Pennsylvania Game News - July 2016 - 61

E

VEN UNDER the best conditions, with no hunting competition
whatsoever, bowhunting is a difficult
endeavor. You've got to get within
spitting distance of one of the wariest
critters on the planet.
Try doing that when there are other
people around spooking deer with
their scent, noise, and movement, and
tagging out starts to feel like a fantasy.
You've got to adapt to the pressure and
overcome the challenges it presents.
In Pennsylvania, unpressured
ground can be scarce. I have never
bowhunted a place where I didn't
have to deal with pressure from other
hunters.
But I've found a way to be successful
under those conditions.
Your approach to bowhunting in a
crowd should be simple: Be willing to
adapt and work harder.
It's often what separates the successful bowhunter from the rest.
A 2004 study of hunter movements
during Pennsylvania's firearms deer
season found that, on average, hunters ventured no more than a half-mile
from any road. Also, the steeper the
terrain got, the fewer hunters that
country saw.
I believe most hunters aren't going
to venture into places that are tough to
reach. Be the guy willing to get up an
hour or so earlier than everyone else to
hike into those spots.
Another Pennsylvania study of
deer activity on public lands showed
resident deer don't flee the state when
hunters enter their territory. Rather,
they adjust their daily routines to avoid
the pressure. You need to be in those
places where deer hide from pressure.

JULY 2016

Hiking a mile or so through rough,
mountain country isn't a simple task.
Once you set your mind to do it, get
in shape. Run or walk every day to
build up your muscles and cardiovascular system.
Be creative. Get one of those carts
with big wheels made for hauling deer.
Put your tree stand and other gear
on the cart for the hike in to save your
back. When you come out, if you have
a successful hunt, that cart will make
deer removal far simpler than trying
to drag a deer the whole way.
If there's a river or lake in the area,
use a canoe to paddle to unpressured
places, or slip on a pair of chest waders
to ford a stream. You can almost bet the
farm that few, if any, other hunters are
accessing spots from the water. Right
there, you're doing something the deer
don't expect.
When you're attitude is to work
harder, you'll find a way to get where
you need to be.

Scout for Hunters
It's easy to say, "Go steeper and
deeper," in places where the hunting
country is big. But what do you do if
the hunting parcels are smaller, the
terrain is gentle and there's plenty of
road access?
Scout for other hunters.
Look for tree stands and trails
marked with flagging tape or reflective tacks - any evidence that indicates
another hunter is frequenting a particular area.
My approach to hunting in a crowd
is always to find cracks in the pressure.
If a spot has hunters, I don't want
to be there. It might be a good spot,
61
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - July 2016
