used the Mossy Oak Diffusion in Obsession Camo for Turkey hunting and for early season bowhunting for big game.  It is lightweight, provides great concealment and breaths very well.  No matter what camo you use finding something that matches your hunting environment is the take away.

Decoy placement is something that I have made a lot of mistakes on over the past few years.  Do you use a hen with gobbler or just a hen?  Do you use a Jake with hen to simulate a young turkey breading hen.  The key is thinking about the scenarios you are hunting, the how the birds in that area react to certain scenarios, and how you place your birds.  For example, in Florida we have not had a lot of luck using a gobbler with our hens.  Not to say that does not work great but we have found that the birds on the ranch we hunt will not respond as well as just using a hen or adding a Jake to the hen.  Additionally, where you place the decoys in relation to where you will be shooting is important.  If you put them too close you may get busted but can not put to far away to be able to ethically take shot with bow.   Think about how that gobbler would come into that area.  If he is not comfortable he will not come in.  Make sure the decoys are visible and then in a position that will allow you to call and make your shot.

Getting your Equipment Ready – Okay, next think about your equipment.  I am a gadget guy.  I love having some of the newest equipment to help me in the field.  That is just me but I will use a call that I have been comfortable with but if there is a new type of call I will use it.  If there is a new decoy I may try it.  With all that said get your equipment out now to make sure it is working well and ready for that first hunt.  Last thing you want to do is get ready that first morning and something go wrong that ruins that first morning….

Other new turkey calls for 2011 are the following……

Flextone Big Sexy Mouth Call

Every year I seem to look back on the season and analyze how things went.  As I have progressed as a bowhunter it has been less about how many deer I harvested and more about what I have learned.  This year is no different.  I have one more week left in the archery season here in Georgia and I will get after it a few more times.  If I do not pull off getting the buck I had been hunting I will be disappointed but will look forward to the potential of this mature buck next season.  How do you measure the success of your season.  There is no question that one of main goals of bowhunting is to harvest a mature buck (s) during the season.  Beyond that I do like to critique myself on the following areas:

1.    What did I do well?
2.    What areas did I not do well or short cutted?
3.    What did I learn about the property I am hunting?
4.    What will I do differently next year?
5.    Why do I think that buck out smarted me?
6.    How will I hunt this property next year?

These are just a few things I focus on as I wrap up the season.  I think it is always healthy to critique your skills.  That is the only way you will truly get better in the woods so you see more deer and have a chance to harvest that particular buck you are chasing.  So, lets use my season as example of what I did well and what I did not execute effectively….

What I did well
I am  a very detailed person when it comes to bowhunting and preparing for the bowhunt.  I think about my scent before and during the hunt, I used more aerial maps this year to better understand the property and deer movement.  I focused on the food sources for my Georgia and South Carolina properties.  I practiced a lot in the off season, used good Bowhunting Equipment, and used resources such as our Game Forecast charts and moon phases to determine when to hunt (oh yea the weather channel to).   Now I saw a lot of deer and a number of really good bucks that I passed on.  Although, I only had one encounter with a really big mature deer in Georgia (150 class deer).  It was a great encounter but did not work out to my advantage.

What I did NOT do well
With all that said I did a fair number of things right as a bowhunter.  So, why did I not shoot more deer?  It boils down to the details.  There were times I was not the most strategic with the wind as I went to and left my stands.  My stand locations were good but not great.  I should have been more focused on better travel zones to and from bedding and food sources.  While I did hunt these kinds of areas looking back I would make some changes for next year.  I put time into our food plots but they did not have the yield this year I expected in spite of doing many of the basics such as ph tests, fertilizer, lime, good seed, ect…  Having a proven game plan in important and following it is key.  What happens if your game plan is not getting you the results you are looking for.  You need to change it if you wan to get different results.  Taking a new risk on a new stand location in an area you would not normally choose can be productive.  I did not do that as much as I should have this year.

What will I do differently next year?
Hunting the Wind – when you only have one stand location and the weather changes for the better you want to get to woods ASAP.  Well, what if the wind is NOT PERFECT do you still hunt.  Well, I did make the mistake several times by gambling and went hunting.  I knew better but only had a few chances to hunt so I rolled the dice.  Well the outcomes was NO BUCKS.  Does it mean that b/c of the wind I was not able to harvest a deer.  Maybe, Maybe Not.  I will say it sure did not HELP me with a bad wind.  I will also be more focused on the wind as I get to my stand and will have multiple stands set up even on small piece of property.

Food Plots- I love putting in food plots even though I have made mistakes in the past.  I have done some awesome food plots that have produced unreal results and know the potential of a well done food source.  This year on our South Carolina Farm we made two big mistakes that resulted in weak food plots.  The first was we did not use enough seed, and secondly, the way we prepared the plot beds hurt the potential of the seed to germinate.  We will use a better method of raking in the seed once it has been applied or used a no till drill this year.  Additionally, I am going use a variety of seeds including corn as a crop this year.

Stand Location – setting up in the right location is critical to continue success.  Easier said than done.  So, where do you focus your efforts?  I always start with Food, Cover and Water as my primary considerations.  Next, I factor in things such as part of the season (Early, Rut, Late Season), Staging areas to food sources, and how will get to that particular location.  One thing I did not do as well as I would have liked this year is consider pressure on the property.  I do not necessarily mean hunting pressure but human pressure.  I hunt some suburban areas that have some human pressure that caused deer to be more nocturnal.  While the property on the surface looked like deer would be all over it.  The deer only moved in certain areas during the day due to this pressure.  Understanding the pressure and considering how the deer will adjust to this pressure will help me have better set up for next season.

Using Maps- Ariel Maps can be a huge asset in helping you better understand your property or a new piece of property you may be hunting for the first time.  Identifying Saddles, Funnels and other key areas that deer regularly use can save time and effort in locating a good deer.

When to Hunt and when not to hunt – I have gotten more disciplined on not going into the woods when the wind or conditions are not right.  It can be hard to do when you only have a few opportunities to hunt a particular piece of property.  Minimizing human pressure and being there when the conditions are to your advantage can pay off big….

Getting to my stand – Doing this with out getting busted can be a real challenge especially here  in the Southeast when you have so much cover that can have deer bedded in.  This is especially true on our South Carolina farm that has a lot of cover and a lot of deer on it.  Trying to slip into your stand without getting busted can be a real challenge.  Thinking about the wind direction as you get to the stand is key.  Don’t be afraid to take the long way there or use a creek, stream, or bad boy buggy to get there.

To learn more about bowhunting tips or to check out the latest Bowhunting Equipment. come back to www.StickemArchery.com- Archery Shop.

By Brian Stephens
Stick’em Archery

For the most part the primary rut is over.  If you were fortunate to harvest a mature buck up to this point in the season, congratulations!  If you are like many of us and just did not see the type of deer you were looking for it is time to focus on late season strategies and tactics to have another opportunity to get on a mature deer.  I have several quotes that I will often relate to in my professional career that, I think are transferable to bow hunting.  The first is “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is a sign of insanity” and the second is “Perpetual Optimism is a Force Multiplier”.  How do this relate to bow hunting?  In order to be successful we have to adjust the way we hunt during the Early Season, the Rut and now the Late Season.  I am of the belief that you have to be willing to go where the deer are as they adjust their patterns to the changing season.  While bow hunting is one of the most gratifying sports it can also be very frustrating and difficult.  It is so important to stay positive and have the right mind set even when you are going through a dry spell.  I am going to share some tips on hunting the late season to hopefully give you one last opportunity to harvest a mature animal.  We will discuss factors that drive deer’s behavior this time of year, stand placement, and external factors such as the moon/WIND.

A few things that I focus on no matter what phase of the hunting season we are in and that is deer revolve around 1) Food, 2) Water, and 3) Cover.  We have had a tremendous amount of success over the years by considering these factors.  Understand that the food sources, water and cover may vary throughout the season.  Based on this it is important that you adjust your strategies/tactics.  During the late season the primary rut has occurred and bucks are looking for food to recover.  So, finding the food source is a primary factor.  This may be a food plot, and / or natural food source.  If you don’t have a food plot you may want to consider one for next year.  There are a number of resources on the site that can walk you through the right food plot for your areas.  Now we need to consider the cover situation.  As we know the cover is going to change dramatically during the winter.  A mature buck is going to find the thickest cover available to not only bed but also travel through to get to the food source.

Now consider your stand set up.  Do you put your stand on the food plot?  Maybe, but I would suggest that you first think about 1) Where are the deer bedding this time of year?, 2) Where is the food source?, and 3) How are they going to travel to the food source? A mature buck many times is going to wait until dark or right before dark before you would see him in the food plot.  So how do you get on him?  I would suggest that you get between his bedding area and the food source.  Find the travel zone and staging area that you think he is going to use.  We have all seen that once the rut has occurred many of the mature bucks will go nocturnal.  It can be challenging to have an opportunity harvest a quality deer during shooting hours.  If you can find the crossing, funnel or bottleneck that may be between the bedding area and food source, you may have a good chance at getting a shot.

A few other things that are vital to consider are managing the WIND, stand placement and getting to your stand.  The wind factor is nothing you don’t already know about, but this still is over looked many times.  Where you set up your stand and the tree you find is very important.  Consider finding the area that you believe that buck is going to travel through (cover) between bedding area and food source.  Pick a tree that is in staging area that is close to the bedding area but not so close that you will bump that deer as you approach your stand.  Next, is finding the right tree with enough cover.  This can obviously be tough this time of year.  Look for a tree that can give you some kind of backdrop and that is not right on the trail.  Get a few yards off the trail, so you can draw your bow without getting busted.  Now that you have found your tree think about how you are going to get to your stand.  Think about getting to your strand without walking down the trail the deer travel or walking by the bedding area to get to your stand.  Something that can be challenging this time of year in areas where the leaves are on the ground.  As you have experienced, it can be noisy in the mornings getting to your stand.  A trick I learned from someone many years ago and that is to mimic a buck chasing a doe.  You can walk at fast pace (without tripping) while blowing the grunt call as you walk.  While the primary rut is over, there will be some does that come in late that bucks will want to breed (Think about the bucks you have seen chasing a doe – it makes a lot of noise).  This has worked for me on several occasions when I have been walking to my stand and had a deer blow.  They did not wind me but I did scare them.  I immediately got on the grunt call and quickly walked to the stand.  I have seen the deer come back towards the stand as I got up in the tree to investigate.

Finally, I believe you need to put everything in your favor that you can control.  We cannot control the weather and the wind.  Although, we can work around them to some degree.  One factor that I believe in and that is hunting around the moon phases.  If I only have a few days to hunt, I am going to pick the days that the moon is going to be in my favor.  We have a number of resources that you can use on the site such as the Game Forecast Charts .  While there are no absolutes, I do believe the moon has impact on deer movement.  The major feeding times are going to revolve around the moon up and moon down phases.  Now, I don’t protest to be a moon expert.  I am a bow hunter that try’s to put as many factors in my favor as I can.

Its time for a 4th Qrt change in you bowhunting game plan…….

Hopefully for you it has been a great hunting season so far and you harvested a few bucks up to this point in the season.  If not or if you have another tag how are you going to hunt that deer during December and January?  We know that does drive a bucks behavior during the rut, food will be a primary driver during the late season for these bucks to recover from many days of running hard and not eating much.  I will say if you can find a location with a good food source and is holding some does that is the best of all worlds based on a buck getting to eat and find some does that may be coming in to late estrus cycle.

What kind of food source? It really depends on where you are hunting and what food plots you have put in during the fall.   Food sources that are high in carbohydrates are a preferred food and if it is legal to use deer supplements or attractants  such as Acorn Rage Drop in Block, Acorn Rage, Primos Swamp Donkey, C’Mere Deer, and BoneDmonium.  You can use them to compliment the left over cut corn fields, or food plots such as Mossy Oak Bilogic Max Attract.

Stand Location?

Next is considering where you should hang your stand or bowhunting blind.  Where you have it currently might be fine but the woods have changed since November and bedding areas  may have changed to some degree based on the pressure and available cover.  I believe the key is to pin point your food source, the bedding area and staging areas between them.  That is where you want to set up.  There is a fine balance between getting to close to food and bedding area.  If you are too close to the food source you may not see the deer during shooting hours and if you get too close to the bedding area you may bump that deer.  Using your game cameras and adjusting a few stands for the wind, you have a chance of getting that wise ole buck that has eluded everyone up to this point.  A trick I have learned over the years from Dr. Grant Woods is to put my game cameras high up on a tree, so I can determine where deer are entering and exiting the food source.  This will help me determine where to hang my stand in the staging area.  A Deer has to eat and if you set up correctly you may catch him.

Calling During this Time?

Calling deer during this time can have some success but may be hit or miss.  For some bucks they are still looking for does to come into second cycle of estrus and may respond to some calling.  My experience is to not over do it, as not to Spook deer from coming in to feed or waiting until dark.

Tree Stands or Blinds?

A few other things to consider is bowhunting out of a ground blind vs. tree stand.  The weather can be extremely cold and hard to deal with in the open.  A bowhunting ground blind can block some of the conditions and allow you to stay out longer.  Finally, make sure you practice shooting your bow in your extreme weather bowhuning clothing.  When you have all those layers on, face mask, ect.. you need to make sure you can effectively shoot your bow without anything interfering with your shot.  Finally, I do like to use our Game Forecast Charts to help me determine the moon phase and the best feeding times if I hae limited days to hunt.  Additionally, if you are hunting a specific buck and do not want to over hunt the stand these Charts will help determine the days with the best feeding times around morning and afternoon.

Dynamics of the Whitetail Rut

There are several behaviors associated with the whitetail “rut”. The first sign of rutting behavior is often sparring among bucks. Sparring may take place between bucks of equal stature or between a dominant and subordinate or immature buck. Initially, these are usually short-lived, low intensity, pushing and shoving matches. These sparring scenarios may help establish the dominance hierarchy among males. As the peak of the breeding season approaches, sparring matches may give way to full-blown antler fights. These generally take place between bucks of similar hierarchical status.

Two other behaviors associated with the rut are “rubbing” and “making scrapes.” Both serve as scent signposts for olfactory and, perhaps, visual communication.  You can start to see signs of rubbing not long after velvet is dried and/or shed, but continues throughout the rutting period. A rub is initially made by a buck rubbing his antlers and forehead (for scent deposition) on a shrub or small tree. Once created, a rub may be used by several bucks or does. Generally, bucks begin “making scrapes” several weeks after the first rubs appear. This “scrapping” activity increases as the breeding season peaks and then declines throughout the remainder of the rutting period. A scrape is made by a buck pawing a spot of ground, usually to bare soil, and rub-urinating in that soil.  Scent from the forehead, preorbital gland or mouth is often deposited on the broken branch.

A common belief is that cooler weather is responsible for the increased rutting activity at this time; however, photo-period is the primary contributor. During this two to three week period, most does come into estrous for the first time of the season. Does are receptive for around 24 hours. If they are not bred during this time frame, they generally recycle in three to four weeks. A doe will recycle several times; however, failure to conceive during the first or second estrous period may indicate an improper buck to doe ratio. As the peak of the rut approaches, there is an increase in bucks chasing does (usually before she is receptive) and bucks tending does (usually during a doe’s receptive period).  Most antler fights occur during this period when they do occur.  Your number of mature bucks and the buck to doe ratio can have impact on how much fighting you will see or will actually occur.  Frequency of antler fights declines after the peak of the rut.

Calling During the Whitetail Rut

Let’s do some deer talk’n as it relates to the behaviors of whitetails described above.  It is that time to get out the rattle bag, horns and calls.  You may already have some deer in pre-rut or even chasing does.  We have all seen in the field or on a TV show how effective calling can be during the Pre-Rut, Rut and Post Rut.   Based on that let me ask you how effective has it been for you over that years?  For me I have had varied success and have asked myself what is driving this?

• Am I calling correctly?
• Am I using the right call for the right scenario?

I do believe that there is a strategy to calling.  This includes 1) when to call, 2) how loud to call, 3) when not to call, and 4) which calls to use. Let’s go through some of these scenarios:

Pre – Rut- deer are becoming more aggressive and beginning to let other bucks know they are in the area via scrapes and rubs as described above.  When you are seeing this kind of “sign” using a grunt call and some light rattling can be effective.  Factors to consider during this time are the number of dominant bucks, buck to doe ratio, and the amount of sign you are seeing.  If you do not have a large number of dominant bucks too aggressive of calling can some bucks not come in to investigate due to being afraid of getting their butts kicked.  Also consider that if you do call in a scenario where you do not have a lot of mature deer then using grunt call sequences that are not overly aggressive or “deep”.  Consider using a young buck sounds to entice the bucks you do have to come in and demonstrate dominance.  This may give you a better chance of getting a shot on the most mature you have on the property.

Rut/Chasing- During this magical time you can get very aggressive with your calls that would include rattling, doe in estrus calls, and grunt calls.  There are a number of calls you can use for doe in estrus that include Primos Lil Can, Primos Long Can, and others.  Additionally, you can use rattling horns or rattle bags such as these Flextone Battle Bag.  There are a number of calling sequences you can execute during this time that include the following:

• Roar (introduced by Primos) – which is an aggressive call where a buck is defending a hot doe.  He is saying ” Hey Get Out of Here”
• Communication Grunt – deeper single note type of grunt vocalizations saying “Hey I Am Over Here”
• Tending Grunt - many times made by smaller or younger bucks chasing does.  Often the Mature Buck is watching and waiting for that moment to move in
• Snort Wheeze – Vocalization between two bucks being very aggressive towards each other

The use of decoys during this time can also produce great results.  There are a number of good decoys on the market such as the Primos Scarface (seen below) and Harry. Using a decoy on the edge of a field so that buck can see it as they are cruising.  Face the decoy towards you because that buck is going to come in behind the decoy.  This gives you time to draw your bow and get ready for shot.  Make sure you spray your decoy down with a scent eliminator such as Dead Down Wind or Scent Away Sprays. Then adding some type of doe in estrus doe scent can help bring that buck in.

Rut/Breeding – During this time it can be tough hunting b/c many of the mature bucks are locked down with that buck.  Where she goes he goes.  He is not likely to break away from her so calling may produce limited results.  You may consider hunting over those food sources near cover to catch him on her tail as she goes to get something to eat.

Post Rut- During this time you will have bucks back on the move to play clean up for any does that have come into estrus late.  Hunting over food sources with some estrus bleats may help produce some positive results.  Heavy rattling may produce some results but consider during this time these bucks may be worn down and less willing to get into a fight.  If you have not put in your food plot then do as soon as possible.  Depending on your hunting scenario or food plot size you may consider doing a small food plot that uses a contact seed that will quickly germinate and produce results.  Seeds such as Biologic “Hot Spot” can be very effective in these scenarios to provide a highly nutritional food source during the winter to help draw in does and thus bucks on these does.

More on the Calls referenced above….

The Original Flexible Game Call maker has teamed up with Michael Waddell and the whole Bone Collector Brotherhood to create possibly the most innovative deer call to enter the woods. To put it bluntly, we put THE WHOLE HERD IN ONE CALL. The Buck Collector produces all known vocalizations as well as wheeze sounds through one killer deer call. No matter what deer vocalization you need to produce, the Buck Collector will do it simply by squeezing the labeled buttons while you blow. The call even has an integrated snort wheeze that amplifies the sound as it travels through the exhaust chamber.

The flextone® deer calls developed by Tom Wiley feature a patented combination of hard and soft parts that mimic the rigid voice box and soft, flexible neck and mouth tissues of a game animal. This design produces an enhanced control of volume and tone, giving you a fuller range of vocalizations and a more natural sound. The All-N-One Deer Call also features buttons that show the user where to squeeze the call, (F) for fawn, (D) for doe, (YB) for young buck or just blow without squeezing for a mature buck. The opposite end also has a (Vol) button for volume control. Now you have the flexibility to produce a full range of vocalizations with one deer call. The flextone® All-N-One Deer Call will, with just the squeeze of a button, accurately produce a fawn bleat or distress, a doe bleat or grunt, as well as a young buck or a mature buck grunt. Not only will you appreciate the natural sounds this call makes but also the sounds it does not make if accidentally coming in contact with your gun or bow. (Model ftd)

The Flextone Battle Bag is the ultimate fighting machine. The flexible/stretchable bag makes it easy to mesh the synthetic fighting sticks together and gives you more volume than other bags. The design also keeps the sticks from making unwanted noise when entering your hunting area.

The Primos Up ROAR Deer Call^® truly is a “Triple Threat”. It combines 3 of the most effective calls to bring deer in close. It has 2 chambers, an Aggressive Grunt and an Estrus^™ Bleat, topped off with a Wheeze tube to challenge bucks to a fight. The Grunt chamber reproduces a deep, resonating aggressive grunt that is made by bucks during the rut. The Bleat chamber reproduces a loud Estrus^™ Bleat made by receptive does. When using these calls in combination you can sound like a buck chasing a hot doe. This will make other bucks jealous and come running to see what’s causing the Up ROAR^®.

For more information visit Stick’em Archery @ www.Stickemarchery.com

It’s second quarter of football game and you have not scored a touch down.  Is it time to panic and change total game plan?  Maybe – Maybe not.  Any good coach has come into the game with a solid game plan based on film, and knowledge of other team.  Well it is getting close to the middle of October and I have not killed the deer I have been scouting on my Georgia property.  I am hunting about 50 acres that is a 50/50 split of rural and suburban area.  Going into the season I had a stand set up in the area of game pictures.  This area was close to water and cover.  I was confident in my set up but after several hunts and seeing small bucks and few does, I have not seen the mature bucks.  Where did they go? Are they gone?

Yes, I am a little frustrated but it is not time to panic and over hunt an area.  I am taking a step back to re-evalute my set ups and what these bucks may be doing.  First, thing I did is consider the below factors based on this part of the season (October 1st – November 1st)….

• Food source will change to acorns
• Weather is getting cooler and there is more water in creeks due to rain
• Behaviors will begin to change mid to later October with bucks making scrapes, rubs near bedding areas and travel zones

Based on these factors I took out my Ariel Map (Mapping the Outdoors) and began to factor in these things and “think like a Buck” to see where he may go to find these areas.  After doing this I have identified a few new locations to hunt over the next several weeks.

I also like to think ahead to determine how I will hunt during November and December.  Realizing most of the bedding area will not change I need to deal with the food source after the deer have moved off the acorns.  On this property there is a lot of browse but not existing food plots.  So, I have made my own using a combination of Mossy Oak’s “Hot Spot” blend and some rye seed.  Both of these are contact seeds that do not require a lot of work or land prep.  You can put them in areas of the woods that will attract does and bucks near travel areas and near cover for a staging buck.  After studying the Ariel Map I have put out three small plots using a hard rake, seed, and some quality fertilizer.  By the time the acorns are gone these should be nice little food plots.

We are going into the 2nd Qrt and I am changing my plays but not the game plan.  You need to be smart and consider that you need to adjust to deal with your property dynamics and changing behaviors of deer as the season progresses.  Something else to consider is if you have not harvested that buck you are hunting yet and you are hunting him out of the same stand.  Back off a bit and do not over hunt him.  Follow your game plan that includes these factors: weather conditions, WIND, Moon, Food Sources, bedding areas and stand location.  At this point make sure all of these conditions are good and then go after him.  If the WIND is wrong and it is warm with bad moon you may want to stay home.

As the rut approaches these new set ups where I have placed my small food plots will hopefully pull in some traveling bucks.  While the area I am hunting is only  50 acres there is other property around me that holds deer that I know will travel.  My goal is to provide something not only for the does to feed on,which will pull in the bucks.  I believe it will be a hot spot for the bucks that are traveling to hit for quick “feeding” as they are passing through.  Below is some additional information based on an article by Quality Deer Management Association that discusses deer travel behaviors prior to and during the rut.

Buck Excursions (Quality Whitetails Magazine by QDMA)

During summer, daily buck movements tended to be short trips from bedding to feeding areas, but this changed dramatically during the breeding season.  Beginning during the pre-rut, several bucks covered large portions of their home ranges and then returned to their core areas within 8-30 hours.

Additionally, 58 percent of bucks also made excursions outside of their home ranges during the rut, often staying in the new locations 6-24 hours before returning to their home ranges.  While unsure, researchers speculated that these bucks likely were in pursuit of an estrous doe.  These seemingly random excursions outside of a buck’s normal home range could explain how some bucks that have never been seen or photographed previously seem to magically appear and either get harvested or vanish, never to be seen again on the property.

Another interesting finding was the change in time of day the excursions occurred.  During both the pre-rut and post-rut periods approximately 70% of excursions occurred during nighttime hrs; whereas during the peak rut, 70% occurred during daylight hours. This certainly helps explain the increased visibility of bucks by hunters during the rut.

I will keep you posted on the progress of my changing plays within my game plan.  I have taken some of these same steps on my South Carolina farm.  While this piece of property is much larger and the food plots are bigger I am executing many of the same principles.  Good luck in October!

By Brian Stephens, StickemArchery.com

Information from the Quality Deer Management Association was referenced in this article.  To become a member or to learn more about the resources available go to www.QDMA.com.

By Brian Stephens

STICK’EM ARCHERY

You may say why is this a topic of discussion.  Think of yourself as a Special Forces Solider. What is one of their specialties? It is the element of surprise. They don’t walk in the front door and say “I am here”. They come in the back door, through the window or from the roof. When you are bowhunting a mature animal I believe you need to think in a similar sense. How you travel to that spot is important.

Whether it is by foot, Bad BoyBuggy, ATV, truck or in some cases a boat. As a bow hunter I think you have to execute these types of tactics not to spook the animals in that area. There may be situations that may not leave you with many choices.

Most of us walk to our stands. When I have to walk to my stand, I always try to walk to it in a direction that puts the wind in my favor. In the Southeast this can be challenging due to so much cover that can hold whitetail deer. You could be walking down a trail and have whitetail deer bedded within 20 yards of you. I have walked down streams and taken the long way to ensure I don’t spook anything. Use the wind the best you can and if needed use a vehicle to get to the stand early. Many times deer or game get used to a vehicle vs. hearing you walk. Get in the stand early to allow everything to settle down.

If possible try not to walk down the trail the deer will use. The deer’s nose is it’s greatest defense. I don’t have any data to support this but I do believe that deer can sense ground disturbances.  Even if you walk down a trail with rubber boots I do believe they have the ability to detect this.

Last year, I had a 140 inch buck at full draw at 20 yards. This deer was staged up in some brush (wind in my favor). I was waiting for him to take a few more steps then I was going to let it role but something happened. He started to walk out with his nose to the ground. He took two steps and stopped. He then backed up and walked back in the direction he came from. He did not blow but he was “at alert.” As I let me string down in complete disbelief. I analyzed the what happened. At that time I realized I had walked down the trail he was going to cross and I believe he knew it.  Again, there will be times you may not be able to control this.  Additionally, other deer may not react to ground disturbances. The key is to be strategic in your approach and departure of your stand.  Do everything you can to minimize that you are in the area.  Come out at “dark thirty”, get picked up or take the long way out.  These extra steps can put the odds more in your favor to harvest that mature animal you are bowhuning.

There are a number of logical reasons to improve your skill in judging deer in the woods.  First, if you are on a management program and putting sweat equity and resources into improving your deer herd by letting younger bucks walk.  Second, you are hunting an area that only allows you one deer.  If you are wanting to harvest a mature deer vs. just hunting horns.  These are just a few reasons for the bowhunter to enhance their aging deer skills.

We have all been fooled by a big rack on a 2 1/2  or 3 1/2 year old deer.  Not to say you should not shoot that deer, that is up to you.  The key is not solely focusing on the horns and more on the body and social characteristics of that deer.  Each hunter has a different approach to harvesting deer.  I have harvested my share of less than mature bucks over my hunting career.  With that said over the past five years or so, I have enjoyed letting younger bucks walk and focused on 1-2 mature deer on the property.

Let’s get into it.  I have asked our Spokes Person Spook Spann to provide some of his insight into how he judges deer on hoof.  Spook has a reputation of being a very accomplished Big Game Hunter and will put in a lot of hours to get a shot on that one Monster in the area.  “The only way to get a chance to shoot a true giant / mature buck is to let the young bucks walk.  Once you are disciplined for a few years you will have more and more opportunities to harvest a mature – giant deer. “

Body Characteristics  & Social Behaviors of Whitetail Deer from 1.5 years old to 6.5 years old.  Aspects of this information is referenced from the Quality Deer Management Association Resources on Aging Deer.

1 ½  year old Buck

These bucks have a thin neck and slim body.  A 1 ½ year old buck will look similar to a doe with horns.

The majority of the time there is a distinct line of separation between the bucks shoulder and neck.
Legs on this age of deer appear too long for the rest of its body and there is little muscle definition with these bucks.
Little or no tarsal staining

2 ½ year old Buck

These bucks have a thin waist and shoulders

Hindquarters are proportional to the chest and shoulders.  You will typically see minimal neck swelling during the rut with these bucks.

Lightly stained tarsal glands

Another tell tell characteristic with these bucks is the back and belly on is flat

3 1/2 year old Buck

These bucks are being to establish a thickly muscled neck  during the rut.  There is still some separation between the neck and shoulders.

The chest and shoulder area of these bucks  are now beginning to look heavier than the hindquarters.

These bucks are being to have overall good muscle tone but still have some lanky/lean look to them.

The neck on these deer is now wider than their face.

The back and belly are still tight on these bucks.

These bucks are beginning to establish a good set of horns on their head.  Many times these bucks are hard to pass up b/c they may be one of the biggest bucks see on “hoof”.  If a bowhunter let’s this buck walk until he is 4 ½ to 5 ½ there will be a substantial increase in antler

4 1/2 year old Buck

These bucks are becoming fully muscled neck blends into shoulders seamlessly.

No longer lanky or lean. You will see the leg length becomes proportional to body size

Waistline has dropped and is now level with chest-line

Tarsal Glands are large and very dark during the rut

5 1/2 year old Buck

The shoulders and neck appear to be one large mass

Belly is round and may begin to sag.  The exception is during the post rut where these bucks will have a fair amount of weight loss during this period of time.

Legs begin to appear to short for the massive size of the body

Neck is thick and heavy, the skin still appears to be tight

Head appears very deep and heavy from a profile view.  The forehead is darkened by gland secretions and some graying may be visible around the muzzle.

6 1/2 year old Buck

The face of these bucks is beginning to contract between a darker forehead and graying muzzle.

You will notice a very distinctive “potbelly”

Heavy belly- way to big for his body

Skin around the face and neck is rippled and appears loose.  A flap of loose skin is visible at the throat and jaw line.

During the rut, tarsal stains extends down the inside of the legs

Neck and chest appear to be one continuous muscle

Other Considerations regarding Herd Behavior and Antler Basics

During the early season you are able to watch or catch bucks in groups so you can observe some of the behaviors between these bucks.  Those bucks that seem to posture and show dominance are the mature deer.  You may be surprised that some of these more dominant bucks may not have as big of a set up antlers.  Reinforces that point that the antlers do not only determine the age or maturity of the buck.

Also consider the time of year when you are looking at body size.  There can be a extreme swing in body weight from Pre-Rut to Rut to Post-Rut periods.  The QDMA suggests that bucks may lose as much as 30% of their body weight during the breeding season.

“Antlers are the fastest growing true bone in nature.  They start growing in spring and continue through late summer.  While growing, antlers are soft, warm (because of the blood supply) and covered with velvet.  They harden in late summer/early fall and bucks shed their velvet in response to increasing testosterone levels.  Bucks then cast their antlers in late winter/early spring in response to decreasing testosterone levels.  Antlers are often incorrectly referred to as “horns” but they are distinctly different.  Antlers grow from the tip and are shed annually while horns grow from the base and grow for the life of the animal.”-QDMA, Kip Adams.

The three factors influencing antler growth are animal age, nutrition and genetics.  These factors are not uniform throughout the whitetails range but proper deer and habitat management can compensate for some regional shortcomings.  (Kips Corner, Antler Basics-Quality Deer Management Association).  As you think of aging a deer and you look at the antlers of this animal consider the following based on the Quality Deer Management Association.  On Average, the main beam length of a 2 ½ year old buck is typically 16 inches and 18 ½ inches for a 3 ½ year old buck.  Data collected from Missippi State University regarding Average Beam Length by Age Class.

1 ½ year old buck  8.3 inch main beam length

2 ½ year old buck 15.8 inch main beam length

3 ½ year old buck 18.4 inch main beam length

4 ½ year old buck 20.5 inch main beam length

5 ½ year old buck 21.7 inch main beam length

6 ½ year old buck 21.6 inch main beam length

Stickemarchery.com Quick Reference “Tree Stand” Guide

1. What Phase of Season is it (Early season-Pre Rut-Rut-Late Season)?
2. Look at the Body (Belly, Shoulders, Back, Hind Quarters, Scent Glands)
3. Are the Horns outside the ears, mass, trash- Head – Roman nose, color?
4. What is the Behavior of this buck especially if he is with other Bucks?

*  Where are you hunting (Southeast, Northeast, Texas, Midwest, West, Canada)?

Again, the focus of this article is to provide you with some down and dirty tips on differing between a 2.5 year old 4.5 year deer.  It seems very straight forward when you look at these pictures and read the points.  It becomes substantially more difficult when  that Buck has “appeared” out of no where and you have to make a decision within a matter of seconds.   If you are hunting anything with nice set up horns then it is a no brainer.  If you are working hard to let the 2.5 to 3.5 year old bucks walk then it is important that you learn how to field judge using some of these tips.    The Quality Deer Management Association is a great resource that we use to improve our skills in judging deer.  Additionally, there are several articles in our Archery Blog that Kip Adams has written on aging deer on hoof.  Kip Adams also provides feedback to StickemArchery.com on a monthly basis within our “Age this Buck” platform.

References for this articles were from the Quality Deer Management Association.  For more information or resources by QDMA go to www.QDMA.com.