For deer hunters, rutting season is best time to harvest | lehighvalleylive.com

By Mark Demko

Archery hunters in search of a mature white-tailed buck know there’s perhaps no better time to be in the woods than the first two weeks of November.That’s because with the rut here, it’s the one time of the year that the big boys are likely to give up their primarily nocturnal ways as they head out in search of receptive does to breed.For archers who are hoping to score on a nice buck during the rut, one of the primary keys to being successful is keeping your impact on the whitetail’s world to a minimum. As with any time during the season, paying attention to wind direction is crucial and a hunter should refrain from over-hunting his favorite stands if possible, so as not to alert deer to his presence.Petersen’s Bowhunting editor and former Hellertown resident Christian Berg says if a hunter wants to harvest a mature buck, he has to be on top of his game and pay attention to detail at all times. “That means carefully planning entry and exit routes to your stands, never hunting a stand when the wind is wrong and doing your best not to educate lesser deer of your presence,” Berg said. “Remember, there aren’t many mature bucks out there and you are going to encounter a lot more does and young bucks. Many times a mature buck may be hanging back out of sight and if you spook the deer you don’t want to shoot, you may never see the one you do.”  Click Link Below For Full Story!

via For deer hunters, rutting season is best time to harvest | lehighvalleylive.com.

Kentucky’s 2011-12 Elk Season Opens With Archery Bull Hunt

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Elk season in Kentucky will open this year on Saturday, Sept. 17, with a new 14-day hunt for the 80 archers who were awarded bull permits.

“The early archery season will open during the peak of the rut,” said Tina Brunjes, deer and elk program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “We expect bulls to be bugling and rounding up harems of cows. It will be interesting to see what the success for this hunt will be.”

The total of 800 permits awarded by lottery drawing for this year’s quota elk hunts also includes 240 archery cow permits, 120 firearms bull permits and 360 firearms cow permits. This season hunters were able to apply for up to two of the four tag types, but not twice for one tag type.

Also new this year, hunters with bull permits may take any elk with visible antlers. Hunters with archery/crossbow permits may not hunt during the four weeks of firearms elk seasons. Those awarded permits to hunt elk with firearms may not hunt during archery/crossbow elk seasons.

The 2011-12 quota elk hunt dates in Kentucky are: Firearms (Bull) Week 1, Oct. 1-7, and Week 2, Oct. 8-14; Archery (Bull) Sept. 17-30, Oct. 15–Dec. 9, Dec. 24-31, and Jan. 1-16, 2012; Crossbow (Bull) Oct. 15-16, Nov. 12-Dec. 9, and Dec. 24-31; Firearms (Cow) Week 1, Dec. 10-16, and Week 2, Dec. 17-23; Archery (Cow) Oct. 15-Dec. 9, Dec. 24-31, and Jan. 1-16, 2012, and Crossbow (Cow) Oct. 15-16, Nov. 12-Dec. 9, and Dec. 24-31.

Hunters are reminded that anyone hunting any species inside the elk zone during a firearms quota hunt for elk must comply with Kentucky’s hunter orange law.

Kentucky’s elk herd, first hunted on Oct. 6, 2001, was restored by a six-year stocking program which began in 1997. The 2011-12 season will be the 11th year that an elk hunt has been held in Kentucky.

Hunters bagged a total of 540 elk (198 bulls and 342 cows) last season. Of that total, archers took 28 elk and hunters using crossbows harvested just nine elk.

Initially, the lottery drawing for elk permits was open to residents only. Kentuckians hunted elk for the first three seasons, but, beginning in 2004, non-residents could apply for permits. No more than 10 percent of the permits are awarded to non-residents.

Because such a low percentage of permits are allocated for non-residents, Kentucky residents have always had a much better chance of being drawn to hunt.

Consider what happened this year when about 61,500 applications were submitted by 35,359 hunters for 800 elk permits. The odds of a non-resident being drawn for a bull firearms permit were 1 in 742, and 1 in 568 for a bull archery permit.

By contrast, Kentucky residents had much better odds of being drawn for a permit: 1 in 185 for a bull firearms permit and 1 in 91 for a bull archery permit.

Kentucky’s 16-county elk zone is 4.1 million acres, and is divided into 10 Elk Hunting Units (EHUs) with a total of 567,714 acres open to public hunting. The EHUs have been established to manage the elk herd, spread out hunting pressure, and provide hunters with a high chance of success.

Hunters are required to possess an annual Kentucky hunting license and out-of-zone elk permit to take elk outside the 16-county elk zone, unless license exempt. The season bag limit on elk is one per hunter per season, regardless of the permit type.

For more information on elk hunting in Kentucky visit the department’s website: fw.ky.gov.

Kentucky Afield Outdoors – Get Ready For Archery Deer Season

FRANKFORT, Ky. – It’s no mystery why hunting white-tailed deer with bows and arrows has such a dedicated following.

One reason is archery season runs more than four months long.

The 2011-12 season is 136 days, opening on the Labor Day holiday weekend (Sat., Sept. 3), and running through Martin Luther King Day, Mon., Jan. 16, 2012.

Another reason is liberal bag limits.

Archers may take antlerless deer in all 120 counties, throughout the entire archery season, except in Zone 4. In the 25 Zone 4 counties, archers are restricted to antlered deer only on some of the days when muzzleloader and modern firearms seasons overlap with archery season. Read the deer hunting section in the 2011-2012 Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide carefully.

Judging by harvest data, archers experienced good hunting in recent years.

Last season, bow hunters checked in a record 16,650 deer, including records for the month of September (4,407), and January (2,701). In fact, in the last decade, the archery deer harvest steadily rose, up about 33 percent since the 2000-2001 season, when archers checked in 12,478 deer.

The growth and quality of deer herds in semi-rural suburban areas around the state’s largest cities have attracted the attention of bow hunters.

“There are some good hunting opportunities close to home, on small properties where discharging firearms is prohibited by local ordinance,” said Tina Brunjes, deer and elk program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “But be sure to check local laws before hunting since the discharge of bow and arrows may also be prohibited.”

Deer managers applaud the harvest of antlerless deer by archers.

“Last season 62 percent of the archery harvest was does,” said Brunjes. “It’s been at that level for some time.”

The season lengths and bag limits for the various deer seasons in Kentucky are determined in part by the gear used to hunt.

“Archery season is the longest of all our deer seasons because it’s the most challenging way to take a deer,” said David Yancy, senior deer biologist for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “Archery hunters have a success rate of about 14 percent. The success rate for firearms hunters is about three times higher.”

Yancy said based on data gleaned from license sales, telecheck records, and deer hunter attitude surveys, Kentucky has an estimated 110,000 archery hunters. This numbers seems on the upswing.

“Even though we don’t specifically track the number of archers, the increased harvest would suggest that more hunters are taking up the sport,” said Brunjes.

Here are a few pre-season tips for archers:

Make sure your equipment is properly matched and fine tuned.

Visit an archery pro shop when it comes time to select hunting arrows, installing a sight or arrow rest or getting your bow tuned up. This ensures that everything is in proper alignment. Arrows must be the proper length and spine for your bow’s draw length and weight. Even small details, like installing a string loop or peep sight, are absolutely critical to consistently shooting accurately.

Practice with field points, sight in with broadheads.

When practicing pre-season, make sure that the grain weight of your field points is the same weight as your broadheads.

As you get closer to opening day, pick one of your hunting broadheads to start practicing with and sight in your bow with that broadhead on your hunting arrows. Set the broadhead aside for future practice sessions.

Practice, practice, practice.

Try to shoot 10 to 15 arrows a day (pre-season, and throughout the entire season) rather than lots of arrows during long practice sessions. Make every arrow count, as if you were drawing on a deer. You won’t get warm-up shots in the field.

Slow down and concentrate on what you’re doing. The final days of practice are critical to your confidence going into the season.

Practice like you will hunt.

If you are going to hunt from a treestand, practice from an elevated position – a stairwell, roof of the garage, or better yet, your treestand, if there’s a suitable tree in your yard.

If you are planning on hunting from a ground blind, practice shooting from the stool or seat you plan to use in the blind. Shooting from a sitting position is a lot different than shooting while standing. Some archers find it more difficult.

Scout smart.

Pre-season scouting is critical to success. Take it slow and scout smart.

In farm country, deer pay little attention to the sounds of trucks and tractors. It’s easier and less invasive to scout while driving. Use your vehicle when checking out food plots, clover or alfalfa fields, which are typically hunted early in the season. Get the landowner’s permission to drive the perimeter of fields, looking for places where deer come out to feed.

If you’ll be hunting a new area, remember that you must approach your stand undetected to be successful. Look for areas where you can walk in with the prevailing wind in your face. Stay in the shadows on bright days. Ideally, you want the rising or setting sun at your back while on the stand.

Use these tips to increase your chances of bowhunting success this season. For more information on deer regulations, consult the 2011-2012 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, available online or wherever hunting licenses are sold.

300,000 Ohio bowhunters expected to try for deer – toledoblade.com

Some 300,000 bowhunters, representing more than half of all Ohioans who hunt deer, are expected to participate in the statewide archery deer-hunting season, which opens Saturday for a four-month run.

The state’s deer managers are not necessarily forecasting another record bag this year, but it is altogether possible as seasons, bag limits, and permits remain liberal.

During last year’s four-month archery season, bowhunters killed 85,856 deer, an increase of 9 percent from the previous year. Crossbow hunters took a record 46,480 of that number and longbow hunters took a record 39,376. Overall, archers accounted for nearly 34 percent of 252,017 deer taken during Ohio’s combined archery, muzzleloader, and gun seasons.

Licking County led the state in both the vertical bow and crossbow harvest. Coshocton, Tuscarawas, Ashtabula, and Holmes rounded out the top five counties in crossbow harvest, and Coshocton, Tuscarawas, Knox, and Holmes made up the list of top five counties in vertical-bow harvest.

Again this year, hunters who purchase an Ohio hunting license and $24 deer permit will be eligible to buy the $15 antlerless-deer permit, which is valid Sept. 26 through Nov. 29. The $15 antlerless-deer permit will be valid through Dec. 6 in Zone C only. The $15 permit may be purchased only until Nov. 29.

“There is no doubt that progress toward reducing the statewide deer herd is being made,” said Mike Tonkovich, deer biologist for the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

“Bowhunters participating in our annual statewide survey have reported seeing fewer total deer from their stands for the past two years. Work remains, but there is certainly good reason to thank Ohio’s hunters for their hard work and continued support of our deer program.”

This fall’s preseason statewide deer population is estimated at 650,000, down 50,000 from a year ago. More larger bucks also seem to be available. But select regions, especially in the southeast and in urban zones, still are considered to be deer-heavy.

Ohio hunters again are encouraged to take more does using the $15 permit and to donate any extra venison to the needy. The state is collaborating with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry to help pay for the processing of donated venison.

While funds for the effort last, hunters who donate deer to a food bank are not required to pay the processing cost. More information about this program can be found online at fhfh.org.

After Nov. 29, archery hunters must use a $24 deer permit for antlerless deer. Using the $15 antlerless deer permit, hunters can take one additional antlerless deer in Zone A, up to two additional in Zone B, and up to three additional in Zone C.

The antlerless-deer permits will also be valid for Division of Wildlife controlled deer hunts and for hunting deer in urban areas.

This year’s statewide archery season remains open through Feb. 7, including during the week of gun season for deer, Nov. 30 through Dec. 6.

Gun hunters will be able to enjoy an additional weekend of deer hunting Dec. 19 and 20. Archers may hunt one half-hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset, except during the statewide gun, youth, and muzzleloader seasons when they are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Archers hunting during the statewide gun, youth or muzzleloader seasons must meet the hunter orange requirements of those seasons.

To hunt deer in Ohio, hunters must possess a deer permit in addition to a valid hunting license. State law allows hunters to take only one antlered buck a year, regardless of the type of deer season, deer permit, or weapon used.

The 2009-2010 hunting licenses are not printed on weatherproof paper. Hunters are advised to protect licenses and permits by carrying them in protective pouches or wallets.

A detailed listing of deer hunting rules is contained in the digest, 2009-2010 Ohio Hunting Regulations, which is available where licenses are sold. It also may be viewed online at wildohio.com.

via toledoblade.com –.

Michael Waddell on Hunting Techniques – West Virginia Outdoors News

Columbus, Georgia

Chris Lawrence

He’s one of the best known names in the hunting industry today and Michael Waddell says while practice with your bow is important, quality is better than quantity.

“I think a lot of people think just practice, practice, practice with a bow and arrow makes perfect. I’m a little bit in disagreement with that,” said Waddell during a recent edition of West Virginia Outdoors.

Waddell is the host of television’s Bone Collector Series. He says his time on the road keeps him far too busy to get very many opportunities in front of a 3-D target. Therefore, when he is able to get in a few shots, he tried to make them count.

“I might now have but 20-minutes on a Saturday, so I try to get good solid practice,” said Waddell. “Even if I only shoot ten arrows I try to make sure that my form and my habits in that small time frame are as efficient and as good as I can.”

Waddell adds there’s a difference in shooting 3-D targets and actually drawing down on a live whitetail in the woods.

“You know the deer’s 25-yards, you practiced all summer and you ask yourself, ‘How did I shoot over that deer?’ or ‘How did I hit him that high?’” explained Waddell. “Video has proved deer react, so I get in the habit of holding heart to top of the heart with my pin once I’ve got an accurate distance. Very rarely do I shoot one in the heart, I usually shoot them through the double lung.”

Deer almost always react to the “thwack” sound created when you let go of the bow. Typically a deer will drop into an alert, crouched position. Waddell says the number one mistake hunters make is failing to aim low while hunting and compensate for that immediate drop.  Click link below for full story!

via West Virginia Outdoors News.

Archers OK For Hunting On Sundays – Hunterdon County Democrat

by Hunterdon County Democrat

Saturday May 09, 2009, 9:20 AM

Legislation permitting deer hunting with a bow and arrow on Sundays during deer hunting season was signed into law Monday by Gov. Corzine.

The law allows deer hunting with bow and arrow on Sundays during any bow and arrow hunting season for deer prescribed by the state Fish and Game Code, provided the hunting is only on a state wildlife management area or on private property. It also raises to $50 (from $20) the penalty for a violation of the Sunday hunting rules, such as hunting in prohibited areas.

Two legislators who represent part of the Hunterdon hailed the law.  Click Link Below for Full Story!

via Archers OK For Hunting On Sundays -.

Muddy Outdoors’ Archer Ladder

Well I believe I have finally found it, a ladder treestand that is actually high enough to be effective in the deer woods.  Over the years I have found most ladder treestands on the market today falling short, literally.  Most ladder treestands sold on the market today are only 12 to 15 feet high.  This is not high enough for bowhunting in my opinion.  The extra 3 feet 6 inches that the Archer Ladder offered by Muddy Outdoors makes all the difference in the world.  I presently have been using fixed position treestands with steps attached to the trees.  However the older and more out of shape I get I have found it more difficult not only to climb up to  the stand but the effort to put these stands up is increasingly difficult.  Now I have found the solution, the Archer Ladder from Muddy Outdoors.  It weighs only 50 lbs and meausres 18′ 6″ to the seat.  Maximum weight is 300 pounds and MSRP is only $129.99.  To order yours today or for more information go to www.gomuddy.com

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