As is the case across most of America these days, there’s no shortage of coyotes near the western Kentucky home of Harold Knight and David Hale, two of the country’s top game callers. So when the pair set me up behind an old log atop a small hill overlooking a field edge and began calling, I asked no questions. Instead I chambered a round into the .22-250 and got ready.

It wasn’t 20 minutes later an old song dog came loping out into the field, drawn to the pair’s squalling like flies to honey. I let him drop his head and started trotting our way before setting the crosshairs on his chest and clicking off the safety. Harold’s squealer was the last thing he ever heard.

Coyotes hunting across America is as good as it’s ever been, thanks to a rapidly growing population. It’s also a challenging and exciting form of off-season hunting.

“Coyotes are cautious animals, always afraid that there’s something out there trying to eat them,” said Harold Knight, half the famous Knight & Hale game calling team that manufacturers a wide variety of game call products and videos. “You have to be meticulous in your hunting if you want to have a chance at calling a dog into shooting range.”

Find and Study Sign
You have to be hunting in an area that holds coyotes, which seems pretty obvious but is something many beginning hunters overlook. “Take the time to learn how to recognize coyote sign, then look for it,” said David Hale. “Look for tracks, scat, and evidence of where coyotes have been eating small game like rabbits. You can also listen for howling at and dawn and near sunset. I like to howl right before or just after dark, which often will stimulate a nearby pack into answering me. If I do this, I know they’re probably within a quarter mile of where I’m standing. They’ll probably bed down close to that, so I know to be in position to hunt that spot as soon as it’s light enough to see the next morning.”

Set Up So You Can See
“Out West, where you can see along ways off, it’s best to set up on an elevated knob or bench, where you can see a long ways out there,” said Knight. “I like to be able to see a quarter mile if I can. The key is to slip into this position from the back side, so the coyotes won’t spot you as you set up.

“In the East, it’s best to set up under 300 yards from where you think the dogs are laid up in a wide open area. This may seem strange at first, but you have to be able to call the coyote into an open area so you can get a shot. If you call one up in the thick brush, he may come in but you’ll never see him. This open terrain is a disadvantage for you, so be sure to stay still and be well camouflaged.”

Play The Wind
“You have to play the wind just as if you were deer hunting,” said Hale. “If coyotes get a whiff of you, they’re gone. Period. A coyote’s nose is as good as his ears and eyes, and they’re very good. His only weakness is his appetite, which is what we’re playing with when we try and call them in.

“Also, on windy days try and set up at least a quarter mile from where you think the coyotes might be,” Hale said. “On calm days, a half-mile is about right, to avoid accidentally spooking them while you’re getting ready.”

Choosing The Right Call
When selecting the type of call to use, choose one that imitates a small-game animal that is prevalent in the local food chain. “In the West, the key food source for most coyotes is the jackrabbit,” Knight said. “In the east, it is the cottontail rabbit. Also, you’d be surprised how many small domestic dogs coyotes eat. You can make the sound of a puppy whining with a mouth diaphragm, and that often gets coyotes running to you where more conventional calls may not.”

There are many calls with instructional cds and videos available in the Eders virtual pro shop that provide an inexpensive way to learn the ins and outs of coyote calling from the experts. see theCoyote Calls at eders.com

The Calling Sequence
Knight and Hale follow a basic calling pattern when prospecting a new location. “We like to use a brisk series of sounds beginning with a squalling sound as loud as we can make it, then taper it off to a series of more quiet squealing,” Hale said. “These series may last 10 to 15 seconds, and we try to repeat the sequence four or five times in the space of two minutes.

“The first series of calls is usually at a lower than maximum volume, in case there are coyotes close to where we’ve set up,” Hale said. “If we don’t get any action, we up the volume and tempo. If I’m hunting in the morning, I’ll usually give a set-up an hour before moving on to try another area. That’s because in the morning, the dog is returning to his bedding area, and I have to give him time to get there.

Camouflage
Using complete camouflage, including covering the face, hands, and ears, is critical to consistent success on coyotes. “Choose a pattern that blends in well with the surrounding foliage at a particular time of year,” Knight advised. “Coyotes have sharp eyes, and their suspicious nature makes them wary of anything that doesn’t look just right.”

It’s also critical to monitor your own movement, Knight said. “You have to sit still, especially when you’re set up in semi-open country,” he said. “Even if you’re camo’d up, if a coyote sees you move he’ll become ultra-cautious, and that means it’s game over.”

The Locomotion
The locomotion isn’t just an old 1960′s dance, it’s also a good way to get a call-shy coyote into range.

“We like to improvise some sort of motion decoy when we set up,” said Hale. “If a decoy will focus the dog’s eyes on it instead of you, your chances of getting off a good shot are increased dramatically.”

Harold and David like to use a two-man attack, setting up 75 to 100 yards apart. The caller carries a shotgun loaded with buck shot, while the observer carries a long-range varmint rifle. “The caller is the decoyer,” Knight said. “He needs to set a decoy of a rabbit at least 30 yards from his hide. I like to give the decoy movement by attaching a piece of fishing line to it, then moving the line enough to give the decoy a life-like motion. Feather- Flex makes a great bouncing rabbit decoy for this trick.

“Mouth calls are best for close calling because of the low sound and because you can use them with both hands free to handle the weapon.”

“When we set up, the caller needs to keep his eyes focused in one direction, the observer in another,” Knight said. “You can’t make a lot of motion, or an old coyote will see you. They usually approach to the edge of the cover line, then hesitate while they size things up before committing. If they see any movement other than the decoy, they’ll vanish. The rifleman must watch for the movement of the coyote at long range, then make the shot before the dog catches on that he’s been set up.”

Types of Calls
There are several commercially made varmint calls on the market, and most will work well under the right conditions, Hale said. “External calls will produce the most volume for you, while internal (mouth diaphragm) calls produce the least volume. Mouth calls are best for close calling because of the low sound and because you can use them with both hands free to handle the weapon.

“Electronic callers are excellent choices for most coyote hunting, where legal,” Hale said. “This way you can set the speaker off away from you, near the decoy, which will draw the coyote’s attention away from you blind and, of course, keeping the hands free for the shot.”

Hale also recommends varmint hunters listen to one of several how-to cassettes on calling coyotes, watch videos, and attend seminars given by expert coyote hunters to learn as much as they can about the sport. “Even if you’ve been calling coyotes for a long time, you can always learn something new. These training aids are inexpensive, and even if you only pick up one or two little ideas from them they’ll be worth the money.”

For a short instructional video from Primos on calling coyote see the video below:

Young Rocco showed admirable discipline. It was cold, damp and uncomfortable in the deepwoods. He climbed the challenging hills and terrain carefully and with pure, youthful spunk. The hardest part was sitting statue still for extended periods of time with dad. But his intense smile said it all. He was mezmerized by the wild all around him. The flitting songbirds captured his attention, and distant crowspeak ignited his young, inquisitive imagination. The nearly invisible deer, ghostlike, feeding along the ridgeline ahead, caused him to hold his breath temporarily and stare, fascinated by the dynamic of the beast and his exhilarated level of awareness. This boy was on fire! High on natie as it oughtta be.
The day rocked on, father and son truly harmonizing with Ma Nature, and more importantly, each other. Like my dad before me, I was driven to teach my son the laws of nature, hands-on, as a natural, thinking, conscientious participant, hunting our families’ dinner by dedicating ourselves to her rules of tooth, fang and claw. To observe my boy embracing this powerful reality set my soul aflight.

“Is it real hunting? Certainly the very same variables that dictate a quality hunt anywhere apply on natural habitat within enclosures as well.”

This day afield was particularly moving for us, not just because we had some great discussions about important things, not just because an eight year old boy showed good self control and self discipline and intense interest, and not just because our midday sack lunch together tasted better in the wild, than any five star meal anywhere. Much more importantly, this day in the wild was extremely special for the simple fact that we could actually experience it legally. You see, at eight, Rocco is not by law allowed to deerhunt in Michigan, or almost any state for that matter. Even though he has dedicated himself to firearm and archery safety and marksmanship, certainly as good, if not better, than many of those of legal age, the goofy laws in most states force young children like Rocco to stay away from hunting, and for all practical purpose, the outdoors and her valuable lessons. With this programmed failure to recruit new, young hunters, the value of wild ground and its inherent wildlife habitat is virtually doomed. Tragically, an entire generation has been discouraged to feel the mighty Spirit of the Wild by these nonsense laws. Believe me, the alternatives are ugly. Read the papers and watch the news mutilated by report after report of younger and younger violent offenders. Review recent history and see the invention of words such as “driveby shooting”, “school shootings”, the explosion of gang violence, graffiti, vandalism, preteen drug running and pregnancies, and kids randomly killing each other, and you will note it all began at the same time as America’s exodus from the country to the city and the land. Hunter’s numbers began to decline THEN the shit hit the fan.

Thankfully, Rocco and I had a wide-open opportunity to hunt big game together because of private property visionaries. With the rape of the hills urban sprawl, the paving of America, and an epidemic of habitat destroying golf courses, malls and other over the top development, wildlife ground will only be saved if that wildlife has renewable value. Many private property owners across the country, for many legitimate reasons, have enclosed their land with gameproof fences in order to offer specialized hunting opportunities above and beyond the regular seasons. And why not? Certainly this private control has proven to be an obvious upgrade in quality deer management, and these increased opportunities provide a vast increase in quality family hours of recreation. That’s a win win if there ever was one.

Is it real hunting? Certainly the very same variables that dictate a quality hunt anywhere apply on natural habitat within enclosures as well. With good escape cover, adequate food sources and sensible management restrictions, much like those rules that succeed on public grounds, an enclosed property hunt is as good as any wilderness hunt. Anyone who has a had a lick of real world, various hunting experience can tell you how anything can happen out there in the wild, fence or no fence. Only the inexperienced squawk their supposition. Facts are always a much better source of policy than guesswork. The critics of enclosure hunting invariably ignore these statistics and facts, and mindlessly continue their vacuous diatribe. Meanwhile, the truth is there for the discovering if but a modicum of effort is pursued. So be it.

People who just plain hate hunting and hunters have found support within the hunting community by small-minded hunters, who, by all appearances, just like to hear themselves pontificate, for whatever reason. Legislation was posed a few years back under Bill HR1200 to ban all fenced in hunting under 1000 acres. That bill was defeated for obvious reasons regarding private property rights, but in Washington State, and now Wisconsin, the anti-hunters have succeeded in fooling the public, as such enclosures are now illegal. This closed mindedness is coming to Michigan and other states right now, and represents a terrible mistake for many reasons. But the primary tragedy of such thinking is the brick wall it represents to family, particularly, children’s, opportunities to hunt during those most important, formative years of their youth.

In Texas and Mississippi, there is no minimum legal age for young hunters. Parents have made those determinations for years without any injuries or accidents. And those 5, 6 and 7 year old hunters bag deer regularly, under safe, well-supervised conditions that a bureaucrat or socialist cannot fathom. By all accounts, those families do not need to be protected from themselves, thank you. And if enclosure hunting is “unfair”, than, praytell, just what do you call chicken McNuggets?

With shooting light fading into the evening shadows, Rocco bellycrawled the last few yards to the forest edge, and set up his little bolt action .223 rifle for the shot. And because of all the dedicated rangetime he had invested to cultivate his inherent marksmanship discipline, he put that big, wild old hog down with a perfect heartshot. As we field dressed the beast and dragged him out of the forest, I glowed, witnessing my son’s joy and excitement from his first kill. It was a long, difficult, challenging day of lessons in the wild. Lessons that touched the deepest, most important core of his being. Lessons of stealth, accountability, discipline, patience, awareness, self control, self-sufficiency, nature, cause and effect and ultimately, how to open up and feel his father’s love. To bring any obstacles whatsoever into this equation would be truly unfortunate. And it is very sad that no father and young son in Wisconsin or Washington State will ever be able to feel what we felt this day, all because selfish, ignorant fools created a policy with zero information. Really, really sad.

I was trapped. I was fifteen feet up in my treestand watching a 2-1/2 year old buck stare a hole through me. He had eleven points altogether, including two uniquely forked brow tines. He definitely was a deer I would like to put my tag on, but it didn’t appear my chances of doing that were too good since I expected him to bolt at any second.

Strangely, though, as I continued to watch him I could tell he wasn’t alarmed. He seemed to be looking at me, and at the same time, beyond me. In fact, if deer can have puzzled looks on their faces, it was for sure he was wearing one. After a minute or two of study, the buck turned and walked down the trail, relaxed but curious enough to glance back in my direction every so often, preventing me from shooting.

When he was perhaps twenty five yards away in a brushy area, a noise in the woods caused him to stop, diverting his attention away from me. Instantly I came to full draw, intently concentrating on the deer’s body that was almost totally obscured by brush. Quickly I noticed a fist-sized hole in the foliage. Subconsciously my mind plotted the course of the arrow, calculating a high lung shot as the probable placement of the hit.
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One moment the arrow was on the bowstring, then almost magically, it was passing into the buck’s lung area. It was high, as expected, creating a long, arduous tracking job due to a sparse blood trail. It was, however, a tracking job well worth while, rewarding me with my best whitetail to that date.

The just-mentioned hunting story occurred several years ago, and while I have used the bow to take several better bucks since then, the forked brow tine buck has significant meaning. It stands out in my memory because it was the first time bowhunting bushytails was directly responsible for my whitetail success.

During the early fall squirrel season I had whizzed flu flu arrows toward unsuspecting squirrels hundreds of times. Since a flu flu arrow is easily knocked off course by the slightest obstacle, each shot had to be carefully analyzed regarding limbs, leaves and trajectory. This in-the-woods practice allowed me to see the small–and only–opening I had to arrow the forked brow tine buck. Hunting bushytails has allowed me to take more whitetails. It will do the same for you, and just as importantly, you will have the time of your life while squirrel hunting with the bow.

Squirrel hunting gives you excellent practice at live game, it develops your senses of sight and hearing, and it also hones your stalking skills to a razor sharp edge. Toss in the fact squirrel seasons begin in late summer or early fall – immediately preceding whitetail hunting – and I can’t think of a single reason why a bowbender shouldn’t be out there flinging flu flus skyward. Another bonus comes at dinner time. Young squirrels, pan fried, provide some of the best eating you will ever lay your lips to (see attached recipe). Now let’s talk about equipment.

Any Bow Will Work

Hunting squirrels offers new challenges in the form of unique shooting angles and distances.

Fingers or a release aid can be used, but when it comes to an arrow rest, one of a design which will let the spirally wound flu flu feather pass by it without catching will be required. Experiment with different rests to see which one works best for your setup. One that doesn’t work at all is a springy rest; it looks like an elongated noodle after shooting a spirally wound feather through it. Of course the shelves on recurves and long bows work perfect for shooting flu flu arrows.

Regarding arrows, if available and affordable, fiberglass arrows can’t be beat for squirrel hunting because they are both accurate and flexible. They shoot well, they won’t permanently bend like aluminum arrows, and another desirable feature is that they are hard to break. Unfortunately they are becoming a rarity in this day and age. Your next best affordable arrow option is the wooden shaft. I have used wooden shafts and found them to perform very well for flu flus, as long as you are sure to pick the correctly spined wooden shaft for your particular bow.

The author installs a small nail behind the head of wooden arrows and wraps wire around other types to add a little extra insurance.

Usually they will fall out of the tree, stop to fight the arrow, then tear off on the ground or up a tree. What the barb does is keep the arrow from pulling out, thereby increasing your odds of harvesting the squirrel. A “stun stick”, by the way, is one item you will need while bushytail hunting with a bow. This is simply a length of sapling 12″ long that you secure to your belt with a clip or chain snap. When you shoot a squirrel and he falls to the ground, he is a live ball of fury while temporarily fighting the arrow. The stun stick allows you to bop him on the head and quickly finish him off. You never will appreciate how important this little stick is until you start bowhunting squirrels.

And perhaps you wonder why I don’t recommend a blunt point for squirrel hunting. Very simple. They don’t work well. Regardless of what you read, you are going to loose a ton of squirrels if you use blunts. You will kill one occasionally, sure, but most often they will scurry off bruised and very much alive.

Building Your Arrow
Regarding how I set my arrows up, I use snap-on nocks and fletch my arrows spirally. Here are the methods that work well for me when attaching feathers. Starting at the tip of the nock, I measure down the arrow 6″. Next I mark the arrow in 1/2″ spacing back toward the nock. Since I’m right handed, I find right wing full length feathers work best for me. I use hot pink.

I cut these feathers to a length of 10″. A slight “combing” will be necessary to separate the feather before applying it to the shaft. I apply a drop of fletching cement to the big end of the feather and secure it with a plastic clothes pin to the mark 6″ from the nock. While holding the loose end of the feather, I apply a ribbon of fletching cement to the feather, then carefully wind it around the shaft making sure it hits the 1/2″ marks. The finished end is secured with a clothes pin. This finishes the arrow, which does take a little work. Still, it is fun to create something with your own hands.

The final item you will need for squirrel hunting is a back quiver of some type. I use a St. Charles type back quiver that holds fourteen arrows. Many of my friends make custom top load back quivers which hold twenty or more arrows. Either type gives you plenty of ammunition, because you won’t loose as many flu flu arrows as you think you will. Most of them only go a maximum of 70 yards, and amazingly, with the non-skid field points, most arrows bounce off the trees you hit. Now let’s go hunting.

The Hunting Methods

The author stands with his daily limit of 5 squirrels.

While stalking, I listen for the sound of hickory nut shavings falling from the trees. I am also alert for the sun illuminating these flakes al they fall from the tree. Many times you can see these cuttings before you hear them. Once I have located a tree the squirrels are using, my approach goes into low gear. I move slowly and quietly, all the while watching for any squirrels down low which might present a shot. If careful, usually you can slip undetected directly beneath the tree.

If the squirrels are up high, I wait a few minutes. In this early season, quite often an old squirrel will chase a young one down the tree, giving you a perfect shot. If they don’t come down, I send flu flus up. Although misses are more common than hits, occasionally I pick one off this way.

Incidentally, gray squirrels are a bundle of nerves, sometimes vacating the premises at the first shot. Fox squirrels, meanwhile, are very curious. Oftentimes a miss will only serve to bring them down the tree trunk, barking all the time, to check out what you really are. Again you have a good shot.

As the season progresses, the squirrel hunting pattern will change. The squirrels may start feeding on beech if available, or switch to oaks if the hickory nuts give out. Regardless, as late September rolls around, a strange urge, placed there by their Creator, will grip the squirrels. They will begin to carry and bury nuts. No, they can’t remember where they placed them, it’s just nature’s way of assuring a continual planting of various tree species. This presents the bowhunter with some dynamite squirrel hunting opportunities. Once you find a tree the squirrels are carrying nuts from, ease into position and determine their run tree.

For instance, assume the tree is a shagbark hickory. Due to the configuration of the bark, squirrels won’t use the main trunk of the tree, they will use a grapevine, adjacent brush or tree for a run tree. Simply determine the run tree they are using, wait for them to come scurrying down with a nut to bury, then draw your bow, or whistle. Most of the time the squirrel will stop, allowing you to whiz a flu flu at them. This is fun hunting, offering great shooting opportunities, one which may very well allow you to limit out if you are in a quantity of squirrels.

The Hunting Changes
As the leaves and nuts start to fall, the hunting again changes. Now the squirrels are on the ground, meaning you won’t loose near as many arrows. Still, though, this is a type of hunting which, while appearing easy, requires a great deal of expertise. While good hearing will allow you to hear the squirrels if the leaves are dry, alert, constant scanning with your eyes is most critical to your success. You must see the squirrels before they see you. Then you can slip right up on them, especially if they are preoccupied with burying a nut.

This type of hunting develops your observation powers and stalking abilities, making you a better whitetail hunter along the way. Someplace in all this squirrel hunting, you also will discover that the wind is your ally. Many people who squirrel hunt with a gun think a calm, quiet day is tops for bushytail hunting. Quite to the contrary, a windy day is unbeatable for both bow and gun. Sure, it’s hard to hear; remember, though, it works both ways. With the bushes and limbs swaying, a squirrel can’t hear you, and by moving slowly, your motion is extremely hard to detect.

As an example, one fall I was hunting a hilly region of southern Indiana where the oak trees were absolutely loaded with acorns. Unbelievably, the squirrels – both gray and fox – seemed almost as thick as the acorns. They were on the ground, and a 15-24 m.p.h. wind enabled me to ease up on them and get shot after shot throughout the day. I shot sixteen times at fourteen different squirrels before getting my limit of five – four gray and one fox.

It was a classic example of how the wind can aid your hunting. Also significant was the fact, on the same windy day, I still-hunted undetected up on a mature tom turkey, plus deer on three different occasions. One of the whitetails was a 3-1/2 year old 8-point buck. Again, bowhunting for squirrels had enabled me to learn something new, this time the location of a trophy whitetail.

Now, in my fifty fifth year, my beard is sprinkled with salt and pepper. A hat covers my thinning hair, and yes, the eyes aren’t quite what they used to be. Even the old joints are loosening up a bit. Still, I keep going by following my own advice: For more whitetails, hunt bushytails.

Skillet/Oven Fried Squirrel Recipe
Note! Use only young, tender squirrels for frying – save old squirrels for making squirrel dumplings. Serves 3 – 4 people
Ingredients:
2-3 young squirrels
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon margarine
3 tablespoons bacon grease or vegetable shortening
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut each squirrel into 6 pieces, using the 4 legs and the meaty part of back to fry (save the rib piece for making dumplings at another time).

Roll the squirrel pieces in the flour until well coated.

While oven is preheating, put a 10 to 12 inch cast iron skillet on top of stove. Using medium-high heat, melt margarine and bacon grease or vegetable shortening in skillet. Melted shortening mixture should be about 1/4 inch deep in bottom of skillet.

Place cut up squirrel in skillet in a single layer and salt and pepper to taste. Brown on both sides (approximately 3-4 minutes for each side).

After browning, cover skillet with lid or aluminum foil and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes depending on how young the squirrels are.

Then turn the squirrel over and bake for another 20 – 25 minutes. Test with a fork to see if done. If fork slips easily into the meat it is ready to eat. If you feel the squirrel is not quite done, turn it over again and bake for 10 to 15 more minutes.

Skillet / oven fried squirrel is excellent served with a side dish of homemade biscuits topped with white milk gravy made from the squirrel drippings.

Unreal…isn’t it?

My host at Big Bend Ranch, just south of the capitol city of Pierre South Dakota had agreed to let me bowhunt geese on the ranch with the understanding that I could try my luck on the smaller groups of early arrivals, but once the large flocks started arriving from the nearby Missouri River, I was going to have to switch to a camera and avoid spooking the geese away from their feeding area on the ranch. I don’t think the rancher was much worried about my making an impact in the population with my bow and arrow.

It didn’t take long to realize, shooting a bow from the narrow confines of the pit blind dug specifically for shotgun hunting, was going to be a problem. The only way I could manage was to crouch just below ground level where the pit sloped down. I’d have to wait until the geese were set to land and then raise up, draw and shoot. A piece of cake!

It was barely light enough to see and only a few minutes past legal shooting time when four gigantic Canada’s materialized out of grayness and set their wings over the opening in the decoy spread 15 yards from where I crouched in frozen anticipation. When the huge birds stuck out their webbed feet and started back-flapping to slow their downward momentum I lunged up, jerked my 85# Hoyt compound to full draw, concentrated on where I wanted the arrow to go and released. The Thunderhead tipped XX75 zipped right over a thoroughly startled goose that actually crashed into the ground before frantically launching itself back into the air. “Man, you damn near got him!” hissed my host from his end of the pit blind. “Get ready! Here comes three more!”

A bowhunter comes to full draw on a duck in the water. Jump shooting ducks can be action-packed and lots of fun.

The three gigantic honkers set their wings 100 yards out and lost elevation rapidly as they headed for the same landing zone as the previous group. When the geese were 10 feet in the air, necks extended and feet reaching for the ground when I again drew my bow and raised up for the shot. This time I gave the plummeting goose in the center a bit more downward lead and turned loose. The arrow slashed through the center of the goose with a solid sounding thwaack and the 13# bird slammed into the ground, bounced once and never twitched again. “Yahoo!” hollered my host. “I’ve never seen a goose killed any quicker than that!” Never would have believed it was possible!” Needless to say I was a bit pleased myself .

Bowhunting Waterfowl Methods

Ducks and geese can be successfully bowhunted by three methods, jump shooting, pass shooting and decoying. Decoying and pass shooting work best for bowhunting geese while decoying and jump shooting are the most productive methods for the smaller, faster flying, harder-to-hit, ducks.

Jump shooting ducks is hard to beat for an exciting and challenging bowhunting experience that can be employed throughout the country. When your big game bowhunt coincides with the waterfowl season, midday jumpshooting can add a whole new dimension to your bowhunt.
  
 Key Jump-Shooting Tactics
 The real key to successful jump shooting is  locating your quarry before it sees you.  Binoculars and a spotting scope can aid  dramatically in this endeavor. Look for the ducks  themselves or for rippling water that indicates  feeding or loafing ducks. Ducks have excellent  eyesight so plan your stalk carefully to keep  yourself completely out of sight until the last  possible moment. Complete camo that matches your  background cover can often make the difference in  the success or failure of your stalk.

 I can remember one late season whitetail bowhunt in the south where the waterfowl season was still open during my deer hunt. While bowhunting the second day I discovered the steep-banked creeks flowing through the hardwood bottoms were filled with wood ducks. It didn’t take me long to add a bird hunting license to my deer license.  Since I already had the necessary waterfowl stamp I was in business.

I couldn’t wait for the morning hunt to end so I could sneak along the creeks bowhunting the gorgeous woodies. I’d ease along a creek, glassing ahead for a telltale ripple or sight of a duck. Once I located my quarry, I’d circle out 30 yards or so from the creek, staying out of sight of the unsuspecting birds.

When I got directly opposite where I figured the ducks were located, I’d ease quietly toward the edge of the bank and come to full draw before I got within sight of the creek or ducks. If there was a tree or other cover along the edge of the bank I’d try to make use of it to cover my approach and help break up my outline.

 On a number of occasions I’d catch the ducks completely by surprise and get an arrow off before they lept into the air.  Most of the time, however, my shot was at a rapidly rising duck. I managed to limit out on ducks several days in a row while everybody else was back in camp taking a midday nap.

I’ve spent many a pleasant fall day in Colorado jump shooting ducks off the high mountain beaver dams. During the late duck season in the Colorado mountains the many warm water springs and irrigation ditches have also provided some fantastic jump shooting with a bow and arrow for the mallards drawn to the lush sedges and tepid water.
 
Decoying Techniques
Decoying works well for bowhunting both ducks and geese. However the same blind or pit setup that works for shotgunning won’t necessarily work for bowhunting. A bowhunter needs a blind with room enough to draw, swing and shoot without interference. I prefer a blind that’s open on the front with a good dense background that will let the immobile, camouflaged bowhunter blend in completely until time to draw and shoot.

Concentration is a real key to successfully arrowing incoming ducks or geese dropping into a decoy spread . It’s tough to concentrate on a single bird and then to further concentrate on picking a spot to place your arrow. I’m glad that I shoot instinctively as a sight shooter would definitely have a lot tougher time following the fast action. The decoy spread should be placed close to the blind with the primary landing area for ducks and geese situated at 10 – 20 yards directly in front of the shooter’s position. In many areas a bowhunter can make use of a boat, hip boots or waders and a few strategically placed decoys for some fantastic duck or goose bowhunting. Small creeks, sloughs or swamps are ideal places to set out several lightweight decoys and make use of the available cover for concealment much as you would for ambushing a whitetail buck. Know the rudiments of using a duck call can be a definite advantage but silence in conjunction with your decoy spread is more likely to attract ducks than bad calling, so be cautious.

Pass Shooting

Bow-bagged waterfowl don

I have taken several snow geese and a couple Canada geese by pass shooting and must admit that this type of hunting offers plenty of shooting and action.  There is lots of anticipation as your arrow flies upward toward a flying goose and a good share of frustration as the geese seemingly side-slip your rising shafts with ease. One day, while pass shooting at geese coming off the Missouri River south of Pierre, South Dakota, another bowhunter and I had 50 or more arrows sticking out of the ground, like a bunch of brightly colored flowers. The arrows were in a group about 20 yards around, situated at the bottom a draw a hundred or so yards below our pit blind along the top of a bare ridge overlooking the river. We shot all of our arrows several times that day and after all the practice shots finally zeroed in on two snow geese. Can’t say I’ve ever enjoyed a day’s waterfowling any more.
Waterfowl Equipment
Forget flu-flu arrows for waterfowl bowhunting. Ducks and geese are fast flyers and you need all the arrow speed you can get muster to get your arrow in the same place as the target – while it’s still there. I have taken ducks and geese with both recurve and compound bows shooting instinctively and would recommend using the type of bow you can shoot best instinctively or with the least amount of sighting equipment.

Waterfowl are tough birds with dense feathers and muscled bodies that can take a lot of abuse.  My advice is to use the best flying and sharpest broadhead you can find. Blunts, bludgeons, and snaros might work for jump shooting smaller duck species such as teal or wood ducks but I still prefer the deadly efficiency of a razor-sharp broadhead on anything bigger.

If you haven’t tried waterfowl bowhunting you are missing out on an extremely challenging and exciting part of bowhunting where competition is non-existent, the seasons are long and the bag limit liberal. Who could ask for more?

Before I start to write this column each month, I give careful consideration to what my subject matter will be. I prefer my focus to be on something which is different or unique, while at the same time it is a truly functional piece of gear to be used in your deer hunting endeavors. This month I changed my mind on what I would write about, switching over to discussing glass eyes, nails, firewood, and trash bags. These seem like rather weird subjects to be discussing here, I admit, but as far as preserving your deer hunting memories, they are extremely important. Let me explain.

Each year I talk to numerous whitetail enthusiasts who have been successful. Most of them have a picture to show me, whether the kill was a doe, small buck, or an outstanding trophy. As you might guess, the quality of these pictures run the gamut from gruesome to decent. Few of the shots are well-done. Oftentimes both the deer and hunter are smeared with blood. Trash cans, cars, telephone poles and other debris may litter the background. In spite of this, I sincerely like to look at everyone’s picture and hear their story. Still, many times I can sense the hunter’s disappointment in his picture as he apologizes for the blood, or explains how the deer doesn’t really look as big as it really is, and so forth.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Instead, follow this Deer Gear article closely, gather up a few cheap supplies, and you will be able to take high quality pictures that will be printable both on the Internet or in magazines–and they will be ones you will be proud to show to all your friends.

The Eyes Have It
As soon as a deer dies it starts to loose pressure in its eyes. In a picture this shows up as a dull, sunken-in look. In addition, if a flash is used while taking a picture of a deer, a wild yellow glow may show up in the deer’s eyes. Both are displeasing to a person looking at a picture of your deer. Each of these problems easily can be avoided. Simply go to your taxidermist and buy a set of the glass eyes he uses in mounting whitetail deer. Depending on the grade, a set of eyes will run ten to fifteen dollars. These eyes will slip right over the deer’s eyes, much like a contact lens. Taking a little water or saliva and rubbing on the glass eyes gives the deer a tremendously life-like appearance. Spend a little time looking at hero shot pictures on the Internet and in magazines and you soon will pick up on the ones that have used glass eyes in the photography.

What Are The Nails For?
Except on rare occasions, a live whitetail doesn’t have its tongue hanging out. Obviously then, the tongue hanging out the side of your trophy’s mouth doesn’t look very eye-appealing. Some hunters realize this and try to poke the tongue back in, push the lower jaw up, or even tie the jaw closed with strong tread or monofilament. There’s a better way. Simply carry a hammer and a couple of 10D and 12D nails in your vehicle. By feeling under the lower jaw bone of the deer, you will find a soft place where you can drive a nail through the lower jaw up into the palate of the deer. This holds the mouth closed, the tongue in, and doesn’t hunt mounting the whitetail in any way (be sure to remove the nail; it will dull the taxidermist’s knife).

Once this is done, clean all blood from the deer, including from its antlers. If the whitetail has been field-dressed and the stomach will show, get your trash bag and fill it with leaves. Place this bag inside the body cavity. This gives the stomach a full look, just like it had when it was alive. Be sure when photographing the deer to place a few leaves in front of the body cavity so the field-dressing cut doesn’t show. At this point you should have the whitetail looking great. Now do the same to yourself.

Change any clothes with blood on them. Wear a hat, too. Most pictures look best with the hunter wearing one. Be sure your shirt sleeves are down and that you are wearing gloves. Wearing gloves, preferably camo ones, is very important. Hands have tremendous character, and the human eye will naturally start looking at the hands instead of the deer’s antlers. Try looking at deer pictures with hands shown on the antlers and see if I’m not right.

The Photography Setup
“Take the front legs and fold them under the whitetail. What we are doing here is getting the deer to sit as high as possible. This makes it look bigger, yet still natural.”

At this point, consider the lighting of the day. Early morning light, late evening light and bright overcast light is best for great pictures. Harsh sunny days are the worst for photographing deer. Be sure the light is coming from behind the photographer, falling directly on the hunter and deer. Check your background as well. A natural woods background is best because it places the whitetail in its natural setting.

Take the front legs and fold them under the whitetail. What we are doing here is getting the deer to sit as high as possible. This makes it look bigger, yet still natural.

We’re getting close to taking pictures now, but there are a few other things to do. First of all, be sure your bow is placed on or by the deer. Seemingly insignificant, this proves the whitetail was a bow kill. Next take the front legs and fold them under the whitetail. What we are doing here is getting the deer to sit as high as possible. This makes it look bigger, yet still natural. Regarding the firewood, you should have three pieces at hand of 8 inch, 10 inch and 12 inch diameter, all about 16 inches long. Have a friend hold the front of the whitetail up, and place the best fitting piece of firewood under the deer’s shoulder which is away from the camera.

What this does is help hold the deer high, while at the same time it puts the whitetail’s weight on the block of firewood, making it easier for the hunter to hold up the deer’s head. Now you’re ready to put the successful hunter in place.

Be sure the archer stays low. A low archer and a high positioned deer gives you maximum impact. The hunter standing over a whitetail can make even a big buck look rather small. Now let’s go on to the photographer’s responsibilities.

The Cameraman’s Job
Whether photographing a snake, turtle, deer or human, pictures should be taken at eye level or below. In other words, the person taking the pictures should be as low, or lower, than the hunter. Standing high makes the deer look small. The best camera to use is a 35mm. Print film is fine to use, with 100 speed film being the best to use since it is fine-grained and sharp. 200 speed does a nice job as well. As the film speeds go up, the prints will look grainier. If in doubt, shoot a roll of each.

If you have an exceptional trophy, also shoot a few rolls of 100 speed slide film. While slide film has little latitude for error like print film does, it does reproduce best in magazines and most pictures you see published there come from slides.

Regarding camera lenses to use, a 70mm to 210mm zoom lens, or something in that range, is best. They show the most accurate perspective. Wide angle lenses, like 24mm, 28mm or 35mm, distort the image, making close up items look huge and something just a little farther back look small. Again, you can look at hero shots and pick up on this. If the deer’s head looks bigger than the hunter’s body, a wide angle lens has been used.

The Finished Product
Everything I have just discussed was carried out in producing the picture accompanying this article. Note I’m down fairly low, have clean clothes on, the bow is in the picture and my hands are covered. Although hardly noticeable, the deer has his glass eyes in. In addition, the deer’s front legs have been folded under and a block of wood is under his far shoulder to help hold his weight when I pose with the deer. See how little effort is required for me to hold the deer up with this method (resting my arm on my knee is a neat little trick, too).

All in all, it’s a relaxed, pleasant picture giving the deer, myself and the great sport of archery hunting the respect we all deserve. Your pictures, too, can be done just as well by following the advice in this column.

 Following are the items you should keep on hand for photographing the deer you harvest: