Hardcore whitetail hunts vs laidback hunts and the gratification of both
One thing I’ve learned about deer hunting in my life is that no two hunts are the same. There are so many factors that go into a hunt that make it unique. Are you hunting public land or private land, solo or with a buddy, hardcore or more relaxed? Whitetail hunting is definitely on a spectrum. There are a thousand different ways for your hunt to go down.
I was able to get a taste of this truth this past hunting season. I tasted success twice, but the hunts both unfolded completely differently. The lead up, weapon of choice, and hunt breakdown all varied. I like it like that. Hunting will never get stale but it’s seasons like this last one that keeps you coming back for more. This is the story of my 2023 hunting season.
The First Buck
I spent the latter half of September and early part of October combing the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri for a buck. Hot weather and a large acorn crop put a big damper on my early season sightings. From there I decided to try a mid-October bow hunt in Oklahoma. I had been in that area previously and knew that it had a very dense deer population, so my expectations were high. It was quickly learned that warm weather and distant buck sightings would once again leave me empty handed. The calendar was slowly flipping by and my anxiety started to grow.
I’m used to not harvesting a deer until November, but most years I would have close calls and fairly frequent buck encounters. This year I had virtually none. I felt behind from the start and even though I had quite a bit of season left, I was starting to get discouraged. Missouri and Oklahoma had beat me down, so I decided to try yet another state, Arkansas.
I was raised in Arkansas and still had connections down there. In fact, I had permission on a nice piece of ground within two hours of my Missouri home. And better yet, I already had an Arkansas hunting license. Saturday, November 4th would be my first chance to get down there and give it a try. With plans made and a desire to make something happen, I was ready to make the trip.
I pulled into my parking spot early that morning. My dad was going to meet me and hunt a different spot on the farm. I had a short conversation with him and then gathered my gear for the hunt. My bow and backpack felt heavy that morning on the way to the stand. It was probably the extra anxiety I was carrying in with me. After a short walk, I made it to the stand and settled in.
I love the stand I was sitting in. It was a long running island settled between a creek and deep ditch. The big hardwoods to my east and the small food plot to my west often make good travel destinations for the deer. We have harvested several bucks here in the previous years so I was in as good a spot as any to end my season angst. I didn’t have to sit long before I started seeing deer.
I was treated to some deer activity across the ditch. A spike and two small does stayed out of range but fed on the water oak acorns for almost an hour. It was the longest encounter with deer that I had experienced all season. Those deer fed off out of site and before I could even settle back into the stand, I caught some movement in the food plot about 80 yards away. There was definitely deer out there, I just couldn’t make out what they were.
I dug my doe bleat call out of my bag and sent a few bleats their way. It was only a few minutes later that the silhouette of a deer entered the woods from the plot. It didn’t take long for me to notice the white antlers dipping up and down as the deer bobbed my way. I got up slowly and grabbed my bow and focused on my shooting lane. I was over 20 ft high in the tree and amongst great cover, so I wasn’t too worried about being spotted. But the comfort in my setup was slowly being replaced by anxiety.
“I’m finally about to get my chance, so don’t screw it up” I thought. This is the first significant buck sighting that I had all season, squandering it would be detrimental to my confidence. The buck inched closer to my shooting lane. I drew and watched the buck through my peep. He paused for a moment before he took the final steps into the wide open. He was 10 yards and the anxiety started to melt away. I settled the pin and released the arrow. Seconds later I was greeted by the sound of a crash in the distance. I got him.
The Second Buck
I was able to ride the high of harvesting my first buck of the season for the rest of November. Hunting became easy after that. I don’t mean it got easier as in the difficulty of finding deer, it became easier on my mental state. I was carrying around the anxiety of possibly not harvesting a buck for the season and that was now gone. I’ve learned that hunting is a lot more fun that way and often more success is to be had.
After a couple weeks of gun hunting Missouri, I received a text from my buddy in Arkansas, John. We had been texting the last few weeks about getting together for a hunt in Arkansas. Our friendship goes way back and hunts like this have seem to become our annual reconnection. He also farms a couple pieces of ground that offer great deer hunting opportunities. “I got a couple good 8 points down here that we are targeting if you want to come take a stab at one of them” his text read. My answer was simple and direct, “heck yeah!”
I arrived at John’s house on November 26 for our hunt. We gathered our gear as he gave me a quick rundown on the days’ plan. John had already tagged out on two awesome bucks for the year, so I would be the only gunner on our hunt. We had good weather and a good prevailing wind. The only hindrance we had was that we were getting a late start. This happens from time to time, especially as life happens, but we were still confident.
Usually when I hunt, I am the one in control. I make the plan and carry it out. This hunt was a bit different. John knew the farm and he knew what we needed to do. “Since we are low on time, we are just going to sneak up this old road and check these bedding and travel areas. If we don’t run into anything, I know a spot I’d like to sit for the last hour.” This all sounded good to me considering he knows this place like the back of his hand.
We took it slow and we eased down the road. He led the way and gave me cues to when to stop and glass. We kept this up for almost an hour before we crossed over into a big field. We spotted a distant doe but it was still a little early for buck activity. John had seen a shooter buck on the other end of the field the night before and had already planned our route. “There is a low field just on the other side of this field that I’ve see so many bucks come out of. I’ve never shot one down there but I’ve always wanted to. So that’s where we are going.”
Binos
We stepped down into the low field and confirmed there were no deer in it at that time. We settled into some low brushy timber and began to wait. My backpack was next to me and my rifle laid across my lap. I knew it could happen at any moment. But like any time John and I are together we start to relive some old memories. We tried to keep our laughing at a low volume but that can get hard sometimes. But that’s what hunting is about, having a good time.
During our quiet conversation I turned and looked back at the field and quickly noticed a deer standing at 75 yards away. It didn’t take me long to notice the horns on his head. John slowly raised his binoculars to look at the buck. “Shooter! That’s the buck from last night” he whispered. I raised my rifle and waited for the buck to give me a better shot angle. It took what felt like minutes for the buck to present a shot, but when he did, I knew I had to make it count. BOOM! The buck was hit well and only ran 40 yards before piling up in a briar thicket. All we could do was high five and laugh. “Buddy, that was a hunt!”
No Hunt is The Same
As most deer hunters know, no two hunts are exactly the same, but a successful hunt is always enjoyed. I harvested my two Arkansas bucks this year in completely different situations. The circumstances and events of each hunt were different but I was equally satisfied! I learned a lot from this season and the way it unfolded.
Everybody’s hunt is different. Some of us hunt public land, some of us hunt private land. Some of us hunt over feeders, some of us hunt over natural sign. Some of us hunt with archery only, and some of us aren’t afraid to pick up the rifle. We don’t have to do it the same way. In the famous words of the Okayest Hunter “My tag, my hunt.” Legal and ethical are the only factors of the hunt that matter to me. Everything else is the dealer’s choice! Hunt hard and have fun, that’s what I learned while navigating the deer hunting spectrum.
Will Bowen, Okayest Hunter Contributor