I hope you all had a great season, made some memories and filled the freezer and possibly even put one on the wall! Many of my friends/customers had a great season as proven by the great pictures on the Double Lung “Kill Board” at the shop. 

Some things to think about and reflect upon

If your season wasn’t what you had hoped for did you do all it takes?

Scouting, did you scout out your hunting ground and look for new places to hunt?

Trail cameras, do you use them? They are a great way to determine the quality,quantity and movement patterns of the deer on your hunting ground.

Time on stand? Did you put in the time this year, or did you let life’s other duties and distractions limit your time? There’s nothing you can do about the duties, we all have them but the other distractions can take up valuable hunting time.

Weather conditions. Do you only go out when the weather is what you determine as “nice enough to hunt”? I shot my first deer this year on a day that was about 85 degrees. I shot my 3^rd deer in a snow storm and the roads were so icy I almost couldn’t make it up a paved hill that morning. My fourth one was a morning that was 14 degrees and my stand was covered in ice. My point is, I work 6 days a week. I have a couple mornings per week and Sunday to hunt. The season is only a few months long. I can’t control the weather so I go out pretty much regardless of the conditions. The deer are still there. No matter what, you’ll always stand a better chance at filling your tags if you are in the woods than at home on the couch!

Tree stands. Do you have enough so you can rotate using them? If you hunt the same stand all the time it usually doesn’t take the deer long to pattern and avoid you. Having multiple stands or using a climber in different locations gives us a slight edge over the keen senses of a whitetail deer. Do you walk to your stands on the same path every time or vary your entry paths and directions? Do you move your stands throughout the season  as deer travel changes. Yep, it’s extra work but usually worth it.

Equipment.  I mess up enough on my own, I don’t want my equipment to let me down!  I can’t begin to think about spending the hours I do in the woods without knowing my equipment is going to get the job done. Squeak free and comfortable stands, bow tuned to perfection, bow strings in good condition, broadheads razor sharp, arrows squared, boots that will keep my feet warm and dry, camo that will help hide me and keep the elements at bay,  good binoculars, a backpack that will carry everything I need, a good safety harness, sharp knife, all these things must work and work right!

Practice. I can’t tell you the number of my successful hunters that told me that the leagues right before and during the season helped them make the shot when the opportunity came. All professional sport athletes practice. Do you? Are you a professional? I think we owe it to ourselves and the animals we pursue to be the best we can be.

Things to think about as the season comes to a close and get ready for next season. Besides, turkey season is only a few months away!

Thanks for a great season!

Dave

Double Lung Archery