Written By - Curt Wells - 10/10/2007
Link to Original Article here

Nothing strikes fear in the heart of a bowhunter like the sound of hoof steps behind him. It can paralyze you with terror unless youre ready for it.

I heard that petrifying sound one November morning in North Dakota, just as the day filtered into the trees. It stunned me because I fully expected approaching deer to come from any other point on the compass except north.

I barely remember standing up, carefully picking my bow up off the hanger, clipping on my release, coming to full draw, settling the twenty yard pin on the bucks last rib as he was walking away and touching off the shot. It seemed like a single move, producing no memorable glitches or moments of terror - besides the realization this was the 140-class buck I’d been after for weeks.

From the time my ears picked up that first step in the dry cottonwood leaves to the moment when my bowstring quit vibrating couldn’t have been more than twenty seconds.

Every once-in-awhile, things just happen the way they should.

That’s the bowhunter’s first and only goal â€" make things happen as they should. It’s not easy. It’s like a golfer’s swing. A multitude of things have happen throughout the process, all in the correct order, and all without fail, or bad things happen. Here are five steps that can help reduce the fear of those â€�"hoof steps behind you.”

1. REAL PRACTICE

Most of us practice while standing flat-footed, in street clothes, on level ground, in warm temperatures with a well-tuned bow. That’s fine for building muscles, familiarity with your equipment and consistent accuracy. However, it’s a long way from â€�"real” practice, which is essential to successful bowhunting.

Elevate your position similar to your stand when practicing

You’ve read the advice for years about shooting with your hunting clothes on and from elevated stands but that’s not always easy or practical. Dressing up in your November hunting garb and shooting on a warm August day doesn’t hurt but you’re not actually simulating real time hunting situations.

You’re also not shooting the same bow. Let me explain. Just because your bow is tuned and ready to go in August doesn’t mean it’ll perform exactly the same in late November. Strings and buss cables can creep over time because of shooting or excessive heat and that can alter the synchronization/timing of the cam/s on your bow. Your point of impact can change. The bumps and bangs of normal use throughout an ongoing season can also alter the way your bow, arrows and body perform together. Just transporting your bow in and out of a vehicle or up and down a tree countless times can change things.

What’s the point? Real practice means shooting at 3-D targets from elevated stands and blinds during the summer months, but it also means practicing during the hunting season with all your hunting gear in play. Cutting way back on practice once the season opens is a common mistake made by lots of bowhunters.

A portable broadhead target should be your best friend. Keep it in your vehicle, in the yard or wherever you can get easy access to it. Get in the habit of taking the time to shoot a few arrows at any opportunity. I especially like to throw my target in the ditch and shoot several arrows before walking out to my treestand. When I get back to the truck from my morning hunts I do the same. I also have a treestand up in my yard and will do some mid-season practice from an elevated position just to simulate treestand shooting. If I plan to hunt from a ground blind, I’ll pop it up and shoot from my knees or from a chair so I know what to expect in all situations.

That kind of practice really builds my shooting confidence but more importantly, it will quickly and consistently reveal any problems with my equipment or clothing. If a bow limb creaks or the arrow squeals as it’s drawn across the rest, I’ll hear it. If my sight pins have changed or strings/cables have crept, I’ll notice a change in the way my peep turns or my arrow’s point of impact. And if my clothing is noisy or my binoculars or rangefinder interfere with the bowstring, I can identify and address the problem.

Think about what kind of shot could be presented, anticipate the clothing and gear you’ll be using then engage in â€�"real” practice during the hunting season.

2. DRESSING TO KILL

You need to wring three things out of your hunting clothing â€" silence, comfort and concealment - in that order of importance. I demand ultimate silence from my hunting clothes. I detest Velcro for obvious reasons and the material and linings of my hunting clothes cannot generate the slightest noise as I move to draw and shoot. On a cold, calm November morning when a mature whitetail buck is ambling by at ten yards you cannot afford even the softest swish of a sleeve or the back of your jacket against a tree trunk. Even my boots must be quiet and I’ll often wear a fleece boot cover or even lay a small rug on the stand surface to silence the movement of my feet.

Take the time to get concealed properly

Comfort may come after silence but that doesn’t mean it is any less important. Without comfort you’ll lose patience and determination. If you’re hot, cold, wet or sweaty you’ll find an excuse to leave your treestand or blind and that’s counterproductive.

Start off with a base layer of high-tech underwear such as Under Armour, Mossy Oak Vaportec, Cabela’s MTP Silk, polypropylene or even just natural silk. These and other materials will not absorb the body moisture generated by hiking into your stand or blind, but will transfer it to the next layer where it can more easily evaporate. The process keeps moisture away from your skin and that’s critical to comfort. You may feel sweaty once you get settled into your stand but you’ll dry off much quicker than if you wear cotton, which takes forever to dry out.

The second layer should also be a non-absorbing material such as polar fleece. Then add layers as the weather dictates. If the weather is extremely cold you’ll need a wind barrier in one of the outer layers. Just be sure that layer isn’t too noisy. Carbon clothing can provide some protection from the wind but offers no insulating properties.

Boots should keep you warm first and foremost. An insulated rubber boot works well to reduce your scent on the trail but they must be kept dry inside if you plan to stay warm. I use boot driers every night when possible and even have a portable set I take with me on trips. Another good idea is to use a pair of the fleece boot covers such as Cabela’s Baer’s Feet or Crooked Horn Outfitter’s Safari Sneakers. Not only will these products keep your feet warmer but, as mentioned above, they will significantly reduce the noise your feet make when shuffling around on your treestand.

Of course, matching the camouflage pattern to the terrain you’re hunting is important but it’s third on our list of priorities.

All other clothing considerations should be directed toward both silence and comfort so you’ll never have an excuse to leave your stand.