October NEWSLETTER 2008 |
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Write to: Disappear Hunting Products Inc., 163 College Street, Wadsworth, OH 44281
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have topic you would wish to be discussed in a future newsletter, let us know and we will
consider it.
If you do not want future newsletters, please email or write us advising so and you will be
removed from the list.
Write to: Disappear Hunting Products Inc., 163 College Street, Wadsworth, OH 44281
Email: discoverscent@disappearhp.com
| Disappear Hunting Products |
HUNTERS,
With October here, the whitetail deer season is open or will open some time this month in most states and
provinces. If you are hunting in the southern part of the country, the primary item to concentrate on would
be food sources, as the rut in some time away yet. This time of year, deer are still feeding heavily to put
weight on for the upcoming rut and winter. If you are hunting managed lands, you probably have access to
food plots. Farming type situations, provide their own food sources. The major third source are the natural
mast and foods, found in timbered areas.
Now, some decisions need to be made, as to how you approach your choices of hunting stands or locations.
First are you wanting to fill one tag this year or do you have multiple tags to fill? If multiple tags are in your
possession, how many are antlered or antlerless? Finally, what type of buck is in mind for your antlered tag (
tags )? To be successful this fall, requires applying the correct approach for the type of deer you wish to
collect.
If any deer is your target, then locating and hunting near food sources will provide your best opportunity.
For evening hunting, I like to set up very close to the food source and intercept the deer as they approach
from their bedding areas to feed. Morning hunting will find me looking for stand sites some distance away
from the food sources, closer to the bedding areas, with the intention of being properly located, as the deer
head for cover during the day. As far as actual stand location choices, I discussed this more thoroughly in
the last couple newsletters.
Now if you are after a big buck, then the approach should be different. We all know any thing can happen,
as evidenced over the years, by a new inexperienced hunter going for the first time, and collecting a dandy
buck. But rarely do you ever see that feat repeated. My experience has shown me, while hunting before the
rut is in full swing, is to get as close as I can to the bedding areas, without alarming the buck, then get into
the thick stuff. No cautious buck with decent size headgear, is going to hang around in wide open terrain
very much, during daylight hours.
I will describe one of the methods that has worked well for me over the years. Once you have selected
your stand location, devise several entry paths, that will allow for wind changes or do NOT hunt that stand,
if things are not right. Doing some minor clearing ahead of time allows for a quiet approach. Now this may
come as a bit of a surprise. I wait until after daylight, to go to the stand. I would rather let the bucks get
bedded, slip quietly in to my stand, then sit very still for an hour or so. Two extra items that are very
important to have, are a buck grunt call and a set of rattling antlers or rattle bag. After the above described
time, I will very lightly tickle the antlers together. After a length of time I will repeat the process and
sparingly continue to do so while remaining in the stand. Occasionally, I will emit a soft grunt or two.. Two
very important things to remember, Up until several weeks before the rut kicks into gear, ( this time will
vary depending on your part of the country ) the KEY is softly. From the time the bucks shed their velvet,
they will constantly spar with each other. As the rut approaches, the intensity starts increasing until the
bucks can get down right violent with their fighting. Once the rut is a few weeks away, then start increasing
the intensity of your rattling sequences as well as grunts.
Why follow this suggested routine? If you are at home, sitting in your living or family room and hear a
strange noise in your home, what is the first thing you are going to do? Investigate, right. I would bet that
you will do your investigating very slowly and cautiously. A big buck is comfortably bedded nearby and
hears, what he thinks are two bucks in his territory. Well, he is probably going to investigate the intruders,
partly out of curiosity and partly out of irritation. He will approach from down wind and very cautiously. If
you are not very careful with your movements and your scent, you will never know he was there.
On one hunt, I took a relatively new hunter with me. We set up in portable stands about 30 yards apart,
near a bedding area, with my partner down wind from me. I had a video camera and had just went through a
soft rattling sequence, when movement I spotted, became a dandy 8 point. His path was going to bring him
within 10 yards of my partner. As I ran the camera, I noticed the buck stop and stare at my fellow hunter.
The buck started stomping his foot and I slowly swung the camera over and filmed my new friend, involved
in a considerable amount of movement, getting something out of his backpack. Returning the camera to the
buck, I was in time to film his quiet departure. That buck was less than 30 yards from my friend, at one
point. As we were returning to camp that day, my friend remarked, how surprised he was, that we never saw
anything. When I showed him the footage, I had shot that morning, he was speechless. Next month, we will
talk about rattling and other techniques, closer to, and during the rut.
As always, best of success to you, with your hunts,
Keith Dotterer
With October here, the whitetail deer season is open or will open some time this month in most states and
provinces. If you are hunting in the southern part of the country, the primary item to concentrate on would
be food sources, as the rut in some time away yet. This time of year, deer are still feeding heavily to put
weight on for the upcoming rut and winter. If you are hunting managed lands, you probably have access to
food plots. Farming type situations, provide their own food sources. The major third source are the natural
mast and foods, found in timbered areas.
Now, some decisions need to be made, as to how you approach your choices of hunting stands or locations.
First are you wanting to fill one tag this year or do you have multiple tags to fill? If multiple tags are in your
possession, how many are antlered or antlerless? Finally, what type of buck is in mind for your antlered tag (
tags )? To be successful this fall, requires applying the correct approach for the type of deer you wish to
collect.
If any deer is your target, then locating and hunting near food sources will provide your best opportunity.
For evening hunting, I like to set up very close to the food source and intercept the deer as they approach
from their bedding areas to feed. Morning hunting will find me looking for stand sites some distance away
from the food sources, closer to the bedding areas, with the intention of being properly located, as the deer
head for cover during the day. As far as actual stand location choices, I discussed this more thoroughly in
the last couple newsletters.
Now if you are after a big buck, then the approach should be different. We all know any thing can happen,
as evidenced over the years, by a new inexperienced hunter going for the first time, and collecting a dandy
buck. But rarely do you ever see that feat repeated. My experience has shown me, while hunting before the
rut is in full swing, is to get as close as I can to the bedding areas, without alarming the buck, then get into
the thick stuff. No cautious buck with decent size headgear, is going to hang around in wide open terrain
very much, during daylight hours.
I will describe one of the methods that has worked well for me over the years. Once you have selected
your stand location, devise several entry paths, that will allow for wind changes or do NOT hunt that stand,
if things are not right. Doing some minor clearing ahead of time allows for a quiet approach. Now this may
come as a bit of a surprise. I wait until after daylight, to go to the stand. I would rather let the bucks get
bedded, slip quietly in to my stand, then sit very still for an hour or so. Two extra items that are very
important to have, are a buck grunt call and a set of rattling antlers or rattle bag. After the above described
time, I will very lightly tickle the antlers together. After a length of time I will repeat the process and
sparingly continue to do so while remaining in the stand. Occasionally, I will emit a soft grunt or two.. Two
very important things to remember, Up until several weeks before the rut kicks into gear, ( this time will
vary depending on your part of the country ) the KEY is softly. From the time the bucks shed their velvet,
they will constantly spar with each other. As the rut approaches, the intensity starts increasing until the
bucks can get down right violent with their fighting. Once the rut is a few weeks away, then start increasing
the intensity of your rattling sequences as well as grunts.
Why follow this suggested routine? If you are at home, sitting in your living or family room and hear a
strange noise in your home, what is the first thing you are going to do? Investigate, right. I would bet that
you will do your investigating very slowly and cautiously. A big buck is comfortably bedded nearby and
hears, what he thinks are two bucks in his territory. Well, he is probably going to investigate the intruders,
partly out of curiosity and partly out of irritation. He will approach from down wind and very cautiously. If
you are not very careful with your movements and your scent, you will never know he was there.
On one hunt, I took a relatively new hunter with me. We set up in portable stands about 30 yards apart,
near a bedding area, with my partner down wind from me. I had a video camera and had just went through a
soft rattling sequence, when movement I spotted, became a dandy 8 point. His path was going to bring him
within 10 yards of my partner. As I ran the camera, I noticed the buck stop and stare at my fellow hunter.
The buck started stomping his foot and I slowly swung the camera over and filmed my new friend, involved
in a considerable amount of movement, getting something out of his backpack. Returning the camera to the
buck, I was in time to film his quiet departure. That buck was less than 30 yards from my friend, at one
point. As we were returning to camp that day, my friend remarked, how surprised he was, that we never saw
anything. When I showed him the footage, I had shot that morning, he was speechless. Next month, we will
talk about rattling and other techniques, closer to, and during the rut.
As always, best of success to you, with your hunts,
Keith Dotterer
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