bowhunting tecniques for everyone

Is anybody interisted in pooling our personal tecniques so we can all look at them and maybe find some new ideas. I’ll go first if anybody wants.

I would be willing to share what i know about technique. I am not saying i am a pro, but i have gotten some shots already this year, being selective.

shane

I would be willing to share what i know about technique. I am not saying i am a pro, but i have gotten some shots already this year, being selective.

shane

Im by far not a pro eigther but the things I’ve figured out to do really do work, heres how I do it. I shower in liquid descent shampoo and dry on a descented towel and stand on one too while drying. I dress in descented clothes that i wear while i drive to the place I park. When washing my clothes i have my own washing machine that i protect with my life during deer season. Just incase someones used it i run it through a washing without my clothes in it with descent, then its safe{safer} to wash mine. I absolutely never wash in the household machine because of fabric softeners, perfumed detergents etc. I don’t have a drier yet so i hang my clothes out to dry outdoors no matter the temp. They will freeze but will dry in a few days. I put my hunting clothes in a descented plastic bag, coolers, boxes etc. will work. I descent my seat, put a full seat length towel on it where im sitting when i drive to the place i park. I use a descented pair of hunting gloves to open the door when i get there. I get outside and undress to my longjohns, no matter the temp. I change into my hunting jeans, flannel shirt, etc. then put on my hunting camies. I remember what the bark on my tree looks like and try to match it when im putting on my face paint. I’ve had deer look at me and they look right through me not seeing my profile and i absolutly don’t blink when they do look, I freeze, don’t even breath. If the wind changes and have to go to another stand I glass then get down. I have my diaphram in my mouth in case a deer partially sees me where i can yelp and make it relax. They think its a turkey, another sentry of the woods that tells everything im around. When i get to my stand I relax for a bit and collect all the imformation I can on conditions, shooting lanes, wind direction at stand level. Im very careful not to move fast , head turning, etc. you never know when a nice bucks going to come in from behind you, if i turn my head fast, busted and may have lost the shot of a life time. I’ve seen a 190″ buck 75 yrds from my stand, the kind that throws you into dt’s. 4-16′ tines on both beams and 12′ brow tines. This boy was 13 5/8th” off the worlds record when i seen him. Someone highpowered him later that year but the dnr caught them with the rack. The dnr told me his measurements thats how i know his final measurements. Don’t ever be fooled, nice rack? the dnr might have pictures of him. After seeing a bone crushing buck like this im maticulos more than ever about my scent. You only get one chance. We’ve got bucks down here that rub 8′ off the ground standing on thier hind legs setting terratory. Go to this site you’ll see why and i buy this guys doe in heat urin. http://www.mrsdoeepee.com click on Sam Collora you got to see this one, full story, everything. It was shot 75 miles from me. I won’t buy anywhere else. The archery lane where i use to practice and bought my bow put together his bow for him. Kelly O’mera was the owner, I think he’s a 6 time olympic champ in archery from Cedar Rapids. Give kelly a call if you want a custom fit bow. He’s an excellent bowsmith and really knows his stuff, the oldest and latest on just about every bow made. He works at Fin and Feather sporting store here in town and hes a really nice guy. Lots of good shots around this neck of the woods. Well back to the hunt. I move in 10th speed when on stand. I bring a plastic bad to put wrappers in after eating and never go down the tree to urinate. I use a plactic bottle to go in when im up there. Theres alot of guys who have and been caught with thier pants down with thier bow in the tree with a nice buck standing there looking at him, busted!. Heres a couple of tricks i use to help my hunting. I clear all the limbs on trails that the bucks use that scrape thier antlers when in velvet. They use these to keep thier velveted antlers from bleeding. The does use them too and the bucks follow, don’t be afraid to clear a trail. They’ll start using it right away and will right through the rut. I find my shooting lanes im going to use then I tie a couple of pullies to the end of the lanes. One at about 20 and one at 35, depending on stand location. I put a pully for each on the tree by me and i use these to pull a doe in heat urin rag to the far pully, I tie the outer one at nose level. I quit walking and putting a rag over a limb when i seen a shootable buck come in to the range and scent my prints in wet snow and pull his ears back, turn and walk away with the look in his eyes did i ever mess up then after about 20 steps run like he__. Wet snow holds human scent better than dry. Well enough for now, later

Im by far not a pro eigther but the things I’ve figured out to do really do work, heres how I do it. I shower in liquid descent shampoo and dry on a descented towel and stand on one too while drying. I dress in descented clothes that i wear while i drive to the place I park. When washing my clothes i have my own washing machine that i protect with my life during deer season. Just incase someones used it i run it through a washing without my clothes in it with descent, then its safe{safer} to wash mine. I absolutely never wash in the household machine because of fabric softeners, perfumed detergents etc. I don’t have a drier yet so i hang my clothes out to dry outdoors no matter the temp. They will freeze but will dry in a few days. I put my hunting clothes in a descented plastic bag, coolers, boxes etc. will work. I descent my seat, put a full seat length towel on it where im sitting when i drive to the place i park. I use a descented pair of hunting gloves to open the door when i get there. I get outside and undress to my longjohns, no matter the temp. I change into my hunting jeans, flannel shirt, etc. then put on my hunting camies. I remember what the bark on my tree looks like and try to match it when im putting on my face paint. I’ve had deer look at me and they look right through me not seeing my profile and i absolutly don’t blink when they do look, I freeze, don’t even breath. If the wind changes and have to go to another stand I glass then get down. I have my diaphram in my mouth in case a deer partially sees me where i can yelp and make it relax. They think its a turkey, another sentry of the woods that tells everything im around. When i get to my stand I relax for a bit and collect all the imformation I can on conditions, shooting lanes, wind direction at stand level. Im very careful not to move fast , head turning, etc. you never know when a nice bucks going to come in from behind you, if i turn my head fast, busted and may have lost the shot of a life time. I’ve seen a 190″ buck 75 yrds from my stand, the kind that throws you into dt’s. 4-16′ tines on both beams and 12′ brow tines. This boy was 13 5/8th” off the worlds record when i seen him. Someone highpowered him later that year but the dnr caught them with the rack. The dnr told me his measurements thats how i know his final measurements. Don’t ever be fooled, nice rack? the dnr might have pictures of him. After seeing a bone crushing buck like this im maticulos more than ever about my scent. You only get one chance. We’ve got bucks down here that rub 8′ off the ground standing on thier hind legs setting terratory. Go to this site you’ll see why and i buy this guys doe in heat urin. http://www.mrsdoeepee.com click on Sam Collora you got to see this one, full story, everything. It was shot 75 miles from me. I won’t buy anywhere else. The archery lane where i use to practice and bought my bow put together his bow for him. Kelly O’mera was the owner, I think he’s a 6 time olympic champ in archery from Cedar Rapids. Give kelly a call if you want a custom fit bow. He’s an excellent bowsmith and really knows his stuff, the oldest and latest on just about every bow made. He works at Fin and Feather sporting store here in town and hes a really nice guy. Lots of good shots around this neck of the woods. Well back to the hunt. I move in 10th speed when on stand. I bring a plastic bad to put wrappers in after eating and never go down the tree to urinate. I use a plactic bottle to go in when im up there. Theres alot of guys who have and been caught with thier pants down with thier bow in the tree with a nice buck standing there looking at him, busted!. Heres a couple of tricks i use to help my hunting. I clear all the limbs on trails that the bucks use that scrape thier antlers when in velvet. They use these to keep thier velveted antlers from bleeding. The does use them too and the bucks follow, don’t be afraid to clear a trail. They’ll start using it right away and will right through the rut. I find my shooting lanes im going to use then I tie a couple of pullies to the end of the lanes. One at about 20 and one at 35, depending on stand location. I put a pully for each on the tree by me and i use these to pull a doe in heat urin rag to the far pully, I tie the outer one at nose level. I quit walking and putting a rag over a limb when i seen a shootable buck come in to the range and scent my prints in wet snow and pull his ears back, turn and walk away with the look in his eyes did i ever mess up then after about 20 steps run like he__. Wet snow holds human scent better than dry. Well enough for now, later

correction to above address. Its not mrsdoeepee, its mrsdoepee with one e only in doe. I proof read it and still made the mispelling, sometimes i can’t add or subtract but i can count real high lol

correction to above address. Its not mrsdoeepee, its mrsdoepee with one e only in doe. I proof read it and still made the mispelling, sometimes i can’t add or subtract but i can count real high lol

well mossydan has me beat hands down.

I usually wake up in the morning and go outside and grab my hunting clothes out a bag full of acorns and dried fallen leaves. I then get dressed in my camo pants and shirt. go tot he bathroom and use the mirror to paint my face. and lastly add the camo hat to cover my hair. I then walk out to the trial that i am going to use to get to my stand, i take some excite on a dip wick and put some onto the bottom edge of my pants and heel of my boot. I then walk the trail slowly, stoping about ever 20 feet and just watching. when i make to my stand. I go and rewet my wick sticks that i have put out before hunting. (i hunt private land, so I can put clean ones out into the tree so they are used to the motion of them in the branches.) then i get up into my homemade deer stand, pour some excite onto the posts to help cover any scent that i may have overlooked. I then just sit and watch, I almost always have big does and bucks cross out in front of me at about 40 yards.

I have my deerstand on a clearing that has wild clover growing in it. I am also 300 yards away from a farmers field that yeilds corn and beans. I am on the edge of our property and the on the other side of the line is the Itasca state forest. I have found that using non-smelling clothes and stuff like that are a gimmic to get a hunter to spend more money. I can sneak up to a deer and be about 20 ft away and just stand there and watch them. I guess the army has helped me in that area of stalking your prey. I have been able to get to the point were i can see the muscle twitches. also if you can cough like a buck and he isn’t in the kill zone, that will make him ready to fight in a big hurry. that is how i got one to walk withing 20 yards of my stand with me and my little brother in it. I tried to get the shot away and pulled the knock out of the arrow and before i could get reloaded, he steped into the heavy brush, however he did show himself again 50 yards down range in the thick brush, looking for either the doe or the buck that coughed at him.

I don’t get wraped up in the scent blocking stuff. just a little doe pee on my boats and deer stand seem to work for me.

shane

well mossydan has me beat hands down.

I usually wake up in the morning and go outside and grab my hunting clothes out a bag full of acorns and dried fallen leaves. I then get dressed in my camo pants and shirt. go tot he bathroom and use the mirror to paint my face. and lastly add the camo hat to cover my hair. I then walk out to the trial that i am going to use to get to my stand, i take some excite on a dip wick and put some onto the bottom edge of my pants and heel of my boot. I then walk the trail slowly, stoping about ever 20 feet and just watching. when i make to my stand. I go and rewet my wick sticks that i have put out before hunting. (i hunt private land, so I can put clean ones out into the tree so they are used to the motion of them in the branches.) then i get up into my homemade deer stand, pour some excite onto the posts to help cover any scent that i may have overlooked. I then just sit and watch, I almost always have big does and bucks cross out in front of me at about 40 yards.

I have my deerstand on a clearing that has wild clover growing in it. I am also 300 yards away from a farmers field that yeilds corn and beans. I am on the edge of our property and the on the other side of the line is the Itasca state forest. I have found that using non-smelling clothes and stuff like that are a gimmic to get a hunter to spend more money. I can sneak up to a deer and be about 20 ft away and just stand there and watch them. I guess the army has helped me in that area of stalking your prey. I have been able to get to the point were i can see the muscle twitches. also if you can cough like a buck and he isn’t in the kill zone, that will make him ready to fight in a big hurry. that is how i got one to walk withing 20 yards of my stand with me and my little brother in it. I tried to get the shot away and pulled the knock out of the arrow and before i could get reloaded, he steped into the heavy brush, however he did show himself again 50 yards down range in the thick brush, looking for either the doe or the buck that coughed at him.

I don’t get wraped up in the scent blocking stuff. just a little doe pee on my boats and deer stand seem to work for me.

shane

I know what you mean Shane, I’ve done it to especially when The bucks are running blind looking for does. All kinds of senarios. What ever works for the local woods. I know very well one day thier blind then the next very cautious. I wish more guys would say what they do.

I know what you mean Shane, I’ve done it to especially when The bucks are running blind looking for does. All kinds of senarios. What ever works for the local woods. I know very well one day thier blind then the next very cautious. I wish more guys would say what they do.

Heres another one. Do deer bleet up your way? I found that if thier spooky and a guy can practic bleeting they come to that too.

Heres another one. Do deer bleet up your way? I found that if thier spooky and a guy can practic bleeting they come to that too.

I try to stay as clean as possible & air out my clothing outside & use rubber boots, I have had limited success with scents, I will give mrs doe pee a try. My biggest problem is with work and family I do not have the time to do my homework to pattern what the deer are doing. Even if I do not see deer when I am in my stand I just enjoy the time I spend in the woods, but it is a nice bonus when I do shoot a deer.

I try to stay as clean as possible & air out my clothing outside & use rubber boots, I have had limited success with scents, I will give mrs doe pee a try. My biggest problem is with work and family I do not have the time to do my homework to pattern what the deer are doing. Even if I do not see deer when I am in my stand I just enjoy the time I spend in the woods, but it is a nice bonus when I do shoot a deer.

one the day i was writing about, I had to cough and had a 4pt in the opening, standing broad side at 45 yards. I coughed and he lifted his head, pinned her ears, and the hairs on his neck stood up. I thought i had screwed up, but I had him as close as 20 yards. passed up the shot, he was walking right at me. But i have wondered about possibly rattlin some horns up there in rut season aslo. but the hunting is different from the north to the south. but i will have to check out one of them calls! thanks for the advice

shane

one the day i was writing about, I had to cough and had a 4pt in the opening, standing broad side at 45 yards. I coughed and he lifted his head, pinned her ears, and the hairs on his neck stood up. I thought i had screwed up, but I had him as close as 20 yards. passed up the shot, he was walking right at me. But i have wondered about possibly rattlin some horns up there in rut season aslo. but the hunting is different from the north to the south. but i will have to check out one of them calls! thanks for the advice

shane

Shane, rattling helps bigtime down here. I use one rack thats 140″ whitetail and one thats a 150″ mulie. The 190″ buck that i wrote about came from me ratteling. I was hunting on a hill top of about a thousand acres and when i ratteled i could hear the sound comming back from all the way up and down the creek below me, limestone bluffs on both sides carried the sounds. I know he could have heard it from a mile away bedded down someplace. I know you really bang em then grind the nubbins that are at thier base. I use a grunt call and grunt, snort and wheese, its a real fast back and forth inhaling and exhaling with my mouth on the side of the grunt call. Then i grunt from one end of the tube, turn it around then grunt from the other thus two different bucks. I repat this but not sure if theres any set way of doing it but it works anyway i do it. Just make it sound real is all i do. I know when bucks fight they wheese alot, its very fast almost hyper, i’ve had three small bucks under my tree at one time doing this. I know what you mean by watching thier skin flinch. I’ve seen them do it with a 22 going off a mile away when it was under my tree. I do know that on some days when you really bang them it scares the livin he– out of the small bucks, on others they come. Short memory maybe on having thier butts kicked from the previous big one or just diffrent smaller ones that have never run into a big one yet, i don’t know. The big bucks down here scare everything, everything runs!

Shane, rattling helps bigtime down here. I use one rack thats 140″ whitetail and one thats a 150″ mulie. The 190″ buck that i wrote about came from me ratteling. I was hunting on a hill top of about a thousand acres and when i ratteled i could hear the sound comming back from all the way up and down the creek below me, limestone bluffs on both sides carried the sounds. I know he could have heard it from a mile away bedded down someplace. I know you really bang em then grind the nubbins that are at thier base. I use a grunt call and grunt, snort and wheese, its a real fast back and forth inhaling and exhaling with my mouth on the side of the grunt call. Then i grunt from one end of the tube, turn it around then grunt from the other thus two different bucks. I repat this but not sure if theres any set way of doing it but it works anyway i do it. Just make it sound real is all i do. I know when bucks fight they wheese alot, its very fast almost hyper, i’ve had three small bucks under my tree at one time doing this. I know what you mean by watching thier skin flinch. I’ve seen them do it with a 22 going off a mile away when it was under my tree. I do know that on some days when you really bang them it scares the livin he– out of the small bucks, on others they come. Short memory maybe on having thier butts kicked from the previous big one or just diffrent smaller ones that have never run into a big one yet, i don’t know. The big bucks down here scare everything, everything runs!

Steve patterning the deer is probably the very most important thing to me. Used areas? i hunt there. No deer i don’t. Better traveled routes i hunt there, some are better during the morning and some used more during the afternoon. I know feeding and water are big players in this. I try to sit in my stand and watch whats going on from morning to night. Its like turkeys i’ve seen doing this. You could almost set your watch to when they would fly down from roost then go only in one certain direction. Then always come back a certain way too, i know deer have the very same habits. One timber i hunt the younger deer always come out one certain trail, the bigger older deer come from anywhere theres water or deep cover. Most of the time not on trails but around them. I’ve seen too many deer just walking cross country not on trails, younger deer seem to be on trails. One exception is bucks followinmg the rut trails that are close to a meadow where they can keep a close nose to any doe ripening up. Thats why i clear these trail when thier in velvet so they get use to using them. I’ve cut trails, small ones only two feet wide from where i thought deer would be bedded to a feeding area and had them using them in a few days with does by thier sides later in the breeding season, almost janurary. I seen a fawn with spots after scaring it out of a raspberry briar patch in late december while grunting. It was there when i climbed my tree to my stand. A late fawn with spots is a shure sign of a good deer heard. That means thier mating clear into janurary. They carry thier fawns about as long as humans.

Steve patterning the deer is probably the very most important thing to me. Used areas? i hunt there. No deer i don’t. Better traveled routes i hunt there, some are better during the morning and some used more during the afternoon. I know feeding and water are big players in this. I try to sit in my stand and watch whats going on from morning to night. Its like turkeys i’ve seen doing this. You could almost set your watch to when they would fly down from roost then go only in one certain direction. Then always come back a certain way too, i know deer have the very same habits. One timber i hunt the younger deer always come out one certain trail, the bigger older deer come from anywhere theres water or deep cover. Most of the time not on trails but around them. I’ve seen too many deer just walking cross country not on trails, younger deer seem to be on trails. One exception is bucks followinmg the rut trails that are close to a meadow where they can keep a close nose to any doe ripening up. Thats why i clear these trail when thier in velvet so they get use to using them. I’ve cut trails, small ones only two feet wide from where i thought deer would be bedded to a feeding area and had them using them in a few days with does by thier sides later in the breeding season, almost janurary. I seen a fawn with spots after scaring it out of a raspberry briar patch in late december while grunting. It was there when i climbed my tree to my stand. A late fawn with spots is a shure sign of a good deer heard. That means thier mating clear into janurary. They carry thier fawns about as long as humans.

Steve i know alot of guys this way swear by rubber boots, i’ve just never used them. Im going to go get a pair to hold up to 3 pairs of socks plus me truly. Im going to get the ones with no laces.

Steve i know alot of guys this way swear by rubber boots, i’ve just never used them. Im going to go get a pair to hold up to 3 pairs of socks plus me truly. Im going to get the ones with no laces.

I used to follow MossyDan’t technique, though not to the extent of a personal washer. Still, I’d do the descent wash, dry with the descented towel that was dried in a descented washer (sprayed with some no-scent product), wear my camo while driving on my descent sprayed carseat, throw on the warm clothes and go out. I’d eventually get my deer, but grew envious of my buds who smoked, ate summer sausage sandwiches, and chewed and spit tobacco to the base of their stands, and still killed deer every year. Seems like no matter how you slice it, or descent it, deer will smell you if the wind plays into them. Stand height, and cover scent have treated me well. No wall hangers yet, but I’m well fed. Speaking of which, I sit on a tupperware container about, 14 inches by 8 inches. The heat of my arse keeps my grub from freezing. I’d be curious as to what y’all eat trying to stay as scentfree as possible. Instead of bread which ended smashed prior to my tupperware discovery, I switched to big tortillas and make wraps. Beef and turkey seem to smell the least to me as does mozzerlla cheese. I also unwrap my candy bars, breakfast bars, and trail mix. Tobacco isn’t a concern of mine, but it also doesn’t seem to concern the deer either. Smoke of any kind. I have friends that kill’em while smoking, and others who’s grandpas kill’em sitting next to a small fire to stay warm and cover their scent. Weird. Far as peeing goes. A big mouth Mt. Dew or two. Caffeine and sugar to keep me up, a large mouth to catch the dribbles. Don’t mean to be so frank, but I’m sure there are plenty of you who headed out with the standard soda bottle, and messed up your gloves, bottle, and stand.

I used to follow MossyDan’t technique, though not to the extent of a personal washer. Still, I’d do the descent wash, dry with the descented towel that was dried in a descented washer (sprayed with some no-scent product), wear my camo while driving on my descent sprayed carseat, throw on the warm clothes and go out. I’d eventually get my deer, but grew envious of my buds who smoked, ate summer sausage sandwiches, and chewed and spit tobacco to the base of their stands, and still killed deer every year. Seems like no matter how you slice it, or descent it, deer will smell you if the wind plays into them. Stand height, and cover scent have treated me well. No wall hangers yet, but I’m well fed. Speaking of which, I sit on a tupperware container about, 14 inches by 8 inches. The heat of my arse keeps my grub from freezing. I’d be curious as to what y’all eat trying to stay as scentfree as possible. Instead of bread which ended smashed prior to my tupperware discovery, I switched to big tortillas and make wraps. Beef and turkey seem to smell the least to me as does mozzerlla cheese. I also unwrap my candy bars, breakfast bars, and trail mix. Tobacco isn’t a concern of mine, but it also doesn’t seem to concern the deer either. Smoke of any kind. I have friends that kill’em while smoking, and others who’s grandpas kill’em sitting next to a small fire to stay warm and cover their scent. Weird. Far as peeing goes. A big mouth Mt. Dew or two. Caffeine and sugar to keep me up, a large mouth to catch the dribbles. Don’t mean to be so frank, but I’m sure there are plenty of you who headed out with the standard soda bottle, and messed up your gloves, bottle, and stand.

Im busting a gut im laughing so hard shawn, i totally agree. I’ve got to go have a beer, later

Im busting a gut im laughing so hard shawn, i totally agree. I’ve got to go have a beer, later

Shane
Have you ever checked out that cornfield. I’ll bet there are a lot of tracks and mock scrape along the edge of it. If you find sign and have permission you should give it a try. The deer will usually tavel outside the rows allowing for a closer shot if you set up in a tree on the edge of the field. Just a thought.

Gator Hunter

Shane
Have you ever checked out that cornfield. I’ll bet there are a lot of tracks and mock scrape along the edge of it. If you find sign and have permission you should give it a try. The deer will usually tavel outside the rows allowing for a closer shot if you set up in a tree on the edge of the field. Just a thought.

Gator Hunter

I don’t worry about my scent too much. I bathe and wash my clothes in scentkiller soap but that’s about it. I usually hunt out of a tree stand so any scent rises above the deer. I also believe farmland deer aren’t terribly frightened by human scents as they smell them almost daily. As far as attactor scents, I use them when while bowhunting but am not convinced of their greatness. My two cents.

Gator Hunter