Well, we are nearing the end of another gun season and things couldn’t be much worse. Those that depend on fresh venison are likely struggling to get the freezer filled. Don’t throw in the towel yet, you may still need it to wipe your hands.
It’s sad to me when I hear of hunters only in the trophy taking manor. I may speak of big deer, but when it all boils down, it’s about the lean, high quality sustenance provided by a totally renewable resource. One such hunter made this more than obvious to me the other day. As expected, I received some negative feedback about our use of food plots, although I’m not entirely sure they had read the whole column. Either way, it is most hunters’ last chance to get one this weekend and there are things you can do to give you a bit of an advantage.
It’s pretty common for people to make assumptions about things they don’t understand. Many anti-hunters think people that trophy hunt commonly throw the deer away and only keep the head. Although, it does happen, it is extremely rare and has only been seen once by myself. The likely reason for this happening so unfrequently, probably has to do with other hunters. I wouldn’t want to be the guy poaching a deer this way and have a group of hunters find out. It’s likely your hunting camp would be reduced to rubble and ashes or walking up to your truck with four flats the next day. We conscious hunters won’t stand for this kind of stuff and tend to make it totally apparent to an offending party. I’m not saying to do this stuff, as it is all illegal, but that’s just the way country folks tend to handle stuff. I don’t know a single hunter that wouldn’t be totally disgusted by the sight, or at the person that shot and only beheaded a buck.
As hunters, most of us value the animals as much as the people who say they are animal lovers. They claim they love animals, yet they do nothing to perpetuate the species. I say if you love something, then feed it, don’t let it starve! It was pretty funny to hear a lady complaining about how it’s sad that people have to lure deer out with food to shoot them. She was referring to the buck featured in last week’s column that was shot by Butch White. She, like all of you, didn’t get the full story. The deer was shot standing in one of the over 200 acres of clover field on the property, but so what? Who cares if it were under an apple tree, drinking from a pond, feeding in the corn, or in a plot you planted? They are all bait. When’s the last time you caught a fish without tying some form of bait on your line? That would just be stupid, get the point? We use calls, scent, food, and live doe as bait, or as attractant. All of which are used to place the animal in a position, as to make the fastest and cleanest kill possible. Would you rather someone shoot at running deer, where they are much more likely to wound one, or shoot one standing totally still while feeding, which offers the best chance of a lethal hit?
The fact is, you must make a good hit to fill your freezer. To most hunters, this is what it’s all about. One of my friends harvested their first deer the other day. I asked if they would like to be in the paper with their picture. They first agreed, but then backed out. The hunter didn’t want to look like they were bragging about a kill. Many people take it wrong when they see a picture of a hunter with a harvested animal and think they are just blood thirsty and glorifying the kill. This is almost always a mixed up perception, as most hunters are proud of the hard work it took to accomplish the goal and are more excited about the stuffed freezer they are about to receive. This hunter I speak of is an exemplary person, who valued the life of the animal so much, that the first thing done was to thank the deer for giving its life to sustain their own. This is the type of hunter I know and am happy to call a friend. “Respect” would be the key word used in describing this person’s decision and that’s exactly what you have earned by me. Let’s just say I was honored and not upset by your decision, it shows your true colors!
It doesn’t seem to be cooling down any, so pushes and still hunting will likely be your best chance at filling your tags. Remember to make a game plan that is based around safety before you push. I like what are called silent pushes, where the driver or drivers use their scent rather than presence to move deer. They tend to move more slowly this way and it creates more distance between the shooters and drivers. This is much safer and tends to give you better shots. Please wear lots of orange and be absolutely sure of your target before you shoot. If you are going to still hunt, put the wind in your face, move as slow as possible and look ahead as far as you can attempting to spot deer through the brush, before they do you. If all works out, you may be headed home with a buzzer beater buck, or doe.
Good wishes, and if you don’t know, don’t speak. You may be getting baited into an argument that you can’t win!