The month every deer hunter waits for is here as the big bucks will be on the move chasing after the does. November is the best time to hunt with the rut taking place. The big bucks will have one thing on their minds and they’ll travel more during the daylight hours making themselves more vulnerable to the patiently awaiting hunter.
I’ve been seeing fresh scrapes almost every time I step foot in the woods. The road kill is increasing which is another sign that the rut is in. Last week I had an encounter with a 10 point that I’ve been getting pictures of on my trail camera.
I didn’t have much time to hunt, which seems to be the case anymore nowadays, so I decided to run up on the ridge and check my trail cameras. The first camera I checked was overlooking a turnip patch I planted in early September. There was a doe and little one standing in the middle of it when I arrived.
After pulling the SD card I rode on out the ridge and saw a young 8 point feeding under a scarlet oak tree. I checked my other camera and as I came back down off of the ridge I saw the 10 point standing at the edge of the field bottom where I parked my truck.
He was staring up the hill and wasn’t paying much attention to me. I knew there had to be a doe close by and sure enough after a few minutes I caught movement as she flicked her tail. The buck dropped his head and put his nose to the ground and took off after her.
I rode on down and put the ATV back in the building. I no longer parked and while I was getting off the ATV here came that doe flying by. I walked to the door and heard crashing in the brush above my truck when all of a sudden that buck popped out. He side stepped the back of my truck and ran right by me 25 yards away.
All I could do was shake my head as I watched the two feed in the field for 10 to 15 minutes. I didn’t have my hunting stuff with me but I wouldn’t have tried to take a shot anyways. He’s a nice 3 ½ year old 10 point with long main beams and a high rack, but he lacks width. I really hope he makes it another year but that’s the chess game you play with hunting season.
After that encounter it motivated me to finally get out for the first hunt of the year the following morning. I decided to hunt the stand overlooking the turnip patch and had action all morning. It started with a doe right off the bat as I no longer got situated and here she came. She walked right under the stand and smelled the ladder then jumped back before continuing on down to the turnip patch.
Not long after that another lone doe walked around a flat behind me. As I was watching the doe in the turnip patch she threw her head up and here came that 8 point I saw the day before running towards her. He gave chase and the two disappeared down into the hollow.
About a half an hour later a doe came running into the food plot. She also was being pursued by a buck but it was a small 4 point. A quick downpour moved in after that but thankfully it didn’t last very long. I was glad I took the time to build that shanty last year as I stayed nice and dry. The leaves are behind this year and are just now peaking here in central West Virginia.
The rolling hills and hollows were beautiful after the rain with all of the vibrant colors. It’s nice to just stop and take it all in every once in a while. I was enjoying my view so well that a doe and little one slipped into the food plot. They fed on the turnip tops for a few minutes before being spooked by something over the hill.
Not long after they ran off another doe popped out. She stopped, looked back, and out came a spike chasing her. They both got to where the doe and little one was standing and slammed on the brakes. They glared over the hill and then put up their tails and took off back the way they came. What in the world is over the hill was all I could think after that.
I watched and waited intently for 10 to 15 minutes wondering what spooked those deer when all of a sudden a small black blob emerged from the briers. It was a bear but it wasn’t very big at all. I actually thought it was a cub at first. It came into the turnip patch with its nose to the ground like a buck trailing a doe.
I kept watching as the bear roamed around and then disappeared to my right. A couple minutes later it popped out to my left and started walking right towards me. He was on a mission and I think he was after those deer. The little guy walked right under my stand and actually brushed up against the ladder.
He kept on going with his nose to the ground the way one of the does went earlier. I’m not sure what he was up too but he never stopped the whole time I saw him. It was late morning by then so I decided to climb down. I was almost to the old barn where I parked the ATV when something caught my eye on out the ridge.
It was another buck and I saw him before he saw me. I snuck behind the barn and waited. The buck was a high rack 8 point that I have several pictures of over the past couple of months from my trail camera. He came into the field of clover and walked within 20 yards of me. I was on one side of the barn and he walked by the other side and went down into the hollow.
It was an eventful first hunt of the year for sure as the bucks were moving that morning. The best deer hunting of the year will take place the next 3 weeks so do whatever you can to get out there. It doesn’t get any better than the month of November for the avid deer hunters!
