Q: When archery hunting, should I wait for a quartering away shot?
A: The only time I wait for a quartering away shot is when my first view of an animal is of it's hind and think that his next move will be a lateral turn relative to my position. At this time, you should study and anticipate your shot placement. Visualize shooting through the face side of the animal, while aiming at the opposite shoulder. If you are hunting from the ground, you can pick the high spot (shoulder peak) on his back to visualize your vertical plane. Locating the opposite shoulder from an elevated position is even easier. At this point, the shot should be entering at the 10th rib and if executed properly is a perfect one shot harvest. Train your eye to see these shot angles quickly as your window of opportunity can be over is a split second.

Q: We are experimenting with Quality Deer Management (QDM) on our property; what should we plant to attract and keep bucks on our land?
A: Quality Deer Management is about much more than simply food. In fact, food is the latter part of QDM. Of the many aspects of QDM, the first and arguably most important is bedding (security zones). It is crucial to have areas where the deer can bed and feel safe from danger. In fact, multiple zones of 10 to 25 acres are the best way to protect and "attract" mature animals. The second aspect is is water. Deer, like all animals must have water to live. As such, it is important to have water in the areas you will be hunting. As you may have guessed, the third aspect is food ratios (nutrition). Deer need quality food to survive and grow. The fourth aspect of quality deer management is harvest ratio. It is imporant to follow proper ratios for the deer in your area. The fifth aspect of QDM is camp and local participation (time). It is critical to care for your property to keep it a great place for bucks to live.

Nearly every hunter that owns property is planting something for the the whitetail deer to feed on. While food is an important aspect of QDM, whitetail deer need to consume at least 50% natural forest browse to meet their nutritional needs. The majority of the hunting camps that I know of have not established a security zone on their property, while at the same time, investing time and money to build food plots. If these food plot camps over pressure their hunting area (the plots themselves), they will likely cause the deer to bed on your property during the day and arrive to feed on the lush, expensive food plots with the safety of the night.

Your first step should be maximizing your daytime holding capacity, as this will develop more hunting action. From there, you can implement the next four parts to build hunting strategies and develop bigger healthier deer.

Q: How often should I wax my bow strings and cables?
A: The best way to figures this out is by looking at your heavy wear ares (hot spots). Check the cables at the cable slider, as this is a good area to watch. As soon as you see this area changing color, its best to wax the whole system.

Apply wax by running the wax stick along the entire string and cable system. This will leave small "berries" along the material. With your finger tips, rub the excess wax into the string. You will see the string and cable material gain a dark luster. After applying wax to the whole system, I go over the hot spots again to make sure they are polished looking and not too thick from the wax.

Your strings are essentially a bundle of strands, and as they dry out from of lack of lubrication, the dry strands will saw against eachother and cause premature breakdown. Wax serves as an important lubricant as well as a sealer from UV rays, water, and grit.