 Throughout
the years I've been using weather fronts for my pre-season and in-season
scouting. It has proven to be a very effective way of locating large white
tails. A lot of hunters prefer the comfort of their homes, behind a TV
set in their favorite chair on rainy, miserable days but they're missing
out on opportunities that could be handed to them because of these weather
fronts. It doesn't matter how wet or cold or miserable I get because when
I see one of these large white tails, you couldn't tell me whether it was
freezing, a torrential rain, or whether it was 70 above and the sun was
shining.
If you dress right for the occasion, it doesn't matter about the weather.
In my pre-season and in-season scouting during a weather front, I pay attention
to the feeding areas because the deer's movement is generally a lot earlier
in the day than normal. Even though I use the wind to guide me on any particular
day to a pre-scouted area I'm going to hunt, weather fronts will keep your
scent and your noise level to a
very minimum, which gives you the opportunity to move into areas
without being detected. Such was the case on a very cold, rainy November
day.
We had several weather fronts coming through that day. One minute it
would be snowing then the next minute it would be a freezing rain. It was
the middle of the week and a workday and all I could think about was getting
into a funnel that led to a feeding area. Finally I couldn't take it any
longer; I grabbed my gear and headed for the woods! As I was moving into
the funnel the rain was so cold it was actually freezing to the trees and
bushes. I believe if I would have wanted to sit in a tree there would have
been no way to get into one without slipping out of it and breaking my
neck because of the ice that was forming on the trees.
I took some brush from the ground and leaned it against a birch tree
that was within 20 yards of the main trail in this funnel, which gave me
excellent concealment from any critters that would be moving on the trail.
There was a pesky squirrel that couldn't get over me being in his area.
His curiosity kept bringing him closer and closer to me. Then he would
turn and run out and would make all kinds of noise. It seemed like my attention
was focused on that little critter. A couple of times he just about had
me laughing out loud because of the his antics.
Suddenly a doe appeared out of nowhere. She was walking on the main
run that I was watching. I stayed hidden behind my brush blind and my bow.
When she passed by and went into the feeding area I thought if a real dandy
came by it would be like "taking candy from a baby". Mother Nature continued
to test me by pelting me with freezing rain and light snow. My attention
was diverted abruptly from the weather when I heard some twigs snap and
the first thing I thought about was that my "old buddy" the squirrel had
returned. As I peeked out through my brush blind I was awestruck. Moving
towards me on the trail, following the doe's tracks, was one of the largest
white tails I've ever seen! I had to take my mind completely off his enormous
rack and concentrate on drawing my bow in order to make the right shot.
My plan was to let him walk past me so he wouldn't catch any movement
of me drawing my bow. Just when I thought everything was going to be a
"walk in the park", the buck stepped off the trail and started moving to
my left instead of to my right. He was now within 20 yards of me and any
false movement on my part would send my dream buck back "into my dreams".
I was able to get myself turned and positioned for the shot only because
of the rain and the quietness of the damp ground.
Besides the rain and snow, I believe this was another good break from
Mother Nature. Seconds seemed like hours waiting for the majestic animal
to give me the right shot. He was quartering slightly about 25 yards from
me.
I believe he was looking for the doe that had passed by earlier. He
would take a few steps, sniff the ground and look around. It was almost
as if he was confused as to what trail she had gone down. As he was looking
the other way, I drew my PSE bow and made sure of my shot. When I released
the 2419 Easton arrow tipped with a 150-grain two-bladed Thunderhead, it
passed through him without slowing down.
The buck didn't know what happened. He spun around and stood there looking
behind him. I had to double check my mind because I saw the bright fletch
hit the spot I was aiming for. I no more than second-guessed myself when
the buck started trotting down the trail from which he had come as if nothing
had happened.
I had everything I could do to keep myself in the blind because I was
sure I heard the animal fall. Twenty minutes passed and I couldn't wait
any longer. I found my arrow and it was exactly the way you like to see
them.
It was not hard trailing the buck. Just as I thought I had heard him
fall, there he was. He was all that I thought him to be and there was no
ground shrinkage. For the rest of the evening, dragging that deer out of
the woods, you couldn't have told me what the weather conditions were because
I was living a "dream come true".
Just think what would have happened if I had stayed at work, went home
and then sat in front on the TV in my favorite easy chair. The buck of
my dreams would have been just that--a dream.
Ray Howell
Phone: (507) 894-4624
Email: kickingbearfish@yahoo.com
or: Jason Borchardt
Franklin Family Ranch
Phone: (210) 445-3530
Web Site: www.rayhowell.com.
email: info@huntingffrtexas.com |
