Share a "simple" tip on hunting/woodsmanship-

[Roger Norris]

When you hit a deer, the first thing you should do is take a compass reading as he departs.

I was lucky to have a few great Woodsman mentor me. My Grandfather was a true Yooper ( he refered to his breeding as that of a "Jackpine Savage"    , my Uncle Jack, who had a knack for being comfortable in the woods, and later in life Ron LaClair. Ron gets a lot of recognition as a traditional bowhunter/archer, but his knowledge and experience of the wild places is a gold mine. I'm near 50, and I feel like a little kid when we are in camp. He has upped my woodsmanship knowledge ( I hesitate to use the word skill) ten fold.

I feel strongly that we are losing our heritage of woodsmanship skills. Strongly enough that I have started a website to record some of them. I'm not selling anything, just writing about traditional woodsmanship skills.

Tradgang is a great place this as well. As long as we have threads like this going, hopefully the youngsters will never think the only way to spend time in the woods is on an ATV, with a GPS, etc.....

[Jim Boettcher]

Hey Roger, could you PM me your website? I'd like to see it. Thanks Jim

[deaddoc4444]

When I hunt from a tree stand  I always have a field point arrow with me . IF I hit a deer  I watch its progress after the hit  for as long as I can, then I instantly go back and shot a field point to the exact point the deer was standing when I hit it.  It alwasy looks different on the ground and it gives you and exact   starting point  and angle of the shot  when you want to start looking .

[KentuckyTJ]

Didn't read through all. Spend the first two thirds of your "hunting time" scouting and the last third actually hunting.

[bolong]

Imagine you are a Native American 500 years ago and and you don't want to be a vegatarian.

[owlbait]

If I forget my compass I put my back to the moon(South), I'm facing North, right is East left is West. Line up your path and head in the general direction you need to travel.

[Pete McMiller]

Bowwild,

Never even thought about snakes - yikes.  I don't hunt where there are snakes or maybe just non-poisonous variety.  You make a good point though and worth thinking about.

[NoCams]

Shut up and listen to the heroes of mine on here like RC, KentuckTJ, Guru, etc,etc. They put the meat on the ground year in year out. Like Roger Norris said, " I hesitate to use the word skill."

A few though I learned from others and a few of my own.

1) Keep a Gerber folding saw, $19.99, in every climbing stand you own. Priceless !

2) The nylon strap that holds your Summit Viper stand pieces cinched tight together for packing makes an AWESOME doe drag. Mason calls it, " Her necklace or leash. " "Okay Dad, she is gutted, now put her leash on and walk her home. "

3) You will never own a sharper knife or broadhead than one that has been sharpened on a KME sharpener.

4) Never ever pass up the opp to scout in fresh snow or when it is raining softly. Snow tells you EVERYTHING and rain allows you to slip along quietly not disturbing the area and washing your scent away.

5) If hunting a proven tree or area and not seeing deer like normal pick up and move a few hundred yards if needed. Don't stay in the same tree too long, adjust till you get back on them.

6) When you get to the sternum move over left or right and cut thru the cartilage than connects the ribs to the sternum instead of the sternum. Cut the esophagus as far up in the neck as you can and stick your fingers in for a handle to pull everything down and out.

7)Wool, Wool, Wool in Predator Fall Gray on the outside and Ullfrotte' wool on the inside.

8)Google Earth the most awesome scouting tool on the planet and it is FREE !!!

9)As tempting as it can be, NEVER take the quartering to you shot..... NEVER !

10) Clean and clear shooting lanes in and around your stand in summer. Cost me a huge 9 point two years ago when I knew better but was lazy, ughhh!

[Hoyt]

When fiddling with things on stand, try to keep arms and hands in front of torso. Movement is much easier to pick up when silhouetted as in moving arms out from body.

[tree dancer]

Take a Kid!!

[SuperK]

I always carry 3 or 4 cyalume light sticks in my fannypack. Just "snap" one and hang in a tree (as high as you can reach)beside the bloodtrail when you start to get out of sight of your treestand. (If you think you made a bad hit, "snap" one and hang it up in your treestand before you get down). If you have a long trailing job (like a liver hit, etc), when you have trouble seeing your last lightstick, "snap" another one and hang it up.  Depending on how thick the cover is, you can see them for a long,long ways.  Once you find your game, the way out is easy to see.  If you need to go get some help to drag it out, no problem relocating your game.  If you decide to back out until the next day, you will still be able to see them. They don't cost much, Wal-mart has a bunch of 'em in the camping section, don't start fires, don't wash away if it rains overnight and they last 8 or more hours.  Plus you could use them to signal for help long after your flighlight batteries are dead.  They come in all different sizes but I always use the big ones or military size ones.  I think they are about 7 inches long.

[Charlie Lamb]

Keep your hands in your pockets. Many of us move our hands around almost involuntarily while sitting idle. Keeping them out of sight removes a lot of attention getting motion when on stand.

[levibear]

Hunt at mid day please believe me on this one

[GRINCH]

Never climb in to your stand without being connected to a safety rope.your family wants you back.

[Steve Clandinin]

If going into Big Country I always carry the essentials to get me through a night in the bush,You never know.A small sile tarp and a tiny Alcohol stove and a few other essetials can make it very comfortable.In the High Country it makes it comfortable to sit out a thunderstorm.

[ozy clint]

a bushies game camera- if you find a trail and you want to know how active it is, take a stick and in a soft or sandy part of the trail wipe it clean, removing old tracks. came back later and check what's been through.

also my signiture goes a long way....

[RC]

TreeDancer had the best tip of all.RC

[gobblegrunter]

Never stalk/walk with a broadhead-tipped arrow nocked.

[koger]

Carry a first aid kit.

Hunt the moon phase, bright side, 10-2 midday, dark side, first and last 2 hours of daylight, works for me about 75% of the time last 20 years.

Carry a good, small pair of binos, and always look in shaded areas under foliage ahead ofyou while scouting, stalking. You wont believe the number of game you have been missing.

Camo you face and hands, relighously, gloves or paint!

Keep  your knives and  broadheads razor sharp, dull knives will get you hurt.

[Don Stokes]

A watch can substitute for a compass when the sun is out. Point the hour hand at the sun, and south is halfway between the hour hand and 12:00.