Heart pounding, hands sweating, legs shaking, this is the moment that you have been preparing for all summer.  This is your opportunity to finally stick the big boy; take a deep breath, slowly draw back, settle the pin in behind the shoulder.  This is the time  where all of your hard work and preparation in the off-season finally pays off, now let’s take a look back at what you have done to prepare for this moment.

 SCOUTING

             First, let’s take a look at scouting.  Scouting plays a crucial role in preparing for the upcoming bow season.  Going out and walking your hunting land and getting to see it in person gives you a great opportunity to look for sign and also for deer bedding areas and traveling routes.  Look for rub lines, well used trails, bedding areas, and traveling routes.  When looking for these signs I like to start my search near the main food source, be it large agriculture fields or smaller food plots.  From there you can branch out to the bedding areas and main travel corridors.  Travel corridors include things such as, wooded ravines, dry creek bottoms, and ridge lines.  They provide the deer with a safe route from the main food sources to their bedding areas.  In addition, during the pre-rut the big bucks will use these routes in their search for a hot doe. These are the things I key in on when placing stands and building blinds. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for scrapes also, they can play an important role come the rut.

             My favorite time to get out in the woods and scout is in late August and early September.  During these times the deer are beginning to start on their fall routes and routines.  The deer are also more active during the daylight this time of the year. This will provide you with the opportunity to watch the deer come into the fields in the evening.  After just a few evenings of watching fields you can quickly figure out which ones are preferred, and which ones the big bucks in your area are using the most.

 TRAIL CAMERAS

             Another great scouting tool is a trail camera.  They allow you to keep watch over certain areas without having to physically be there.  Trail camera’s can cost anywhere from around $80 all the way up $400.  It all depends on your budget, the features you want in your camera, and the quality of pictures you want.  One of the features included on today’s trail camera’s are infrared night time images.  Infrared images eliminate the need for a flash at night which can spook the deer from the area.  Some of the other features include; built-in viewing screens, expandable memory card slots, and external battery jacks that allow for longer battery life.

  STANDS AND BLINDS

             Now that you have done your scouting and found some key areas, lets move onto hanging your stands or building you blinds.  Whether you decide to hang a stand or build a blind all depends on your personal preference and what the surrounding area allows for.  In many hot-spots there is no tree suitable for hanging a stand, in that case you would need to either invest in a portable ground blind, or go in and build one out of the surrounding cover.  Ground blinds are also great alternatives for someone that has a fear of heights.  Once you have your stand hung in a suitable tree or your blind built it is time to clear out some shooting lanes.  The key to clearing shooting lanes is to not clear out too many lanes or too big of lanes.  The bigger the opening the better chance of the deer spotting you, also, it is important to remember that when the season arrives a lot of the leaves that fill those tree branches now will be gone, opening up the view a lot more.

             With your stand in place and your trail cameras working in full force it would seem as if you have done everything you can to be prepared for season. But have you really?  One very important part to preparing for season is to prepare yourself and your equipment.  Practice, practice, practice, is the key to being able to put the arrow exactly where you want it when you are presented with a shot.  If you plan on hunting from a tree stand, then you should practice shooting from an elevated platform or right out of your tree stand!  It also helps to wear your hunting clothes while you are shooting.  This alerts you to any problems you might run into with your hunting gear.  It’s better to find those problems and fix them now, than when you have a big buck standing broadside 20 yards from you.

ARROW HEADS

             Choosing the right broad head for your arrow is also very important.  It’s a good idea to test out a few different brands and styles, and figure out which ones fit you and your set up the best.  Once you’ve decided on what broad head fits your set-up best you should practice with them on.  Yeah, it can be pain to get them re-sharpened, but, your broad heads don’t always fly the same as your field tips.  It’s better to find out now, and adjust your sites to them, then to find out later after missing the shot at that big buck you’ve had your eye on.

             As you stand at full draw waiting for that buck of the lifetime to step into your carefully cut shooting lane, all the hard work and preparation that you put in during the off-season will pay off.  All the homework, the scouting, and the time put in has all come down to this moment.  As your sight pin settles in behind his shoulder you slowly squeeze the trigger of your release.  The arrow zips out of the bow and makes a loud thump as it passes through the buck, seconds later you hear him crash in the distance and know that it’s a done deal.