It’s hard to believe that July is in the past and August is half way over. Schools will be starting soon, I know the kids might not be too excited to here that, and summer vacations will come to an end. Every year when August rolls around the thoughts of another hunting season enter my mind.
I think about the cool crisp mornings in the woods as well as the peaceful evenings watching the sunset over our rolling hills and hollows. You never know what may happen or what you might see while waiting patiently for that big buck to come by. Once the rut kicks in I’m in full out deer mode which never gets old but I’m getting ahead of myself now.
Even though it’s still a month and a half away until the first official day of deer season there are plenty of things to do to get ready. Right now is a great time to put trail cameras out to see what bucks are cruising through your hunting areas. Nothing will get you more excited about the upcoming deer season than a picture of a big ole buck from one of your trail cameras.
It’s also a good time to check your stand sites out and clear some shooting lanes. I have one stand that’s in need of this as the autumn olive is starting to block my view. It can be work and not much fun in the summer heat and humidity but I’m always glad I put the time and effort into it once deer season comes in.
Late summer is a good time to brush hog and mow any fields or food plots that you may have as the grasses and weeds start slowing down their growth. The clover in my food plots have grown really well this year with the abundant rainfall we’ve been receiving.
The wildlife has been on the move as well with the cooler temperatures the past couple of weeks. One morning last week something caught my eye out in the field as I was getting in the truck to head to work. The big black blob stood out and was a decent sized bear. I slowly opened the door to the house and told Tara and Kelsey to look out the front window. We watched the bruin smell around the base of a few trees before walking into the woods.
When I got home that evening Tara informed me that she saw another bear and she didn’t think it was the same one as it looked bigger. I actually had a couple pictures of the bear she saw on my trail camera and it did look bigger with the short legs and big belly appearance. It’s always neat to see our state animal except for when they’re being destructive and tearing things up. The 3 bears that shredded my ground blind and the foam pad on my swivel chair last year come to mind.
A couple days later Tara noticed one of our dogs looking at something out the back door and when she looked there stood a bobcat. It was glaring back and then we watched it walk along the edge of the yard before disappearing over the hill. It was 10 yards from our back porch. That was definitely a neat and something you don’t see every day encounter.
I love living in our West Virginia mountains as you never know what you may see on a day to day basis. There are a couple of nice bucks I have my eyes on as well. I’ll let my trail cameras do the scouting for me the next 2 months so I’ll know where to setup once September 29 rolls around.
Another hunting season is upon us and it’s never too early to start preparing. Enjoy the rest of summer as it will be over before you know it.
