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    #16
    Great tips above, most of the first things I thought of have been well covered.

    I think it is very important for all bowhunters, but especially for trad hunters to learn to read deer body language. It took me much longer than it should have to figure this out. If I had a deer broadside or quartering and within I thought I was good to go....but we know this is not true. A hot wired deer ready to bust is NOT a good shot.

    One thing all the regulars here have heard me say a thousand times...I would rather miss low, than to hit high.

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      #17
      Amen Chunky!

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        #18
        Sun at your back and wind in your face when ever possible.

        Use fertilizer stakes in the spring around your favorite oak tree in hunting area.

        Mock scrapes with tarsal glands in pre-rut/ early rut.

        Use razor sharp broadheads.

        Never push a shot on an WIRED deer (X2 Chunky).

        Good luck and have fun!!!

        X2 on STICKEY

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          #19
          Originally posted by caughtandhobble View Post

          Use fertilizer stakes in the spring around your favorite oak tree in hunting area.
          Ok, curiosity got me. Why do you put fertilizer stakes around the Oak tree? (This feels like a set up fro a bad joke.)

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            #20
            Originally posted by Junkers88 View Post
            Ok, curiosity got me. Why do you put fertilizer stakes around the Oak tree? (This feels like a set up fro a bad joke.)
            Acorns acorns acorns acorns!

            If you only hunt feeders or rely only on corn/bait to bring your deer in to you, you absolutely hate acorns. If you hunt off the feeder... acorns are you friend.

            Any time I visit the lease, or somebody else has, I am looking for or asking for a report on the acorn crop. Nothing messes with the deer pattern more than acorns starting to fall.

            Just to add to this... when I drive through the gate come opening weekend (and every weekend afterwards) the first thing I look for driving down the dirt road are whether or not the 3-4 oaks that are on the way to camp have dropped acorns on the ground. If I see those green little buggers laying on the ground, I adjust my expectations for feeder activity and may or may not adjust how I hunt that weekend.
            Last edited by SwampRabbit; 09-14-2016, 08:13 AM.

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              #21
              Originally posted by caughtandhobble View Post

              Mock scrapes with tarsal glands in pre-rut/ early rut.
              You and I need to have a conversation about this one... pretty gosh darn quick as October is almost here and I am all about hunting off feeder more this year.

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                #22
                Once on a heavy acorn year, the corn was growing plants under our feeders. I told my oldest daughter DJ about 12 at that time, that it was going to be a slow year.

                She looked and me and said, "I know Dad, we are throwing cookies at em, and they already have pie!"

                I love that line.

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                  #23
                  I love it when we have a good acorn year. I love to set-up in or near a good oak tree.

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                    #24
                    Great idea for this thread Scott the only thing that I have to add is when you make a rookie mistake you feel it big time I had spent so much time preparing myself to hunt with Sacagawea hours and hours and hours shooting that I completely forgot how to shoot my personal bow so when I went to prequalify to hunt on this lease that I'm going to get to hunt on I completely dropped the ball I was physically and emotionally and mentally ill do not shoot more than one bow immediately prior to hunting season pick one bow and stick with it it's too easy to shoot multiple bows this is something that you must do as a rookie to find out what you like but once you find something that you shoot well stick with it until after the season is over

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                      #25
                      Originally posted by Junkers88 View Post
                      Ok, curiosity got me. Why do you put fertilizer stakes around the Oak tree? (This feels like a set up fro a bad joke.)
                      The fertilized Oak tree is a win win... Even if there is a good crop of acorns the fertilized tree will be the go-to tree for the deer. If the acorn crop is less than desirable the fertilized tree will have a little more to offer. I have hunted in Oak groves a bunch and I have seen this little trick work year after year.
                      Originally posted by SwampRabbit View Post
                      You and I need to have a conversation about this one... pretty gosh darn quick as October is almost here and I am all about hunting off feeder more this year.
                      The mock scrapes work well in pre-rut/ early rut when placed in the usual scrape locations, such as old trails, pipelines, edge of open areas, so on. I always wear rubber boots and rubber gloves and take a limb and make a scrape under a low lying limb. I take the Tarsal Gland and make a slit in it and use a plastic tie wrap and securely hang it above the scrape. I do pour some dominant buck lure in the scrape. I have had very good results using this method, don't be surprised if this becomes a regular scrape.

                      I always hunt the mock scrape the same day and following day that it is made. Don't shoot the first buck that shows up, the usually get bigger as the day progresses. The bucks that come in are mostly curious who the new fellow is or come in just plain ****** off, I have never had a buck come in nervous.

                      The great thing about using this method is that you can set-up with the wind right and insure that you can get good cover for your blind. I never use the mock scrapes at an old stand or established stand.

                      I am sure I forgot something, if you all have any questions just let me know. Good Luck Everyone!!!

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                        #26
                        Thanks for the info Ben!

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                          #27
                          The weather is warm in October... but it starts to chill off pretty quick and might be rainy. Also worth the mention is how to handle the elements when it comes to hunting with trad equipment. I'll admit, I still haven't worked out most of the kinks myself but here are some considerations:

                          1) Rain. Getting wet stinks, no doubt about it. But I still like hunting in the rain. I have noticed that deer tend to move between showers. My first deer with trad last year came on a morning where I was walking to my stand in the dark during a thunderstorm. After I got situated, it poured hard for quite some time. But when it stopped and the clouds thinned out just enough, a deer appeared eating my hand corn. So just because it is raining doesn't mean the hunting is going to be always terrible. But.... rain and fletchings don't mix. While you should be able to shot a field point with fletchings that are laying down flat due to rain... shooting a broadhead is a different matter. You need to consider how you will protect your fletchings. Some folks spary scotch guard, some use a specialized spray, some cover, etc. Hoping some folks come back on here and offer up their advise. For now, I just rubberband sandwich bags over my fletchings for when I am walking from camp to a covered ground blind.

                          2) Cold. Cold is good... in some places deer move better in the cold. But with cold comes more clothes. Adding layers to your face and hands and arms and such can make pulling of your shot a bit of a challenge if you don't think it through ahead of time. If you can, practice shooting in your clothes and tweak whatever needs tweaking. I have tweaked my setup over the years to the following. I wear an armguard to keep my puffy sweater or jacket out of the way of the string on my bow arm. Some folks don't wear an armguard all the time... this is a good time to do so. I don't wear gloves because I like to have my bare hand on the grip and I wear a tab so I need my fingers exposed when pulling on the string. In these cases I usually wear a muff with hand warmers or use my sweater muff, or jacket pockets with hand warmers in them. For my face, instead of wearing a face mask, I wear two buffs, or a buff and a beanie. Basically the idea is I can pull down the lower part to expose my face so I can get skin to skin contact at anchor. Note that I still then put paint/charcoal on my nose and cheeks so that when I slip down the bottom, my white skin doesn't "flag" this is one advantage of sporting a beard... not much to cover up with paint, etc.

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                            #28
                            Great thread. I am not only new to trad but new to hunting. Started four years ago and still have only killed rabbits and one pig. I love sitting in the stand though I can sit for hours. Just being out there is great. I am actually glad I haven't killed a deer yet. Hoping to do so with my trad bow. Sure wish I would have started as a young man but wow I love it.


                            Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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                              #29
                              I gotta respectfully disagree with Buff! Bisch is not that pretty!! ( I don't know Chunky)
                              But the man can sure put some critters on the ground! And is funny as heck when he gets all worked up telling stories!

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                                #30
                                Originally posted by SwampRabbit View Post
                                The weather is warm in October... but it starts to chill off pretty quick and might be rainy. Also worth the mention is how to handle the elements when it comes to hunting with trad equipment. I'll admit, I still haven't worked out most of the kinks myself but here are some considerations:

                                1) Rain. Getting wet stinks, no doubt about it. But I still like hunting in the rain. I have noticed that deer tend to move between showers. My first deer with trad last year came on a morning where I was walking to my stand in the dark during a thunderstorm. After I got situated, it poured hard for quite some time. But when it stopped and the clouds thinned out just enough, a deer appeared eating my hand corn. So just because it is raining doesn't mean the hunting is going to be always terrible. But.... rain and fletchings don't mix. While you should be able to shot a field point with fletchings that are laying down flat due to rain... shooting a broadhead is a different matter. You need to consider how you will protect your fletchings. Some folks spary scotch guard, some use a specialized spray, some cover, etc. Hoping some folks come back on here and offer up their advise. For now, I just rubberband sandwich bags over my fletchings for when I am walking from camp to a covered ground blind.

                                2) Cold. Cold is good... in some places deer move better in the cold. But with cold comes more clothes. Adding layers to your face and hands and arms and such can make pulling of your shot a bit of a challenge if you don't think it through ahead of time. If you can, practice shooting in your clothes and tweak whatever needs tweaking. I have tweaked my setup over the years to the following. I wear an armguard to keep my puffy sweater or jacket out of the way of the string on my bow arm. Some folks don't wear an armguard all the time... this is a good time to do so. I don't wear gloves because I like to have my bare hand on the grip and I wear a tab so I need my fingers exposed when pulling on the string. In these cases I usually wear a muff with hand warmers or use my sweater muff, or jacket pockets with hand warmers in them. For my face, instead of wearing a face mask, I wear two buffs, or a buff and a beanie. Basically the idea is I can pull down the lower part to expose my face so I can get skin to skin contact at anchor. Note that I still then put paint/charcoal on my nose and cheeks so that when I slip down the bottom, my white skin doesn't "flag" this is one advantage of sporting a beard... not much to cover up with paint, etc.
                                Do I need to worry about the rain damaging the bow?

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