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Effective Deer Calling by Joseph Blake

Bowhunting World June 1990

Being ready for the response is more important than the type of call or how you use it.

The evening looked like a total bust. My partner and I had flipped a coin
to see who would sit on which of the two locations we had chosen forth
evening hunt. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the winner. After I dropped him off at
the better of the two locations, I drove a short distance to my area. It was then I realized the wind had changed and was now coming out of the wrong direction. Since it was useless to walk the half mile into my treestand with the wind, I decided to check out a small piece of public land that I heard held a few deer.
When I arrived, I was disappointed; the area was smaller man a football field and it
was right next to a highway to top it off, it was only four miles from town. Not having
anywhere else to go this late in the afternoon, I decided to just walk in and enjoy the evening.

I slipped into the area, which was very thick and swampy, and sat down on an
uprooted tree. Despite the seemingly poor location, this place did look like it had seen some deer. As I was completely unfamiliar with the area and its pattern of deer movement, I decided to try my deer call for lack of a better plan. I fished the Burnham Brothers bleat call from my pocket and blew my first series. A deer bleat call is a god-awful sounding device and I always feel foolish blowing it. Besides that I had never had any luck with it. Even at times when I could see deer and knew they could hear me, the usual response was one of indifference.

Because the evening was a quiet one, my first series consisted of four or five soft bleats.
Because of my lack of confidence, the sound of a twig cracking and something large moving through the heavy cover surprised me. The sounds got closer and finally I could
make out the form of a big doe angling toward me. I’d like to say that I called her right in for a shot, but the truth is that while she did approach to within 10 feet on several occasions, I never got a clear view of her before she finally lost interest and melted away.
The whole episode was over so fast that I never had a chance to get nervous, but after she had gone I began to shake. The idea of actually bringing a deer into point·blank range with sounds that I had made was overwhelming; it opened a whole new world of hunting for me, just as it can do for you.

Trust Your Ability

Deer calling, in any of its forms, is certainly nothing new. One need only look to any
hunting magazine to find an article by a hunter about calling deer. All of these have at least
some good infomtation and a bowhunter can learn from them, but there is one point that
usually isn’t covered or else is only touched upon.

The most important aspect of deer calling isn ’t what type of call you use or even how you
use it. Assuming that you are in an area that contains deer, the most important thing to remember is always believe that each and every time you call you will bring in an animal. I
can‘t stress this enough; you have to “know” a deer is on its way each time you call or rattle.

Obviously, this isn’t always the case. It’s possible that there isn‘t even an animal within
hearing distance of you at the time you are trying to lure one in. But if you don’t believe a
deer is coming in, you’ll get complacent; thus, you won’t be ready if one does appear.
By the second or even the 20th time you call, you will have decided it ’s no use to be ready and that‘s when the big buck will make his appearance. Also, if you aren‘t looking for
deer, you may inadvertently overlook one hiding in the brush.

Three years ago, I was having a run of hard luck bowhunting. I had been calling off and on
for a long period of time with no results. On the day in question, I had already completed
one series of bleats and was going to call once more before sunset. When I finished my series, I didn’t get my bow up and ready because I didn’t expect anything to come in. When the 5 x 5 Pope & Young buck came trotting in to 20 yards, all I could do was watch because, by the time, it would have required too much movement to get into position.

Had I made a mistake and spooked the buck he would have been impossible to ever called
again. I stood there and let the deer leave on his own, but I never forgot the lesson that evening taught me. Since that hunt, I always get my bow in position with an arrow nocked as soon I finish my calling series. A deer can come  on the dead run or it can sneak in quietly to see what’s going on. I usually try to stay alert and ready for at least l5 to 20 minutes after I call or rattle. If nothing shows up in this amount of time, it either isn’t going to come in or wasn`t able to pinpoint the source of  the sound. On the chance that the latter is true always proceed with another series that is shorter in duration and more quiet than the first. If still nothing shows, I either move or if I’m in a specific location for an entire morning and evening, I wait about one hour and call again. This amount of time allows dccr that may have been too far away before to work their way into hearing range.

Types Of Calls

There are basically three types of calling for thc average deer hunter to consider: bleating,
grunting and rattling. Each has advantages and disadvantages, but all three methods can be deadly if used at the right time. Bleating is primarily a vocalization made
by fawns and young does; it is most effective on bringing in does, but at times a buck
also respond. Bleating can work at any time of the year, which sets it apart from the other two methods, which are effective mostly during the breeding season. Bleating is the call a young deer makes when it is lost or in distrcss, and I believe that most deer responding to this call are doing so out of curiosity. The exception to this is a doe trying to protect a fawn. This is especially true of a doe which may have lost her fawns during the year. This type of doe will often charge in with hackles raised and fire in her eyes. My favorite bleat call to use is the Burnham Brothers Long Range Deer Call, but I have also had good success with an old Herter’s Deer Call. I’m sure that most of the major manufacturers put out a good call that will get the job done.

Grunting is another type of call in which the sound is produced by the hunter’s breath
and mouth. Grunting is mainly a sound that bucks make and it is primarily used during the rut, so a grunt call is most effective then. Anyone who has spent much time in deer country during the mating season has heard a buck grunting, perhaps without realizing it.

The sound is not unlike that a big overgrown hog makes and it can be used by the buck in many different ways. There is the tending grunt that a buck uses when he is on the trail of a doe that is nearly ready to breed, and there is a louder and more defiant grunt that bucks use when confronting each other. I believe that the tending grunt is the best one for the bowhunter to use because it makes other bucks believe there is a receptive doe in the area.

To use the call, keep the sound level low and space the calls at a fairly steady pace. My normal series consists of five to six grunts, each about one second apart to simulate the buck grunting as he takes each step. As with any other type of call, be careful not to call too much; you want to get the deer interested, not alerted. The call I use the most is a Lynch’s Grunt Call which looks like a miniature elk bugle. It is fairly easy to understand and it comes with excellent instructions.

Another effective method of calling in deer is rattling. Up until a few years ago, this
method was thought to be a very regional one and was used mainly in the Southwest, espe-
cially Texas. I have personally rattled up and harvested bucks in North Dakota as well as
Minnesota, and I’m sure it can work anywhere there are deer. Rattling success relies
on a deer’s curiosity. The sound is like that of two bucks sparring. The premise is that the
curious deer will hear this and come to investigate. Some people feel that a buck will corne
in hoping to steal a doe from two combatants, but I mink that it is mainly because deer, too, like to watch a good fight. One mistake I made early in my rattling attempts was my failure to rattle hard enough; if you have ever watched two bucks fighting, you know there is no way you could ever make that much noise, so don’t be timid when rattling. I would recommend purchasing a pair of the new synthetic antlers that are on the market. These copies of mother- nature look and sound like the real thing and are practically indestructible. Also, they won’t lose their “fresh” sound after a few years the way real antlers are prone to do.

When rattling, I hold the left antler in my right hand and the right antler in my left hand with the tips facing away from me. This way, you can really work them together without having to worry too much about smashing your fingers. I usually begin a rattling series with a couple of violent clashes to get the attention of any deer in the area. These clashes represent the first thrust of the two bucks as they come together. After the initial contact, two bucks will then resort to a pushing and shoving match to prove who is the dominant animal.

To simulate this part of the routine, twist the antlers back and forth, all the while trying to
imagine two bucks actually fighting. Keep this up for about 45 seconds or so and at the
end of the series, snap your wrists as you pull the antlers apart to imitate the bucks pulling
violently away from each other. Immediately after rattling, get your bow up and ready
cause it’s not uncommon for a buck to come charging in to your lap. If you aren’t pre-
pared, you will miss a perfect opportunity

Wait for about five minutes and if nothing shows up, go through another rattling series
but this time do not start out with a loud crash and do not rattle as violently. This is in case
you brought a buck in with the first series; he is hanging back out of sight, you don’t want
to spook him by overdoing it. If still nothing shows, wait again and then
go through another series. If you are moving from place to place all day, stay in one loca
tion for only one-half hour at a timc; if you are planning to stay in a stand for scveral hours
wait at least an hour before repeating your rattling sequence. Always remain confident be-
cause, as often as not, your trophy will come in when you have just completed your last
series and are losing confidence, preparing too head for home. Always remember that you
have a chance up until the last minute of last day of the season.

Optimism Works

Remember that when you are calling, it is often even more effective to use more than one
technique at a time. Use a combination of bleating and rattling or grunting and rattling
and you might just double your chances of bringing in a deer. I believe this works well
because, if you can convince a deer that there are a group of other deer in the area, it will put the real deer more at ease. This technique worked to perfection for me this past deer season when I was out hunting on the last day before rifle season opened. It was a cool,
clear November evening at about one hour before sunset. I hadn’t seen anything, even
though I had gone through a rattling sequence about an hour and a half earlier, so I picked up my horns and started into it again, trying to put all the emotion I could into it. I set down my horns and picked up my 7l-pound Big-horn Custom Takedown and stood at the
ready. Almost immediately, a buck started picking his way toward me down the other
slide of a dry slough. He came to within about 100 yards and stopped to rub his antlers on
some small willows. At that distance, and because of the lack of intervening cover, I didn’t
dare rattle again so 1 pulled out my grunt tube and blew four or five soft grunts. That was all it took; he was like a puppet on a string as he crossed the slough and started down the trail that led past my stand in a cottonwood tree. I let him walk right under me and pass the tree so I would have a better anglc. then took the 25-foot shot as he quartered away.

The Zwickey-tipped cedar shaft covered the short distance in a flash and took the buck high on the back part of the rib cage, angling down through thc heart. The buck bolted away, slowed and finally stopped at 40 yards to look back at what had frightened it, took one more step and went down for good; another quick, clean close range kill which resulted from proper calling.

No matter what method you try to lure in your deer, be it bleating, grunting or rattling,
you must have confidence to make it work. l would strongly suggest ordering instruction
records or video cassettes that have actual deer vocalizations, as well as expert callers
using various calls and techniques. Other than that, spend as much time practicing at home and under field conditions as possible, and always remember that at any given time, the sounds you are making could attract a deer. Always be prepared.

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OUTSMARTING TROPHY BRUINS ~By Dr. Ken Nordberg

Bowhunting World June 1990

Hunters Never See Most Of The Really Big Black Bears

Urr-AUGH!” The throaty roar came from almost directly beneath our tree stand. Hair standing on end (an universal affliction among all smaller bears and humans present), the twin yearlings immediately dropped their beef bones and sprinted south, appearing from behind like a pair of rapidly bouncing, black rubber balls.

Seconds later, a scarfaced, chocolate-colored brute charged malevolently into the small opening before us. Normally, the mere appearance of a mature black bear is enough to start one‘s heart thumping and knees trembling, but this one — some 250 pounds of fulminating inferno — cast an added complexion on matters. Even though black bears, as a rule, are extremely unlikely to vent rage on humans, at this particular moment, a couple of Nordbergs, mouths agape, could not shake the feeling there are exceptions to this rule.

“There’s your bear,” I croaked softly to my youngest son.
After several tense and agonizing minutes of waiting for the
bruin to present a perfect shot angle, the tranquility of the
dripping forest was suddenly shattered by Ken’s shot, Six notable events followed immediately there-after. The heart-shot,
chocolate-brown bruin barreled into rain-soaked hazels on our
right; a bolt of lightning stabbed through the crown of a nearby
pine, showering the forest floor with sparks, and one of the
yearlings reappeared, streaking directly toward our stand.
Lurching to our feet, we found my portion of our years-old,
treestand platform cracking, the unseen (obviously near) chocolate-brown bear beginning to roar and me dangling from my armpits, camera equipment askew. I was inordinately concerned over the realization that my legs were within an easy chomp of least two crazed (and perhaps vengeful) beasts with
large and powerful fangs. Happily, the oncoming yearling
spooked at the sight of my flailing legs, rapidly opening a new
path in yet another direction, and the chocolate-brown bruin succumbed during its third roar.

This somewhat extraordinary, yet somehow typical, bear
hunting episode was the Nordberg family’s introduction to unguided, do-it-yourself black bear hunting. Being a veteran of several guided bear hunts during earlier decades, at least half of which were unsuccessful, I was not only pleasantly surprised by the relative ease with which the chocolate-colored bruin was taken, but flabbergasted by the number of unsuspecting bears we had observed within 30 yards of our stand. We’d seen  in only two days of hunting. Suddenly, we were struck with the realization that rarely-seen black bears — one of world’s largest, most powerful and most cunning land carnivores — are not only much more abundant than thought possible, but very obtainable by the do-it-yourself hunter. During the following decade, drawing l-to-3 Minnesota hunting permits in all but one year, my adventure-loving sons, Ken, Dave and John, my son-in-law Kevin Stone, and I hunted black bears with a passion.

Though 100 percent successful, we began to realize early
on, not all black bears are easy. The bears that proved to be
fairly vulnerable to our baiting techniques during legal shooting hours
were small-to-medium in size, sows and younger
boars up to 250 pounds. Most hunters would not call a 250-
pound black bear merely ‘“medium.” In the wilds, they not
only appear to be very large, but when taken by a hunter they
even feel very large, being much more difficult to move than a
whitetail deer of the same weight. Compared to “average”
bears taken by hunters, weighing significantly less than 200
pounds, they “are” large.

But we knew we had much bigger bears in our favorite
hunting area — monsters that would go 300-500 pounds, One
might even weigh substantially more than 500 pounds. Such
bears were proving to be frustratingly difficult, if not impossible,
to attract to bait during legal shooting hours. Thus, we began to experiment, knowing it would take something “special.” We knew these bears were largely nocturnal, astonishingly cunning and wary, very determined to avoid short-range encounters with humans. We knew they had excellent noses,
and we were fast becoming aware of the black bear’s extraordinary sense of hearing.

Then, it began to happen. Adding big-buck-effective know-how to our thinking, we at last began to draw large to very-large bears to our bait pits, Last fall, I put an arrow through the heart of our second-largest bear from a range of five yards. It was a 422-pound boar that will score very high in the Pope And Young Record Book, proving without a doubt that the do-it-yourself approach can provide the very best in hunting adventure.

Here`s how we do it:

Step 1—Sharpen Marksmanship

A bear hunter’s number-one enemy what facing a large bear is the hunter himself (or herself). As both Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone once observed, taking on a large black bear, one on one, is a true test of a hunter’s mettle. Neither, from what I’ve read, tried it with a bow. Of` course, they did not have the deadly archery equipment we have today, but even with a tireann in their hands, they too felt the extraordinary excitement, the suspense and the danger (whether justified or not) that is an inescapable part of every encounter with a black bear at short range. It’s a heart thumping, knee-rattling experience, all right.

The trouble is “normal” human responses in this situation contribute to inaccurate shooting. Ordinarily, when a large bear is the
target, the average hunter will be at least four-times less accurate than when shooting at a paper target. What that means is, the hunter who can comfortably put all practice arrows into a 3-inch by 5-inch target (the size of a bear’s heart) from 20-30 yards will have a devil of a time putting one arrow into a 12-inch by 20-inch area when the target is a live
bear. What that further means is, to be confident of a heart shot in the field, the hunter must either be capable of putting all practice
arrows into a l-inch circle from 20-30 yards, or limit shooting to the range from which all practice arrows can be shot into a 1-inch circle.

“Confidence” is the key when hunting bears. When you absolutely know you can hit a bear’s heart, every time, you will not be nearly as unnerved when one approaches. That‘s important. Is the heart shot so necessary? No. A lung-
shot bear (both lungs) will usually go down fairly quickly — typically within 20-30 seconds — but, if the arrow does not pass through a bear’s chest, it might be tough to track and recover. Being as fat as they are, high, single
chest wounds do not bleed much, and in 20 seconds a larger bear can easily barrel 200-300 yards. When an arrow passes through a bear’s chest, making an exit wound, the low side wound will usually bleed profusely, providing an easy-to-follow trail. If you can’t be sure of a more deadly heart shot, limit your lung shots to 10-20 yards using heavy arrows shot from no less than a 60-pound bow. Shooting through rib bones only, this should give you that
low-side wound that will lead you unerringly to your bear. Keep in mind, a large bear’s lungs are about one-third smaller than a large whitetail deer’s lungs.

An old sheep guide once advised me. “When you shoot a bear, you want to shoot it dead. You don’t want to just wound it and make it mad. Once a bear gets its adrenalin up, even if it isn’t dangerous, it can be very hard to kill.” No shot kills a bear more quickly than a heart shot, or a shot that severs major blood vessels at the top of the heart. A heart-shot bear will usually drop within 35-50 yards, and it will be very easy to follow the blood trail to the bear.

Step 2-Scout Early

Even where bears are especially abundant, to Lhe untrained eye, bear signs are unlikely to be obvious or common. Ignoring the need to find bear signs, many hunters select stand/bait sites at random, thinking mostly of
themselves in the process. They pick sites close to roads, sites easy to get to, sites with good views and such. Only about 50 percent of randomly selected stand/bait sites are likely to be productive. Once you have spent
weeks hauling hundreds of pounds of valuable groceries to an unproductive stand, you’ll start thinking, “There`s gotta be a better way.”
And, there is.

First, key on edges of heavily-forested, wet lowlands, cedar swamps, areas flooded by beavers and tangled creek bottoms, for example, I don ’t know whether well fatted bears during the fall suffer from heat and need tc
drink a lot of water. if they like to bed in heavily-forested. wet lowlands, if the foods they eat are more common there or if we simply do better hunting bears where their tracks are easy to distinguish, Whatever the reason,
our most productite stand/bait sites are almost always located very near water. Not just any water. It has to be water near tangible bear
signs such as traclcs. droppings, scratch trees and evidences of feeding.

Second, key on available bear foods. In our favorite hunting area. the only wild berries available to bears during the hunting season are wild cranberries and bunchberries Both grow in wet soils, cranberries in a large
spruce bog and bunchberries beneath mature lowland cedars and other evergreens. Where oaks are common bears will spend considerable time eating available acorns. Domestic farm crops like oats. apples, sweet corn and
melons will attract bears from considerable distances. as well as garbage and carrion.

Black bears especially relish sweets of any kind. wild honey being their most common type of sweet in the fall. Insects and grubs also make up a large portion of their fall diets, evidenced by torn-open rotten logs and trees, and
ripped-open ant hills.

Third, key on big bear signs. Intending to hunt older bears exclusively, my boys and I spend considerable time searching for “big” bear signs. We ignore areas that only have signs of small to medium-sized bears, regardless of how common they may be.

No matter how much bear food is available in any one region during fall, older bears seem to forage almost continually along specific routes, unlike younger bears which commonly bed nearby and exploit a good source of food for an extended period of time, perhaps even for weeks. Unlike younger bears
which seem to remain in the vicinity of a food source long after it‘s exhausted, older bears quickly abandon the area and resume traveling widely.

Some older bears I’ve known will range over 20 square miles. The very large
bear I took with a bow last fall was occasionally seen in farm fields 10 miles apart, east to west. I have personally trailed it up to two
miles north and south from the spot where I eventually shot it.

A big bear on the move may not find a new bait for several days, It may not find it at all if the bait is not located near its usual foraging route. Even if it can smell your bait within an infrequently traveled area, a big bear may not go out of its way to visit it unless other foods are scarce. When hunting big bears, then, bears` signs are very important. Droppings
large in mass, claw marks higher than a man can reach on a bear-scratch tree (a rare find) and hind paw prints 8 to 9-1/2 inches long generally mean you’ve located a big bear’s foraging route. Without such signs in the
vicinity of your stand, you may see bears, but it’s unlikely you’ll see a trophy-class bear.

Upon discovering food placed in the woods by a human, an adult bear will fully
understand how that food got there. Nonetheless, the bear will cautiously make use of that food daily, either until the food is exhausted or until it cannot feel secure there like discovering 21 human there during regular feeding hours, for example. Once the food is exhausted, an older bear will not likely return for 3-4 days. Upon being spooked from the site by a human, it either may not retum at all or it may retum during nighttime hours only.

Where unexpected, near-encounters with humans are likely at a bait site, such as at one near a road or trail frequently traveled by humans, an older bear will either completely avoid the bait site or visit it during nighttime
hours only. Trophy-class bears are therefore unlikely to be taken near roads or trails frequented by humans. To be effective, stand/bait sites should be located at least 1/2-mile from frequently traveled roads or trails.

Hunting bears that far off-trail means the hunter must be prepared to transport heavy bait and possibly a heavy bear over considerable distances over rough terrain. This means the hunter must also locate, brush-out and
mark a conservative trail to a bait site. Once an older bear realizes a human is depositing food at a specitic site periodically, it will be very reluctant to approach during daylight hours unless the site is surrounded by
dense cover. This means a spot with a good view is unlikely to be effective for taking a big bear. It means the hunter will likely find it necessary at a good, heavily-timbered site to create a small clearing for the bait pit and a
conserative shooting lane, preserving as much surrounding cover in its natural state as possible. Wide and obvious, new clearings and shooting lanes spook older bears. Preserving cover commonly makes it necessary to position the stand very near the bait. For this reason, I often end up sitting within 10 yards. This is not usually a handicap as long as the hunter can remain reasonably calm while a bear is present. Nearer than 10 yards is not better though certainly more exciting Shot angles can become difficult at shorter
range and at five yards a bear can hear the strong beat of a human heart.

Step 3—Prepare Stand/Bait Sites

Essential to the effectiveness of an elevated stand intended for hunting any black bear is cover enough to screen a large portion of the hunter’s silhouette. Black bears do not have sharp vision. but older bears, nonetheless, readily recognize the exposed silhouette of a feared human, even when the human is completely motionless. Being tree climbers, black bears frequently gaze up into trees. Perhaps older boars, the most dominant of bears, expect to see younger bears in trees, as climbing is a common escape from possible attack.

Encounters between bears are especially common at bait pits, and so is tree climbing. Sometimes, I feel big bears mistakenly identify breathless. well-camouflaged humans on elevated platforms as cowering lesser bears.

Without adequate silhouette-hiding cover, you’re sunk. I’ve had all classes of bears identify me in trees. When that happens, I am amazed at how abruptly a black bear can disappear. With a big bear, one such alarm is all it takes. That bear won‘t give you a second chance at that site, not even a year later.

Though black bears are less intimidated by new stand sites than whitetail deer, the stand, should be erected no less than two weeks before hunting. With good cover at the platform level, such as provided by a mature evergreen,
a stand nine feet above the ground is adequate.

In Minnesota where we can begin baiting two weeks before the opener, we usually set up our stands and brush-out shooting lanes and
stand trails during the first baiting.

As illustrated, we dig bait pits about 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet deep at well-drained locations. All of the soil removed is carefully spread out around each pit so bear tracks can be measured more easily. |
Track measurements tell us how many bears are visiting our pits and how large they are. Bears eventually pack this soil down so that tracks become indis-
tinguishable. Thus, we make it a habit to loosen this soil each time we add more bait.

After depositing bait in our pits, we cover it with tive or six 100 pound plus logs six feet long. We arrange these logs tightly side-by-side, at right angles to the expected path of the hunters arrow. These logs serve several functions. For one, they protect our baits from other animals and birds. I have seen ravens clean up 100 pounds of exposed meat scraps in one weekend.

The logs also serve as measuring sticks. Any bear that compares favorable in length (nose to tail) with a six-foot log  is “a keeper? The way these heavy logs are moved from pits is also a measure of a bear. Small or medium-sized bears usually roll two or three logs to one side, opening a narrow window to the bait. Large and very large bears flip two or more completely out the way,
sometimes tossing them end-for-end several feet to one side. Placing logs at a right angle to arrow flight promotes ideal shot angles. Bears usually stand parallel to the logs — on top or to one side — providing broadside or slightly
angled positions that make heart shots easy.

Step 4—Bait Heavy & Often

There are probably as many effective baits and bait combinations as there are bear guides. Because bear diets vary from region-to-region and allowable baits vary, too, from state to state or province to province, it ‘s difficult to suggest baits that are universally effective or allowable. Rather than do that, I’ll simply explain what we Nordbergs use in Minnesota. Here, pork is prohibited (to prevent the introduction of trichinosis to bears), as well as glass, metal or plastic containers.

‘With such great latitude, we’ve had plenty of opportunity to find out what our wild bears like best. Our current “per pit” recipe for big bears is as follows:
75-100 lbs. fresh meat scraps, bones and suet
10 lbs, dry dog food
1/2 peck sweet corn on cob in husk
50 pounds of fruit preserves (dated and
unsalable)
1/2 peck backyard apples and/or other fruits
1/2 watermelon, smashed
Assorted table scraps
Bacon and cooking greases saved up during
off season (initial baiting)
2 gal. used cooking oil (initial baiting)
1 pt. honey (used only when hunting}

As you can see, we give our bears plenty to eat. We add the above amounts to our pits very four to seven days during the two weeks before the opener. As we have learned over the years, smaller amounts of bait will not keep a
large bear satisfied very long. Once bait is completely consumed, a large bear will typically resume its extensive foraging and not return again for three to four days. We try to keep this from happening by renewing baits
every four days after a large bear is on a pit.

I`ve had as many as six bears, including cubs, regularly feeding at one pit, but rarely will even this number of bears clean out a pit in less than four days. A particularly large bear will scent its food source with plenty of urine and droppings to warn off other bears, thus making our generous offering last about four days.

Occasionally, we are unable to renew baits for a week. It may take up to four days for a large bear to return. Younger bears will usually stick around a few days after a pit is exhausted, commonly returning within hours after a pit is replenished. Normally, we re—bait two to three days before hunting, and then again at noon on opening day. From that time on, additional baiting is rarely necessary. By the fourth day of hunting, our allotted permits
have been filled, and our bruins are being converted into gourmet cuts of meat.

Our bait recipe evolved over a decade of experimenting with different foods. Fresh meat scraps are our staple. Though many guides swear by ripe meat — the stinkier the better- our bears have shown time and time again they much prefer fresh meat. We freeze it and store it in 75-pound blocks to assure
freshness in the pits. Dried dog food is used like a spice, mostly because bears have often tried to steal some from our dogs dish in camp. Sweet corn is a much-relished side dish. Our last two bears were shot while nib-
bling com from our pits. We dump highly aromatic fruit preserves
from 50-pound bulk containers over the logs covering our pits. It”s likely this bait alone could do the job. Apples are a perennial favorite, and they hold up well in pits for extended periods, whatever the weather. After honey,
the first thing bears reach for is the water-melon we provide. To enhance its sweet odor, we smash it into small bits just before closing our pits. While baiting and hunting, all left-over foods and scraps from our tables become
bear bait. Anything humans like, bears love.

All during the off-season, all cooking greases, especially bacon, and oils are carefully preserved in coffee cans in the back of the refrigerator. Few substances in a bait pit can draw bears from a greater distance. Using
ordinary paint brushes, we spread bacon grease on tree trunks along at least two paths.

Step 5- Hunt Afternoon to Evening

Like whitetail deer, black bears normally begin feeding well before morning’s first light. It is impossible to approach a stand at first light, or shortly before, without spooking any bear that might be there. Unless it is stormy, no human can move quietly enough.

Once you spook that big bear you’d like to take at your stand/bait site, it is unlikely you will ever see that beast again at that site during
daylight hours. Don`t take that chance. Sleep late in the morning.
Expect to ambush your bear alter 4 p.m. Head to your stand at least five hours before sunset, however. Occasionally, a bear will come in three hours before sunset. Usually, it will be younger bears first, and then progressively larger bears as the sun sets at a pit where several bears are feeding. The very largest bear probably won‘t appear until 30 to
45 minutes before sunset. And, some very large bears have a habit of appearing right after legal shooting hours are over. All you can do with a bear like that is keep trying, hoping it will eventually make a mistake.

Being at your stand at least five hours before sunset is recommended for a good reason. A wiser, older bear will commonly check for human scents, at a safe distance along the trail to your stand before approaching your bait pit. If your scent is several hours old, the bear will move in. If your scent is
relatively fresh, it will quietly leave, likely without your knowledge. This is probably the most common reason why smart, old black bears aren’t seen by average hunters, and why smart, old black bears become only nocturnal
visitors at stand/bait sites.

When hunting and fresh bait is needed, either replenish your pit at noon, and then sneak in later to hunt, or wait until five hours before sunset and use the “buddy/baiting system .” Two hunters noisily carry in bait. While
one climbs into his stand, the other noisily leaves. In the old days, we used this system routinely, but later in the day. Quite frequently, a younger bear, bedded nearby, would rush to the pit within 15 to 30 minutes after the noisy buddy had disappeared. The older bears were never fooled, however.

Step 6—Minimize Sights, Sounds & Scents

Hunting a wise, old black bear is a lot like hunting a wise, old whitetail buck. With a bear, however, eliminating identifying sounds is most important. Though bears have excellent noses, the air around a bait pit characteristically reeks with food and human odors.

Having poor eyesight even at short range, a bear at a bait pit is mostly dependent on its ears. That’s not a handicap as a bear ’s sense of
hearing ranks with the best. That doesn’t mean the hunter can afford to
be careless about sights and scents, as the honey episode reveals. The hunter must be well camouflaged from head to foot, with camo that fairly well matches surrounding cover. Normally bright and reflective human skin, both face and hands, must also be covered with appropriate camo colors.

The hunter’s clothing and body must be free of strong odors. Clothing should be washed in scentless soap, hung outside to dry and protected in scentless plastic bags from odors until shortly before you head to stand. Before wearing this clothing, however the hunter must wash his body with scentless
soap and should brush his teeth with soda Well-scrubbed, all-rubber boots are recommended.

When heading to a bear bait/stand early, the hunter should move quietly and
steadily, only pausing to ascertain that a bear is not at the bait pit and to pour a generous offering of honey on an adjacent tree trunk. Climbing carefully on to the platform making no unnatural squeaks or bumps in the process, the hunter must then sit silently and motionless until the quarry arrives, while avoiding the notice of woodland sentinels that might spill the beans — red squirrels, deer, bluejays and such. When biting insects are prevalent, put on a headnet rather than use a smelly repellent.

Step 7—Prepare For Adventure

Imagine being in my size-11s last Labor Day evening:
A swarm of yellow jackets, heavy with honey purloined from the bait pit below
danced sluggishly on buzzing wings without the warmth of a beam of evening sunlight stabbing through the heavy balsams. Slowly they drew nearer, guided by the swinging shaft of light.

Suddenly, the beam of light fades and the buzzing ceases, but you are not aware of that because your astonished eyes are riveted on the gigantic black form that has just emerged from the deep grass of the ash slough 75 yards
west of your stand. Unconsciously your body tenses, your heart lurches and begins beating more profoundly than ever before, your knees start quaking uncontrollably. It’s the biggest black bear you’ve ever seen. Inadvertently,
the shaft of your mounted arrow slips softly to the moleskin guard from beneath, you wince as bear freezes, its malevolent eyes intent upon the
landscape that hides you. Breathless, you dare not even blink an eye. Several suspenseful moments pass. Finally, the bear tums and effortlessly pads on silent feet through brush and windfalls north of your stand. It seems to
be purposefully staying out of range. Shortly, it disappears from sight behind you. You wonder, “Did I goof`? Was that arrow noise enough to keep that bear from coming in? Should I turn — steal a peak?” Then, you hear a soft shuffling beneath your stand. From the comer of your left eye,
you see the bear moving toward the pit. With your back arched so your clothing will not brush against the rough bark of your stand
tree, you begin the slow, oozing motion that will eventually end with a full draw. Although its body appears fuzzy at the edge of your vision, you’re avoiding now the alarm-triggering direct gaze, you note the bear is facing
you. You see its tawny muzzle rise; it‘s looking right at you. Again, you freeze, totally motionless. Then, you hear loud lapping. You passed the test . . . so far. As the bear intently laps honey, you resume your grand movement with the bear becoming more visible as you turn. Again it looks up. Again you freeze, your eyes diverted obliquely and your heart settling down now. Noisy lapping begins again. The upper limb of your bow rises
slowly upward from your lap. The bear turns, effortlessly sweeping three, 100-pound logs from the pit with one fore paw.

Now, the lower limb of your bow is sweeping slowly downward. Your eyes tell you lean farther outward to keep this limb from hitting the metal platform brace. Concentrating now, and hardly seeing the bear, you watch your
lower limb slip safely beyond the brace. At last you tum your eyes more toward the bear. The bruin snatches a cob of sweet corn out of the pit and drops it just to the left of the pit.

Head down, the bear rips the husk from the cob while pinning it to the ground with its forepaws. Your eyes widen as you realize the bear cannot see you now. It is standing quartering away, its left flank toward you. Anxiously, you begin your draw, stifling the urge to move quickly and listening intently as your arrow slides slowly over your padded rest and plunger. Suddenly, the strain in your right arm and shoulder is gone, your bow has let-off.

Your right forefinger resting firmly behind the trigger of your release begins to slide upward. Through the fuzzy ring of your string peep, you see the red bead of your sight surrounded by jet black fur. You visualize a vertical line immediately behind the bones that make up the bear’s left shoulder. Your bead lowers, now centered on that line. The range is a mere
five yards. Your time has come. Your right index finger eases to the front of your release trigger and slowly squeezes.

Whap! You see your bright blue and green fletches disappear into the exact spot of your aim. Instantly, the bear is gone, crashing with astonishing speed and power north through tangled alders. Then, there is no sound. You
lower your bow. Fifteen seconds pass. Then, you hear it: urr-augh. . .urr-augh. . . urr. . .

You did it! You’ve taken a monster black bear. You obviously did everything exactly right. It just couldn’t have been done any other way. You measured up. Shaking almost violently now, your body free at last to be normally human, you take in a deep breath and let it out. You look upward and see the evening star. “Lord,” you murmur, “it just doesn’t get any better than this.” For the first time in your life, you really know what that means.

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Mounting Bear and Boar Skulls – Robert Steenbeke
Bowhunting World June 1990

Thump! That’s as close as I can describe the sound of hitting a 150-
pound wild boar with a pickup truck.
I know what that sounds like because I
did it, not on purpose mind you,
but I did it. Of course, hitting a wild animal with a
truck in Texas is noting unusual.

During any average 24-hour period in the Hill Country
there are nearly 100 animal/vehicle mishaps.
What happened after my collision however, was
quite unusual, and it leads nicely into my taxidermy
story, so let me tell you about it.

The boar wasn’t killed by the impact of my truck
and kept on going, crashing through a fence and into
a whitebrush thicket. When I backed up and got out
of my truck I could hear him in the thicket, growling
like a cornered dog. The only weapon I had in the
truck was my bow, so I hesitated to go into the brush
after him. I just couldn’t let the animal suffer
though, if indeed he was, so I started checking things
out. What made me wonder about his suffering or
not was the fact that the growling did not sound hurt,
just mad as the devil and looking for revenge. If I had
not found any blood at the scene I probably would
have left, but I did find blood on the fence, and a few
drops were also visible on the other side. Since I had
permission to hunt that thicket, I decided to try to do
something about the situation.

Clutching my bow, I made a circle downwind of
the growling. Thirty yards into the thicket, facing his
backtrail, there stood the hog, except he was only
using three legs, and one of those didn’t look too
steady. Slowly, I stalked to within 20 yards of him
and looked for a hole to put the arrow through. I
thought I found one big enough and let the arrow go,
but I ticked a limb and hit a little far back from where
I wanted to. Still, the shot looked good and I didn’t
figure he was going too far.

After an unproductive search for my arrow, I took
up the blood trail. I had gone about 50 yards when I
spotted a rabbit. It was an easy shot to make, so I
took the broadhead off the bow and put on a washer
backed field point. Just as I got the field point on the
bow I heard a grunt. Looking up, I saw the boar,
coming for me as fast as three legs could carry him,
his mouth wide open and looking like he had a hundred
teeth, each a foot long. I was scared, I don’t
mind telling you, but having absolutely nowhere to
go in that whitebrush thicket, I drew back the bow
and let him come. When he was where I knew I
couldn’t miss, I looked him in the eyes and let go of
the shaft. Fortunately, I got close to my mark,
smacking him in the bridge of the nose and passing
through into the throat, stopping the charge but not
dropping him. The hog then crashed into the brush
where the arrow hung him up just long enough for
me to get another arrow on the bow, off the bow, and
into him. This shot was right where it belonged, and
as the animal turned to run away, he stumbled; four
steps later he went down for good.

That late Spring afternoon is one I will never forget,
I guarantee you that, but still I wanted to have
some permanent memento of it. I decided that the
hog’s skull would do just fine, arrow hole and all.
This is the step by step of how I mounted it, and this
procedure works equally well on cougar, bear, wolf
or most any critter without antlers or horns.

Step 1: Using a small razor-sharp knife, cape out
the skull. Start at the mouth, opening it up and cutting
where the lips are connected to the base of the
gums in both the upper and lower jaws. Cut and peel
the skin from here up over the nose, and clown
around the lower jaw. It will start to get difficult
where the skull widens just in front of the eyes. At
that point, switch to the neck end of the skull and cut
and peel from there. Once you have the skin off, cut
off as much meat and connective tissue as possible.

Step 2: Boil water in a pot that will hold the entire
skull. When boiling rapidly, add two teaspoons of
Borax per quart of water, then put in the skull and
jaw. Let the water come back to a boil for 20 minutes.

Step 3: After 20 minutes of reboiling, remove the
skull and jaw. Using a hot pad and channel—lock pliers,
carefully remove the front teeth back to and including
the canine teeth. Pour the water used for
boiling through some kind of strainer to catch any
teeth that may have come loose and fallen out.

Step 4: Let everything air cool. Do not try to rush
cooling by pouring cold water on things or they will
most probably crack. Once it’s all cool, you will
need to either clean the pieces up. Use a wire brush
and/ or DULL knife to clean all the loose teeth. Use a
sharp knife to finish removing every bit of
flesh, including the eyes and tongue, from the
skull. The brain is then removed with a drill
and a whip made from a coat hanger. This will
break it up, and then a garden hose will blow
it out. Now, let everything dry for about a
week, longer if it’s very humid.

Step 5: While the skull and jaw are drying,
out out a plaque to mount them on. Make the
plaque big enough to stabilize the mount, but
not so big that it makes the skull look small, 2-
3 inches of space around the skull is about
right. For a more professional look, router the
edge of the plaque. Complete the plaque by
using a good prestain sealer, stain, and finish
that matches your decor. Follow the directions
given by the manufacturers of the products you
choose to use. They want your repeat
business, so they tell you the best ways to get
me best results.

Step 6: When the skull is done drying use
2 wire brush to remove the last little bits of
flesh and tissue that are still left, and to prepare
the surface for painting. Brush on a good
quality prestain wood sealer and let it dry to
complete the preparations for painting.

Step 7: Use a good quality, appliance
white spray enamel to paint the skull and jaw.
Apply several light coats rather than one thick
one, since a thick coat will run. Let each coat
dry thoroughly before applying the next or the
paint will peel. And, be sure to paint the parts
from every angle, People always seem to notice any
little spot that you miss.

Step 8: After the paint dries thoroughly,
set the teeth back into the jaw using clear silicon
sealant/adhesive. Wash your hands well
before handling the skull or jaw to minimize
ugly fingerprints. While resetting the teeth,
you will find that you can reset them with less
root, making them appear longer than they
actually were. In my personal opinion
though, they look really fake when they are
too long. It also makes assembly harder since
the bottom jaw will need to set forward of normal
to allow for the extra length. Experiment
with the length until everything fits together
firmly, yet you get the tooth length that you
want to show.

Step 9: Assemble the skull and jaw and
position them on the plaque exactly where you
want them to wind up. Find a bolt which,
when the skull is on the plaque, will reach
through the plaque and about 3/4 of the way
through the brain cavity. Remove the skull!
jaw and drill a hole through the plaque for the
bolt, right under where the brain cavity will
wind up. Countersink this hole so the mount
won`t sir up off the table or wall.

Step 10: Put the bolt through the hole,
tighten it into place with a washer and nut on
top of the plaque, then put a dab of paint or ink
on the top of it. Carefully lower the skull/jaw
onto the plaque exactly above the spot you
want it to sit. The ink will mark a spot on the
bottom of the skull where you should drill a
hole for the bolt. Be careful not to drill all the
way through the skull. Drill and countersink a
second hole through the plaque, right be-
tween the jaws and under the bridge of the
nose. Then repeat the bolt, skull, ink trick
again, using a bolt that goes 3/4 of the way
through the nasal cavities.

Step 11: We are now ready for final assembly.
Turn the skull upside down on a soft
towel or rag to prevent skuffing the paint job.
Fill the two holes you drilled in the skull with
silicon sealant/adhesive. Put the bolt assembly
into place and allow l2 hours to dry before
turning the mount over. Tum it over and
presto! , you have a mount to be proud of.
Felting the bottom of the plaque makes a truly
professional looking table top display, or add
thin rubber pads to the bottom and use as
bookends when you get two of them, or add
hanging hardware and use as a wall mount.

They all look great, and are sure to be a conversation starter. >>—>

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Hey Guys! Big Game has a new Facebook page and really would like to get more “likes” come like us for a chance to win a safety harness valued at $50.00!!!

For the last two years I have been working on developing my own women’s outdoor apparel line. Recently I received my samples from the manufacturer and to save time/money they used what materials they had to build the basic form. The fabric they used on my light weight shooting jacket was a brown with gold thread, making it shimmer. I liked the look of it, and asked other hunters if it would affect birds when hunting in the field and they said no.

Would you wear a jacket like this?

All of your input and suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Jess

First off, thanks to Jesse Broadwater, Greg Poole and Goldtip for making this chat happen! We had a great time and Jesse has a tremendous amount of knowledge to share!

Thanks to JHENS for saving all of the logs to build this transcript and to all other moderators that made it in to lend a hand!

    [B]Jesse Broadwater Featured Chat[/B]

JHENS87 – Jesse, what made you switch from the shoot through system at Lancaster to the arc-tec cable slide system for Vegas?

Jesse Broadwater- ok, I’ll go with the first question I see….. regarding the move from the shoot thru to the arc tec rod…

Jesse Broadwater- I like the idea of reducing torque, no matter what kind of torque… I feel the bow can be a line, and responds better to any tuning adjustments, and also tends to hold better for me…….

Jesse Broadwater- but using a whole shoot thru cable system on a bow such as a Hoyt, requires some other changes sometimes, and other modifications, to make it work right… it can be a lot of work to get it right…. and not everybody wants to do that, or knows what to do….

Jesse Broadwater-  so I found the arc tec rods in France this year at Nimes, and brought it home, and tried it…. it was just so much easier, and cleaner, and also, anybody can use them, with ease… and you get the same effect, as the shoot thru…

Jesse Broadwater- tfdo, where’s your question?

jason t -I would like to know what your scope set-up is for the orange spots at the marked yardage championship in Redding. Whether you prefer a circle, fiberoptic, or dot..? Thanks…

Jesse Broadwater- other question up there on scope set up

Jesse Broadwater- I use a CR scope, and for Redding and field, I use the frosted lens….

Jesse Broadwater- been using the 5 power feather vision lens, with homemade frosting paper…. no clarifier

EASTON94 – there you go Jesse answer that one bud!

Hopperton -I would like to know what v-bar set-up you start with when starting from scratch on a new bow? Is it a lot of weight and then remove till it feels right or little weight and add it on as you go

Hopperton -What determines it?

XXX_Shooter -Hey Jesse…. Just wanted to say hi… Christopher Perkins here bud ttyl…

EASTON94 -bowmadness….give us a mad freakdaddy question!!

Jesse Broadwater. -hi Chris!

jason t  -Thank you

Hamdog -I hold a lot steadier with more weight on my bow but my bow arm really gets tired after about 6 ends I then the sight picture is not so steady. I would assume that this is because I do not have enough holding weight. Is there a general rule of thumb you use to figure out the amount of holding weight vs. bow mass weight?

Jesse Broadwater – here’s my deal with holding weight…. and mass weight… I try to use as much as I can, without it biting me in the butt…. what that means is, I want to have enough energy, and strength, to complete my round, whatever it may be, and not getting tired at the end, and loosing points at end of round….

Jesse Broadwater – here is what I found…. I feel the vantage elite is calmer to aim, when the limbs are parallel to the ground, at full draw….. factory specs has the limbs pretty parallel, but not quite flat at full draw, for my set up anyhow, with my size cams and all….

Jesse Broadwater — ok, holding weight, sorry… lemme look

Jesse Broadwater-  but yea, there is a link between holding weight and mass weight also…. it all has to work together in harmony, for things to be just right….. For what you’re shooting, that’s the kicker. Don’t be afraid to change your stabilizer setup, for diff types of shooting, to get the most efficiency out of you, and your setup, for what you’re shooting

Jesse Broadwater-  and remember, what works in practice, may not, when under pressure, so take away all that you can from a tournament, the next time, and when you go to make a change in practice, remember what it felt like in the tournament scene…. since that’s probably what you are practicing for…

Jesse Broadwater- that’s a general rule of thumb for me. But it fluctuates for me, and that’s why u see me playing with weights a good bit, sometimes all throughout the round….

Bowmaddness- Hi Jesse, I was wondering what is a good 3d arrow you recommend from Gold Tip?

Jesse Broadwater- 3d arrow from gold tip….. I would say the 22 series is a real good all-around arrow, 30x even triple x… really depend on the balance between distance, wind, and how much line catching you think you need…

Jesse Broadwater- I used the 22 series for the k 50 I shot not long ago, and it worked great… I feel I coulda got away with a xxx also though, and grabbed a few extra points, cause they both shoot equally well, if you tune your bow for them, and there wasn’t much wind, it was pretty sheltered ranges..

Jesse Broadwater- ok, what was next question?

edgerat –  Jesse, how do you go about setting up your string/cables as it relates to ATA and BH on a new bow? Your VE+ looks to have a pretty short ATA. Do you determine that by shooting the bow and getting the hold where you want it? How did you come to that determination, trial and error or, did someone put you on that idea in the beginning?

Jesse Broadwater- ok, string specs.. a to a specs…

Jesse Broadwater –  here is what i found…. i feel the vantage elite is calmer to aim, when the limbs are parallel to the ground, at full draw….. factory specs has the limbs pretty parallel, but not quite flat at full draw, for my set up anyhow, with my size cams and all….

edgerat – Thanks Jesse!

r49740  – ha-ha. Sorry For a draw length need in the middle of cam sizes(spirals), like a 29.25"… would you find it more beneficial to go to 29” and make longer string/shorter cables, or go to 29.5 and do the opposite? With that, can you give a quick idea of what each may feel like(meaning better valley feel, harder wall, one aims higher/lower than the other, etc.)? And to round out the previous string question, which of those two gets your limbs to be more parallel to the ground as you like them? Thanks greatly.

Jesse Broadwater- ok, draw length and cam size with spirals….. I always like to go to the shorter cam size and long string it a lil… gives you a lil more valley…

[email protected] – PARTNER….. When you are on your last few ends of and spot tournament AND YOU ARE STILL CLEAN what goes through your head?!? Tonight I shot another 60X but gets sloppy towards then end… I’m not nervous until my last arrow…

bigGP – good question

Jesse Broadwater- what do I think on last few ends of a clean round…… well, you know what the answer should be right?? it should be the same thing, that got you to where you are…. the thing is, you need to just not think about the ending, and enjoy the moments that you are in, until the score cards all filled up, and there are no more spaces to be filled, and someone says “that’s it, we are done”…..

Daniel Boone – Jesse have you shot the GT new Fita arrow and will that be your arrow for field this year

Hamdog –  Thank you Jesse.

flatline_shoote – When you are practicing for a Vegas shoot how many arrows do you shoot in practice to make sure you don’t get tired during the tournament. I have been a 3 D shooter and now branching into the spots but I start to lose it on the last 15 or so arrows. Also what do you use as an aiming dot or fiber when shooting Vegas 3 spots

[email protected] – THANKS HOMIE, ITS HARD WHEN THEY SAY (THIS IS YOU12TH AND FINAL END) IM LIKE WWWWAAHHHHHHH

Jesse Broadwater- I apologize if I miss someone, just yell at me… I’m trying to go in order…

bonecollector56 – Is there such a thing as too stiff of an arrow for target shooting? Because wouldn’t you want the least movement (flex) in the arrow as possible when the only thing you are shooting is field tips?

Jesse Broadwater- I think the ultra-light, or pro hunters, are an awesome arrow, for a blend of speed, and good dia for outdoor….

Jesse Broadwater-  the thing is, I’ve shot all the different arrows from gold tip now, and it’s pretty much as easy as picking the weight, and diameter you think is best for what you’re going to be shooting, and go from there….

bigGP – Not sure who to ask anymore but I think if Jesse could talk about how important strings and cables are to performance and consistency that would be some good info?

jman_23 – what do you use for setting your 2nd and 3rd axis?

fasst – Folks, please do not post a question unless we call your name

Jesse Broadwater- I use the Hamskea leveler for everything… it works awesome, and is easy to use

NEVADAPRO – That’s OK!! I’ve learned to live with it!!LOL!!

Jesse Broadwater- and it works too…. ha-ha!

NEVADAPRO-  Gotta love the Hamskea!!!

ferretboy – Jesse: a buddy of yours makes a shoot thru system, I was very interested in getting one for the alpha elite, would that or the arc tilt be better, and congrats on your recent win, great shooting

ferretboy – mike has already given me a price and would like me to be the guinea pig on the alpha shoot through

jman_23 – ok, do you put your bow in a vise or set it on a table to check everything?

Jesse Broadwater- stiff arrow question up there somewhere I saw… I think if you get the arrow coming out of the bow straight, it doesn’t matter if the arrow flexes of not… and use the correct amount of guidance on back, and point weight to tune for the forgiveness factor..

JHENS87 – 1 question at a time please. Gonna make Jesse’s fingers hurt lol

bigGP – He is a delicate flower

ferretboy –   hahaha, a delicate flower, priceless, when he’s not looking at Louisville I’m putting that sticker on his bowcase

jman_23 –   thanks for everything Jesse!!!

Jesse Broadwater – and I basically just hold level on limb pockets, match the elevation bar to it, then a vise is nice to set the second axis, just clamp hamskea onto elevation bar, and match level in scope to it, while bow is pointed parallel to ground….. set that. Then put alignment pin in hamskea, leave attached to elevation bar, draw bow, and line it up on a plumb string, up and down… make adjustments

fasst – We’ve only got Jesse for a few more minutes y’all, PM me if you have a question and I will call your name in order until time runs out

Jesse Broadwater- I’m fine for a bit,, just lemme have um… don’t wanna miss anybody…

T.FDO – Jesse…How should one go about selecting Brand/Weight/and Length when they have no access to different stabilizers to try? Is there a Formula you use to figure your length/weight for you stabilizers? (This would be for Bowhunter class and just hunting in general) Also…Do you prefer vanes or feathers? Which one? And what length guides the arrow best?

Jesse Broadwater- ok, stabilizer, and vanes/feathers….

ferretboy – Jesse: a buddy of yours makes a shoot thru system, I was very interested in getting one for the alpha elite, would that or the arc tilt be better, and congrats on your recent win, great shooting

fasst – nevada, then montigre, then outback then custard then conquest….whew! We will call yall in that order….

Jesse Broadwater – for hunting, as with target, I think it depends on what you’re doing…. and how much u can handle and all…. but I can’t say there is any given formula to go by when selecting one…. I think the best thing to do here is, find a place/dealer/buddy, that can let you try diff configurations on your bow, and get it in the ball park, then just buy some extra weights, to tinker around with, and carry with you, incase u think u need them….

Jesse Broadwater-  but in general, I like to use a 15″ bar out front of my carbon matrix, with about 6-8 oz., and a 12″ back bar, with 10 or so on it…. seems like a lot, but when u get the balance right, it isn’t bad at all, its comfy, and you would be amazed at how much better you will shoot your hunting rig, rather than just a 6″ rubber stabilizer screwed in front, that actually aint doing anything….

Jesse Broadwater – and you will have much more confidence in your shot, and your set up will be a lot more forgiving, when the moment of truth arrives, and that massive 5 point PA buck is in range…. 🙂
ferretboy –  hahahahahaha 5 pt.

bigGP – LMAO nice
T.FDO  – Hahaha…Thanks Jesse!

Jesse Broadwater- just kidding, there are some nice ones here in PA… just never where I hunt!!

fasst – You’re on deck montigre!

montigre – Hi Jesse, and thanks for doing this chat. How do you go about determining the parameters for fine tuning a specific set up (string/cable length, limb deflection, etc) say for field? What is the baseline you work from and steps considered to reach your desired fit? Thanks!

edgerat – good question!

bigGP  – nevada & Mont asked good ones

ferretboy – Jesse is swamped blast big GP with some questions everybody

bigGP – huh? Wrong chat bro! hahahahaha

edgerat –  Greg Poole, how much does your dog eat?

NEVADAPRO – Hi Jesse, what do you feel is the most important part of setting up your bow (for either field or indoor) to allow the best possible hold on the spot? Is it more in the DL and holding weight, or in the stabilizer set-up? Thanks!

Jesse Broadwater- Well, I would say we all have a baseline to go off of, and for me, it’s the minor tweaks here and there that can all add up, and make all the difference….

ferretboy – good question edge

fasst – outback jack, you’re up!

bigGP- 12 cups a day of super good dog food with raw liver and venison burger (1 cup)

edgerat – nice, good call Mr. Poole

outback jack – Jesse have you ever had problems with your bow shoulder wanting to rise on you and if so what was one of the things you did to fix it? Thanks.

bigGP – good question bro!!

outback jack – Thanks one of my major problems

Jesse Broadwater- like drawlength, an 1/8″ shorter, longer…. peep height, sight extension length, scope size/power, aiming reference point in scope, stabilizers, holding weight… all of this….. It all can be optimized, for efficiency, for the round you’re preparing for, it just takes time behind the string, actually practicing what you’re preparing for…. (Wow, did that just make sense)

Jesse Broadwater- practicing what you’re preparing for…. hmmm, yea……

bigGP –  eeeeasy freakshow

montigre –  Thanks!!

Jesse Broadwater- ok, so in field, you got up and down hills, side hills….. terrain…… some wind, some lighting changes… some rain here and there….

edgerat – Greg Poole, have you found a big gain from running a 10 degree down QD on your b-stinger setup?

bigGP – Jesse runs one also. I think he can answer that when its time……….

ferretboy- Hey Greg, what is your opinion on tan slacks and the wearing them at Vegas?

Jesse Broadwater – practice all this stuff, and practice in that weather, to know what your setup does, in those conditions…. unload your quiver on that nasty up or down hill target, and pay attention to what your feeling, and seeing… you see, this sport is all about feel…. so if something doesn’t feel right, you can usually make a change, and the feel will change…. u gotta play to find that comfy spot….

bigGP  – bout time!!! We should have been wearing no denim at Vegas forever….it’s a shooter of the year pro event so the nfaa pro dress code applies. It’s just a start

fasst – GoldCustard, have your question ready for Jesse?

Jesse Broadwater –  ohh no.. not the slacks!!!

ferretboy- hahahahaha, I threw that in to see if you two were paying attention Jesse

Jesse Broadwater- who’s my next one from?

bigGP –  Jesse is in the know zone right now… the freakshow hears and sees all!!! LMAO

bigGP –  about the front shoulder

outback jack – me I think

ferretboy –  hahahahahaha

fasst –  the bow shoulder question, Jesse

fasst-  Jesse have you ever had problems with your bow shoulder wanting to rise on you and if so what was one of the things you did to fix it? Thanks.

ferretboy-  do you know Jesse’s buddy that makes the shoot through system Greg?

bigGP –  who is it?

Jesse Broadwater-  I need to write a book…. I tell my wife that all the time, cause it seems I never get out, all of what I want to get out, when somebody asks a question… cause there are so many variables, and scenarios…. I think if just wrote them all down, and got it all out, I would feel better… lol!! Not saying that may book would be worth two nickels to anybody, but for my own good… just to get the info, from my experiences out, and on paper…

ferretboy –  mike something or other

bigGP  –  I have a shoot thru on my VE+………Jesse made it. LMAO

Jesse Broadwater- you’re talking about mike mathews that makes the shoot thru… hes my friend loclally, and knows his stuff!

Jesse Broadwater-  very technical savvy guy…

bigGP –  wow

bigGP –  LOL

ferretboy –  that is him, he offered to let me guinea pig with the alpha elite but said his machine is down

edgerat-  If Jesse, Gillingham, GRIV, and a few of the others all got together and did something that would be EPIC.

Jesse Broadwater-  ok, 40c and some lint…. Ill do it!!

ferretboy –  just to be fair I was saying that Jesse was seriously undervaluing his book

edgerat –  you push a hard bargain Broadwater but, I will do it.

bigGP  –  shoulder question Jesse

Jesse Broadwater –  shoulder…..

bigGP –  come on ADD boy!

fasst  – lol

ferretboy –  I’m in stitches you guys are a buzz

NEVADAPRO –  I’ll give you $19.99 for the book, but I would like 20 value payments!!!!LOL!!!

bigGP –  Dealing with jesse is like herding cats! Or holding smoke in your hands!

NEVADAPRO  –  Like pushing a boulder with a string?

outback jack –  I got a feeling he is typing up an answer right now:d

edgerat-  Jesse knows, there is no spoon……

ferretboy –  You need to change your moniker to master cat herder Greg

bigGP –  nawwww at least you can find the boulder…..

bigGP –  lmao

NEVADAPRO –  LOL!!!

ferretboy-  and write a book too, the Zen of cat herding

bigGP – Jesse is pissed right now….cuz he is trying an answer to the shoulder question while I bash his face in and he can’t reply!!!!

bigGP – he he hehe he

ferretboy – he’ll give it back full force at nationals GP

outback jack –  Whoa whoa let up on him at least till he answers it lol

JHENS87 –  I’m sure he’s afraid of you ferret lol

bigGP –  probly

ferretboy –  oh, and I drank the koolaid and bought the stingers

bigGP  –  shibby!

JHENS87 –  I’m trying to shoot bstinger. Really trying

fasst –  Send me one of those stingers Dave

montigre –  I have a whole hive of ’em….

ferretboy –  not a chance trav, hell I put one of the sidebars on my element and its working awesome as a front with 6 ounces on there

Jesse Broadwater-  my bow shoulder always has seemed to be a lil higher than most… I dunno why, it just seems to lock in there… but I have done work on lowering it last year, and it lowered some, and still remained comfy… I think it was causing me some low misses here and there…

fasst –  gee thanks Dave

edgerat –  my turn for a question now? It is hard-hitting….

fasst –  go for it edge, then conquest is up

Jesse Broadwater-  mike mathews helped me with this also… he took some pics, and said I wasn’t standing straight

ferretboy –  greg, find out where Jeremy’s stabilizer is, least you can do for him being such a great moderator tonight

edgerat –  Mr. Broadwater, what is like being out-dressed on the line by Greg Poole?

fasst –  ouch, edge!

bigGP –  he is used to it.

ferretboy –  so your posture was keeping your bow shoulder high?

JHENS87 –  I know where my stab is at ferret, waiting to be put together LOL

ferretboy –  wait…wait… let him finish this question

Jesse Broadwater-  said I was leaning back a lil, needed to get my upper body more centered over my hips, and to do this, I shifted a lil more weight over my lead foot, and it seemed to help higher shoulder

fasst –  nice tip Jesse

ferretboy-  nice, that was some valuable info

outback jack –  k thanks will give me something to look at

conquest –  Do you pull hard into the wall or do you shoot off the front of the cam? Do you fletch right or left helical and why?

bigGP –  I got packing to do folks. I am OUT!!! Thanks everyone and good looking out Jesse! See you tomorrow

Jesse Broadwater –  he told me to kind of pretend I’m shooting a lil bit of a downhill target on the set up, and that made total sense to me, and it worked pretty good.. but that’s kind of a major change, even though it doesn’t sound like much, it changes feel a lot, after you have been doing something the same way for so long, like whooping Greg in foot races, and shooting, for him to actually prevail one time, it just wouldn’t seem right you know.. gotta give it some adaptation time… hahahahahahehehehehe!!!

fasst –  Thanks again Greg!

JHENS87 –  have fun building my stab for me GP

ferretboy –  later Greg, putem in the x

Jesse Broadwater –  sweet dreams Greg!…hahaha

ferretboy –  hahahahaha, he won’t beat you unless he takes out your knee caps

Jesse Broadwater-  ( I sure hope he logged out before reading that)

conquest –  my turn?

Jesse Broadwater-  conquest.. yes….

NEVADAPRO –  I told you Jesse would get you back when he was through typing Greg!!LOL!!!

Jesse Broadwater –  I shoot just against wall

bigGP –  ohhhhh foot race?? I don’t race scrubs!…after I already whooped them!..goodnight now!!!

conquest –  how about fletching

Jesse Broadwater –  unless it real windy, then I pull a lil harder

Jesse Broadwater-  and I fletchings I have been going with left off set… gives you better vane to cable clearance with bigger arrows especially…

montigre –  Ooh, gotta be up in 4 hours…Thanks, again Jesse and best of luck to everyone heading out to L’ville!!

Jesse Broadwater-  ok, I can do about two more.. then got lots to do.. Leaving for AZ Cup at about 3 in morning… I will sleep on plane…..

fasst –  Daniel Boone, go for it big guy!!

GoldCustard –  Hi Jesse, I was wondering if there is a recommended procedure for setting the optimal position (front/back) of arrow contact with the freakshow arrowrest? Thanks
.
Daniel Boone –  Jesse have you shot the GT new Fita arrow and will that be your arrow for field this year! Did you enjoy the ASA event in Monroe?

JHENS87 –  good question DB, I’m interested in those new arrows

Jesse Broadwater-  rest question first, than GT…

edgerat –  montigre sure knows how to make an exit.

Jesse Broadwater –  sight bow in…. then draw back, and torque bow, and shoot, if arrow hits the way your stabilizer was pointed when torques, the rest needs to come back…. if it goes opposite, it needs to go forward… really that simple

Jesse Broadwater-  I have not shot or seen new small dia GT fita arrows….

edgerat –  dang, that is a good piece of tuning info!

ferretboy-  that’s the question I had lined up before I got booted. Thanks edge

Daniel Boone – Good info on rest, many always wonder

Jesse Broadwater- I am shooting 500 kinetics now, and they shoot real good…. 120 up front, 2″ aae max vanes on back, and they pound! Weigh about 345….
 
ferretboy – I’m out all, thanks for coming jess, professional as always. Congrats on Vegas and best of luck at Louisville and abroad. Dave Henderson

fasst – Folks, let’s give Jesse, Greg and Goldtip a HUGE thank you! We got off to a rocky start but ended up with some really good questions and answers. Jeremy will have a transcript build to post in the General Forums sometime tomorrow!

Daniel Boone – Thanks Jesse good luck in Arizona

Edgerat- THANKS JESSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bigredhunter00 – lol

JHENS87 – thanks again Jesse

Jesse Broadwater- And I enjoyed Monroe! I wanna do another, I know what to do know, and could do a lot better, it was fun..

Jesse Broadwater- thanks you guys! And you’re all welcome!

JHENS87 – you let us know when you want to do one

Jesse Broadwater – wish we had more time… let’s do it again!

ferretboy – yeah

fasst – sure thing Jesse!

Jesse Broadwater- see you all later!!

There are some hunting destinations around the world that any, if not all hunters would do just about anything to experience at least once in their life. Africa, Alaska, across the wilds of Canada and pretty much every top hunting destination in North America have provided me many dream hunts so far. I’ve been so lucky it is inexplicable, but I shall continue to pursue, wrangle, manipulate, beg, borrow and almost steal to continue my good blessings.

I moved to Texas nine years ago for a series of coincidental reasons, but at the top of the list is the incredible quality hunting all across the mighty Lone Star State.

From the deer and exotic infested Hill Country to the world’s best kept muledeer secret of West Texas, to those maximum quality managed deer heavens around Albany, to the pig and Auodad dreams, waterfowling, varmints and beyond, there is no doubt that my favorite hunting is celebrated in South Texas where the deer are big and ubiquitous, the land is beautiful and endless, and the people are the best on earth.

I return to the famed Kenedy Ranch each winter to plunge headfirst into the dynamic tradition of deer hunting there, and can honestly say it is like no place on earth. The terrain is diverse, the land loaded with populations of wildlife that seem to defy the truism of carrying capacity. The huge, delicious, ultra wary Indian Nilgai antelope provides some of the most challenging hunting found anywhere. Javelina, feral hogs, Rio Grande turkeys and whitetails are everywhere.

And because the land is private and vast, these dense populations of game animals are minimally pressured and are more relaxed than any game I have ever encountered, except for Mexican critters. But only a fool would subject themselves to the evil dangers and corruption of the world’s most vile  government, and actually help finance the slaughter of innocents in Mexico. No thanks.

So BloodBrother and bowhunting/VidCamDude Bobby Bohannon and I returned to the fabled Kenedy with our BloodBrother Greg Curran and gang for another fantasy hunt.

Bobby and I prepared for venison liftoff. Unfortunately, bowhunting 101 was violated and we were directed to a brand new elevated box blind with too many windows that the deer had not become comfortable with, and all the bucks avoided it like the plague. Our first morning we were able to stealth into a big fat cactus donkey and I arrowed a pretty old she deer for Spirit of the Wild TV.

Having been boogered by some damn fine bucks that morning, we hurried to relocate our double ladderstand setup in the perfect cover for an afternoon ambush. They would never know what hit them.

We weren’t in our new killer stand very long when a sounder of eight hogs grunted their way into our grove. When a huge black sow got broadside, I managed to miss the quartering shot at thirty yards. But for what I may lack in accuracy, I more than make up for in tactics, and within two seconds, I zipped a perfect arrow into a fat brown boar.

Bobby is the best tracker I know, and he found where the coyotes dragged off my pig and he recovered what was left of the hams and straps at dark.

Two sets, two kills. This is fun.

At dawn the next morning, we were somewhat surprised to see a sounder of good looking hogs moving our way and got ready for pork. One giant, very tusky red boar was the only pig in the group that kept out of range, but after a long wait, he finally made the mistake of looking the other way, broadside, and I sent the prettiest arrow you ever did see smack dab into that pumpy crease.

With an instantaneous vicious snort, loud grunt and hyper squeal, the old warrior exploded through the scrub and tumbled porkchops over ham steaks in a swirling cloud of grey dust a short fifty yards yonder.

Big goofy grins on TV are a beautiful thing, and I couldn’t help myself as I ran to the fallen beast for TV recovery!

We hustled back into our tree, and like only South Texas can, it wasn’t long before deer could be seen skulking our way through the mesquite and live oak. Several does cautiously milled about snapping up kernels of corn, but were strangely fidgety for the area. As they moved off, three bucks appeared and took no time in stepping into the shooting zone. One real handsome eight point posed for a bowhunter education poster, and I obliged by giving it to him.

He tipped over right there with a severed central nerve, and I finished him instantly with another arrow.

More glowing celebration took place with Bobby and I feeling pretty pleased with ourselves. Ace bowhunter and guide Kris Helms fetched us a short time later, and we took care of the animals, had a good lunch and commenced to enjoy a live pigeon shoot into the afternoon.

Things didn’t go as planned on the afternoon set, with my most important arrow  of the season skimming low on a monster mature 150 class 10 pointer that brought painful consternation to our otherwise joyous hunt.

On our last morning with only an hour before departure from camp, we hit a distant thick area, corned the road, and settled in for a last ditch effort to try my brand new Ted Nugent Hunting Ammo.

Does filtered out of the forests, and then one heck of a dandy 10 point buck emerged from a few hundred yards. Bobby settled the vidcam and I anchored my GA Precision .270 on a solid rest as the bruiser followed the does closer and closer by the minute. At just under 200 yards, the big buck stood facing us and I told Bobby I was going to take him.

The 140 grain Nuge bullet slammed him dead center so hard, it throttled him straight up and back, flipping him up, over and upside down with only one or two kicks before he was still.

As we prepared to celebrate, a big doe darted out from the edge just beyond the buck, and Booby captured it on tape as my 2^nd round found her heart, making a quick, perfect strapper double.

My new signature ammo proved itself, and we had pulled off a triple double. Two doe, two bucks and two hogs at the mighty Kenedy Ranch 2012. All is good in Tedland.