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Kentucky Afield Outdoors: Spend a few hours for successful deer hunting
10/5/07
Frankfort, Kentucky - Although many of our modern inventions such as cell phones, laptop computers and portable devices that can send and receive e-mail intend to save us time and provide convenience, it seems each year we have less time and find ourselves more inconvenienced.
The constant time crunch of our modern lives can really impact the important things, like scouting for potential hunting spots before deer season opens. But, hunters who spend their limited time in the best way possible can put themselves ahead of the pack when modern gun deer season opens in November by heading toward creek and river bottoms to scout.
Although smaller creeks are all but dry in many parts of Kentucky, some may still hold water in spots. Medium to large creeks are dangerously low, but still flow. The drought should concentrate deer in these moist corridors. Even those tiny spring-fed gullies are moister than practically anywhere else.
Lack of rain this past spring, summer and early fall could jumble typical deer locations and a hunter's usual deer hunting spots, making creek and river bottoms even more important places to prospect before the modern gun season.
Bottomlands provide the three things deer need: water, food and cover. Those with stands of oak and hickory should be high percentage spots. Deer this fall will eat more hard mast such as acorns and hickory nuts because the drought hurt production of soft mast such as wild fruits and berries.
Oak stands also grow in importance as the rut intensifies in November because female deer root around for acorns in them. Male deer circle oaks downwind and smell for females in estrus and ready to breed.
The mud along the creek bank also reveals whether any deer are in the area. Bottoms usually have plenty of sapling trees for bucks to scrape. If you scout a creek bottom in the next couple of weeks and don't see any tracks in the muddy areas or scrapes on the saplings, then that particular bottom isn't too good.
Trails are also a good indicator of deer activity. A good bottom should have some trails through it, tracks in the muddy areas and some scrapes. If you can find all of these in your hunting area, then you may harvest a bruiser buck this fall.
Archery and crossbow seasons for deer are now ongoing. The youth-only firearms season for deer is Oct. 13-14, while muzzleloader seasons are from Oct. 20-21 and Dec. 8-16. Modern gun season for deer begins Nov. 10 statewide, and continues until Nov. 19 or Nov. 25, depending on the zone. Consult the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources' hunting guide for more information.
Hunter education is required for all hunters born on or after January 1, 1975, except kids under 12 and hunters who are license exempt. However, a one-time temporary hunter education exemption permit is available for $5 online, which allows hunting for one year from the date of purchase without a hunter education card while accompanied by a legal adult hunter. Log on to fw.ky.gov to find a hunter education course near you, or to purchase an exemption permit.
Lee McClellan is an award-winning writer for Kentucky Afield magazine, the official publication of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. He is a life-long hunter and angler, with a passion for smallmouth bass fishing.
-30-
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources manages, regulates, enforces and promotes responsible use of all fish and wildlife species, their habitats, public wildlife areas and waterways for the benefit of those resources and for public enjoyment. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, an agency of the Commerce Cabinet, has an economic impact to the state of $4.8 billion annually. For more information about the department, visit our web site at fw.ky.gov.
Media Contact:
Lee McClellan (800) 852-0942 ext. 330
10/5/07
Frankfort, Kentucky - Although many of our modern inventions such as cell phones, laptop computers and portable devices that can send and receive e-mail intend to save us time and provide convenience, it seems each year we have less time and find ourselves more inconvenienced.
The constant time crunch of our modern lives can really impact the important things, like scouting for potential hunting spots before deer season opens. But, hunters who spend their limited time in the best way possible can put themselves ahead of the pack when modern gun deer season opens in November by heading toward creek and river bottoms to scout.
Although smaller creeks are all but dry in many parts of Kentucky, some may still hold water in spots. Medium to large creeks are dangerously low, but still flow. The drought should concentrate deer in these moist corridors. Even those tiny spring-fed gullies are moister than practically anywhere else.
Lack of rain this past spring, summer and early fall could jumble typical deer locations and a hunter's usual deer hunting spots, making creek and river bottoms even more important places to prospect before the modern gun season.
Bottomlands provide the three things deer need: water, food and cover. Those with stands of oak and hickory should be high percentage spots. Deer this fall will eat more hard mast such as acorns and hickory nuts because the drought hurt production of soft mast such as wild fruits and berries.
Oak stands also grow in importance as the rut intensifies in November because female deer root around for acorns in them. Male deer circle oaks downwind and smell for females in estrus and ready to breed.
The mud along the creek bank also reveals whether any deer are in the area. Bottoms usually have plenty of sapling trees for bucks to scrape. If you scout a creek bottom in the next couple of weeks and don't see any tracks in the muddy areas or scrapes on the saplings, then that particular bottom isn't too good.
Trails are also a good indicator of deer activity. A good bottom should have some trails through it, tracks in the muddy areas and some scrapes. If you can find all of these in your hunting area, then you may harvest a bruiser buck this fall.
Archery and crossbow seasons for deer are now ongoing. The youth-only firearms season for deer is Oct. 13-14, while muzzleloader seasons are from Oct. 20-21 and Dec. 8-16. Modern gun season for deer begins Nov. 10 statewide, and continues until Nov. 19 or Nov. 25, depending on the zone. Consult the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources' hunting guide for more information.
Hunter education is required for all hunters born on or after January 1, 1975, except kids under 12 and hunters who are license exempt. However, a one-time temporary hunter education exemption permit is available for $5 online, which allows hunting for one year from the date of purchase without a hunter education card while accompanied by a legal adult hunter. Log on to fw.ky.gov to find a hunter education course near you, or to purchase an exemption permit.
Lee McClellan is an award-winning writer for Kentucky Afield magazine, the official publication of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. He is a life-long hunter and angler, with a passion for smallmouth bass fishing.
-30-
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources manages, regulates, enforces and promotes responsible use of all fish and wildlife species, their habitats, public wildlife areas and waterways for the benefit of those resources and for public enjoyment. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, an agency of the Commerce Cabinet, has an economic impact to the state of $4.8 billion annually. For more information about the department, visit our web site at fw.ky.gov.
Media Contact:
Lee McClellan (800) 852-0942 ext. 330
