Just because there’s nobody to immediately share the moment with doesn’t mean solo hunting is without memorable moments. So far, 2021 has been kind to this private land Whitetailer.
Following my October pre-rut buck on one property, my arrow found a 12-point on my main permission piece. While he didn’t sport a mammoth rack, he had a respectable one. He also had a lot of age on him, a huge body by Texas Hill Country standards, and cool features. Like my North-Central Texas buck from a few days earlier, he was large in stature and featured a kicker point off his left G2. He was also a deer I was completely unfamiliar with. You gotta love when the rut brings in new bucks to your hunting area.
Perhaps the best part was, like buck number one, he was taken with my bow at close range. I’ll never tire of this game, including the tireless work I put into it.
None of this is bragging, mind you…I’m just blessed that these two particular sits played out well. I could write several articles about hunts gone awry, often due to pushing the wrong buttons. Nevertheless, they’ve all been pretty eventful, if not bizarre.
Speaking of the bizarre; Following my two harvests, things got interesting on two separate properties.
The first involved a stray dog coming through at money-time one morning. I’ve had dogs sabotage hunts before but this snowy white mutt milled around and ultimately sat at the base of my tree looking up at me with cute eyes. For good measure, he calmly stayed there for several minutes and remained even after I climbed down and headed for the truck.
Merely three days later, I had another unfortunate, yet interesting occurrence, also during prime time of a crisp morning sit. The crack of a branch followed by footsteps directly behind my blind started with a charge of adrenaline and ended with a man and woman appearing 20-yards away from my blind. Hunt over. The trespassers had decided it was a good idea to walk the creek bed behind me, which by the way, represents one of the best deer funnels I’ll ever hunt.
Suffice to say, eventful can mean myriad things.
This hunt during the rut abruptly ended when a stray dog camped out under my tree stand.
Now, at the tail end of the Texas rut, it’s time to have an afternoon sit on a small private parcel only minutes from my home, followed by a jaunt to the family farm.
The best part is, the several properties I hunt are all different in their own right, despite being located no further than 80-miles from one another.
I’m truly blessed for every eventful moment in the deer woods. Now it’s time to try and close out the late rut and post-rut with one or two more bucks and does.
By the way, with my early successes, I can’t help but think I’m due for some folly. I hope not…Either way, I can’t wait to find out. This solitary whitetail hunting journey is flat-out gratifying and fun. Never a dull moment, as they say. Stay tuned.
