Getting the "zish"

[JW_Halverson]

Some turkey hunting friends of mine refer to "zish".  It IS the be-all and end-all when it comes to hunting.  Gotta have good "zish".

It started as shorthand for position.  As in, "I was in poor "zish" (position) when that gobbler circled and came from behind".  But it has morphed into much more than that.  It now involves luck, skill, mental attitude, preparedness, confidence, practice, etc.  Zish, good or bad, IS everything in hunting. 

Today I got a tankerload of zish.  I was climbing a hillside that was one handhold away from being technical climbing when I noticed the chimney structure I was climbing had a seep of water throughout it. When I got close to the top and things began to level out I started finding rocky pools of water.  Micro-guzzlers for wildlife.  I followed those until I came to a 3 foot tall rock wall making a terrace of this meadow.  Below the rock wall was a pool that would hold about 50 gallons of clear cold water.  This pool is located in a 25 yd wide funnel just below the top of this ridgeline. 

On either side of this pool stands a large ponderosa pine.  Behind of each of these pondies is another rock wall.  There is a bit of deadfall around the pool, so with a little work, I can further refine the funnel so that the deer coming in to drink must be perfectly perpendicular to the pool and it's rock wall.  That means if I am next to or beside the ponderosa pine on either side I have a perfect broadside shot from 10 yds or less.  Then, if I pile the deadfalls on either side correctly, the deer's line of sight to me is blocked.  I may be able to get full draw while they are drinking!

ZISH!

The only access to this spot is to hike 3 miles in from the other side or climb this almost-cliff above a very busy highway.  Now that thinning in this area is finished, there will be very little activity there.  I gotta get me a game camera to put up here.  Any recommendations for budget game cams?

[sleek]

Really sounds like packing a deer out of there would be a pain it the buttox. However it does sound like a sweet set up. as for a trail cam, just zoom in really close on google earth

[lowell]

I like the word!!!!  And your spot sounds very good.

  But.....I have pictured thousands of my set ups as being perfect and some how the deer always do the unexpected!!

  Best of luck to you!!

[4dog]

Im guessing you already see sign around your ZISHY spot? If not well , i guess, no Zish?

[JW_Halverson]

There were deer tracks in the mud, so I would consider that positive zish.

The downside, is that any miss immediately will stop your arrow by impacting a granite wall. Ergo, any arrows that do not do my bidding will immediately DIE!

[crooketarrow]

   Alittle word of advice you can add to your ZISH.
  Once I started doing this my shot ratio with a self bow more than tribled.
  Indains did this they did'nt have any special powers they just did this.
  I always set up BUCKS OR GOBBLERS to where they have to go past me. It's hard to learn to set up with your back to the on comeing animal. When your taught your whole life to set up where you can see the animal.

[sleek]

Whats the difference if they walk from your back to front than if they walk from your left to your right?

[Marks]

My uncles and I have something similar but is much more grounded in superstition and good fun and immature humor. It is "mojo".  Different events grant good or bad mojo. Some events change year to year. Most of these happen on the drive to your hunting location.

Examples: The number of rabbits you see is directly proportional to the number of deer the group will see. The deer/rabbit ratio seems to change each year and is determined as the season progresses. Running over a rabbit is BAD mojo and will ruin the hunt. Other animal sighting are taken into account from year to year. Seeing deer on the drive down is bad mojo on the assumption that the deer will no longer be moving once you reach your spot. Dogs (or any animal really) taking a dump on the side of the road is good mojo. Animals humping is very good mojo. Having to take a dump in the woods is good mojo especially if you ate corn the night before because you are hunting over bait  . In fact we call it mojoing. Forgetting to bring an important item such as a gutting knife is good mojo. Pumping gas is of course bad mojo. Tapping your toes in the pee underneath a public urinal is good mojo contrary to what most would think . There is so much more to it but I think you get the idea.

Once again its all in good fun. Zish sounds a lot more scientific and lets be honest, is more logical.  Most of our mojo is based on past experiences from when my uncles were younger but I was brought up in it and its a fun way to past the time on the drive down or during lunch in between our morning and evening hunts.

By the way, that spot sounds killer. I love a good funnel. I look forward to seeing pics when you christen it with blood this season (christening with blood is good mojo )

[owlbait]

JW, ZISH is the sound that KHALVERSON's knives make when you open the belly of your deer! We have a Menard's near here that sells a decent camera for $100. Blackflash too so it doesn't "alert" critters or anyone that hikes 3 miles into your area If you tape over the red flashing leds that tell you the camera is on, it becomes even harder to notice. I wish you good ZISH!

[crooketarrow]

  SLEEK
    I was taught and it so true if you can see the BUCK OR EXSPECIALLY GOBBLERS they can see you.
  I can tell sleek you havn't shot a many deer or gobblers with a self bow.
  Setting up leting the animal go by you there eyes are past you and your in a area they just came from and the feel it's sdafe behind them.
  Ask anyone one here thans shot at broad side deer and exspecially gobblers. How many times they've been picked off. Letting the animal go completly by your your not only beating his sences. He's in that quartering away shot you want ,need. All of this is a must with a slow selfbow.
  But one other thing that a big plus we hav'nt talked about when setting up with your back to the animal. It alows you to get a shot off at a close buck or gobblers.
  I've killed 38 bucks unteen does 16 gobblers with a self bow. I shot killed 95 % of them after they've went by me.My granddady killed 312 gobblers with a shot gun after he started keeping count. A hold lot of those were killed letting the gobbler go past you. But it's not a big deal with a shot gun.
  REMEMBER IF YOU CAN SEE HIM HE CAN SEE YOU.  A big plus if you can't set still.

  I'm not superstitious, I beleive in makeing my own luck. Not relieing on what I see on the way to my hunting site.
  FUN OR NOT I'll bet you beleive in a little of  that mojo.

[sleek]

Thanks crooket for the detailed answer. I have not shot a deer yet but have shot at broad side deer. 40 yard shot with her head down. She jumped it. Two others both clean misses due to inexperiance in shooting from on top a hill. Only mojo I look for is walking into the wind to get to my spot. Where I hunt depends on wind.

[Marks]

I promise I don't believe taking a dump in the woods actually helps. It truly is all in fun. And if I'm not having fun then I might as well not go. I don't hunt for survival.
Since a little of it is grounded in past experiences, yes I do believe in a little of it. Pumping gas??....you now smell like gas but if you hunt with the wind right it won't hurt you but it sure don't help. Seeing deer on the drive down??.....at least around here most of the deer tend to move around the same times and bed around the same times. It is rare but not unheard of to see deer throughout the day. I don't live in one of those areas where you see +20 deer every time you hunt. The logic behind it is if you see deer on the way down then the deer are moving now. By the time you get to your destination (in our case sometimes and hour drive) and then to your stand it is likely the deer will be bedded down. Of course this in not always the case but its a pretty good guideline. So yes there are bits and pieces that I do believe in but not in a superstitious way. I don't believe the heat cycles of a random roadside dog truly affects my hunting success. I'm not actually superstitious.

[sleek]

We didn think you were bud! 

[stickbender]

     Zish.........Thunk!  J/W. check out Sportsmansguide.com they have a lot of Game Cameras, usually on sale, but be sure to get one with at least 5mp's. Also a" black flash " is good to have.   Sounds like you have found a honey hole.  You might be surprised to see as to just what comes by to drink there.   There is a place in Montana like that, but it is up on top of a mountain, and it is just a small spring bubbling out of the ground.  Very unusual for that height. (6000' or so.)   Marks, my Dad had a superstition, when hunting, if he saw an owl, especially a screech, owl, he believed he would not have good luck hunting.  He called them a "Jonah".

                                                                Wayne