It’s opening day of deer season down here in Alabama and the pre-dawn hour found me creeping into one of my favorite spots. It’s a pretty patch of forest where several old logging roads converge. They’re grown over by several years but you can clearly see where the deer have been using single tracks of the old roads. As I sat listening, hoping to hear something approaching, I mentally anticipated what might happen. If any deer passed by my stand they would most certainly be in the order of does first with bucks trailing.
This time of year bucks generally follow does with one thing in mind but this behavior has an alternate benefit: the does will encounter any danger first allowing the buck(s) to slip away unscathed. Southern “gentlemen” display the same behavior, always stepping aside for the ladies, opening doors and such. They also spend a lot of time in the woods. Could it be? Makes you wonder if it’s chivalry or survival – “All clear, guys. C’mon in.” 😉
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Visited my family back in Piedmont North Carolina last week. They all talked about the increase in the number of deer seen and number of road kill along the local country roads. My sister has had one confirmed and several near misses. I saw several kills in the short time I was there. I wonder if, carring your hypothesis further, that more does are laying along side the roads than bucks.
It also probably points to, in this time of “fear the gun”, less people are picking up the sport and the white-tails numbers are exploding. Many of the good ol’ boys are taking up and teaching their sons (and daughters, to be PC) golf, etc.
Hey, bet you didn’t know you got lost. I deleted you somehow, just now found you again.
My oldest grandson and I went out last weekend, to a stand a friend of mine has. The deer south of here had a very good year and he assured us that we would get a buck.
We went down about midday and set up in the stand and as it was kinda hot and boring we ate, took a nap and waited.
About twilight, we started hearing noises, and two doe came by. The sniffed and stopped, but there was no wind to speak of and they went on by.
Just before it was too dark to see, a nice 13 point buck walked up about a hundred yards away.
As my grandson is a newby shooter, he didn’t want to shoot yet. I told him ok, but don’t wait too long because he was losing the light and the buck might not get any closer.
He waited, the buck waited, I said, you better shoot soon or your going to be shooting in the dark.
So, as he laid it up I noticed him trembling a little. I whispered for him to take several deep slow breaths and relax.
He made the shot, dead center in the heart, his first buck.
To many, this wouldn’t be much but for us on that night, it was another step in his growing up.
Soon, he will be in the military and he won’t be shooting for supper, but for his life and the lives of others.
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
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