The author took this buck in October from a stand located along the bank of a creek. In addition to funneling deer travel, the creek provided the perfect low-impact access for the stand.

It was late October and a cool west wind blew gently in my face as I approached the creek early the next morning, slipped on my waders and carefully retraced my tracks to the base of the tree. I traded the waders for a pair of insulated boots and climbed into the stand. Because of the remoteness of the wheat field, deer fed late into the morning before drifting back into the timber to bed. I sat for at least two hours, questioning my choices, before a big, old doe led the parade.

Once they started coming it seemed like a river of deer. During the next half-hour, seven bucks and at least as many does crossed the old pasture in front of me, but only one was close enough for a shot. But, one’s enough when he’s the biggest! The arrow hit him a little far back as he walked slowly past, so I stayed on stand for a couple of hours before climbing down to head back to my vehicle and then to town for help in tracking. I was so focused on each careful step as I side-hilled back to the creek’s only wadable crossing that I nearly stepped on the buck before I saw him. He lay stone dead right at the edge of my crossing.

I’m sure that stand will produce big buck sightings every year. The creek eliminates all ground scent while keeping me out of sight at the same time. And when the wind is from the west, southwest or northwest it takes my scent out over the creek and away from all the deer using the cover on the inside bend. It’s a great stand, but not because it covers a well used trail – a lot of stands do that. It’s a great stand because you can hunt it day after day without the fear of spooking a single deer.

Most hunters never realize how many deer see them, smell them or hear them as they go to and from their stands. And then there’s the ground scent that continues to alert deer long after the hunter leaves the woods. When deer find evidence of human activity they start looking for other places to live, or at the least, they’ll change their patterns in the area. Either way, the easy pickings are over: you’re looking at some tough hunting. Think about it. You’d take it seriously too if you found a stranger walking through your living room.

This season, remember that regardless of how much sign it overlooks, a stand is not a great stand (or even a good stand) if you can’t get to and from it without being detected.

It doesn't matter how much sign your stand overlooks, or how deeply the trails have been pounded into the ground, if you can't get to and from the area without spooking deer it is not a great stand location.

Where deer find our scent is also a significant factor in how much impact we have on their behavior. In the fringes of their core areas they have come to accept human scent, and don’t react as negatively to it. If your scent shows up in these places it will be noted, but the deer aren’t nearly as prone to change their patterns as a result. On the other hand, sign of human activity found right in their “living room” is another story. When deer smell our scent close to the center of their core areas, they don’t tolerate it. In short order they’ll move on, or become extremely cautious – both of which will make them much harder to tag.

In my experience, the real chess match in hunting trophy whitetails is not what scrape or what funnel you’ll watch. Unless you have a particular buck patterned, one travel funnel is basically as good as the next. The real chess match is planning how you’ll get to and from your stands without ruining them.

Beat the deer at their own game. We’ve all seen big bucks traveling. They take advantage of terrain and cover to keep out of sight as much as possible. Do the same thing as you enter and leave your stands. Take advantage of anything possible to keep you from being sky-lined. Even in the dark, deer can see a sky-lined hunter.

Look for ravines, deep ditches, folds in the terrain, draws and fence lines to keep you out of sight. If you plan to hunt the stand again, the exit route is just as important as the entry route so don’t overlook this important element of the hunt. And, when considering deer movement, the exit route will often be completely different from the entry route.

I’ve started relying heavily on creeks to gain access to my hunting areas. In fact, last season I took three nice whitetails and creeks factored heavily into each successful hunt. I’ll go out of my way to find stands near wadable creeks not only because they tend to be good travel routes, but also because they cover my scent and noise and keep me out of sight while enroute.

The elite 10% of the hunters that take 90% of the trophies have learned one lesson very well: the route you take to and from your stand is more important than the stand location itself. If there is a secret in whitetail hunting, this is it.

Winke set up stand just off a wheat field which the deer traveled through. By keeping his scent down, Winke kept the deer confident and was thus able to arrow a beautiful buck.

Remember that regardless of how much sign it overlooks, a stand is not a great stand (or even a good stand) if you can’t get to and from it without being detected.

It’s become obvious to me why so many bowhunters will continue to fail in their efforts. You see, achieving an enviable level of big buck success means paying some hefty dues. Personally, I’ve taken great pains throughout the 30-plus years I’ve been bowhunting to learn as much as I possibly can about my quarry. You’d think most “dedicated” hunters would take this same approach to the sport. But that’s just not the case.

Keep A Low Profile

Many bowhunters fail in their efforts to kill big deer simply because they’re unable to hit what they’re shooting at - which leads to the most important part of hunting - PRACTICE.

Every one of the many successful trophy whitetail bowhunters I know agree on one point. Keeping a low profile is key to achieving a consistent success rate on mature bucks. Trust me, the best in the business go to extremes to keep the deer in their hunting areas from catching on that a bowhunter is routinely invading their domain.once the bucks catch on to your game plan.

A Case Study

My good friend, Doug Below, has taken nearly a dozen Pope & Young class bucks over the years. Doug told me that the key to his success is the fact that he avoids deer on his walks into and out of his hunting areas. “Years ago I’d take the shortest and quickest routes into my stand sites,” he stated. “Almost without fail I’d jump some deer. Those deer would then blow loudly, sometimes for several minutes. Of course, every big buck within hearing range knew something was up. It soon became obvious that I had to try something different.”

In attempt to overcome his problem, Doug logged a bunch of hours during the off-season figuring out “deerless” walking routes to his stand sites. The end results have been nothing short of amazing. Even though he bowhunts in areas that receive intense amounts of pressure, Doug routinely arrows large-racked bucks. No doubt it’s his cautious approach to the sport that’s the difference.

Another Common Mistake
Just about all bowhunters, from novices to the most experienced, are aware of the negatives associated with having big bucks smell you. Amazingly though, a lot of these same hunters don’t understand the potential harm that can be done by having big bucks see you. I personally believe that this lack of understanding can be attributed to a common misconception regarding the whitetails sense of sight. Put simply, a lot of bowhunters are under the impression that deer don’t see all that well. But let me assure you, whitetails see very well!

I think everyone reading this will agree that humans are the number-one predator of whitetails. Lest you think otherwise, the deer are aware of this fact as well. With the way they’ve been pressured in recent years, mature bucks have become especially adept at visually recognizing the human form. Contrary to what some hunters believe, they don’t need to substantiate these sightings with one of their other senses either. Remember that humans are the only one of the whitetail’s predators that walks upright on two legs. Really, how difficult can it be to recognize this posture?

No Such Thing As “Instant Hunters”

I’m always amazed at the number of people who suddenly become “bowhunters” on a certain day of the year. They spend absolutely no time during the rest of the year preparing for the upcoming season. Yet when opening day rolls around, these are some of the first people to hit the woods.

Although there are many negatives associated with the “instant bowhunter” syndrome, one is especially disturbing. Simply put, these “bowhunters” lack an acceptable level of proficiency with their weapons. Each year I talk with numerous people who have blown golden opportunities at big bucks. Tragically, the vast majority of these people lost out simply because they weren’t able to hit what they were aiming at. I personally find it hard to feel sorry for people who don’t practice.

Long-time bowhunter, Wendell Johnson, agrees with me on the importance of attaining good marksmanship. This 67 year-old native of Centuria, Wisconsin has four bucks in the Pope & Young record book and another that misses the minimum entry score by less than an inch. Interestingly, Wendell’s most recent record book buck was taken during the late archery season.

“I was using a recurve with no sights,” Wendell recalls. “A doe walked by me first. The buck came following along about 100 feet behind her. I would have had a chip shot at him had he continued on, but when he was 35 yards from me, the doe caught my wind. Well, she snorted and took off at a dead run. The buck was just turning to go when I raised my bow, drew and shot. Although I didn’t see the arrow hit, the shot felt good.” Wendell found the big nine pointer laying dead just 150 yards away.

“There’s no doubt that poor marksmanship is the number-one reason most hunters fail to bring home a buck,” Wendell stated. “And that goes for gun hunters as well as bowhunters. It’s hard to believe, but people will neglect to fire their weapons until the day before season. If it hits somewhere close to where they’re pointing, they figure that’s good enough.”

The “Feeling”
There’s another negative associated with being an instant hunter. Simply put, you’re not going to have that unexplainable “feel” that’s so important in this sport. As I’ve learned after many years of first-hand dealings with it, this “feel” often is all you have to go on when doing things like selecting stand sites or rating the potential of a given area. Many times, I’ve placed a stand in a certain spot or had confidence in an area simply because it “felt”right. By the way, you can’t pass this “feel”on to others. You acquire it purely from spending time in the outdoors.

Personally, I spend an enormous amount of time in the woods throughout the entire year. Even at that, though, I still spend the first couple weeks of the season trying to get into the flow of things. I can’t imagine how someone who spends virtually no time in the woods must feel.

Make The Most Of Your Time

Most bowhunters are afforded only a limited amount of time to hunt each year. Just about all of the bowhunters from my neck of the woods fall into this category.

Amazingly, as precious as this time has got to be, darn few bowhunters I know use it the way they should. These individuals spend a few hours hunting in the morning and a couple of hours hunting in the evening. That’s it! What’s even more unbelievable is that they don’t spend the hours in between doing anything to increas their chances for some big buck success. They don’t study topo maps, they don’t scout and they don’t talk to other bowhunters.

If your hunting time is limited, doesn’t it make sense that you should spend as much of that time as possible in the woods? I realize that your chances of arrowing a buck during the mid-day hours aren’t as good as they are early in the morning or late in the afternoon. But that doesn’t mean you should never hunt at this time of day.

Also, if you’re spending the middle part of the day sitting in front of the T.V. or taking a nap, then you’re doing nothing to improve your chances on future hunts. As I stated earlier in this article, achieving an enviable level of big buck success means paying some hefty dues. None of the highly successful bowhunters I know got where they are by watching T.V. or taking naps. Like me, these individuals are constantly scouting and striving to learn more about their quarry.

Develop The Proper Attitude

Finally, one of the biggest reasons that a lot of bowhunters fail in their efforts is because they go into the woods with the wrong attitude. Killing a big buck has somehow become more important to them than the quality of the hunt. Granted, we’re all out there for the same reason, However, some bowhunters want so desperately to kill a big buck so badly that when the opportunity finally presents itself, they blow it.

The key to lifting this burden from your shoulders is to remember that it isn’t the end of the world if you don’t connect. Even the best deer hunters suffer through seasons when they don’t tag an animal.

I figured this was a once of, or at most very rare occasion, but after searching a bit on the Internet we found a bunch of cases of bird-eating deer.

Deer have also been known to eat mice and there have been more than a few sightings of deer eating off carcasses.

It’s not breaking news, but we found the following video pretty interesting and hope you do too.

Craig Belknap, 24 year old graduate student in the agricultural field at Iowa State University hadn’t ever taken a buck with his bow until this past season. However he got it right the first time when he shot a 20 point non-typical.

Native to Des Moines County, he hunts near the family farm where small wood lots, draws and big timber are most common. Craig’s stand was placed strategically in a big elm tree along a fenceline bordering a 100 acres of timber. Deer droppings, tracks, small rubs and scrapes revealed a fenceline crossing they used to a corn and bean field to feed.

On October 16th, he made his second trip back home for a weekend of hunting. Craig recalls, “The skies were cloudy that morning and it rained most of the night. Nevertheless, I cut across the muddy bean field to my stand. The battleship gray colored sky didn’t give way to first light until around 7:15 and I was beginning to wonder why I’d ever left the comfort of my bed. Only minutes later all my thoughts changed when I glanced down the fenceline and spotted a large drop tine buck a mere 50 yards away.”

“As he relaxed and started walking my way, I rose slowly and readied an arrow. Approaching my 20-yard shooting lane, I drew and steadied the pin and triggered the release. The 125-grain Pro-Series Thunderhead penetrated both lungs, causing the buck to dash 150 yards before stopping. Disoriented, the buck stumbled back my way. Ready with a second arrow if needed, he fell only 50 yards away. I was relieved and ecstatic to see the buck go down and not require a second shot.”

Greg Andrews

Greg Andrews of Corning, Iowa shot this massive 20 point non-typical buck on November 28, 1998 in Adams County. The typical 5x5 frame nets 176 1/8\

He knew of one small 60-acre plot that harbored good bucks in the past, but still hadn’t hunted it. The narrow gnarly ridge consisting primarily of thorny honey locust trees had a sparse scattering of hardwoods and cedar. In addition, the ridge runs parallel to a creek bottom with a mix of small saplings, hedge and dense buck brush. The landowner had spotted a big buck on more than one occasion entering a standing cornfield nearby. The corn came out only a week prior and Greg figured the bucks had been holding up in the cornfield, which explains why the deer sightings picked up shortly thereafter.

Greg explains, ” I have three stands setup based on the main travel paths to and from the primary food source. One on both the north and south ends of the ridge and one about dead center along the edge of the timber near the creek. I made plans to hunt the center stand first because there’s always an active scrape line along the timber.”

“When you consider the tricky winds in the bottom, it isn’t always possible to hunt the stand. On the Friday morning after Thanksgiving, the winds prevailed out of the west, which was ideal for the north treestand. I hadn’t seen any deer that morning, but minutes before climbing down I could hear what sounded like a sparring match between two big bucks in the bottom.”

“Before first light the following morning, I made my way toward the middle stand toting a set of rattling antlers and a grunt call, using a thick blanket of fog to camouflage my approach. Shortly after sunrise I rattled for about 30 seconds, but didn’t get a response,” said Greg.

“However, almost immediately after the second sequence, I spotted a big buck running across the bottom from the south. Things were happening so fast, I barely had time to hang up the antlers and grab my bow. The buck came to a halt on the opposite side of the creek, white puffs of steam shot from his flared nostrils as he scanned the area for the intruder. It wasn’t until that moment did I realize just how big the buck truly was. As the non-typical stepped into the 10 yard shooting lane, I released the string. Upon impact the big buck barrel raced through the timber for only 50 yards before the woods fell silent.”

Merle Allen

Merle Allen, a 44-year old Project Manager for a local general contractor in Norwalk, Iowa spotted a large non-typical for the first time in early November while hunting in Madison, County. Merle and his brother, Bud hunt several tracts of land consisting of primarily agricultural crops and a few scattered wood lots, hedgerows, and brushy draws leading to surrounding big timber. Merle relates that he concentrates most his efforts on hunting the outer fringes of small wood lots, funnels and draws during the season and seldom hunts big timber.

Bud was actually the first to spot the buck on his way to work the week before. He studied the big buck through a spotting scope standing in a bean field with a doe he suspected was in estrous. Bud called Merle at work that morning excited, suggesting that he better get out and hunt while the buck was still in the area trolling for hot does.

Merle recalls, “The following morning I hunted a stand near the river bottom on a sidehill where the does were known to bed during mid-day. Even though the hillside is nearly a mile away from where Bud glassed the buck, I was gambling it would be the most likely travel route the buck would take to the doe bedding area.”

“Shortly after daybreak a group of does cut across the hillside, but a lone doe with a nice buck hung back in the thick brush. It wasn’t until they meandered within 40 yards did I realize it was the same buck seen by my brother. Unfortunately, they continued to linger in the thick stuff before heading back the same way they came,” explained Merle.

“The following morning I hunted the same stand, but hadn’t seen or heard anything until around 10:30, when the sound of a dog barking in the distance caught my attention. Not long after the big buck busted out of the bottom, crossing in the same place as the previous morning. I’d now watched the buck cross in the same place two days in a row and felt fairly confident I stood a good chance of getting a crack at the buck if I only setup near his escape route. I hung a new stand there but the wind was never favorable.”

“Therefore, I decided to hunt a small 25-acre woods on the opposite side of the road that’s proved productive in the past. I like to refer to this place as a “loafing area” where the deer congregated in the mornings before heading to a bedding area nearby. I moved in quietly and setup a stand for the following morning.”

On Sunday, the 15th of November I found my way to the stand at first light. A few does meandered through early, and then I caught a glimpse of big antlers further back in the brush. Although I couldn’t see the buck entirely, as he turned his head sideways, I was able to confirm he was definitely a thumper. Pulling out a grunt call, I grunted softly, hoping to draw the big buck into the open. The does had now moved directly in front of the stand, milling around in a small clear-cut. Nothing happened right away, so I grunted again. Only a short time later the buck started working through a wooly thicket heading in my direction. As he continued to close the gap, I stood with an arrow ready. Not wanting to get hung up staring at the antlers, I only concentrated on making the shot.”

Shane Helmich of Dickens, Iowa arrowed this dandy 14 point buck on the 27th of November in Clay County. The 12 normal points and a 17\

Shane Helmich
Shane Helmich, a 28 year old Electrical Field Technician from Dickens, Iowa has only been bowhunting 4 years. Nevertheless, he managed to shoot one of the bigger non- typical bucks of the 1998 season. The first time he spotted the 14 point was November 20th. Hunting mostly river bottom ground, Helmich sticks mainly to a public hunting area near the Little Sioux River in Clay County. The small tract of timber is only 50 to 100 yards wide at most points, but stretches over a mile in length. It’s only a small part of the 600 acres of grass fields, narrow bands of timber, small wood lots and coulees.

Shane’s wife, Patricia is not only his devoted hunting partner, but also became his eyes and ears this past season after shooting her buck in early November. On one occasion she spotted two big 10 pointers that led Shane to the woods where he had his first encounter with the large 14 point.

Shane recalled, “I slipped into the small 50 acre wood lot with a decoy late one afternoon. A half-hour after wedging a crotch board in a tree, a big non-typical sporting a drop tine appeared 70 yards away. I grunted softly bringing the buck within twenty yards, but when the bruiser spotted the decoy he spooked and left without offering a shot. Hoping for a second chance, I hunted the same area two more days, but my efforts were fruitless.”

“Later that week, Patricia called me at work and reported spotting two more big bucks in a bean field about a half mile away chasing does. I didn’t waste time getting to the area and approached carefully from the downwind side toward an inside corner of the bean field.”

“Reaching the corner I climbed into a ancient oak tree and stood on a branch 8 feet off the ground. Shortly thereafter, the big 14 point started working down the fenceline pursuing an obvious hot doe. About 4:15 the buck made a beeline toward my perch 150 yards away chasing the doe, closing the gap rather quickly. With an arrow knocked and ready, the buck stopped momentarily at 35 yards. Steadying the pin, a speeding arrow from my Martin Scepter hit the buck squarely behind the shoulder. After a short sprint for dear life, the buck dropped within eyesight.”

It takes many hours of practice to become a top of the food chain predator with a bow and arrow. But practice alone isn’t enough, you have to reinforce the right techniques – the ones that have been proven to produce success. Eventually your natural shooting form will take on these qualities and you won’t have to think about it. When the moment of truth comes, you’ll be able to act quickly and decisively.

Relaxing Through The Shot

Concentration on a single small aiming point is the aspect of shooting that brings all the other elements together.

Tension in the bow arm makes steady aiming difficult. Any tension in your body is transmitted through a rigid bow arm right to the bow, as if it were a hyper-sensitive antennae. If you can keep your bow arm very relaxed throughout the shot your accuracy will improve greatly. Consider bending it slightly (just enough to unlock the elbow) so it be softer and act as a tension insulator instead of a tension transmitter.

Many bowhunters have the bad habit of dropping their bow arms just after they release. Eventually this creeps into the shot earlier and earlier until it becomes a chronic problem. My buddy Dan does this, and it has cost him two really nice bucks during the past two seasons. On both bucks he shot just under the deer’s chest at less than 20 yards!

The shot isn’t over until the arrow hits the target, so hold your form with a steady bow arm until impact for optimum accuracy. Increased strength is the key to relaxing at full draw, so maintain a regular practice schedule. Your maximum bow weight can make a difference here too. It’s impossible to hold your aim steady if you’re straining with too much poundage. Sometimes being over-bowed even prevents you from getting a shot. Being involved in the warranty department at PSE, Terry Ragsdale hears many strange claims, but he remembers one in particular.

“A hunter sent back his bow, claiming that the cams were freezing up,” he said. “With absolute sincerity, the hunter told of a nice deer approaching his stand, and of his inability to draw the bow. Even though they worked fine before and after that incident, he honestly believed the cams had somehow locked up. Cool weather and excitement got the better of him, and he didn’t have the strength to draw.”

Letting Go
Because the timing of the shot is often more important than pinpoint accuracy under many bowhunting conditions, your release method is likely to be a bit more abrupt than if you were focusing on target shooting form. Don’t get jerky, however. When shooting a release aid, keep the trigger pull smooth, but don’t get too hung up trying to squeeze off a surprise-release. With fingers, get into the habit of relaxing the back of your string hand to trigger the shot rather than trying to voluntarily open your hand.

Focus Brings It Together

Ragsdale is widely regarded as one of the world’s best bow shots, and he is quick to point out that there is no such thing as perfect shooting form. “Walk up and down the line of any major tournament,” he said, “and you’ll see people shooting with all different kinds of form, but they all shoot very well. Consistency is more important than any particular form.”


On the other hand, Terry is a firm believer in “aiming hard” when shooting at targets, as well as game animals. Aiming hard is his term for focusing undivided attention on the small spot he wants to hit. He feels it is one of the most critical skills for the bowhunter and surely the one element that brings everything together for a great shot at game.


Realistic Practice

Just as you wouldn’t expect a professional football team to head into a big game without at least a certain amount of full-dress scrimmaging against the “scout” team, you shouldn’t enter the bow season without a few dress rehearsals of your own. Duplicating the conditions of the hunt during practice pays some very important dividends, as I found out (once again) a few seasons ago.

The grip should be relaxed. Let your fingers hang naturally without forcing them to straighten. Avoid grabbing the grip when you release the string.

The big 10 pointer was following the line of does past my stand toward the unharvested bean field beyond. With only a few minutes left in legal shooting time, I was glad they were walking quickly. Just before he got to my shooting lane I drew my bow and aimed through the peep sight. I was shocked to find that the buck was about as well defined as a drifting shadow. The pin was a fiber optic model, but not one of the brighter styles on the market. I could barely see the pin as I aimed. Thrown off by the situation, I failed to concentrate well enough. OK, I panicked. As the buck passed less than 20 yards away, I rushed the shot – sending an arrow right in front of his chest.



I had gotten lazy in my preparation for the season and had skipped my usual low-light practice sessions. I should have discovered the pins weren’t bright enough, and the peep too restrictive for optimal hunting. It was a painful lesson I won’t soon forget.



Not only should you practice in low light, but you should also wear your hunting clothes a few times. What you find out in late summer and early fall may prevent your string from catching a loose flap of cloth, or a chest pocket, ruining your shot at a giant buck. If you’ll be hunting from a tree stand, practice from an elevated position. For many bowhunters, arrow impact changes when they shoot down at the target. Make sure you find this out before the season.

“Consistency is more important than any particular form.”

Practice at unknown distances in order to improve your range estimation skills. For most experienced bowhunters, getting the correct range is the hardest part of any accurate shot in the field. The more you can practice this important skill, the better you’ll perform this fall. 3-D shooting is the perfect tune-up for hunting. You’ll become better at judging distance, and you’ll have a great opportunity to debug your hunting bow. Everyone seems to be using customized tackle in an effort to score higher in this summertime sport. That’s great, but if you do that, just make sure to switch to your hunting rig as you get closer to the season.



When practicing, focus all your attention on each and every arrow. According to Terry Ragsdale, “As the season approaches you need to bump up the practice regimen. Shoot 75 to 100 arrows each day, for the last week or two, to gain the strength needed to hold the bow steady. Don’t get lazy on a single shot; shoot each arrow with intense concentration. Find something small to aim at with each shot and focus hard on it.”



There are few things more exciting than making a tough shot when the chips are down. But the satisfaction comes with a price tag attached. To be a consistently deadly bowhunter, many hours must be spent during the off-season perfecting technique.

If you are shooting downhill at 20 degrees treat a 40 yard shot as if it were 36 yards.

However, entering a buck or a doe’s bedding area can still get you a crack at a racked buck if you play your cards right. You just have to think about it a bit, and then time your entry. You see, it is not IF you should sneak into a deer’s bedroom–but WHEN. Let me explain.

By late summer a buck often has several bedding options open to him. His choice to bed in the planted pine plantation on the side hill on any given day may depend for example on wind direction, food supply or the absence of the neighbor’s barking dog. He may bed there two or three days in a row, and then bed down by the creek to get out of the wind for a couple of days before taking refuge in the uncut corn lot. You put a full court press on him early in the season, and he will definitely abandon any one of these bedding areas until he is sure it is safe for him to return.

However once the rut kicks in, he will abandon each of these sites for progressively longer periods of time, whether he feels safe there or not, to search for estrous does. And when he hooks up with a hot doe he will stay with her for a day or two, feeding where she feeds and bedding where she beds until she is ready to be bred. Then he will strike out in search of another willing female.

You have a window then of seven to 10 days before breeding actually takes place to sneak in and around a buck’s bedding area with relative impunity. And if you have not yet had a shot at him, or can pin-point his pre- rut travel entrance/exit routes through scrape lines and rub lines, then maybe this is the time you put conventional wisdom aside.

I was thrilled the first time I caught a trophy buck bedded down. He was indeed safe, but alert and ready to spring at the first hint of danger. I watched in awe until the buck casually looked over in my direction, did a double take (I was kneeling getting ready to shoot less than 30 yards away), and then disappeared over a nearby knoll snorting loud enough to wake the spirits!

Bucks like to bed down in heavy cover - often you'll find them sleeping right on the border of heavy cover and an escape route. Photo By Bill Vaznis

Pick a day when the weather is in your favor. A blustery morning for example will quickly disperse your airborne scent to the four winds, and help mask any unwanted noise. During or soon after a soaking rain however is my favorite because it reduces to near zero the likelihood I’ll snap any dry twigs.
Know how a buck beds. A single buck for example generally prefers to bed on the highest ridges facing downhill with the wind to his back. Nearby escape cover in the form of uneven terrain or thick brush is almost always present. This scenario allows him to see danger from below, smell danger from behind, and hear any approach through the thick stuff. All it takes is one leap, and he is gone.
Thus, you do not want to approach a suspected bedding area from below or anywhere where visibility is good. As for the wind, sneaking CROSSWIND along the edges of ravines, hollows and thick cover will offer you your best chances of blind-siding a resting buck.

The buck I mentioned above for example was bedded on the edge of a mountain laurel thicket where a quiet approach from behind was nearly impossible. The wind was to his back, and he could see downhill quite a ways. I caught him resting by keeping the wind to one side of my face.

Learn to look for a bedded buck, not one standing behind a blow down! They are much more difficult to see in this position, but one feature always stands out—the rack! A buck will turn his head at the slightest noise, and it is his set of antlers that you will initially see moving around especially if it is white or contrasts sharply with nearby cover.
Although a mature buck usually beds alone, he may have company. If you spot a bedded buck, this other set of eyes my foil any further approach.

Finally, once you see bucks up and about during the middle of the day, invading a doe’s preferred bedding site is a good strategy to consider. However, if you want to catch a love-sick buck in his bed, one that is throwing caution to the wind, try still-hunting those high places down wind of the doe’s bedding area. This is where a resting buck can use his nose AND his eyes in his search for a doe in heat! I once caught seven or eight bucks in such an area already with a hot doe, and arrowed a 180-pound eight pointer right where he lay!

Check out this cool video of a big buck bedded down.

12 EASY STEPS
1. To begin, hang your tom by the head.

2. With a sharp knife, cut the skin where the feathers on the neck meet the skin of the head.

3. Continuing down the back and toward the tail, remove the skin in an approximate two-inch wide strip. You will notice that the feathers attach to the skin in rows and the narrow strip of skin actually holds a much wider angular blanket of feathers.

4. Remove the skin to and including the fleshy end of the tail.

5. With knife and spoon, remove the fat and flesh.

6. Cover wet skin in Borax.

7. Lay Borax covered skin on large piece of flat corrugated cardboard.

8. With straight pins, pin the head end to cardboard.

9. Fan tail, spread to the desired width and pin each feather in place.

10. With an ice pick, lay each feather in place.

11. Let dry three to four weeks.

12. Remove pins, shake loose Borax and hang.

Note: You may wish to mount the cape on a piece of wood cut to fit the cape.—Rob Keck

Lohman's kit was an absolute cinch to do. The author first, of course shot his bird. After removing the the beard carefully and taking care of the breast meat, the next step was removing the tail.

The National Wild Turkey Federation’s Grand National Taxidermy Championship, held each year during the NWTF’s national convention, has raised the level of awareness of top-notch turkey creations.

Once you’ve brought your mount home, these tips will help keep your bird in top shape.

1. Do not place mounts near heat sources such as fireplaces, hot lighting or air vents.

2. Keep mounts out of direct sunlight to keep them from fading.

3. Do not keep mounts in damp areas.

4. Clean mounts with a dry cloth, brushing the feathers in the direction they lay; do not use a vacuum cleaner for cleaning.

5. Check mounts periodically for signs of insect infestation. Contact your taxidermist if you find anything suspicious.

6. Handle mounts as little as possible. They become more brittle over time.

7. Keep temperature extremes to a minimum. Constant room temperatures are best.

8. Clean glass eyes with a damp Q-tip.

9. Make sure all wall anchors supporting mounts are secure. Inspect periodically.

10. The tips of tail and wing feathers may become “ruffled.” Simply smooth them out with your fingers.

Be sure to catch some of the best taxidermy in North America at the NWTF’s Grand National Taxidermy Championship next year during the Federation’s National Convention and Sport Show in Charlotte, N.C., February 21-24, 2002. For more details, call 800-THE NWTF.—Rob Keck

LOHMAN KIT CONTINUED…

The author's mount took him all of 20 minutes to build and hang on the wall.

Some hunters don’t realize this, but you can remove a turkey’s beard easily by grabbing it firmly where the beard meets the breast feathers. Give the beard a solid yank and it usually comes off bearing nothing but a little white skin that holds it all in one piece. Otherwise, take your knife to breast skin around the base of the beard. Carefully cut all the way around the base of the beard. Then, do the necessary trim work and lay on the borax.

Next, pin the fan down flat on a fairly large piece of cardboard. A few days to a week is about all the time the fan needs to dry out. Now, it’s ready for the Lohman Kit.

Simply lay your flattened fan into the back piece of the mount. Place the piece of foam that’s included in the kit on top of the fan. Next, place the decorative front plate on top of the fan. Now, slip the black, beard-holding inserts into the holes. These inserts keep the entire unit tight as a drum. Now place your swingin’ beard into one of the beard holders and you’re ready to go lookin’ for a place to hang your trophy!–Nino Bosaz

For a huge selection of turkey mounts see eders.com

Of course, there’s no guarantee you’re going to harvest a wild turkey just because you go hunting, but trying is half the fun. While going to the store is still the most reliable means of getting dinner, spending time in the woods, getting some exercise and the pride of being self-reliant is what a traditional life outdoors is all about.

To learn more about turkey hunting, how to get involved in turkey hunting and find more great recipes for wild turkey and other game, contact the NWTF at 800-THE NWTF or check out the Federation’s web site at www.nwtf.org.—Doug Howlett

Cajun Mardi Gras Wild Turkey Breast
Get out your beads, masks and doubloons! It’s time for Mardi Gras, which is Latin for “removal of flesh.” Carnival has many symbols, including Boeuf Gras or “fatted bull.” Traditionally, Boeuf Gras is the ancient symbol for the last meat eaten before the Lenten season of fasting begins. Thanks to this delicious wild turkey recipe from Dave Constantine of Durand, Wis., in the Wild About Turkey cookbook, Dindon Gras, or “fatted turkey,” may be the newest Mardi Gras symbol! An easy to prepare entree, Cajun Mardi Gras Wild Turkey Breast served over rice is easily complemented with a Caesar salad, yeast rolls and, of course, a King Cake or Moon Pies for dessert. As they say in Mobile and New Orleans during Mardi Gras: “Laissez les bon temps roulez!” (Let the good times roll!)

Cajun Mardi Gras Wild Turkey Breast
1 pound bacon, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
Cajun poultry seasoning, as needed
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 (2-pound) boneless turkey breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

In a large, heavy skillet, add bacon and sprinkle it with Cajun seasoning. Fry until crisp. Drain, discard grease and set aside. In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon of butter, and sauté the chopped onion until tender. Remove onion, and set aside. In a large bowl, combine turkey, 2 tablespoons of oil, Worcestershire sauce and more Cajun seasoning. In the same skillet, heat remaining butter and oil until sizzling. Add turkey, bacon and onion. Sauté until turkey is brown and tender. Serve entree over rice. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Stuffed Midwestern Wild Turkey
Springtime is a time of rebirth, a time of new beginnings. It is at this time of year that families celebrate many special occasions—Easter, Passover, christenings, weddings and Mother’s Day—just to name a few. And Spring is a great time to show off your newly- bagged gobbler! A.M. Glombowski of Lake Forest, Ill., has a delicious recipe using a whole bird—Stuffed Midwestern Wild Turkey. This is an easy-to-prepare recipe that will look beautiful on your special table this spring, or any other time of the year. Enjoy!

Stuffed Midwestern Wild Turkey
14 slices bacon, divided
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup water
1 (8-ounce) package cornmeal stuffing mix
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/2 cup hot water
1 cup dry red wine, divided
1 (10- to 12-pound) wild turkey

Fry eight slices bacon until crisp. Drain bacon, crumble and set aside. Sauté the chopped onion and celery in bacon drippings. When the vegetables are tender, add 1/2 cup water, and simmer for five minutes. Stir in stuffing mix and crumbled bacon. Dissolve bouillon cube in 1/2 cup hot water. Add 1/2 cup red wine to bouillon. Add the bouillon-wine mixture to the stuffing mixture, and stuff the turkey. Transfer the turkey to a roasting pan. Lay 4 slices of bacon across the breast, and wrap a slice of bacon around each leg. Cover pan with foil; then place lid on pan. Bake in a 300-degree oven for 4 1/2 hours. Remove cover and foil. Pour remaining wine over the turkey. Baste every 10 minutes while cooking an additional 40 minutes. Yield: 12 to 15 servings.

Marinated Wild Turkey Rolls

No matter the holiday or special gathering, a hors d’oeuvre made from a wild turkey is made from the heart. Marinated Wild Turkey Rolls, a recipe from Gary L. Crafton of Coffeeville, Miss., is easy to prepare and a tasty treat. Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or friends over to watch the big game, everyone will love snacking on these. Once cooked, the rolls will easily stay warm in an oven on the lowest setting until serving time. The rolls also may be frozen (after the initial cooking). Just defrost them in the refrigerator and heat them in the oven before serving. At a dressy get-together, serve this meaty fingerfood in a silver chafing dish, or use a terra-cotta cooker as a serving container for a more casual affair. Enjoy!

1 (5 lb.) wild turkey breast, deboned
12 ounces commercial Italian dressing
12 strips thickly sliced bacon
toothpicks

Cut breast meat along the grain into long, thin 1/4-inch-thick strips. Submerge strips in dressing, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for three to six hours. Drain. Place a strip of bacon onto each sliced turkey breast strip, cut the bacon/turkey strip 4 inches long, roll into a pinwheel, and secure with a toothpick. Place in a large non-stick skillet and cook over very low heat for about an hour. (You may also try baking them at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.) The turkey roll is done before bacon browns. Yield: 6 servings

Southwest Shrimp, Turkey and Rice Soup

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
½ cup onion, sliced or diced
½ cup celery, diced finely
1 cup instant long grain rice
1 tbsp. cooking oil
several cloves of garlic, minced
½ tsp. crushed red pepper
¾ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
¾ pound of turkey, cooked, in bite sized pieces
jalapeno pepper, sliced
green onions, sliced
cilantro, chopped
lime wedges

In a large saucepan, combine broth and water and bring to a boil. Add onion and celery and cook for 2 minutes; add rice, bring back to a boil then cover, remove from heat and set aside.
Heat oil in a skillet. Add garlic, red pepper, jalapeno (optional), shrimp and turkey; sauté just until shrimp are done (they will turn red); about 3 minutes. Stir the shrimp/turkey mixture into the rice/broth mixture.

Divide the soup evenly among 4 to 6 bowls. Top each bowl with a little chopped cilantro and green onion and serve with a wedge of lime.

Wild Turkey Dijon

2 pounds boneless turkey breast
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup green onions, finely sliced
sliced mushrooms, morels preferred
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 cup cream

Slice the turkey breast into serving size pieces and pound gently with a meat mallet (or the edge of a plate). Season with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a large skillet and sauté the turkey, turning once, until done. Remove to a warm platter. Add garlic, green onion, mushrooms to the pan and sauté until onion is tender (add more butter if necessary). Stir in mustard, lemon juice, sherry, and cream and stir over simmer until slightly thickened. Add turkey to sauce until heated through. Serve with rice or noodles. About 4 servings.

A M.A.D. Planner

Tools of the deer-hunting trade; a topographical map, compass, grunt tube, arrows with razor-sharp heads...and a bow, too!

“Mark,” I said, “Mark Drury. What are you doing here?”

“Tad and I are up here bow hunting for a week. What about you?” he replied. “Carol and I are doing the same thing,” I remarked. “We’ll talk to you sometime this week.”

As most of you know, Mark Drury founded M.A.D. calls and has produced outstanding hunting videos for several years. His deer videos have captured on film his crew taking many outstanding bucks, all in the wild. Everything I had seen regarding Mark up to this point had been positive, but I’m always wondering exactly what kind of a hunter a guy really is. Does he take big deer because his hunting locations are so great he has to shoo bucks out of the way as he goes to stand, or does he succeed through sound hunting methods and persistence.

An excellent hunter. I found that out real quick when we visited with he and Tad that night. Mark had been hunting this area for a few years, and had his stands set well ahead of time. Each stand site was numbered, the location was duly noted, and what wind direction would be required to hunt each stand was also recorded. Every detail of their hunts was planned out well in advance–and more importantly, adhered to. It didn’t surprise me to see them fill their tags with nice bucks fairly quickly.

Carol and I, meanwhile, had our opportunities. She missed a great non- typical which would have scored in the 180s. I passed good bucks, but never had a crack at anything top end. We did this despite the fact we had never been to the region before. We had to obtain permission to hunt, then quick decisions as to stand placement had to be made. Still, we did have a plan we followed, and so should you every year.

Locate an inside corner in your land's terrain and you can bet the family farm that deer will use that point for heavy travel.

Seven-Phase Attack Plan
1. First of all, you must recognize your strengths, especially in the time of year to hunt. If you have been bow hunting very long, this should be fairly easy. My strength lies in rut hunting more so than in early season or late season deer hunting. Because of this, I plan my time off to fall near or in the rut. If you’re better at late season hunting, be sure to plan your vacations then. And always remember almost all of us, regardless of our vocation, have limited time we can take off. It may be a few days, a week, or two weeks, but rarely longer than this.

Because of the limited amount of days most of us have off, it is critical to take them at the right time. I know tremendous numbers of hunters here in Indiana who take a couple of their vacation days on October 1st when our bow season comes in. “I just couldn’t wait. I had to get out there!” is their common statement. Most don’t even see deer because of the heavy foliage. They would have been far better off to wait until the rut to hunt, when deer are moving better and visibility is great. Of course this takes patience, a trait you can definitely develop.

2. Determine where you are going to hunt. If you want a high scoring whitetail, this may mean going out of state. That’s why we and Mark Drury and Tad were in Iowa–big deer. If you hunt locally, it’s still important to list–on paper or in your computer– every place you might possibly hunt.

3. Obtain plat, topographical and aerial maps of every place you have listed where you might hunt. This is what Carol and I did before we went to Iowa. This enabled us to find landowners so we could obtain permission to hunt, and to then key in on hot terrain features quickly with the topo maps.

When the wind is right, set up at the base of a hilltop funnel. Bucks will chase does and travel in these areas regularly.

5. List the wind direction(s) you need to effectively hunt each stand site. You can do this by standing at the stand site with a compass in your hand, or you can even do it by placing a compass on your aerial or topographical map and determining the wind directions most desirable. And since all of you are reading this on a computer, I’ll share a neat little trick I discovered.

If you buy a topographical map on a CD, such as from Maptech, there is a route marker setting on the map. By clicking on the topographical map at the place where you want to place your stand, you then can move the route setting arrow around and you can determine the best wind directions using this method. It sounds harder to do than it really is.

6. Determine the best entry and exist routes to your stand. This is tremendously important. You want to disturb the whitetails in the region as little as possible. For example, Carol and I almost always go to our stands just before daylight, at daylight, or even a little later. This surprises many hunters. “You have to be there early,” they say. Not really. Our best entry to many of our stands is through fields where deer feed. It’s foolish to walk through deer to get to stand. It’s much better to wait until the whitetails clear the fields, then ease into the stand site.

There are exceptions to this, of course, such as getting to a deep saddle in the hills before the deer arrive there. Even then, however, arriving late doesn’t hurt you on a morning hunt. Over 70% of the trophy deer we kill are taken between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. This brings me to the next point.

7. Determine how long you are going to stay on stand. If you only have two hours to hunt in the morning or evening, there’s no major decision here. If, on the other hand, you have all day to hunt, then you need to determine how long to stay. This decision most often will be determined by the time of year. During the late pre-rut, rut and post-rut, boomer bucks can be moving at any hour. We do make some draining all day hunts, although most often we hunt from daylight until 1:00 p.m. then from 3:00 p.m. until dark. This gives us a little break. The best three hours of the day for us, as previously mentioned, is 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

Again, this is where making a game plan and sticking to it will really increase your success rates. By saying you are going to hunt until 1:00 p.m. no matter what, you have made a commitment to stay there. Even if you don’t have confidence deer will move at noon, by trying this time a few days, you will see it happen, maybe even take out a bruiser. This builds both confidence and patience, important ingredients in the successful trophy hunting recipe.

Putting It All Together
Once all this information is recorded, make sure you hunt the stand locations offering the highest odds of success. Don’t hunt with the wrong wind, thinking you will “get lucky”. You will ruin all your days of preparation if you do. Yes, this may mean you will spend time setting in secondary stands feeling sorry for yourself some days. Despite this, doing so is a breakthrough. You are on the road to being an outstanding deer hunter, and you will be rewarded.

To show how a plan can work, I’ll share a typical hunt I made. The day was November 7, 1998. The late pre-rut. Getting out of bed at 5:15 a.m. I checked the wind direction with my weather radio–southeast. Going to my list of stands I could hunt with a southeast wind, I found three. I knew a good buck was using the Bench Funnel Stand area, so decided to hunt there. I planned to stay until 1:00 p.m.

After driving for forty five minutes, I arrived at my hunting spot. Once again I checked my weather radio. The weather direction was holding. If the wind direction predictions had changed, I would have gone elsewhere. I waited until it was breaking light before I walked about three fourths of a mile through the middle of a picked soybean field. Finally reaching the stand location (the tree stand was already in place), I crossed a small pasture and eased into my stand. I had to cross a major deer trail to do this, something I detest. There was no other way

By 9:30 a.m. the sunny day had warmed the temperature into the low 50s. I had not seen a deer. Then the woods came alive. A yearling buck was chasing a doe; a 2 1/2 year old buck was chasing a doe; then silence. Time passed. Was it over?

Not even close. At 11:45 a.m. I took out a 150 gross 12-point who was out taking a midday stroll. Incidentally, the wind was perfect, still being from the southeast, the only wind direction I could hunt this stand with that day. It’s a good thing, the buck stood only 10 yards away when I released the arrow.

Yes, if you’re the man (or gal) with the plan, you are going to find yourself tagging deer much more frequently. Learn all you can about tactical hunting in this magazine (use the archives), then map out your game plan as described. Then remain true to your plan. Be patient; be smart; be persistent; be confident; be successful!!!