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Ladies, the
opening day of deer season is here, for those of you who don’t
hunt but your husband does, he will probably be in the woods the
next several weeks and that leaves you plenty of spare time,
peaceful time. I go to the woods for the peace and quiet.
However, if you want to learn what the big “to do” is about,
keep reading. I have written down some things that work for me
while hunting and maybe it will make your time in the woods more
enjoyable and productive.
I have been
making a mental list of things to have ready for deer season.
Hunting clothes dragged from the attic, finding the ever
faithful orange hunting vest, (if it had eyes and could talk, it
would certainly have some deer tales to relate.) My
mittens/gloves, I use the mittens that have the fingers cut off
and flap that flips over or back on the back of your hand. That
makes it easy when focusing binoculars or getting ready to take
a shot. I’m not sure if they are classified as gloves or
mittens, whichever, they are handy and easy while hunting and
keep my hands warm because they are lined with thinsulate. If
the temperatures are on the warm side I usually opt for pair of
unlined camo pants with silk long johns to ward off the early
morning chill or the evening cool down at dark. If it is cold I
go for the lined overalls with my long underwear a turtle neck
shirt, my ole faithful black and blue sweatshirt. I have worn
that thing for fifteen years or more and about 90% uof photos
taken of deer harvested I have that shirt on. It very warm and
cuts the wind very good. I’m not sure why, it is a blend of
synthetics, it’s a simple black, blue and green color but not a
camouflage pattern. If it is cold and windy layer that with a
very large wind shirt under the sweatshirt and over the
turtleneck. My hunting is a simple insulated jacket with four
pockets that hold a small bottle of water easily, an apple, or
cheese and crackers, and on a good breakfast day, a turkey
sandwich. I know they manufacture fanny packs by the hundreds,
but the old hunting coat has offered ample room for whatever I
may stash in it. It also has a hood and on the windy cold days I
pull it over the hood on my sweatshirt which goes over my
hunting cap that is lined and water proof. I think it is
actually a bow hunter’s cap. It has a very short bill which I
like. Well, I’m almost dressed, a pair of warm socks that have
some type of insulation that I pull over a pair of thin socks of
any type. If I get socks to thick, they tend to bind on curves
of my boots and cause my feet to ache or slow blood circulation
and THAT makes my feet get cold. I wear the LaCrosse rubber
boots that are abut knee high. I have a pair that is called
Burly that I have had about five years, but year after year I go
back to my old faithful pair that are called Grange. They are
broken and limber and yes I do have tire patches to plug holes
where they have worn thin and have holes. But you know the old
saying “fits like a gloves”, that is a good description of the
Grange and how they wear. Now if it really cold, in the teens, I
have a pair of army boots. I’m not sure what their official name
is, I call them Mickey Mouse boots because they look just like
Mickey Mouse’s shoes only taller. My mother got them for me
several years ago for a Christmas present. Now I’m dressed and
you know the old saying, “all dressed up and no where to go.”
Just kidding, I do know where I am going opening morning.
I have a
pine tree staked out beside a small ditch that separates a small
stand of hard woods from some twenty year plus pines. Kind of
sounds like bass fishing doesn’t. Hunt the edges, the food
sources, the cover, you can use that system in hunting or
fishing. Spawning season or the rut, both species make
themselves more visible and accessible than any other time,
except for feeding. Even feeding time the older bucks usually
don’t come out till after shooting light is gone. I say usually
because there are always exceptions to the rule.
The past few
years it seems as if the rut has started somewhere around the
start of black powder season (December 1st). I say this because
I am usually cooking/catering the start of black powder season
and only hear from others and my Dad what the deer are doing.
Last year was a little different. Maybe because the weather
stayed warm, of course I have always thought the rutting season
doesn’t begin because of a cold snap in the weather but the moon
phases. What ever the reason, it seemed as if the bucks were
chasing does and more visible after the beginning of the second
gun season which was December 16. I saw more activity than the
past years during this time before Christmas.
Whenever the
rut begins, I try to hunt places where the bucks may be
traveling or I should say where does are traveling, feeding, or
bedding during the day. These may be close by well used trails.
Check out the hoof marks around trails. This will give you an
idea of how well used the trail is. Look for a bare dirt area,
the hoof marks are easy to see and you can tell by the size of
the tracks what size deer are using the trail.
Feeding
areas are always a good place to spot a buck. Food plots draw
deer like Ryan’s and Barnhill’s draw people to the buffets.
That’s what they are, a food buffet for the deer. Some food
plots are better in the morning, some in the evening. I usually
decide which is best at what time by taking a head count each
time I hunt there. If the does do start coming in a field and
they keep looking in the woods you can bet there are other deer
about to enter the field also. If they act really nervous, odds
are it is a buck about to enter the field with them.
Early in the
season you might want to park yourself around a big ole oak
tree. Judging from the tree in our yard, there are acorns. I’m
not sure how long they will last but earlier in the year the
deer will be around them eating acorns and it is a good place to
see deer.
Several
times that I have been leaving the woods during the middle of
the morning or the day, I have seen bucks and does lying down in
the woods. They are usually on the side of a hill and by hill I
don’t mean a high hill, just a small slant or grade in the
woods. Walking slowly and as quietly as you can is a must. I
walk a few steps, stop and look around the woods using my
binoculars, looking for a small part of the deer and not a whole
animal. I have learned to spot the nose of a deer, an antler
that looks like a limb from a distance, even an eye. It is
remarkable how deer blend into their surroundings. That’s why I
always think; only God could make camouflage like that. That’s
why I say use your binoculars while looking through the woods.
The binoculars allow you a close up of what you are seeing even
in close quarters, they aren’t just for distance, if you will,
use them as a magnifying glass. I use Leupold’s Wind River 10 x
42.
I do
use a climbing stand. And yes, I am afraid of them. You can be
seriously injured if you don’t use them safely. When I get the
stand attached to a tree safely, the next thing I do is fasten
the safety harness. Mine will not climb a tree without it. I
pick trees that are tall and straight and very few limbs. Pines
usually work well. No rotten or dead trees. I also have a small
hatchet that I chop small limbs with. Being new to the climbing
stand, I don’t get to high, twenty- thirty feet. Higher would
probably work better, but I am more comfortable at this range. A
few times I have been climbing up or down the tree and deer
would come into view. They have looked at me as if I was a
squirrel on steroids and kept on grazing or walking, but
wouldn’t run away.
My gun of
choice is a Browning A-Bolt in the 270 caliber with a 4 x 12
Nikon or I use a Browning A-Bolt 25/06 with a 4 x 12 Leupold.
The 25/06 is a lighter in weight and also in knock down power
than the 270. I am usually shooting in fairly open areas and I
try to keep my shots less than 200 yards. No particular, reason.
I feel more comfortable in making a closer shot.
These are
some of my preferences for hunting and of course my Yamaha Bruin
4 wheeler. It comes in handy when hunting open bean fields that
are abut a mile away from my truck (although I do need the
exercise of walking). It also is nice for hauling deer out of
the woods.
Disposable
hand warmers are good on the cold days and easy to pack in a
fanny pack or your coat pocket. If you stay comfortable and warm
while hunting you will enjoy your time outdoors more. I hope
some of these ideas will help. Then you can cook the deer meat
you harvested.
Aim
straight.
Kathi
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