Stuck In A Rut

Stuck In A Rut by James L. Bruner
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Here we go! Another season of hunting that elusive whitetail deer is in full swing for many hunters. The reports will start to filter in regarding the latest big buck harvested and the inside information will be held in what one might consider a classified manner with nothing but top level viewing for a select chosen few. This is especially true when the hunter has done his or her homework well in advance of the season opener. For these successful hunters it will be a time of admiration and celebration but, for the majority of the hunting population it will become just another year…again.

I spent years hunting whitetails with firearms before graduating to archery equipment. In those earliest of days I learned from my father, who, in my eyes, had more information than I could possibly ever absorb in a lifetime. I was taught the basics of reading deer sign and dedicating myself to time on the stand regardless of the weather or my waning interest at times. Most of that knowledge was embedded deep within my very fabric of existence and still holds vital to success some 28 years later. Yet, there was a flaw in the method, a chink in the armor if you will. We hunted the same area year after year. Practically the same stand from one season to the next. And, although we managed to fill tags and create the substantial bonds of a father and a son, I always wondered what might lay ahead just over that next ridge or in that great expanse of forest where nobody seemed to venture. In short, our hunting was stuck in a rut.

Overcoming obstacles is the greatest hurdle for many hunters. It’s not all about your gear, your clothing, or even your level of experience. There’s a mindset to hunting that successful hunters subscribe to before becoming successful. It’s a willingness to walk beyond the personal borders that most hunters create for themselves. I once remember a good hunting partner of mine comment on an area where we overlooked literally thousands of heavily wooded acres from atop an oak tree bluff. The forest below was thick, dark, and wet in most areas, populated mainly with spruce trees and similar canopy that shrouded the ground from sunlight. In the distance you could see small stands of hardwoods dotted through the landscape. Climbing back up the bluff itself was admittedly tiring and tedious. He said, “I’d like to hunt down there but how the hell would we get the deer back out?” I remarked that transporting the deer out only comes after we shoot the deer so, if you want to sit on this ridge and hope they come to you, feel free. We know the deer are down there and that my friend is where I plan to hunt.

That mindset is the varying degree between many hunters. Some hold a higher work ethic while others will sit tight and hope the game comes to them. As I’ve explained in the opening paragraphs, I’ve been down that path. There are undoubtedly some readers thinking yes, stay with the oak trees and hunt the deer that feed in the early and late hours. For the most part you are correct if the acorn mast is in production. The part that wasn’t explained was that a dirt road paralleled that ridge no less than 25 yards from the oak trees. Although traffic wasn’t heavy this was public property. We had glassed this area earlier in the year noting several small bucks and one exceptional animal using the area as travel corridor to and from their bedding area below the bluff. They fed in an open fire lane but that would obviously change once hunting pressure began and the acorns started dropping. In reference, their bedding area would remain the same unless pushed by hunters. In three years of hunting this plot of property we had only encountered three other hunters who never bothered to venture much further than the bottom of the bluff. It’s relatively secure to say that the expanse beyond was void of hunting pressure, at least until we arrived.

Go Get ‘Em
This is where most hunters fail. Falling onto the wayside of believing you cannot approach deer without alerting them is calling it quits before getting started. If that were the absolute case it would apply in nearly every hunting scenario. Give yourself the credit for finding a great hunting spot and attack with the caution you would in any hunting situation. There is no reference to the actual approach when traversing greater distances on foot to and from your hunting area. Basics of using the wind, immediate cover, and sunlight if applicable, are common requirements for any hunting situation including the approach. Pace yourself at longer distances to alleviate the possibility to breaking a sweat and creating excess human odor. Realize the time needed to travel and plan accordingly. This is especially relevant when approaching the stand. Your retreat “time” is considered negate but your retreat should be handled with the same caution as your approach. Sooner or later you will spook a deer on your travel. It’s just a matter of fact and the odds increase with the distance traveled and the frequency. That doesn’t spell disaster for the hunt or following hunt. In fact, it could hold clues for changes in your strategy.

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