by L. Woodrow Ross

Created on: March 15, 2009

Getting ready for deer hunting season is an on-going process. In order to be a successful hunter, you must be familiar with your gun or bow and practice to be proficient. It is better to practice frequently with short sessions than to practice infrequently for a longer period of time. Frequent short practices keeps the interest level high and skill will improve considerably. Long sessions tend to be tiring and do not show the same rapid rate of improvement.

Part of preparation is knowing where to hunt. If you have property that you own or lease, or if you are a member of a hunt club, you know where you will be on opening day. If you plan to hunt public game management property, you will need to scout well in advance of the season to find a good spot. The best time to scout is just after hunting season. The trails will be readily visible as will the rubs and scrapes. The spots that show the most use and traffic will be the best spots in the upcoming season. Deer, similar to most animals, are very consistent in habits as long as habitat does not change significantly and food sources remain consistent.

Another advantage of scouting at the end of the season is that you can hunt for sheds. This will add to the fun and may also let you know that some mature bucks survived the season and will be there for the upcoming season if you are lucky.

Regardless of where you hunt, plan to secure aerial maps and photos of the property. This will allow you to spot bottle-necks and funnels that are good places to hunt. It will also help you to determine the best locations for food plots. Good topographical maps and the use of a GPS unit will allow you to pin-point every critical location that you need to check out ahead of the season.

If you have you own property, consider planting food plots. This will attract deer to your property and will provide good nutrition to assure healthy animals and good rack development. Be sure to select seed mixes that are suited to your region and apply recommended fertilizer to assure good plant development. Consider year round food plots to keep deer habituated to your property and they will be there when hunting season rolls around.

Don't forget to exercise and be in shape to drag out a big buck when the season arrives. What a shame if you have a heart attack dragging out a monster buck and don't have the chance to brag about it to your hunting buddies. Brisk walking every day is a good exercise that anyone can do. It gets the heart rate up and is

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