Give yourself the best chance to succeed this deer season
It’s go time! I know, triple-digit heat indexes don’t exactly beckon one to head into the woods quite yet. But if not now, when? The sooner you can get your stuff (both mentally and physically) together, the sooner you can get into the swing of a new bow season. Let’s review a checklist:
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Are you physically ready?
Being physically fit to hunt the miserable early bow season weather conditions in Louisiana is a must, for both your productivity and safety. In most cases you will be doing lots of walking, scouting and trail clearing in severe heat and humidity. Plan accordingly. Get out to your chosen location very early in the morning or late in the afternoons. If possible, pick cloudy or even rainy days. Get hydrated before you even start. Bring more liquids than you think you will need. Set goals of what you want to accomplish for each trip. If the heat starts to get to you, STOP! Save whatever you have left not completed for the next trip.
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Weapon of choice
Compound, recurve or crossbow? The first two require specific exercises to get your body ready to hold at full draw for as long as is necessary. All three require lots of practice to hone in consistently on that magic kill zone. Putting in the time in advance will help ensure that your bow season is as successful as possible.
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Scout, scout and scout some more!
Never underestimate the importance of scouting. You should get into the scouting aspect of your preparation ASAP. I try to get my scouting started in early August. This allows me time to get to each area that I hunt and complete my trail clearings, scouting and trail camera set ups. My goal is to have these tasks completed two weeks prior to the season opening day. Don’t be THAT guy who is bumbling noisily around, saturating the woods with human scent, the day before the season opener.
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Clear your trails
Some of the hardest work will involve clearing the trails to your selected stand locations. Late-summer plant growth provides important nutrients for deer. At the same time, this growth will seriously impede your access to most good hunting areas. Be prepared to battle that growth, the intense heat, deer flies and mosquitoes. The reward is that cutting those trails can help steer deer along the path that best brings them into your bow shooting range.
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Use trail cameras
Let’s face it, a deer’s extraordinary eye sight, hearing and sense of smell puts hunters at a severe disadvantage. Having the ability to get a glimpse into the day-to-day activities of deer is invaluable. Trail cams are game changers. When used strategically, they can chip away at some of the disadvantages that hunters experience. While you are out doing your scouting trips, always be on the lookout for possible spots to utilize a trail cam. Pinch points, bedding areas, feeding areas and travel corridors are all excellent possibilities.
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Strategizing
Coming up with a strategy is my favorite part of pre-season planning. Now is the time to map out what you hope to accomplish this season and how you plan to make it happen. Of course, your strategy may need in-season adjustments and tweaking at times. If you go into the season with a definite plan, you are more likely to be successful. Think outside the box. Be creative. What worked in the past? What didn’t? You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, but factoring in your past trials and errors can go a long way towards being successful this season.
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Take a buddy
If you are a solo hunter, you may want to consider teaming up with a good, motivated hunting partner. Having a partner to share your hunting experiences, both good and bad, is such a joy. Over the years, I have been blessed to hunt with many wonderful buddies, each of whom enhanced my hunting experiences. Comradeship is the foremost factor for me, but don’t discount the safety issue as well. Hunting in the deep woods, in harsh conditions, is of course much safer if you have a partner who has your back. Also, having a partner to get advice from and share ideas with can greatly increase your odds for success.
Conclusion
Well, what are you waiting for? There is much work to be done. It will be difficult, hot and tough. It all starts with your motivation. Get out there with the right attitude and you may find that the result of your hard work ends with a fantastic bow season.
