Great Tips for Bowhunting Whitetails
Those who practice or indulge in bowhunting whitetails see it as a passion and a calling rather than as a sport or a hobby. Yes, it is about being outdoors and getting to see nature in all its grandeur but it is also about pitting oneself against the elements and outwitting or outsmarting the well-honed survival instincts of the whitetail deer. So, while the bowhunter is seeking a trophy rack for display, he is also constantly looking to improve technique and perfect the process of the hunt itself.
Bowhunters pride themselves on the fact that they get up close with their targets and they relish the uncertainties that chances that are integral to the process. Bowhunting is about spending days and months in preparation for that exact second when a mature buck stands at the perfect spot for that perfect shot. However, the moment cannot happen without the hunter taking pains to arrange all the details in anticipation of making that great shot which will be the stuff of dreams.
Scouting, a process which has to happen well before the hunting season, is probably the most important first step for a bowhunter. Even in recognized hunting territory a good hunter should spend time getting to know the terrain and patterns of the mature bucks. If you are hunting in open land, make sure that you walk through the woods before midsummer. If you start walking around in September, you may well alert the bucks to human presence and significantly reduce your chances of encountering them. Most seasoned hunters will tell you that whitetails tend to be creatures of habit and that there are usually no new trails in established ground as the rubs and scrapes are often in the same tree and area every year. It is a good idea to do your scouting well ahead of time before rutting starts; if you find a lot of tracks it is likely to be those of mature does and also the offsprings. Bucks tend to be sparse in their tracks and they are not usually around high density deer population except during rutting season. So, use your scouting expedition to learn about all the implications of the various markings. Scouting should also be about educating yourself about details like agricultural crop in the area as this can influence whitetail behavior. Bowhunting whitetails is a lot about increasing your odds with plentiful information.
Another preparatory aspect that is critically important is the placement of the stand. It is important to be at the right trail and to make sure that you factor in the wind and the possibility of your scent being picked up by the buck you hope to get. Sometimes hunters place their stand over a scrape and while they will see a lot of deer activity, the buck they seek may not appear. This is because bucks tend to use parallel trails. Experts also suggest looking for good spots where woods and agricultural fields border. This is where the deer come to feed and typically the does and your ones come first and the buck lurks 30 to 40 yards behind and then joins them after dark. If you can place a stand that can take advantage of this lag period of the buck, you are likely to have a great opportunity for that perfect bowhunting shot.
Your chances of succeeding in bowhunting whitetails can increase dramatically also with proper use of some basic principles of hunting. You can use the sense of smell and hearing of the deer to attract them to you. There are scents in the market that are meant to attract mature bucks such as that of a doe in heat and you can use something like this. You can also use scents to protect yourself from being discovered by using unattractive ones like that of fox urine. The idea behind the scent strategy is to blend in with nature and to not stand out as an alien smell to the whitetails which have a heightened awareness of unusual smells.
Hunters from time immemorial have used techniques for simulating noises that will attract the prey. Now there are ways to reproduce grunts and even the clash of antlers and these have proven to be good ways to awaken a buck’s curiosity.
A hunter has to have the right attitude and use their intelligence is using these tactics. A clash of antlers will not be as effective during rutting season as it will be during rutting season. Over-use of the scent of a doe can be more of an annoyance than beneficial in getting the perfect shot on an attracted deer.
Be well-prepared, treat the process with respect and dignity, be flexible in handling unplanned developments and you are bound to get the most out of your hunting expedition. Bowhunting whitetails is about appreciating the need to blend in with nature, finding the ability to focus and use your setting to your advantage and having the patience to wait for the right congruence of angle and distance.