Deer Hunting Season Underway in NH!
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| Keeping an open eye for a big one! |
So much hype leads up to deer season for me in Northern, NH. I start my ventures in the woods in early October, looking for birds, bunnies and other small game. During this time, my excitement for the woods that dwindles during the summer is fully restored and my anticipation of big game hunting is restored. Unlike hunting in the west, southern states or even southern NH, Whitetail deer hunting in Northern NH is a lifestyle and a whole game of its own. The likeliness of even keeping tabs on a deer's pattern here are very slim. This along with a cold climate, very thick brush, high presence of predators, and steep/changing terrain make this hunt a very, very challenging task with often little success. Most hunters that I speak with have large gaps between their Whitetail successes and passing up a buck hoping for a trophy is basically unheard of. Put it this way, I am on my 4th year Whitetail hunting and only last season did I see a buck in the woods on closing day with no possible shot. By the end of the season, I'm frustrated and questioning why I do the hunt, but every year the month of October rekindles my fascination of being a self-sufficient predator in the woods. I prepare my gear, stock up on new products to try, get all of my packs together, and finally I vow to wake up early each possible day! (My biggest struggle when the wind is howling and it is 15 degrees out and I am about to climb a mountain with 30+ lbs of gear on).
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| A sitting area where I wait to scope out some deer. |
Growing Confidence
Unlike hunting in many flat-planed areas or with a guide, I have had to learn my ways of the woods over the years to gain the confidence I have today. Honestly, if I had seen a buck the past 3 seasons, I probably would have frozen and choked. So many factors go into being a successful huntress and having the necessary confidence comes down to being familiar with your gear and your surroundings. My first few seasons, I had sub-par gear, using cheap hand-me-downs to get me by before investing hundreds of $$$ into a hobby I wasn't sure if I enjoyed. The next season, I got nicer gear, but was still using an unfamiliar fire-arm I had shot maybe once or twice. This left me nervous as to whether I could aim it and get a fair shot off or if I would choke in my unfamiliarity of the firearm as I am a very conservative shooter and will not take a shot without guarantee of my success. Next, I began hunting in a very condensed wooded area that is very, very easy to get lost in. I stayed with my hunting partner 24/7, never splitting up - this downed both of our chances for success very significantly. I wanted to split up many times, but within a few minutes of eerie silence and no directional sense I just couldn't do it unless I would sit. After a few years of this, I finally am familiar with my landscape, how to take care of myself alone in the woods and my equipment is proper and I am confident and familiar with it, giving me the best pre-season feeling as of yet! It is very true when they say being alone in the woods you can truly tell you are no longer the top of the food chain. Overcoming that paranoia was big for me as I hunt in coyote dominated land and they are not afraid to confront a lone hunter if there are enough of them.
Good Luck!
So as I begin my deer season with a black-powder muzzleloader, a side arm for predator protection, new-found independence - confidence and my research completed, I wish you all luck and hope that you know becoming a good Whitetail hunter comes with time and success, even if you are the best hunter, comes down to being in the right place at the right time and being blessed enough to have a good shot.
