Late Season Blues

By Samantha Andrews

 

This year, was the year that I would take one of the big bucks we had been seeing. I saved my vacation time in order to put more time in the stand. We put more food plots in and moved stands to new locations. We used cover scents and played the wind to our advantage. We passed on the small bucks in order to grow the herd and never educated the does. Sometimes, when you do everything right, everything is against you. 

Here in Minnesota, the archery season lasts from the middle of September to the last day of December. From the moment last season ended, I had been looking forward to getting back out and sitting in a stand. The private property that we hunt is a mixture of farm crops, woods, river bottom, and swamp. 

 

The season started off all wrong. Hot, humid and the mosquitoes had never been thicker. I think even the deer were looking for lounge chairs by the pool. Okay, that might have been where my mind had been wandering while I was sweating my camo off and a bit light headed from being a quart low on my own blood supply. I couldn’t wait for the temp to drop and a hard frost to happen. With my Thermacell packed and ready to go, I still went out. I saw plenty of small bucks and does with fawns in tow but wanted to see them grow. I grew frustrated as the weeks went by without as much as seeing more than forked horn. Time for a change up! Duck hunting opened and I’m able to not think about the tall ten I have been dreaming about. I was able to switch gears and still enjoy the outdoors while filling the freezer. After a couple weeks of successful of duck hunting, I was ready to get back to archery before rifle hunting began. 

Another little snag happened shortly before the rifle opened. My husband discovered that three of our ladder stands and two trail cameras had been stolen from the property. I was heartbroken and felt as though someone came into my home and stole from me. All that time I had spent in those stands and the deer that we saw on those cameras, it was gone. After a police report was filed, my husband and I hunted elsewhere and tried to hold our heads up high. During the time, residents that surrounded the acreage that we hunted tagged out on three of the bucks that we saw on the cameras. Another kick to the gut. Although it’s better seeing a neighbor take them rather than road kill, it still hurts. It was prime time and we had nothing to show for the hours spent out in the stand.

After a Thanksgiving trip to western Minnesota, we were re-energized and ready to get back out there. Tyler wanted to get out for a quick hunt when we got back home. On the night that I decided to stay home, I get the text from him saying, “BUCK DOWN”. Finally! He took a nice eight pointer and we have meat in the freezer. 

There is something about archery hunting that I just don’t understand. When I don’t see anything after a long sit in the stand, the walk back to the truck is frustrating. I consider selling my all my equipment to take up some other crazy hobby like underwater basket weaving. As I drive away from the property, I wonder where I should sit the next day. Even though it’s a good possibility that I might be eating tag soup this season, I can’t give up. When life doesn’t go your way, you look at life and say, it all works out in the end. It’s been a cold winter so far and ice fishing has started. It will be a great way to close out archery season.

infRACKtion Whitetail Mineral Attractant Review

If you are looking for a great mineral attractant to help attract deer, increase antler size, and maintain a healthy deer herd, infRACKtion Whitetail Mineral Attractant by Daybreak Outdoors is a great option. I started using infRACKtion this fall and saw results immediately. I put it in a high traffic area where several deer trails met going into a 5 acre turnip plot. While hunting on the last day of bow season I was able to harvest my biggest buck to date because he stopped at the infRACKtion site 20 yards from my stand, instead of walking straight into the food plot as usual.

Most deer attractants on the market today contain salt as the main ingredient to help attract more deer. That is great if you are looking to get mostly trail cam pictures. The difference with infRACKtion is that it has only 27% salt. The main ingredients are calcium and phosphorus, two of the most important minerals needed to maximize antler and skeletal growth. It also contains Vitamins A and D, which are also vital for proper bone and antler development. Vitamin D helps enhance calcium absorption and mineralization of bone, while Vitamin A helps with the ossification (growing of antlers).

A whitetail’s antlers generally grow from April through September so it is especially helpful to antler development to keep your mineral sites fresh during this time. Although we all want to see an increase in antler size we can’t forget about the overall health of our entire deer herd. The Vitamins A, D and E in infRACKtion help maintain a healthy digestive system which is great for the bucks, as well as fawns and lactating does. Keep your mineral sites fresh year round, not just during times of antler growth!

infRACKtion Mineral Attractant comes in an 8 pound bag and it is recommended that you use an entire 8 pound bag per mineral site. Start by clearing a 3 foot by 3 foot spot on the ground of sticks and leaves. Break up the ground with a shovel so there is about 3 inches of loose dirt. Pour the mineral and mix it in with the dirt. You can use water to help absorb the mineral into the ground but it is not required.

Within a week of having my infRACKtion out the deer started tearing it up! The buck I shot this year was addicted to infRACKtion and I would not have shot him had he not stopped briefly at the mineral site before making his way into the food plot. It has worked as a great whitetail attractant on my property here in Missouri and I can’t wait to see the improvement in antler growth this fall!

For more information on infRACKtion or to purchase your own head over to www.daybreakoutdoors.com

-Andrea Haas

Hunting the Seasons

One of my favorite things about bow hunting is that my deer season lasts longer. Our rifle season only lasts about 10 days here in Missouri, but bow season is from mid September to January. The deer activity and patterns change from early fall to late season and knowing what their main objectives are throughout the season is key to harvesting an animal.

During summer and early fall the bucks are in their bachelor groups and their main interest is food. Having food plots with clover, alfalfa, chicory, or wheat are all good choices for the deer from spring to late fall. We prefer wheat and clover in our plots for this time of year and have found they grow the best in our area. I use the ProVide Clover with Chicory from Evolved (http://www.evolved.com/products/provide-clover-2lbs.html). I set up trail cams in the summer so I can pattern the deer and see when and where they are coming into the plots.

Mid season usually means the rut, and we all know what’s on a deer’s brain at this time! The bucks are not on their normal patterns, as they are out searching for does. My plan during this time of year is to still hunt the food sources, where the does usually remain. If you can find the does, you will have a better chance at getting a buck as he’s out cruising!

My Evolved Brassica Plot
http://www.evolved.com/products/shotplot-10lbs.html#.UxzgHvldWSo

During December to early January survival is a deer’s main objective. They seek food and cover. I read in Deer and Deer Hunting magazine that a whitetail needs about 7 pounds of food per day to survive the winter! Some great high-energy forages for winter are brassica, turnips, corn and grains. We always plant a winter plot using the ShotPlot Forage Rape andBrassica from Evolved and it was the hot spot on our hunting land this winter!  The best way to increase your odds of shooting a deer in late season is to hunt these food sources and it paid off for me this year!

My 2014 buck

By being a bow hunter I have learned so much more about whitetail, their activity, and their nutritional needs as the seasons change. I am able to observe the deer and their patterns for months at a time, instead of just one week out of the year. 

-Andrea Haas

My Late Season Buck

It’s January 12th and I’m sitting in my tree stand on my last day to hunt of the Missouri deer season. The weather is unseasonably warm with temperatures in the 60’s and wind gusts up to 15 mph. It has been a rough winter up until this point with a lot of ice, snow and temperatures below zero. I’m hunting over a five acre field planted with brassica and turnips that has been a hot spot on my property since December.

Suddenly I hear the familiar sound of leaves crunching behind me in the woods. I know a deer is coming but I’m still not able to see what it is. A few seconds later I look to my left and a beautiful 9 point steps out, walking under my stand. I know immediately that this is the buck I am after. I draw my bow back and realize he is too close to shoot. He continues to walk in front of me and circles around directly downwind. I just know I am going to get busted but thanks to my Deaux Girl scent control products he has no clue I am there.

Instead of going into the turnips like normal he heads straight to my infRACKtion mineral attractant which is 23 yards in front of my stand. He turns broadside. I take the opportunity for this shot and let my arrow fly, passing through both of his lungs. As he runs off both of his antlers fly off of his head, landing several feet apart. I have always heard stories of this happening when shooting a buck so late in season but have never witnessed this myself.

I spend a moment thanking God for such an incredible hunt. After I am able to gain some composure I call my husband Jared at home who comes to help me begin tracking. I knew I made a good shot and there was a great blood trail that led us right to my buck, about 80 yards from my stand. Sounds easy enough right? Wrong! Before this story of success lies one of multiple mishaps and failures. To say that my deer season has been tough would be an understatement!

At the beginning of deer season I first caught this 9 point on my PlotWatcher Pro from Day 6 Outdoors coming into this turnip plot. The PlotWatcher allowed me to watch the entire plot from a distance, unlike regular trail cams, to see when and where the deer were coming into it. I knew the first time I saw this buck that he was the one I wanted to go after this season. He was a mature deer and the biggest one on our property. To me, that makes him a shooter!

I finally had my first encounter with him while bow hunting in November. A cold front was moving through and to increase my odds of shooting him I sat in my stand all day. He finally came out at 25 yards broadside and it was the perfect shot opportunity. It was also a really windy day & I had on a camo scarf to help stay warm. I drew my bow back and the wind blew my scarf right over my face. No matter how I tried I couldn’t get it out of my way so I opted not to shoot, rather than to risk making a bad shot. I was extremely disappointed in myself for letting something like this happen and just knew that I would never get another shot at this deer.

Rifle season started shortly after this hunt and fell at the peak of the rut. A hot doe led this buck to me once again but they were right on the edge of a thick wood line and I couldn’t get a clear shot. I waited and waited, hoping they would make their way in front of my stand, but they didn’t come back. Disappointment hit me once again but I knew with muzzle loader season coming up soon that I may get another chance at him.

Muzzle loader season came and sure enough, I saw this buck again following a doe. They were at 150 yards and I took the shot once he turned broadside, only to shoot completely underneath him. Not only that, I gave myself “scope eye”. Now I consider myself to be a pretty calm and patient hunter but at this point I had had enough. I had a mini-melt down in my stand, which may or may not have included a few choice words and some tears! Never in my past hunting experiences had I had this many opportunities at a deer and not been able to seal the deal!

I finally calmed down a week or two after my little breakdown and decided that I couldn’t shoot a deer by sitting at home pouting! It was time to get back in the woods and try again. I realized that I was putting too much pressure on myself before and my outlook had completely changed. I had come to terms with the fact that I may not get a single deer this season and I was ok with that. Then January 12th came. My hard work and perseverance had finally paid off and I realized that I needed to have a season like this. I have never had so much appreciation for shooting an animal! My past seasons had never been this hard. But I had some hard lessons to learn this year and if I had shot him in November I would have learned nothing new.

Part of being a hunter is learning from your past experiences. I had learned a lot from my previous years of bow hunting but I can say, without a doubt, that this is the year was my most educational. Not only did I learn a lot about deer hunting, this year I learned a lot about myself. I will be forever grateful for this deer season and all of the memories that were made, good and bad!

Andrea Haas

ThermaCELL Heated Insoles Review

When the temperature starts to drop during mid to late hunting season, keeping my feet warm is critical in order for me to sit in my tree stand for long periods of time. I have tried many different boots, wearing multiple socks and Toasty Toes in my boots, but none of them have worked for me when it starts to get in the 20's and 30's. If this is also the case for you, then I highly recommend trying the ThermaCELL Heated Insoles!

The temperature this morning was 27 degrees with a windchill in the teens. Before I went hunting I replaced my normal boot insoles with the ThermaCELL insoles. They are remote controlled and have a high heat (110 degrees) and medium heat (100 degrees) setting. The great thing about these is once they reach the maximum heat temperature they will temporarily turn themselves off, allowing your feet not to overheat and start sweating, which can in turn make your feet colder. Once the temperature drops, they will turn themselves back on.These are rechargeable and have a battery life of up to 5 hours. 

My husband bought these for me for Christmas last year and I'm really not sure why I am just now using them! They are definitely worth every penny he spent on them. He also bought some for himself and loves them. I have a size 6 in the heated insoles. I normally wear a 6 1/2 to 7 in normal shoes and this size fits perfectly. The insoles can also be trimmed in order to fit your boot better. Make sure you give these a try. They really work!!

-Andrea Haas