The closer an animal gets to your feet (directly under your stand) the smaller its vital zone becomes.

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Horatio White
5 years ago
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Alerting him to your location, then moving in order to reach

1 If you decide to stop a moving buck, you should definitely wait until after you have drawn your bow. Alerting him to your location, then moving in order to reach full draw, will almost certainly result in a spooked, fleeing deer. 58 BOW&ARROW HUNTING

BY STEVE FLORES Must Makes Success lies in pulling off these common tree-stand shots. My brain mistakenly processed the sound of each subtle crunch as nothing more than a noisy squirrel.

2 BY STEVE FLORES Must Makes Success lies in pulling off these common tree-stand shots. My brain mistakenly processed the sound of each subtle crunch as nothing more than a noisy squirrel. Perhaps it was because several of the bushytailed pests had spent the better part of the crisp November morning scurrying back and forth in an effort to stock-pile the last remaining nuts of the season. At any rate, the sound pulsating through my ears wasn t registering as a legitimate chance at a shooter buck. But that quickly changed when my bewildered eye caught a glimpse of antlers moving slowly behind a thick tangle of brush some 50 yards away. As the hungry buck walked into full view, I slowly ejected my hands from their warm, cozy pockets and scrambled to find the cold, lifeless handle of my bow. Within a matter of seconds he was standing broadside at a comfortable distance from my stand. In one fluid motion, I turned and hauled the bowstring back just as he dipped his head to unearth another acorn. Unfortunately, upon peering through my peep sight, I discovered that his vitals were covered by a single branch, thus, forcing me to wait until he took just a few more steps before releasing my arrow. Those steps never came. No longer able to hold back the resistance of my bow, I reluctantly let the string down in an effort to regain a hint of holding strength. Then like a bolt of lightening, the answer hit me. Once again, calling on my recovering muscles, I came to full draw. Only this time, I slowly bent my knees just enough to clear the only obstacle between his lungs and my arrow. When hunting during the rut, it isn t the buck that you should worry about busting you. Quite often, it s the doe he is trailing that will eventually pick you off. Especially if she is moving through the area at her own pace. Keep this in mind when trying to draw back on a trailing buck. The closer an animal gets to your feet (directly under your stand) the smaller its vital zone becomes. Then, to my utter amazement, the once motionless buck decided it was time to move. But, as fate would have it, just as he was about to descend a small embankment and walk out of my life... he paused. It took only a millisecond to compute the situation in my mind. I knew I only had a fleeting moment to make the shot. As the bowstring jumped forward, I realized the beautiful eight pointer s luck had finally run out. What took place that morning isn t extraordinary. In fact, I suspect you ve had similar heart-pounding situations while perched in your favorite treestand as well. However, the difference between standing over said buck and putting a clean arrow back in your quiver depends largely on how you prepare for the vast assortment of shooting situations that treestand hunting presents. And while you can t prepare for every shot imaginable, you can cover a large percentage of them by training for those you are most likely to face. What s more, learning to recognize the conditions associated with each situation will also increase the likelihood that you are ready when the shot actually materializes. If you re serious about ending the lucky streak of the next buck that walks within range of your treestand, you ve got to be able to deliver under the following shooting scenarios. Without question, these are the must makes. THE SHORT #1SHOT Most likely to occur: Near bedding areas, under acorn dropping trees, or in thick cover of early season. Perhaps one of the easiest shots to make also happens to be one of the easiest to mess up. I think the problem lies in the fact that we tend to believe it s in the bag, so to BOW&ARROW HUNTING 59

speak. This attitude leads to sloppiness in our concentration and technique, which leads to missed shots and long nights pondering what might have been.

3 speak. This attitude leads to sloppiness in our concentration and technique, which leads to missed shots and long nights pondering what might have been. For example, I once missed the same buck on two different occasions, despite the fact that I could have spit on him if I wanted to... literally. Maybe, instead of imagining how good he was going to look on my wall, I should have concentrated on which hair I wanted to split with my broadhead. That botched opportunity, along with a few other bucks I have had in the bag, have taught me some hard lessons ones not easily forgotten. Let Him Walk One of the most important things I ve taken from those debacles is that oftentimes I can improve up close shooting situations by simply letting the deer walk a short distance away. Why? Well, it has a lot to do with angles. The closer an animal gets to your feet (directly under your stand) the smaller its vital zone becomes, because you re essentially viewing the heart and lungs from a narrower topview, rather than a much wider sideview. Narrow kill zones will necessitate your shot to be more precise, leaving little room for error. That is why, if given a choice, I prefer a 20- yard broadside or slightly quartering away shot over anything else. Practice It Also, unless you have a sight pin set for those ultra-close shots, your arrow is going to impact differently if you use one of your other yardage pins as an aiming reference. This adds yet another variable to the equation. Suddenly, a can t miss opportunity has turned into something much more complicated. And, to throw yet another monkey wrench into the mix, only you can determine how to handle extremely close shots because all bow and arrow combinations are different. Only through practice will you be able to determine your aiming point on shots like that. Obviously any time you let an animal walk more, you run the risk of A good deal of accurate shooting comes from using quality equipment. Start with an accurate bow and outfit it with the best equipment you can afford. Remember, the best gear isn t always the most expensive. Rugged, dependable, and simple-to-use items are usually the best for real-world bowhunting. ending up with no shot at all. The best advice is to consider your surroundings and your chances of getting multiple shooting opportunities before making a decision. For instance, open timber will provide more chances to loose an arrow than if you were hunting in the middle of a bedding thicket with limited shooting lanes. If that s the case, you should definitely take the first good shot you get because a better one may never present itself. Learn to Focus Lastly, try to approach close shots just like the long ones. What I mean is your concentration and shot execution should be exactly the same regardless of the distance to your target. Rushing through your shot sequence, or skipping parts of it simply because you think that buck is too close to miss, will definitely end in disappointment. Believe me, I have missed plenty of deer thinking that they were too close to miss. THE LONG #2SHOT Most likely to occur: Adjacent to open fields, feeding areas, and clean timber with little underbrush. When it comes to the long shot, much can be gained by preparing like the legend Pistol. Pistol Pete Maravich, the long-time NBA great, would routinely practice his 60 BOW&ARROW HUNTING

4 dribbling skills with one arm out the window of a moving car! Now, why on earth would he do that? When you consider how easy it was for him to dribble the ball when it really mattered, like during an actual game, the answer is simple. The same concept can be applied to bowhunting. Practice Far If you want to become proficient at a range of, say, 40 yards, it would benefit you immensely to do the majority of your practicing at 50 or even 60 yards. That way, when it comes to making that 40-yard shot for real, it will undoubtedly be much easier simply because your preparation took you beyond the realm of what a 40-yard shot requires. Practicing at long-range requires a higher level of concentration, better shooting form, and more precise shot execution. Luckily for you and me, those attributes know no boundaries and will ultimately carry over to all Whenever I am hunting during the chase-phase, I keep my bow in hand. other areas of our shooting regardless of the distance. Get the Distance In addition to practicing at extended ranges, you can take another step (while in the field) to increase the odds that your arrow finds its mark on those out there shots. I m talking about pre-ranging. Pre-ranging is nothing more than using your spare time (before a buck shows up) to range various landmarks around your stand and then memorizing the distance to each. Quite often, I will spend a good portion of my downtime going over different shooting scenarios in my head, and mentally quoting the various distances to each of my shooting lanes. In the heat of the moment, having one of these preranged distances suddenly come to mind may be the only thing that saves me from missing that buck of my dreams. THE QUICK #3SHOT Most likely to occur: During the chase phase of rut, quiet conditions such as rain or snow. When lovesick bucks are on the prowl, shot opportunities can occur in the blink of an eye. One moment you re staring at an empty forest, and the next you re watching a buck with a rocking chair on his head blaze a trail straight to your treestand. That is why whenever I am hunting during the chase-phase, I keep my bow in hand. Sure, it can be a little taxing to hold for an entire hunt, but I cringe at the thought of missing a quick shot at a buck simply because I couldn t grab my bow in time. Before taking such a shot, you should first read the body language of the deer. For instance, if a buck is alert and facing you, the odds are good he is going to drop under your arrow long before it reaches him. No amount of accuracy can overcome that problem. BOW&ARROW HUNTING 61

Most models come with three independently moving sections, which will allow you to position your bow so that very little movement is required in order to reach it.

5 Likewise, whenever I am hunting in the snow or rain, which allows deer to move in an almost ghost-like manner, I do the same thing. If you find that you can t, or simply don t want to keep your bow in your hand at all times, you can always opt to use one of the extending type of bow holders on the market. Most models come with three independently moving sections, which will allow you to position your bow so that very little movement is required in order to reach it. Stand Up In addition to holding my bow, I rarely sit down when hunting. I suppose my behavior stems from the fact that I hunt very mountainous terrain where visibility is limited. Bucks can happen upon me so fast that sometimes it makes my head spin. If I had to stand up, grab my bow, and swing into position for every shot I ve ever taken, there would definitely be fewer bucks on my wall. In fact, most of the bucks I have taken over the years would have busted me Anytime you stop a moving buck with your mouth (using an audible uurrpp sound), you run the risk of spooking him and getting no shot at all. the moment I stood up for the shot, simply because they were either right in my lap, facing my direction, or in a position that required me to turn completely around. Being prepared for the quick shot also means you have to be able to get into position at a moment's notice. Now, I can often get away with turning in my stand, but in hill country, standing up from a seated position will give you away almost every time. That is the primary reason I like a fixed-positioned treestand with a high seat. Some models I have used had very low seat heights, which made standing up much more difficult and required excessive movement. Likewise, whenever I hunt with a climbing model, I always set the seat as high as I can. That way if a buck sneaks in on me, all I have to do is simply extend my legs just a little and I am standing upright, ready to shoot. THE MOVING #4SHOT Most likely to occur: Along narrow terrain funnels, peak of chase phase. I agree that a moving shot can occur any time during the course of a season. However, if you re hunting over a food plot, your target animal is most likely going to be stationary. Also, browsing deer tend to move through the timber with little haste; thus allowing plenty of shot opportunities at a calm, relaxed target. In my experience, deer tend to be on the move the most during the rut, Regardless of which shooting scenario you are preparing for, it s important to include a couple of full dress practice sessions into the mix. This will add an element of realism and alert you to any problems associated with clothing interference. 62 BOW&ARROW HUNTING

A s much as we would like to have our initial arrow find the sweet spot of every buck we take a shot at, there are going to be times when our broadhead finds nothing but dirt and leaves.

6 A s much as we would like to have our initial arrow find the sweet spot of every buck we take a shot at, there are going to be times when our broadhead finds nothing but dirt and leaves. As heartbreaking as that may be, a worse scenario would be having another opportunity at the same deer and not being able to take advantage of it because we couldn t reach a second arrow in time. Now, if you hunt with your quiver attached to your bow, grabbing a second arrow isn t going to be that hard. However, if you re like me and take your quiver off the moment you climb into the stand, where you hang your quiver could make all the difference in the world when it comes to getting a second-shot opportunity. Personally, I tend to hang my quiver on the same side of the tree I expect deer movement to come from. Yes, it s a guessing game most of the time, but if I am right, I will be facing my quiver after the first shot and can easily retract another arrow from it quickly with little movement. In contrast, if my quiver is behind me, then I must turn around, lose sight of my target, retrieve a second arrow, turn back around, relocate my target, load the arrow, and then draw and take the shot. That is if the deer is still there. Another important point to consider is a quiet bow setup. Whisper-quiet bows will increase the odds that your buck doesn t turn inside out if you happen to miss him on the first shot. Sure, he is probably going to spook a little, but probably not nearly as badly as he would if your bow sounds like a.22 rimfire going off. You can start by selecting a bow that is naturally quiet to begin with and then outfit it with some of the abundant noise-squelching products on the market. Such items include Mathews Dead End String Stop, Sims Limb Savers, and Bow-Jax String Silencers, all of which work together to absorb unwanted noise and vibration from your hunting setup. S.F. and when transitioning through small funnels or pinch-points. For example, one of my favorite rut stands actually falls under both categories. It s located in a funnel, adjacent to a doe-bedding area. When bucks move through this area, they are on a mission. They do not browse, and they do not stand still very long. They move with a purpose and that purpose is to find a receptive doe. As a result, most often just before I release the string, I have several decisions to make. Let s look at them a little closer. To Stop or Not? Perhaps the most daunting question I ask myself when faced with a buck that is moving is should I stop him? Well, before I answer that question, I must consider how fast he is walking and how far the shot will be. If he is moving at a pace that will still allow me to shoot, the safest thing would be to let him continue on his course. Anytime you stop a moving buck with your mouth (using an audible uurrpp sound), you run the risk of spooking him and getting no shot at all. Therefore, I tend to stop moving deer only if their stride is such that a shot would be impossible without doing so first. When it comes to the distance on a moving target, I prefer to keep things at 20 yards, usually less. For me, this is a comfortable range that allows room for error just in case I happen to fudge the shot. In other words, if the buck is moving faster than I think and his vitals are slightly ahead of my arrow s impact point, I can still stay within the kill zone simply because he won t have had time to move very far before my arrow reaches him. In contrast, the further away he is the more distance he can cover before arrow impact, which is why I always opt to pass on long-distance, moving shots. How to Lead One tactic I use on moving deer is to scan ahead of them, find an opening, draw my bow, and then wait for them. Once they are in my selected shooting lane, I can either stop them, or, execute the shot the instant their vitals enter my sight picture. I find this method works well because it allows me to pick a location that is clear of any errant limbs, and it gives me a moment to settle down and get my form in check before making the shot. One of the most intriguing parts of bowhunting is the vast amount of variables that come into play each time you ready yourself for the shot. Nothing is guaranteed. Even when you think you ve got things in the bag, an opportunity can slip right through your fingers. And, while that part of the bowhunting experience may be seductive in its own way, like a moth to the flame, it will burn you unless you are prepared. However, by taking into consideration the factors that dictate the shooting scenarios discussed here, and then using them to develop a sound practice routine, you can essentially dance around the flame long enough to end the lucky streak of that special buck you ve been patiently waiting for. BOW&ARROW HUNTING 63

B O WHUNTING MASTERING FOUR BASICS CAN GO A LONG WAY TOWARD FILLING YOUR WALL

BY KIRK CLARK B O WHUNTING MASTERING FOUR BASICS CAN GO A LONG WAY TOWARD FILLING YOUR WALL LEARNING is ONE OF LIFE'S NEVER-ENDING PROCESSES. UNDER STANDING WHITETAiL DEER is NO DIFFERENT; from the first