Pennsylvania Game News - December 2018 - 16

afield on the opener are the first two and
last two hours of the day. It's when deer
are on the move between feeding and bedding areas, when bucks are stalking does,
when hunter movements and shots chase
deer. Late-day hours also are when a lot
of deer chased from one place to another
head back to where they prefer to be.
For hunters sitting dark-to-dark, the
end of the day is what motivates most to
hang tight. But a body gets cranky in an
all-day sit and some hunters simply throw
in the towel. Sticking it out, though, can
be rewarding.
Back in 1990, my first year with the
Game Commission, I spotted a nice buck
trailing a doe at about 8 a.m. coming up
Bear Mountain's north side, two benches
before the top. Then it disappeared.
Seven hours later, it popped out of a
bunch of small hemlocks about 40 yards
away, still following that doe. They'd been
near me all day. I shot the seven-point as
he climbed to the summit chasing that doe.
To this day, I can't believe they stayed
so close for so long. But that doe showed
me the holding power of deer; the buck
showed his commitment, too. Together,
they showed just how deer can disappear
almost in plain sight.

plain sight

Their inherent ability to vanish helps
deer maintain a mysteriousness in Pennsylvania's hills and farm country that has
bewildered generations of Commonwealth hunters. As big as adult deer are
- easily over 125 pounds - they run the
woods we hunt like phantoms sometimes,
leaving sign here or there, steering clear
of our stands.
But it is important to remember we
visit their neighborhood, and because of
that, they have some intrinsic advantages.
So, we're often a step or more behind in
16

what we interpret afield.
Recognizing that will help you process
what you see hunting and find scouting.
Perception isn't reality, even when you
want it to be. Just think about how many
times you whiffed in the deer woods until
it all started to make sense. Then think
about how tough it was again when you
started hunting another area.
Now, think about how your success
might be linked to those with whom you
share the woods. That's why steering clear
of the places others use is a sound strategy.
Of course, counting on other hunters is
another way to take deer. It requires you
to know where deer go and which pinch
points they're forced through when the
pressure's on. It can be effective.
Focusing on pinch points - anything
from a hole in the fence or a windbreak
between two fields to a tight passage
through rocks or multiflora rose bushes -
reduces the area you must cover. If you're
in the right place, the landscape, or what's
on it, will force deer through the funnel
you're covering.
The thing about pinch-points, though,
is that they're usually useful only when
hunters are pushing deer through drives or
still-hunting, unless deer use them daily to
travel between feeding and bedding areas.
So, if it's not part of a daily route, cover
them on the opener and the Saturdays for
the best opportunities.
There are a lot of ways to take a deer on
the opening day of firearms season. Some
require more work than others. But the
secret to taking deer is taking it seriously.
If all you want is recreation, that's easy
enough. But if you want to bring home a
buck, you really do have to have a strategy.
Having a few places to hunt if the first
stand sours only makes it better.
Remember, success is almost always
earned. So get to it!
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2018

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