I got to thinking a few weeks ago (I know that can be dangerous). Like an out-of-body experience, I found myself combing a small ridge. With a shotgun in hand, I snapped back into consciousness and realized I was aimlessly shed hunting. I had left my turkey decoy and backpack on the road. With barely a dry stitch on me, I had already abandoned my morning turkey hunt in the balmy Texas heat… and I don’t even remember deciding to do so.
It was only 10:30 a.m….
The more I pondered it, it was as if I had subconsciously made the hour and a half drive solely to do deer stuff – and disguised it within the cloak of a turkey hunt. A little after daybreak, I had called in a couple of Jakes and soon after, aborted the mission; seemingly automatically.
When it comes to whitetails, my wife has always said I’m obsessed. I used to deny it but gave in years ago. I unknowingly wore her down. It’s true. I enjoy the likes of fishing, bird hunting, and hog hunting. Heck, I’ve also been known to hunt exotics in my home state of Texas. If it tastes good and presents a challenge, it’s worth sending an arrow or rifle cartridge through it.
The “Whitetails365” crowd loves the harvest, but there is so much more.
I’ve come to realize that these activities are little more than fillers for me; a way to bide my time until deer season. Luckily, as an outdoor writer, I have the luxury and privilege to regularly put pen to paper regarding deer hunting strategies, stories, and even lifestyle articles for an array of blogs and publications. It keeps the fires burning – as if I need any help.
The fact is, my thoughts are perpetually consumed with antlers, backstrap, tree stand setups, and whitetail travel patterns. If I’m honest, I’m fanatical when it comes to these special critters. I’ve learned that I’m part of a special class of deer hunters that constantly plans for the pursuit of mature whitetail bucks. However, it goes beyond deer camp drinking sessions around the fire pit or the guy that has a couple of designated hunting weekends that he will jump through a dozen hoops to attend.
It’s a year-round thing. If I’m not actively chasing whitetails, I’m thinking about it. What this doesn’t mean is that I’m an elite deer hunter always enjoying elite success. It simply means I’ve been bitten by a bug with lifelong consequences. I know I’m not alone; nor am I closed to being done.
Here are a few symptoms and mindsets to consider when contemplating your place on the whitetail obsession spectrum.
Year-Round Consumption
“Deer on the brain” is a condition whereby you consume all things whitetails pretty much 365 days of the year. If you’re not hunting, you’re scouting, gawking at trail cam images, immersed in hunting social media, or shed hunting (just to name a few). For the chronic deer hunting guy or gal, this also includes feeding on hunting books, articles, videos, and even seminars. No matter the activity, you’re biding your time until that first fall morning in the stand. What’s more, this character is always seeking to learn more about America’s number one game animal – and new strategies that will hopefully elevate success.
Obsessed deer hunters, among many things, study the grounds they hunt, regardless of the season.
Planning for the Fall
Obsessed whitetailers are always planning, scheming, and managing paid leave balances at work. They strategize their hall passes with spouses and other loved ones. There’s an art to it. You know who you are.
From the stand to the offseason, thought bubbles are filled with things that will make next season better; adding or moving a stand, planting a new food plot, or making habitat improvements. Amid work, little league games, and home chores, this bunch finds a way. The list grows faster than you can check things off it – and you’d have it no other way.
Trying New Methods and Equipment
Indeed, the hardcore whitetail hunter is always looking for the next strategy, hack, or piece of gear that will land them at their next grip and grin next to a big buck. This rings true from October bow season to the family summer vacation. Items in this category include everything from trying a new broadhead to contemplating hunting from the ground. Questions arise such as “why not try a scent eliminator” or “why not try a decoy next season”.
New gear and gadgets are a big one, especially for bowhunters. The urge to get a new bow, bow sight or tree stand typically comes on the heels of the non-stop hunting show commercials. social media ads, and the annual hunting show season.
If this category is a reality for you, you know all too well that deer hunting is a bona fide line item on your personal budget. For this crew, the perceived need for newer or better gear is always alive and well, regardless of income level.
Seeing Deer Things Everywhere
Okay, this one is near and dear to my heart and proved my obsession years ago – and it happened just the other day when I saw a plastic kid’s fort at Costco and automatically contemplated the notion of making a deer stand out of one. I have to say, it looked ideal – and without hesitation, I mentally devised a couple of great locations for such an awesome home brew blind. I reasoned that it would take little more than removing the slide and adding proper-colored spray paint. While I didn’t buy it, it took a couple of hours to shake the idea; the possibilities.
Other examples in this class include the will to repurpose just about any scraps or random equipment for the greater deer hunting good. From old water tanks and wooden pallets to cattle panels and livestock hay rings, this deer-sick creature perpetually sees hunting equipment. Compulsive? No, I like to think of it as resourceful or crafty.
Summer Deer Chores
This condition involves a constant to-do list on your hunting grounds – and the whole exercise is exponential. Planting food plots, setting up feeders, building and relocating stands and blinds, and establishing mock scrapes come to mind. One thing leads to another. The more extreme whitetail seekers are willing to tackle these activities in the dog days of summer. What’s more, this type of hunter comes up with new chores all the time.
Think about it; How many people say to themselves, “Hey, it’s 103 today, I think I’ll head to the deer lease to cut brush”?
The catch is many whitetail junkies, to their spouse’s chagrin, will choose these chores over those at home, if given the choice. Hey, it makes sense to me. For this reason, strategies are also necessary on the home front to make this work – strategies as real as those of the hunt itself.
Seeking New Grounds
Despite the high cost of hunting these days, ultra-serious deer hunters always have a place to hunt, if not a few. Whether it’s on public land, a lease, or free permission parcel, they’ve worked this out. It’s called priorities.
The hardcore deer hunter is rarely satisfied when it comes to hunting dirt. There is always wanderlust. While some seek a second tract close to home, others annually journey to other states in search of a good buck. Whether it’s to improve their skills or just see different landscapes, diehard hunters often dream of new spaces. Like with hunting gear, this one isn’t as driven by income level as many think it is. A good piece of hunting dirt or two is the lifeblood of successful deer hunting and this class of hunter usually finds a way.
Obsessed deer hunters almost always are seeking new grounds to hunt.
So, are you a dyed-in-the-wool whitetail nut? There is no better time than the offseason to ponder the question. While this is only a partial list, it’s likely adequate for forming a diagnosis. If you identify with most or all of these criteria, you probably have a case of deer on the brain.
If you’re willing to admit it, cherish it. It reveals many positive things. For example, it means you respect wildlife, enjoy wild spaces, and love providing venison to your family.
Perhaps most of all, you’ve learned to learn; a state of mind where you welcome new challenges and seek to improve your craft. This is important because, after all, whitetails are worthy adversaries. This state of mind and being is also a healthy willingness to embrace nature, utilizing it for adventure, sustenance, and even self-examination.
And, last but not least, remember, you’re one of the lucky ones. Pass it on.