8/2/07
Deer season is upon us – get ready now!
By Terry Madewell

Terry Madewell Photo

A buck in early velvet is a sure sign that deer season is right around the corner. Get ready now for a successful season.

Bowhunters are a tough bunch of folks, that’s for sure. While the outside heat is steaming and screaming hot, almost too hot to even enjoy a cooler sport such as fishing, these guys are out right now working. They are putting the finishing touches on the deer stands, cleaning/brushing shooting lanes and other necessary “must-do” items so they will have the odds in their favor when the season opens.

And that’s part of the point here … the season is about to open for bowhunters. On Aug. 15, hunters in Clarendon County will be able to bowhunt for deer. So from that perspective, it certainly isn’t too early to be getting ready.

Preparation is a real key to success even if you don’t plan to hunt in this really hot part of the early season. The key for bow and gun hunters is to get everything prepared early, then let the area rest with no or minimal human intrusion.

Many hunters will use corn to attract the deer and that does require human intrusion to an extent. Hunters usually plan their corning effort during the hot portion of the mid-day when deer are less likely to be active. Thus, that minimizes human activity problems, but it makes it hard on the hunters.

According to a number of different bowhunters I’ve talked to recently, there are several things you need to be doing during the pre-and-early season, whether you are bowhunting or gun hunting.

One is stand set-up and visibility. If bowhunting, set your stand where you can be as hidden as possible. If possible, set the stand with a thicket backdrop where you can blend in with good camouflage. Use leaves and branches to hide your body outline and the stand.

You’ll certainly need to have a good line of vision for a shot (gun or bow hunting) but make it as small as you can. Concealment at close quarters is very important.

Of course, you can never totally predict what the wind will do, but you can put your stand in a favorable place with the prevailing winds. If the wind is blowing from the wrong direction, then you may want to just hunt a different place rather than take the chance of blowing a big buck out of the area.

Water and food are other considerations when determining the best spots to place your stand or stands. Corn is an important food aspect, but it’s not the entire picture. Deer are certainly going to be eating more than just the corn you put out. To give yourself the best odds of seeing deer, you need to set your stand along the basic route the deer will be traveling when going between food, water and bedding areas.

Deer need water throughout the year, but even more so during this early hot time of the year. You do not have to set up over water, but the water and food sources should be part of your planning strategy to put your stand in the right place to see the most deer.

You also need to de-bug yourself. Mosquitoes are a real nuisance and can ruin a hunt quickly. Swatting at one of the pesky critters at just at the wrong instant has probably spooked more deer than about anything. There is specialized clothing that works well as well as the ThermaCell products. The ThermaCells do really work – I‘ve used them successfully on bow hunts as well as gun hunts. It is the number one reason that I am beginning to hunt more often early in the season. I had always thought it was just the heat that kept me away. Actually, I can stand the heat – it’s the bugs that were driving me crazy.

Speaking of heat, we’ll need to consider scent as well. Removal of human scent can be tough during the summer heat. Many times we’ll break a sweat just slowly slipping into our stands, especially in the afternoons during August and early September. However, if you run a four-wheeler all the way, you also stand the chance of spooking deer with the noise.

There are things you can do that will help. They include using the very effective Scent Blocker hunting clothes, using the right soaps, etc. They all help, but they still do not offset the need to plan your hunt so the wind is in your favor. Ultimately, that’s a key that plays a “make or break” role in nearly every deer hunt.

If you’re not already prepared for the season, it’s now time to get into high gear!