Here's some quick tips that may help you bag your game this fall out West:

TIP 1: When hunting for deer or elk look for aspen logging areas. Most hunters shy away from logging operations because of the noise and the people. But actually they can be some of the best areas around. Deer and elk know that the aspen leaves are an excellent food source and that loggers are not usually hunters. They move into these areas and feast all night, leaving the area to bed down nearby in the mornings. The hum of chain saws means a feast for elk and deer. Hunt nearby these areas looking for trails in and out of the cutting areas and set up a tree stand on these trails.

TIP 2: Use "cut-on-contact" broadheads when hunting elk and have them sharp and tuned perfectly. A good way to check for straightness is to spin the arrow with the tip of the broadhead on a flat surface. If there is any wobble in the head at all, remelt the glue and twist the head trying it again for straightness. If you find it impossible to make the head spin true, throw it out and try another. Not all heads from broadhead manufacturers are perfectly aligned. I've found I have to throw out about one in four or five. My favorite broadhead for elk is the Phantom 125. They are not popular out East but are becoming the top head out West. They look very much like the old Bear Razorhead but the "bleeder" blades are much stronger.

TIP 3: I've preached this time and time again...Don't go for just speed in a bow. Hard camed bows that throw arrows at high speeds are hard to tune and hard to get good broadhead flight out of unless you are a very experienced archer with excellent form. You're far better off looking for a bow that is longer, has a higher brace height, and cams that may shoot a little slower but gives you a smooth draw and excellent control. Bowhunting is difficult enough without making it even more so by trying to shoot a bow in the woods that takes perfect form. Leave the fast bows to the 3-D shooters and go for smoothness and shootability in the woods.

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