Pennsylvania Game News - September 2009 - 56

PAYING ATTENTION to the details maximizes hunters’ opportunities when they occur. Knowing distances to predetermined shooting locations is a must, and a rangefinder can help. The treestand to the right is nestled among the branches of a hickory tree and allows the hunter to blend in with the background. In addition to agricultural crop loss, forest regeneration was practically nonexistent in many areas of the state, while deer numbers increased in urban areas. Now, because of herd reductions, here in northeastern Pennsylvania and in many other parts of the state, deer numbers are more in line with what farmers are willing to tolerate and forest regeneration once again seems to be occurring. With fewer deer in many areas of the state, the “good old days” in terms of numbers are gone in those areas. I doubt we’ll ever again be able to say we saw 30 or 40 deer whenever we went hunting. Fewer deer means hunters have to spend more time scouting, to gather as much information as possible to make prudent decisions on proper treestand placement so that they will, with luck, get a shot sometime during the season. What’s more, if we do get a shot, we had better not miss, because getting another may be too much to hope for. In essence, fewer deer means fewer opportu56 nities, so we have to work hard to eliminate mistakes and make the shot count. Every year I hear stories from hunters about how they missed an easy shot at a nice buck. It’s happened to all of us, but if we take the time to analyze why we missed, we can become better bowhunters. Looking back at my own misfortunes, I’ve found the reasons for failing to connect when the chips are down fall into several general categories. The first reason is inconsistent shooting form. Every serious bowhunter I know practices diligently for months in preparation for bow season, and many shoot year-round. Their equipment is top-notch and they are on their game once the season begins, but even they can miss if they don’t keep their head in the game. I had a friend who was a pretty good shot, but he often had poor hits on deer. “I hit a little too far forward,” or “I hit a little too far back,” he’d often say just before we set out looking for his deer. Left or right misses are common occurrences for many of us, but they can be prevented. Misses to the left or right usually result from gripping the bow handle too tightly when shooting. The sighting of a nice buck can cause an adrenaline rush and cause a hunter to grip the bow too tightly. My friend is an excitable fellow, and most likely that’s why his shots were off the mark. Too tight a grip on the bow riser results in canting the bow, resulting in an arrow impacting to the left or right of the target. To correct or prevent this problem, good shooters maintain an open bow hand and shoot with the bow grip resting on the padded part of the palm between the thumb and forefinger. By installing a bow sling, a GAME NEWS

Pennsylvania Game News - September 2009

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