Grunt Up A Buck

The 8-pointer was slowly making his way along the edge of a thick tag alder run, and was crosswind and 70 yards from me. I gave one short, and one slightly longer grunt. Both were rather obnoxious sounding.

Not to the buck, though. He stopped in his tracks, swiveled his head in my direction, and slowly turned my way. There is only one big-time rule to follow when using a grunt call for deer.

Never continue calling if a buck is coming

If the buck heads in your direction, don't call again. If the animal comes 50 or 100 yards, stops and looks around in obvious confusion, turn your head away from the deer, and give one soft and muffled call. The buck is looking for a direction, and you can say "Over Here" with one grunt. Put the call away and get ready for a shot.

On came the deer, and he swaggered up to within eight yards, and stopped. He milled around for a minute or so, snuffling the air, and then turned broadside. My FirstCut 90-grain broadhead took him behind the front shoulder and exited the brisket. He went 40 yards and folded up.

I've used calls on bobcats, coyotes, deer, ducks, elk, foxes, geese, moose and wild turkeys. If any one thing holds true, it's that animals and birds can usually pinpoint almost exactly where the call is coming from.

I've used many calls from a tree until four years ago. I've used all types of deer calls including those made by A-Way, Knight & Hale, Primos, Stratton Game Calls, Woods-Wise and many others.

One problem that has always always concerned me was that I know deer and other critters can lock onto a call's precise location. Who has ever seen a deer grunting from an elevation position? I haven't.

Try this company's grunt call

H&M Archery Products of Willis, Mich. makes a novel grunt call that I've been using for four years. Contact them at H&M Archery Products . Their philosophy is that deer don't climb trees so why should a hunter call from a tree?

They produce a call with a 14-foot length of coil-kink resistant rubber latex tubing that another 12-foot length of tubing can be attached to, and a hunter can sit 15 feet up a tree and lay out the other 11 feet of rubber tubing, and call from a tree but the grunt comes from ground level where it sounds most natural.

Any condensation occurs in the tubing, not in the call. This helps eliminate freeze-up in cold weather.

I began with the 14-foot length but soon added another length that allows the call to be places off to one side of my tree where an investigating buck will be properly positioned for a shot.

The nice thing is this tubing arrangement will fit most tube-type calls. It puts the sound at ground level where it is most effective.

Deer calling tips

Many hunters blow a sequence of grunts that is much too long. I keep my grunts short, pause and grunt again for several seconds, and then stop. Ten minutes later try calling again. It also helps to be rattling while calling to re-enact a calling sequence, and it offers a double-barreled approach to calling deer.

There are many different types of deer vocalizations but the grunt call works well. I've had little or no success with a fawn bleat, and only minimal success with a doe bleat.

One thing that works is to grunt if you see a buck. I've called in numerous bucks that were unseen, but calling works very well on visible bucks. It gives hunters a chance to judge the deer's reaction to the call, but if the deer come and then stop coming, muffle the call and grunt softly one more time. If they keep coming toward you, do nothing but get ready to draw and shoot.

Obnoxious noises that work

One of the most exciting things about deer hunting is grunting in a good buck. The noises that come out of an inhale, exhale or inhale-exhale call may sound like your hunting camp buddy two hours after a plate of refried beans, but the grunt call does work.

As is true with everything else about bow hunting whitetail bucks, nothing is 100 percent except Uncle Sam tapping you for a yearly donation and that some day you will pass on to your just rewards. That said, grunt in a good buck and if he charges in with his neck hairs standing up, you will quickly be a converted to using a call.

Once, a number of years ago, I spotted a buck 100 yards away. A grunt was made, the buck came to within 15 yards, and no shots were taken. The buck eventually walked off, and another grunt sequence brought him running back to the call again.

This sequence was replayed four times before the buck was allowed to wander off on his own. It seems to work equally well on old or young bucks. Just experiment with calling sequences but just don't call too much or too loud.

Trust me, it can pay off ... on a fairly regular basis. A grunt call should become a part of every deer hunter's repertoire.

TITLE Grunt Up A Buck ((tags: buck, dave richey, deer, frequent pauses, grunt, grunt call, stop calling))

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

The Pre-Rut Is Underway

The first signs of the pre-rut were seen tonight, and even though the weather was cool and windy, the evidence is pretty conclusive.

In the past the bucks have been traveling in their little bachelor groups, moving loosely in small groups with some minor head-bumping and gentle antler touching, but the most obvious sign of all is that bucks are now actively starting to chase does.

A fall has kept me from daily hunting

A look around today after 10 days of on-and-off bow hunting because of a fall (no, not from a tree stand but off my deck steps), and an aching back proved other facets of the pre-rut or chasing phase is now underway. I went in today for an MRI to see what, if anything, I did to myself.

This chasing period precedes the actual breeding period or rut, and it is essential to the rut. Many deer biologists, and myself for that matter, believe the chasing phase is just one of the triggers that puts a pre-estrus doe into estrus. It fires up the sexual needs of both buck and doe.

I saw this last night as a medium-size 8-point (there seems to be an abundance of 8-pointers in many areas) took an adult doe around in circles, through the hoops, over the hurtles and in and out of tag alder thickets. She had to be in a serious pre-estrus condition although she still wasn't all the way there yet. Most of these very early estrus does are older animals. Young does seldom come into estrus in December or January.

Had she been ready, she would have stood for him. Instead, she led him around like a puppy dog on a leash, and whenever she stopped, he would smell her and off they'd go again for another long romp. It went on for 30 minutes during an overcast and misty evening before they disappeared from sight.

For me, I never even picked up my bow. This was a head-clearing time for me to move past my back injury, and to accept the fact my back would never be the same after this hard fall. Shooting a deer wasn't important, but being in a stand was.

Another pre-rut sign

Another good sign of the rapidly approaching pre-rut phase is that many bucks are no longer friendly or tolerant of their longtime buddies of a week ago. Another 8-point, a bit smaller than the one chasing the doe, and a small 6-point, came through the area and was heading down a trail near me but out of bow range.

They stopped in fairly thick cover 25 yards away and the small buck started to lower his year-and-a-half-old antlers at his buddy. The larger buck quickly demonstrated why he was the more dominant of the two animals. One antler tine stuck in the rump of the smaller animal, he jumped three feet in the air as if being goosed with a cattle prod. They moved on past me, the smaller buck hanging back, and a bit of blood could be seen around the puncture wound.

No doubt the smaller buck now knows who is leading this little parade, but it's doubtful if either animal will do any breeding this year. Those honors usually are reserved for the much larger and more dominant bucks.

Look for agitated does. Bucks won't be far away.

Increased agitation or demonstration of seniority or strength and antler size, coupled with the chasing of does, are two major keys to solving the arrival of the pre-rut phase. This period is almost always in full swing by Oct. 25 or a day or two earlier, and most of the actual breeding will be accomplished from Halloween through Nov. 15, with some local or regional exceptions.

There are other keys to the pre-rut kick-off. I found two or three new scrapes along one trail used to get to my stand that weren't there a week ago. Hunters are finding that scrapes are being opened up, and such scrapes often vary in size from that of a dinner plate to four-feet in diameter.

All feature the obligatory overhead licking branch, and wet earth below the branch. The licking branch is often frayed and broken, chewed to a frazzle, and the earth smells of deer urine and other secretions (what we actually smell is the urine). There often are rubs on nearby trees, and hoof prints and antler tine marks in the earthen scrape.

Reading a scrape, and learning what else a scrape can tell you will be discussed in a future blog. It's much too lengthy to add to this piece.

The pre-rut or chasing phase has just started. It's just getting geared up, and will be in full swing by this weekend. Get out, enjoy the day, and let's hope a doe will lead a nice buck past your stand during the next two or three weeks. Think positively about the possibility of success and it may come true.

TITLE The Pre-Rut Is Underway ((agitation, bow hunting, chasing phase, dave richey, licking branch, pre-rut, scrape, urine))

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

Rainy-Day Whitetails

There are those times every year when a bow hunter can hear a whitetail coming for 100 yards. If the animal is upwind, and the leaves are as dry as corn flakes, the sound carries for a long distance.

Whitetails depend on their hearing for survival, and dry leaves advertise their presence. The opposite is true when it rains.
The leaves soak up the rain, and a whitetail can ghost through the woods with barely a sound. This is an important reason for hunters to spend time in the woods when the rain is falling.

Soft rain is good for bow hunting deer

I've often written that deer love to travel when a soft misty rain is falling. There is a soft pitter-patting sound under such conditions, but it doesn't seem to bother the deer. They seem to be able to separate that soft noise from a dangerous noise without a problem.

These soft rains seem to get deer moving earlier in the evening, and it appears that deer move with more confidence during a soft rain. They appear more comfortable moving between bedding and feeding areas, and they seem to eat and move without hesitation.

I've had people ask if I feel a soft rain will carry human scent downward. I believe, to a small degree, that it does. I also think that low-lying ground fog will hold human scent near the ground.

Gentle rain & fog makes whitetails move

Soft rains and fog seem to go hand in hand during the autumn months, and I've seen some of my largest bucks under such conditions. The fog seems to offer big bucks a sense of security, and they seem to be on the move. This is most certainly true during the pre-rut, rut and post-rut, when buck and doe activity is high.

One thing about fog is it distorts the sense of sound. I don't know how many times I've listened to a buck grunting as he tends an estrus doe, and in the fog, my vision and hearing is limited. I've seen bucks appear and disappear in the rainy fog without ever seeing the doe, and there have been many times when the doe is visible but the tending buck cannot be seen.

It's at times like this that a hunter must be constantly alert. I remember one night several years ago just before the Nov. 15 firearm season opener, when I saw a half-dozen bucks appear and vanish into the fog. All were moving, all were grunting, and the antler and body size of each one indicated they were individual animals.

Judging distance in the fog can be difficult. I've talked with many hunters who may know the far edge of a deer trail is 20 yards away, and if a doe or buck appears in heavy fog, they feel the animal is much farther away than it appears. They aim high to compensate for this imagined difference and shoot over the animal. Know your limitations, and how far it is to a well-traveled deer trail, and believe in that knowledge. Trust that knowledge at all times.

The best advice is to put out markers. A measured distance must be believed, even if the fog does make the animal appear much farther away than it really is.

Times when rain appeals to me

I like rain on the roof, rain after my food plots are planted, and rain (on occasion) when I'm hunting. I dislike a steady diet of it, and it's easy to compare that to eating steak every night. One soon grows weary of the same thing on a frequent basis.

Hunting in the rain isn't too bad. It offers something a little different to a bow hunter, and that is fine by me. I enjoy a variety, a change of pace, in my hunting, and I can hunt in anything except a downpour or when the lightning is dancing across the sky.

Most of all, I like to hunt those soft misty evenings when the darkness comes early because of heavy clouds overhead, and when the whitetails seem to slip up on a guy. That is when a hunt really means something to me.

TITLE: Rainy-Day Whitetails ((tags: alert, bow hunting, buck, fog, ghost, grunting, hunting, mist, soft rain.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

Deciding When To Shoot A Buck

The buck was a nice animal. It was an adult 2 ½-year-old with eight points, the beginning of a really nice rack, and he wasn't rut-crazed just yet. This rack, while still thin and spindly, had an inside spread of 16 inches with good brow points.

The buck came to me early in the evening with plenty of shooting light, and stopped at 18 yards and stood at an extreme quartering-away angle for long minutes. It was a tempting shot possibility.

Questioning my desire

Did I want to shoot that buck? You know, I really couldn't answer that question. Undecided, I did as I often do, and came back to full draw. The tiny internal red dot settled low behind the buck's front shoulder, but the shot would have to be precise and I tweaked my aim a bit more.

It's too shallow of an angle, I thought. Too much margin for error. I held the bow back longer, waiting for him to turn. Finally the bow was eased down, and that buck stood in that position for several more minutes before shifting just a bit to turn directly away from me.

I continued to watch him, all the while asking myself: do you really want to shoot this buck? He is nice, but he isn't that nice. Another year of life would make this a really fine animal if someone else doesn’t shoot him this fall.

The result was that my inner self talked me out of that buck until five minutes later when he turned slightly to watch another deer. I raised the bow, put the internal red dot on the proper spot, and held it there.

That animal had no clue I was anywhere in the area. For me, much of my deer-hunting enjoyment comes from fooling the animals. I don’t need to kill a buck to have had a good hunt. But … this guy was very tempting.

If I touched the trigger of my release this would be a dead 8-point. I laid my index finger on the trigger, refined my aim just a tad and didn't pull it. Deep down, I really didn’t want to shoot this deer.

No shot and the reason

The bottom line was the buck wasn’t  exactly what I wanted. It was nice, to be sure, but not that nice. Besides, it was too early in the season for me to shoot a buck. I had time to wait for something bigger.

The buck walked away minutes later, completely unaware of how close he had come to becoming wrapped venison. It was turned just right so I wasn't looking into its eye, and it wasn't fidgety. It was completely unaware of my predatory presence, and I let that buck walk.

Thirty minutes later an even larger 8-point walked down the wooded trail and walked out into the open. This guy stood broadside, and offered an easy 17-yard shot. I aimed, held the red-dot on the vitals for 30 seconds and eased up.

Shoot, don’t shoot?

It was useless. I knew, in my heart, that I had no intention of shooting this animal that evening. He was a nice buck, but still didn't have quite what I wanted.

It occurred to me that I was having a problem identifying what it was I did want. Trophy hunting doesn't appeal to me, but after a half-century of deer hunting and shooting many basket-rack bucks, shooting what suits me is very important. Some years I don’t shoot a buck, and that is my choice. I certainly see enough antlered bucks within range that I can afford to be a bit picky about my choices.

I then agonized over trying to identify what it was I wanted, and got no further down that trail before I realized that a buck was important but it was nearly impossible to identify what unique requirements were needed to satisfy my need to release an arrow at the animal.

A lesson from the past.

It reminded me of a conversation I'd had 30 years earlier with a magazine editor as we discussed his magazine’s outdoor photographic needs and how I could help him reach those goals. He said: "I don't know what I want but I'll recognize it when I see it."

My buck-shooting problem was similar to his photo problems: I probably won't recognize what it is I’m looking for until I see it, and then all of my motor skills will allow me to come to a full draw, aim with precision, and let loose a killing arrow if the animal is within my clear and well defined shooting range.

Once, some years ago, I could see a big buck easing along the edge of an oak ridge. His position in relation to mine made it impossible to see both sides of this rack.

The buck sneaked along an overgrown fence line at the edge of the woods, and he would lift his head on occasion to look ahead for danger before lowering his head again. I heard a soft grunt coming from his direction, and I knew he was scent-trailing a hot doe.

He would come within easy bow range of my tree stand, but still the right side of his antlers wasn’t visible. He was a shooter, no doubt, if the right side was as good as the left.

Here he came, walking gently as if he was stepping through broken glass, and he paused 20 yards away. It was just a bit too far for me to shoot with unfailing accuracy because of my glaucoma. His head was down and out of sight, and he would be at 15 yards when both sides of his rack became visible. Just wait, suck a bit more air, and settle down. The bottom line in all such cases is he will come closer or he won’t. Wishful thinking doesn’t work at placing deer at the preferred spot.

He eventually took a few more steps toward me, stepped out into the open, and stood with his head held high. I looked at the right and left side as I drew and prepared to  aim. I soon let off on my draw, and knew I wouldn’t shoot this buck.

The right side had three antler tines broken off as a result of scrapping with another buck. His rack had been damaged in a fight, and if I am to shoot a big buck, his antlers will go on the wall. This old boy got a break on this day although another person shot him on the opening day of the firearm deer season.

Deer hunting's mental crossroads

My problem is I'm at some type of mental crossroads. I'm well past the point where I must shoot another buck. I'm not out looking for massive antlers although I'd probably shoot if that kind of buck walked in front of me at my preferred shooting range, but more than anything, outwitting a good buck seems much more of a personal challenge than just shooting a nice animal.

And I suspect it's one of the reasons I didn't shoot either one of those bucks. The time wasn't right, and whatever it is I seek in a whitetail buck, just wasn't there. Perhaps, both shots would have been too easy or perhaps the reason is the challenge just wasn't intense enough to excite me.

That said, the opportunity is out there. I know of a big 10-pointer in one of my hunting areas. Being there at the right time, with the right temperament, and within easy bow range might tempt me into taking a shot.

Will I take it? Only time will tell, because for me, the hunt is far more important than antler or skull size. Something must challenge my personal skills, and mental moods, and if the challenge isn’t there, neither is the need for me to shoot.

Many people think deer hunting is easy. This daily blog simply proves that for some people, hunting is far more difficult than one might believe.

TITLE Knowing when to shoot ((tags: buck, dave richey, decisions, desire, determining what I want, shoot or don't shoot))

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

Deciding When To Shoot A Buck

The buck was a nice animal. It was an adult 2 ½-year-old with eight points, the beginning of a really nice rack, and he wasn't rut-crazed just yet. This rack, while still thin and spindly, had an inside spread of 16 inches with good brow points.

The buck came to me early in the evening with plenty of shooting light, and stopped at 18 yards and stood at an extreme quartering-away angle for long minutes. It was a tempting shot possibility.

Questioning my desire

Did I want to shoot that buck? You know, I really can't answer that question. Undecided, I did as I often do, and came back to full draw. The tiny internal red dot settled low behind the front shoulder, but the shot would have to be precise and I tweaked my aim a bit more.

 It's too shallow of an angle, I thought. Too much margin for error. I held the bow back longer, waiting for him to turn. Finally the bow was eased down, and that buck stood in that position for several more minutes before shifting just a bit to turn directly away from me.

I continued to watch him, all the while asking myself: do you really want to shoot this buck? He is nice, but he isn't that nice. Another year of life would make this a really fine animal if someone else doesn’t shoot him this fall.

The result was that my inner self talked me out of that buck until five minutes later when he turned slightly to watch another deer. I raised the bow, put the internal red dot on the proper spot, and held it there.

That animal had no clue I was anywhere in the area. For me, much of my deer-hunting enjoyment comes from fooling the animals. I don’t need to kill a buck to have had a good hunt. But … this guy was very tempting.

If I touched the trigger of my release this would be a dead 8-point. I laid my index finger on the trigger, refined my aim just a tad and didn't pull it. Deep down, I really didn’t want to shoot this deer.

No shot and the reason

The bottom line was the buck wasn’t  exactly what I wanted. It was nice, to be sure, but not that nice. Besides, it was too early in the season for me to shoot a buck. I had time to wait for something bigger.

The buck walked away minutes later, completely unaware of how close he had come to getting shot. It was turned just right so I wasn't looking into its eye, and it wasn't fidgety. It was completely unaware of my predatory presence, and I let that buck walk.

Thirty minutes later an even larger 8-point walked down the wooded trail. This guy stood broadside, and offered an easy 17-yard shot. I aimed, held the red-dot on the vitals for 30 seconds and eased up.

Shoot, don’t shoot?

It was useless. I knew, in my heart, that I had no intention of shooting this animal that evening. He was a nice buck, but still didn't have quite what I wanted.

It occurred to me that I was having a problem identifying what it was I did want. Trophy hunting doesn't appeal to me, but after a half-century of deer hunting and shooting many basket-rack bucks, shooting what suits me is very important. Some years I don’t shoot a buck, and that is my choice. I certainly see enough antlered bucks within range that I can afford to be a bit picky with my choice.

I then agonized over trying to identify what it was I wanted, and got no further down that trail before I realized that a buck was important but it was nearly impossible to identify what unique requirements were needed to satisfy my need to release an arrow at the animal.

A lesson from the past

It reminded me of a conversation I'd had 30 years earlier with a magazine editor as we discussed his magazine’s photographic needs and how I could help him reach those goals. He said: "I don't know what I want but I'll recognize it when I see it."

My buck-shooting problem was similar to his photo problems: I probably won't recognize what it is I’m looking for until I see it, and then all of my motor skills will allow me to come to a full draw, aim with precision, and let loose a killing arrow providing the animal is within my clear and well defined shooting range.

Once, some years ago, I could see a big buck easing along the edge of an oak ridge. His position in relation to mine made it impossible to see both sides of this rack.

The buck sneaked along an overgrown fence line at the edge of the woods, and he would lift his head on occasion to look ahead for danger before lowering his head again. I heard a soft grunt coming from his direction, and I knew he was scent-trailing a hot doe.

He would come within easy bow range of my tree stand, but still the right side of his antlers wasn’t visible. He was a shooter, no doubt, if the right side was as good as the left.

Here he came, walking gently as if he was stepping through broken glass, and he paused 20 yards away. It was just a bit too far to shoot with unfailing accuracy. His head was down and out of sight, and he would be at 15 yards when both sides of his rack would be visible. Just wait, suck a bit more air, and settle down. The bottom line in all such cases is he will come closer or he won’t. Wishful thinking doesn’t work at placing deer at the preferred spot.

He eventually took a few more steps toward me, stepped out into the open, and stood with his head held high. I looked at the right and left side as I drew and prepared to  aim. I soon let off on my draw, and knew I wouldn’t shoot this buck.

The right side had three antler tines broken off as a result of scrapping with another buck. His rack had been damaged in a fight, and if I am to shoot a big buck, his antlers will go on the wall. This old boy got a break on this day although another person shot him on the opening day of the firearm deer season.

Deer hunting's mental crossroads

My problem is I'm at some type of mental crossroads. I'm well past the point where I must shoot another buck. I'm not out looking for massive antlers although I'd probably shoot if that kind of buck walked in front of me at my preferred shooting range, but more than anything, outwitting a good buck seems much more of a personal challenge than just shooting a nice animal.

And I suspect it's one of the reasons I didn't shoot either one of those bucks. The time wasn't right, and whatever it is I seek in a whitetail buck, just wasn't there. Perhaps, both shots would have been too easy or perhaps the reason is the challenge just wasn't intense enough to excite me.

That said, the opportunity is out there. I know of a big 10-pointer in one of my hunting areas. Being there at the right time, with the right temperament, and within easy bow range might tempt me into taking a shot.

Will I take it? Only time will tell, because for me, the hunt is far more important than antler or skull size. Something must challenge my personal skills, and mental moods, and if the challenge isn’t there, neither is the need for me to shoot.

Many people think hunting is easy. This simply proves that for some people, hunting is far more difficult than one might believe.

TITLE Deciding When To Shoot A Buck ((tags: buck, dave richey, desire, determining what I want, shoot or don't shoot))

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

It happens every year about now. TagsL ((dave richey, deer, human odor, pre-rut, rut, post-rut, scrapes, weather))

It happens every year about now. The deer seem to disappear.

It's almost as if they have decided to take a break. And essentially, that is about what happens. They aren't moving much, and there are some very good reasons why this natural phenomenon occurs.

Part of the problem so far this year can be laid at the feet of our quirky weather and east wind conditions. Rain, a tiny bit of snow in places one night and high winds have played havoc with deer movement.

Why the deer lull happens

One major reasons for this recent lull in deer activity is the animals have learned that hunters are now afield. There is more human odor in the woods, and that keeps deer on their toes. No longer are they in their summer mode of travel from bedding to feeding areas, and this lull will last about 10 days to two weeks and then the early rut begins.

The third reason for an apparent lack of deer activity is the animals are preparing for this upcoming rut. There are umpteen methods of attempting to predict when the rut begins, but hunters must first understand that there are three distinct rut phases.

This deer lull will last until about Oct. 20-25, and those dates coincide with the beginning of the pre-rut or "chasing" period. This is when larger bucks are actively bird-dogging estrus or soon-to-be-in-estrus does. It's one of the best times to hunt. Note that in a well-balanced deer herd, the small bucks do little or no breeding and the pecking order of bucks was established months ago.

Getting ready for the pre-rut

Frankly, I love to hunt this chasing period. It's possible to see bucks at any time of the day, and hunters who overlook the 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. period are missing a key hunting time. Bucks will be visiting scrapes, picking up does waiting nearby, and modern science seems to indicate that this chasing phase helps usher in estrus. It stimulates both buck and doe to enter the breeding phase.

The main part of the rut in my area will run from late October through Nov. 10, based on activity seen over many years of hunting, and the post-rut period extends through the Nov. 15-30 firearm deer season. Some rutting activity overlaps into December and January as young does come into their first estrus, and some big bucks are taken during this early-winter period.

Hunting this period will be covered in greater detail in the coming two weeks, but it begs the question: do we have to wait another week for the deer lull or period of relative deer inactivity to end?
No, by all means, go bow hunting, but realize that many deer will be moving late. One trick that works for the quiet and patient hunter is to move a tree stand closer to the bedding area in hopes a buck will leave heavy cover before shooting time ends.

Don't take chances with deer

Moving closer to bedding sites offers many potential risks. It's possible to move too close, but one swirling air current that wafts scent back into the thicket can and will spook deer.

Some early-moving bucks will be up and moving toward scrapes. Bucks often wind-check scrapes from downwind. Try positioning a stand 50 yards downwind of an active scrape, and sit patiently and wait for a nice buck to show.

Some bucks love to travel the mid-day hours when most hunters are not afield. The animals can travel freely, and if a buck is working or visiting a scrape, the animal will probably approach the scrape from downwind. If you are 50 yards from the scrape, the buck will likely be between 10 and 20 yards of your stand, and offer a reasonably easy and open shot.

Beating the deer lull means understanding what is happening, why it happens, and determining ways to defeat it. It may not be easy, but very little about bow hunting big bucks is easy.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

A Lifetime Spent In The Outdoors

A lifetime spent in the outdoors hardly prepares me or most people for balky computers that puke out on a moment's notice.

Frankly, being down for more than a week from producing my daily weblogs is much like having an itch you can't scratch in public. It slowly begins to grate on one's nerves, causing normally sane people to break out Old Betsey, their trusty 30-30, and drill a few rounds through what appears to be a smirking blank screen.

Mechanical things vex me

Mind you, my idea of causes for bad humor are commonly associated with recalitrant things like husky outdoor motors that won't start. It occurs when a reel is dropped, gears get knocked a'kilter, or when your sure as death-and-taxes bird dog suddenly decides he is the village idiot, galloping at full speed through quail covers or past a solitary ruffed grouse hunkered down in the bracken ferns. The bird explodes from cover as the dog spooks it 100 yards out of shotgun range.

It appeared to be a simple fix to get this thing  back up and running. Simple, that is, if you know more about computers than I do. My idea of perfection on the computer is when my copy flows effortlessly across the screen, poke a few keys and as if by magic, my story appears for one and all to read. No problems, no headache, no naughty words, no problems.

Cures for computer problems

But, finding a cure for what ailed my computer for the past week was far beyond my mental acuity. I couldn't do anything except sit with a snarl on my face and continue to tell myself that I dasn't follow my primal urges. You see, my basic philosophy about mechanical things that don't work is rather simple: If a ball-peen hammer and a few solid swings doesn't do the job, try a 12-pound sledge hammer. A friend of my uses his lazy good-for-nothing computer as a means of sighting in his .308 at 100 yards.

It's a rather impressive sight to see what had been a cantankerous but wonderful laptop computer with three .30-caliber bullet holes through the screen. It seems only fitting for a hunter to take out all of his pent-up anger, animosity and rage on the cause of his problems. However, such drastic measures do nothing but put more money in the pocket of the local computer salesman.

I have no need for an anger management class. I can keep my savage thoughts in check. A call to my favorite web guy should do the trick. Ah-ha, he's gone for a week to a retreat. That's fine, they both deserve to get away but what about my computer. That's easy. I do nothing about it.

Go bow hunting

It's times like this when it may be more worthwhile to climb up into a ladder stand and hunt deer. Oh no, it's another spate of east winds, which is the worst hunting wind in my area. I can't find a stand with protection against the dreaded east wind ... except one. And my wife is sitting in it, proving she's smarter than me.

So, after a frustrating week the site is back up and running. I tend to be optimistic about everything in life, including my knowledge of deer hunting, but when it comes to computers and the quick fixes that make them work, I am the eternal pessimist. My glass is half empty because my usual fumble-fingered treatment of my computer usually means the other half of that glass of water will soon be knocked over into the keyboard.

That's my kind of luck.

A Lifetime Spent In The Outdoors ((tags: balky computers, deer hunting, hammer, ladder stand, snarl))

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors