As my first hunting season encroaches day by day I find myself trying to ingest as much last minute information as I can about hunting. Field notes this week is dedicated to some of the articles I’ve bookmarked and referenced on a few occasions.
Making a Quiet Entrance
While it may seem totally obvious to many a seasoned hunter, the simplicity in the idea that when entering the woods, even if just for a scouting trip, one should think in advanced as if this was their hunt. Walk quietly and to just take your trail for granted. You can minimize noise on your trail by taking care of it a bit.
Deer Movements and Patterns
Breaking down weather factors and its influence into deer behavior are important to understanding the patterns a deer makes: weather tempter, barometric pressure, atmospheric conditions, wind and moon patterns all play a part and this article highlights each aspect.
How to Draw you bow without being spotted
Because I live out West and probably all of my hunts will be spot & stalk I found this interesting, just because I didn’t even think about this. Sure this article is about stand hunting tactics and using sky/snow camo to help cover your draw, but it made me think about tactics I can deploy in my situation for when I draw down.
The Art of Bow Training: Overcoming Target Fixation
I’ve been reading a lot lately about ‘target panic’ and how to establish a shot sequence to work through that, but when I read this article on Target Fixation is really made me think even deeper. As someone who has yet to actually draw on an animal with the intent to kill, I have no basis for comparison at this point. This article was great to point out solutions and ways to practice the sequence of events which I have been working at on my local range.
Intrepid Pioneer 
Last season was my first to actively hunt, rather than observing from the stand. I went for both duck and deer. No birds, but I got my first doe during gun season. I haven’t had to draw my bow on an animal yet, and it will present challenges. But aiming my 12 gauge at that deer was one of the more natural things I’ve ever done. Preparation is one thing, but so far, I’ve found that things just come together for me in the field. They should, I think about them enough. Giving you a follow- I’m a beginner at plenty of things myself.