Q
Recently I got the chance to bowhunt a large apple orchard in Pennsylvania, but the owner will not allow me on the property until the apples are harvested. With no time to scout ahead of the season, I have questions. Will the deer bed in the orchards? Would a ground blind work, or should I hang a treestand? Any advice would be appreciated.
-- Rhett Smith, Mercersburg, PA

A
In this situation, you will need to scout during the season. My guess is that the deer will not bed in the orchard, but rather in adjacent wooded and brushy tracts. Scout for trails, rub lines, and scrapes to determine where deer enter the orchard. Backtrack from those entry points 100-200 yards and place your stands or blinds downwind of the access routes. If good stand trees are available, go with treestands. If not, brush-in a ground blind or two and hunt with confidence. Check with the landowner to see if he'll let you put out some scouting cameras ahead of the season. That's one good way to assess the deer and their movement patterns. Good luck.
-- Dr. Dave Samuel, Conservation Editor

Q
I live in northern Ontario, Can- ada. Recently I bought a new bow with a peak weight of 60 pounds. Is this enough draw weight for moose and other big game I might hunt in my area?
-- Tom Cashmore, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

A
Any modern compound bow of 60-pounds draw weight will be more than adequate for moose. I personally have shot several moose with bows set at 55-60 pounds draw weight and have never had any problems with arrow penetration. However, at those "light" draw weights, I do recommend that you shoot fixed-blade heads rather than open-on-impact heads. I believe the fixed-blade heads will maximize penetration. I have had excellent results with Rocky Mountain Ti-100s, Muzzys, NAP Thunderheads, and other similar broadheads. They will all do the job well if you put the arrow in the right place – through the lungs or heart.
-- Dwight Schuh, Editor

Q
I have been using a deer decoy for about two years now and have had pretty good success with it. My only complaint is that my decoy's paint is a lighter brown than I typically see on live deer in my area. Would doctoring my decoy help my cause? Thanks much for your advice.
-- Kenton Unruh, Newton, KS

A
Having used decoys with good success over the years, I would caution you of one thing – don't give deer too much credit for thinking. I seriously doubt a buck can look at a decoy and judge whether the color is just right. Carry-Lite recently put out a new decoy, Bucky Jr., which is grayer than previous models. Maybe the company got some complaints, but I think the color matters more to hunters than to deer. Besides, deer are mostly colorblind. Studies have shown they can see shades of blue and yellow, but they probably cannot distinguish between light gray and light brown. Besides, in any given area, deer themselves will vary greatly in shades of color.

Now, if you're a perfectionist and insist on fine-tuning your decoy, I recommend that you use an outdoor latex paint that dries with little odor. Paint the decoy well before the season, and store it outside to cure and air out. It will be interesting to see if the color change makes the decoy more effective. Let me know how it goes.
-- Curt Wells, Equipment Editor