Published: November 08, 2008 07:00 pm      

Dave Richey: Avoid opening day mistakes

Nov. 15 offers something very special. It's the only day of the year when you can hear the sun rise.

Rifle shots, shotgun blasts and occasionally even the flat crack of a handgun going off becomes an audible clue that the annual firearm deer season is underway. But, all things are subject to change.

That's the way it once was, years ago, in those years before bait. People grew cold sitting on a snow-covered stump in the chilled air, and would get up and move around. The occasional short walk to get the circulation going also helped make deer move.

And then, everything changed as Michigan's deer herd grew. People began building ground blinds that looked like old outhouses, and elevated coops became popular as hunting from an elevated stand became legal. And after that, the firearm openers were not nearly as noisy as they once were.

Everyone built coops, elevated and ground level, or bought a pop-up tent blind. They got comfy with a heater and a nice view, kicked back and stopped moving. They were warm, and bait was placed within easy rifle distance. Sportsmen then quit hunting deer and began killing them.

Baiting was legal. No question about that but was it ethical? Who knows?

Now, all that has changed as the Department of Natural Resources found one deer on a private enclosure that tested positive for chronic wasting disease, and the rules changed once again. Baiting was banned in the Lower Peninsula, and hunters must now return to the time-honored basics of hunting runways, natural food locations, common travel corridors, near scrapes and rub-lines, and now must get out and move around.

Then again, maybe they won't move at all. Archery shops and sporting goods stores are crying for business. Granted, there are still some hunters, but not as many as before. Many older hunters are backing away from deer hunting because they find sitting in a coop on the ground or in the air, without bait, less productive than it once was. They don't want to move.

So, this begs the question: Will the firearm opener next Saturday be a noisy affair with many shots at dawn, or will it be as quiet as a prayer service? Saturday openers are usually good, and rank one notch behind a Friday opener which gives hunters a three-day weekend.

So what can hunters expect next Saturday? I'm no prophet, and never guessed well, but I expect a slow opener. Fewer hunters, fewer deer, and not enough people moving around to keep the animals on their feet.

However, there are several things hunters should avoid, and perhaps these tips may turn a hunt around.

-- Don't wait until you get to camp to sight in your rifle. It should have been sighted in at a target range long ago.

Shooting a box or two of cartridges just before the deer opener does two things. It helps hunters get ol' Betsie shooting straight but it also scares the bejeebers out of local deer. Gun shots send deer scampering for thick cover, and from then on the animals will move only after dark, and it may be another long year without venison.

-- Stay away from your blind until the opener, and remain silent when in the woods. Climbing into a tree stand or clumping around trying to pull together enough cover to build a last-minute ground blind leaves human scent in the area and helps alert deer to a human presence.

Blinds should have been built long ago. If the weather is mild, set in a tree stand or find a toppled tree downwind of an active trail and sit with your back to the root wad. It breaks up your silhouette, and anything placed in front of you should be sparse. If it's too thick, it becomes difficult to shoot through and requires too much movement. Keep ground blinds simple.

-- Hunt alone. Groups of hunters make too much noise. Go off alone, and find a spot where no one hunts. The major mistake most people make is they walk through the woods, yakking as if deer are deaf, and the team effort spooks animals.

A solitary hunter has a better chance of shooting a deer than a group of hunters. One hunter is all hunter; two hunters is half a hunter; and three hunters is no hunter at all. It points out the logic of solitary hunting and why two people make twice the noise of one person.

-- Never second-guess your hunting location. If it looked good during daylight hours, it should still look good as the sun starts rising in the east and the rifles start going bang.

It's rather illogical to sit there as the sun starts to bulge on the horizon, and suddenly decide another location looks better. I made this silly mistake years ago, and another hunter moved into my spot as I drifted off. He shot a good buck, and I never saw a deer in my new spot. Stick with the original plan, and don't change plans without considerable thought.

-- Want to shoot a nice buck? It's simple. Just be in the right spot at the right time, and have one cartridge in the chamber and none in the magazine. I can hear it now: Richey's brain has finally flipped out.

My wife started hunting 31 years ago with a single-shot .243 rifle. She knows she has only one shot and must make it good. She shoots her rifle long before the opener, and it is always on and never requires tinkering.

A buck walks out, she aims, pulls the set trigger, refines her aim and pulls the hair trigger. The deer falls down, instantly dead. She knows she has one shot, and takes her time and waits patiently for a good broadside shot.

Many people use a lever-action, pump or semi-automatic firearm, and take ill-advised shots, miss, shoot again, miss, and soon the magazine is empty. They slap in another clip and perhaps run it empty as the deer dodges through heavy timber or across an open field. Deer that stand still are easier to shoot than a shot-at deer cutting a trail for distant parts.

One shot is all you need if you know your firearm, have it sighted in properly and take your time aiming. Hurried shots seldom put deer liver in the evening frying pan.

*Plan ahead for any eventuality. I always wear a backpack, and people think it's funny. My backpack weighs 15-20 pounds, but in it is everything I may need that day. The key word is "may."

I may start hunting from a tree stand so my safety harness is needed. If the wind shifts, and a move is required, I may be sitting in a cedar swamp. About that time a thunderstorm or snow storm rolls through. That's why my rain gear is in my backpack. If it is needed, it's handy.

Ever shoot a deer way back of beyond when no one else is around, and discover you've forgotten a knife to field dress the animal? Trust me, fingernail clippers don't work. So, do you leave the animal while you hike out to get a knife, and risk losing the deer to a thief? Or do you muscle it for a mile or more through rugged terrain. Advance planning, and a check of your backpack will prevent that from happening.

Don't forget to add 10-15 feet of stout rope if you must drag a deer. Field dress the animal, find a stout four-foot stick and lash the head and antlers to it. Lift it up and the animal is easier to drag with some weight off the ground. Just make sure you position the head so it isn't goring you with every step. Don't forget to add food, snacks and liquids to your backpack.

-- Don't get discouraged and start griping about the DNR, the baiting ban, and fewer deer. Move forward with a positive attitude, and take whatever the day may offer.

If anything, become more positive the longer you sit. The more time one puts into deer hunting, the better the chance of success. Don't get bogged down and wallow in the past because it's gone. You are there now to hunt, so do it. Hunting certainly beats doing nothing or sitting at home.

Hunt as if this may be the last hunting day of your life. Be ever alert, don't get lost in daydreams, and don't fall asleep even though you awoke all bleary-eyed at 4 a.m. Hunt hard, learn to look for movement in the shadows and horizontal body lines in the vertical woodlot. Look as deep into thick cover as possible, and anything that moves between you and there, will be seen.

-- Last but not least: Hunt safely. Be alert to other hunters in your area, and this is one rule that is mandatory: wear Hunter Orange clothing, and lots of it. Use a light before dawn and at dusk when coming or going to a stand.

If a shot looks iffy, don't take it. A missed shot is nothing compared to the possibility of shooting someone. Identify your target, check what lies behind it, and use an abundant amount of caution and common sense.

Good luck next Saturday. Shoot once, shoot straight and don't miss.