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Author: Kevin A. Gardner
Being the bow hunters edition of DeerFever’s update, and the accompanying expertise available from our staff pro’s on bow hunting theory, I feel the best course of action for me to take in this issue is passing on some tricks of the trade for bringing big game animals up close and personal. Those close encounters that are a necessity for bow hunting success are obtained through knowledge and skill, and occasionally a little trickery. Here are a brief, few, tricks you may never have thought of that could mean closing those few crucial feet to success.
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Very few things can stir the feelings in a hunter’s heart like a fine set of well-polished and symmetrical antlers. These bony protrusions mesmerize and amaze us. They are the things our dreams are made of the night before opening day. On our trophy wall they symbolize our appreciation of their design and give us a status among our peers as to our abilities and wisdom in the outdoors.
Palatable game meat is either the ultimate goal or anticipated final end result of any hunter who takes the time to craft and refine their technique. Endless hours of preparation go in to the process of locating and harvesting a game animal, often to have little to no emphasis placed on how to insure the greatest result when the meat hits the table. 
The pursuit of wildlife has been a part of human activity for almost as long as man has existed. The art of tracking and finding wildlife was a matter of life or death once upon a time, but today is for the most part recreational. Imagine the focus and care that would apply to satisfying a need to survive in counter to one of will to enjoy wild table-fare. Truly the hunter of days gone by with primitive means and supposed greater abundance of animals had different and unique challenges, one fact remains that finding that game in all conditions and during all seasons was crucial.
The title is suggestive of a variety of topics. However, this round of “Critical Mass” talk is directed at the attainment and sustaining of quality antlered animals on your particular plot or hunting right. I can fully relate with what many of you may feel right now that are not directly in control of your hunting lands. Perhaps you hunt State or Federal land and don’t have the ability to make Land Management or Wildlife Management decisions for the betterment of the herd. While this installment is geared to those who can make the “calls”, it will also offer valuable information to those who do not, to make better assessments of QDM (Quality Deer Management) programs or of the quality of their state run GMI (Game Management Initiatives).