The Pay Off

Too often than not, I descend from my tree stand and exit the woods without needing to pick up a blood trail. It's the hunts that result in an arrow being flung that keep me coming back for more. From the first spotting of the deer, to the anticipation of the animal coming into range, to finally reaching your harvest at the end of the blood trail is what I live for. Those are the special hunts that make all the long months of preparation, and endless hours in the stand worth it. The only thing more satisfying than harvesting a mature whitetail, is if that said whitetail is sporting a heavy set of antlers. That is when preparation meets opportunity, and that's what I call the pay off.

Blood on the Axis is a welcomed site

Like any pre rut sit in a new stand, the air was full of anticipation. Tonight could be the night. A cold front was making its way through, the wind was perfect, and the stand was along a beaten down game trail that led directly to a fresh scrape. The table was set, all I needed was my dancing partner to show up. As the minutes turned into hours, and the sun hung low in the horizon, my hope began to dwindle. This would make twenty hours spent in a tree stand over the last two days with only a spike and two yearlings gracing my presence. My mind began to wander into thoughts of next weeks weather forecast when I noticed a few tines in the distance.

I picked up my Nikon Prostaff 7's and glassed seventy yards to my left. A large bodied buck had stepped out along the edge of the wood line and began working some small trees. I checked my watch, 6:12pm, and began to anticipate his route. I would loose site of him as he continued along his path, but I could always tell where he was by watching the tree tops shake one by one as he rubbed each one. I ranged a few lanes and checked the wind one last time. If he continued in this direction he would never be able to smell me. I had the upper hand. He had no Idea. As he stopped at the last tree obstructing my view, I came to full draw. He paused, than began to trot to the opposite end of the wood line. My pin bounced up and down with each stride, and as he moved past a clump of small saplings, I squeezed my release, sending and Easton Axis 340 between a "V" in the trees right into his rib cage. He took three more steps, than tucked left into the thicket. Thirty seconds later I heard a drop. I checked my watch, 6:23pm, that eleven minutes seemed like an eternity.

I had watched the green glow of my nocturnal nock disappear into the bucks mid section, so I initially felt good about the shot. I still waited another half hour to climb down to inspect my arrow. Light pink blood with tiny bubbles means only one thing, lung shot. I felt confident of the shot, but the uncertainty of the deer's location had me rattled. I have been confident of my shot many times before, only to come up empty at the end of the blood trail. I decided to back out of the woods, try to calm my nerves, and call for backup.

The Pay Off

I knew a few friends would be finishing up their evening hunts and would gladly help me track the animal. As I waited for them to arrive, I called my wife and my mother. I asked for them to pray for me to be able to recover my buck, and after praying myself, I had a feeling of calm fall over me as if God was telling me it was going to be alright. When the cavalry arrived I replayed the shot for them before entering the woods. After inspecting the arrow, we began to track the blood. About thirty yards, and three minutes later, I had my hands wrapped around the rack of a beautiful Pennsylvania whitetail.

I checked my watch one last time, 8:34pm. In less than three hours time, I went from checking the weather to calling my taxidermist. Things change rapidly in the woods. It is up to you to stay focused on your goals and not let feelings of doubt and discouragement creep into your psyche. I practice shooting my bow twelve months a year so when I am blessed with a shot opportunity I can reap the rewards. Hunting is not only about the kill, but when a kill is involved, there is no better feeling in the world. I am thankful for every second I am able to spend in the woods, but the second you lay your hands on your harvest is the sweetest.   
     

Why Do I Do This?

The silence was shattered at 3:30 am on Saturday morning. I awoke with a jump, quickly muting my alarm as to not wake up any of the "sane" people I live with. I fumbled through the darkness to find my way to the bathroom, opening day 2016 has arrived. After a quick scent free shower and poor excuse for a breakfast I climbed into my truck and headed to the farm. A lot of thoughts race through my mind on the way to a hunting spot, did I grab my release?, what's the wind direction?, did I pack a snack? Opening day is especially hectic, with a whole season of expectations to sort through. After a thirty minute drive and a half mile trek along a moon lit trail, I crawl into my blind and finally exhale.  As I stared out through the shadows, both exhausted and exhilarated, I asked myself, "Why do I do this?"  

I did not have an answer right away. In fact it wasn't until an hour later when I had a doe and a fawn walk within ten feet of my blind and look in at me. She blew and stomped but could not pic me out. I did not move a muscle, and eventually she relaxed. That's it for me, the experiences. Not just being close to nature, but being a part of nature. I could never begin to take inventory on the experiences I have accumulated in my short time as a hunter. I have watched mature bucks lock antlers violently through the early morning mist. I have enjoyed witnessing two young foxes frolic through what must have been their first snow fall. While sitting in a tree stand, I had a nuthatch land on my knee. Twice. Every time I get to live one these priceless moments, I thank God, and feel sorry for those who may never get to observe such natural splendor.

Another thing that non-hunters have a hard time comprehending is that, for hunters, its not all about the kill. I am not a blood hungry savage whose goal is to kill as many animals as possible. The kill is the last thing on my mind when I enter the woods. I am there for the ambiance of the woods, the sights, the sounds, and the silence. If I have an opportunity to harvest an animal, It is a bonus. When that moment does arise, I do so in a very respectful manner. If I get to sit in the woods 50 times in a season, and harvest 4 deer, does that mean I had 46 failed hunts? Absolutely not. Some of my favorite hunts are ones that I never release an arrow. 



In addition to the experiences and the serenity, another aspect of hunting that fuels me is my desire to compete. Hunting is different from most sports because instead of man vs. man, its man vs. nature. I have played competitive sports my whole life, but I have never engaged with an opponent as relentless and unforgiving as nature. I feel I have gained more character and resolve by chasing mature whitetails than any other worldly endeavor. The woods will humble you time and time again, but if you can muster up the will to persevere, the rewards are unmatched. To me, there is no greater challenge than to harvest a mature buck, in his environment, and on his terms. If you can fool a whitetails senses to the point where his better judgement betrays him, you have accomplished greatness.

A full season of bow hunting will play out like a typical amusement park roller coaster. Peaks and valleys, adrenaline rushes, lulls, and the occasional "did that really just happen?!" moment. Much like the ride, it starts off slow, building with anticipation, and than it is over before you know it. Take the time to slow down your "ride" to appreciate the sunsets, the playful fawns, and serenades of the song birds. Every time I feel myself getting frustrated by lack of deer movement, or uncooperative weather patterns, I take a second to think about the experiences that I will reflect on later and just enjoy the moment. Every minute spent in the woods, is one more minute closer to an amazing, unscripted natural event. That is more than enough to drive me, that is why I do this. 

      

And Now, I Wait...

The more you look forward to something, inevitably it will take longer to arrive. Such is the case year after year, waiting for deer season. When I climbed down from my stand late last January, I was ready for a break. Last season pushed me to my limits physically, mentally, and emotionally. It took a few weeks for me to decompress and evaluate the many lessons I had learned. By the time April rolled around, I could not wait to get back after those white tailed devils. I usually start counting down the days around 150 days away from opening day. I start putting cameras out around day 120. Tree stands and ground blinds start going out by day 90. I make sure my bow is tuned, and shooting darts with 30 days to go. By the time the calendar changes to September, my prep is complete and I am ready to hunt.

Bushnell Trail Camera

Trail cameras have become an instrumental component in off season scouting. I will place a camera along a beaten down trail, or in front of a corn pile or mineral site. By placing cameras in May, I have a full five months of data to go off of, travel patterns, times of travel, and overall heard inventory. I know patterns of deer change with the seasons, but you can still get a good idea of how the deer on your property will behave. Any information you can gather will help your pursuit come Autumn. Another nice part about having cameras out early is you can watch your bucks grow over the summer. Nothing passes the dog days of summer like watching your hit list bucks grow inch by inch with every camera session.

Ground blind brushed
in along a field edge 

I prefer to get my tree stands and ground blinds in before the Fourth of July. That way the deer have a couple months to get used to them in their environment. I always wind up hanging a few in August, but not later than that. When I feel the need to move a stand in season, I try to wait for a rainy day if possible. It may be overkill, but I do not want to tip the deer off with unnecessary scent and human activity if avoidable. Remember, the whitetails greatest defense is its nose, the more you test it, you will loose.

Hoyt Nitrum, ready
for action!

I shoot year round, so getting my bow tuned is not terrible. I will test out all my equipment that I intend on taking into the woods. I will shoot my arrows with broadheads and nocturnal nocks to make sure my arrow flight is true and there will be no surprises when I let one fly. I will shoot wearing my hunting gloves to make sure my release feels the same in or out of the woods. Shooting sitting down, as well as from elevated platforms give me the confidence that I will be able to make any shot a deer may present me with. There are too many variables that you have no control over, being confident in your equipment is not one of them.

The off season does not have to be a never ending stretch of days if you stay involved with the sport. The most successful hunters will tell you that the more you put into the summer, the more you will get out of the fall. Scouting, shooting 3-D archery courses, and reading bow hunting magazines are ways I past the time between the last climb in January to the first climb in September. For me, the off season has finally ended. I hope I did enough over the last few months to put me in a position to harvest a mature buck. The sets are all hung, the bow is dialed in, and now, I wait...        

What's in an Arrow?

As I find myself mired in the dog days of summer, I continue to make preparations for the up coming archery season. One of the most critical component for your bow hunting equipment is your hunting arrow. When I first started in archery, I used one style of arrow for everything. That worked great for a season or two, but the more you know, the more you think you can improve. If you ask 50 people about arrows, you might get 50 different answers. I will try to explain what I look for in a 3D arrow, as opposed to my hunting arrows. I have shot Gold Tip, Black Eagle, Beman, and Easton Arrows. Based on my results in the field and on the course, I only shoot Easton arrows. Their product line up and down has something for every application, in everybody's budget.

Every manufacturer will give you a chart of some sort to aid in your arrow size selection. You will need to know your draw length and draw weight. Some other variables include brace height, release method, and ATA velosity rating of your bow. This will determine your spine, which is your arrow stiffness. I shoot 400's for both 3D and hunting.  

Easton Lightspeed

When I am putting together an arrow for 3D archery, the main thing I look for is speed. I want a fast arrow, with a decent diameter. A fast arrow is a light arrow. Arrows are measured in grains, and the bare arrow shafts will be labeled GPI, grains per inch. When you cut the shaft to your size, you multiply the length by GPI to get your weight. Everything else you add onto your bare shaft will add weight; inserts, tip, vains or fletchings, nocks, bushings, ect. I shot Easton Lightspeed arrows last season. At 7.4 GPI, and 28.75 inches, my shafts alone weigh 213 grains. After all the necessary components, they weighed in at 344 grains. You can pick up a cheap postage scale for less than $20 and it will help you out immensely when building your arrows. The diameter of the shaft is important because the larger the arrow, the more line cutting ability it has. One season I used a micro diameter shaft and left countless points on the table. Most of my shooting is outdoors, so I steer clear of the large "broom stick" shafts used in spot shoots. When shooting outside, you also have to contend with the elements. A 35 MPH cross wind will make any shot more challenging, but using a large diameter shaft will make it next to impossible. 

Easton Hexx

When I am building my hunting arrows, the main thing I care about is kinetic energy. This is how much power your archery set up produces. In regards to the arrow, its the mass of the arrow and the speed of the arrow. Simply put, a light arrow will have less kinetic energy than a heavier arrow. Less kinetic energy means less penetration, which in turn means less success in the field. We as hunters owe it to our quarry to ensure a quick, clean kill. For years I hunted with Easton Axis. At 9.0 GPI, my arrows weighed in at 402 grains. For this season, I built a dozen Easton Hexx. The Hexx is a fast arrow, at only 7,2 grains per inch. To achieve the desired weight, I installed a 50 grain brass insert to give me a finishing weight of 396 grains. A sign of a quality arrow is consistency. 11 out of my 12 arrows weigh 396 grains, with the other on weighing 395 grains. 

The finishing touch on my arrows is the fletching. I use 2" Blazer Vanes for both my hunting and 3D arrows. The thought being that the smaller vanes enable the arrow to achieve a flat line of flight quicker. I have also found that since I use mechanical broadheads, the Blazer Vanes make my arrows easier to broadhead tune. The nice part of fletching your own arrows is the countless options of colors and styles that enable you to truly customize your arrow.            

Now that my hunting arrows are built and ready to sling, I can spend the rest of my summer fine tuning my bow. Paper Tuning, French Tuning, and Walk Back Tuning are all methods that will ensure you and your equipment are dialed in. Next time when you reach into your quiver, take a second to think about what you are reaching for. Is your arrow tailor made for what you are using it for? Or, is it just an arrow. Chances are if you answered the later, you are not getting the most out of your archery experience. Take some time and build the arrow thats right for you, I promise it will make a difference when you need that 11 ring, or that stud buck makes a daylight appearance. 

He's Back!

Over the course of 365 days, a lot of things change in the whitetail woods. As soon as the last patches of snow dissolve into the mud, the prevailing landscape transformers into a lush green carpet. As the time progresses, the greens turn to vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds. The leaves will eventually vacate their limbs and blanket the fields and forest floors. The first flakes of winter will follow, and the cycle is complete. The deer follow a similar pattern, a pattern that we as hunters pay close attention to. It was roughly a year ago that I scouted a property for the first time. I set up a camera, threw out a couple bags of corn, a bag of Big and J attractant, and hoped for the best. Two weeks later I pulled the camera card and began what has become a year long obsession with a buck I named, "The 9".

The 9 in June 2015

If you followed this blog last year, you know about much of my history with The 9. We had several encounters last year, with him having the upper hand in all of them. The last meeting we shared was in late January with two days left in the season. It was a bitter cold evening and as he made his way towards my stand, I began to imagine a story book ending to my 2015 season. The 9 had an alternate ending in mind, and veered off to the left 45 yards away, never to be seen again. I maintained a trail camera at the property through out the winter. The last pictures I have of The 9 were a couple of random nocturnal shots from February 21, still carrying both antlers. I searched extensively for his sheds on both my property and a joining wood lots to no avail.


Battle scar from last season

As spring time rolled around I decided to place some mineral sites around the property. In just under a month I had a few hundred pictures, but none were of my old friend. I assumed he was hit by a car, or just moved on to another property. Either way, he was gone. Two weeks ago I started my corn regiment in hopes to keep the herd on my property. I was pretty excited to browse the last couple weeks of activity. After picking off a few ticks, I popped the SD card in my phone reader and began to check my inventory. Seventy pictures in, and BAM! He's Back! The 9 was enjoying a corn dinner, sporting what could hopefully grow into a very impressive rack. He posed broadside to show off his battle scar from last season when my Easton Axis grazed his left side on what proved to be a too severe quartering to shot. With each picture I scrolled through, my anticipation for the upcoming archery season soared.

The 9 June 2016

So much has changed over the last year. The 9 is battle tested, bigger, and undoubtedly smarter. He has two more months to grow, and I have two months to scout him. I am looking forward to getting reacquainted with The 9 over the Summer, and ultimately chasing him come the Fall. One thing that did not change is 365 days later, I will be the same hunter, pursuing the same deer.

Suburban Shed Hunting

Sometime between the transition from long johns to cargo shorts lies one of my favorite seasons of the outdoor calendar. Shed season. In South Eastern Pennsylvania, I usually start my pursuit for "brown gold" around Valentines day, and continue up until the trout season opens in early April. It is a great way to stay connected with the outdoors during the winter months, and a sure fire cure for cabin fever. When I researched shed hunting 5 years ago, I was under the impression that if you put in the miles, your tuck bed will overflow with 75"+ antlers. This is what the pictures on the internet showed, along with tips and tactics to ensure your success. What the sites forgot to mention is where the sheds were being found. I don't live in Saskatchewan, I don't have a 1000 acre lease in Kansas, nor do I manage a 325 acre farm in Iowa. Someday, maybe, but not anytime soon. I love to see pictures of shed antlers from all of these places, but If I were to compare my success as a shed hunter to these places, I would never be satisfied. I live in the suburbs, so I have to play by different rules of what is a successful shed hunt, and where to shed hunt. So to help anyone who does not have access to managed whitetail habitat, or vast open county, I'll give you some pointers to help you find some bone in your local neighborhoods.

1. Go where the deer are. Makes sense, right?  This is the most important step to finding a shed. Start with your hunting area. I have 8 acres that butt up against adjacent wood lots. Always ask for permission to check neighboring properties. Even people that are against hunting, do not seem to mind letting me walk their property for shed antlers. Most hunters seem to notice a spot on their daily commute that they can consistently spot deer. See if you can get permission to walk around. I love walking around business campuses and industrial parks that have surrounding wood lots. The deer population there is protected from hunters, so the bucks rarely wander off. You can pattern their bedding areas and feeding areas year after year and consistently find sheds.

2. Follow the trails. Once you found the deer, get on there trails. The more beaten down the better. If you can look after snow, or right after it begins to melt, the trails will be more pronounced. I have found numerous sheds along trails, and a few I have found only after I have walked on them and felt the bone through my boot.

3. Look down. As a hunter, unless I'm on a blood trail, I rarely look down when I'm in the woods. You are not looking for the deer now, so there is little reason to look ahead. I have to remind myself to constantly look down and walk slow. Every 10 to 15 steps I'll stop and look around 360 degrees, and then its back down to the trail.   

4. Check the Pines. Anytime I see an isolated pine tree, or a cluster of them, its a must look. Deer like to bed under them and shelter under them during winter storms. I find a couple antlers every year under evergreens.

5. Creek crossings. The best crossings are the ones where the opposing banks are of different heights. The thought being that as the deer jump to cross, they will jar their head gear loose. Same holds true for fence crossings.

The best advise I can give you is do not get discouraged. Even if you do not find any sheds, I'm sure you will see something that you would not have seen from the couch. I average one shed for every 4 hours I walk. So If I want to find 10 sheds, I know I'll need to walk for 40 hours. All the miles are worth it when you walk up on that shed and pick it up, knowing you are the first human to make contact with it. I'm still looking for my first shed over 75", but I image finding one that big is easy. I mean, it takes a real keen eye to find a spike, or at least that's what I tell myself when I'm shed hunting in the suburbs.            

All But Over...

With each snow flake that tumbles whimsically to the ground, the likelihood that my 2015 deer season has ended is all but certain. Tomorrow, January 23, signifies the official last day of deer season here in South Eastern Pennsylvania. Unfortunately a massive winter storm is set to dump up to two feet of snow overnight and all day Saturday. You combine that with constant sustained winds over 35 mph, and deer movement should be nonexistent. That being said, our local meteorologists have been wrong once or twice, so I may still have one last hunt in me. So as I watched the sunset from my stand this evening, I began to reflect on the season that was.

This is what 4 degrees
looks like

This was a long season. As of this moment I can say I have been chasing whitetails for 8 months straight. From the first week of June setting up the first trail camera till this last week of January it has been a non stop adventure / obsession. I have ran the gamut of emotions, expectations, and weather extremes. For example, the stand I hunted on Monday I hung in August. The humidity was so oppressive that day it was hard to breath. The temperature with the heat index was 105 degrees F. On Monday, with the wind chill factored in it was a balmy 4 degrees F. That's over 100 degrees difference in the same tree, same season.

I feel like I fell short of my preseason goals, but I am proud of how I persevered in the face of adversity. If somebody would have told me in September that I would still be holding my buck tags for two states at season's end, and still be proud of my season, I would have told them they lost their
mind. It just shows how much I have progressed mentally in my fifth year as a hunter. Successful hunts have little to do with harvesting trophy animals, but everything to do with harvesting lasting memories. I spent more time in the woods this year than any other time in my life. I learned so many lessons from nature by just being in nature, that I can not help but be a better hunter for it. I worked on my calling and rattling, when to call, and how to execute a successful rattling sequence. I paid very close attention to the wind and the importance of wind direction. I feel like I read deer sign such as scrapes and rubs, to put me in better positions to harvest animals.

The 9 checking out a doe in mid December

The low point of the season was making a non fatal shot on The 9. It's amazing how many times I encountered him this season and he only presented one shot opportunity. I still replay that shot over in my mind and still can not believe I did not connect. When The 9 reappeared I was relived that he survived the shot and looked well. I saw him briefly last week and he looked very healthy. I am looking forward to searching for his shed antlers in a couple weeks, and than watching him grow a velvet wrapped rack this summer.

That is why there is much more to the hunt than the harvest. If I let the 20 second encounter with The 9, in which I failed to harvest my trophy, define the last 8 months of my life, I would be cheating myself. Don't get me wrong, I would love to have gotten my hands on a mature whitetail's rack, but it was not in the cards. I did harvested a hand full of does, enough to fully stock my freezer. I also learned valuable information to aid my pursuit of whitetails for years to come. Lastly, I made memories, that should last a lifetime.