My 2021 Hunting Season and What I Learned

THANK GOODNESS the most recent whitetail hunting season is over! Did I really just write that?

My recently past whitetail season was most interesting.

I hunted my place west of Houston, ranches near Ozona, Iraan, Colorado City, Breckenridge and others in between. I took two eight-points, an old 10-point and one doe. Thanks to MDLPs, I normally take several bucks and does to fill my freezer and those of friends who can no longer hunt but are dependent upon me providing venison.

Every fall I rattle in numerous bucks, including for our weekly tv show, A Sportsman’s Life on CarbonTV.com, and Trijicon’s World of Sports Afield”. This past fall I rattled in 15 bucks. For the first time in years, I did not shoot a rattled-in buck. 

I did pass on several bucks, mostly youngsters, but also two good Hill Country bucks later shot by other hunters. Those bucks were the biggest either had ever taken. I’m really glad I passed on them.

I hunted my place when I could. I did not see a whitetail during legal shooting hours until forty minutes remaining in the hunting season, then merely two does and fawn. I was ecstatic!

I had a devil of a time seeing deer, for reasons even as a wildlife biologist with over 60 years hunting experience, I find hard to explain. What did I learn? Will I do things differently during this coming hunting season?

I will again follow my own advice. Hunt smart, hunt all day and do not look for excuses not to go hunting. I will however, hunt my own place during the October archery season. That’s when several legal bucks appeared on camera. Because of business and hunts in other states, I did not hunt my property during October. I hunt longer and more often during November, December, and January. 

I will plant my fall food plots of triticale and winter peas, staggered so there will be forage starting early October through January. Back in February I fertilized specific youpon and green briar (Smilax) bushes in the interior of my hunting area.

Throughout the summer I will use TRHP Outdoors’ Curiosity Scent at select sites. I will be doing more late-summer scouting where I will hunt this fall, including my own place but also ranches in Clay and Throckmorton Counties.

What else did I learn or reaffirm? Hunting is fun, regardless whether I am pulling the trigger, or not. It might be a rifle and Hornady ammo and topped with a Trijicon variable, or a Taurus Raging Bull handgun topped with a Trijicon SRO sight.

It’s the time spent with friends and family. It’s time spent sitting around a campfire in deer camp preparing a meal and telling stories. It’s also continuing to learn from the deer and their habitat. Regardless of how the coming season goes, I am expecting great things, I will have fun and continue to learn.

 

Email Larry Weishuhn at ContactUs@fishgame.com

 

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