September NEWSLETTER 2010 |
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have topic you would wish to be discussed in a future newsletter, let us know and we will
consider it.
If you do not want future newsletters, please email or write us advising so and you will be
removed from the list.
Write to: Disappear Hunting Products Inc., PO Box 414, Wadsworth, OH 44282
Email: discoverscent@disappearhp.com
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HUNTERS
This past week, I was in the field hanging several extra stands in preparation for the opening of archery
season here in OH. This year, as it was 2 years ago, we have a very prolific acorn crop and this food source
definitely affects the deer movement. As I was moving through the woods, in most areas, it was hard to put
my foot down without stepping on acorns. With such an abundant crop, it is not the easiest thing in the world
to pinpoint where the deer are going to be at any given time. What you can do in a situation like this, is keep
in mind, deer have their preferred travel/bedding areas and when they coincide with a food source like the
acorns, the deer will most likely be concentrated there until the food source is gone. I will give you an
example. The area that I hunt in OH had a bumper acorn crop 2 years ago and absolutely none last year.
We have a considerable number of stands set up and the deer sightings from some of the stands last year
were about ½ of what we saw from the same stands 2 years ago. The stands that were affected the most,
were the ones located in the travel areas, fairly close to their bedding areas. Instead of already being in the
bedding areas before daylight, they were leisurely feeding their way toward their bedding grounds, providing
us with shot opportunities. This rich food source also seemed to get them out of their beds earlier in the
evening, as they could start feeding right away as they began their nightly travels, again providing
opportunities for us. The acorns or lack of them created the difference. It is another example of how
important scouting is, then being able to recognize what you are seeing and utilize the acquired information
properly. The same scenario would apply to any given food source that has a high attraction for the whitetail.
Just as a reminder, logging operations, if they occurred this past year in your hunting area, will affect deer
movement. My experience is, this generally provides an increase in deer movement and sightings in these
areas. Logging provides a substantial increase in young and tender browse, which draws the deer. The same
goes for farm areas, crops get rotated and this in turn will increase or decrease the deer coming and going.
Keep in mind that travel patterns are established by terrain and to lesser degree hunting pressure, so when
the coincide with excellent food sources, you have hit the jackpot of opportunity. Maybe it is just my
imagination, ( although I keep detailed daily logs, which keeps my foggy memory straight ) when food
sources are located close to bedding areas, deer tend to use the same trails with much greater frequency.
When food sources are a mile or two away, it seems like they use a considerable increased number of trails
during their coming and going to the bedding areas, making it a bit more interesting to predict where they
are going to be when you happen to be in your stand. As always, you must keep the wind direction first and
foremost in choosing your hunting location for that particular day. Again in my experience, wind direction
has a greater bearing on deer movement, when they travel longer distances. I know you have read it a
thousand times, whitetails like to approach their bedding areas with the wind in their face and leave with
wind on their backs or work crosswind if the cover is heavy for a distance.
The above thoughts are primarily applied to hunting non rut situations, but will also have some bearing
during the rut, as we all should know, the does are the ones that control the rut as well as where it happens. I
f we have located the does’ hotspots in October, we will have a leg up when it comes to November and the
rut gets into full swing. One last thought to share with you, as you are observing the current situations, in
addition to the above thoughts, you should be constantly looking for bucks rubs. This tells you the current
travel patterns that the bucks are using, therefore the trails that you want to hunt for now. You want to hunt
the trails or areas that have the largest trees rubbed, indicating the biggest bucks. Big bucks can rub small
trees, but only big bucks rub big trees. If collecting any deer is your goal, then go with the highest
concentration of sign, along with paying attention to the wind and you will do just fine.
Keith Dotterer
This past week, I was in the field hanging several extra stands in preparation for the opening of archery
season here in OH. This year, as it was 2 years ago, we have a very prolific acorn crop and this food source
definitely affects the deer movement. As I was moving through the woods, in most areas, it was hard to put
my foot down without stepping on acorns. With such an abundant crop, it is not the easiest thing in the world
to pinpoint where the deer are going to be at any given time. What you can do in a situation like this, is keep
in mind, deer have their preferred travel/bedding areas and when they coincide with a food source like the
acorns, the deer will most likely be concentrated there until the food source is gone. I will give you an
example. The area that I hunt in OH had a bumper acorn crop 2 years ago and absolutely none last year.
We have a considerable number of stands set up and the deer sightings from some of the stands last year
were about ½ of what we saw from the same stands 2 years ago. The stands that were affected the most,
were the ones located in the travel areas, fairly close to their bedding areas. Instead of already being in the
bedding areas before daylight, they were leisurely feeding their way toward their bedding grounds, providing
us with shot opportunities. This rich food source also seemed to get them out of their beds earlier in the
evening, as they could start feeding right away as they began their nightly travels, again providing
opportunities for us. The acorns or lack of them created the difference. It is another example of how
important scouting is, then being able to recognize what you are seeing and utilize the acquired information
properly. The same scenario would apply to any given food source that has a high attraction for the whitetail.
Just as a reminder, logging operations, if they occurred this past year in your hunting area, will affect deer
movement. My experience is, this generally provides an increase in deer movement and sightings in these
areas. Logging provides a substantial increase in young and tender browse, which draws the deer. The same
goes for farm areas, crops get rotated and this in turn will increase or decrease the deer coming and going.
Keep in mind that travel patterns are established by terrain and to lesser degree hunting pressure, so when
the coincide with excellent food sources, you have hit the jackpot of opportunity. Maybe it is just my
imagination, ( although I keep detailed daily logs, which keeps my foggy memory straight ) when food
sources are located close to bedding areas, deer tend to use the same trails with much greater frequency.
When food sources are a mile or two away, it seems like they use a considerable increased number of trails
during their coming and going to the bedding areas, making it a bit more interesting to predict where they
are going to be when you happen to be in your stand. As always, you must keep the wind direction first and
foremost in choosing your hunting location for that particular day. Again in my experience, wind direction
has a greater bearing on deer movement, when they travel longer distances. I know you have read it a
thousand times, whitetails like to approach their bedding areas with the wind in their face and leave with
wind on their backs or work crosswind if the cover is heavy for a distance.
The above thoughts are primarily applied to hunting non rut situations, but will also have some bearing
during the rut, as we all should know, the does are the ones that control the rut as well as where it happens. I
f we have located the does’ hotspots in October, we will have a leg up when it comes to November and the
rut gets into full swing. One last thought to share with you, as you are observing the current situations, in
addition to the above thoughts, you should be constantly looking for bucks rubs. This tells you the current
travel patterns that the bucks are using, therefore the trails that you want to hunt for now. You want to hunt
the trails or areas that have the largest trees rubbed, indicating the biggest bucks. Big bucks can rub small
trees, but only big bucks rub big trees. If collecting any deer is your goal, then go with the highest
concentration of sign, along with paying attention to the wind and you will do just fine.
Keith Dotterer
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