Pennsylvania Game News- June 2009 - 58

of the damage you’ve done. And although young deer might not take note of that bad encounter, rest assured, mature deer will. I remember one season when I scouted a nice 10-point and I had his travel patterns down cold prior to the start of the archery deer season. On opening day, I went to an afternoon stand I had set up between the buck’s bedding area and a cornfield that he’d been religiously visiting just before dark every day. Even though a light breeze was blowing from my stand toward the bedding area, I hunted the stand anyway. I’ll never forget the sight of that deer appearing from a multiflora rose tangle right on schedule, and then tipping his head back to sniff the air. He turned around, lifted his tail and highstepped back into the cover. I never saw that buck again and I had watched him run the same routine every night for the previous two weeks. One sniff of me was too much pressure for that deer. Not everyone — myself included — is fortunate enough to have access to property where we are the only person hunting there. On public hunting lands, or private property that you share with other hunters, pressure is inevitable. In these areas, your goal is to figure out what the deer do in reaction to pressure. Where do they hide? When do they move? What new routes do they take? Generally speaking, you need to look for the places that are inaccessible and downright unfriendly to humans. That thick jungle of laurel on the bench just down from the top of the ridge that you’ve always hated walking through is worth a look. The swamp that threatens to swallow you whole any time you step foot in it is probably harboring a few spooked deer. In the pursuit of bowhunting success, you have to be willing to do whatever is necessary. Think of regulating the pressure you put on the deer you hunt like you’re managing your blood pressure. Some pressure is necessary. Too much is a bad thing. It’s up to you to figure out how to keep that pressure down, but if it does go up, you need to know how to react. Fun Game — By Connie Mertz The Unknown Edible Berries After reading the clues, unscramble the answer. A very common shrub, the branches feel velvety and contain a sticky, white sap when cut. In summer, large clusters of red, tart, hairy berries appear. A wild tealike beverage, called Indian Lemonade, makes a tasty drink. The berries mature in early fall and then they provide winter food for game and song birds. NORAGHTS MUCAS __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Find this shrub now by spotting its yellow tubular flowers, which appear before its emerald-green leaves. In summer, aromatic oval red berries appear, three to a cluster. Colonists used them as a substitute for allspice. They are a favorite of thrushes, flycatchers, catbirds, kingbirds and robins to name a few species. BUSSIECPH __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ answers on p. 62 58 GAME NEWS bowcol.pmd 58 04/27/2009, 10:16 AM

Pennsylvania Game News- June 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News- June 2009