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Thanks to Kevin & Steph Toler For this great idea.
What does the Bible say about hunting
As indicated in Genesis 1:26 , God gave man control over the rest of His physical creation: “And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea…and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing…”
The Creator then went on to very clearly indicate which kinds of animals were fit for human consumption, in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14:3-21. Very plainly then, hunting and killing animals for food cannot be wrong. King David was a hunter of game, and the disciples were fishermen. During one particular trip, it is recorded (Luke 5:1-9 that Jesus Himself even helped them with that day’s catch.
It is also not wrong to kill predators. Again, the record of David’s youth indicates in I Samuel 17:34-36 that he killed a lion and a bear to protect his flock of sheep.
When hunting animals, Keep in mind that animals are, after all, part of God’s creation and, as such, should be treated with a certain amount of respect, you should have respect and honor for the animal you harvested no matter what it is, as so much to even the photos you might be taking. should be tasteful and non offensive, Don't straddle the animal like you are some kind of caveman, clean the animal up and position it in a respectable position for the photos. Remember you are creating a visual memory, make it something that will take you back to that time and place.
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TIP OF THE MONTH !!
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
King James Bible
Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison
FINDING A GOOD STAND SITE
There are 5 key factors to consider when looking for the perfect stand setup. The first factor is being close to the deer. Finding the bedding and feeding areas where you hunt is key. Deer always begin or end their day here. By doing a little bit of homework and spending a little time before the season starts, you can find the hotspots to intercept that buck during travel patterns. When looking for an evening stand, focus more on feeding areas. For morning stands, focus on bedding areas.
Once you’ve chosen a food source or bedding area, then you can begin to look for pinch points or natural funnels in terrain or cover. Even though trails keep deer on course, natural funnels do it better. For example; wooded fence lines, small steep sided valleys or hollows, old logging roads, and other things of that nature. Pinch points can also help to keep buck in front of your stand, this is very helpful when rattling or grunting. Although when calling, buck always look for a downwind advantage, natural funnels will sometimes work to your advantage.
Another key factor is wind direction. Find out which way winds normally blow at your stand. Then place the stand on the side of the trail that will get you downwind of the normal travel patterns. If your not sure about wind direction or want to find out wind direction for hunting trips you can visit www.noaa.gov which is a site that tracks weather patterns. Winds do not always blow the same direction, but they should be to your advantage about 90% of the time. Also, when hunting mountains don’t forget about thermal winds. Thermal winds usually rise in the morning as it warmer and go down in the evening when it gets cool again.
One thing that some hunters do that can really turn a good stand bad is set their stand right on top of a trail. Theirs two reasons why this is a bad idea. First of all you’re shrinking the vital zone on the deer and in most cases giving yourself a one-lung opportunity. Its much better to be set up 15-20 yards off the trail to give yourself a good clean shot at the heart or both lungs. And secondly, this will also keep your scent away from the trail and better your chances of not spooking the buck when it does come time for the shot.
What is a good height for a tree stand? It is good to be high enough in where leaves and branch will break up the outline of your body, but not too high as to where they limit your visibility and shooting. Also, take into consideration the terrain; you don’t want to be at eye level with a buck approaching your stand. When you’re in areas that are heavily hunted move higher in the tree to catch more winds and keep your scent blown out of the area. This will also keep you out of view of the average deer.
Tips on being Scent Free !!!!
Always tuck your pants into your boots, which should be rubber since they naturally emit the least amount of odor. If you must use leather, though, be sure to smother them with cover scent and odor neutralizer.
Skin naturally emits scent, so cover as much of it as possible. A popular option is to use charcoal-laced apparel that helps lock in odor.
Do not smoke or chew tobacco, if possible. Their smells linger on teeth and get into clothing. Brush your teeth with baking soda to eradicate as much odor as possible.
Try to avoid contact with as many things as possible when in the woods. Even the slightest brush with a branch or leaf can deposit your scent there for animals to discover hours later. If there is undergrowth blocking your path, use the equipment you are carrying to push it aside - either a bow, gun or some other piece of gear.
Before you go on a hunt, wash every item of clothing you will bring with you, from underwear to hunting cap, in an unscented detergent and hang it outside to dry. (You can use a dryer, but be sure to put specially scented dryer sheets in there - Powerscent, for example, comes in pine, earth or cedar scents.)
Once they've been washed, cover everything you intend to bring with you, gear included, with an odor neutralizer. (Commonly forgotten items include boots, both the insides and outsides, tree stands, backpacks and weapons.)
Pack all of the clothes in big plastic bags and seal them so unwanted scents don't attach themselves to your clothes before the hunt.
Regularly check the direction of the wind. Subtle shifts or swirling wind patterns can betray your position and alert animals to your presence. Dangling a string from the tip of your rifle or bow is a good idea, but store-bought items like Smoke Stack or Wind Floaters work as well.
When out in the field be sure to wash with unscented soaps and dry off with the scent-free towels you prepared beforehand. Do this before each day's hunt, both in the morning and the evening, and use an odor-neutralizing deodorant to further minimize scent. (Remember that sweating can negate all your efforts, so move slowly, but efficiently, when in the field.)
Modern bowhunters are rapidly jumping on the band wagon and buying bows that are fast. Unfortunately, these bowhunters are overlooking the noise factor. Speed versus noise has been one of the many heated topics in the bowhunting world over the past few years.
I am hear to tell you, regardless of bow speed, Big Game animals will always hear the twang of a bow before an arrow penetrates the "boiler room".
Contrary to popular belief, it is virtually impossible to shoot an arrow from a bow fast enough to beat the acute hearing of an animal such as the whitetail deer.
Most modern bowhunters fail to educate themselves, therfore they are unaware of the keen hearing and amazingly quick reflexes of Big Game. An average whitetail buck has a vital kill zone of eight inches. Therefore the deer needs to move only four inches to put a damper on a successful hunt.
An alarmed whitetail is capable of moving more than four inches at the twang of a bowstring. In fact, through slow-motion video tape, it has been proven that an alert buck is capable of moving 12 to 24 inches to escape an arrow.
Let us logic this matter out. Some modern bows are shooting 300 feet per second. Sound travels at about 1100 feet per second--nearly four times faster than a quick, modern bow. According to neurologists, an arrow must travel at a velocity of 750 feet per second to make contact before any Big Game animal can drop, jump or twirl out of the way of a perfect shot. This popular phenomenon is known in the archery hunting world as "string jumping".
String jumping is an archers worst nightmare. Arrow speed in itself will not combat string jumping.
Using a good stabilizer is often overlooked. A good rubber-loaded or hydraulic stabilizer system will absorb bow noise drastically. Always make sure a stabilizer is the perfect weight. A stabilizer should cause the bow to sit straight up and down in your extended hand. This will drastically decrease muscle tension. Muscle tension will throw off your accuracy.
Don't ever shoot at a Big Game animal that has it's ears forward in a cup-like position. It is not reccommended that a bowhunter takes a shot if an animals radar is bearing down. It is also important to shoot when an animals muscles are relaxed, not tense. It is wise to wait (sometimes hard to do) for the animal to feed or become pre-occupied with another animal.
Make sure sleeves and other clothing are completely out of the way of the bowstring. A string that is intercepted by a sleeve will make a loud whack. The collision of a bowstring and hunting clothes will cause an arrow to hit left or right. An arm guard will often pull a sleeve out of the way.
When practicing on the backyard 3-D, I wear the actual clothes that I plan to wear hunting. I realize it may be an inconvenience sometimes, however it will pay off in the long run.
String silencers will also help to dampen the vibration of a bowstring. You should attach string silencers at both ends of the bowstring. Keep in mind, the closer to the middle of the string, the more inertia the string must overcome. I attach my string silencers about six inches from each end. Silencers made of rubber filaments or fleece will often work well. Some bowhunters simply use skirts from bass plugs.
Always be sure to check arrow rest screws. Coat the prongs of a metal arrow rest, such as the TM Hunter, with rubber tubing. Using rubber on a metal arrow rest eliminates the sliding noise that tends to inform everything in the woods of an archers presence. Rubber tubing is put on by melting it around the prongs with a lighter. I suggest putting the rubber on closer to the season. Shooting during off season will rapidly wear it down.
Most importantly, always check for loose sight pins or screws. A zing of a loose sight pin will always put a deer's belly to the ground and tail in the air. Screws tend to rattle loose if they are not occasionally tightened. Make sure all quiver attatchments are tight. I prefer to use a hip quiver that I strap around the tree when I am in my tree stand.
Silencing your hunting bow for the upcoming season is not time consuming, it is smart. A quiet hunting bow consists a of solid noise dampering system. Let's face it, arrow speed alone will not combat string jumping. With a quiet and accurate bow you will have one heck of a season!
Good luck and good bowhunting!
Jason R. Snavely
I believe many hunter’s calling campaigns are unproductive simply because they call too often and they call at the wrong times. Typical scenario: a hunter manages to rattle a buck in just outside of bow range. The buck holds up and stares in the direction from where he heard what sounded like two bucks battling it out. However, he sees nothing. After a tense 60 seconds the hunter tries to coax the wary buck in by tickling his rattling antlers together. Suddenly, the buck whirls and runs back in the direction from which he came. In this scenario the hunter would have been much wiser to hold tight, there’s a good chance the buck’s curiosity would have brought him in a little closer.
Keep in mind, I’m talking about a mature buck and not an adolescent. Young, lust-crazed bucks are often easily duped. Imagine you’re standing out in the parking lot at the local high school when you hear a band blazing in the gymnasium. Yet, when you step inside to have a look, all you see is a big empty room and not a soul in sight. You’d just stand there looking around and wondering what in the heck is going on! Sixty seconds or so pass and you’re about to leave when and electric guitar rings out right there under your nose and you still see no one. Wouldn’t you be real suspicious and maybe a little frightened? It would probably seem like something from out of the Twilight Zone. This scenario is very similar to what you’ll run into if you try to lure a mature buck closer with additional calling.
If a buck holds up and then turns and walks away, I suggest you cease your calling efforts and sit quietly; there’s a good chance he may still come in a little later.