A good bow hunting spot is the one that places you within bow range of your target. It is all about finding a large area and shrinking it to a small, practical size. Things can be much easier if you have a little knowledge of your quarry habitat and behavior. Deer is one of the most common and easy bow hunting targets. They usually tend to prefer specific habitats in the woods, which are dictated by the availability of food and security.
If you are considering going bow hunting, we have shared the best ways to find hunting spots, so make sure you read it till the end.
Oak Trees
Oaks are usually an excellent source of food for deer during autumn. Acorns, especially from white oaks are favorite deer’s food because they have fewer tannins compared to red oak acorns. This makes them taste sweeter, and therefore, if you can locate an area with white oaks, you have found good bow hunting spots.
Edges
Naturally, deer are prey animals and so they tend to act paranoid. They usually hide in the thick brush but not for a long time due to the scarcity of food in the thickets. For this reason, they will get out and start wandering in the nearby looking for food, so that in case of anything, they could just leap to safety. That is where edges come in. An edge is basically where two contrasting habitats meet. For instance where the woods meet a field or where mature hardwoods meet a thicket.
Funnels
Deer usually travel to or from food sources via paths that keep them out of sight so that they are not seen by predators. For instance, they avoid climbing steep hills if they can find a low or dip spot between ridges with less resistance. These sites are commonly known as “saddles” since they usually form a low point in the hill or ridge, and funnel the deer through. A funnel is simply any place that focuses the movement of a quarry into a small area. So if you want a great spot for your bowhunting, make sure you look for saddles as this terrain usually brings your target within bow range.
You can also target strips of woods lined on either side by meadows and connecting two expansive woodlots. Such like areas usually make the deer feel more secure and so wouldn’t expect to be attacked.
Creek Bottoms
Another spot for bow hunting is the bottomlands flanking streams, rivers, and creeks. This also creates a funnel for deer movement, particularly in agricultural areas with massive meadows and other openings. The underbrush, trees, and the landscape along the bottomlands make it hard for the deer to be visible to hunters.
If you are in this area, make sure you are focused on the slender strips of cover along these paths, which concentrates the movements of the deer into a small area that brings them within your bow range.
Suburbia
Sometimes your hunting spot might be closer than you can imagine. Naturally, deer are highly adaptable animals and can easily be attracted to densely inhabited areas in scarce natural habitations. On some occasions, the deer may come to the suburbia and feed on shrubs, flowers, and landscaping. In this case, you have a great chance to harvest some home-grown meat.
Useful Tips When Looking for Good Bow Hunting Spot
If you want to create a great shot opportunity, below are some tips to help you out when looking for a good spot for your bowhunting.
- Try as much as you can to cover your scent: One of the most common ways prey animals detects a predator is a scent. And by your scent, I don’t only mean the cologne you are wearing, but also your tools. Your quarry may be able to sniff of any scent even without the wind, so make sure you also use tools that do not have any scent.
- Observe the wind direction: Speaking of your scent, check out where the wind is blowing to from where you are camping because if the wind blows your scent toward your target before it reaches within your bow range, the animal will smell and escape.
- Make sure there is ample room for your tools and shooting: Your spot should have sufficient space for your equipment and also for you to shoot. Space should allow you to operate while sitting, standing, or kneeling be it in a ground blind or tree stand.
- Avoid noxious plants: Your safety should be first, so avoid pitching camp in an area with poison oak, poison ivy, nettles, thorny bushes or any other noxious plants.
- Plenty of comforts: One thing is for sure, a deer will not show up just the minute you settle in a hunting spot. There will be a lot of waiting, so make sure you can sit, stand, or kneel comfortably as long as necessary.
