Overcoming issues

This hunting season opened with me harvesting a spike on opening day. I was thinking I was in for a great season. Then came spending only about 10 hours ( and not on the same day) of hunting during the rest of November. Not a big deal since here in Alabama the season goes through January 31. But as December came in, I am back to the woods. I put myself in some great locations and get shots at not one but three different deer. Two of which were very big mature bucks. I missed all three. I know that I'm just like everyone else I miss sometimes. But I don't normally miss more than once a year. I start questioning myself. I know that last year to finish the season my rifle started jamming so I put it in the shop. This year I was using a borrowed rifle. My father in law loaned me his extra which was the same make and style as mine. I sighted it in and was comfortable with it until I missed. I just chalked it up as just getting nervous until it happened again. The second time was at the first of the bucks. I re sighted the rifle and found that some how the scope had been knocked off. I am comfortable with the gun again and less than a week later I'm back in the woods. I get to my stand before daybreak, and after about 2 hours I see movement. It is a big 7 point I aim, fire, MISS. So much for a great season of filling the freezer. But I am an over comer the rest of this year will be iron sights. Sometimes we can plan every detail and issues that are out of our control just happen. We just have to overcome.
On a brighter note my oldest son who is 9 was with me when I missed the first buck. We have never seen a buck when he was with me. He is very excited and can't wait to go again. He also saw dad handle difficulty and deal with it without over re acting. Both lessons were great for him to see. I enjoyed hunting with my son even if I missed.

Opening Day

Well opening day of (gun) deer season came here in Alabama. As I stated in an earlier post, I was going to try hunting in area that no one ever hunted on our property . I started my morning hunting right in a corner of our land next to the property line. About a hour into the hunt the I started hearing movement from the other side of the line. Next 3 does came by me like their tails were on fire. Then I heard someone talking from the other property. Well that is part of hunting sometimes. But my strategy worked the deer were moving where we never hunted.After another hour and not seeing anything else. I decided to check the other areas we don't hunt. As I moved into this area, I spot a deer watching me. It looked like a doe and since it is doe season I shot and killed it. When I walked up on it I realized I had killed a spike with antlers that grew down following the ears. The antlers were completely hidden. Well I was thankful for fresh meat for the table, but I had also told my father in law I was going to try and harvest only older bucks. When he saw it he thought it was a nanny until he saw the antler. We were both fooled. Neither of us had ever seen any bucks that had antlers growing this way. Maybe next time it will be his big brother. But 2 out of 5 spots we never hunt had deer in them. It goes to show that while we pattern deer they also pattern us. Next time you can't seem to catch up with the deer, don't be afraid to try change.

The Lost Trophy

I have been checking out " Chasing Trophy Whitetails" lately on face book. When ever a picture of a nice buck is posted, the question is always asked," what will this deer score. To the point that when younger hunters kill small bucks and show their pictures they are criticized for not letting those deer grow. I am for deer management. But I was raised with the thinking that any animal harvested legally was a trophy. I also saw many hunters apologize for deer they harvested being too small. I hunt for meat first and antlers second. But I'm always proud of any deer I harvest. I think that we have missed it and need to get back to the lost trophy. We need to be proud of any animal we harvest by fair chase. Besides only the person who is hunting can decide if the animal is big enough or not.

Excitement

Here in Alabama, we are 9 days away from opening day of gun season. I am remembering all the years before as I counted down the days. In every memory of the night before opening day I see the excitement , sometimes even to the point of no sleep that all of us hunters have faced. It is like a child waiting for Christmas Day or the adrenaline rush athletes feel right before the big game. In my memories I remember that sometimes I didn't sleep and left for the woods very early. Back then I did most of my hunting on my grand dad's land. It never failed that no matter how early I got there before daylight opening day. It always seemed that my Pop already had a light on. Just as if he couldn't sleep either. I guess it doesn't matter the age we all get excited about opening day.
My Pop was who really influenced me the most about my deer hunting. He always just seemed prepared never anxious about opening day. When me and my cousins were still trying to decide which spot might produce the best,Pop would already know where he was going. He always had meat in the freezer. I can still hear his advice today, he would say " Deer are lazy, they don't want to climb the highest point on the mountain, they will always use the lowest area to cross." or " the deer will take the trail that is easiest, just like you would." Other older hunters advice worth repeating was, "find the water and you will find the deer, they get thirsty just like we do." or "look for the droppings, if you find the poop you will find the deer." I hope my thinking back in time will help someone else get ready for opening day. Good luck to all.

Looking for a Strategy

In Alabama, bow season is here and firearms season is now just 2 weeks away. I've had my trail camera out and have pictures of many does and a small 4 point. As I study all my pictures from this year and the past I noticed that the bucks I'm after are only being seen at night. Since our property is the area with the least amount of pressure I know the big boys are somewhere. Over the years I fallen into a routine of hunting the same stand sights. I hunt on 80 acres, sounds like a small amount. But I have found that big bucks will stay on a smaller tract of land if there is low hunting pressure. I have been studying aerial photos of my land along with my pictures. I marked all the stand sights me and my hunting companions use every year. A pattern of 5 different areas showed up of where we never hunt. I'm always looking for a new strategy on how to improve my hunting harvest. This year I plan to hunt in each of this 5 areas and with any luck I will connect with one of those elusive big bucks we all dream about. Sometimes a change in our old strategy is God directing our paths.
I believe that God should be in control over every aspect of our lives. I will be first to admit that I sometimes forget this. Life is better if we let Him control it all, even where we hunt. To some this might sound silly, but to those who have truly learned to trust in God's direction,they have grabbed hold of the best strategy.
Jeremiah 10:23 I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own;it is not for man to direct his steps.

Deer Season is Coming

Here it is October in Alabama. Cooler weather came this week, making me long to be in the woods. I went out and hung my trail camera today. I put it in a natural funnel where many deer trails come to a point. While I was out I observed that some trees had fallen blocking some areas that deer travel. As I looked I found trails the deer are now using. Many of which are easier for me to be able to hunt with out spooking the deer. It was great just being back in God's creation. I'm looking forward to the upcoming season.

Unique Deer

If you have been following deer hunting over the years or are a hunter who is passionate about deer hunting. You will know about unique deer such as the Hole in the Horn buck , the Louisiana Freak, the Missouri Monarch, or Milo Hanson's typical world record. Just to name a few. Or talk to hunters and see what kind of bucks they dream of taking. Most will tell you they dream of taking drop tine bucks or something different that many other hunters never get a chance to see. These are the reasons we love to see big unique deer on our magazine covers.
I am no different. I would love to harvest a big buck that most hunters have not had a chance to ever see. I used to think that this may just be a dream that might never happen. But then as I think back on my hunts from the past I remember 3 different opportunities where I got chances to see very unique deer that most hunters only dream about. One was a massive drop tine buck. He is safe because he lives in an area where hunting isn't allowed. Another I had a solid black doe walk in front of my stand.At first I thought I was seeing a black dog. By the time I knew it was a deer it was to late to get a shot. And finally I was scouting public land in the summer one year and got a chance to see what I thought was an albino 8 point buck. As I got closer I saw he had brown under his antlers, black eyes and hooves. That is when I realized I was seeing a piebald instead of an albino.
I also know that I have been blessed to have been allowed to see such amazing and different deer that my God has created. If you ever get this kind of opportunity take time to reflect on God's awesomeness.

The grass is not always greener

Have you ever dreamed about hunting places others get to hunt. Thinking that they had better chances at bigger deer. The old saying the grass is always greener on their side of the fence. But when you get a chance to talk to them they either are unhappy with where they hunt or they are looking for other places to hunt. I've done this with Texas, you hear about big Texas deer on many hunting shows. I got a chance to work in Dallas, TX and I talked to the local deer hunters and told them about me always wanting to hunt in TX. I was informed that unless you hunted the big ranches that were managing for trophy deer, that the average TX deer were small in most places. I was shocked to find that those hunters I talked with dreamed of hunting Alabama, where my home state is.
It made me reevaluate what I wanted in a hunting land. As I look at where the big deer in my home state came from in the past. I also realized that many of the trophies came off public land. It amazes me that people will pay large amounts of cash to hunt for potential trophies. When they could save that money and hunt public land for a better challenge and bigger trophies.
Recently an article was released that some of the many managed deer hunting ranches were buying their trophies from deer farms. This doesn't sound like fair chase. This is another reason I am a fan of public land. But to each their own.

Getting Prepared

Well it is the middle of summer and most people are not thinking about deer hunting. But why miss this great opportunity, the bucks are in the middle of antler development. It is a good time to put out salt with calcium. The deer will come to these for the extra minerals. Feed with minerals are also a good way to help develop better antler growth. If you can make a way for the deer to have water it will help keep them healthy .
I know people who have built ponds or put in wells where the water was able to flow and built small streams just to attract deer to their property.
This is also a great time for pruning limbs that blocked your shots last year. Or removing trees that have grown up in front of stands( make sure you have permission before you cut down trees) . This is the best time to check those permanent tree stands or shooting houses so that come hunting season nothing will be hindering you or mess up that shot at a trophy. Don't wait until right before season starts and leave your human scent all over the woods. If you do it now your scent will be gone before the deer hunting starts.
This is another chance for those trail cam shots. You can watch as the bucks grow their antlers and capture those great velvet pictures.Or take this time to hang your stands . I know many deer change their patterns as fall comes. But most of us found trees last year, during the season, so we know in advance where we want to hang our stands. Let the deer get used to the stand, so it want alert them .
If you are scouting a new hunting land, look for old rubs on the trees as a sign for where the bucks roam. Find funnels and different ways the land or anything that might turn the direction of deer. (I've discussed this in past blogs)
Planning helps in getting you prepared in how you will hunt. It also builds confidence.
Commit your activities to the Lord and your plans will be achieved. Proverbs 16:3

God's Perfomance

The storms have been rolling through my area lately. Mostly rain but some have been thunder storms. It is amazing what kind of light show you get to see. Streak lightning is still shocking every time I see it. Sorry about the pun. I love watching storms but my favorite part is the lightning. The different layers of clouds with all the beautiful colors flashing across the sky. Then add the base drums of thunder, you can have a heavenly symphony playing before you. Combine these, it is like heaven is putting on a ballet show for all who want to stop and take it in.
Over the years I have stopped and taken in many of God's performances. I never get bored because they are never the same. As you get to see the next storm, stop and take it in. ( From a safe place of course) As you look , listen as God puts music in with the lightning. The storms may display a scary force but they also show some of the greatest beauty nature has to offer. Compliments of our great creator, God, putting His touch as if conducting His own symphony.

The Most Important Choice

You planned for years to go on safari to hunt big game in Africa. It is finally about to come true. Every detail has been worked out. You have made choice after choice about what gun, what to wear, and which guide to use.
You now stand in camp in Africa and the guide says this is the day you start hunting animals. As you move out into the bush the rush of excitement flows over you. Then your thoughts are interrupted, as the guide touches your arm and points to a very large wildebeest and says for you to take it. Your aim is true. You have taken the first animal on a week long safari. As you think about what has just happened, you hear something stirring in the bush to your right. You look expecting to see one of the men who are there to help the guide but instead it is a lion. He charges, you bring up your gun, aim, click. Nothing happens, and then you wake up in a cold sweat. It was all a dream.
Now you really go trough all your choices to make sure your dream doesn't become a reality. You double check what gear you will take. Making sure the gun isn't one that jams.
Even with all that preparation, what gun you choose or what type caliber you decide on. These are not your most important choices. The most important choice you can make whether you are in Africa or any where else in the world is to ask Jesus into your heart. Many in the world will see this as weakness or ignorant. But all search for something to fill the void we all have inside. Christians are the only ones who have peace. The void has been filled when they ask Jesus into their heart.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. Psalm 118:8

Choices

In America we have many choices. We can choose anything from what different food we want to helping choose the president. Hunters are no different we can choose to hunt with a gun, bow, black powder, or crossbows. My personal stand on what you hunt with is what you feel comfortable with and it has to kill ethically. An obligation hunters face is to ensure that an animal doesn't suffer.It is funny to me, listening to different hunters argue over what caliber rifle, what type of bow or if using a crossbow is ethical. If you hunt by the laws of the state you are in, staying legal and safe, it doesn't matter what you use. I don't decide what I use by what is popular. I use what I like and I'm comfortable with.

If you have to make a choice about what weapon you use. I will tell you in most states it is easier to obtain bow hunting licenses and access to more land. It is more of a rush to me than gun hunting and is more of a challenge.

Morning Glory

There is something special about early mornings. Maybe it is everything is refreshed. Or it could be a chance at something new. Anyway you look at it every morning is a chance to see God's morning glory as HE starts things out fresh. The sun comes out to shine it's praise as God intended. The birds sing out their chorus for the creator and every animal comes alive with feelings of motion. There is a purpose for everything under heaven.
I've been a night owl, where I stayed up all night.Yet still when I've had no sleep and get to see God start the day over again. I feel at awe as I watch each new morning unfold. To get a chance to watch as the light chases each and every shadow away. As the sun marches over the sky , advancing slowly , because God gave it a set time to reach each spot. It allows the moon to go hide like it should.(I've already spoken about my moon appreciation in moon phases)
It is like watching 2 brothers who play hide and seek,they both want to win. But they want their brother to have a fair chance so they don't rush.
They say morning is a time for new chances. If everyone looked at it this way maybe our world would be less volatile. Hope would flow from everyone.
Weeping may spend the night, but there is joy in the morning.Psalm 30:5

Things just happen

Have you ever had anything happen that seems to ruin your day of hunting? I have, this can be expected if you go afield as much as I have over the years. Sometimes things just happen. In the past , I have started to cross a creek that was normally very shallow only to find a spot that was over my head. SPLASH what a way to ruin a hunt. Or to hike way off the beaten path only to have a sudden rain flood down on you. I can usually keep hunting but if I get so wet I can't stay warm my day is over.
I have also ruined my own hunt a few times. Like using a self climber tree stand to climb way up in a tree. When I got up to the level I wanted to hunt from realize there is a limb stuck in my way. No problem get the hand saw out and cut off. I couldn't I had taken my saw out of my bag and left it at home. That day I got a bright idea. Just take the top part of stand apart and go above the limb. Not recommended, I dropped the wing nut that held it together. I'm stuck 20 feet up in a tree with no way down. After tossing the top part to the ground I finally used my safety rope to swing out of the tree. I wasn't Tarzan but it worked, with only a few minor scrapes and bruises to show.
I look back now and laugh but at the time I was so mad at my self. I can say sometimes things just happen. It is how we handle the situation that shows our character. To learn from our mistakes shows our maturity.
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs17:22

What to do about hunting?

It is April, a month when there is not much hunting going on. But it is not a time when you shouldn't get out in the woods. This is a great time to scout, if you can handle the pollen. I went a couple of weeks ago every thing was yellow. But I got to see parts of my hunting area, with out the worry of spooking the deer. I found some old signs of where the bucks had traveled. I carried my hatchet and cleared some trails for this up coming fall. By clearing trails now you can have deer familiar to traveling them without fear by opening day. Make sure you clear shooting lanes around your stand locations, also.

My favorite thing is to use the lay of the land, I've talked about this before. Deer will naturally use the lay of the land to travel in safety. If you make it easier for them to travel by clearing the trails, they will use them. It also allow you to see if any changes have happened to your hunting area.

On my trip I got to spend my time with my wife and children. My wife was taking nature pictures. My kids were just happy to be able to run wild. It was a great time to get my children excited about the great outdoors with- out worry of seeing deer or not. This is a great time to show a child a great adventure and get them wanting to go with you in the fall.

I saw where the power company had cleared trees away from the lines. They just cut the trees down and left them where they fell. Doing this they blocked one of my favorite funnel exits out into the open power lines. I now have time before season to take my chainsaw out there and fix this funnel. Hopefully, making it better. You never know if just getting out before the season starts may help you have a better hunting experience. Maybe even putting more meat in the freezer come fall. Or helping you find the piece of the puzzle that helps you harvest the trophy of a life time.

Moon Phase

Hunters have talked for years about how the moon affects deer. A full moon makes deer move. The moon affects everything this way, people included. The wild side comes out because of the full moon. Many hunters have killed many a deer on days that a full moon was shining the night before. But my personal favorite moon phase is the half moon after a full moon. Because I have killed more big bucks in this phase than any other. I have also checked fields at night during different phases and again have seen more big bucks during the half moon after the full.
Now don't get me wrong I'm not saying bucks do not move during the other moon phases. I'm just telling when I have had the best luck. There is also something special about getting into the woods before day light on a full moon night. At times I have walked to my deer stand on a full moon night with out a flash light. When I have gotten to do this, I stop to admire God's watchman, overseer of the night. It is even more special when it is a clear night. To see a full moon alongside the constellations you can't help but to know there is a greater power. One who has His paint brush and changes every scene. It is better and more creative than any artist can ever think of. God made two great lights-the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. Genesis 1:16 the NIV Study Bible

New Lands

When growing up hunting land that I was raised exploring. I knew where deer traveled. I knew where and what time they would come through. When I killed my first big buck, one of my cousins called me lucky. It wasn't luck. I had scouted every trail,creek, rock, bottoms or ridges in my area. I knew the way the wind direction would be, even when the weather changed. After that I started hunting new properties. By scouting I familiarized myself with my new land. I then started harvesting deer there also. My hunting lands have changed many times since that time. Life can be the same. You just want to stay with what is familiar. It is easier to stay in your comfort zone. My life took the same kind of turn when I quit my job recently. People think I'm crazy. Just like some of my cousins thought I was when I left my familiar hunting lands. They didn't understand that sometimes you have to leave so you can find greener pastures. By leaving I have harvested a buck much larger than any from that land. After that the land my family hunted when I was a kid was sold. My cousins had to find new land to hunt also. I got a chance to return to that land for a hunt since then and harvested a nice 7 pointer. It was like old times. Searching for new lands helped me not to fear the unknown when it got time to change jobs. But if we hope for what we do not see,we eagerly wait for it with patience. Romans 8:25

Just Wait

Being in the woods is like having toxins removed from your body. To get out on a cold, crisp day can clear your mind. It helps your breathing as you take in the clean, fresh air. It can bring total peace. Going out in the wild away from anything modern, where all you hear is birds chirping and small animals rustling in the leaves, can give you time to clear all your thoughts. Totally loosing all stress. I have done this and continue to do this every hunting season. Many times I don't even want to disturb the peace by firing my gun even when deer show up. I have let many a deer walk on past. Some with nice racks on their heads just to keep feeling the peace. Sometimes while allowing these deer to walk by I have gotten to see even bigger bucks come out. Bucks I would not have seen if I would have shot my gun.
I use what I learn in the woods in my life. The patience I learned by waiting for deer to come out has helped me when dealing with others. Learning to not rush when getting ready for my shot has taught me not to rush into anything. If you rush your shot , you will either miss or spook the deer. Waiting on the peace and getting to see bigger bucks has taught me to wait on God. I have had to use this lately as I look for a job. Being unemployed and the money maker of my home, I have wanted to take the first job that presents itself. These would not have been what was best for my family. I believe God will take care of me and my family no matter where I work. Much like the deer. If I had taken the first deer that presented itself I would have had a blessing of harvesting nice buck. But waiting allowed me to harvest a much nicer buck.

Wait for the Lord;be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Psalms 27:14

Because of the doe

When I hunt, it is for the challenge I can get. I know I have to beat the animals instincts, eyes, ears, and nose. Over the years I have learned to do this. I have watched bucks come in an area I was hunting , stop as if they felt my presence. At times the wind would be in my favor. I would be completely hidden and still get busted. They just didn't like the feel of things. I can relate. There have been different times in my life when things would seem perfect like say in a job offer, a chance at deals on things. When I started to do these things I would not feel peace. Some times it would come at the last minute. At these times when I didn't look for peace and did them anyway, many times things didn't work out for the best. Much like those old bucks who felt uneasy about things and came in anyway. Many of them filled my freezer. But getting back to hunting because of a challenge, the bucks are not always the best challenge. On many hunting shows and in my own experiences I've watched the bucks show no fear. But one old doe would be the one to bust me and the others every time. When I was hunting one time, I found the perfect funnel, but every time I tried to hunt this set up I got busted by an old long faced doe. I finally started hunting this doe. When I finally killed her it was with a long range shot. I just could not get close to her any other way. I have seen her back track when hunters spooked her. I even saw her crawl behind a dead fall tree to escape me shooting her once. She was a great challenge. I enjoyed harvesting her more than some of the bucks I've killed.

Dealing with Others

Many people are passionate about different things in life. Football, politics, fishing, hunting, etc. We can even let other peoples' passions get on our nerves. Talking with others who are passionate about something and you disagree with them can lead to arguments and at times fights. I'm passionate about hunting and I'm not influenced by what others think. Most of the time I don't even care. Over the years I have butted heads with animal lovers. Most of them think hunters are barbarians. Many of these are miss informed. Because they think that animal lovers are the ones who started conservation programs to save animals. They don't realize that hunters started these programs and give a portion of all hunting licences and fees back into these programs. I've seen people who are passionate try to change others to think the way that they think. Not just with hunting but other things like football fans who cheer for one team and try to change other fans of other teams to their side. Not likely to happen. It is the same with politics. I have seen it happen time after time. When we are passionate over things and others can't understand. We should try to see things from their side. I'm not saying change to think as they would, because I wouldn't. But we should understand not all our passions are the same. I recently saw a friend of mine compromise how he did things about something he was passionate about so he wouldn't offend me. I usually say what ever I want no matter who I offend. But I ran across someone who was passionate about something, poker, which to me is something on the lines of Uno, dominoes, clue, risk, and any other GAME. Playing against this person ,we had different styles. It was for chips, not real money, so I played like there is no tomorrow, taking some risk. I got put out quickly by calling someones bluff, and they weren't bluffing. The person who was passionate about poker took offense that it didn't faze me. He even started really talking trash talk to me. This is just being a guy. But he pushed to far in my opinion and almost got me to tell him what I really thought. That would have hurt his feelings and offended the others at the table. I held back for better relations in the future. Something I don't normally do. My wife says I'm maturing in my thinking. But me, I could see his side and his passion. Just like mine for hunting.

My first buck

I've taken a lot of bucks over the years. The one I can remember the details about the most was my first one. When I was young my granddad always had a garden. I would go help him work in the garden. I would notice all the tracks of the deer coming into his garden at night. One of them always stood out to me more than all the rest. It was a nice sized buck track. What was unique about this track was it had a split off one side of the hoof like a small finger jutting out. I saw this same track for about 5 years. I was determined to harvest this buck. I would scout all my hunting woods to find any buck sign. For anyone who don't know what scouting is. It is like looking for clues or signs left by the deer to tell where they travel. I searched where the buck I was after was entering and leaving the garden. I hunted in that direction without any luck. For 5 years this buck escaped me. Until one day I stopped beside a mud hole and looked at the ground. There in the mud was a foot print of the deer I was after. It was heading to another patch of woods from where I had been hunting. I went to a funnel in this area. There was buck sign everywhere. Deer season came that year and I took a week off to hunt. I hunted from the ground so I found me a point where the funnel crossed between to cliffs. The first morning , the wind was blowing the wrong way and I spooked the deer. The next day I was back, the wind was blowing perfectly straight up the between two cliffs forming a funnel. I smelled a wet horse smell and heard deer grunting. I was in a perfect set up. I knew it was my day. Then the wind shifted . All I heard was deer blowing their alarm. I had to react fast or miss my chance. I climbed over the side of the cliff. About 15 feet below me was the bottom. There I went around the base to meet the deer leaving from the funnel. We met and I killed a nice 8 point. My first buck, I can remember it like it was yesterday. When I checked his feet one had the split I was after.

As a child

When I got started hunting, my excitement at just being in the outdoors couldn't be matched. Just the sight of wildlife, squirrels, raccoons, hawks, and deer would make my heart race. At that time I was still young, maybe 10 years old, every sighting was a new adventure. To be out so far you couldn't hear any cars or anything modern. I could imagine myself following the footsteps of Louis and Clarke,Daniel Boone, and Davy Crockett. As I grew older my excitement wavered. No longer did my heart race as smaller animals went by me. It had to be deer to get much of a reaction. Then I became a "Dad". I would go hunting. When I came home from hunting. My children would rush to my truck and ask many questions about what I saw,not what I killed. I then started looking for different animals, when I hunted, so I could have something to tell them. They didn't care if it was a deer, squirrel. raccoon, or just a bird. It all was exciting to them. My son,who is 8 years old, and I were hunting together recently. We hadn't seen anything all morning. So we decided to move slowly through the woods to see if we could jump anything up. I was totally focused on trying to spot deer. My son was looking for whatever he could find. As a child will, he noticed things, many of which I hadn't even seen. I had walked under a tree, not even noticing 3 baby raccoons sitting on the limbs of the tree. One of which was only about 2 feet above me. He still gets excited when he remembers that story. One more thing we should try to do as a child would, is to show a little respect around wildlife. I decided to have some fun with the one just above my head by shaking it out of the tree. It was just a baby so I wasn't worried about getting hurt. I shook the limb. The raccoon lost its grip and fell. Only to catch on a limb lower down which had a broke limb laying on it. That broke limb fell right into my face and left me with knot on my head. My little boy respected the animal enough to stay away from it . Not me, if I had done as a child I wouldn't have gotten a headache.

God's canvas

Waiting in the dark for dawn. It is all quiet. The stillness is broken only by an owl's hoot in the distance. The peace is breathtaking . This is the best time to release the worries and stress of daily life. When dawn finally breaks a rainbow of colors seeps across the sky. The air has a crisp bite to it.

The grass and the trees has frost covering them. When the light of the morning sun hits it , a shine like jewels in a royal crown meets the day . This is a time I personally reflect on God's artwork. I've walked through many museums looking at paintings. None can compare to the Master's touch. People have asked me why I would be crazy enough to get up before daylight to go out in the cold. My own thoughts are taken back to all the times I have been a guest to God's canvas!

Lessons from the Past

As hunters, most of us are always trying to improve how we do things . Continuously looking for better ways to harvest the animals we hunt. Anything that gives us a better edge than the game that we are after. We use calls, scents, the latest camouflage design and the most up to date stands we can buy. I have fallen into this pattern myself. I'm not accusing people of wrong doing. I just want everyone to take a look at who showed you how to hunt. I look back and see four different men who influenced me. My dad who got me started deer hunting. My granddad who taught me how to hunt for funnels, even before magazines ever started telling about them. A friend of my dad's, who taught me how to make homemade cover scents before the first ones ever hit the markets, and one of my uncles who taught me to find water and then you will find the deer. These men showed me how to hunt the wind. What to look for in tracks and droppings so I'd know if I was after a buck or a doe. But the funnels was the best advise any of them gave. My granddad showed me to look at the lay of the land. A low area between two hills makes an obvious one. He also showed me to look at more subtle ones, like edges, places where hardwoods and pines come together. Power lines are great because many types of terrain come together to form funnels. One of my favorite funnels is a power line set in hills so I get a natural funnel that pushes deer to cross at certain areas. My problem, at first, was I had many such hills on this same power line. Until I scouted closer and found a place where pines and hardwoods came together. I also got a bonus funnel, a man made one, a dam at the end of a lake which directed deer down a particular hill funnel. Me and my hunting buddies have killed many deer in this great set up. My granddad taught me other great lessons, like deer are colored blind. So you don't have to have all the camo. He hunted in a dark blue coveralls outfit and kept his freezer filled. The friend of the family, who taught me about cover scents, showed me that baking soda makes the best scent killer. So take lessons from past. The latest products may not be the best way to fill your tag.

Just another spike

When thinking of the deer woods, I compare it to what it can teach me about life. Lessons from paying attention to the little details, to noticing things in a different light.

My hunting has been about me and my fun. I never realized how selfish I was until my oldest son started hunting with me this year. I made a terrible teacher, not because I didn't want to share my experience, but because I didn't try to make it the best experience he had ever had. If things didn't go as planned, my plans, I made it a miserable experience for him. It is a wonder that he ever wanted to go with me again. He still does. It is amazing how much boys will endure for Dad's approval. I hope that I don't let him down. Watching a spike follow after bigger bucks reminded me of this again. Spikes watch as the big boys do things. Then try to mimic what they see. Sound familiar? Our sons do the same with us. I have seen spikes turn into 8 pointers and I've seen them stay spikes for many years. I hope my son can grow into a better man than me and not into just another spike!

Hunting Memories

Deer season is over in my neck of the woods. Man that bums me out. This is when you have to reach deep down and pull out those great memories. No matter if it is deer,turkey,elk ,etc. What ever game you seek, when the season is over you have to rely on what you remember.

My favorite memories of this past season were when I, myself, just filled the freezer, or more importantly when I got to show my son what my passion is all about. I'll never forget the first chance he had to shoot a deer . He took careful aim and didn't shoot . When I looked at him he was shaking, buck fever had struck again. Or I can recall my hunting buddy, killing his first big racked buck. Boy I was jealous! He killed a monster 7 point. To me hunting is not about the harvest, it is about getting outdoors, which I sometimes forget. I can recall some of my fondest memories such as sitting on the ground by a tree and watching two does, both with sets of twins, pass within 15 feet from me. Talk about a rush. Or even better getting high on a mountain to watch the sun rise or set. There is nothing more relaxing.