Preparing for Early-Season Success

With opening day of archery season quickly approaching, you can rely on your hard work in the off-season to find early-season success. Let’s formulate a plan for crossbow hunting during the first part of the season—when bucks have yet to start, or are just beginning to exhibit, pre-rut behavior—turning your investment of time and energy into a successful harvest.

To kill an early-season buck, the first step is to locate one that consistently puts itself in position to be effectively hunted. Two low-impact methods for such scouting are trail cameras and glassing. Neither method will alter the daily routine of deer, but together, they can help you gather an inventory of bucks in a given area; monitor multiple locations; and put a pattern of movement together.

By thoroughly studying a buck’s behavior, you can then use the data you have gathered to formulate a plan. By documenting a buck’s tendencies, along with information such as wind direction, weather, moon phase, and more, a pattern will form, giving you a predictable blueprint for what a particular buck likes. Bucks are still in a daylight movement pattern at the beginning of archery season, making your notes especially useful at that time.

When it comes time to choose stand locations, focus on staging areas close to feed that are easy to access and create minimal impact when setting up prior to the season. Match your spots to your buck’s demonstrated patterns, always choosing favorable locations for him, not necessarily for you. And, of course, set up in a spot where the buck will not smell you as he approaches.

Once opening day arrives, the urge to rush in and begin hunting right away can be powerful. But the best approach is to keep your patience and focus: hunt with a purpose and a plan. Rely on the research you have done, and only hunt your buck when conditions are favorable toward him following his established patterns. Staying true to the data you have gathered will help ensure you don’t bump a buck, or cause him to alter his patterns; rather, you will be able to take advantage of some of the best opportunities of the year.

Using a Killer Instinct™ crossbow offers another measure of confidence for your hunt, and we’d love to be a part of your success story. Shop online or contact an authorized retailer today to determine which bow would best fit your needs.