by John Jefferson

The days are getting shorter and cooler, and last week’s rainstorm renewed several Hill Country streams to flowing again. Morning temperatures have slipped down into the 60’s. Teal season has come and gone and few dove hunters are still picking birds. Deer and fall turkey seasons are nearing and Archery-only Season opened September 30.

Bow hunters hopefully have completed pre-season practice and some now even have venison cooling – or cooking.

Both the North and South Zone regular white-tailed deer seasons open November 4. Hunters are taking advantage of the cooler weather to add finishing touches to deer stands, filling feeders, and checking sights on deer rifles. Traditionally, hunters do that over Labor Day weekend, but older, wiser hunters this year may have postponed that due to 100-plus degree heat. Rifle barrels heat up quicker in September’s hot weather and may not cool for hours. That affects accuracy and makes sighting-in less enjoyable. Now, though, the time has come.

It’s said that on many good journeys, getting there is half the fun. Preparing for deer season is one of those. On a lease I managed for eleven years, we tried to get all the stand and feeder work besides adding feed done before late October. One year, a hunter wanted to move his feeder after the opening morning hunt. We all pitched in to get it over with quickly and let the pasture cool down quietly. That backfired.

Some will remember that my Labrador accompanied us and chased a goat into the lake. I stripped and swam in the chilly water to “life-save” the struggling goat. The laughter from the other hunters could be heard for miles … and by the deer, too.

If you are still placing stands, think about wind direction. One of the best stands I ever constructed was a natural-appearing ground blind. A large cedar tree shaded a small area where erosion had carved out somewhat of a seat against a hard earthen bank. The “seat” was large enough for me to sit with my legs and feet resting comfortably on the next level of erosion. I sniffed the breeze and realized that with a little construction, I could arrange it so the prevailing southeast breeze blew toward me at an angle, carrying my scent behind me and away from the likely area of deer movement. The prevailing north wind also came at an angle and blew my scent away from the feeder into my face and carried scent away behind me.

I had several railroad ties leftover from home landscaping and built a sort of a wrap-around “Lincoln Log” front to it that shielded me from sight from the feeder. The low, overhanging tree shaded me in mock darkness. The ties were heavy and stable, affording the most solid shooting brace imaginable.

Most of my shots were toward the feeder, 182-yards away. Some were toward the other direction. Deer came within pistol range several times without detecting me. Dressing warmly was required. Thankfully, it seldom rained.

JJ