Whitetail Wizard

The turkey season has slowed down the writing, and the more writing is done, the more I realize must be done. Is a book every truly complete?

I doubt it. My book, when completed to my satisfaction, will contain a vast store of information. Some of it is found only in my blogs, and some tips will be used that may never have found their way into my daily weblog.

There will probably be 14 or 15 chapters. and we’re are discussing a color centerfold of trophy buck photos. The book will be based on my experiences with deer over 60 years, and some of what makes me tick. Some people say I think like a deer, but that is giving deer human-like qualities they don’t possess.

Watching deer has been my lifelong hobby, and if you watch enough animals, some of their mannerisms will show through. A hunter can learn to predict with a certain degree of accuracy what they will do before they do it.

If that means I am thinking like a deer, perhaps I am. I’d much rather call it being attentive and observant.

The book is roughly a third done. Some days flow better than others, and some times it’s easier to recall certain techniques that have worked in the past. Sometimes I must nudge a tiny tidbit of information loose that doesn’t want to go anywhere. These little nuggets of information are important to hunters.

One of the things that will come through in my book is the need to think positively. A mental condition of positive thinking is available to most people, and bow hunters who think they will succeed, often do.

I’m also a strong believer in hunches. Call them gut feelings if you will, but I’ve learned to go with my inner feelings. Most of the time I am right, and that leads to success.

These hunches often come to me as I walk to a stand. A strong gut feeling tells me that this spot, although perfect for the prevailing wind direction, is not going to be the hotspot stand this evening. I don’t stop to question why.

It’s happened too many times for me to ignore it. I always go with my instincts, and deer hunters must trust those instincts. If something inside seems to tell you to move to another stand, don’t argue with yourself, just move. It can be a false alarm, but more often than not, the hunch pays off.

I never question my instincts. Deer live by their instincts, and it’s why they see, hear and smell so well. One hint of danger often sends them on their way. Those three senses are three that humans possess but cannot use very well.

We can see and hear, but certainly not like a deer. Their lives depend on the use of these three senses. Our sense of smell is totally inadequate in our role as a deer hunter.

We have binoculars and spotting scopes to even up things in the vision department. We can have good hearing or wear a Walker’s Game Ear, and allow it to amplify those soft sounds that deer can make while walking through the woods.

Whatever we do to improve our senses is totally inadequate when we try to match wits with deer. However, we have the ability to think. We can filter out meaningless fluff, reason out potential problems and concentrate on the animal. This is where daily deer observations help me.

It allows me to study body language. I can tell if a deer is calm and relaxed, slightly agitated (most often during the pre-rut or rut) and when they are scared witless.

A frightened deer is nearly impossible to hunt with a bow. We seek those calm and relaxed individuals because they are at peace with themselves and the world. They go through the woods with some purposes but they are not driven by nervous energy or a sense of danger.

Studying deer is my passion, and it helps me become a good hunter. What I know and what I do will be in the book.

I suspect by early July we will have a working price for my book, and once we do, we will pre-sell it at a discount buy-it-now price. Such buyers who choose the buy-it-now will save some money.