Duck Camp 2008 - Day 1

Sitting close to the point of exhaustion, I slowly sip on a MGD and contemplate the first day of 2008 Duck Camp.

Like many days it began innocently enough when I awoke at 3:30 AM to a drab starless morning. Digging myself out from under the thick covers and stumbling over to the coffee pot, I give my brother a lackadaisical high five for his forethought in having the coffee already brewing. As is standard family operating procedure, the rapidly filling pot contains a near lethal dose of his potent blend of liquid heart paddles. As I choke back the thick black mud I force my mind into gear and begin struggling through the routine of extensive before hunt preparations.

The ritual of duck hunting has many strange and bizarre initiations but none more interesting than a dog tired waterfowler attempting to make his way into the field without forgetting some crucial element. Over the years, I can tell you multiple stories of men (myself certainly no exception) crying like little school girls because they forgot firearms, shells, wet weather gear, Redman chaw or other crucial items. Years of waterfowl hunting eventually hones these rookies into hard core “duckers”, men who through skill, luck or possibly a combination of both know how to operate with very little sleep and understand the complexities of packing crucial items the night before.

This time things work out in my favor and two hours into the hunt I near a limit of common eiders and hold in my hand one of only two duck bands I have ever managed to harvest. In a strange twist of fate, the only other band I have taken was harvested during 2007 Duck Camp!

Hours into duck camp 2008 and it is already turning out to be complete success. A smile stretches across my face as we land the boat and begin the drive back to my brothers house for a supper of fresh caught lobsters and deer tenderloins.

Third Article PUBLISHED!

The Maine Sportsman - New England's Largest Outdoor Publication – Will be publishing my story written below in their November 2008 edition. The article will be part of the magazines “special sections” (pg. 33-34) and will highlight how attention to details can lead to success in deer hunting. For more information on the Maine Sportsman Magazine or to order a subscription click this link: http://mainesportsman.com/. The copy below is the originally submitted unedited version. Enjoy!

How to Sit in the Woods (Edited Title: Successful Stand Hunters Attend to Details)
by Steve Vose

As a young man out deer hunting my very first season, a big buck walked right up behind me and snorted at about 10 yards away. In the time it took me to turn around and shoulder my rifle that deer had relocated to the next county. That buck would be hanging on my wall right now if I had simply spent a few extra minutes looking over my surroundings and picking a better spot before committing to sitting down. How many of you have also missed a shot opportunity at a whitetail simply because you were in the wrong place or position? While years from now stories of the one that got away may be humorous to share around the campfire, it is entirely less enjoyable seeing a massive rack and bounding white tail disappear into the woods while you stand by helplessly.

Fortunately, missed shot opportunities need not be commonplace and by talking a few simple precautions hunters can maximize their chances at putting their sights on a deer this season.

Choosing Your Area
Any real estate agent will tell you it’s all about location and with hunting it isn’t any different. During your extensive spring and fall scouting you already know where the deer are regularly bedding and feeding so the next step is positioning in an area where you are provided the best possible chance at getting a quality shot. Set-up close to trails connecting feeding and bedding areas but don’t make the rookie mistake of setting up on the actual game trail. Hunters should instead set back from these areas at a distance that allows the hunter to remain well concealed while also offering good shot opportunities.

Hunters should make sure to sit so that the sun is always at their back for better visibility. This is accomplished by facing west in the morning and east in the evening. Orientating yourself in this manner, will not only help to insure that you aren’t silhouetted to possible game but it will also reduce eye fatigue on bright days.

Sitting Properly
No matter how much you think that whitetail is going to appear directly in your gun sights, that is frequently not the case. Increase your chances, by sitting in a way that will allow you the best opportunity. This is accomplished, by remembering that right hand shooters can rotate far to the left but are limited in their rotation to the right side (the opposite is true for lefties). Increase your mobility by making sure that your strong shooting side is facing the area where your query is most likely to appear. If done properly, a deer approaching from roughly anywhere on your strong side should allow for an ethical shot option.

When spotting for deer don’t focus your full attention in one specific area but instead scan through your complete range of vision. Several millions of years of evolution as both prey and predator have provided mankind with the ability to quickly distinguish movement in our peripheral range. Use this trait to your advantage, by employing your strong side vision to scan areas on your right and left without a large amount of head movement. No matter what particular hunting style you employ, it is certain that the less movement you create the more likely the chance that game will not notice your presence.

Before you sit down, clear away leaves, sticks, rocks and any other material around your feet that may make noise should it be necessary for you to switch position.

If you plan on sitting for an extended period of time, you will find that a comfortable portable chair is worth the extra weight. When selecting a chair make sure that it doesn’t squeak or make any unnecessary noise. Your chair selection should allow you to move easily and pivot so be wary of some of the hunting chairs that sit low to the ground and tend to sacrifice mobility for being ultra comfortable.

If you sit on a rock or stump make sure to clean off as much snow and ice as possible as melting water will create a damp seat that will make sitting for an extended amount of time cold and uncomfortable. A longer than normal length hunting jacket or many of the commercially available “foam seats” are cheap, lightweight and will keep you dry making hunting more enjoyable.

When you arrive at your tree stand or blind you are going to be heated from the trip to your hunting location. Before completely settling in and sitting down, put on your heavy jacket (unzipped) and have your winter hat immediately handy. These preparations will keep you from having to move again 30 minutes later when your core body temperature cools back down. Having heater packs, an extra winter hat and heavy gloves in a jacket pocket will help you maintain body temperature should weather conditions change and your body become chilled.

Mind the direction of the wind. A whitetail has one of the finest olfactory senses in the forest so plan accordingly and be adaptable to predicted wind patterns by having multiple hunting locations to pick and choose from.

Camouflage
Carrying a pair of pruning shears or a small cutting saw will allow you to trim shooting lanes and cut brush that may block the rotation of your swing. Cut brush can be stuck in the ground to further cover any movement or attached to your tree stands with zip ties to break up its silhouette and make it harder to see. If hunting from a ground blind it is also helpful to hide use natural features like logs and stumps to supplement your cut materials.
If you have difficulty finding good cover or are hunting where cutting brush is not an option you may want to employ the use of a small (4x8) piece of camouflaged burlap and a few 5 foot stakes. These materials will allow you to construct a quick blind in just about any conditions. Just make sure not to camouflage so well that you obstruct the shooting lanes.

Keep Hydrated and Energized
Maine in November and December can equal extremely cold weather and a season when all but the most hardy of sportsmen will stay outdoors. During this time, you will need to be consuming many more calories than normal to stay warm. The secret to staying in the woods, as the mercury drops, is keeping your furnace fully fueled by consuming high calorie foods and fluids that are nutritionally designed to keep up your energy levels. While your exact likes and dislikes will determine your selections in this category, there are some foods that are easier to eat on the run or while perched precariously in a tree stand.

Some of my personal favorites include: venison jerky, peanut butter and jam sandwiches, breakfast bars, trail mix and snickers bars. On exceptionally cold days, boiling water and pouring it in a plastic bottle not only serves as a refreshing hot drink but when placed inside a jacket also provides radiated warmth for hours.

Stay Mentally Focused
Some hunters bring along media such as a book or magazine to read while more technologically focused outdoorsmen even bring their MP3 players or video game consoles. Either approach will allow you to be less “bored” while hunting which will hopefully mean you will spend more time in the woods thus increasing your chances. While certain selections of media will allow some to hunt longer, it can also cause an additional distraction that may mean you miss a shot opportunity. For me, it has usually been easier and more effective to simply sit watching the day unfold enjoying the simple pleasures Mother Nature has to offer.

Organization in the Blind or Tree Stand
Once you sit, you need to determine how to best organize your gear. Having your gun or bow readily available to your dominant shooting hand position will allow you to take shots with limited movement. Being right handed, most comfortable for me is to place my gun to the right and bow to the left. Placing your backpack to the opposite side will allow you to use your available hand to access other essentials you may need. Since you will be using your game calls relatively often you may want to keep them in a jacket pocket or around your neck on a lanyard where you can easily access them.

Closing Thoughts
Deer hunting will always pose unique challenges for the sportsmen willing to invest the time and energy studying and pursuing this worthy game animal. Whether hunting from a tree stand, ground blind or other means remember that you are in your quarries backyard, an area it has know and studied for years. To compete against this degree of knowledge it will typically entail a combination of little things that will allow you to fill that tag. So pay attention to small details, believe in yourself and remember how to sit in the woods.

Deer Hunting Success Increased with Preparation by Steve Vose

Do you really want to harvest a deer this hunting season? This question I pose to my family and friends every summer, as I begin my preseason scouting and preparations for the upcoming deer season. Many of you will think this a dumb question to ask considering you would undoubtedly answer a resounding “YES”, however, it amuses me to no end to see these individuals traipsing through the woods each season with no apparent understanding of what degree of discipline it takes to shoot a quality whitetail.

These relatives and acquaintances can be easily spotted as they are usually seen still hunting while smoking an unfiltered cigarette, carrying a rifle that hasn’t been fired let alone cleaned in years and think that urinating in a bottle is just plain gross. By some strange twist of fate, and thereby proving that exceptions really do exist to every rule, there are rare occasions when one of these individuals somehow miraculously manages to shoot a deer. Unfortunately, these rare occurrences trick their peers into thinking sub par preparation and operation leads to success when hunting the wily whitetail.

I pass no judgment on these individuals and have too been lured by this siren song, however, when the buck of a lifetime appears this season remember that an ounce invested beforehand in preparation will save a pound of perspiration when you take that critical shot.

Positive Attitude
I am going to share with you the surprising number one secret to successful deer hunting and that is a mental preparation. It might sound strange, but if you truly believe you will shoot a deer this season there is an exponentially better chance that it will actually occur. For those of you shaking your heads in disbelief, let me remind you of the power the mind has over the body. Ask any survival expert, why some individuals perish and others live in exactly similar survival situations and they will tell you it all hinges on a persons positive mental state. In other words, if you believe you will survive in most cases you actually will.

A positive attitude is infinitely more important to an outdoorsman than scent block clothing, a high end ATV or the latest fad in ballistics. Success in the field is about the ability to remain positive despite the weather forecast, moon phase or season of the rut. A motivated individual will hunt longer, harder and through more adverse conditions then someone who is unprepared mentally to go the distance. Hunters that truly believe that “this is going to be their day”, are much more likely to be in the woods during that critical time when deer are moving.

Most individuals are already prone to invoke certain skills to allow them to sharpen their mental focus and attitude. For example, taking a deep breath to settle ones shooting hand, counting footfalls while climbing a steep incline or even pinching ones self to keep from falling asleep in a tree stand placed ridiculously high off the ground. I even have a friend, who until this past deer season had been on a seven year losing streak, who claims his recent success was due to the purchase of a rabbit’s foot! Obviously, rabbit extremities have little direct connection with success in the field, however, their indirect effect is that they instill confidence and that characteristic is the key to filing your tag.

Pre-Season Scouting
This may seem like a no brainer but to shoot deer you have to be where they are located. You may pick out a beautiful spot for your tree stand with long shooting lanes and a beautiful lakeside view (sorry Uncle Frank) but if there are no deer signs (rubs, scrapes, tracks or droppings) then you could go the entire season without seeing a single deer.

Topographical maps and word of mouth from friends and family should only serve as a rough guide when choosing your intended hunting area. The notorious issue with these sources is that they are frequently inaccurate in their depiction and unable to reliably translate to what you will see on the ground. To find that perfect spot and increase your chances of putting a whitetail in your crosshairs this season you need to start walking.

Absolutely no replacement can be made to thoroughly and personally scouting the area(s) you intend to hunt. Maine’s subtle terrain features and the obvious physical signs of deer can only be effectively used to your advantage through intimate first hand knowledge. Pay close attention to the minute details and bring a notebook to write down GPS coordinates, prevalent wind direction, food sources, game trails, sign and location of sheltered bedding areas. Use this information to devise a plan as to where to set-up stands or still hunt.

Scent Control
Hunters over the years have gotten lazy with this item. Today’s highly technical clothing creates the illusion to most hunters that they can pull off miracles in body odor elimination by simply putting on specialized scent blocking apparel or using a bottled spray.

A more traditional approach relies on impeccable personal hygiene and using wind direction to gain the advantage. Every year, I advocate the use of this approach at deer camp only to find that my lamentations fall short on the ears of individuals dressed head to toe in scent blocker and chain smoking cigarettes. To be more effective this season, plan to implement using a pee bottle and no scent detergent, shampoo and deodorant. No scent hygiene products are available at your local drug store (for individuals with fragrance allergies) and are typically cheaper than at a sporting goods store. Wash hunting clothes frequently (not once a season) and seal in a plastic bag to lessen the chance for cross contamination with smells that may be lingering in your basement. If you drive to your hunting location, dress in your hunting clothes and boots when you arrive, as this will avoid the possibility of picking up odors from your car, gas station or the local convenience store.

Since Maine’s finicky weather rarely allows us to predict meteorological conditions with anything but marginal accuracy, a logical choice is to have alternate hunting locations that allow you to adapt to wind direction incase the forecasted conditions do not work in your favor.

Shooting Practice
How many hunters have missed a deer only to find after that their weapon was not shooting true to its mark? When there is a very real possibility that you may only get one good chance to take a shot all season isn’t it worth a morning practicing at the local gun range? It stuns me that a person would take the time and effort in following everything I have discussed previously to only disregard this last component.

While modern firearms and optics can make even an average shooter infinitely better, practicing in a variety of settings and conditions is the key to consistency. Shoot from a variety of positions (standing, sitting, kneeling) and remember that just because the professionals on television can produce kill shots out to 300 plus yards doesn’t mean that you can, know your personal effective range. Don’t be afraid to spend a couple bucks on a few boxes of ammo, trust me when I say it is an investment that will pay big dividends later.

Packing and Dressing for Success
Time spent in the woods is never wasted, even if at seasons end a tag is left unfilled. However, time spent in the woods wet, cold, hungry and thirsty can add up to a miserable or even dangerous situation. Maine had several days last November where within twenty-four hours the temperature changed over forty degrees Fahrenheit. On a long day outdoors, high quality clothing that insulates and keeps you dry is critical to comfort as are food and fluids that fuel the body.

Comfort is the key as the happier you are the longer you will stay in the woods and the longer you stay in the woods the better your chances at shooting a deer. My family and friends may have their “evil” ways but they also spend a huge amount of time in the woods. While considerably more sporting to be good rather than lucky, from a purely statistical point their investment of time means that eventually, even if by chance, a deer will walk past them.

When possible, pack for your day afield the evening before, as this initial preparation will save you from forgetting some crucial element. Lastly, finalize your mental preparations by believing one hundred percent that you will shoot a deer this season. So to enforce this belief, make sure to include a gutting kit (sharp knife, drag rope, dish washing gloves, paper towels and a 1 gallon zip loc bag for the heart and liver) in your pack to make it easier to field dress and bring that trophy to the tagging station.