I headed into the woods this morning knowing rain was on its way. The morning turned out better than I had anticipated. I thought the deer were going to move, and I felt confident with my choice for the morning. However, I didn’t see any deer while sitting, and I sat until 11.
After getting up, I decided to cover some ground to locate some fresh sign. It didn’t take me long to get into it, as I found where deer have been feeding on a high bench. It looked like they had been all over the flat the entire morning. My assumptions were proven when I jumped a bedded doe. Surprisingly, no buck was by her side when she bolted.
As I meandered from ridge to ridge and across a few streams, I went through many dead areas. Then, the rain began. It was just a nuisance at first. As the hours wore on, the skies opened up and rain pummeled the Earth… and me.
Before I headed back to the truck, I found what I was looking for. I followed a few runways, and they brought me into an area with a lot of fresh sign. I will be returning to that place tomorrow. I feel confident about my chances. I’m not sure what I will do about the wind, but I’ll figure it out when I get there.
Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten more than five hours of sleep in the last three weeks, and it’s beginning to wear on me. My body is weary, and I don’t have much energy. It’s even getting hard to focus while in the woods. I should probably take an afternoon off, but I can’t seem to make myself do it. Over the last two days, I’ve averaged seven miles a day, yet it doesn’t feel like I’ve covered that much ground while trying to find a place where I think I can increase my odds of getting a look at a good buck.
As I waded through the darkness this morning, I didn’t particularly have many thoughts of hunting going through my mind. Instead, my mind wandered to the dark place my mother is living in, and I imagined our future.
As I neared the location I wanted to sit, I realized it would be light in the next 20 minutes. I quickly got changed and settled in for the morning’s hunt. It didn’t take long before I spotted a doe running through the woods behind me. Then, I saw a small buck behind her. Looking with my binoculars, I saw that it was a 6-pointer.
Within seconds, I heard a buck roar and knew there was a pissed off buck in the area, even though he wasn’t involved in the chase. Instantly, the smaller buck turned and ran back the way he came from. I could have shot him but chose not to.
As the day wore on, I began searching for places where deer have been hanging out. Finally, I found an area where deer have everything torn up. There was also a huge scrape that had just been opened. I think I’ll probably return to the area tomorrow and see if a few deer show up.
I felt good about today’s hunt. I relaxed but realized how tired I have become. The grind is taking its toll on me. I’ll probably take tomorrow afternoon off when the heavy rain arrives.
Unfortunately, the the photo stream link between my phone and computer are not working, so the pictures I have been taking with my phone have not transferred to my computer, so I can’t post any of them to these entries. I’m a little disappointed about that.
I got back at it in the Adirondacks. We were welcomed with about an inch of snow. I brought Donny into an area where I thought he might be able to fill his tag. As we trudged through the snow in the darkness, we could see tracks all over the place.
When we reached an area where I had found a lot of buck sign before leaving for the Midwest, I told him to nestle himself in next to a big tree and wait for daylight. Once daylight arrived, I figured he would be able to pick the exact spot.
Around 8:30, I saw a doe come flying off the ridge in front of me. I knew a buck was chasing her. Then, I saw him drop off the side of the ridge and disappear. The doe stopped in front of me, and I waited for him to return.
Meanwhile, Donny saw some deer and reported it to me on the radio. I was glad he was seeing some deer.
I went to another area for the evening and learned why the area has been dead. It looked like a horde of people have been hunting the area, especially a few members of the Kiui army. I’ll never understand people’s reasoning for what they do, but these people’s combined efforts have made it easy to check it of fhe list of places I will spend much time in. They probably don’t even know they’ve pushed most deer out of the area. Many people don’t understand deer behavior in certain areas to understand how their actions affect the deer movement.
It’s supposed to warm up tomorrow and be in the 60s the next day. I’m not sure what that will do, but I’ll give it my best. My game is definitely not what it should be this year. I’m too distracted my the greater things in life. Deer hunting just isn’t getting much of my attention this year, and I can see the effects.
Success is measured in different ways, and as I’ve been scrolling through the pages of social media recently, I’ve realized that most hunters feel the need to heat up their pages by posting pictures of their kills.
While I’ve been guilty of that over the years, I’ve tried taking a different approach the last few years. Although many people follow me to see these photos, the monster got created through different outlets on social media. I wrote a book and needed a way to promote it, so I took the social media route to do that. In hindsight, I almost wish I never wrote any books and remained an anonymous face in the crowd of deer hunters. However, I began getting asked to speak at shows, and I got asked to appear on podcasts. Although not many people had ever heard of me, people began referring to me as an expert. I still laugh about that. I have piles of experience, probably more experience than 95% of the people who give advice and are considered experts, but I’m the furthest thing from an expert. I fill tags because I work extremely hard at my hobby – my passion. I’m not a great hunter, but I do spend more time in the woods than anyone I know, which leads to a little luck now and then.
The use of social media for hunting has sickened me in many ways. I see things that make me shake my head and cringe. I also have a hard time listening to 20-year-olds giving people advice about hunting. Great hunters gain knowledge through years and years of experience. They don’t gain knowledge from kids who are trying to make a living on YouTube. I’ve heard the same regurgitated information for the last handful of years on social media, and viewers eat it up. I’ve witnessed people who didn’t have much knowledge about deer hunting suddenly become some of the most respected people in the whitetail world due to their ability to promote themselves. People just can’t see through the BS because the presentation is done so well. Kudos to those people for being able to pull it off. That’s a special skill in and of itself. When I witnessed that happening firsthand, I realized some people can convince anyone to believe them. After all, I would’ve believed the individual too if he hadn’t been asking me so many questions about how I kill big deer every year in big woods and on public land in different states. I’ve seen this guy on a few YouTube shows, and I can’t do anything but laugh and shake my head. Anyone watching should be able to pick up on the miscues that show the guy’s lack of experience and knowledge when it comes to whitetail deer hunting. It’s mind-blowing to have watched his success from afar, and he fits right into the clique. I also like how I never in my life read anything in an article or heard anyone on a podcast say the wind doesn’t matter until I said it. In all reality, deer cannot constantly walk with the wind in their face. It’s merely impossible. I’ve shot plenty of big deer that were walking with the wind at their back. Now, it seems as if every other guy says it. It makes me laugh.
Many YouTube channels give the perception that hunting is easy. Most people lose touch with reality and forget many of these characters don’t have real jobs. They make their living off from clicks and commercials. Yes, they do work hard at what they do, and they are good at giving the viewers what they want. However, comparing yourself to them is a far cry from the way an average hunter will ever approach a hunt. The average guy only gets a week of vacation – or maybe less – to get it done. That week of vacation might require two or three days of travel to hunt out of state. Then, once you are in the area where you want to hunt, you must deal with any unforeseen circumstances you might encounter. You might get bad weather the entire time. The place might be inundated with people. You might find certain areas closed due to flooding or fires. However, if you have the entire season to come and go as you please, your likelihood of success will be far greater if you define success by filling your tag.
As with anything, you will gain tons of followers if you’re good at what you do. Ultimately, you become friends with a few followers along the way, and your circle continues to grow. As the circle grows, you become more opportunistic because people help you save time doing the things that most others must do on their own. You are introduced to good data, and you are pointed toward areas where it is easier to fill tags and see more deer. You become part of a clique and breaking into the clique is all but impossible for anyone who doesn’t fit the bill. The hunting industry is not big, and it is all interconnected. These things are never seen by the viewer. Instead, many of the viewers (you) eat it up and don’t look at the reality that sits behind the curtain of the show – and it is all a show because more cliques mean more sponsors, more advertisers, and more money.
I feel fortunate to have learned the most by talking to successful people. Instead of gobbling up things on TV shows and on YouTube (once that became a thing), I sought out people who had been there and done that. I spoke with old-timers who nobody had ever heard about. I listened to stories being told in hunting camps. I listened closely to local people as they shared moments of their lives with me. I have always kept my ear tilted in the direction of people who have lived a life pursuing the same passion that has allowed me to realize November is the most magical month of the year. I watched my mentors closely, and I made sure to choose good ones to watch and learn from.
You can listen to podcasts until God calls you home, and you can watch YouTube videos to learn things, but you cannot replace in-the-field experience. Instead of wasting so much time and energy staring at a TV screen or computer screen, maybe you should spend more time in the field during the off-season and gain more experience that you will be able to use next year. While a few guys step in the ring and dominate right from the start, the most seasoned fighters are the ones who know how to navigate the 10-round fight and succeed when they don’t have their best stuff. Instead of idolizing people who make money to grab your attention and keep it, try walking around the block and meeting a new neighbor who has many years of experience in the woods; try driving down a dirt road and finding a farmer who hunts; hang out at a camp and listen to the old-timers tell their stories; call up one of the lesser-known people you have learned about and see if he or she is willing to help you reach your goals; form relationship with people who share the same passion and have the same level of enthusiasm for it.
After you do these things, send me a message next year and tell me how much further ahead you are than you were this year at the same time. Those old legends nobody has ever heard of will teach you more than your brain can store. Pay attention and listen closely. They will get you where you want to go. The greatest ones are almost always the quietest ones who stand back in the crowd and smile while the clowns pile out of the clown car in the middle ring of the three-ring circus.
We all got up early and headed into the woods as a team. We figured our team would be able to locate the deer, even though it had taken off from where it had originally fallen after being shot. We spread out and began grid searching. Although we were feeling down about our chances, we continued searching. About and hour and a half into our search, we located the buck, and it was a beauty of a 10-pointer.
We could see where the deer had struggled a little bit throughout the night, and it was still warm when we took care of it. I never like to see an animal suffer, but I think we did the right thing in this situation. Here are a few pictures of the deer. If anyone is wondering why I’m holding the deer in the last few pictures, it’s just because we have a running joke that I’m an average-sized guy, so the deer looks its normal size with my holding it. However, if Brian or Jeff holds a deer, they are substantially larger men, and it takes away from the deer’s true size. It’s kind of a running joke with us, so that’s why we do it. They call me small, and I tell them I’m an average-sized American man.
When we all rolled out of bed today, the wind was howling and the snow was coming down sideways. The weather conditions were absolutely brutal, but we all decided to head into he woods to do what we do. Some of us decided to sit for the day, while others of us decided to scout new areas in hopes of shooting a doe or two.
As the day wore on, the weather worsened and the temperatures dropped. The snow became a nuisance and continued coming down throughout the day. Although it never accumulated, it made just enough of a mess to make hunting in it unenjoyable. Eventually, the clock turned over and the day started heading toward darkness. The deer moved well throughout the day, starting in the morning and continuing on and off the rest of the day.
Shortly before dark we were able to get an arrow into a good 10-pointer. After a misfire due to a release giving way during the draw, the buck didn’t spook and stayed around. This led to his demise, as an arrow found it’s way into his chest cavity. The deer fell over within sight of the stand, so calls were made to each other for help getting it out.
Then, all hell broke loose when the deer, which had fallen over, couldn’t be found. Darkness settled in, and we decided to leave the area alone until morning. The deer had fallen over within 70 yards of being shot, but it must’ve gotten up and moved out of the area before we got to it.
It was a long, restless night for all of us, but after listening to the reports, we felt good about our chances of finding it.
Traditionally, this date in history has been a great day for our group. We have taken some really good deer on Nov. 11. The wind howled today and made for less than perfect conditions. Some of us are trying to take a few does and some of us are still trying to wrap our tag around a buck’s antlers.
The day passed quickly and didn’t grant many opportunities, but Dad took advantage of one that was offered and scored on a nice buck. Dad was simply worn out and decided to fill his tag. He hunted really hard and overdid it a little bit. I know he wasn’t overly happy with his choice, but at the same time, he was happy to wrap his tag around the antlers of a nice deer and get some rest.
As the week has progressed, Jeff noticed a vehicle coming down the short dead-end road where he has been hunting and turning around. He figured the guy realized he was hunting in the small piece of woods when he saw the truck parked on the side of the road and decided to go elsewhere.
Well, as I’m updating this entry a while after this day, we found out what was really going on. Our Tar Heel buddies were actually dropping someone off out in front of Jeff and going to the end of the road to turn around. The guy was basically sitting in front of Jeff, which is the reason why the activity slowed down considerably when Jeff began seeing the truck. Keep in mind that this woodlot is no larger than a football stadium, and Jeff’s truck was parked clearly on the side of the road. There was absolutely no doubt as to where he was hunting. I’ll never understand some people and what makes them decide to do what they do…. mind-blowing.
Today was an interesting day. I finally called the leader of the pack of Tar Heels. I had to hear what he had to say about everything that had transpired. Unfortunately, the conversation wasn’t what I had hoped for. There were no apologies or anything of the sort. Instead, there were attempts to justify the actions along with the inability to take ownership of what had happened.
When someone says, “We didn’t steal your spot,” it’s usually a good indication as to what the person is thinking. Although I’m not a psychologist, I’d say that most people who say that out of nowhere probably feel the desire to defend themselves. When people get defensive, it’s usually a sign that it’s a hot topic. They know they’re in the wrong, and they get angry because they’re being called out about it.
As Jeff was driving and I was talking on speaker phone, I watched Jeff’s facial expressions. At times, they almost made me burst out laughing. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. I have to admit that it brought me back to the late ’90s when the same type of situation happened when I brought a guy to Colorado and he showed up with all of his buddies the next year. He honestly saw no wrong with what he did. I’ll give that to Mr. Tar Heel. I just don’t think he was ever taught the proper ethics of this type of thing. However, if he was taught the right way, he definitely flunked the test. I”m not even sure that to think. I never raised my voice to him, and he liked cutting me off nonstop. Although my depth of knowledge in psychology isn’t that of a psychologist, I do have some background in people’s actions, and throughout the conversation, the guy’s character became quite evident. It shown as bright as the full moon that had passed a few weeks earlier.
Knowing the temper I possess when pushed to the limit, Jeff couldn’t believe I never blew a lid. Instead, I remained calm and asked questions and listened to the answers. I just explained that stories among his group didn’t match up. The stories on one end were not the same stories on the other end. There were too many untied ends that many things raise suspicions even further.
When a guy has contacted you numerous times over the last five to six years, then is staying a few mies down the road from you while hunting and never attempts to reach out or meet you in person, that tells me a lot about character. Someone’s character can be displayed in seconds, minutes, hours, days or years, but when a man’s true character shows up when he finally has a chance to meet you in person and chooses not to, that says all I need to hear. I listened to the quiet wind and learned a lot about a man I had never met but only spoken to.
After the guy got revved up an finally started raising his voice on the other other end of the phone, he finally had all he could take and said he would never talk to me again and hung up. Jeff looked at me and said, “Wow, I can’t believe how calm you were. I never expected that from you.”
I said, “I did pick up a few of Charlie’s good qualities along the way.”
After that, we continued down the road and settled into the cabin for the night to listen to the pounding rain and howling wind.
Doug’s heels are a mess, and he can barely walk. I feel bad for him, but he’s trying to make the most out of a bad situation.
He decided to go into an area where he figured the walk wouldn’t be too bad on his feet. He jumped a few deer on the way in and figured he would wait them out in hopes that they would filter back through later in the morning. Well, he was correct and ended up killing a nice deer. With his heels as bad as they are, he lowered his standards and killed this deer. His inability to walk very far changed his entire trip.
The unfortunate incident with his boots causing the blisters are a valuable lesson for him and any others reading this. You need to make sure your boots are broken in before using them on a trip of this magnitude.
The pressure is unreal here. We just can’t get away from it. However, we make the most of what we have and continue searching. We didn’t have a very eventful day, as we saw quite a few little ones first thing in the morning but not much afterward. Our boys from the South killed a nice buck today in the spot where I hung the stand for our group.
The reason I know they killed it is because Dad was headed to the stand to sit there, and he saw them while heading in. I’m glad Dad taught me the unwritten rules of hunting while growing up, and I’m glad he showed me how to respect fellow hunters. I’ll be forever grateful for that. I wish he could have been a mentor for many of the people I’ve encountered in the woods over the years. I’ve met very few people who haven’t gained a lot from Dad, especially when it comes to lessons in the outdoors. He had given so many different people an opportunity to do things they never dreamed of. He has also taught people more things about deer hunting and woodsmanship than anyone I know.
Unlike me, Dad has unlimited patience when it comes to dealing with people. He just lets things roll off his shoulders. I tend to hold on to it for a bit longer and let it eat away at me. That’s why I was surprised when I saw Dad show a little bit of emotion about what has gone on the last few days. It might be because Dad has gotten older and can’t get around as well as he used to be able to get around, which limits the spots he can hunt. It might also be because he saw all of the work we did, and now these guys are hunting in every single place we are hunting, even though here are thousands of acres of other land in the area to hunt. I’ve never seen much bother him, but he voiced his concern over this to me. He also told me to just let it go and do what I do best, which is what I did yesterday.
Dad is in the New York State Outdoorsman Hall of Fame because of his mentorship in the outdoors. He’s also there because he knows the code of ethics for hunters and outdoorsmen and has passed these on to many other hunters. Instead of driving a school bus in his retirement, maybe he should go on the road and speak about hunting ethics. I’m not sure what makes people do the things they do while hunting, but I wish I could get in others’ minds. I’m not sure if it’s because they don’t have enough confidence in their own abilities or maybe they’re just lazy and take the easy way out.
Between these clowns and everything else going on in my world right now, this trip has been very unenjoyable. I worry about Mom daily, even though she remains upbeat every time I hear from her. Even at 53, I still learn many lessons from my parents every day, week, month and year. I thank them for that.
