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World Class Free Range Whitetails in Ohio
Bob Cramer / Manager
Sunfish Valley Whitetails
We are very excited that you have selected us to be your whitetail outfitter for the up-coming 2009 season. You will be
hunting some of the largest free range whitetails in the world. We have a number of bucks over 200 inches and a lot of Boone
& Crockett class bucks! They are never easy to kill and attention to detail is a must. I thought I’d drop you a line to let you
know what’s going on with us as the season is fast approaching and tell you what we are doing to prepare for your hunt and
what you need to do to be prepared!
The cell phone reception is terrible in this area. ATT works the best and it isn’t very good. I recommend you give your folks
at home our numbers in case an emergency arises and they need to contact you.
Bob Cramer 740-222-1063, Manager
Brock Brewster 740-222-8311, Owner
Matt Brewsters 740-222-8906, Owner
If they need to contact you they can call any of these numbers and we will make sure you get the message ASAP. Also, we
need to know of any medical conditions you may have or dietary requirements.
Food plots, Waterholes, Mineral Licks, Farming and property access.
This spring we spent about six weeks of hard labor scouting and getting the food plots tilled, limed, fertilized and planted. They
are growing well. We doubled the size of our food plot program this spring and will be adding more to it this summer. We have
planted a variety of products from Whitetail Institute, Ultra plot and Frigid Forage. We also planted a number of food source
soybean, black bean and lab lab based plots (2+ acres). Our food plots fall into two categories. Food Source plots are large
plots designed to feed the deer a high protein diet for body and antler development and to keep them on the property. Hunting
plots are set up for drawing the deer in for hunting. Most of them are less than an acre in size and are in strategic locations
between bedding and major feeding areas where the deer will feel comfortable feeding in them during daylight hours. We
have also tripled the number of mineral licks on our properties and the deer have been hitting them hard! It won’t be long
before we will be adding new trail cam pictures on the website of the Big’un’s hitting the licks! How cool would it be if you
had pictures of the buck you kill during the entire development stage.
June will find us on our bulldozer, making new access roads on some of the properties, clearing new food plots to be planted
this fall and adding waterholes in a number of locations. Most of these new plots will be hunting plots. I am very excited about
the expansion and addition of these new plots to our program. The 900-acre select cut on the Grassy/Stone Quarry property
(2000 acres) is a total, deer heaven, but has been very difficult for us to hunt, as it is extremely dense. We will be putting a
number of food plots in the select cut this summer, which will make this section a whitetail heaven, not only for the deer but
also for our hunters.. This spring, we identified a number of great food plot areas on other properties that will receive late
summer plantings of Buck Forage Oats, over-seeded with clover and chicory.
We will also have a number of feeders in operation this fall to hold the does in certain areas. Don’t be fooled into thinking you
have to hunt over a feeder or a bait pile. The big bucks rarely visit them during daylight hours once the season starts but the
feeders hold the does on a piece of property and if they are there, the big boys will be around there too!
Something else that we are very excited about is we have a new farmer that is planting corn or beans on all of our tillable
ground. Land that has been setting idle and growing up in weeds for years is now planted.. We have four times as much corn
planted this year as we did last year! That is going to help us a lot and will be a huge draw for these mountain deer!
Getting in shape for your hunt!
There are a number of things that you can do to get prepared for your up-coming hunt with us. Even though we aren’t hunting
high altitude mountains, you may be climbing some ridges during your hunt with us, so I would recommend being in decent
shape when you get here. Going out in the evenings, a couple times a week and walking a mile or two at a fast pace, will
make climbing these ridges a lot easier when you get here. If there is a hill nearby, tackle that several times a week. Go ahead
and break a sweat!
I ask my hunters, during orientation about their physical abilities and what they are capable of doing. This helps us determine
where you will be comfortable hunting and lets us know how much effort you are willing to put into getting set up in the right
spot! We have some great stand sights that are on the food plots and cornfield edges, that are easy to get to, but we also have
some awesome stand sights that are in green-briar thickets high up on ridge tops that require some time and effort to get to.
Most of these are the all day spots we will put our hunters into.
Another thing to work on is learning to judge the score of live whitetails. The internet is a huge resource for this and there are
several books on the market that will help you with this. One of the best is “Aging and Judging Trophy Whitetails” by Dr.
James C. Kroll.
On our bow hunting only property we have a 130 inch minimum. We aren’t in the business of collecting penalty fees but have
to do this so our young bucks have a chance to mature. But as a hunter you need to remember that a 130 inch, 2 year old
buck will be 150/160 as a three year old and 170/180 as a four year old. This past season I passed on two different 3 year old
bucks that were both over 150 inches and didn’t harvest a deer for the season. Both of those bucks will score 170/180 this
coming season. They won’t be so lucky this coming fall! The majority of the hunters we book are looking to take a buck that
is 150"+.
Practice, Practice and Practice
One of the most important things you can do is to become familiar with your equipment and the best way to do this is by
shooting as often as you can, before you get here. I try to shoot at least a couple arrows every day. Make sure you have any
issues with your bow, crossbow or gun worked out before you get here.
Believe it or not, muscle memory makes a big difference when crunch time comes down. Try to form a consistent shooting
pattern every time you shoot. I actually go through a pattern, before every shot when I am practicing with my bow. As crazy
as this might sound, I visually inspect everything to make sure my arrow is correctly nocked and my release is properly
connected. When I pull my bow, I make sure my grip on the riser is the same every time so I don’t torque the bow I then
identify the right pin, concentrate on the target and move the pin to the target. As far as your stance, it is very important to
practice from different positions. Standing, bent over slightly, leaning to one side or the other, sitting in your tree stand and
kneeling down are all important positions to practice from. I even practice sitting flat on the ground. It would be great if we
could take every shot from a normal shooting position, but that very seldom happens.
I also strongly recommend shooting from your tree stand. We practice shooting all summer long from the ground, then climb
20 feet up a tree and expect to get the same results. Trust me, it’s going to be different! If you don’t have a place to practice
out of a tree stand, find a spot where you can shoot down a steep incline. Rangefinders are great if you have time to use them
but that is not always possible so practice estimating your distance, and then check it with your rangefinder. Something I do
that helps me a lot is to shoot five arrows, all from different distances without checking the distance with a rangefinder. If you
have your sight pins set at 20, 30, 40 and 50 yards, you need to be able to know where its going to shoot at 26 yards, 34 yards
etc. The bows we have today are flat shooting and this isn’t as big an issue as it used to be but sometimes 3 or 4 inches can
make the difference between hitting the vitals or missing them.
Concentration on the target is also important. If you concentrate on the spot you want to hit, your body will move the pin to the
right place. Don’t look at the sight pin, Concentrate on the spot you want to hit and move the sight pin to it. If I am not
shooting well, I find that is normally the problem. I am focusing on the pin instead of the target. We have broadhead targets
available for you to shoot when you get here. I don’t know if we will have it up and ready this season but we will be putting in
a 3-D range sometime in the near future!
Don’t take bad shots!
I started bow hunting when I was 12 years old. As much as I hate to admit it, in my early years of bow hunting I wounded a
lot of deer that I never recovered because I took bad shots. I finally figured out if I couldn’t get the arrow into the vital organs
of the deer, I shouldn’t shoot. Bad hits occur from time to time, that’s just the nature of the sport, but as bow-hunters we need
to be as ethical as possible and have respect for the animals we are hunting. I had a hunter ask me last year if it was okay to
just get an arrow in a big deer anywhere, and hope that we find it. He and I had a long talk after that question!
We also need to realize our effective range. There is a difference in how far we can shoot, standing on flat ground in the
open, and how far you can be effective in the woods, from a tree stand. With the bows we have today and a lot of practice, a
six inch group at seventy yards isn’t much of a problem. It’s a different story in the timber. Know your effective range and
stick to it. I can tell you right now that I’m not going to be very happy if you stick a 200-inch deer in the guts at 70 yards and
we lose it.
As accurate and dependable as crossbows are, there is a tendency to try to shoot to far with them. Even though they can be
very accurate at long range, they start losing kinetic energy at longer distances and penetration is important. All I am saying is
regardless of what you are shooting, be ethical!
Another aspect of getting a good shot on a deer is arrow placement. Learn to shoot through the deer to a spot on the other
side. With out a doubt a double lung, broadside shot or quartering away shot is the best.
Tree stands, Safety harnesses, etc.
Tree stand safety is a must. All of our stands are either Milliminum or Big Game lock-ons and ladders. All of our stands are
chained to the tree with ½” chain. All of the tree stands on the market today are only as safe as the people using them. Every
hunter that hunts with us must use a full body safety harness or you will not be allowed to get in the stand. I recommend
bringing your own so you are familiar with it but we will give you one to use if you don’t. The majority of our stand sites have
climbing sticks and we allow and even encourage the use of climbers, by our hunters. These big bucks aren’t easy to kill and
the flexibility of a climber gives us the ability to surprise them. I require that you use your harness when you are climbing up
into the stand or using your climber. Even though we check our stands and straps on our sticks before the season, they could
possibly fail. A lot of the safety harnesses on the market today have a climbing belt or rope that can be easily used when
climbing the tree. If your harness doesn’t have this option, I recommend you get one that has it. It takes a little more time to
use one but it only takes one fall to end your hunting career or your life and I can tell you from experience, that your time is
coming if you don’t use one. I am very particular about this and demand that our hunters are as safe as possible. The very last
thing I ever want to do is to call your home with bad news. There are a number of easy to use safety harnesses and vest on
the market. Hunters Safety Systems and Muddy Outdoors both have easy to use safety harnesses. Also, if you are bringing a
climber along and aren’t used to using one, practice with it a lot before you get here. It’s important for you to be totally
familiar with how it works and to be able to set it up and use it in the dark!
Another issue is going to sleep in the stand. After a couple days of burning the candle at both ends, it’s pretty easy to fall
asleep after sitting in the stand a couple hours. If this happens to me, and I can’t stay awake, I get out of the tree, go down to
the ground and exit the woods. Snoring never has been known to attract bucks. Even though I encourage our hunters to
spend as much time as possible in the stand, a hunter that is tired becomes a sloppy hunter. Make sure you get adquate rest
during your hunt.
Scent Control , Staying in the Stand and sitting still.
This is your hunt. Our job as the outfitter is to get you in the right place to get an opportunity at the buck of your dreams. We
want you to have a great hunt and enjoy your experience here at Sunfish Valley Whitetails and we will do our absolute best to
make sure that happens. Even though we are fairly new to the outfitting scene, we feel we have something very unique here
in Ohio. We have lots of land, huge whitetails, and a strong desire to turn our business into a world class operation. We are
proud of what we have accomplished so far and will continue to strive to make it better, for our hunters.
You also have to do your best. Be the best hunter you can be while you are here. You are the one that has to close the deal.
Everything that you can do as the hunter to increase your odds of being successful is pretty much up to you once you are in
the stand.
Set still and try to blend in. We can have you in the best stand we have but in order for it to produce, you have to be at the top
of your game and pay attention to every detail. There isn’t much room for letting your guard down when you are hunting
Boone & Crockett bucks. Mental toughness and having the right attitude is a must. I also realize that for a lot of people, this is
a vacation so don’t drive yourself to the point of not enjoying yourself. Believe me, I have seen hunters do that too!
Scent control has been taken to a new level in the past decade with clothing, scent elimination products and scent free soaps,
laundry detergent and shampoos. We have hunters that shower before every hunt, keep their clothes in scent lock bags and
dress in the field. Your guide will respect any ritual you want to go through as far as staying scent free. A lot of the clients
like to take their own vehicles to the property they will be hunting to help with scent control and to have their gear available if
something changes (weather) or they decide they want to come back in early or have shot a deer. We are fine with this!
A couple things that will get you in trouble with the boss!
We do not allow our hunters to get out of the stand and scout the property they are hunting during the season. That’s your
guide’s job and he has done it before you get here! I make the guides do their scouting at least a week ahead of time so no
one is on the property for at least a week before you get there. If you feel it is necessary to do your own scouting, contact us
and come out in August and early September and we will let you scout to your hearts desire. Pre-season scouting by clients
will end September 10th.
There are two issues that will end your hunt with us. If you are caught scouting without permission during your hunt, your hunt
is over, no exceptions, no refunds. We also maintain sanctuary areas on some of the properties that no one (not even your
guide) is allowed to enter without permission. You will be hunting some of the biggest whitetails in the country and they are
big for a reason. These monster whitetails are big sissies and can be permanently chased off a property in a heartbeat, which
not only ruins your chances but also hunters that may be hunting that property later on.
The other issue is breaking the law. As an outfitter, we demand our hunters abide by the laws of the state of Ohio. All of the
regulations for the state of Ohio are available online at the Ohio DNR website (www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife) and you should
familiarize yourself with them. We respect other peoples property, just as we expect them to respect ours. Trespassing is not
allowed. If you shoot a deer that crosses a property border, we will make every effort possible to contact the landowner and
recover your deer, legally. If you are caught intentionally breaking the law, your hunt is over!
We also do not allow consumption of alcohol during the day. If you want a couple drinks in the evening that’s fine with us or
even a beer at lunch is okay but if you consume alcohol in excess before your hunt, and your guide feels you are impaired, you
will not be allowed to go to the stand. Also, no illegal drugs are allowed in camp.!
Team Work
One thing I definitely recommend is to listen to your guide. He has scouted the properties you will be hunting, knows the travel
patterns of the deer and will do everything possible to get you an opportunity at a buck. We have real guides, not taxi drivers!
He will be making the majority of the decisions, with your feedback, during your hunt. Make your guide a part of your hunt
party and work together as a team. He is there to help you and wants you to get a deer as much as you want to. All of our
guides are experienced hunters that care about your hunt! I have personally hand picked every one of our guides and they are
as good as it gets. You should communicate accurately what is going on to your guide, what you are seeing, where it came
from and where it was going. If you don’t, the only person you are hurting is yourself! During your hunt, you are his eyes and
ears. Our guides are not allowed to hunt the properties the clients hunt. If you see a monster, we will not pull you out of there
and replace you with another hunter or a guide. You will be allowed to hunt the property as long as you want but we also will
not ruin a stand site by over-hunting it. That’s between you and your guide. He may move you to another adjacent stand site
or help you select a site to use your climber. If you do not like the stand site or area our guide has you in, you can request to
be moved to another stand or property.
Even though we try, it is virtually impossible for us to accurately predict what is going to happen with the wind over the course
of the day. We are in the mountains and the wind tends to swirl and changes directions a lot. That’s why scent control is so
important! Your guide will check on you by radio several times a day at arranged times to make sure everything is still good.
I can’t tell you how important it is to spend as much time in the stand as possible. Our most successful hunters are the ones
that hunt every second of their hunt. Every trip you make to a stand site leaves more evidence of your presence. Always
spray your boots down and try to avoid contact with brush, trees and logs when you get close to your stand. If you are hot and
sweaty when you get there, take the time to cool off and use your scent killer spray on your clothes again. We must realize
what we are trying to do here. We are hunting creatures that live in the woods 365 days a year, 24/7. At our very best we still
stick out like a sore thumb! Minimizing the number of trips in and out helps a lot. It is difficult to stay in a stand all day but if it’
s the right stand site, the buck of your dreams could show up at any time. Just listen to your guide and communicate with him..
If you want to stay in the stand all day he will put you in a place that hunts well all day. If you don’t want to stay all day, tell
him. That helps him select the right morning and evening stands and approaches that won’t interfere with the bedding areas
and movement of the deer.
Calls, Scents, rattling horns and decoys.
You are more than welcome to bring your calls, decoys and rattling horns along and use them. All of these items will work
from time to time but I advise against using them too much. I have heard hunters in stand sites call so much that its sounds like
a zoo. Calling is most effective when you can read the body language of the deer. Several years ago I had a 150 class buck
and several does enter a field about 100 yards upwind of me. I knew they weren’t going to come into range. I waited until the
buck raised his head to scope things out. I threw a fairly aggressive grunt his way. I always direct the grunt tube off to the
side or behind me so the deer can’t pinpoint my exact location. He immediately turned my way and started staring past me. I
never made a sound. The second he started to turn his head, I grunted again. This time he started walking my way, stopped at
about fifty yards and stood and stared into the brush behind me.. He already had several girlfriends but I definitely had his
attention. After staring my way for a couple minutes he turned and started to go back towards the does. As soon as he started
to turn I snort wheezed at him and he turned and marched right down in front of me. To me, calling is much more effective if
you can see the animal and read what he is thinking.
Rattling can be effective throughout the season. Early season should be light sparring and tickling the tines together. Early
November normally finds the bucks getting more aggressive towards each other with some semi-serious fighting going on and
there are some all out battles during the rut stage! Believe it or not, a lot of these bucks get killed by other bucks during this
stage. Over the last several years we have taken several bucks that had injuries that were life threatening. With our buck to
doe ratio being good, there is a lot of competition for the girls.
Scents can also be effective. Do not overuse them. I’ve had places that hunters told me they dumped out the whole bottle of
scent and we never saw a buck there again. Remember, try to be natural as possible and if you use them, don’t over do it. I
like to use foot pads or a drag rag as I am walking to my stand sight with just a couple drops of scent on them. I’ll also make a
loop trail on the upwind side of my stand to try and intercept any passing deer.
Decoys can also be very effective if you can find a buck with an attitude! A buck decoy set up in open woods or a field edge
can work wonders. Try to set the decoy in a spot so the buck will have to walk past you to get to the decoy. If you are using a
doe decoy, the buck will normally approach it from the rear. Set it up facing away from you at an angle. If you are using a
buck decoy have it facing you at a slight angle. It will be approached from the front 90% of the time and if a buck locks in on
the buck decoy, you can get away with murder! Also, make sure you spray your decoy down with scent killer before applying
any buck scent or doe scent. We only allow decoys to be used during the archery season.
Let’s do it!
We are very aware you are expecting us to make every effort possible for you to have a successful hunt with us and we are
doing that right now! I also expect the same from you. I wish outfitting would be an exact science and that every hunter that
hunts with us would harvest a monster, but it just doesn’t work like that. I wish it did. It would make my job a lot easier. We
will need to operate together as a team and you are an important part of this team. We will do our best to be prepared. You
need to be prepared also. Maybe, just maybe we will get you on the cover of North American Whitetail with an Ohio monster!
See you this fall!
Bob Cramer
Things to bring
Archery Gear or guns and ammo
Flashlights, headlamps(green or red LED) and spare batteries
Camera and or video gear
Several Pull up ropes or devices
Several Bow or gun hangers
Camo and clothing for all temps according to the season
Casual clothes for camp
Rain suit
Rubber or scent free boots
Several bottles of Scent Killer spray
Scent free soap, shampoo, deodorant and laundry detergent
Bino’s
Limb saw and clippers if you are bringing a climber
Hunting license and deer tag
Orange vest and hat for gun hunters
Hunters Safety Certificate or card if you are getting your license here
Emergency Phone Numbers to give us
Spare auto keys
Cough drops or an anti-expectorant (cough medicine) to help keep you quite in the stand
A positive attitude. We will have an awesome hunt!
Bob Cramer / Manager
Sunfish Valley Whitetails
We are very excited that you have selected us to be your whitetail outfitter for the up-coming 2009 season. You will be
hunting some of the largest free range whitetails in the world. We have a number of bucks over 200 inches and a lot of Boone
& Crockett class bucks! They are never easy to kill and attention to detail is a must. I thought I’d drop you a line to let you
know what’s going on with us as the season is fast approaching and tell you what we are doing to prepare for your hunt and
what you need to do to be prepared!
The cell phone reception is terrible in this area. ATT works the best and it isn’t very good. I recommend you give your folks
at home our numbers in case an emergency arises and they need to contact you.
Bob Cramer 740-222-1063, Manager
Brock Brewster 740-222-8311, Owner
Matt Brewsters 740-222-8906, Owner
If they need to contact you they can call any of these numbers and we will make sure you get the message ASAP. Also, we
need to know of any medical conditions you may have or dietary requirements.
Food plots, Waterholes, Mineral Licks, Farming and property access.
This spring we spent about six weeks of hard labor scouting and getting the food plots tilled, limed, fertilized and planted. They
are growing well. We doubled the size of our food plot program this spring and will be adding more to it this summer. We have
planted a variety of products from Whitetail Institute, Ultra plot and Frigid Forage. We also planted a number of food source
soybean, black bean and lab lab based plots (2+ acres). Our food plots fall into two categories. Food Source plots are large
plots designed to feed the deer a high protein diet for body and antler development and to keep them on the property. Hunting
plots are set up for drawing the deer in for hunting. Most of them are less than an acre in size and are in strategic locations
between bedding and major feeding areas where the deer will feel comfortable feeding in them during daylight hours. We
have also tripled the number of mineral licks on our properties and the deer have been hitting them hard! It won’t be long
before we will be adding new trail cam pictures on the website of the Big’un’s hitting the licks! How cool would it be if you
had pictures of the buck you kill during the entire development stage.
June will find us on our bulldozer, making new access roads on some of the properties, clearing new food plots to be planted
this fall and adding waterholes in a number of locations. Most of these new plots will be hunting plots. I am very excited about
the expansion and addition of these new plots to our program. The 900-acre select cut on the Grassy/Stone Quarry property
(2000 acres) is a total, deer heaven, but has been very difficult for us to hunt, as it is extremely dense. We will be putting a
number of food plots in the select cut this summer, which will make this section a whitetail heaven, not only for the deer but
also for our hunters.. This spring, we identified a number of great food plot areas on other properties that will receive late
summer plantings of Buck Forage Oats, over-seeded with clover and chicory.
We will also have a number of feeders in operation this fall to hold the does in certain areas. Don’t be fooled into thinking you
have to hunt over a feeder or a bait pile. The big bucks rarely visit them during daylight hours once the season starts but the
feeders hold the does on a piece of property and if they are there, the big boys will be around there too!
Something else that we are very excited about is we have a new farmer that is planting corn or beans on all of our tillable
ground. Land that has been setting idle and growing up in weeds for years is now planted.. We have four times as much corn
planted this year as we did last year! That is going to help us a lot and will be a huge draw for these mountain deer!
Getting in shape for your hunt!
There are a number of things that you can do to get prepared for your up-coming hunt with us. Even though we aren’t hunting
high altitude mountains, you may be climbing some ridges during your hunt with us, so I would recommend being in decent
shape when you get here. Going out in the evenings, a couple times a week and walking a mile or two at a fast pace, will
make climbing these ridges a lot easier when you get here. If there is a hill nearby, tackle that several times a week. Go ahead
and break a sweat!
I ask my hunters, during orientation about their physical abilities and what they are capable of doing. This helps us determine
where you will be comfortable hunting and lets us know how much effort you are willing to put into getting set up in the right
spot! We have some great stand sights that are on the food plots and cornfield edges, that are easy to get to, but we also have
some awesome stand sights that are in green-briar thickets high up on ridge tops that require some time and effort to get to.
Most of these are the all day spots we will put our hunters into.
Another thing to work on is learning to judge the score of live whitetails. The internet is a huge resource for this and there are
several books on the market that will help you with this. One of the best is “Aging and Judging Trophy Whitetails” by Dr.
James C. Kroll.
On our bow hunting only property we have a 130 inch minimum. We aren’t in the business of collecting penalty fees but have
to do this so our young bucks have a chance to mature. But as a hunter you need to remember that a 130 inch, 2 year old
buck will be 150/160 as a three year old and 170/180 as a four year old. This past season I passed on two different 3 year old
bucks that were both over 150 inches and didn’t harvest a deer for the season. Both of those bucks will score 170/180 this
coming season. They won’t be so lucky this coming fall! The majority of the hunters we book are looking to take a buck that
is 150"+.
Practice, Practice and Practice
One of the most important things you can do is to become familiar with your equipment and the best way to do this is by
shooting as often as you can, before you get here. I try to shoot at least a couple arrows every day. Make sure you have any
issues with your bow, crossbow or gun worked out before you get here.
Believe it or not, muscle memory makes a big difference when crunch time comes down. Try to form a consistent shooting
pattern every time you shoot. I actually go through a pattern, before every shot when I am practicing with my bow. As crazy
as this might sound, I visually inspect everything to make sure my arrow is correctly nocked and my release is properly
connected. When I pull my bow, I make sure my grip on the riser is the same every time so I don’t torque the bow I then
identify the right pin, concentrate on the target and move the pin to the target. As far as your stance, it is very important to
practice from different positions. Standing, bent over slightly, leaning to one side or the other, sitting in your tree stand and
kneeling down are all important positions to practice from. I even practice sitting flat on the ground. It would be great if we
could take every shot from a normal shooting position, but that very seldom happens.
I also strongly recommend shooting from your tree stand. We practice shooting all summer long from the ground, then climb
20 feet up a tree and expect to get the same results. Trust me, it’s going to be different! If you don’t have a place to practice
out of a tree stand, find a spot where you can shoot down a steep incline. Rangefinders are great if you have time to use them
but that is not always possible so practice estimating your distance, and then check it with your rangefinder. Something I do
that helps me a lot is to shoot five arrows, all from different distances without checking the distance with a rangefinder. If you
have your sight pins set at 20, 30, 40 and 50 yards, you need to be able to know where its going to shoot at 26 yards, 34 yards
etc. The bows we have today are flat shooting and this isn’t as big an issue as it used to be but sometimes 3 or 4 inches can
make the difference between hitting the vitals or missing them.
Concentration on the target is also important. If you concentrate on the spot you want to hit, your body will move the pin to the
right place. Don’t look at the sight pin, Concentrate on the spot you want to hit and move the sight pin to it. If I am not
shooting well, I find that is normally the problem. I am focusing on the pin instead of the target. We have broadhead targets
available for you to shoot when you get here. I don’t know if we will have it up and ready this season but we will be putting in
a 3-D range sometime in the near future!
Don’t take bad shots!
I started bow hunting when I was 12 years old. As much as I hate to admit it, in my early years of bow hunting I wounded a
lot of deer that I never recovered because I took bad shots. I finally figured out if I couldn’t get the arrow into the vital organs
of the deer, I shouldn’t shoot. Bad hits occur from time to time, that’s just the nature of the sport, but as bow-hunters we need
to be as ethical as possible and have respect for the animals we are hunting. I had a hunter ask me last year if it was okay to
just get an arrow in a big deer anywhere, and hope that we find it. He and I had a long talk after that question!
We also need to realize our effective range. There is a difference in how far we can shoot, standing on flat ground in the
open, and how far you can be effective in the woods, from a tree stand. With the bows we have today and a lot of practice, a
six inch group at seventy yards isn’t much of a problem. It’s a different story in the timber. Know your effective range and
stick to it. I can tell you right now that I’m not going to be very happy if you stick a 200-inch deer in the guts at 70 yards and
we lose it.
As accurate and dependable as crossbows are, there is a tendency to try to shoot to far with them. Even though they can be
very accurate at long range, they start losing kinetic energy at longer distances and penetration is important. All I am saying is
regardless of what you are shooting, be ethical!
Another aspect of getting a good shot on a deer is arrow placement. Learn to shoot through the deer to a spot on the other
side. With out a doubt a double lung, broadside shot or quartering away shot is the best.
Tree stands, Safety harnesses, etc.
Tree stand safety is a must. All of our stands are either Milliminum or Big Game lock-ons and ladders. All of our stands are
chained to the tree with ½” chain. All of the tree stands on the market today are only as safe as the people using them. Every
hunter that hunts with us must use a full body safety harness or you will not be allowed to get in the stand. I recommend
bringing your own so you are familiar with it but we will give you one to use if you don’t. The majority of our stand sites have
climbing sticks and we allow and even encourage the use of climbers, by our hunters. These big bucks aren’t easy to kill and
the flexibility of a climber gives us the ability to surprise them. I require that you use your harness when you are climbing up
into the stand or using your climber. Even though we check our stands and straps on our sticks before the season, they could
possibly fail. A lot of the safety harnesses on the market today have a climbing belt or rope that can be easily used when
climbing the tree. If your harness doesn’t have this option, I recommend you get one that has it. It takes a little more time to
use one but it only takes one fall to end your hunting career or your life and I can tell you from experience, that your time is
coming if you don’t use one. I am very particular about this and demand that our hunters are as safe as possible. The very last
thing I ever want to do is to call your home with bad news. There are a number of easy to use safety harnesses and vest on
the market. Hunters Safety Systems and Muddy Outdoors both have easy to use safety harnesses. Also, if you are bringing a
climber along and aren’t used to using one, practice with it a lot before you get here. It’s important for you to be totally
familiar with how it works and to be able to set it up and use it in the dark!
Another issue is going to sleep in the stand. After a couple days of burning the candle at both ends, it’s pretty easy to fall
asleep after sitting in the stand a couple hours. If this happens to me, and I can’t stay awake, I get out of the tree, go down to
the ground and exit the woods. Snoring never has been known to attract bucks. Even though I encourage our hunters to
spend as much time as possible in the stand, a hunter that is tired becomes a sloppy hunter. Make sure you get adquate rest
during your hunt.
Scent Control , Staying in the Stand and sitting still.
This is your hunt. Our job as the outfitter is to get you in the right place to get an opportunity at the buck of your dreams. We
want you to have a great hunt and enjoy your experience here at Sunfish Valley Whitetails and we will do our absolute best to
make sure that happens. Even though we are fairly new to the outfitting scene, we feel we have something very unique here
in Ohio. We have lots of land, huge whitetails, and a strong desire to turn our business into a world class operation. We are
proud of what we have accomplished so far and will continue to strive to make it better, for our hunters.
You also have to do your best. Be the best hunter you can be while you are here. You are the one that has to close the deal.
Everything that you can do as the hunter to increase your odds of being successful is pretty much up to you once you are in
the stand.
Set still and try to blend in. We can have you in the best stand we have but in order for it to produce, you have to be at the top
of your game and pay attention to every detail. There isn’t much room for letting your guard down when you are hunting
Boone & Crockett bucks. Mental toughness and having the right attitude is a must. I also realize that for a lot of people, this is
a vacation so don’t drive yourself to the point of not enjoying yourself. Believe me, I have seen hunters do that too!
Scent control has been taken to a new level in the past decade with clothing, scent elimination products and scent free soaps,
laundry detergent and shampoos. We have hunters that shower before every hunt, keep their clothes in scent lock bags and
dress in the field. Your guide will respect any ritual you want to go through as far as staying scent free. A lot of the clients
like to take their own vehicles to the property they will be hunting to help with scent control and to have their gear available if
something changes (weather) or they decide they want to come back in early or have shot a deer. We are fine with this!
A couple things that will get you in trouble with the boss!
We do not allow our hunters to get out of the stand and scout the property they are hunting during the season. That’s your
guide’s job and he has done it before you get here! I make the guides do their scouting at least a week ahead of time so no
one is on the property for at least a week before you get there. If you feel it is necessary to do your own scouting, contact us
and come out in August and early September and we will let you scout to your hearts desire. Pre-season scouting by clients
will end September 10th.
There are two issues that will end your hunt with us. If you are caught scouting without permission during your hunt, your hunt
is over, no exceptions, no refunds. We also maintain sanctuary areas on some of the properties that no one (not even your
guide) is allowed to enter without permission. You will be hunting some of the biggest whitetails in the country and they are
big for a reason. These monster whitetails are big sissies and can be permanently chased off a property in a heartbeat, which
not only ruins your chances but also hunters that may be hunting that property later on.
The other issue is breaking the law. As an outfitter, we demand our hunters abide by the laws of the state of Ohio. All of the
regulations for the state of Ohio are available online at the Ohio DNR website (www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife) and you should
familiarize yourself with them. We respect other peoples property, just as we expect them to respect ours. Trespassing is not
allowed. If you shoot a deer that crosses a property border, we will make every effort possible to contact the landowner and
recover your deer, legally. If you are caught intentionally breaking the law, your hunt is over!
We also do not allow consumption of alcohol during the day. If you want a couple drinks in the evening that’s fine with us or
even a beer at lunch is okay but if you consume alcohol in excess before your hunt, and your guide feels you are impaired, you
will not be allowed to go to the stand. Also, no illegal drugs are allowed in camp.!
Team Work
One thing I definitely recommend is to listen to your guide. He has scouted the properties you will be hunting, knows the travel
patterns of the deer and will do everything possible to get you an opportunity at a buck. We have real guides, not taxi drivers!
He will be making the majority of the decisions, with your feedback, during your hunt. Make your guide a part of your hunt
party and work together as a team. He is there to help you and wants you to get a deer as much as you want to. All of our
guides are experienced hunters that care about your hunt! I have personally hand picked every one of our guides and they are
as good as it gets. You should communicate accurately what is going on to your guide, what you are seeing, where it came
from and where it was going. If you don’t, the only person you are hurting is yourself! During your hunt, you are his eyes and
ears. Our guides are not allowed to hunt the properties the clients hunt. If you see a monster, we will not pull you out of there
and replace you with another hunter or a guide. You will be allowed to hunt the property as long as you want but we also will
not ruin a stand site by over-hunting it. That’s between you and your guide. He may move you to another adjacent stand site
or help you select a site to use your climber. If you do not like the stand site or area our guide has you in, you can request to
be moved to another stand or property.
Even though we try, it is virtually impossible for us to accurately predict what is going to happen with the wind over the course
of the day. We are in the mountains and the wind tends to swirl and changes directions a lot. That’s why scent control is so
important! Your guide will check on you by radio several times a day at arranged times to make sure everything is still good.
I can’t tell you how important it is to spend as much time in the stand as possible. Our most successful hunters are the ones
that hunt every second of their hunt. Every trip you make to a stand site leaves more evidence of your presence. Always
spray your boots down and try to avoid contact with brush, trees and logs when you get close to your stand. If you are hot and
sweaty when you get there, take the time to cool off and use your scent killer spray on your clothes again. We must realize
what we are trying to do here. We are hunting creatures that live in the woods 365 days a year, 24/7. At our very best we still
stick out like a sore thumb! Minimizing the number of trips in and out helps a lot. It is difficult to stay in a stand all day but if it’
s the right stand site, the buck of your dreams could show up at any time. Just listen to your guide and communicate with him..
If you want to stay in the stand all day he will put you in a place that hunts well all day. If you don’t want to stay all day, tell
him. That helps him select the right morning and evening stands and approaches that won’t interfere with the bedding areas
and movement of the deer.
Calls, Scents, rattling horns and decoys.
You are more than welcome to bring your calls, decoys and rattling horns along and use them. All of these items will work
from time to time but I advise against using them too much. I have heard hunters in stand sites call so much that its sounds like
a zoo. Calling is most effective when you can read the body language of the deer. Several years ago I had a 150 class buck
and several does enter a field about 100 yards upwind of me. I knew they weren’t going to come into range. I waited until the
buck raised his head to scope things out. I threw a fairly aggressive grunt his way. I always direct the grunt tube off to the
side or behind me so the deer can’t pinpoint my exact location. He immediately turned my way and started staring past me. I
never made a sound. The second he started to turn his head, I grunted again. This time he started walking my way, stopped at
about fifty yards and stood and stared into the brush behind me.. He already had several girlfriends but I definitely had his
attention. After staring my way for a couple minutes he turned and started to go back towards the does. As soon as he started
to turn I snort wheezed at him and he turned and marched right down in front of me. To me, calling is much more effective if
you can see the animal and read what he is thinking.
Rattling can be effective throughout the season. Early season should be light sparring and tickling the tines together. Early
November normally finds the bucks getting more aggressive towards each other with some semi-serious fighting going on and
there are some all out battles during the rut stage! Believe it or not, a lot of these bucks get killed by other bucks during this
stage. Over the last several years we have taken several bucks that had injuries that were life threatening. With our buck to
doe ratio being good, there is a lot of competition for the girls.
Scents can also be effective. Do not overuse them. I’ve had places that hunters told me they dumped out the whole bottle of
scent and we never saw a buck there again. Remember, try to be natural as possible and if you use them, don’t over do it. I
like to use foot pads or a drag rag as I am walking to my stand sight with just a couple drops of scent on them. I’ll also make a
loop trail on the upwind side of my stand to try and intercept any passing deer.
Decoys can also be very effective if you can find a buck with an attitude! A buck decoy set up in open woods or a field edge
can work wonders. Try to set the decoy in a spot so the buck will have to walk past you to get to the decoy. If you are using a
doe decoy, the buck will normally approach it from the rear. Set it up facing away from you at an angle. If you are using a
buck decoy have it facing you at a slight angle. It will be approached from the front 90% of the time and if a buck locks in on
the buck decoy, you can get away with murder! Also, make sure you spray your decoy down with scent killer before applying
any buck scent or doe scent. We only allow decoys to be used during the archery season.
Let’s do it!
We are very aware you are expecting us to make every effort possible for you to have a successful hunt with us and we are
doing that right now! I also expect the same from you. I wish outfitting would be an exact science and that every hunter that
hunts with us would harvest a monster, but it just doesn’t work like that. I wish it did. It would make my job a lot easier. We
will need to operate together as a team and you are an important part of this team. We will do our best to be prepared. You
need to be prepared also. Maybe, just maybe we will get you on the cover of North American Whitetail with an Ohio monster!
See you this fall!
Bob Cramer
Things to bring
Archery Gear or guns and ammo
Flashlights, headlamps(green or red LED) and spare batteries
Camera and or video gear
Several Pull up ropes or devices
Several Bow or gun hangers
Camo and clothing for all temps according to the season
Casual clothes for camp
Rain suit
Rubber or scent free boots
Several bottles of Scent Killer spray
Scent free soap, shampoo, deodorant and laundry detergent
Bino’s
Limb saw and clippers if you are bringing a climber
Hunting license and deer tag
Orange vest and hat for gun hunters
Hunters Safety Certificate or card if you are getting your license here
Emergency Phone Numbers to give us
Spare auto keys
Cough drops or an anti-expectorant (cough medicine) to help keep you quite in the stand
A positive attitude. We will have an awesome hunt!
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