The Blind Leading The Blind

The Hoyt is ready to eat!

A light rain began to pepper the vinyl roof of the ground blind as I nestled in for my afternoon hunt. The second season of Pennsylvania's archery season had begun the same way as the September opener had, from the ground. I would much rather hunt from an elevated tree stand, but this year I committed myself to hunting from ground blinds in an attempt to add another dimension to my growing outdoor resume. Earlier in the year I would begrudgingly make my way to the blind, but on this rainy, dreary day, I welcomed the idea of being protected from the elements. I affixed my Hawk Hookster 360 from the blind's support beam and hung up my Hoyt Nitrum 34. As I watched the rain fall, I had high hopes that I would be able to harvest my first deer from a ground blind.

Early season view

Back in September, I took a shot at a doe that was quartering to me at twelve yards, about fifty minutes into the 2016 season. Although I felt confident about the shot, I could not find my arrow, any blood, and subsequently the deer. I spent more time practicing from a seated position, and vowed to only shoot if I was presented with a broadside shot. I had spent countless hours in a blind since then without any opportunities. This changed around 4:30 pm. The first doe made her way in, followed closely by a second, than a third. They all looked back in unison, as a fourth and fifth doe made their way in to feed on the dwindling browse. I drew back, but the large doe I had selected turned, and would not give me a broadside shot. After holding on her for over a minute, I was able to let down without any of the deer taking notice. I regrouped, and waited for her to turn around. When she finally did, I drew again, laid my top pin behind her shoulder and squeezed off an arrow. With that the five deer raced out of sight, unaware of what had just transpired. I felt like it was an accomplishment to be able to draw my bow back without being detected by five sets of eyes once, let alone twice. I waited a half hour before emerging from the blind to inspect the arrow. There was a mix of pink and deep red blood, so I figured she must of quartered slightly, resulting in a single lung / liver shot. I packed up my gear and waited 90 minutes before tracking the blood.

Late season, no cover is left on most trees

I had loaned my flashlight to my wife a week prior and had forgotten about the exchange. Luckily, I enlisted the help of my friend Jonathan to help track, who always has a couple lights handy. We picked up the trail pretty quick which led us across a field to an oak flat. That's when things went south. We tracked her making a figure 8 pattern, about 40 yards long, and 25 yards wide. After two and a half hours in steady drizzle, we decided to suspend the search until morning. When I entered the woods as the sun crept up, I went back to the last blood. The droplets were preserved under the trees, but the fields were washed clean from the overnight rain. Another friend, Mike, picked up a fresh set of tracks that led deeper into the forest. We walked another 70 yards with no blood when we decided we went too far and would go back to the last blood and start over. As we turned around, Mike glanced to his left and said, "There she is!" and just like that, my quest for a ground blind kill was fulfilled. Unfortunately, foxes had already found her and I could not salvage the meat. Upon inspecting the shot, we figured the height was good, but about an inch and a half too far back. That distance was the difference between a 30 yard track job and a full freezer and about 200 yards of tracking and and regret.

Foxes found her first

There are two things that I have taken away from my ground blind experiences so far. First, it is a lot harder to draw on an animal at eye level. You have to be statuesque, and when you move to draw, be slow and methodical. You do not realize what an advantage it is to be twenty feet up in a tree, until you are eye to eye with your quarry. Second, after the shot you need to listen hard to get an idea of where the animal has ran to. If the deer runs left or right, they are out of sight in a flash. I had to depend on listening to which way the deer ran to help lead me to blood. I have another month, and a few more doe tags left to work on my ground blind skills. With some more practice, and a little patience I should be able not to just kill, but to harvest a deer from the blind.                

September sunset from the ground

Stocking Stuffers We Actually Want

It's that time of year again where family and friends alike rack their brains to come up with the perfect Christmas gift for the bowhunter in their life. Although the department stores have had their fake trees and tinsel up for over a month, and I have heard every Christmas song over 600 times, we are now getting down to the wire for making a purchase. There are many hunting related tools and gadgets to choose from, and to the non-hunter (without the aid of a wishlist) this can be quite an intimidating task. Here's a list of items that won't break the bank (all items are under $20) and you can rest assured knowing that the gift you are giving will be put to good use for many hunting seasons that follow.



Tactical Duo Tree Hook - Hawk
Everything about this hook is great. It comes with a rubber tipped carabiner that clips on your pack for easy storage, no more stab wounds on your hands from fishing around in back packs and pockets. It's beefy, it is rated for 60 pounds, and has 2 rubber coated hooks that screw easily into most trees. It also curls up at the ends to prevent your gear from sliding off.
Suggested Retail Price $9







Hookster 360 - Hawk
For those of us that hunt public land, screwing a hook directly into a tree is frowned upon. The Hookster solves this problem. The hook is the same high quality construction of the standard Hawk hook, but is attached to a heavy duty twist tie. Just wrap it around a a limb and hunt. This hook is also great for hanging your bow in a ground blind.
Suggested Retail Price $10








Cinch Deer Drag - Hawk
I was sceptical of this product at first, but I'm a believer now. I first tried it on a 270 pound buck and did not get very far. Since then I've dragged out a handful of does with relative ease. It's light, compact, and easy to use. It enables the deer's head and shoulders to be elevated during the drag to prevent getting caught up on stumps and brush. Holding onto the pvc handle gives you a solid grip, unlike a deer's leg.
Suggested Retail Price $10






Twist Tie Hoist Line - Hawk
I have pulled my bow up to my stand on some suspect pull strings. I have also watched in horror as said pull strings have snapped mid pull. Never again do I worry about my gear when I'm using the Twist Tie Hoist Line. It's thick, silent, and does not tangle. It has a rubber coated twist tie on both ends for securing your gear. A 40 pound rating is more than enough.
Suggested Retail Price $13









Grime Boss Unscented Hand Wipes
Hunting is messy. Period. These unscented wipes are perfect for cleaning up after field dressing a deer. You can also use them to wipe away human odors before entering the woods after work, if taking a scent free shower isn't an option. Lastly, when you're in nature, and nature calls... Grime Boss has the answer.
Suggested Retail Price $12




Game Face Camo FX
Too warm for a face mask? Paint your own! Game Face Camo FX comes in a variety of color options, with 3 colors to a stick. Just pop the cap and apply to your face. The one piece stick means no missing applicators, and you never have to touch the paint its' self. It won't sweat off, and removes easily with a hand wipe. Best part is its not glossy, which I believe can spook a weary animal.
Suggested Retail Price $10




PhoneREAD'R - Whitetail'R
This card reader is a must for checking your trail cameras. Just attach it to your smart phone, pop in your SD card, and check your pics. The only draw back is that it only is compatible with android phones, although they do have an apple compatible version that is more expensive. This is easily my most used hunting accessory.
Suggested Retail Price $20

Cover Scent Comparison

The Whitetail Deer's best natural defense is his nose. Nothing will end a hunt faster than having a mature buck get down wind of you and catch a whiff of human odor, or gasoline, or something else not native to his natural habitat. To give you an idea of how keen a deer's sense of smell is, a human has 5 million olfactory scent receptors in their nose. A dog will have 220 million. A whitetail deer is equipped with 297 million, which will bust you before you even lay eyes on your quarry. Over the last six years I have used various different products to try to mask my scent, with varying results. I'll lay out my top 3, and give you unbiased opinions for each.

Hunters Specialties Fresh Earth
Hunters Specialties Scent-A-Way Max line has two options, odorless and fresh earth. I prefer the fresh earth, just because I would like to smell like something, rather than nothing. The fresh earth scent smells like hunting to me. I can take a whiff of a scent wafer in July, and instantly I'm taken back to the woods on a crisp autumn morning. The Scent-A-Way line has you covered for all facets of scent control. I use their laundry detergent and dryer sheets for all my hunting clothes. Before I enter the woods, I will generously spray down with their field spray. I also keep their scent wafers hanging from my tree stands, pack, and rear view mirror all season long, just remember to freshen them up every hunt to maximize their effectiveness. Hunters Specialties Fresh Earth is my go to product for scent elimination and control.

Nose Jammer
The theory behind Nose Jammer is to overload the deer's olfactory receptors with natural scents in an effort to confuse the deer into thinking you are not there. The main ingredient, Vanillin, is found naturally in deer habitat. The spray its self smells great, and reminds me of vanilla. They direct you to spray for 10 seconds on your boots, and while in your stand, apply an "X" on your tree behind you to mask any lingering odors. I used this product solely for the 2015 season and had great initial results. Deer would come in down wind constantly and pass by me without hesitation, even mature animals. Nose Jammer had one of my hit list bucks, "The 9" come within 17 yards of me dead down wind where I made a non fatal shot. That's when things got interesting. The 9 never would come within 50 yards of the tree if I was using Nose Jammer. After a good soaking rain would wash the Nose Jammer "X" off of my tree, I would see "The 9" at the base of the tree on trail cam pictures. I did a little research and found out that deer will associate smells with danger, more than location. It's my assumption that The 9 associated the strong smell of Nose Jammer with danger, thus eluding me for the remainder of the season. I know the poor shot was my fault, but I feel that Nose Jammer prevented him from giving me another opportunity. Nose Jammer will give you a shot opportunity, but you better make it count cause it won't happen again.

Evercalm
Conquest Scent's Evercalm is the real deal. It is harvested from pen raised deer to give you the most realistic cover scent on the market. When deer smell the Evercalm, they are relaxed, thinking that they are in a deer bedding area. I have watched as deer would smell a branch that I applied Evercalm to and dropped their ears from an alert position to a relaxed position and graze. I have harvested multiple deer from the same tree on consecutive days that has been treated with Evercalm. It comes in a deodorant style stick, and I apply it to my boots and surrounding trees. It is in a solid form, which is nice because it will still be effective on windy and rainy days. I have heard that if you are allergic to deer dander, you could have a reaction to Evercalm. Also, it is more expensive, I paid $19.99 for mine and I am on my second stick of the 2016 season. That being said, there is no way I am heading into the woods without a stick of Evercalm in my pack.

There are literally dozens upon dozens of cover scent products out there, and probably millions of opinions on which product is best. I like to pick a product and use it till I feel like it is no longer going to put me in the best position to take a mature deer. I am not paid by any company, so this is based on my successes with each product. I do not have unlimited time in the whitetail woods, so I want to get the most out of each sit. For my money, prep your camouflage with Hunters Specialties Fresh Earth, treat your boots and trees with Conquest's Evercalm, and leave the Nose Jammer at home.