Bow knows deer

I’ve never been inclined to bow hunt, In fact, I’d rather catch a nine pounder fishing than kill a nine pointer hunting. But that’s just me. Thousands of Louisiana sportsmen (and women) bowhunt every year.  From early reports, this has been a great year to do that so far. There is a good deer herd, plenty of food in the woods early in the season and the weather has been fantastic. On top of that, there are plenty of great places to bow hunt in Union, Claiborne, Lincoln, Morehouse, Ouachita and the surrounding area parishes. If you aren’t in a club and are looking for public lands, check the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries web pages for details of available spots.

Bow season opened in Louisiana on October 1 and runs through January 31, 2013 with a few exceptions. Check the regulations where you are hunting for specific dates and restrictions.

There are a lot of reasons I do not bow hunt. No. 1 on the list is that you can’t hunt with a bow and arrow

from padded chair in a box stand.  You have to climb a tree. And you have to get real close to the deer or

Bow hunting comes naturally to some hunters. Jim Densmore killed this big 9-point on only his second bowhunt. (Photos courtesy of Matthew Turner Guide Service)

you won’t get a shot.  And at a range of 10-30 yards, the deer can also grab a hunters scent or see the slightest movement easily.  You have to spend a good bit of time getting prepared for bow season. You have to scout out exactly where the trails are, figure out the deer’s habits and get in the right spot much more accurately than in gun season.  Plus, I can barely shoot a gun straight, much less a bow and arrow.

Today’s article shows it can be done. Bow hunter Jim Densmore did everything right and got his deer last week, a nice nine pointer.  We’ve also got a neat deer camera photo of the same deer taken with a deer camera a month ago. As you can see, the big buck was still sporting a bit of velvet on his antlers then. Kind of like “before” and “after” photos.  It also apparently pays to have a good hunting partner with plenty of deer cameras (like Jim’s brother-in-law Matthew Turner) to keep you on the right tracks (specifically, deer tracks…).

The bottom line is that you don’t often get lucky bow hunting. You earn it.