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Let’s face it; most of us have a limited time to hunt. These periods of time generally present themselves in the form of an occasional weekend, holiday, and/or a window of opportunity. We have prepared for these opportunities in advance through countless hours of practice, mental imagery, scouting, hanging stands, and trimming shooting lanes. Each action taken is viewed as an investment toward the attainment of our goal. All of us have goals that differ. However, they usually revolve around the harvest of the buck of our dreams.
The big day arrives. Our first hunt of the year greets us with a spectacular show of squirrels fighting, birds singing, and deer moving. We are pumped!!! Our anticipation level is maxed out. We can’t wait for our next opportunity. In fact, it consumes our thoughts and dreams. Our next opportunity arrives and we are greeted by the same show. Well, almost the same show. We have the raucous behavior of various forms of wildlife. The difference is that deer movement is at a fraction of what it was or it is absent. We stay put knowing that our scouting (investment) will not let us down. After all, if it did we would be admitting failure. Consequently, we continue to hunt in the same place until the season ends and receive nothing for our efforts.
I used to get into this rut. In fact, I became an expert at it. I would sit in the same stand day after day and end up eating a tag sandwich. However, this changed several years ago when I spent a late October morning in southeastern Ohio hunting an oak ridge lined with scrapes and rubs. The first three weekends of the season, deer activity was limited due to warm temperatures and accompanying downpours. In spite of the inactivity, I was excited because the forecast for the weekend was cool, dry, and overcast. It was also nearing the end of the pre-rut. Deer activity should have been approaching its’ peak. As the morning progressed I became discouraged because I had yet to see a deer, squirrel, or bird and I knew there had to be action somewhere. I was faced with a decision; I could go back to camp or try some in-season scouting. In-season scouting is considered taboo in many hunting circles. However, my weekend of hunting was waning and I wanted to see deer. As I descended the towering oak my decision was finalized, scouting was the answer.
I left my climbing tree stand at the base of the tree, retrieved my bow, and began still hunting. The first two hundred yards were uneventful. The last fifty were awesome. When I crested a small ridge, I glanced into the ravine on my left and saw antlers. Immediately, I crouched down and nocked an arrow. I kneeled, pondering my next move when I noticed something. There were acorns and squirrels everywhere. What I had stumbled upon was a travel corridor (ravine) connecting feeding (cut corn) and bedding areas. The whipped topping on this desert was the bountiful mast crop that blanketed the floor of the woods. As I watched the buck, another set of antlers appeared. I crept forward trying to get a better look when a bedded doe jumped up and led both bucks away. Initially, this was disappointing because I had missed an opportunity to harvest a deer. My disappointment didn’t last long because I knew that I had stumbled onto something good. I hurried back to my tree, retrieved the rest of my gear, and changed locations. I finished out the day seeing several deer. They offered no shot opportunities. However, I was fortunate because I received an opportunity to observe deer movement in the area. This was invaluable because it allowed me to fine tune stand placement for the following weekend’s hunt. This hunt was very successful because it gave me the opportunity to observe many more deer, including a massive eight point buck. Observing deer had two other benefits. First, it kept me motivated. Obviously, when we hunt we want to see and harvest deer. If we see nothing, we lose motivation. Let’s face it; it is difficult to get up at four in the morning when we know we aren’t going to see deer. If we aren’t seeing deer, sleeping in sounds good. If this occurs, the honey-do list at home looms large. Second, I started having fun. Enjoyment and motivation go hand in hand. We should hunt because we love it. It should not be a chore. It should be a labor of love.
When we invest our time, finances, and effort into hunting we should expect a return on our investment. The return should be fun, enjoyable, and motivating. If it isn’t we need to examine the circumstances around and the goals of our hunt. In my case, I had to conquer an ego problem in order to see more deer. I still have patience in my chosen stand sites. However, if my proven sites do not produce I won’t hesitate to make a change. Sometimes, change can be as simple as relocating a stand. Other times, we may have to try an entirely different area. In either case we have nothing to lose. If we want to see and harvest deer we have to hunt them where they are. If we are hesitant to alter our approach, we may miss out on opportunities to create memories that last a lifetime. I can still visualize the massive eight pointer; feel the exhilaration of his approach, the agony of having no clear shot opportunities, and the despair of watching him walk away. These feelings and emotions are a great return on our investment!
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