Bow hunting seasons are now open in most states. Here in
Wisconsin we have been hunting for a few weeks now. We have passed
up shots at some smaller bucks. The bigger deer have failed to show
themselves yet.
Now is the time to hunt close to the bedding areas. The deer have
sensed the change in the seasons and have noticed the increased
human activity in the woods. The mature bucks will most likely stay
bedded until just before dark, so set as close to the bedding area
as you can without spooking the deer. I watched a doe come out of
the swamp ½ hour before dark, but no bucks came out.
This weekend us here at AWH will be heading to Iowa for our first
hunt down there this year. Our goal is to bring back three big does.
The farm we hunt has a lot of does and we need to our part in
trimming the herd. By shooting a few does, we will help keep the
buck /doe ratio more balanced. This will cause more competition for
the breeding bucks, come November. This will make the bucks to
respond better to calling, rattling, and decoying. The second thing
that shooting does will do is that there will be less deer eating
the farmers crops, and it's good to keep the farmers happy. He will
be more apt to let you hunt if your do him a favor by shooting more
deer. So if you have a doe tag, now is the time to fill it. You can
then be very selective with your buck tag.
October is also a good time to hunt different stands then you
normally hunt. I have a tendency to hunt a certain stand that has
always produced good bucks in the past. But it is set close to the
bedding area and I believe that the bucks will sit tight till dark
and then they here you get down from your stand and walk out of the
woods. When this starts happening it's time to let that stand rest
for a while. I will then hunt other stands that I don't hunt too
much. You might catch deer leaving the bedding area from a different
direction and get a shot at them by hunting the other stand.
We have scouted out some new hunting areas the last time we were
in Iowa, so this weekend we will hang a stand or two in the new
spots and hunt them a few times. You must always be looking for new
spots to hunt, unless you buy the land yourself, you will eventually
lose it. We always are looking at new places to hunt. On this hunt
we will hunt the mornings and evenings, and then scout during the
middle of the day. Hopefully we will come across and great, new
honey hole.