Rhett T., on deer hunting

Whitetail Deer Bowhunter

John-
Been meaning to shoot you a note for a while. Attached is the deer I stuck last fall in [location deleted] county- was a meeting engagement. I was walking into a ground blind about 2 PM and he showed up through some cedars- all I had time to do was take a knee behind a tree. He went down about 200 yds away- at the bottom of a draw. I was kicking myself for not buying a deer cart. About 18” inside spread, 8 pt’er.

No luck in [location deleted] Cty on turkeys last weekend- not for lack of birds though. Had one tom in range but he never quite got clear of some hens. No problems getting them to gobble throughout the day.

Rhett

John-
OK didn't get a monster, but he was the 8th or 9th one I saw yesterday. He was at the smaller end of the spectrum. He came in, left, then came back. 20 yd shot, arrow passed thru both lungs and stuck in the dirt; buck fell about 20 yds from where I hit him. Think he's the ninth deer I've taken with bowhunting in 12 years; only the third buck though. Due to my "aide-gig" I was looking at my last deer hunting days for a while. Have just enough to do over the weekend that it'd interfere with deer hunting, but bird hunting is still doable. Might try this same area for pheasants or jump-shoot some ducks/geese (the pond on [deleted] was holding a bunch of geese/ducks the other morning). Was set-up in [deleted] - almost no trees. As you profess, the deer are not in the big woods. That piece of ground is very deceptive - deer are moving thru there all day. Hey, what do I owe for another year - can I go ahead and pay it now? Take care - Rhett

John & Jon-

Just wanted to take a minute to tell you how satisfied I am with my first year of membership in the Association. You have delivered what you advertise - quality hunting ground. With a job that keeps me on the move, I am confident that I can make the most efficient use of my limited hunting opportunities.

Not expecting much success the first year, I was delightfully surprised my first venture out: a pheasant hunt/scouting trip. With my well meaning, but semi-trained golden retriever, was able to take a few roosters. But what really struck me was the sheer number of birds, and even better, the fact I did not see another person the entire day! Not that I am anti-social, but crowded hunting is something I'd rather do without.

I continued to scout properties in early spring. Having the advantage of thousands of acres of MAHA land within a 1-2 hour drive, I set out to see as much of it as possible. Venturing out on 200 miles jaunts with the maps in hand and seeing what's available. After a few scouting trips I was certain I was looking at quality land. But what I have realized after a year of membership is that some of the land I thought was "bird land," really turns out to be great deer and turkey land. ..it's hard to break of the habit of going to the "big woods".

Some of the most consistent turkey hunting I found was a mere strip of woods While I only bagged one gobbler, it was not for lack toms. I told myself I'd take one with a shotgun, after that - bow only. The challenge of bow hunting turkeys in a relatively open area was a great experience I look forward to next spring. I learned as kid that it is not always best to measure hunting success by what you bag. Guess some would say this is the mantra of an unsuccessful hunter, but I'm a heckuva lot better turkey hunter and caller after the experience.

With work keeping me more than occupied, I was worried about the time I'd be able to spend in the woods bowhunting whitetails. My earlier hunting and scouting in the year really paid off when it came to finding deer. The "deer highways" I found earlier in the winter and early spring did not let me down. While I did not take a wall-hanger, the 8-pt I shot wasn't exactly considered a slouch when I showed the photo to others. But this is a matter of perspective - they did not see some of the monsters I saw on MAHA land this past fall. I also know they did not see more bucks than does on hunts - as I did on a couple occasions. It has been a long time since I've seen as many deer, behaving naturally, as I saw this season. I look forward to testing some of what I learned through observation this past fall during next year's bow season. If you see a guy in a lone tree, on a 160-acre patch of ground, next fall - that's me and there's a darn good reason I'm there

I could continue, but I think you get the point: I am a satisfied customer. Keep up the great work on land selection. Do not stray from the principle that guides the Association - to provide darn good hunting land to sportsman. If I wanted a guide I'd pay $3000 - just give me the land and I can get the rest done.

Rhett

Rhett T., on Deer Hunting