As the leaves change color and then drop this deer season, it’ll mark my 45th autumn in pursuit of whitetails with archery gear. Through the decades, I’ve used everything from the most basic recurves (no sights) to high-tech compounds and crossbows, the latter topped with scopes possessing lit reticles and other hunt-friendly features.
Regardless of the hunting tool I’m carrying in the whitetail woods — I use and enjoy all types — ultimately I must decide if and when to shoot, and no two situations are identical. As I teased at the top of this page, many successful, experienced bowhunters believe in the maxim, “Take the first good shot.” In fact, I’d say almost all of the very best bowhunters — I mean guys with Super Slams — live by this rule. But not me.
The reason? It’s not because I think they’re wrong. It’s solid advice. Period.
I don’t live by that rule because I typically bowhunt only two states each fall, the archery whitetail seasons are long, and the bag limit in each state is one buck. When I kill a buck, my archery season is over there. Okay, that’s not exactly correct: In one of the states, I can attempt to fill two antlerless deer tags, but it’s not the same as pursuing a buck.
Instead, my moment-of-truth maxim is “Take only a perfect shot.”
So how do I define a perfect shot? For me, it’s a buck that is stopped or walking very slowly, at a distance of 7 to 17 yards, broadside or slightly quartering away, AND he has no clue I’m in his world. This is critical: He must be totally relaxed. In other words, I’ve fooled him in every possible way. Checkmate!
At times I’m able to experience this perfect-shot scenario in September, October or December, but the vast majority of the time in my career it has taken place during November, and specifically when the whitetail rut is rolling in the Upper Midwest. During the rut, I’ll often use a decoy — buck or doe — to lure cruising bucks into point-blank range. Their attention is focused on the fake, and I can draw my bow undetected. It’s almost unfair.
If you haven’t tried this technique, I recommend giving it a try this deer season. (Click here to read my article, “A Simple, Affordable and Effective Deer Decoying System.”) It’s tremendously fun to watch bucks of all ages interact with a decoy, and you’ll have a front row seat to all the action. Good luck this deer season!
