Why Do I Do This?

The silence was shattered at 3:30 am on Saturday morning. I awoke with a jump, quickly muting my alarm as to not wake up any of the "sane" people I live with. I fumbled through the darkness to find my way to the bathroom, opening day 2016 has arrived. After a quick scent free shower and poor excuse for a breakfast I climbed into my truck and headed to the farm. A lot of thoughts race through my mind on the way to a hunting spot, did I grab my release?, what's the wind direction?, did I pack a snack? Opening day is especially hectic, with a whole season of expectations to sort through. After a thirty minute drive and a half mile trek along a moon lit trail, I crawl into my blind and finally exhale.  As I stared out through the shadows, both exhausted and exhilarated, I asked myself, "Why do I do this?"  

I did not have an answer right away. In fact it wasn't until an hour later when I had a doe and a fawn walk within ten feet of my blind and look in at me. She blew and stomped but could not pic me out. I did not move a muscle, and eventually she relaxed. That's it for me, the experiences. Not just being close to nature, but being a part of nature. I could never begin to take inventory on the experiences I have accumulated in my short time as a hunter. I have watched mature bucks lock antlers violently through the early morning mist. I have enjoyed witnessing two young foxes frolic through what must have been their first snow fall. While sitting in a tree stand, I had a nuthatch land on my knee. Twice. Every time I get to live one these priceless moments, I thank God, and feel sorry for those who may never get to observe such natural splendor.

Another thing that non-hunters have a hard time comprehending is that, for hunters, its not all about the kill. I am not a blood hungry savage whose goal is to kill as many animals as possible. The kill is the last thing on my mind when I enter the woods. I am there for the ambiance of the woods, the sights, the sounds, and the silence. If I have an opportunity to harvest an animal, It is a bonus. When that moment does arise, I do so in a very respectful manner. If I get to sit in the woods 50 times in a season, and harvest 4 deer, does that mean I had 46 failed hunts? Absolutely not. Some of my favorite hunts are ones that I never release an arrow. 



In addition to the experiences and the serenity, another aspect of hunting that fuels me is my desire to compete. Hunting is different from most sports because instead of man vs. man, its man vs. nature. I have played competitive sports my whole life, but I have never engaged with an opponent as relentless and unforgiving as nature. I feel I have gained more character and resolve by chasing mature whitetails than any other worldly endeavor. The woods will humble you time and time again, but if you can muster up the will to persevere, the rewards are unmatched. To me, there is no greater challenge than to harvest a mature buck, in his environment, and on his terms. If you can fool a whitetails senses to the point where his better judgement betrays him, you have accomplished greatness.

A full season of bow hunting will play out like a typical amusement park roller coaster. Peaks and valleys, adrenaline rushes, lulls, and the occasional "did that really just happen?!" moment. Much like the ride, it starts off slow, building with anticipation, and than it is over before you know it. Take the time to slow down your "ride" to appreciate the sunsets, the playful fawns, and serenades of the song birds. Every time I feel myself getting frustrated by lack of deer movement, or uncooperative weather patterns, I take a second to think about the experiences that I will reflect on later and just enjoy the moment. Every minute spent in the woods, is one more minute closer to an amazing, unscripted natural event. That is more than enough to drive me, that is why I do this. 

      

And Now, I Wait...

The more you look forward to something, inevitably it will take longer to arrive. Such is the case year after year, waiting for deer season. When I climbed down from my stand late last January, I was ready for a break. Last season pushed me to my limits physically, mentally, and emotionally. It took a few weeks for me to decompress and evaluate the many lessons I had learned. By the time April rolled around, I could not wait to get back after those white tailed devils. I usually start counting down the days around 150 days away from opening day. I start putting cameras out around day 120. Tree stands and ground blinds start going out by day 90. I make sure my bow is tuned, and shooting darts with 30 days to go. By the time the calendar changes to September, my prep is complete and I am ready to hunt.

Bushnell Trail Camera

Trail cameras have become an instrumental component in off season scouting. I will place a camera along a beaten down trail, or in front of a corn pile or mineral site. By placing cameras in May, I have a full five months of data to go off of, travel patterns, times of travel, and overall heard inventory. I know patterns of deer change with the seasons, but you can still get a good idea of how the deer on your property will behave. Any information you can gather will help your pursuit come Autumn. Another nice part about having cameras out early is you can watch your bucks grow over the summer. Nothing passes the dog days of summer like watching your hit list bucks grow inch by inch with every camera session.

Ground blind brushed
in along a field edge 

I prefer to get my tree stands and ground blinds in before the Fourth of July. That way the deer have a couple months to get used to them in their environment. I always wind up hanging a few in August, but not later than that. When I feel the need to move a stand in season, I try to wait for a rainy day if possible. It may be overkill, but I do not want to tip the deer off with unnecessary scent and human activity if avoidable. Remember, the whitetails greatest defense is its nose, the more you test it, you will loose.

Hoyt Nitrum, ready
for action!

I shoot year round, so getting my bow tuned is not terrible. I will test out all my equipment that I intend on taking into the woods. I will shoot my arrows with broadheads and nocturnal nocks to make sure my arrow flight is true and there will be no surprises when I let one fly. I will shoot wearing my hunting gloves to make sure my release feels the same in or out of the woods. Shooting sitting down, as well as from elevated platforms give me the confidence that I will be able to make any shot a deer may present me with. There are too many variables that you have no control over, being confident in your equipment is not one of them.

The off season does not have to be a never ending stretch of days if you stay involved with the sport. The most successful hunters will tell you that the more you put into the summer, the more you will get out of the fall. Scouting, shooting 3-D archery courses, and reading bow hunting magazines are ways I past the time between the last climb in January to the first climb in September. For me, the off season has finally ended. I hope I did enough over the last few months to put me in a position to harvest a mature buck. The sets are all hung, the bow is dialed in, and now, I wait...