Spring for a Bowhunter  by Joe Maciejewski

     It is spring and that means it is the time of year when sports persons begin thinking about turkey hunting, fishing, and –

bow hunting.

Yes, I said bow hunting. Consistently successful hunters do not go out the week before the season and expect to arrow a huge buck. When I was younger I was told that anything worthwhile takes hard work. I can honestly say I don’t consider this as much work as I do having fun.

Spring is an excellent time of year to be out marking trails because they become much more visible in the snow and mud. Deer change trails and patterns during different seasons, but they also have trails which are used continuously throughout the year. Trails marked now will help in deciding a stand location during the later part of the season next year. You may even want to take a can of spray paint along so it will be easier to locate the tree or trails next season. Since the trees are still free of leaves, it is much easier to locate a tree to set up in next year. I have seen numerous rubs in the woods which look like there is no rhyme or reason to their location. After checking when there is still some snow on the ground, it looks like an interstate going right past these rubs!

            This is also a great time of year to be searching for sheds. Finding a large shed antler is a great way of confirming that the buck you had been watching last year made it through the winter. Nothing is more reassuring than finding a huge antler lying on the ground and knowing that the buck that once had that adorning its head was standing in the exact spot you are. This is also a great time to get the entire family out in the woods. The kids will love tramping around looking for sheds and your wife will think you are the greatest husband in the world for including her in your hobby. (This can come in handy when hunting season rolls around)

            Setting out trail cameras this time of year will help you watch the antlers of that record buck you are after, as they progress in size. I have seen hunters who actually have photos of the deer they have taken as they watched the progress of the antlers throughout the summer. Since it is early spring, you will also have plenty of time to learn all the deer in the area so you know you are taking the best possible buck and not seeing a monster after releasing an arrow on a smaller one.

            The field ranges will be opening up soon so don’t forget about hitting them to get some practice in too. Too many bow hunters wait before picking up their bows to prepare for the season. You need to have the confidence necessary when you get the chance at the buck you have been watching. You may even want to try bow fishing to stay in tune. This is a lot of fun and you can eliminate some rough fish in the process.

            This is a perfect time of year to check over your tree stands and tighten up those lose nuts and bolts that caused the horrible squeaks that echoed in the woods last season. These always seem to be amplified by 10 times when you are n the woods. Squeaks can send a buck flying out of the area before you know it. It is also a good time to spray a coat of camo paint on your stand too. Don’t wait until the week before the season opens and notice that your stand has half the camo scraped off and has spots that glisten n the sunshine like the bumper on your pick up. Throwing a coat of camo paint on your stand this time of year will give it plenty of time to air out before you want to hang it in the tree this fall.