With the Ohio 2009-10 deer season being officially over and all the stories I had being told, I guess it’s time to hark back to some of the mail I’ve gotten over this past season.

Before I do that, I’d like to say I hope all you dedicated hunters scored this year and if not at least learned from your mistakes. Since the new proposals are on the floor and will most likely be approved you can start planning for this falls hunt. Hey don’t laugh! If you want to be half way successful at hunting, it’s not a once-a-year fad.

Sure, every once in a while some of the weekend warriors get lucky. On the other hand, if you want to do it right you have to eat, sleep and live it.

Heck, I started planning my food plot preparation and seeding midway through bow season. I learned from this past year what the deer in my area were attracted to and that’s the direction I’ll be going for this coming up fall. I also learned I planted a little late to get full growth. In addition to that, I realized I need more lime and a larger quantity of fertilized.

Since this was my first attempt at a structured food plot, I didn’t feel bad. It was a learning curve and I learned I need to do more, but that’s ok. It wasn’t a waste of time like two other areas I planted several years back on another piece of property. They were a total waste whereas the last two I planted came out excellent for the first year but they can and will be better.

Hey, wait a minute; I’m digressing here, which is not uncommon in my world. The food plot articles are to be saved for the spring and summer months. What I’d like to do is thank all my loyal readers, particularly those who have some sort of misguided faith in me as to the outdoor sports. As I’ve always said, I’m no guru; I gather a lot of my information by reading about and researching what I’m particularly interested in or doing. Then I put my new found knowledge to the test and try it out, in the field where it actually makes a difference. If it works, great, if it doesn’t then I move on.

With that said this is my disclaimer: The advice I’ve given to these folks is my opinion. It’s drawn from the knowledge and experience I’ve attained in 45-plus years of living the outdoors.

If you agree, that’s grand. If you don’t agree, that’s OK, too.

Maybe your way or your advice is better. If that be the case, let me know.

I’m always open to constructive suggestions.



Dale,



First off, I want to say I really enjoy reading your weekly articles. I appreciate the time you dedicate to our sport, including the time you dedicate to the youth.

I started hunting again three years ago. Last season, I shot my first doe from the ground at about 35 yards. This season, I have mostly been hunting from treestands. I have had several opportunities at punching my tag on a fine buck, but I am having difficulties judging distance from the tree. Three times so far this season, I have shot over a buck from 20-25 yards. I can say for sure, once it was BUCK FEVER, as I had a great chance at shooting a fine wide 8 point. The other 2 times, I felt very confident about the shot, but shot over the back.

My question is this — how can I practice getting the correct yardage from a treestand? I use a range finder, but I believe the angle is confusing me. I have double checked my site on my home range, and I’m dead on at 20, 30 and 40 yards. Any help or advice you can give I would greatly appreciate.

Thanks,

Steve



Steve,



I shot 3D till I was blue in the face many years ago and still had trouble judging yardage, it’s that tree things. It all changes when you get up in a tree and depending on how high you go each time it can be different from tree stand to tree stand. My wife and I set 3D targets out at various yardages and didn’t tell each other the yardage. We even went so far as to move them around as we shot our practice rounds. We got better but still not good enough for me.

I finally went to a pendulum sight, a Keller pendulum, to be exact. You sight it in at 20 yards on the ground, depending on the poundage of your bow you can be right on out to 40 yards. My bow at 60 pounds of pull, shooting at a little less than 300 fps is good out to 38 yards. Again, depending on what you’re shooting, yours may differ and possibly be good further out. But heck, 38 yards is good enough for me and most other bow hunters out there. There are several pendulum sights on the market but I chose Keller because he’s been around for the longest and had good reviews from the areas I checked.

Now if you don’t want to switch sights then the tree stand and lots of practice is my best recommendation. I actually have a tree stand in my side yard that I practice out of preseason even with my pendulum sight. Another trick is to use glow dots or some sort of markings on trees every 5 to 10 yards out to your maximum shooting distance. Put them in a circle all around your treestand so you’re covered in all directions. Also put them up high enough on the tree that it won’t spook the deer, they seem to notice everything that’s different in their area.

That’s about the extent of some of the tricks I know of and have used that work. I hope this helps you, Steve. Let me know how you make out and hopefully that fine 8-point will come back around.



Footnote — Steve arrowed that fine 8-pointer on Nov. 21, 2009 during the early Ohio archery season. If I’m not mistaken, he also wrote and told me he harvested one or two after that also. Don’t know if my advice helped but he scored and that’s all that matters.



Dale,



I’m a 71 year old Saybrook guy who enjoyed hunting years ago. I just bought a little “lol” paper license this year…to help out the ODNR. Anyhow, I’m thinking of chasing a few rabbits when the snow shrinks a little, if that ever happens! My question is this, when big game like deer are shot-why do you have to wait hours or even the next day to retrieve them? Don’t they expire soon?

Love your articles.

Keep up the good work.



Don



Don,



First ,let me say welcome back! What took you so long! (LOL). My dad and I use to be avid rabbit hunters until deer fever and bow hunting took over our fall and winter. I mean there’s a lot more meat on a big ol deer than a tiny little rabbit but... I do miss it.

Gosh, we had some of the best dogs in the county. One year when I was laid off from my job just before season kicked in, I had a new beagle, just a pup about 3 months old. I worked with him every day until season came in, out once in the morning, then again in the late afternoon. That year, my dad and I harvested 80, yes, I said 80, rabbits. I cooked rabbit every which way I could think of, even “shake and bake.”

Needless to say I was tired of rabbit for a while. It was a good time in my life. My dad is now 81 and doesn’t get out much anymore but when he does it’s a special time for me. But I digress.

As to your question, why do you have to wait at least an hour or sometimes even until the next day to retrieve your animal? In the bow hunting arena many times it’s not a kill shot but it’s a deadly shot. Meaning that maybe you’ve hit one lung or a vital organ, liver stomach etc. Deer are such resilient animals they can go forever on just adrenaline. If you wait at least an hour or longer depending on the shot, it’s a gimme that the deer will go a ways and lay down. Once they lay down they usually bleed out and expire. On the other hand if you take right after them on the blood trail they will most definitely keep on running and you will never catch up to them. They may lie for a while but as soon as you get close and they hear you they’re off and running again.

This is why I preach don’t take the shot unless you’ve got a good clean ethical “lung shot,” the best shot to take for an archer. Basically, if it’s a good lung shot, it will enter from one side, pass through and out the other side taking out both lungs, if the angle of the shot is right. The deer feels nothing, about the same amount of pain you would feel from a paper cut. They walk about 15 feet and expire because their lungs run out of air just like a balloon would do with a pin prick. Again, I will reiterate, they feel nothing.

Now with a gun, it’s a little different. Any experienced hunter knows a heart or lung shot with a gun is the best. But many hunters take a shot any way they can get it. Again the same principal, if it’s not a good clean kill shot, leave it go, it will run a way, expire, and bleed out.

There you have it, my friend, that’s the theory behind waiting. I hope it answered your question. Take care and thanks for reading my articles.



Wildlife open houses

This is your last reminder. Wildlife Open houses will be held on Saturday, March 6 in each of the state’s five wildlife districts to provide the public an opportunity to view and discuss proposed hunting and trapping regulations with state wildlife officials. These events are open to the public and public participation is encouraged.

The open houses are held to provide the public an opportunity to discuss wildlife-related issues with state wildlife officials. Anyone interested in providing input and participating in Ohio’s professional wildlife management process is welcome. Fish and wildlife biologists along with law enforcement officers will be on hand to answer questions and receive comments. For directions to the open houses, please call 1-800-WILDLIFE or visit wildohio.com on the Internet.



My call

These are just a couple of the messages I’ve received over this past season but notably some of the better questions. Over the next couple of weeks maybe I’ll let you know about the thieves and trespassers we have amongst our ranks, sad but true. Also an unfortunate accident one of our fellow hunters had, again because of fowl play by someone.

By that time it ought to be close to Turkey season so don’t despair I’m not done yet!

Remember, pass it on or it will surely pass on.



Sunderlin is a freelance writer from Geneva. Reach him at djss@roadrunner.com.