Venturing Out

            After spending countless hours hunting public land and having my hunt ruined time and time again by other hunters, I was very frustrated by the time the deer season ended last year. Although I’m not sure how serious I was about it, the thought certainly crossed my mind that I had had enough and was done with hunting. In the pursuit of whitetails, it’s easy to get worn down mentally and begin to doubt your ability and even why you’re out there in the first place. Hunters sit through miserable weather for hours on end only to (more often than not) come back empty handed. We all know that even if you put in the time you aren’t guaranteed success. That’s not why we’re out there though. However, at the height of our failures we lose sight of the fact that a deer on the ground doesn’t dictate the success of a season.

            Anyway, the season wrapped up and I was left there feeling sorry for myself that I had put in the time and work in order to shoot a buck on public land but hadn’t even seen a buck, let alone had an opportunity. I decided that I could either feel sorry for myself or do something about it. I set a goal for myself that I would have at least one piece of new ground to hunt by the time the next season rolled around.

I began driving all over through farm country. I knocked on doors and got turned away. I got chased off properties by crazy-eyed men who seemed to think I had an ulterior motive and one even went so far as to grab a gun and chase after my truck. Apparently many of our farmers are being taken advantage of to the point that some just snap but that is a discussion for a different time. After having what I perceived to be and what actually may have been a near death experience I took a break from knocking on doors. That only lasted so long before the dread of another season like the previous one drove me back to my truck and out to resume my search.

I decided that maybe farms aren’t where I should go and started focusing on areas with smaller parcels. The people living in slightly more urban areas might take more kindly to a stranger showing up at their door unannounced. Since I love bow hunting and these were smaller tracts, it seemed that people would be more open to the idea of bow hunting so I decided I would ask for permission to hunt with a bow. My theory proved right initially. I knocked on one door and spoke with an elderly gentleman who said he didn’t have a problem with it. Then I spoke with his neighbor who gave me permission. They had 60 and 17 acres respectively. Just like that, I had 77 acres of contiguous land on which to bow hunt.

I was over the moon with excitement. Then the following morning I got a call: “I spoke with my wife last night” the older gentleman said, “and she doesn’t like the idea so unfortunately I have to say you can’t hunt”. There went 60 acres. As quickly as I had gotten it, I had lost it. I consoled myself saying that I still had 17 acres plus a small piece a family friend owns that has about five huntable acres – having two spots is better than having one. I scouted the 17 acre tract a couple times and had finally picked my spot for a tree stand. Then the phone rang again with more bad news. The neighbors had all gotten together and, while they wanted the deer numbers down, they didn’t want someone hunting it as they all walk and ride horses through each other’s property. I lost that piece too.

I was relegated back to hunting public land and the small tract of the family friend. Don’t get me wrong, I am very grateful for that little spot but after about the third sit in a week, deer seem to disappear. This blow certainly took the wind out of my sails. Then I remembered that in the county next to me there is an urban archery program and it just so happened that when I looked into it the application deadline was only five days away. I got accepted into the program and the area I would be hunting is a mere fifteen minutes away. It also happens to be just five minutes from the small property owned by my friend.

About six weeks ago, I had just qualified with my bow for the urban archery program and decided to stop and check a trail camera on the small five acre piece. As I left I saw the neighbor out and stopped to chat. He told me that a lady down the road had some land and desperately wanted the deer numbers down so I should go ask her about permission. I immediately did so and after a few minutes of talking she granted me permission. I went to take a look at the land. I found a creek winding through her property and it wrapped the edge of an old horse pasture. She said she didn’t use the pasture and told me I was welcome to try planting a food plot. I have never had an opportunity to plant a food plot so I jumped at the chance.

Food plot after I cut the grass

 

Food plot after spraying

 

View of food plot from my tree stand

Prepping my food plot

Now here we are, only days until the urban archery opener, a month from the Virginia statewide opener and I have three spots to bow hunt. The urban spot is wooded and lies along the edge of a river – the terrain is rough but it is loaded with oak ridges and thick cover in areas. It was never hunted until last year so it has potential to carry some big deer. The small property has plenty of thick cover and will be a good spot as it gets closer to the rut – having other options will make it easier to stay out of there for a while. The last spot has a big open pasture with a late season food plot that is just beginning to show signs of life. I have put in hours and hours of time and effort this summer but I feel like I have more opportunities this year than I have any of the previous years in my short-lived hunting career. As I said in the beginning of this article, it still might not work out and it almost assuredly won’t go according to plan. However, I am satisfied that I have done everything in my power to sway things in my favor (and it doesn’t hurt that I lucked into some things as well). Oh! And I’ll be hunting an 80 acre farm in southern Ohio (see previous “Ohio Dreamin’” post). I really feel like someone is looking out for me and guiding me this season. The only thing I have left to say is bring on the 2016 season!!!