Don’t Bet the Farm

Photo courtesy of Apple Creek Whitetails

 

 

If you’ve located a big buck close to a road with plenty of access, don’t bet the farm on him being there when the season opens. You can be sure other hunters have seen him too. While you shouldn’t over look these convenient places, your pre-season scouting should be focused on giving as many options as possible.

Jim

http://jimcollyer.com/

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How the Zen Approach Can Help You Be a Better Hunter

Apple Creek Whitetails Photo

 

 

Even if you're the type who would rather eat worms than meditate, getting a little Zen can improve your hunting:


Don't Get Attached
In Zen-speak, it's called "being attached"—that is, caring so much about harvesting a big buck or an outcome that you're disappointed when you can't have it. Don't get attached to your tactics, because you may change them. Don't get attached to the idea of Getting into Boone & Crockett, because if it doesn't happen you may be too discouraged to keep plugging away.


Simplify, Simplify
Zen practitioners urge people to make do with less. Not only will this simplify your life—it will help your hunting. Go through your equipment and gadgets and throw away all unnecessary items. This will be about 90% of them. Don't buy into the latest complicated, expensive hunting fad, it won’t help.


Be Mindful
Do what you're doing. When you're hunting-hunt-don’t be tthink about your partner, job or what you have to do tomorrow. Being mindful will help you become more productive—and less stressed while you’re hunting..

Happy hunting!
Jim

http://www.amazon.com/Buck-Naked-Straight-Trophy-Whitetails/dp/1466498234

Find the Bedroom

Photo courtesy of Apple Creek Whitetails

 

 

When I speak of a deer’s bedroom, I don’t necessarily mean where a deer sleeps. What I’m talking about here is areas where breeding occurs. I’m looking for areas with thick brush or with young trees close together. The doe, with her smaller frame and lack of antlers can easily out maneuver an amorous buck in such places. She picks where and when the breeding occurs.

Remember a buck doesn’t like to force his antlers through branches bigger than your thumb. Being able to get a good shot in the thick stuff can be hard to impossible. Don’t set up and hide where you can only see a few yards out. You’re going to be better off setting up on the downwind edge of these bedrooms where visibility is better..

Jim

http://jimcollyer.com/

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Summer Scouting

Photo courtesy of Apple Creek Whitetails

 

 

Summer is one of the best times to scout for trophy bucks. The bucks are very visible while feeding in the early morning and late evening. Being able to pattern the bucks movement will greatly increase your chances come opening day.

Alfalfa and beans are great summer food sources. It's best to drive by these fields just before dark. Try to stay at least two to three hundred yards from the deer. You don't want to spook them before the season starts. The bucks will be in bachelor groups and any scouting done now will only be effective if you can hunt before they shed their velvet. After the first week of September the bucks will separate, start looking at other food sources, or feed after dark.

Jim

Get Comfortable

Photo courtesy of Apple Creek Whitetails

Make sure your stand is a comfortable one. Be ready to sit for long periods of time-two hours or more- without any noticeable movement. A deer’s eyes are geared to pick up movement. If you can’t sit still your chances greatly are greatly diminished.

Jim

http://jimcollyer.com/

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Don’t Give Up on Mid-day Hunting

Photo courtesy of Apple Creek Whitetails

 

Most hunters are gone by 11:00 am, and most of the deer know this.  A mature buck will often get out of his bed and feed for a few minutes around mid-day.  This is an excellent time to catch a buck feeding or looking for does. Staying in the stand will produce more opportunities than eating luncn.

Jim

http://jimcollyer.com/

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Trial and Error

Photo courtesy of Apple Creek Whitetails

 

Most of what I know about hunting its been learned through trial and error. Errors will occur whether you want them to or not. Mistakes are difficult to avoid, especially in hunting.

Hunters mistakenly believe the way to avoid making mistakes is to avoid trying new tactics. I think we should try new tactics.

The truth is that what you been doing is going to get you what you been getting. If you want changes in your success rate, you must first change yourself.

-Jim

http://jimcollyer.com/

We’re Not Hunting on Television

Photo courtesy of Apple Creek Whitetails

 

 

We're not even living in a reality show either.

Outdoor Television has seduced us into believing that we only have to hunt like they do and we’ll be successful. Real hunts don’t take 30 minutes and big deer aren’t hiding behind every bush.

In real life little depends on what happens in the next ninety seconds. It takes more than 30 minutes to hunt a whitetail.

Real hunting is actually far better than it is on TV. It takes longer and the deer are harder to come by.

-Jim
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All Boats Leak a Little

Photo courtesy of Apple Creek Whitetails

 

Every hunting situation has a glitch. There's always a defect, always a problem, always a slow leak.

The question isn't, "is this perfect?" The question is, "will this get me close to a big buck?"

Sometimes we make the mistake of ignoring the big leaks, the ones that threaten our success in the field.

More often, though, we're so busy fixing tiny leaks that we get distracted from the real goal, which is to harvest a good buck.

-Jim
http://jimcollyer.com/

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Where will the Deer Leave the Crop Field

Photo courtesy of Apple Creek Whitetails

 

Deer prefer to leave a crop field with the wind at their backs. I believe they do this naturally in order to detect any predators which might be following them. A change in wind direction will change where the deer leave the field. There’s no sense waiting for deer to leave the field unless the wind is directly in your face.

-Jim

http://jimcollyer.com/

Beware of the Bottoms

Photo courtesy of Apple Creek Whitetails

 

I try to keep my stand on the highest ground possible. There is more deer activity in the bottom lands during daylight hours, but the danger of the daytime air thermals lifting your scent and spreading it for several hundred yards in all directions is just too great. Always opt for a stand high on the ridge.

-Jim

http://jimcollyer.com/

Morning Stands

Photo courtesy of Apple Creek Whitetails

 

Morning stands are generally more productive than evening stands. With the exception of early-season hunting in mountainous terrain. In those instances an evening stand at the base of the mountain is for more productive since it utilizes the evening air thermal direction.
-Jim

http://jimcollyer.com/

The Perfect Funnel

Photo courtesy of Apple Creek Whitetails

 

I’m looking for a funnel that lies in a north-south direction, with access from the eastern side. It’s best if there is enough cover to keep your approach to the stand undetected. Once I found such a set up, I leave the area alone until I’m ready to hunt. There’s no sense mucking up the good set by over scouting. If deer detect the presence of humans they won’t necessarily quit using the funnel, just quit using it during the daylight hours.
-Jim

http://jimcollyer.com/

The Truth About Ground Scrapes

Photo courtesy of Apple Creek Whitetails

 

I’ve always been amazed at how some experts can take something as simple as a ground scrape and imagine the choreography of a complicated breeding ritual.

Scraping activity has more to do with letting other bucks know he is in the area than it does with attracting does, think of it as very similar to how male dogs mark areas belonging to them. I’m sure that you have seen how the pooch lifts his leg on the corners of buildings, bushes, car tires, and fire hydrants, and then how the next dog to pass by will leave his own little remembrance in the same locations. It’s as if whoever pees last wins. It truly isn’t any more complicated than that.
-Jim

http://jimcollyer.com/

Proficiency

Photo courtesy of Apple Creek Whitetails

The key measure of hunting success is the hunters proficiency. Your ability to locate game, remain undetected, and shoot straight are the measures of a woodsman. These skills have to become second nature to you.
-Jim

http://jimcollyer.com/