Driving through the last stop light of my town, I wiped my brow. The last-minute packing left me sweating from the balmy Texas heat. The interstate, of all places, was a breath of fresh air and it would only improve once I turned off in the small town of Lampasas, Texas for the final 30-minutes of my commute. I was headed to one of a few Texas hunting properties I’d be hunting for the 2021 season.
This permission piece easily stood out from the rest; It has the most buck traffic, is moderately pressured, and is a mere one hour and ten minutes from my home. It will be the go-to destination or “cog in my hunting schedule” this fall.
Summer scouting, changing camera cards, a variety of field chores, and initial camp setup loomed large, but so did the Texas bowhunting opener in one month. It made the former worth it. Life was good on this recent venture through the Texas Hill Country.
With multiple shooter bucks encountered over the last two years, this 247-acre tract is arguably the most important piece to my 2021 hunting puzzle. The late summer date meant it was time to finish up final to-do’s and let the property rest – get in and get out. It also meant getting a camp ready for my early-October arrival.
The gate to a 247-acre central Texas hunting property – the go-to parcel for the 2021 season.
I had until shortly after sundown to complete my mission.
At 11:00 am, I arrived and drove straight to the camp area I had already chosen. The area I chose was a small lane in the middle of a heavy woodlot. Tucked in the heavy cover, I would be glad for the wind break when colder weather arrived – now, not so much. It was already a sweltering 92-degrees.
I settled in, unloaded the gear I would be leaving on the property, sprayed down with my favorite scent eliminator, and slipped on a pair of snake boots (a smart move in Texas). Not one to worry much about fashion statements, the boots, along with a pair of already sweat-drenched shorts was the ticket.
For me, the first order of business was to enter my core hunting zones to change all camera cards, fill feeders, and make any last-minute shooting lane improvements at my bowhunting setups. Then get out.
By design, this would be my last time in these areas until I graced them with bow-in-hand a month later. The trek took three hours, largely due to my usual over-analyzation of tree stand placement and sightlines – I can’t seem to help myself. I finally headed back to the camp area.
The Solo Camp
Many private land deer hunters enjoy some sort of hunting camp. A house, simple cabin, or doublewide. It’s in these special places that perennial card games, fire pit musings, and college football-watching occurs. Solo deer hunters rarely even think of staying the night on the properties they hunt, especially when they are less than a couple hours from home. However, if your host landowner allows it, it’s a great idea.
Why?
It has much to do with creating extra flexibility and opportunities. For example, for me, it provides an additional morning hunt, allows for more sleep, and enhances my outdoor experience. More rest means clearer thinking, better organization, and better decisions. Oh, and I don’t find myself in the morning darkness lamenting the fact that I forgot my bow release. I’d rather my aha moments be more about learning something new – something productive, such as a particular buck’s habits.
Establishing a “solo camp” for private land deer hunting has its advantages. As the crow flies, my camp sits about 600-yards from my main stand and other setups. For me, this is a sweet spot in terms of walking distance, seclusion, and deer pressure minimization. I don’t have this luxury on small properties.
Establishing a “solo camp” for private land deer hunting has its advantages.
I like my camp area to be simple, reasonably comfortable, and most of all, functional for my hunts.
Being my base property for the season, I brought a tote with some essential items such as batteries for trail cams, rope, handheld pruners, a lighter, a jug of water for cleanup, and of course, toilet paper. Nature calls on solo hunts too… Many other items would be brought along on each subsequent trip, such as gear for sleeping, cooking, first aid, and game processing – basically, the gear that would be used on all of the properties I hunt. I built a simple fire ring for my impending hunts and plopped down on an old camp chair to look over trail camera images, return emails, have a little lunch, and cool off. It was then time for a little last-minute boots-on-the-ground scouting before my drive home shortly after dark.
Final Summer Scouting Session
At 6:00, I headed to a vantage point overlooking the area containing two of my bow setups. I walked in with a small folding hunting chair, binos, Phone Skope digiscoping adapter kit and tripod stand. I would spend the rest of the evening scouting from within an oak and cedar motte. Digiscope scouting compliments my trail cam scouting. Plus, for me, it’s the closest thing to hunting. There’s no real substitute for witnessing firsthand the habits of area deer. More information will be shared on digiscoping for whitetails in subsequent Lone Star Solitary articles and social media posts.
Digiscoping is a great way to scout for whitetails. A Phone Skope adapter kit is a great choice.
Luckily, I was able to witness a fair amount of deer activity which enhanced my game camera intel. I chalked it up as a successful day.
