Spring gobbler season is now on the horizon and felt it was time to touch on some important questions that are asked frequently by turkey hunters across the nation. I have enlisted the assistance of two my friends Sadler McGraw and Chris Kirby to aid in answering the questions. We will all shed different light with our opinions on these commonly inquired about topics.

Sadler McGraw has established himself as one of the most prolific competition callers in the last decade. He is a member of the Woodhaven Custom Calls Sting Team since it‘s inception five years ago. His list of accolades includes, 14 Alabama state titles, Yellville National and Southern Open Champion. As well he has been runner up at the World, Grand Nationals, US Open and Grand America calling competitions. He is also no stranger to friction divisions winning the 2008 World, 2008 Yellville National and 2007 US Open. He has won or placed in over 50 contests, including owl hooting divisions.

Chris Kirby is the president of Quaker Boy Game Calls. He has won or placed in over 75 turkey calling competitions, including winning the coveted World and the Grand Nationals. He has recorded multiple grand slams, hunting the wild turkey extensively all over the United States. He is with out a doubt one of the foremost experts in hunting and calling these majestic birds.

1. What do you do when a gobbler hangs up out of gun range?

If he has answered my calling in route to where I am set up and I am able to observe him where he is hung up at, I will increase my calling intensity and frequency to provoke several gobbles. Then I will go completely silent for an undetermined amount of time. There is no set limit, just what feels right. Some times it will take two or three times to make him break and close the distance those final crucial yards. If he won’t commit, let him drift off and try to relocate to a better set up. – Sadler McGraw

2. How often do you call when you have a gobbler answering you?

I will bombard a turkey with excited calling from the tree all the way to the gun if he wants to hear it. But, most times I test the water to see how fired up he is. I let him dictate how much I call. You do not want to exhaust your repertoire at the start of your engagement. If this occurs you wont have anything left that he hasn’t heard in the first five minutes of the hunt. – Sadler McGraw

The gobbler dictates to me how much I call. I like to get the conversation in my favor. I.E. I call, he answers, I call, he answers, I call, he doesn’t answer…. Not a good situation, he could be coming, going or staying put. I like to reverse that and answer him. He gobbles, I call, he gobbles, I call, he gobbles, I wait…… Put the onus of the search back in his court. Let him gobble 2 or 3 times and then answer, his desperation to breed will most likely bring him in. – Chris Kirby

The minimum it takes to lure him into gun or bow range. I only raise my frequency of calling when he has stopped his forward progression. I hunt many of the same WMA’s that you the readers hunt and I can speak for all of us when I say the more he gobbles the more hunters he will attract. – Scott Ellis

3. How much should I call to a gobbler on the roost?

When I set up on a roosted gobbler, I try to set up within 100 yards of his tree. As everything starts to wake up, I like to tree yelp until I receive a direct response from him. I will usually repeat this process a couple of times. If there are vocal hens roosted nearby, I do just a little more than what they are doing. Then you hope he flies down in your direction. – Sadler McGraw

I don’t like to “make” a turkey gobble a ton while he is still on the roost. All he is doing is calling in other hens. This happens naturally in the spring. You also Run the risk of attracting other hunters. I will call enough so he knows where I am at and wait until he gets his feet on the ground. That is when the game begins. – Chris Kirby

4. What is the best shotgun and load for turkey hunting?

The best shotgun is the one that you are most confident in. I have said before the reason that I shoot a 3.5” is that there is not a 4” magnum in production yet. But seriously, what ever gun ,shell and choke combination you choose, make sure that you know the guns limitations. – Sadler McGraw

With today’s shotguns, shells and chokes the turkey hunter is left with many options. Try as many loads and chokes with your gun as possible. Conduct a patterning session with your buddies with everyone, at a minimum, bringing different loads. This will enable you to experiment without as much of a financial burden. Choose the combination that performs the best in your gun. – Scott Ellis

5. What are the main calls(turkey vocabulary) I should learn to spring turkey hunt?

If I were told I could do only use one sound this year while hunting it would be the plain hen yelp. That is the sound that I hear most often from hens during the spring. It is a sound that gobblers respond to in almost every situation. It is easy to perform on any call, and with minimal practice you can gravitate from plain hen yelps into more aggressive calling if the hunt dictates it. – Sadler McGraw

During the spring, there are three basic sounds you need to employ. Yelping, cutting and clucks and purrs. Master these basic sounds and then add personality. Basic yelps are just that, add some speed and volume change and it will intensify the conversation. Mix in some excited yelps and cutting together to fire him up and then finish him off with the relaxing yet intense cluck and purr. – Chris Kirby

6. What key factors should be taken into consideration when I am setting up on a gobbling turkey.

Before I set up, I try to deduce what would be the gobbler’s path of least resistance in route to my position. I like to set up so that I can capitalize on natural and man made terrain features such as creeks, bluffs, thickets, ditches and roads that will funnel the turkey to me. If needed, I will then decide where I will position my decoys. – Sadler McGraw

The set up can make or break any spring hunting scenario. It is probably the most important aspect of the hunt. There are a couple of key thoughts to consider. Always be mindful of obstructions and barriers that could hinder a turkeys progression to your location. If hens enter the equation, place yourself in between the gobbler and his harem. When attempting to locate a gobbler(if your running and gunning) identify a suitable set up before you make a sound. This is why it is best to first locate a gobbler with a non-turkey sound. This will give you time to search for the best available position to begin your conversation with the gobbler. Lastly, always consider visibility. It is futile to attempt a set up when you do not have the ability to spot the gobbler as he approaches. – Scott Ellis

7. What is the best tactic to employ on pressured turkeys?

If I have a pressured turkey that I have not been able to do anything with in the morning, I will start out by leaving him alone in the morning and will hunt him in the afternoon. Here in my home state of Alabama, we are allowed to hunt in the afternoon, and it has allowed me to take a lot of long spurred gobblers that wanted no part of me during the morning. I don’t change my tactics, except pursuing him in the afternoon. Remember, turkeys don’t get call shy, they get people shy. – Sadler McGraw

First and foremost I will curtail any aggressive calling. Hunting public land my whole life I have learned that both hens and gobblers will become less vocal when pressured. I will imitate a lone hen in quest of company with soft three to four note yelps, mixed with purring and clucking. I have also found that setting up and blind calling in an area that you know occupies turkeys is more productive than, my favorite method of hunting, running and gunning. I will set up in areas that the hen’s are frequenting regularly. Whether it is due to a food source, water, or a roosting area. Remember where there are hens there are gobblers. – Scott Ellis

8. When a turkey gobbles but heads the opposite direction why, is he doing this and what should I do?

When you have a turkey that strikes out in the opposite direction you have to make a decision, “do I try to circle in front of him or do I go find a gobbler that is more cooperative?” If he is the only gobbler that you have to hunt, by all means get in front of him and try to figure out where he wants to go. If you have other turkeys located go after them and save this one for when he is ready. I always say a gobbler has five minutes every year that he will succumb to a call, you must decide if you are there for the right five minutes. – Sadler McGraw

More times than not a turkey that answers you, but is putting ground between himself and you is either following hens, call shy or has a predetermined destination. Before he gets completely out of earshot, I elect to call with as much excitement and lust as humanly possible. Over the years this tactic has sometimes yielded success. More times than not he continues on his wayward track. If this fails, reposition on him. Make a generous loop around him and in front of him. Ensure you provide yourself with a generous buffer between you and your quarry when making this move. Spooking him is a definite possibility. Set up and either make the decision to call or just have him walk by and perform an ambush. Sometimes a turkey hunt does not include pretty calling in a perfect situation. Remember we’re not turkey calling were turkey hunting. – Scott Ellis

9. What should I do if I hear hens yelping and cutting in the distance?

I will attempt to call any hen’s that are vocalizing during a spring gobbler hunt. Many times there is a gobbler either with them or in the vicinity. Sometimes you can call the whole flock to you with the gobbler in tow. Other times a gobbler may over hear all the sexy conversation and stop by to say hello. At worst you get to learn from the master herself the wild hen. – Scott Ellis

10. How long should I wait if I’m working a tom and he then goes silent?

The easy answer is 30 minutes longer than whatever you feel was a long enough wait. Patience probably harvests more turkeys than any other factor alone. Whether your set up blind calling or just waiting unwearyingly on a stubborn long beard to approach your calls, one key point to remember is how far was he from you when he last gobbled and was he moving toward you or away from you. Common sense will tell you if he was traveling away from you and goes silent it is time to change calling locations and attempt to relocate him. If he is advancing toward your position and then ceases gobbling, raise your level of awareness ten fold and do not move a muscle. Listen intently for soft foot steps, spitting and drumming. Search intently for that gorgeous red, white and blue neon bulb glowing in the spring woods. – Scott Ellis

11. When should I use a hen or gobbler decoy?

I let the terrain and timber type dictate my decoy set ups. If I am in an area where a gobbler can make eyesight with my decoys from a considerable distance, I like to employ a strutting decoy and a hen together. This is especially effective in fields or wide open hardwood swamps. I think when a gobbler can spot the strutting decoy from a distance; he will have confidence to approach. If he emerges from a more dense area and he is startled by the site of another strutting gobbler, he feels there could be confrontation and will sometimes decide to go else where. – Sadler McGraw

Being forthright, I am not an advocate of decoys. Since decoys were revolutionized back in the early 90’s I have deployed them in various situations and scenarios. I have had more turkeys shy away from decoys, than approach full bore, whether looking for a fight or looking for love. I believe in having a gobbler search for the hen he is hearing. This can be accomplished by proper set ups. Position yourself where you can see the gobbler, yet the hen is searching for could be hidden from view. Understandably this will not always occur, especially when setting up in hardwood bottoms and open timber. In that situation I will muffle my calling and call much more sparingly, especially when having made eye contact with him. Chances are if he advances close enough to verify that he cannot locate the hen he is hearing, he will be in gun range. – Scott Ellis

12. What is a good tactic to use on field gobblers?

The field gobbler is my favorite to hunt, just for the simple reason of being able to view him approach from a considerable distance. I am a huge fan of the strutting decoy for field gobblers. If I am in a situation where multiple gobblers are using the same field, I will deploy a strutting decoy and a single hen decoy for my setup. If the gobbler and I are on the same side of the field, I will try to place the decoy just past my set up in case he hangs up out of gun range. This will enable me to harvest the tom even if he does not make direct contact with decoy. Also, remember to have the strutting decoy facing you, frequently the gobbler will approach the decoy head on in an apparent confrontational scenario. If you position the decoy away from you and he approaches it face to face, it will hinder your ability to make the shot. – Sadler McGraw

13. Speaking for yourself, what one factor has harvested more gobblers than any other?

Patience and confidence in my calls and calling ability. You can’t expect every gobbler to come running in. When you are in the woods with a gobbler answering, at one point you are going to think you have to do something right now…. Change location, change you call, change your calling sequence, call softer, call louder….. This is a critical moment. Stop and do nothing for 10 minutes. The gobbler is not going to leave the country. Look at your watch and wait 10 minutes, it will feel like forever. However, it will give you a moment to adjust and think more clearly about your next move. You never know, the next time you here or see him, it could be right in your lap. – Chris Kirby

14. How does having better than average calling skills benefit the turkey hunter?

Having the ability to produce realistic turkey vernacular will ultimately increase your odds of harvesting that elusive long beard. Learning all of the wild turkeys extensive vocabulary, learning their meaning and being able to emulate those sounds will put you at an advantage over about 95% of your competition in the turkey woods. Finding a good call such as any of the Woodhaven Custom Calls line will also aid in reproducing better than average turkey sounds. Combine these skills and good woodsman ship ability, a successful turkey hunter will emerge. – Scott Ellis

15. What do you use to locate gobblers with?

The crow call is my preferred locator here in the Deep South. I use a “Real Crow” from Woodhaven Custom Calls. You hear crows from dawn to dusk every day, and very often when you start using the crow call, other crows will join in. This is what will trigger a gobble. Owl hooters are productive at daybreak, but I seldom elicit a shock gobble after the first hour of the day. A crow call will work any time, any where and on any sub species. – Sadler McGraw

Through the years I’ve probably used every loud, raucous, animal sound that occurs in the wild. High ball mallard calls, elk bugles, bellowing cattle, pileated woodpecker, etc. It is not logistically feasible to carry all of these types of calls as part of your turkey gear, but I will throw in a duck call or even a coyote howler for good measures. The obvious choices are crow, owl and hawk. I’ve had great success with all of them throughout the day. I feel geography plays a key role in what gobbler’s will respond with the most success. I feel whatever sound a turkey hears less of he will respond to with more frequency. Bear in mind a tom will gobble at a car horn or a clap of thunder. I’m not condoning the latter, but do not be afraid to utilize slightly unorthodox tactics to elicit a response. – Scott Ellis

Scott Ellis
Woodhaven Custom Calls Pro Staff
Tru Glo Fiber Optics
Thermacell Pro Staff
3 time Florida State Turkey Calling Champion
3 time Florida State Gobbling Division Champion
2006 Southern Open Turkey Calling Champion
2009 North Carolina Tarheel Open Champion
Member: Florida Outdoor Writer’s Association

6am finds me on schedule to my first listening location. The air is cool and sharp, there’s no wind. The thick smoke from my breath hovers around my head as I stop to listen. It seems thick enough to convince me it’s hampering my hearing, so I tip toe and listen rather then stand still.

Then it comes…the first gobble. I’m immediately 15 minutes late now, he’s a long ways. It takes forever, dodging the gauntlet of deer in route slows me down even more. As I close the distance, I know exactly where he’s at and the tree I’m gonna call home for the morning.

I barely make it to my tree as I watch hen #1 pitch down at 40-yds. and hen #2 touch down at 15 steps. What they don’t know, is there’s a man on the opposite side of this tree and he’s there for one thing and one thing only….to kill their kin.

3 minutes pass and the crisp, clear roost gobbles now sound muffled. He’s on the ground. My first series of yelps are answered down the ridge by a half-hearted Jake. My next series of yelps are cut off by my target. O boy….sure sounds like he got closer…..probably 100 yds. max.

My next series of low yelps are mixed with high volume, excited cutts. This time the gobbles are even closer and I can picture him nearly fondling himself. He’s never heard a hen this sexy.

Slight left hand movement turns the Holo Sight on, which tells my brain one thing….it’s just about time.

I hear him walking before I see him. It’s a little thick, but I finally catch movement out front. 35 yds. and he’s on a string. I
immediately begin scanning for open lanes to shoot. At 23 yds., he passes a huge oak and I do my final shifting and train the red dot on the next hole.

When he steps in the hole, what he doesn’t know is that quick diaphragm cutt was designed to make him look up. He doesn’t know it exposed every vertebrae to the pissed off swarm of Hevi Shot in my barrel. He has no clue that the man sitting at the base of that oak feels he’s put on this earth for one thing…and that’s to hunt critters like him down. But most importantly, he doesn’t know the 40+ pellets that just entered his head and neck just turned his lights off.

forever……THE END

~Ever wonder why some set ups work and some don’t?~

As a die hard turkey hunter and seminar speaker for both “Hunters Specialties” and “Northwoods Adventures TV“, I get asked a multitude of questions each season on how to set up on turkeys. Do you use a decoy? Do you roost birds every time? Do you ever “run-and-gun”? How important is specific camouflage design? Well, for me, the most important aspect of the hunt is a good set up so let’s start there.

Here in the Northeast, our turkeys tend to start gobbling in mid-March and strutting activity becomes widespread about the same time. It’s then that I’ll put my scouting tactics into overdrive, even though the season doesn’t open until the very end of April. Why? Because good preparation will always tip the odds in my favor. I always recommend having several good sites scouted out, in the event my first set up gets busted by hunters, which happens frequently since I hunt an area in mid-coast Maine with very high hunter density levels. That, plus 90% of the properties I hunt are all public access land, so I’m almost always being stepped on by other hunters. That said, the first thing I do is get a good aerial photo of each property and formulate my plans.

Locating and Planning the Proper Set Up

Once I’ve become familiar with each parcel or property, via an aerial map, I’ll head right out and begin the process of locating birds. For me, the easiest thing to do is hit a likely spot, park my truck, and just listen for gobblers at the crack of dawn each morning. I’ll do that about two to three weeks before the season, making sure to hit each property individually, and since turkeys generally hold close to the same roost sites unless busted, I can get a good fix on where they are, to within a few hundred yards. Then it’s just a matter of putting in the footwork to find the best place to set up for each.

If at all possible, I’ll pick a site, listen for the gobbling to begin at daybreak, then sneak down the trails or through the woods to get within 200 to 250 yards of them and wait for them to fly down. If time is on my side, I’ll pay attention to where they’re headed and then, after they’ve moved off, pick the best spot for a set up for the next day. Here’s where careful planning comes in because there are several key factors involved if you want to maximize your chances for success.

First, locate the point of sunrise at that location and make sure to set up with it at your back or at least from either side. With the sun behind you, you’ll also have the tactical advantage over a turkeys superior eyesight. If you’ve ever set up in haste only to find the rising sun staring you straight in the lookers once it’s cleared the trees, you’ll know exactly what I mean; been there, done that! Next, based on where you feel the turkeys will be flying down, try to pick a spot about 100 to 125 yards away and choose a natural bend or indentation in the tree line that will keep you out of an incoming turkeys direct line of sight. If it’s possible, it’s always a plus if when a turkey first appears, it’s already within range.

I like to hunt without a blind, preferring to sit with my back against a tree, and at least 10-15 feet off the field or trail edge, utilizing the natural surroundings of the woods for the best cover. Sit down and find your sweet spot, then proceed to trimming out just enough brush to create good shooting lanes around you, being careful not to remove too much. Also, make sure there are no small trees or branches that will inhibit swinging your gun, should you need to adjust on that incoming bird.

When it comes to vision, it’s said that a turkey can see movement from hundreds of yards away so good camouflage is crucial. It makes no difference what brand or style you use, as long as it closely matches the immediate surroundings and blends into the background well. Sometimes I like to wear a green camo top to match the budding bushes around me, while wearing pants that may be predominantly browns and greys, to match the leaf litter of the forest floor. A stark contrast splitting your body can do wonders in breaking up the human form. One key element in using your camo effectively would be to always position yourself in the shade, because being exposed in direct sunlight can draw immediate attention to any and all movement you make.

Decoys

To use or not to use? I say, whenever possible…..use them. Decoys tend to draw the turkeys attentions away from you and gives them something to focus on. Some hunters believe decoy use can be a controversial issue at times, and to a certain extent I agree, however I feel that if you understand turkey biology in even the simplest form, it can be overcome.

I always place my decoys about 10-12 yards in front of me and for several reasons. First, if a tom has made the decision to commit, he will either come right to the center of the action or, if he turns out to be a satellite gobbler or insubordinate, he may hang up just a few yards behind them. I’ve seen seasoned pros set their decoys out to 25 yards, only to have such a bird hang up about 15 yards beyond them, making the hunter’s shot about 40-50 yards. Of course, with a good choke, that’s not unreasonable but why take chances? With my set up, even if one fetches up behind my decoys, chances are he’s still well within 25 yards and more than enough for even a youth with a much smaller gun.

I’ve also found from my own personal experiences coupled with mistakes I’ve made in the past, that there certainly can be times when the decoys will spook birds. Here’s what I would suggest; At the start of the season, go with a love scenario that includes an aggressive jake, (strutting decoys work the best), a standing “alert” hen, and a submissive hen, or one in the breeding position. About mid-way through the season I tend to either go with just a strutting jake and a feeding hen to only a couple feeding hens, the reason being that once the season is that far underway, many toms and jakes have had fights over dominance already, and have been whipped more times than they care to repeat. It’s at that time, and the end of the season especially, that I notice more toms, even mature birds, shying away from decoys if they show an aggressive jake. Sometimes if you don’t re-evaluate the time of the season, you could end up losing out on a good bird that you otherwise might have harvested.

Decoy placement can also be a factor, especially if you are hunting with your bow. Whether in a blind or not, drawing is always tricky to do when there is more than one set of eyes on you, and for that reason I like to set up my decoys in a specific manner. If I’m using a jake, strutting or otherwise, I try to set it up facing my position because a dominant bird will always come around to the front of the competition. By doing so, he’ll have his back to me and will give me the chance to draw unseen. Hen decoys can be set up in similar fashion because if a tom thinks she is walking away, he might be more apt to come in around her in an attempt to change her mind.

Calling

I like to set up in the blackness well before pre-dawn, and am often all settled in by 3:30 or 3:45am. I will not call, even once the hens start, as they will often call for a long period of time before fly down. I do like to get a position on where the gobblers are, and listen to how they interact with the hens, if present. When I feel fly down is close, I’ll add my voice to the others by means of very soft tree calls, increasing in volume only in response to that of the hens. Too much calling or calling too loudly too early can result in the hens either flying down and dragging the gobblers away quickly, or will result in leaving the toms treed longer than usual, as they gobble back incessantly, waiting to see the hen that’s making all the ruckus appear before they fly down.

I take special notice when a boss hen responds to my calling and will know her by the way she alone reacts. Such a hen, when encountered, should be drawn in if possible, because she will more times than not, drag several toms in with her. You will know her by her changing pitch and tone, because she will immediately become agitated at you, (the challenge hen), and will try to silence you by way of talking over you. I like to imitate her calls as closely as possible but I try to be more aggressive in my volume and added “cutting”. Usually, she will not stand for this and will come right to me. The plus side, as I mentioned, is that she will probably be bringing the toms with her, but the downside will be that she, (like an old smart matriarchal doe), will be searching for me, and if she sees me, will quickly alert the others and be gone. For that reason, I like to have at least one standing alert hen decoy present in my set up. With any luck she will focus on it and attack it, leaving me free to focus on the gobblers.

If you take the time to consider all the major components involved with making a proper set up, you have greatly increased your chances of putting a tag on a big old tom. A successful turkey hunter is one who has seen the gamut of all that can go wrong, has learned from his mistakes, and who has done his best to make adjustments in his favor. However, because a turkey’s attitude can change as often as the weather, none of us will ever have a fool-proof system, and quite frankly I’m glad we don’t. I personally love the challenge involved with each hunt, because elements and conditions are constantly changing, and to me, that’s what real turkey hunting is all about.

Bob Lane is a Licensed Master Maine Guide and photographer. He has also guided Caribou Hunters and Fishermen on float trips in Southwest Alaska.

July’s warm, sunny weather doesn’t provide much incentive to think about deer hunting to outdoorsmen who are trolling for deep swimming salmon and togue, whipping out the fly line during the drake hatch, or pursuing numerous other activities in the Maine woods this time of year.

This time of year I find myself occupied with trying to decide where I’m going to fish during the week and on the weekends, and trying to fit the kayaking and photography in to boot. Being an avid outdoorsman is no easy task. With the expanded archery season opening in September, rifle season for the elusive whitetail opening in November, now is the time to begin preparation to increase your odds for a successful hunting season. Rifles need to be sighted in, bows and arrows need to be tuned, and shooting practice begun in earnest, and, if you hunt from a climbing tree stand, it needs to be inspected and readied for the upcoming days afield.

Over the last 10 seasons, I’ve shot nine deer from my portable climber and I swear by the method. I’d no more go out without it than I would without my favorite rifle. However, I find that the tree stand is the most overlooked piece of equipment in the hunter’s arsenal. Its usually hung in the garage, or tucked away in the cellar and forgotten about until a few days before the season opens. That’s no time to discover a problem that may require a repair or replacement part. Now is the time get it ready for archery and rifle season.

First and foremost is to go over the stand and check the welds. Make sure that they are still solid. I had a crack in one on a stand a few years ago. Luckily I caught it before I went out. It was a simple matter to get it repaired.

If your stand attaches to the tree by cables, check these carefully for fraying and general wear. Any doubt about their integrity is reason enough to replace both of them. If one is bad, most likely the other one will be too. Most manufacturers sell these and a variety of replacement parts for their climbing and stationary stands.

If yours is an older climber and made of steel, attach it to a tree and get in it. Stand up, sit down, twist, and turn and listen for any creaking noises, squeaks etc. Nothing will alert a deer to your presence more than a noisy stand. I lost a shot at a nice buck years back because of it. This is critical if you are a bow hunter and are shooting at close range. The deer that busted me was almost 40 yards away when my stand creaked.

Noise isn’t such a problem with the new aluminum models. I have one of these, but I still get in it just to be sure. I have found that birch trees combined with a climbing stand will make noise even after the stand has been secured in place. Most noise can be cured by tightening a loose part and making sure that it is snug against the tree when reach the desired height.

On steel stands rust can be a factor. It gives off odor that an animal can detect. Ask any fox or coyote trapper about rust. They dye and wax their traps to keep them from oxidizing and emitting a smell. Just because you’re 15 feet off the ground doesn’t mean scent from you and your equipment will go undetected by a deer. A number of variables such as temperature, wind, air density will affect how scent is carried to the nose of a wary whitetail. Any rust should be removed with a wire brush and the area repainted to prevent further rusting during the season when the stand is exposed to the elements. Doing so will also increase the life of the stand.

Once I’m up in my stand I stay all day, and that requires that I be comfortable. Cushions will wear out and the covering will deteriorate over time making them uncomfortable, or unusable. Sitting over a prime trail or feeding area is no place to be moving around in a tree stand trying to get comfortable. Check those seats early in the season and if they aren’t up to the job, repair or replace them. Again most manufacturers carry these and other replacement parts.

I always go over my safety harness at the end of each season and again in the summer, and check for fraying and other wear. Most harnesses have a special tacking on the tether strap that connects from the back of the harness to the tree, and is designed to lessen the shock of a fall. Most of these are designed to be used only once. Check yours to be sure this tacking is still intact. If it isn’t, consult the manufacturer before you use it.

I keep two four point harnesses in my truck at all times in case one becomes unserviceable. If you forget yours, either go back home and get it, or hunt from the ground. The records of injuries incurred as a result of falls from trees stands are grim. Many a hunter has been crippled for life and others have been killed from falls from as low as ten feet up.
Under no circumstances should you use anything but a four point harness when hunting from a tree stand. The old type that consisted of a belt around the waste could cause a hunter to hang doubled at the waist, or inflict serious internal injuries. Last year I saw a guy in a stand with a hank of tow rope under his shoulders attached to the tree by two half-hitches with about two feet of slack in the tether rope. It was a recipe for disaster if I ever saw one.

My harness is on and attached to the tree as soon as I’m in the stand, and before I start climbing, as the majority of falls occur when ascending and descending the tree. Once I’m up in position I take all of the slack out of the tether. This pretty much eliminates any shock when the harness fetches up should I fall. The shock of a two hundred pound body falling a foot or even six inches and then being suddenly fetched up is painful at best and could result in injury. No slack in my tether also allows me to use it as a stabilizer and lean out over the stand when bow hunting.

Always carry a cell phone and let someone know where you are and when you expect to be out of the woods when hunting from a tree stand. I have several emergency numbers pre-programmed into mine. My phone has a lanyard on it that is looped through the buttonhole in the flap of my shirt pocket, eliminating the possibility of dropping it. If you should have a mishap and are unable to climb back down the tree, the phone could mean the difference between a long stint and possibly an overnight hanging in your harness. Your chances of hanging up-right and being able to call someone on the cell phone are better if you are strapped into nothing less than a four-point safety harness. Over the last couple of years I’ve seen several devices on the market that are designed to assist hunters in getting back to the ground after they have fallen and are hanging in a safety harness. These can be found with a little searching on the web. Summit is a major manufacturer of tree stands, harnesses, and accessories. I’ve had good luck with their products. Check them out at www.summitstands.com

Tree stand inspections and proper safety procedures don’t take a lot of time or effort, or even cost much for that matter. They can save a day’s hunt or even a life. While not all falls are fatal, many, hunters have seen an abrupt end to their hunting days due to crippling injuries resulting from a fall from a tree stand that hasn’t been properly maintained, or used in conjunction with a safe, four-point harness.

When opening day rolls around, I want to be up in my favorite tree at daybreak, watching the shadows give way to the day, and listening to the sounds of the woods waking up. I’ll watch the edge growth, the hardwoods, and the thickets, confidently focusing on the hunt, knowing that my stand is secure and my harness safe, because I took the time to go over my gear well before the onset of the best season of the year.

Blood In Motion: A Forensic Guide to Blood Tracking

It takes a lot of work to set up and execute a hunt, but what happens after the shot will determine if the hunt is truly a success.
You’ve scouted and set up stands. You’ve sighted in your guns and bows; maybe planted a food plot and hauled bait into the woods. It’s hard work, to say the least, and finally the animal comes in and the shot is made. How long will the trailing process take you? Will you find the animal? Understanding how to track and find blood can make the difference between having meat and a trophy to show for all the hard work that you have put in — or coming home with nothing at all. You make a plan when you hunt to increase your chance of success, but if you track without a plan, your chances of success are greatly reduced.
I sell blood-detection products to law enforcement, and my business has giving me a lot of information on what to look for and what a blood trail can tell you about the hit you’ve made on an animal. I am called to many deer trails after all hope seems to be lost, because many people know that I can find blood that cannot be easily seen. Blood trails can be misleading to the hunter —lots of blood does not necessarily indicate a mortal wound, nor does a seeming lack of blood necessarily mean the animal isn’t dead.
The reaction of the animal and the blood pattern will give us a better understanding of how to go about recovering an animal. Normally, animals do not bleed to death, as an animal that weighs 160 pounds must lose 45+ ounces to die from blood loss alone. Animals will die faster from trauma than blood loss, and a combination of both is by far the best.
Most animals can travel very fast when wounded — deer can hit 35 mph, and even if they die quickly after the shot, they can travel a long distance before collapsing. A wounded animal will not go far unless it is pushed or sees movement. Sit still for at least a half hour, or you will make the tracking more difficult. Now that many states offer multiple tags, this will also give you a chance to get another animal — if you shot a large buck, it is still possible that there is a larger one close behind him. Most animals travel in loose groups; the animals in the rear of the group can help by showing you where the wounded animal traveled. Spooking these animals will remove helpful clues to the whereabouts of your trophy, and may cause a second opportunity to be wasted.
Pay attention to the reaction of the animal when it is shot, as this is your first clue to helping you know how to find it. The reaction can be deceiving, but it is still important. I have shot deer and had them look at me like nothing happened, only to watch them fall over where they stand. I have had many hunters tell me that they knocked the animal down, only to watch it suddenly jump up and run off, leaving lots of blood.
This is the one that I hate to hear the most. First of all, body shots that do not impact the neck or spine rarely make animal drop, and if the neck or spine is hit, the animal is usually disabled and cannot get up. The clues of the “dropped and got up and left lots of blood” tell me it was most likely a leg or low shoulder hit. The falling down likely means the leg was broken; lots of blood usually indicates a muscle hit. Muscle damage leave lots of blood in the first 100 yards, but then the blood trail fades fast. There will be lots of large spots of blood as the animal stands often and will lean against trees. Even with a broken leg (or two), an animal can run very fast.
I have had a lot of people tell me, “I thought I hit it, but there was no blood.” Any time there is a wounded animal, there is blood, even if it cannot be seen. Blood droplets, which are forced out of the body by gunfire, produce a high-velocity-impact splatter pattern. The pattern can be smaller than 1 mm in the beginning of the trail. Shots taken with a bow leave medium-impact blood splatter patterns and will leave droplets around 3 mm in size. Both can be difficult to see, even in the snow, so trust your instinct and follow the trail the deer took. If the deer was hit, the blood will appear soon. If it was a lung hit, it can take time for the body cavity to fill and blood to be forced out. Animals may run in the beginning of the trail; this will cause blood trails to be harder to see, as the blood is spread over a larger distance. If there is no visible blood trail, wait and let the animal lay down — it will not go far and should die quickly.
Another common animal reaction is the hind leg kick. This reaction indicates that the animal was hit farther back, most likely a gut shot. The blood pattern and the color of the blood will be very important. Darker blood is from the stomach or liver. A liver shot is always fatal, but is still a poor shot to take. Green matter or food is from one of the deer’s four stomachs — a fatal shot, but it will most likely take until the next day or later for the deer to die from a stomach shot. Give this animal at least three hours and follow up in the daytime.
The double lung shot is the best-percentage shot to take, as it will cause massive internal bleeding and drowning, causing death within about 150 yards. This pattern will start out with little blood, but it will increase as the animal starts blowing blood out the mouth and nose.
Quartering-away shots always cause the most damage, as the projectile will travel more distance through the body. Shots from a raised area (tree stand) generally give a better blood trail, as the exit hole will be lower and allow blood to leave the body cavity in greater volume.
Shooting for the tail is the worst shot, leaving only a wounded animal or spoiled meat. If the shot hits the back of the thigh, it will bleed well but will not die soon, as the muscle will tighten up and help stop the bleeding. An animal shot in the anus will spread bacteria all over the insides, and the damage will be even worse if the bladder is also hit. This type of shot requires the animal to be cleaned immediately and thoroughly washed out in order to save any of the meat.

So I Have A Wounded Animal, Now What?
Blood trailers spend a lot of time looking on the ground, but little time looking at the brush, where more than half the blood is usually found. Blood on brush can reveal how high or low the shot hit, helping in the recovery plans.
No hunter should be without a compass — use it to get a bearing on the trail taken using a marker like a unique tree to track to. Working in pairs is best; have one tracker circle ahead 75 to 100 yards in case the animal is alive. Then have the second person take the trail. Repeat this until the animal is recovered. Remember to be safe when tracking, because all animals are dangerous when wounded. Proper gun handling and line-of-fire rules must be followed to avoid injury.
Timing is very important. Tracking too soon is the main reason mortally wounded animals travel a long distance and make recovery difficult or impossible. Tracking too slowly will cause the meat to spoil. Reading the clues properly will make the difference in how good the meat tastes, since recovery shortly after death is important. Meat with a gamey taste can be caused by slow recovery, not cleaning properly or hanging in warm weather.
Adrenaline runs high after the shot, and humans have a hard time controlling it. Relax, breathe deeply and take a few moments to reflect about what happened. The beginning of the trail is the most important place to get the facts of what happened and how to proceed.
The first thing we do at a crime scene is cordon off the area to keep people from altering evidence. Then we use only a few people to process the scene, again, to keep from altering or destroying the evidence. Walking on a blood trail will transfer the blood pattern from its original spot to somewhere else, or destroy it completely. Never put more than three people on a trail unless it is hopeless to recover without extra people. Mark the trail as you progress to give you a travel pattern to study for clues.
Unless the animal drops within sight, no trail should be taken within 30 minutes. The animal you just shot will be looking at the spot where it was wounded to see what happened. It will lay down soon and try to lick or heal the wound, usually with in 40 yards if there is cover. Do you want to turn a 40-yard trail into a 400-yard trail?
Many times I am asked to follow a blood trail that had a small amount of blood that suddenly had twice as much blood, then nothing. This usually means the animal has turned 180 degrees and walked over the same trail twice, then cut off at a 45- or 90-degree angle after it decided the trail it was following was not safe.
The blood left on the ground or brush is important, as it can tell much about the wound. Bright red or pink indicates an artery or lung shot. Many animal trails I have followed were from shots that hit low in the shoulder or leg, leaving large amounts of blood. The blood is slightly darker with a very narrow trail 4 to 8 inches in width. This animal will likely need a second shot. Make plans to get a person ahead to dispatch the animal. Trails of blood more than 2 feet wide are complete pass-through shots and increase the chances of recovery greatly. Blood trails that have squirts of blood on the side of the trail 2 feet or more indicate arterial shots in the neck, heart or other major artery. Give the animal time to bleed out before you start tracking. Brown or greenish blood, or blood with green or brown matter, is always a gut or liver shot — in both cases, the animal will need extra time to die before you attempt to recover it. The liver shot will kill faster, but may still take two hours or more. Blood with green matter is a five- or six-hour wait to track. The tracker should attempt to put a shooter ahead to dispatch the animal if it is still alive.
Many visual blood trails disappear when the animal’s heart stops and the blood pressure drops, as the blood is no longer being forced out of the body. Most animals can still travel 30 to 45 seconds and cover 65 yards or more before dropping, and the blood trail will be almost impossible to see without blood-tracking aids. Bluestar® will come in handy, as the animal will be close by but may not be seen because of terrain or brush.
Many times I have found animals within 40 to 50 yards of the stand, where they died after having run 250 to 300 yards in a long arching circle, trying to get back to the spot they were safe in before the shot. Knowing the bedding areas helps a lot if you cannot find an animal.
There are tools we can use in tracking. Dogs are now legal in many states, and are a great tool if there is no rain or snow. However, most people do not have dogs or have the time to train them, nor do they have the money to pay a dog tracker. Dog tracker fees vary but usually end up around $150. Lights made for finding blood do not work very well, as blood absorbs light. Regardless of what you see on TV, law enforcement officials do not use lights to find blood. There are a few luminol-based products (Tink’s® and Bluestar®, notably) that make blood glow in the dark. I prefer Bluestar® because it was first made for forensic use.
Bluestar®’s inventor, Dr. Loïc J. BLUM, with a Ph.D. in chemiluminescence, has perfected the mixture, making it the easiest and strongest blood finder in the world. It is used in more than 70 countries by law enforcement and hunters alike.
Bluestar® picks up hemoglobin, which transports oxygen to the cells. Hemoglobin contains iron, which is a basic element of earth and is nearly impossible to destroy without fire.
Much time was spent to produce a product that the investigator would need little or no training to use and that could tell the difference between blood and other items containing iron.
Sold in tablets that you add to water, this is the best tracking agent on the market today. At a cost of $19.95 to track four animals, the cost is very affordable. You can usually cover 100 yards in 10 minutes or less, and the time saved will be worth the money spent.
Small and lightweight and sold in packs of four, Bluestar® gives the hunter enough to cover even the longest trails. Bluestar® also will work well in evergreens and moss, because the reaction with blood is so much different from “false positives” that any one can tell the difference. Bluestar® was made for law enforcement to find blood amounts so small the DNA profile cannot be done. Even in the crime scene, clothing or items that have been cleaned over and over will still glow bright blue were blood was present.
Many times the hunter cannot find the beginning of the trail. Before you leave the stand, use a waypoint to know where the animal was standing when the shot was taken. A compass is perfect for this, using a marker such as a tree to find the spot.
Many times I use Bluestar® only to find the start of the blood trail. To do this, spray while walking across the trail as soon as you find the blood. See if you can follow it with your eyes; if not, continue to use the Bluestar®. I often use it to regain a trail when an animal changes terrain, going from leaf litter to grass fields, for example. Bluestar® will work in the rain or snow.
You will learn a lot about trailing when using Bluestar®, since you will see the whole trail every time you use it and can key in on the evidence the blood trail leaves.
Since it glows bright blue in the dark, even people who are colorblind or whose eyes are “not as good as they used to be” can follow the trail without any help. No glasses or lights are needed, just water and a spray bottle. Water can be taken from streams, lakes and ponds along with any tap or bottled water. In extreme cold, you can use window washer solvent.
Another advantage of Bluestar® is total darkness is not needed, just low light after shooting hours end.
Mix a set of tablets in a sprayer and spray on the ground where the animal was standing, and if the animal was hit, there will be a bright blue glow. Blood is easily transferred from one place to another, so stay off the trail or you will leave footprints of blood all over the woods. There will be an unbroken trail of blood where the animal went when using Bluestar®. If you just find blood spots here and there, these are transfer patterns made by people and animals walking on the blood trail. Blood will be trackable for a very long time. There has been a forensic study on Civil War sniper holes at the Shriver House museum in Gettysburg, Pa., and blood was found more 143 years after it was shed. Blood will last in the woods for months, but there is a big difference in the brightness between old trails and new ones. Blood on the hands of a hunter after gutting an animal without gloves will remain for weeks, no matter how well the hunter washes. This is used frequently in murder cases.
Last but not least, use trail markers. This will help if you need to leave the trail for any reason and will help anyone who is trying to join later on to find the trackers. This also gives a pattern of travel, which most likely will be an arch traveling back to the bedding area downwind of the stand. Bedding areas are thick with a good view and take advantage of wind direction, and they provide a perfect area for a wounded animal to try and recover.
So no matter what happens before or after the shot, there are tools that cost very little and will save lots of time, and help us remain ethically responsible by recovering game quickly and efficiently. For more info on Bluestar® go to http://bloodglow.com/. You can call Jerry anytime on his cell phone if you need help figuring out a trail. (888) 579-1965, toll free.