There's The Buck - Now What - with Ronnie Groom
Anticipating Wind Changes and Knowing When to Draw
E ditor’s Note: Ronnie Groom of Panama City, Florida, a longtime friend of mine and hunting enthusiast, teaches bowhunting schools every year. Groom knows his stuff. You’ll learn plenty this week by reading and then implementing the important information he gives us. 
Let’s assume for argument’s sake that an archer has visually scanned an area. There is no other deer in sight other than the buck that’s making his approach to the hunter’s stand. The sportsman is constantly judging distance, looking at the deer, checking-out his equipment and searching for other deer to come into the region. To be able to take the shot he wants, there’s one other critical ingredient he must be conscious of – wind direction. As Groom explains, “If you don’t have strings tied on branches around your stand or one tied on the end of your broadhead, you can’t know which way the wind is blowing, while you’re in the stand preparing for the shot. If the wind changes while the deer is approaching, and you see that your scent is being carried toward the deer, then you have to prepare to make a quick shot when the deer smells you. If the wind never carries your scent in the direction of the deer, you can hold your shot often until the deer comes to within a few yards of your stand. But you must have your brain in gear and be conscious of the wind as the deer approaches, or you may not get a shot at that buck which you have planned for, scouted for, hunted for and dreamed of all season.”
When to Draw:
Although an archer needs to mentally set-up three killing regions where he will try and take a buck, knowing when to draw on the buck and in what area he should try and take the deer is often not an easy decision. “As long as the buck’s coming toward me, I let him continue to walk in my direction,” Groom says. “And I never draw my arrow. I want the closest-possible shot I can get. However, if the buck acts nervous or changes direction before he arrives at my primary killing zone, I’ll wait for him to step behind a tree or bush, then go ahead and make my draw and prepare to take my shot. Or, if the animal is a calm deer and/or a feeding deer, you should be able to make your draw any time the animal’s head is down.”
Tomorrow: As the Draw Is Being Made and at Full Draw |
