| August is here. The bucks are in full velvet and | | | | shooting sessions short at first then increase your |
| grouped together in their bachelor groups. Now is the | | | | shooting time as you go along.We will be busy the |
| time to do your long range scouting. Find a spot | | | | whole month of August, finishing up our fall food |
| where you can watch a good food source. I like to | | | | plots. These plots are the important food plots. They |
| watch the edges of alfalfa fields the last hour before | | | | are the ones that we will be hunting over. Placement |
| dark. We have just put up our two man ladder stand | | | | of the plots and placement of the tree stands are |
| on a fence line about 100 yards away from our food | | | | critical to your success. Last year I had a group of 3 |
| plot. The tree stand overlooks a soybean field that | | | | bucks, including a shooter that I could not get a shot |
| the deer like to feed in also. Once you start to see | | | | at, because we made the food plot too large and |
| deer, pay close attention to where they are coming | | | | the deer fed on the end of the plot opposite of our |
| out. They might use the same trail to exit the woods | | | | tree stand and they never came into range. This |
| every evening. Keep track of this so you know | | | | year we have cut back the food plot so that if the |
| where to place you stand. I like to do this on as | | | | deer are in the food plot, they will be in shooting |
| many wood lots that you hunt, that way if you | | | | range. Always keep that in mind when creating your |
| would spook the deer and cause them to change the | | | | hunting plots.August is also when we begin to hang |
| pattern you will still have another spot all set up to | | | | our tree stands. We have certain trees that we hang |
| go for opening day.August is the time to check out | | | | stands in year after year. These stands are placed in |
| all you're your hunting equipment; you most likely | | | | funnels and over food plots and have produced shots |
| haven't looked at it since last year. It's time to haul all | | | | at bucks in the past. We will get the stands in place, |
| your bow hunting accessories out of the basement | | | | shooting lanes trimmed, and everything ready so |
| and lay everything out and take inventory and see | | | | when opening day comes around you can slip into |
| what you have from last season and what needs | | | | the stand and catch the undisturbed bucks in their |
| replaced. Make a list of things you need to buy and | | | | predictable summer patterns. We have had shots at |
| start to look for items you need that are on | | | | many bucks during the first week of the bow |
| sale.Most importantly, it's time to start shooting your | | | | season. Other then the rut, the first week of bow |
| bow. Give your bow a good once over and decide if | | | | season is the best for shooting bucks.Get ready, |
| you need to replace any thing. Now is the time to | | | | keep shooting and do your long range scouting. |
| replace stuff like the bow string that was frayed last | | | | Enjoy the rest of the summer,DaleDale Bender is a |
| year, do it now, not the Friday before the season | | | | engineer for a major plumbing manufacturer in SE |
| opener. When you have your bow all fixed up it's | | | | Wisconsin. He is married and has three kids. His |
| time to start shooting. I like to start shooting field | | | | passion is hunting for Trophy whitetails and writing |
| points first; I also start shooting from 20 yards and | | | | about it. Dale Bender is a engineer for a major |
| closer. When you first start shooting, it will take your | | | | plumbing manufacturer in SE Wisconsin. he is married |
| muscles some time to get used to pulling the string | | | | with three kids. His passion is hunting for Trophy |
| back again. The first few times shooting your shots | | | | whitetails and writing about it. |
| will start to get wild as you tire, so keep your | | | | |