Thinking Small

As my deer season has past I start planning for next season. My plans for next year has differant green fields with winter seeds. I'm going to try a Austrian winter peas,winter rye,and winter wheat mix for fields during hunting season. For spring and fall I am planning to plant turnips, butternut squash, pumkins, and maybe corn. Along with these I am planning for more tree stands.
That way of thinking is what most of us do after every deer season comes to an end. But I have added a new way of thinking for next year, after a friend told me about a big buck that keeps crossing a road. I pulled that area up on a map with ariel photos and found a small field next to a creek maybe with only about 5 acres at the most. I am able to walk property next to that field and saw some huge tracks and 2 rubs back toward that field. I started thinking small because I want to hunt that small piece of property. Now I just need to get permission from the owner.

Empty Meat Pole

Well deer season is over here in Alabama. I finished my season with no deer harvested. But all is not lost, because this year we had more snow , and I used the opportunity to find out how the deer traveled.This knowledge has been locked away in the vault of my mind for future reference. I have hunted the property long enough to know how most of the deer moved.But was always eluded by some of the largest bucks. I love to scout during snow because it tells from what direction the deer move. Finding trails, sign, and bedding areas are great and for one who knows what to look for can tell from what direction deer move. But snow really completes the picture.
Some would say I need to study more, since I didn't kill anything this year. But I didn't get as much time as in the past to spend in the woods. Also I spent the first half of my season trying to help my ten year son get his first deer. (still be working on that next year) I was also more selective this year, I let any deer I thought was to young walk. And after some of the large scrapes and rubs I found, I didn't want just any buck. I set my mind for one that rubbed a tree that was about 28 inches around. Also in that same area we found a dropped antler with 6 points on one side. He is the one I want. I was also looking for a split brow tine 7 point that has eluded me the past two seasons. Well they will be bigger next year.