BOWHUNTING Editor Christian Berg killed this 2-year-old gobbler last month in Texas. (John Hafner photo)

Much of America enjoyed an early spring this year, with many flowers, shrubs and trees greening up as much as a month ahead of schedule. That caused many turkey hunters to theorize that the birds would also breed well ahead of schedule, possibly resulting in less-than-ideal calling conditions during turkey seasons.

Well, although the woods here in Pennsylvania are already as thick as can be, the latest results from an ongoing Pennsylvania Game Commission telemetry study of hen turkeys indicates that nesting this year will take place just about the same time it always does. According to Mary Jo Casalena, the commission’s wild turkey biologist, that’s because wild turkey nesting is triggered more by photoperiod (the amount of daylight each day) than weather, and though weather fluctuates from year to year, the amount of increasing daylight remains consistent.

So, in spite of the weather (and the fact that it’s getting hard to see much in the woods), the bottom line is that turkey-hunting opportunities should be pretty much as good as they always are. And that’s good news for hunters such as me, since I’m still chasing my Pennsylvania bird and have a couple weeks remaining to get the job done.

Here’s a copy of the Game Commission’s full press release, which contains some interesting data:

SPRING GOBBLER HUNTERS HAVE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY REMAINING
All-day season begins May 14

HARRISBURG – For those spring gobbler hunters who may feel the hunt is already over because of the early spring, Pennsylvania Game Commission officials report that there is still plenty of time to harvest a gobbler.

“Our three years of radio-telemetry data show that hen turkeys did not begin incubating nests any earlier this year than the previous two years, even though we experienced a warm, dry early spring” said Mary Jo Casalena, Game Commission wild turkey biologist. “That’s because nesting is triggered more by photoperiod (amount of daylight) than weather. So, that warm spell we experienced in March was just a bit too early for most hens to begin laying eggs.”

Hen turkeys wait until they lay a complete clutch before they begin the 28 days of incubation. This ensures the entire clutch hatches within a 24-hour period. Also, hens readily abandon nests during egg-laying if they are disturbed, so it makes sense not to incubate until she’s sure of her nest location.  

“We’ve been monitoring when radioed hens begin incubating their clutches, and comparing the dates to data collected back in the 1950s and 1960s across the state to determine if Pennsylvania hens are now nesting earlier, and they aren’t,” Casalena said. “The average date of nest incubation remains around the first week of May.

“This should be welcome news for most Pennsylvania turkey hunters because now that these hens have begun incubating, gobblers are becoming lonely and may come to a hunter’s call more readily. So, do not give up hope, there is still plenty of time to harvest a tom.”

The Game Commission radio-telemetry study continues for two additional springs, and agency biologists will continue to record nest incubation dates of each radioed hen.

“With more than 50 radioed hens each year thus far, we have a decent sample size,” Casalena said. “This year, we only recorded one early nester, an adult hen beginning incubation March 29. But, last year, with the cool, wet spring, our earliest incubation date was three days earlier, March 26. In 2010, we didn’t have a hen begin incubation until April 6.”

The early spring did, however, cause leaves to emerge early, which will make it more difficult for hunters to hear and see their target.

“With the early green-up, it will be even more important to consider using a fluorescent orange band to alert other hunters to your stationary location or to wear some orange while moving,” Casalena said.

Pennsylvania turkey hunters also are reminded that, beginning on Monday, May 14, they will be permitted to hunt from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. The expanded hunting hours will continue through the last day of the season, which is Thursday, May 31.

“The 2011 spring gobbler season was the first year of all-day hunting during the second half of the season, and the overall harvest was a slight decrease from the 2010 harvest,” Casalena said. “Afternoon harvest comprised six percent of the total reported harvests and 22 percent of the harvest during the all-day portion of the season.  During the all-day season, 78 percent of the harvest occurred before noon.”

For the afternoon segment, Casalena said the majority of the harvest occurred between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., with the last reported harvest at 8:35 p.m. (NOTE: Hunting hours closed between 8:39 p.m. in the eastern part of the state, and 9:11 p.m. in the western part of the state.)

“The Game Commission will continue to monitor the afternoon harvest in relation to population trends and age class of gobblers to gauge the impact of all-day hunting,” Casalena said. “Of the 49 states that conduct turkey seasons, 34 have all-day hunting for all or part of the season, including Maryland, Ohio and Virginia.”

Brought to you by Easton Archery.

Certainly, my aspirations required skills considerably beyond those that earned me a tanned posterior — at age 7 or 8 — after I whittled a succession of unsuccessful bows and arrows from backyard landscaping and a length of packing cord.

I also recall, maybe two decades later, hauling the “perfect” bow stave from Saskatchewan, Canada, following an ambitious bowhunting road trip (a hive of U.S. Customs agents commiserated half an hour over the 7-foot hank of lumber). Following three years of seasoning and carefully carving a handsome English-style longbow (per Saxton Pope’s instructions in Hunting With The Bow & Arrow), I joyously sent exactly two arrows speeding down range before the bow failed terminally; three weeks of tedious labor reduced to kindling.

The requisite monotony of tenderly shaping a potential weapon, weighed against looming heartbreak, cooled much serious effort thereafter. But the notion, like a latent dream, remained deeply embedded in my imagination.

MEET THE MASTER
I met Alan Currier during a community soiree in a small southwestern New Mexico village. I’d heard whisperings of a wildly eccentric “Chinaman” (actually Japanese-American) who made bows via the unreliable grapevine universal to intimate hamlets where small minds with idle hands occupy themselves with the affairs of others.

I introduced myself, and Alan and I were immediately connected by a mutual fascination with the flight of the arrow. Alan indeed makes bows — primitive designs free of modern materials — though his inspiration is not bowhunting or even target shooting. It’s flight shooting. He owns several primitive-bow world records in this vanishing endeavor. It quickly became evident Alan owns wisdom I’ve long coveted. And for my part, I had a catalog of prospective bow woods in the ready recesses of my mind.

Our friendship budded while investigating the widely strewn groves of exotic Osage and native hackberry. Through Alan’s patient tutelage, I came to understand the synchronous qualities comprising harmonious bow wood are as exceptional as discovering the perfect likeness of Jesus Christ in a tortilla’s surface. There’s the matter of knots (good and bad), grain twist and, most of all, stave length in relation to these qualities. I learned the concept of compression and tension woods and how slanting staves forced to surmount a lifetime of gravity can increase performance potential. I offered one potential bow after another, Alan investing scant scrutiny before summarily dismissing my favorites due to one flaw or another; most occasioned by the comment, “Perfect — if it were six inches longer.”

I’m a quick study. In time, I managed to lead Alan to trees sparking his infectious enthusiasm. Alan’s wedded to wood like no other person I’ve known.

Our friendship solidified. One day, observing me exercising a modern recurve, Alan offered that if I’ll instruct him in the proper approach to shooting, he’ll teach me the art of creating a reliable primitive bow. Later, disappointed by Alan’s dismissal of my latest find of wild Osage after long, hopeful inspection (“if only it were four inches longer”), I made an off-handed comment. “With all these absolutely perfect, if slightly short, pieces of bow wood, why not make take-down bows?”

Please click image to enlarge

The Bear Archery Company is all about listening to its customers, and its engineers make it a priority from the start — during the design phase of bow manufacturing. What they heard last year were  calls for a bow with a longer axle-to-axle measurement, lighter weight and super smooth draw, all while maintaining the durability Bear is known for. They collected the data, put together a plan and went to work.

The culmination of that effort is the 2012 Bear Anarchy. This rig is packed with features such as a new Flat Top Cam system, past parallel Max Pre-Load Quad Limbs, new lighter riser, 4×4 Roller Guard, Zero Tolerance Limb Cups, Dual Arc Offset String Suppressors and Bear Contra-Band HP string and cables.

BEAR GOT A FLAT TOP
Bear’s new Flat Top Cam was named for the evident flat portion of the string groove, which gives it a unique footprint. More than a “look,” the Flat Top was originally intended to increase stored energy by changing the slope on the front of the curve. What Bear engineers found when testing its new invention was they not only gained stored energy but improved nock travel and the “feel” of the draw cycle.

A precisely placed Tungsten Carbide perimeter weight located on the cam is designed to balance the cam around the axle for increased efficiency and decreased vibration.

A set of interchangeable modules offers draw lengths from 25-31 1⁄2 inches, in half-inch increments, without the use of a bow press or any special tools. System letoff is advertised at 80 percent. The draw stop looks a little different than what you typically find, as it is rectangular in shape rather than round and fits into a pear-shaped slot to control its position. This configuration has more surface area and in turn offers a more solid back wall.

QUAD POWER
Bear’s Max Pre-Load Quad Limbs are featured on the new Anarchy. Engineers use sophisticated computer modeling programs that allows them to “see” and eliminate any potential stress “hot spots” on the limbs before one is ever actually made. Limb profiles are optimized to store and release energy efficiently. The resulting design is brought to life through precision manufacturing processes and proven pultruded Gordon Glass materials.

Each set of four limbs is chosen based on deflection values to ensure uniformity and consistency. At full draw, limbs move past parallel while utilizing the inherent stability and performance characteristics of semi-upright limb pockets. The past parallel position of the limb tips creates a platform for reduced shock, vibration and noise. Two-piece aluminum limb pockets contain a protrusion that fits within a notch in the limb to create a solid anchor. A vibration-damping boot fitted to the inside of the pocket cradles each limb piece.

LIGHTWEIGHT AND FLUID
The new Anarchy riser will catch your eye with its flowing lines, rounded edges and nearly straight form. An “open” format is created with large cutouts, and the overall structure is thinned out compared to previous designs. This is all made possible with special Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software, which is used to simulate and optimize the riser’s material and structure. Bear even made its 4×4 Roller Guard lighter by eliminating excess material. The end result is a very welcome 3.8-pound mass weight. Bowhunters making a long trek into the wilderness will especially appreciate the reduced weight of Bear’s new bow.

Bear’s unique Dual Arc Offset String Suppressors got a new, more integrated attachment to the riser. Each suppressor is mounted approximately halfway between the end of the riser and center of the bow and reaches out to meet the string. A soft, rubber-like fixture is attached to the end of the mounting arm, which is offset to soften the cushioning effect and add to the overall lateral balance of the rig. When designing this system, Bear used high-speed photography to pin down the best suppressor position on the string for maximum impact.

Rounding out the package is a stainless steel stabilizer-mounting insert, your choice of either a one-piece Bear logo overmold grip or a two-piece side plate model and finish options of Realtree APG or Shadow Series (black).

IMPRESSIONS
It was a pleasant surprise when I first handled the Anarchy and found it to be so lightweight. This is especially welcome when you consider the relatively long 35 1⁄4-inch axle-to-axle length. The draw cycle is incredibly smooth and the shot is quiet, with only a small kick and no detectable vibration.

Spring seasons offered on a tightly-controlled basis: Oregon (April 1 — 15 or May 31, controlled tags, good draw odds; no dogs permitted), Utah and New Mexico (Valle Vidal/Greenwood unit only, April 15 – May 15, 20 lottery permits).

Baiting allowed during spring seasons: Idaho (specified units, April 15 – May 31 or June 30, unlimited tags), Utah (April 7 – June 3, limited entry hunts) and Wyoming (roughly April 15 – June 15, specified units, abundant tags).

Indian reservations sometimes offer spring bear hunts as well, so check tribal web sites for possibilities.

I’ll just touch on hound hunting — it’s highly specialized and most don’t have hounds or access to hounds. If you do, you won’t need instructions from me. It’s wildly exciting, by the way, and should be experienced by every hunter; if only to dispel the notion it’s an “easy” avenue to bear-hunting success.

Spot-and-stalk spring black bear may sound intimidating – in terms of success rates or perceived dangers (via exaggerated “This Happened To Me!” tales) – but can prove a productive (and safe) avenue to collecting a trophy bear rug. During early spring seasons glass regenerating clear-cuts, avalanche chutes, alpine meadows, lake shores; basically anywhere spring green-up brings bears into the open. Bears need this vegetative matter – grass or skunk cabbage, for example – to jumpstart digestive tracts after hibernation.

This is no different than bowhunting early-season mule deer; finding vantages to glass likely areas with quality optics– except a black “grub” against new green shows up much better than distant deer. Stalking is also easier. Bears have little to fear so they’re seldom as edgy. Their strongest defense is a highly-developed olfactory system…their eyes are fair at best. Keep wind in your favor and move slowly and getting within bow range is much easier than approaching deer in like habitat.

Baiting on your own is, put simply, very hard work, but quite rewarding. The “easy” shot is earned through weeks of hard work. The key is finding a site with abundant bear sign, where scent management comes automatically (ridge points or steeply-falling ground taking advantage of prevailing wind), that also won’t be disturbed by the public or hound hunters. Bait is placed regularly — day-old bread, dog kibble doused in used fry grease, non-game bowfishing spoils, expired grocery fodder — until a desired bear establishes a regular schedule. When this happens, hang a stand within range and begin the waiting game. Were legal, cabling a 55-galon steel drum to a tree can save fuel and time by requiring less frequent visits. One thing is certain; when a trophy bruin ghosts into view, nerves are certain to redline…

One line of Nugent’s impassioned speech sticks in my head; the part where Nugent said if Obama is re-elected he would either “be dead or in jail by this time next year.” I immediately took this to mean Nugent feared the Democratic National Committee directly assassinating him, or at least tossing him in jail as a political enemy, like they might do in, say, the Soviet Union of old. This was just my immediate interpretation. Only Nugent can confirm exactly what he meant, but the implication was that he is important enough to warrant such extreme measures by a powerful group who wants him silenced.

Which is really the problem with Nugent. Sure, he’s a rock star, on the basis of which he’s generated a mediocre TV show, set himself up as a bowhunting celebrity (complete with manufacturer endorsements, of course) and, more importantly for the sake of this discussion, a self-proclaimed spokesman for America’s sportsmen. His inflated self-worth is common knowledge inside the hunting industry.

VOTE: Did Ted Nugent go too far with his comments regarding President Obama at the NRA Show?

Yet, we largely embrace Nugent because he’s useful. Rock star status means he’s gained the ear of those out of reach to mere hunters, because liberals, not believing in God, worship celebrities and politicians instead. This fact was driven home to me in a Phoenix airport; a surly airline employee nastily refused to check my hard bow case (not quite as unwieldy as, say, bagged golf clubs, which were being fast-laned into baggage handling), relenting only after spying a Ted Nugent bumper sticker on the case’s side (it was one among hundreds I’ve picked up at sports shows and have added to provide instant ID while seeking gear on airport baggage carousels).

Nugent is handed the microphone ordinary citizens are automatically denied. I’ve observed Nugent interviews on mainstream forums that were utterly remarkable, because he’s a conservative and a hunter – and in most cases, people were applauding his positions while laughing raucously.

RELATED: Nugent Goes Nuclear: Five Questions With Uncle Ted

But … I’ve cringed as often as I’ve applauded, as I did while listening to his recent “rant” (as the Mainstream Liberal Media – MLM – is giddily pointing out now), because if he’s “our” spokesman, he sometimes makes us appear exactly what the MLM would like to believe we are: a bunch of dangerous extremists and wild-eyed kooks. Using terms such as “chop off their heads” will predictably be taken literally by the MLM.

There’s no doubt we’re in the fight for our lives in this next election – and it’s not just about gun ownership and our beloved hunting lifestyle. Don’t even get me started about the unjust redistribution of wealth. We are a nation founded on a belief in God and unalienable rights for all men. No matter that these virtues are clearly stated in the Constitution, socialist lawmakers seem intent on shredding.

This, I’m guessing, is what Nugent was trying to get across. I just wish he would quit making it so easy for the MLM to make the rest of us Average Joe hunters out as neo-conservative crazies.

So, what more does Uncle Ted have to say about the election? Find out here in our exclusive interview…

VOTE: Did Ted Nugent go too far with his comments regarding President Obama at the NRA Show?

BH: Obviously, the Second Amendment is a very important issue when it comes to the sportsmen’s vote. However, many avid bowhunters don’t hunt with guns at all. What do you tell fellow bowhunters who ask why this election is so important for them?

TED: When government agents are arresting sporters for killing their bag limit of bullfrogs with a bow and arrow because it is not an authorized weapon to kill bullfrogs with, when jackbooted USFW agents storm troop law abiding CA hunters homes with fraudulent search warrants, guns drawn, terrorizing innocent families for allegations of misdemeanor game violations, when federal agents swoop down on hunting camps in TX threatening law abiding bowhunters for the legal activity of hunting alligators at night when it is perfectly legal to do so, when USFW agents harass law abiding bowhunters with threats of federal felony Lacey Act violations for shooting a deer with the number one selling broadhead or with a lighted knock, when armed USFW agents raid Gibson guitars and shut them down, confiscate precious legally imported wood but fail to actually file charges in four years, financially wrecking Gibson’s business, when armed USDA agents raid Amish families, guns drawn for selling raw milk to people who want to buy raw milk, when family farms are raided by gun toting government agents in MI slaughtering private property and fenced in livestock  based on a fraudulent Invasive Species Order, when the number one cop in America orchestrates the illegal running of firearms to Mexican gangs…and I could go on and on and on with 100s and 100s of examples of vile corruption and vicious abuse of power by a government out of control. I see no need whatsoever for any American to be concerned.

BH:  Mitt Romney says he is a hunter, but he really doesn’t have a track record of spending much time in the field. What makes you comfortable enough to say  “Romney is one of us now” and will look out for our interests? Have you met Romney personally?

TED: When conservationist hunters recruit new hunters to our beloved lifestyle, it would seem incredibly foolish and counterproductive to fail to embrace our new supporters. My serious conversations with Mitt Romney and his son Josh has convinced me beyond a shadow of a doubt that Mitt will be a vastly superior POTUS than the current monsters. He will stand with us for improved, sensible, scientific based hunting regulations and rights and for all the desperately critical improvements our wonderful country needs now.

BH:  Some of your political analogies and comments from your NRA Show interview last week were caught in the bright lights of the mainstream media. Do you see criticism from traditional media outlets as helpful to your cause?

TED: When you are doing God’s work, the devils go berserk. That the enemies of America and freedom so despise me is a powerful sign I represent all the right stuff.

BH: From a reader: What did you really mean when you said you would either be dead or in jail by this time next year if Obama is re-elected?

TED: I speak for Americans who are tuned into the outrageous growing threat from an increasingly out-of-control government and who fear their government.

BH: You’ve been asked often about your own political aspirations but we’ll ask again, do you have any and what’s a more effective position to spark change? Holding political office or holding court similar to the way you did in St. Louis?

TED: I currently hold the most important office in the world — a proud “We the People Citizen of America” who is not afraid to use my 1st Amendment rights. At 63, I remain dedicated to steer America back on the U.S. Constitution track for my children and grandchildren. One never knows where that might take me.

Bonus Question: Any plans for a Presidential hunt on the Nugent ranch if Romney wins in November?

TED: We are actually talking about that. I will be hunting everyday as usual all Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec., Jan., Feb. and March, so I would welcome self-evident, truth-driven patriots including our new president and his family.

Photo by Ron Sinfelt

I shot a doe on opening day of archery season on a large tract of public land. Can I keep hunting that stand or should I move on? – Dave Rolls, Waynesboro, Pa.

HOW TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE
Your question has a fairly simple answer but I’m going to elaborate more for people who have other questions about spooked deer.

First to your question. I think you can go back to hunting that stand a week later. I don’t think removing the doe will have enough impact to keep deer from that area for any longer than that. I would be more worried about other hunters walking through the area than I would about the fact that you left a bit of blood and human scent to remove the doe. Ideally, you were able to get her out without a lot of commotion. That is important, but assuming that fact, you should be fine going back to the stand a week later.

Now for the bigger issue: how to determine what to do with spooked deer and when to give up on a stand for the season. Here are my thoughts on that subject.

NOT ALL SCARES ARE THE SAME
There are two types of scared. When a buck is badly scared, he knows that the source of his shock is a human and he knows exactly where that human was positioned at the time of the scare. He now associates a location with danger.  Often he will turn inside out and he busts out of the area.

Maybe he saw you in the stand and realized that you were a human. Possibly, he picked up a heavy dose of your scent that hit him like a slap in the face. He knew you had to be very close. Or maybe you shot at him and nicked him. Either way, you nearly scared him out of his skin.

RELATED: When A Buck Seems To Know Your Next Move

The second type of scared is a lot milder. This is not outright fear, but something that suggests caution. A mildly scared buck will bound off rather than blow out like a rocket. Maybe he heard you walking to your  stand, or even saw you from across the field. Possibly, he smelled you but was not close enough to get a real heavy dose or maybe he saw you in the stand but was not able to figure out exactly what you were. He knows something is wrong, but in his mind, the danger isn’t imminent. He hasn’t tied true danger to a specific location. I would say this is the reaction you would get when a deer encounters the area where you removed the doe and left a lot of your scent.

WHY IT MATTERS
Bucks adjust their travels when they casually encounter humans, but only after they run into the scent on a regular basis. It is not something that causes them undue stress with the first event. They are constantly adjusting their daily movements to avoid human activity. It is part of their daily lives. A single mildly threatening incident is no big deal.

However, if the buck is badly scared, shocked or frightened and pinpoints the source of the danger to a specific location, he will not soon forget what happened nor will he soon return to that location. Every time he is near that area, he will be cautious, probably for weeks to come. So figuring out what to do after spooking a buck starts with figuring out how badly he is spooked in the first place.

IF THEY ARE MILDLY SPOOKED
Mildly scared bucks certainly become more cautious and harder to kill in that area. You have damaged your chances for success. That is the main reason that the first time you hunt a new stand is usually your best chance for success. However, you may not have completely dashed your hopes.

There are two levels of mildly spooked. The first one is when the buck encounters you, or your scent, where he is used to running into humans. If you alerted the buck in a way that he might consider normal for that area, you can expect little negative reaction. For example, let’s say he hit your scent where he is used to finding human scent, on a walking path or a woodland trail near a park, for example. Maybe you bumped him near a roadway where he often encounters people. Or he saw you in an area where the farmer often walks to check fence. It is not a big deal.

If that is the case, keep hunting the stand as you normally would, in your regular rotation, resting it as often as you might if you had not spooked a buck.

The second type of mild scare occurs in a place and in a fashion where human activity is not a regular occurrence.  In this case, the buck will not be so forgiving. Let’s say you jump him from his bed as you are sneaking in to your stand. As he bounds off, you think, “He didn’t look too spooked.”

Maybe he didn’t look overly spooked, but deer don’t like surprises in their bedrooms. He will remember it. If they are not used to seeing a person doing what you just did, they will see it as a moderately dangerous invasion. It may be a couple of days before the buck comes back and when he does, he will likely be very cautious. This is not what I would call a bad scare because the buck won’t pin your presence to a specific tree. You were simply walking through a place where he didn’t expect to encounter a human.

Now it makes sense to wait a few days longer than you normally would before going back to that stand. The hope is that the buck will cautiously pass through the area a few times without perceiving any danger and forget the incident, and quickly return to natural movement. If you go in too soon, you reinforce the threat and he may stop using that area.

IF THEY ARE BADLY SCARED
When a buck attributes your presence to a particular tree, and shows great alarm at the discovery, you may as well stop hunting it for several weeks. In other words, you need to move on. That is the safest bet. He probably won’t totally leave the area, so moving to a completely different part of the buck’s range may still produce the shot you have been working all season to create.

There is one situation where you can ignore a spooked buck. If you bump a buck during the rut that you have never seen before, he may well be simply moving through the area. In that case, don’t abandon the stand. There is no sense wasting a good stand to keep from further alarming a buck that may never return anyway. Go back to hunting the stand as soon as the wind is right.

CONCLUSION
Every situation is different; you don’t want to needlessly abandon a great stand nor cling too long to a stand that the buck will now avoid. I nicked a buck last season that disappeared off the face of the earth. I never got him on any trail cameras and never saw him again. He knows that spot equals danger. On the flip side, I have seen bucks come back to the same field fifteen minutes after the farmer bumped them off.

They know how to rate the dangers they encounter and react accordingly.

You need to learn to do the same thing.