Reflections & Ramblings of a Deer Hunter

By David Eubanks

The last day of my 2010 deer hunting season in SC. I’m perched in a deer stand 25 feet above the ground wondering why I choose to spend my time outside in 40 degree weather when everyone else is snuggled up inside, watching football, reading a book, shopping, or whatever they enjoy doing “inside” in December. I hadn’t even seen a squirrel move all afternoon, and I was thinking that even the squirrels must be smarter than me; at least they had sense enough to get out of the cold and inside their favorite tree.

Then something seemingly insignificant happened; it started raining, and then raining harder and harder, and I was certain that I must really be “insane” or just plain “stupid” to be sitting in an oak tree with a cold breeze blowing and a cold rain beginning to soak thru.

I was at the point where I was beginning to convince myself that I was in fact “insane” and that it was time to pack it up on this last day of the 2010 deer season. But for some reason at that moment my mind drifted back to many, many years ago, when I was really just a kid, and had just recently begun hunting deer. I thought back to a hunt near Hwy 176, just past the South Hills in Union, sitting on the ground on a tiny fold-out stool and waiting for what I dreamed would be a huge Whitetail Buck to come by. Instead, what came that day was snow and more snow; Read the story »

Florida East Coast Turkey Calling Challenge

Location: Bruce Rossmeyer Destination Daytona Coca-Cola, Pavilion, I-95 & US 1, Ormond Beach, FL
When: October 23, 2010

Divisions: Juniors- $10
Amateur-$20
Open-$50
Friction-$35
Owl Hooting-$35
Gobbling-$35

70% payback to callers. 30% utilized for trophies and or plaques.
Contact: Larry Janelle-386-341-0015 email: larryjanelle@yahoo.com
Contest registration is from 8:00am -9:30am. Contest begins at 10am.

This is a NWTF sanctioned event and the Open and Friction winner will qualify for the 2011 Grand Nationals Calling Contest.

Starting Out Young

by Mac Moad

Tanner Colten Moad, 5 years old, is one of the coolest kids I know. The youngest of 4 children of mine, Tanner never stops moving.
Before gun season in central eastern Oklahoma, the traditional bow season usually takes priority. I had taken the first week of bow season off from work in an attempt to tag out early at the request of my wife Lori. In her mind, if I was to tag out early, my deer season would then be “dear” season, with lots of additional chores getting done that get overlooked during each year’s deer season. Read the story »

Early Morning Gobblers

By Patrick Murphy of Rocky Mount, NC

6am finds me on schedule to my first listening location. The air is cool and sharp, there’s no wind. The thick smoke from my breath hovers around my head as I stop to listen. It seems thick enough to convince me it’s hampering my hearing, so I tip toe and listen rather then stand still.

Then it comes…the first gobble. I’m immediately 15 minutes late now, he’s a long ways. It takes forever, dodging the gauntlet of deer in route slows me down even more. As I close the distance, I know exactly where he’s at and the tree I’m gonna call home for the morning. Read the story »