Early Season Bowhunting Strategies
"Dealing with Tough Conditions & Deer Patterns"
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By Brian Stephens
Stick'em Archery Pro Staff
Bowhunting is a sport of details. You have to do everything you can to put the odds in your favor to harvest a mature animal. Inorder to get within forty yards of most big game animals you have to do a lot of things right. Managing your scent is just one of those details that has to be managed very closely. Whether you are hunting a mature whitetail, mule deer or elk you have do everything you can to manage your scent and wind to get that opportunity to let the arrow fly. Compound this to the early season conditions such as the heat and mosquitoes and it makes it even more difficult to harvest that animal. The reality is there can be big rewards with early season bowhunting. Below are a few tips on how to manage these conditions during the early season.
3 Strategies to deal with heat and control scent
1. What type of Clothes to Wear?
2. How to Store your Clothes?
3. When to get Dressed?
I like to wear an UnderArmour type of base layer that is a moisture wicking and very breathable type of top and bottom. This type of base layer is going to absorb much of your moisture and keep you much cooler than cotton. On top of this I like to wear a 3-D leafy type of Top & Bottom. One reason is the 3-D leafy pattern blends in very well this time of year. Additionally, this material it typically very light weight and breathable. Keeping you as comfortable as possible this time of year.
Next I like to store my clothes in a large Zip Lock Clear Plastic Bag. I like to add an earth scent wafer to the bag to add a little cover scent. Because these are not Carbon Clothes it is important to store them away from as many outside orders as possible by storing in this manner. In this bag I like keep my safety harness, clothes hat and even rubber boots.
I like to wait until the very last moment to get dressed. Instead of getting dressed at the house or camp, where you may pick up some unwanted orders, get dressed in the woods. This helps to keep you as scent free as possible. Once I get dressed I do spray everything down with Scent Eliminator Sprays to remove any potential "nasty" odors that may get me "busted" in the stand or on the way to the stand.
Another little tip in the early season when it is "HOT" is to wait until you get to the stand to put your jacket and safety harness on. This will help minimize your sweet and heat on way to your stand. Finally, I like to use a NON SCENT Baby Wipes once I am in the stand and safety harness is locked in. These moist towel lets are a great way to wipe off the sweet from your head, underarms, and body once in the tree. This helps to cool you down and remove unwanted scents. I then store them in a small plastic baggy in my pack.
ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST TO PUT THE WIND IN YOUR FAVOR!
Early Season Deer Patterns
We know that one of the rewards for early season bowhunting is that mature bucks will still be in Summer Pattern. They have not had a great deal of pressure and may still be in bachelor groups. So, what does this mean for the bowhunter? You have a chance of catching this deer still in his summer home range in daylight hours. Next, you want to consider what food sources he is feeding on that may include: food plot, corn (where legal), or natural sources (grape vines, persimmons). In addition to the food source locate the WATER source and bedding area. Along with food, water is going to be a key driver in deer patterns when it is "HOT" during the early season. While I normally do not like to hunt on a food plot, this time of year you will see mature bucks feeding in a food plot in daylight hours. What if you are hunting an area that does not have a concentrated food source? You next option should be to concentrate your stand location near a water source next to bedding area. One that has moving water if at all possible. A trail leading up to the water source from bedding area can be a PRIME stand location for this time of year. Keep in mind a mature buck will come down wind!
While this time of year can have some tough conditions it can have some great rewards. You have an opportunity to catch a mature buck on his feet during the daylight hours. Taking time to analyze what your deer are doing and paying attention to details to control your scent can help you get that opportunity to let an arrow fly. Remember "You Won't Get'em, If You Don't Stick'em"!
To learn more about Deer Patterns that change from the Early Season into the Rut, check out this article. This article was written by QDMA staff that provides some insight on how deer home ranges can change as the season progresses. Early Season Deer Patterns- Where do the deer go?
Additional Articles/Videos
Early Season Stand Placement Strategies "Video"
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