First Timer Looking for a tip (Traditional Archery)

[himmerman]

Hey I am new to this forum and hunting. I have been researching hunting for about 6 months now and I plan to bowhunt the late season in Kitsap area. I am going traditional recurve which I have done with target for about 7 years or so. Any one got suggestions and or tips for someone new to the sport of bowhunting? I am getting really excited. I am looking for suggestions and tips that you found helpful or were key for your success. Thanks everyone!

[boneaddict]

patience is generally the biggest key.  Most people rush...well everything.  Reemmber you are in their zone. 

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Dont go out with the expectation of shooting something, bring a blunt and stump shoot.
Seems like (for me) when I usually get my deer I am not really hunting, just "taking my bow for a walk".
You would be surprised how a deer will just stand there looking at you as you just walk along.
If you try to sneek, they get nervous, and as soon as you see them.. bye, by !
but if they think you dont see them, and are just walking along, they sometimes just stand there.
Then again, I usually shoot a doe, or small buck.
Never been much of a deer hunter, one of these days I might try to "hunt" for a decent buck but as a traditional archer, anything is a trophy to me.

[himmerman]

Thanks Bone and Stik. Those are some great pointers. Stik, do you go with a lot of camo or in some normal hiking/casual clothes? and how do you get in range when you see the deer without spooking it?

[boneaddict]

disguising movement is the biggest key for the style of hunting I do.   I do wear camo, but not that elaborate.  I try to break up my outline.
That and the wind.   I don't wear facepaint and all that crap, and I don't wear any coverscents or special clothing to try and mask it.  I honestly think thats one of the biggest ripoffs/gimmicks ever in the hunting industry. 
My style of hunting is different than stik.  I spot a particular animal and then go after it.  If I am not seeing what I am after I am moving slowly and looking. 

[Jake T]

agree about the wind.  if you have the right wind you can do almost anything.  when you go out to hunt don't try to hunt your way to a specific spot or you'll end up busting yourself.  say 'i'm going to hunt the wind today' and then get the wind in your face and start walking.  if the wind changes direction, you change direction. 

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Bone shoots some nice bucks too !
I just never really got that interested in actually hunting deer, I kind of think of them like rabbits.
I run into so many, and the season is so long, I seem to "get lucky" often enough that I just dont put out the kind of effort required to harvest a "mature" deer.
But, then I hunt Blacktail, and for some reason, if I do see a decent Buck, I only see it once, or at night (after legal shooting hours) or in someones yard (private property)
If I hunted a particular animal, my freezer would stay empty.
......
Like Bone, I really dont worry too much about "fancy" stuff... I wear basic CONFORTABLE clothing, try to wear muted colors, break up outline.
I  never go w/o gloves (to mask movement more than warmth)
Stay warm and dry and hunt all day,I like wool treated with "camp dry" and a change of footwear (extra socks) on this side, seems my feet get wet no matter what.
/
As far as getting in range, if I have not "accidently" stumbled into one, as in I see it first, I avoid making eye contact, use cover and watch the wind,
slightly quarter towards them. I never look at them, and then go straight towards them, I pretend like I dont know they are there, or dont care, never looking directly at them until it is time to shoot.
I spend a lot of time sitting on stumps, hoping one will walk by, because if I am moving they always seem to see me before I see them.

[NWWABOWHNTR]

Jake is spot on... keep the wind in your face and enjoy your time in the woods.  Walk slow, and stop and glass..... amazing how many deer will stay put as if you don't see them.....

[CoryTDF]

Here is a tip: Don't run with scissors!

Seriously though the best tip other than practice shooting your bow is to make sure you play the wind. All that fancy sent block stuff does not hurt but at the end of the day the wind is what will make or break you. Be calm and be patient use the wind and try to think like a deer and you will have success.

[Snapshot]

...What they said...
 
x2 on the fact that 'scent control' products are a rip-off. It is marketed to those who don't know better and/or will believe anything. The best hunters I know took the time to learn how temperature and terrain affects wind currents. Just because the wind is blowing out of a particular direction on one side of a hill or valley doesn't mean it'll be the same on the other side.
 
Uncle Jer offers this gem for when you are in a deer zone: One or two, sometimes three slow steps at a time; then stop and look around carefully for five, ten, fifteen seconds. You are looking for movement, for an ear sticking up, for a leg hanging down. Sometimes you can get lucky and take four slow steps in a row. Try five steps and you'll get busted more times than you can imagine.
 
If the deer sees you move before you see it you may as well be wearing a choir robe. For that matter, a choir robe may be better than the latest greatest camo. I believe that by the time they mature pressured deer have learned that the green globs of camo are a threat.
 
Quiet garb is as important as garb that blends with the surroundings. Nothing says "human" more clearly than a branch swiping across a nylon pack strap or a noisy pant leg. The animals will put up with natural sounds because they live with them daily. But an unnatural sound will put them on high alert.

[GT]

himmerman:  I'm new to the forum myself but a long time bow hunter (mostly in Kentucky).  You've received some great advice from others.  Here's a few more things to think about:

What strategy will you use for your chosen area: Tree stand?  Ground Blind?  Stalking?    If you’re going to hunt from a tree stand, practice shooting from an elevated position at home, preferably a tree stand.  If you’re going to hunt from a ground blind or by stalking, practice shooting at home from standing, crouching and kneeling positions. Practice shooting at your home target from various angles. 

When you arrive at your chosen area, don’t slam the door shut after getting out of your vehicle.  Disable the audible honking horn alarm signal on your remote locking device BEFORE leaving home.

Learn how to hide in plain sight.  Camouflage can certainly help break up the human profile if used intelligently, but in and of itself it’s not the “be all, end all”.  Example: dress a friend in full camouflage and have him stand between 2 trees at the top of a hill.  What you will see is human form standing between 2 trees at the top of the hill.   Be aware of your background so you can use the camouflage to your advantage and effectively blend in thereby hiding in plain sight.

Break up the contour of your bright, smiling shiny face with a wine cork burnt with a Bic lighter; it’s as good as anything for “face paint” and comes off much more easily. 

What will you do when you kill your deer?  Do you know how to field dress it?  How will you get your fresh killed trophy back to your vehicle?   Will you butcher it or will you have someone else do it for you?  These are questions you need to answer before you go out on a hunt. 

Wishing you success.

[himmerman]

Wow! thanks everyone for such great advice. To answer some questions. I am going to be stalking. I can't afford the nice tree stands but i might also make a blind out of some branches if it seems like it might work. I am going to field dress it where It goes down. and then i think i might use a wheel barrel to get it out of it is far quarter it there and then hike it out.

What do you guys use to detect the wind? I was thinking of putting baking soda (odorless) in a salt shaker as a wind detector or would it be better to invest into some like liquid smoke?

[Snapshot]

Lots of choices for wind detection:

A wet finger in the air is a quick way to detect a slight wind.

Some seeds work very well but be certain it is a plant native to the area you are hunting; if you can find them in a pod just put the pod in a baggie and pull one out as needed.

The kid's toy long-lasting bubbles are great; I've found them in a cigar-sized tube that fits neatly in a pocket; the little hole you blow through was only a quarter inch in diameter and it laid out a string of small bubbles that would not pop for several minutes, allowing you to watch them for a long time. They provide a great education in wind currents.

A downy bird feather on a six inch length of thread tied to your quiver or bow provides another quick wind check. Rain screws it up though.