Recording Hunts With A Digital Camcorder

J.M., Lake Charles, Louisiana: "I want to start recording my hunts. I just bought a new digital camcorder but cannot figure out how to set it up. I've seen both the arm that mounts on the tree and a remote lens that mounts to your hat and sends a signal to your camcorder. Do you have an opinion on either of these products?"

A camera lens on your hat will ensure a lot of shaky, bad video, so I wouldn't advise that setup. If you are trying to record over-the-shoulder kill shots from a treestand, use a treepod. You can buy them from Cabela's and other outlets. Shooting from a ground blind, use a tripod. In both cases, you must pre-frame the video and use some method, such as scents or bait, to stop the animal in just the right position for the camera. However, taping your own hunts is not easy. For quality video, you're far better off to hire a cameraman (or to enlist a buddy) to man the camera while you concentrate on hunting and shooting.

Do Whitetails Go Through More Than One Rut?

J.M., Kansas City, Missouri: "I've heard a lot of talk about whitetails going through a second rut, and I want to know if what people say is true. When does it occur? Is it worth hunting? And, do bucks chase does like they do during the November rut?"

Second and third ruts do occur, but for a hunter to notice is rare. Think of it this way -- so many hunters hunt very hard during the primary rut, and except for one or two chases, they really don't notice it's happening. Thus, is it reasonable to assume they'll notice the less-intense second rut or third? Although these late ruts do occur (i.e., late-born fawns), I have only witnessed a late rut while hunting on one occasion. You must also remember that when a doe goes through estrus, this takes a lot of energy. And if a doe is not bred, she'll recycle every 28 days. In well-fed penned deer, does have extra energy to put into later estrous periods, but a wild deer could actually die if she has to put reserved winter energy into multiple estrous periods. Thus, in many parts of the country, later estrous periods in wild deer are exaggerated. Bottom line, if you have time to hunt...then hunt (second rut or not)!

What Arrows Will Perform Best?

J.E., Mound City, Kansas: "I've th ought about switching to a recurve bow and was wondering what arrows will perform best. Thanks."

Virtually any type of arrow will shoot well from either a recurve or a longbow, so your arrow choice is mostly a matter of personal preference. Traditional bows are very forgiving, and will generally accept a wide selection of arrows and still shoot perfectly. Obviously, wood arrows are the most traditional choice, and many traditional bowhunters still prefer arrows of cedar, lodgepole, ash, larch, or other natural materials. I have personally shot wood arrows nearly exclusively for 30 years and love the look and feel of natural wood shafts. However, more and more bowhunters are going to man-made materials such as aluminum or carbon because of their inherent straightness and durability. The major drawback to wood is that if you shoot a lot, you will break a lot of arrows, but this is less true of aluminum shafts and even more rare when shooting carbons. Last year I began field-testing some of the new Heritage Series Carbon Express arrows from Game Tracker, and I have been very impressed. They have the look of a wood-grain shaft, are very heavy, perfectly straight, and incredibly durable. I'll never completely give up making and hunting with wood arrows, because I love the aesthetics of real wood, but modern shafts definitely have their place in traditional bowhunting.