As the season wanes, it’s become difficult to hunt seriously. Instead of checking the wind forecast, planning my route, and waking up bright and early, my Saturday morning played out more like a hike: “That seems like a nice place. Let’s go there.” In an effort to quit bumping deer in the dark, I slept in, only to find multiple vehicles at the public land access point. I went to a different location that I hadn’t been to before and stomped around, looking for a terrain feature, sign, or anything I could use to pinpoint deer movement. It wasn’t promising.
While I’ve enjoyed heading into the woods with a rifle, it’s definitely messed with my head and made me sloppy. I’m confident I can kill a deer at 150 yards, so I feel lackadaisical about finding a single spot in the thick stuff to ambush deer. Instead, I naturally gravitate to any place that has a view. These tend to be the exact places where deer won’t be. However, visiting these areas does create an ironic sense of camaraderie as a I spy on other orange-clad hunters through my binoculars. If a deer decides to commit suicide, we’ll be ready.
Another fun aspect of the late season is seeing deer in front yards, crossing the road, in public parks, and generally everywhere except for public land. For example, I saw seven or eight does while driving on Saturday, but zero in the woods. While I sometimes look down on shooting houses, groomed “kill plots,” and meticulously managed deer herds, I’m definitely starting to understand the appeal. I console myself with the thought of the other hunters I run into now on a regular basis. I’m not the only one; public land is fair, at the very least.
There were only two notable events on my hunt. First, I found what seemed like a heavily used, active rub. (I scouted a second location later that morning). It was a bit confounding this late in the season, but exciting, nonetheless. I’ll likely head back to that area next weekend. Second, my hopelessly shattered phone finally went haywire on me. It’s been broken for a while, but I was determined to use it until it died. It decided to quit when I was a mile deep in thick, indistinguishable Tennessee woods. Thankfully I had my compass on me. If not, I might still be out there hunting.
Next weekend will be my last opportunity to deer hunt this season. After that I will be heading out of town to visit family for the holidays. I’m looking forward to one last crack at bringing home a buck, though I wouldn’t pass up a doe, either. It would be sweet to end the season on a high note, so I’m going to try and pull myself together and hunt hard. We’ll see how it goes!
Persistence Outdoors 