Hunting Archery Duck Deer

bowhunters - the few, the proud, the well-insulated

PADUCAH, Ky. — With Kentucky’s 2005-06 deer harvest running well behind last years pace, don’t expect the last wave of hunters to play catch-up.

It’s more of a ripple than a wave, actually. After all the assorted seasons based on weaponry and age, all that remains is the closing days of Kentucky’s 19-week archery deer hunt.

One of the longest hunting options under management, the state’s bowhunting for deer and turkeys closes out Jan. 17 after running continuously since Sept. 3. And much has changed since the summer initiation of the archer’s quest.

Going from muggy mornings and steamy evenings with deer in summer behavior patterns, the marathon archery season advanced through the onset of frosty mornings and changing leaves. Bowmen and women hunted through the high activity period of the whitetail rut, sharing that season with, if not giving way to the crush of the modern firearms hunt.

Now, after modern and muzzleloader firearms seasons, youth hunts and a crossbow session, those archery hunters with stickability and permits with limits left to fill face the cold, bleak and somewhat forlorn remnants of the bow season.

The deer herd is reduced significantly from its status at the seasons start. Hunters in all phases of hunting since September have reported taking more than 111,000 deer. (Yet, hunters checked in 124,752 deer during the 2004-05 season.)

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources managers, however, say plenty of deer remain. The harvest is down this year, not because there are fewer deer out there, they report. Managers point rather to a combination of unseasonably warm weather during prime hunting times and a wealth of acorn that kept deer feeding in woodlands and limited their movement. They also fear some hunters are becoming more selective and increasingly reluctant to take deer of less than trophy status.

Managers encourage late bowhunters to take “bonus” antlerless deer, especially in Zone 1 and 2 counties where herds remain larger than ideal, according to biologists.

January bowhunters, however, may be challenged to prove that high numbers of deer are still on the prowl. Late season days can have a steeper level of difficulty.

With the high movement period of the whitetail rut long past, deer by January typically have become more reclusive and conservative. After long weeks of hunting in various seasons, deer tend to grow more wary, often retreating into remote covers to escape human activity.

With enormous energy depletion from the rigors of the rut, more deer are in a recovery mode now _ reluctant to move more than necessary, primarily only to feed to replenish faded fat reserves. January puts deer in a survival mode that makes them less visible with their drop in activity.

Late days bowhunters may improve their results by rethinking hunting locations, seeking out deer presence in thicker retreats at or near prime winter food sources. Lush food like winter wheat fields may attract late season deer, but the boomer crop of acorns dropped back in the fall means oak timber remains an important source of dining for deer even now.

A largely foliage-free, open habitat means hunters can see deer more easily now, but the increased visibility favors the deer, too. Tree stand hunters should be more selective of their setup, choosing trees with multiple trunks or lower limbs for outline-breaking cover, and/or opting for higher positions to stay out of the deer’s sight plane. Camouflaged ground blinds backed into cover are another option for avoiding whitetail eyes.

Hunting and even approaching the hunting site from downwind of where the deer are thought to be is even more critical in January with deer alertness heightened by a long period of hunting pressure. Scent control with special containment clothing couldn’t hurt. The time of year itself can be a deterrent to success. January bowhunters may need to dress with maximum insulation to tolerate the cold for lengthy waits in stand or blind.

The disadvantages of the last days of bowhunting can be seen as a plus for those willing to accept the challenges. The added difficulties and the fact that archery season is already months old tends to filter out most of the competition for the late hunting.

It might be the toughest period, but the last of the bowhunting Mohicans can pretty much have the rest of the deer season to themselves