Bow(5%)Hunting(95%): Improving the 95%

[Archie]

Someone brought this to light in a TG post not long ago, and I fear that I tend to agree with it.  Why fear?  Because I'm afraid that I'm likely pretty weak at the 95%.  I shoot quite a bit in my own backyard, but my hunting opportunities are few, and usually I return empty-handed.

What is the best way to improve the "hunting" part of "bowhunting"?  Mentor?  Hunting camp with other accomplished hunters for the game you're pursuing?   Reading?  Keeping a journal and thinking through everything in depth after a hunt?  Is TIME and EXPERIENCE the only true way to improve it?  

What do you seasoned, reasonably successful, veteran bowhunters say???

I think a lot of guys get on this site and go gangbusters on bows, arrows, FOC, penetration, blah blah blah, but they forget that this is a trad BOWHUNTING site, not just trad archery.

[m midd]

I like bows and arrows, broadheads and quivers as much as the next guy. From october - january im in the woods every weekend and day im off from work. I have learned alot from other people and continue to learn. I think to be a good hunter you have to put your time in. We learn from mistakes and sucess as well. Last year was a great year hunting and i didnt even get a shot. I hunted 1 deer, a 170"+  12 pt and got within 25 yards of him 3 times. And that was on public land.

[kawika b]

Time in the field studying your game and developing a strategy.... a successful hunt is a byproduct of the previously mentioned done right... the hunt before the hunt.

[kawika b]

[Terry Lightle]

Learn from your mistakes,and spend as much time as possible in the woods

[Rob W.]

As others have said time in the woods is the best teacher. All the reading, talking, mentoring in the world won't tell you what tree deer are feeding under right now.

Rob

[Marc B.]

I'll echo time in the woods hunting and scouting. I look at reading and talking like a classroom and time in the woods is the lab/job where you prove and tweak what you've learned in class.

[Russ Clagett]

practise your hunting on small game in the area.

[RedShaft]

im in your boat. i think most my trouble has to do with the land i hunt. over hunted state land and dealing with the last 5 years of heard reductions. i get a little sour but keep at it.

[calgarychef]

I agree it's easier to get shooting opportunities than hunting opportunities especially in some parts of the world and depending on ones job and family life.  I think the only leg up us to read stuff by the best of the best, Fred Asbell-stalking and still hunting has some great tips. Maybe some others can chime in on other great books.

The other part is experience and I've had some great "aha" moments.  The best was on a small property that I hunted for 3 years and dind't get a chance.  The place was crawling with deer though but something always screwed me up, the neighbours dog, horses, cattle etc.  On my way to that spot I always passed a small clump of bush about 100 yards in diameter and I also thought that I should someday take a walk over and check it out-but being busy hunting I never did.  Finally one day I did and it was full of deer, I'd found "the spot"  unfortunately it didn't have suitable trees for a stand.  I found a large fallen tree just inside the brush line by about 18 yards and I dug a pit blind in front of it and used that tree as a backrest and to break up my outline.  I shot three deer out of that spot and I did it easily.  

So why the long drawn out story?  Hopefully it will convince folks that scouting is more productive than hunting and there's always a way even if there are no trees for a stand.  If I would have sat back and really looked at that property I would have seen the deer coming and going from that bush near dusk.  Also it was totally fenced off so the horses and cattle couldn't get in and provided a nice spot for the deer.  Unfortunately they sold off that little corner of the field and someone is building  a house in the middle of my "magic bush."
   
So the next bit of advice is to really try hard to get a productive piece of land to hunt from.  Not easy at all but it's the most important thing if you want to get a deer.  Some times, like my "magic bush" they aren't readily apparent so don't pass by something that might be a good spot.

Another thing especially on a small property, if it's not a good night for hunting for whatever reason, the wind is wrong or you've gotten ready too late and might spook the animals-stay home and don't mess things up.  Also using the same techniquies can educate the deer as to what you're doing, so mix it up a bit.  I love decoys but don't use them all the time as soon the deer get used to it and worse it alerts them to the fact that I'm hunting again.  The same for scents, calling and every other attractant there is, so use these things sparingly unless you're in the big woods or hunting a spot the first few times.

[Brianlocal3]

Archie,
here in Illinios, I have found if I can get 3-4 days to hunt a patch of woods or a general area I can Harvest. We are lucky in that there  are a lot of deer. But then again I'm not a  trophy hunter, so if its brown its down.   I have never shot a big bruiser, I have a couple of 125-140 class deer but nothing huge, but then again i don't pattern one deer or pass up too many either.  I find heavily used trails and wait it out.  Also, Im a big fan of that 9-noon time frame, I have killed a more than a  few on over hunted public land that way.  Find  a good escape route and wait it out. When the other hunters get bored and leave they WILL push those deer to you.  Have at it bud.

[Barry Wensel]

I'm pleased to see some of the answers on this thread. Times have seemed to change and our future is on shakey grounds. Because of various factors, such as broken families, limited hours and high technology, it's become apparent a lot of folks are looking for a "quick fix" thinking they don't have the time. The technology is available to bypass the labor. I believe it should be a labor of love. I've always been of the opinion it's fine to read the books, watch the videos and listen to the lectures. But then put all that knowledge on the back burner and get out into the woods for the practical experience/application. That practical knowledge will be priceless. Nothing... I repeat, NOTHING beats time spent in the woods applying what you've learned. Open your mind, use common sense, slow down and THINK about what you're seeing. I feel we're approaching a dangerous situation regarding the foundations on which our woodsmanship skills were built. The younger hunters have been groomed to believe sitting over a food plot is the only way to hunt because that's pretty much all they see on TV. I should clarify I'm not at all against food plots. They are a huge benefit to wildlife during lean times. But I'm also of the belief the more you put into any endeavor the more self-satisfaction you'll get out of it. Rather than just shooting a deer in a food plot I feel becoming "one with nature" through constant scouting/learning will benefit anyone who puts in that labor of love. It's a win/win situation. If you are successful it will be satisfaction beyond belief. If you are not successful I'll bet my bottom dollar you'll still walk away knowing you've learned something that will benefit yourself or someone else in the future. Put in the time and effort to make it special. That's what real hunting is all about. BW

[ron w]

One of the biggest things that can help is, if possible hunt where there is game. The more game that is around the better your chances of not only seeing some but getting a shot now and then. I hunt in an area that is poorly managed and just has low numbers of deer. Since 1968 I have had 2 shots at deer, a miss with a recurve in 1971 and a kill with a compound in 1993. I have seen deer and had a few close calls but it's tough when numbers are low. As said above, spend the time in the woods and use it as a class room. Keep notes or a journal and refer to it all the time. Enjoy your journey......I have enjoyed mine even as unsuccessful as it has been.      

[Archie]

I do agree about hunting where there is game.  I have really only one place to hunt (133 acres private land), and have had fewer than about 30 deer sightings in 8 years, hunting nearly every weekend many seasons.  Tracks are sparse, and trails virtually non-existent.  I hunted whitetail a few times in Ohio some years back, and remember seeing many more deer than I do here.  That makes it tough to learn their ways.

[Izzy]

Im not an elite hunter but I do enjoy sporadic success. Like others said just get out and hunt, its the only gimmick that works all of the time .

      I think the most important thing that separates successful hunters from non successful hunters is drive. How much a man loves this lifestyle has a strong correlation to how much meat he puts in the freezer, I guess its like anything else. The more you love it the more you get after it.

      Ill also say this, and I hope not to offend but some people are just born to be better hunters than others hunters that make everything come together at the right time and the right place.

      Some folks hunt because they like bows and some shoot bows because they can be used to hunt. Either way, its each mans choice and its all better than sitting home watching TV.

[Brianlocal3]

Archie,
You are from the Chicago area correct?  Is there anything you can do on the property to help hold and protect the deer? Food? Planting natural food sources such as persimmon trees and helping with cover? Im from S. Il so I have no knowledge of what you face up there, but I do know from the two small tracts (25, and 17ac) that I'm allowed to hunt we have tried to make the land more attractive to game.

[Brianlocal3]

Also I have found even old fruit bearing trees apple, persimmon, pawpaw, and the like that look barren tend to respond VERY well to some TLC I'm the spring. I have pruned up some ol' long forgotten trees that then sprouted fruit the next season.

[centaur]

Like anything else worth doing, you have to pay your dues. Of course, there are always the stories about the guy who kills a monster on his first hunt, but that scenario is a fluke. Most of us, the great hunters included, spend lots of time in the woods. I have had some success over the years, but I do spend lots and lots of hours outside, both in hunting season and out of season. I love watching wildlife, so off season time in the woods is not a chore for me. The more time spent in pursuit and study of game, the 'luckier' you get.

[awbowman]

The way you become a better hunter is to hunt more.  You will also be surprised what you can learn by letting a few walk and learn from them.

[gringol]

You have to put in the time.  If you only have a few days to hunt each season, your odds will be pretty low no matter where you hunt.