 THE
MASTERS’ SECRETS OF BOWHUNTING
John Demp Grace
EDITOR’S NOTE: Why do some archers consistently
take deer each season with their bows while others who
spend just as much time in the woods rarely if ever
experience success? Let’s see how some of the
best bowhunters in the nation produce deer.
John Demp Grace, a longtime avid bowhunter from York,
Alabama, bowhunts public lands during gun/deer season.
Bowhunt during Gun Season:
I’ve found gun/deer season the easiest time to
find and take a big buck, especially in high-pressure
areas like public lands. Because gun hunters and bowhunters
hunt differently, the gun hunters will force a buck
to move to a spot where I can locate him easily and
then bag him. Gun hunters most often hunt open places
where they can see for 50 to 200 yards since they want
to spot and take the deer to the maximum effectiveness
of their shooting skills and their rifles’ ranges.
They believe the more land they can watch, the greater
their odds for seeing a buck. Because gun hunters walk,
stalk and  put
up their tree stands on these places, older-age-class
bucks have learned to avoid those areas to survive.
The only regions bucks have to be by the end of gun/deer
season on public lands is in thick cover where the hunter
can see only 30 yards or less. Of course, these stand
sites are ideal for the bowhunter who wants his shot
at 30 yards or less. Older age-class bucks have well-defined
routes they use to go into sanctuary areas. By taking
a stand along these routes, I consistently can bag the
bucks the gun hunters drive to me. Because deer realize
which natural barriers hunters won’t cross such
as creeks, thick cover and property lines, the three
best places for me to take a stand are at creek crossings,
in thick cover or along the edges of property lines.
Where private land touches public land, the deer on
the public lands know if they can get to the sanctuary
of the private land, they can avoid hunting pressure.
By taking a stand on a trail that leads to private land,
I greatly increase my odds for bagging a buck, especially
if this private land is not hunted or is hunted very
little.
Talk to Yourself Mentally:
 Although
you must first find a place to take a buck to have success
when bowhunting, then be quiet and position your tree
stand in the best place, shooting accurately when the
shot presents itself either will make or break a bowhunter.
I talk to myself mentally when the buck is in front
of me and say to myself, “Pick a good shot.”
By that, I’m telling myself to remember to calculate
the distance to the deer, let the deer present the best
shot he will, look for the spot on the deer I want to
shoot at, don’t watch the whole deer and try to
be comfortable when I have the arrow drawn back. Next,
I tell myself to, “Have good form.” I must
be certain that when I have the bow at full draw, I
mentally check my anchor point, my sighting point and
every other aspect of good form in archery - whether
I’m shooting at a deer or a target. Unless I mentally
check out my form, I realize I will shot inaccurately.
Then I remind myself to, “Get a good release.”
Although I use a mechanical release, I want to make
sure the release is smooth and not jerky - which can
throw the arrow off target. I hold my pin on the target
I’m shooting, squeeze the trigger and continue
to look at my sight on the spot I’m shooting until
the arrow hits the deer. I’ve found that follow-through
is critical in accurate shooting. If you’re not
looking at the spot you’re shooting until the
arrow hits, you probably won’t shoot as correctly.
At the same time I’m squeezing the trigger, I’m
saying to myself, “I’ve got to have that
buck.” I never  question
whether or not I’ll take him. I tell myself I
will take the deer, which I believe enables me to bag
more bucks.
To learn more about bowhunting, you can buy John E.
Phillips’ books, “Jim Crumley’s Secrets
of Bowhunting”, “Masters’ Secrets
of Bowhunting Deer”, “How to take Monster
Bucks – Secrets to Finding Trophy Deer”,
“The Science of Deer Hunting” and “Masters’
Secrets of Deer Hunting”. To learn more about
these books, go to www.nighthawkpublications.com/hunting/hunting.htm.
You can send a check or money order to Night Hawk Publications,
4112 Camp Horner Road, Birmingham, Alabama 35243, or
use PayPal address nighthawkpub@mindspring.com
.
TOMORROW: DR. ROBERT SHEPPARD
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