The Season of Dreams has Arrived for Hunters

by LOU MARULLO | TF&G Hunting Editor

LISTEN: (5 minutes, 32 seconds)

IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL MORNING, and this young hunter was with some of the most experienced bow hunters he knew. His mentors guided him to a location on a hillside overlooking a deer trail. No tree stand for this newbie. He used the lay of the land to put his scent above the nose of any deer. An hour passed when the young man finally saw movement heading his way. The spike buck worked across a small stream and onto the trail. Finally, after what seemed like another hour (actually only 5 minutes), the buck decided to head down the trail and towards the young hunter. The 14-year-old felt like his heart was going to beat right out of his chest. He drew his bow, and the arrow found its target. 30 minutes later one of the mentors gave that young lad a lesson on field dressing. It was a first hunt that he would never forget. And I see every detail because that young hunter was me! 

November is the month all hunters dream about. The months of scouting, the weeks of searching for the best place for tree stands and the hours and hours of practice will hopefully pay off. This is the month for the peak of the rut to take place and believe me, you want to be in the woods when that happens. Bucks will be chasing does and you will surely see more buck activity during the daylight hours when they have their nose to the ground in search of a receptive doe. 

The recent heat that we have been experiencing this summer although extreme, should not affect the deer movement when the rut kicks in.  As a matter of fact, there are some old timers that believe the weather controls the rut. This just is not true. It actually is the amount of daylight that starts the deer frenzy off. As the sunlight gets less and less every day, the does will eventually go into estrous, and the bucks will go crazy looking for them. Have you ever noticed that the rut activity seems to happen at the same time of year every year? It is amazing to me that not only does rut activity increase at the same time year after year, but where I come from, the peak is almost always on the same day! 

 Many hunters take vacation time so they can pursue these beautiful animals as much as possible. I have even noticed the amount of people that get sick and just can’t go into work at this time! Hmmm, makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Buck fever? I think not. More like whitetail fever. 

The peak of the rut will not be the same everywhere. But it will be close. In my area, the second week of November is the best time to be out in the woods. I know that this is not for everyone, but if you can, you should stay in your stand all day long. Pack a lunch, bring a magazine, do whatever you need to do to pass the day away. It is a hard thing to do, but bucks will be traveling all day in search of a doe. I tried it once and found that it is very tough. Uncomfortable at times. But it did pay off for me. I saw many small bucks walk by my stand and finally at 1:30, a nice buck came by and had a bad day! 

Now since this is a November/ December issue, Let’s talk about Christmas. More importantly, what to get your hunter for a nice gift. One that he would love to have and would use every hunting season. I love this time of year and I put a lot of thought into getting a beautiful gift for my wife. One year I bought her a nice camo jacket. Now I bought this on sale so it could not be returned. I must have grabbed the wrong size. I had a men’s large. She said thank you for the thoughtful gift but told me that I should go ahead and use it! And if that will make her a happy wife, then I will do as she asks. That same year, I purchased a nice gift for my 4-year-old. It was a water proof pair of boots (size 9). I wanted to make sure they did not leak so I wore them the entire season. Perfect! I know he will love them once he grows a little.  

I also bought a nice ladder tree stand for my 6-year-old daughter. I put a lot of thought as to what I should get her from Dad and I think I got it perfect last year. She is afraid of heights, and I think that during the summer months, she can climb up and down until she loses her fear of heights. Every hunting season, I check the stand out to make sure it is safe for her to use back home. It seems to work well in the woods! And if a Dad can’t get a gift to help his daughter, then I ask you, what has this world come to? I could tell by the look on their faces that they loved the gifts. I am pretty sure they did anyway. 

There are so many gifts to choose from. Arrows, broad heads, a new bow, new knife, range finder, binoculars, decoys and much, much more. You really cannot go wrong if it pertains to the wild and the outdoor world. 

Hey, I just thought of something! With all those gifts to choose from, I’m all set for my kids Christmas, birthdays, or any occasion.  And I am sure they would love them! As a matter of fact, I cannot wait to see the expression on my wife’s face when she opens this year’s Christmas gift! It’s a brand new 30-06 rifle! I am…I mean she is going to love it.  

Good luck this season and Happy Holidays and remember to  

Have fun and hunt safe.

 

Email Lou Marullo at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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