| Bow hunting seasons are now open in most | | | | we will hang a stand or two in the new spots and |
| states. Here in Wisconsin we have been hunting | | | | hunt them a few times. You must always be |
| for a few weeks now. We have passed up shots | | | | looking for new spots to hunt, unless you buy the |
| at some smaller bucks. The bigger deer have | | | | land yourself, you will eventually lose it. We always |
| failed to show themselves yet. | | | | are looking at new places to hunt. On this hunt we |
| Now is the time to hunt close to the bedding | | | | will hunt the mornings and evenings, and then |
| areas. The deer have sensed the change in the | | | | scout during the middle of the day. Hopefully we |
| seasons and have noticed the increased human | | | | will come across and great, new honey hole. |
| activity in the woods. The mature bucks will most | | | | As October progresses, It will be the time that I |
| likely stay bedded until just before dark, so set as | | | | start hunting mornings, I don't hunt mornings too |
| close to the bedding area as you can without | | | | often during the early part of the season. I have |
| spooking the deer. I watched a doe come out of | | | | found that the mature bucks have usually gone |
| the swamp ½ hour before dark, but no | | | | back to the bedding area by first light. But as we |
| bucks came out. | | | | get to the later part of the month you will start |
| This weekend us here at AWH will be heading to | | | | to see some scrapes and rubs made by the |
| Iowa for our first hunt down there this year. Our | | | | younger bucks as they start sensing that some |
| goal is to bring back three big does. The farm we | | | | does are coming into heat. This is the time to |
| hunt has a lot of does and we need to our part in | | | | start doing some calling and rattling. This technique |
| trimming the herd. By shooting a few does, we | | | | has worked for me in the past. I hunted a |
| will help keep the buck /doe ratio more balanced. | | | | Saturday morning in late October, I was sitting in |
| This will cause more competition for the breeding | | | | my funnel stand and I decided to do some |
| bucks, come November. This will make the bucks | | | | rattling. A half hour after I rattled I looked to the |
| to respond better to calling, rattling, and decoying. | | | | north towards the funnel and a deer with nice |
| The second thing that shooting does will do is that | | | | polished antlers was looking my way. I got ready |
| there will be less deer eating the farmers crops, | | | | and as if on cue, it moved in front of me and I |
| and it's good to keep the farmers happy. He will | | | | drew when it went behind a tree. It stepped out |
| be more apt to let you hunt if your do him a | | | | into one of my shooting lanes that we had cut |
| favor by shooting more deer. So if you have a | | | | way back in August, and I put the pin on it and I |
| doe tag, now is the time to fill it. You can then be | | | | watched my arrow disappear into its chest. It |
| very selective with your buck tag. | | | | was a great feeling when all are hard work paid |
| October is also a good time to hunt different | | | | off and everything went to plan. |
| stands then you normally hunt. I have a tendency | | | | Are you still shooting your bow? It is always a |
| to hunt a certain stand that has always produced | | | | good idea to keep shooting during the season to |
| good bucks in the past. But it is set close to the | | | | keep sharp. I keep a target in my truck and |
| bedding area and I believe that the bucks will sit | | | | before I go into the woods I shoot a few |
| tight till dark and then they here you get down | | | | practice arrows to make sure that I am still on. |
| from your stand and walk out of the woods. | | | | You don't need to shoot 100 arrows every day; |
| When this starts happening it's time to let that | | | | you just need a few here and there to keep |
| stand rest for a while. I will then hunt other | | | | yourself sharp. |
| stands that I don't hunt too much. You might | | | | If you are experiencing the dreaded "October Lull" |
| catch deer leaving the bedding area from a | | | | have faith the deer will be on the move again. |
| different direction and get a shot at them by | | | | Hunt some less disturbed stands, hunt at different |
| hunting the other stand. | | | | times, keep shooting and remember that the rut |
| We have scouted out some new hunting areas | | | | is only a few weeks away. |
| the last time we were in Iowa, so this weekend | | | | |