MY Opening Day and OH Show Change
Posted By
Bill Winke
at
10/14/2011 12:00:00 AM
NOTE: THE OHIO SHOW IS MOVING TO WEDNESDAYS STARTING THIS WEEK. THAT GIVES JASON AND THE PRO STAFF AN EXTRA DAY TO GET THE WEEKEND HUNTING ACTION ONTO THE SITE. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
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I spend a lot of time during the final ten days before I start hunting monitoring my trail cameras. I want to find out where the bucks are, when they are moving and which direction they are coming from and heading toward when they hit the camera. |
GET THE WORK DONE FIRST
I want to be in the stand as much as I possibly can during the rut, and to do that, I need to clear off as many tasks as possible in advance. That means all the things I have been putting off in my work and all the things I have been putting off around the house need to get done beforehand. I would rather do that now than have to sit out even a single good day during the rut. Take this time to clear the schedule so you can be in the field as much as possible later.
DON'T IMPACT THE DEER
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This is what I am looking for when I check my cameras: a big deer that |
There is no question that you impact the deer every time you go into your hunting area. How you hunt influences whether you impact them a little or a lot. But impact them you will. This impact eventually adds up and the deer become much more cautious in the general area of each of your stands. I am sure you have noticed that the first time you hunt a stand for the season is often the best hunt you have at that location all year. It seems mysterious - how do they know? They are much more in tune to their surroundings than we think - they know. Over the years my own philsophy has evolved to where I save all my best stands (and I don't have very many poor ones!) until the best days of the season. That means I can't be out there bumping around at times when the bucks aren't moving. I want to save those magical first hunts for days when the bucks are on their feet. Except in rare occassions, I don't even hunt until October 25. That is when my own experiences and those of my hunting buddies suggests that the bucks are going to start moving.
I will occasionally hunt when a cold front passses prior to that date, but otherwise, I stay out of the woods. The cost of just one blunder at that time is just too high. I want the bucks I am hunting to be very comfortable right up until the time I start to move during the daylight on a consistent basis.
HOW I PREPARE
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| I spend a lot of time working on my shooting form during the final weeks leading up to the time when I start hunting. I work especially hard on my concentration because a sharp focus is required to overcome buck fever! |
I spend the first three weeks of October shooting my bow as often as I can. I go through my entire pre-shot routine on every shot. I also hang a few stands here and there (I make plenty of noise so the deer know I mean them no harm) and I run my trail cameras. I want to know exactly what is happening in my hunting area when I start to hunt and to gain that information I need to run my trail cameras in places that will tell me valuable information. I stay away from bedding areas and focus on placing the cameras near feeding areas. These area are easy to drive to, in most cases, meaning that I can get in and out quickly without leaving any scent. If bucks are showing up near the feeding areas during daylight I can be sure they are moving even earlier back in the woods. That is my cue that it is time to start hunting a certain buck in a certain area. I have enough decent bucks on the farm that I can usually find at least one that is moving somewhat during the day.
CONCLUSION: BE PATIENT - THIS IS A MARATHON NOT A SPRINT
Mid-October can offer great bowhunting if a cold front rolls through and you get those spine-tingling crisp mornings that just make you happy to be alive. You should definitely be out there, I would just stay away from your best stands for another ten days to two weeks. Give the bucks you are hunting time to start moving regularly during daylight hours before you put any pressure on the areas where they live. Make the first hunt into each of your stands the best hunt of the year by waiting until the time is right.
Good Luck this season - it is almost prime time!
