Sep 11, 2011 4 min read

The clock is winding down for Pennsylvania’s bowhunters.

Archery deer begins in just under three weeks.

Eager bowhunters can be found just about anywhere archery equipment is sold, stocking up on arrows, broadheads, and in many cases, a new bow or crossbow.

No matter what type bow you use, the most important thing is finding a deer and then hitting it when you find it.

That requires spending time scouting and practicing.

The invention of the trail camera has changed pre-hunt scouting, replacing boots on the ground with high-tech photo technology.

A camera placed at your favorite hunting spot will let you know well in advance in deer still frequent the area, and if so, how many and how hefty on the bucks?

I’m totally amazed by some of the stories the hunters tell of the bucks they killed after recording the deer’s daily routine on a series of trail cameras.

This time of year the bucks are rubbing the velvet from their antlers.

I’ve never believed that rubs on trees and shrubs meant that a buck was marking his territory. The higher up the rubs say that a buck might be bigger than average, but by no means indicate that he is still around.

Many hunters do kill big bucks near rubs, but that does not mean that he is the buck that made the rubs.

If it were legal, the best way to get a big buck would be to take a pen-raised doe that is in estrus to the woods put her in a little enclosure.

It won’t take long before every buck around shows up.

The next best thing is to hunt the food source. Know where the deer feed and drink, whether it be on corn or acorns and set up there.

Does have to eat, so hope that that a doe in estrus comes to eat for she will be accompanied by an entourage. Big bucks have been known to follow a doe in estrus for days, casting aside their usual daily routines.

Occasionally, I stumble on deer that are still bedded.

If you know where they feed, and you know where they bed, try to intercept them, coming and going between the two places you know they frequent.

In all the years that I bowhunted, I only had the opportunity to have a doe is full estrus come my way once.

She was accompanied by a 6-point, an 8-point and a 10-point buck.

When I heard them coming, the six-point was all but knocking the doe off her feet by lifting her back legs with his antlers, making all sorts of noise as their hooves shuffled in the knee-deep, tinder-dry oak leaves.

I thought, “I’ve never seen this before. What a sight.”

As they got directly in front of me, I heard more rustling of leaves. Out came the 6-pointer, and five second later, out comes the 10-pointer.

All three bucks — oblivious to my presence only a few yards away — followed the doe down the trail and back into the woods.

Did I get a shot?

No. That’s the crux. I was not carrying a bow. I had my shotgun.

Archery deer and turkey seasons overlapped that year.

I had seen loads of deer sign in the area, so I set up for deer on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. All three days I was surrounded by turkeys shortly after dawn, but did not see deer before giving it up due to the extreme heat.

The fourth morning, I said, “The heck with this. I’m going to get a turkey this morning.

It’s not hard to guess what happened next. I heard the turkeys fly down up on the ridge, but that morning they went off in another direction and the deer moved in, much to my chagrin.

That’s hunting. That’s why I go. If every day went the way we would like it too, we would soon get bored with the whole routine.

An accident ended my bowhunting five years ago, but the thrill of the hunt will always be there.

Pre-season scouting and planning can provide the setting for a successful hunt, and some serious practice will insure your success when the opportunity comes.

There is still time to do some serious scouting. Make the most of it.

Herald-Standard Outdoor Editor Rod Schoener can be reached online at rschoener@heraldstandard.com.