On November 21 all across this great state there will be thousands of other hunters waking up before daylight just like me ready to hit the woods in search of that big buck. It’s the first day of the 2016 West Virginia firearm season and it’s shaping up to be a good one. There will be plenty of blaze orange dotting the hills and hollows as well as numerous gunshots breaking the morning silence.
The smell of wood smoke fills the air as this is the time to gather at hunting camp for a week of deer hunting and story telling. Waking up before daylight and returning back from the woods after dark is the norm for the week. At least for me it is. My family often tells me that they believe the rut has just as much effect on me than it does the deer. I like to pack a lunch and stay out there all day because you just never know when that big buck may come your way.
Buck season is also a time when many West Virginia natives that have since moved away venture back home to spend time with family and friends. Many head to the old farms and hunting shacks to spend countless hours sitting patiently waiting for that big boy to show himself. Squirrels, birds, and chipmunks rustle around in the leaves keeping you on your toes while the minutes pass by.
A coyote may come strolling by or maybe even a bear. Raccoons, foxes, bobcats can appear at any second. A flock of turkeys scratching for food is not an uncommon sight to see in the West Virginia woods. You just never know what kind of wildlife you’re going to see from day to day.
The whole hunting experience is what deer season is all about. No work, no computers, no worries; just the peaceful sounds of the woods and the smell of freshly fallen leaves consume all senses. Deer hunting is so much more than just shooting a nice buck. As humans we’ve evolved to become accustom to the everyday noise from vehicles, phones ringing, doors slamming you name it but while sitting in the woods you have none of that. And if you do it’s easy to block out.
It takes you back to the hunter and gatherer stage from which we evolved. Our ancestors use to depend on meat from wild game to help them make it through the long winters. It’s a tradition that’s been passed down from generation to generation and the hunting heritage continues to remain strong here in Wild and Wonderful.
Venison is a very healthy meat and tastes excellent as every hunter knows. With the mast conditions the way they are this year it will be important to know what’s going on in the area you plan to hunt. For example, at both places I’ve been hunting the deer have already consumed all of the acorns that dropped early. Most all of the deer are back to feeding in the fields along with the browse at the field edges.
Hunting the fields and field edges is where I’m going to spend my time this week. In the mountain counties and higher elevations there are still a few acorns. The Scarlet oaks along with the red and black oaks produced a decent amount of acorns on the ridge tops. There definitely wasn’t a ‘mast failure’ on the high mountain ridges. A stand watching a low gap or other natural funnel on top of the ridge would be a good way to hunt that area this year.
So it all depends on what mast the woods produced or didn’t produce in your hunting area that should determine where you spend your time this deer season. As always when hunting during the rut, find the does and the bucks won’t be too far behind. Stay ready as those rut crazed bucks can come in quick and at any second. And you never know when another hunter may jump a buck in your direction as there will be a lot of us out there on Thanksgiving week.
Let’s all take this time to enjoy the fellowship and the quality time spent in god’s great outdoors. Thanksgiving and buck season only comes once a year so make the most of it. I know I sure am thankful for the opportunity to hunt and live in such a wonderful state. Good luck to all, be safe, and wear those safety belts when hunting from a tree stand.
