I live in south Alabama where there are ample hunting and fishing activities. The deer season begins about October 15th each year, with bow season and runs to about January 30th through gun season. Hunters are allowed to take one antlered buck per day, along with allowances for doe with a bow, the state doe season, or those areas under management plan where antlerless permits are part of the program , so the chances are there. That sounds easy, but it's not quite like it sounds. The deer are in constant contact with man, so they know all the tricks and are always on red-alert. Also, the woods are usually very thick with swampy areas prevalent around rivers and creeks. Alabama still allows traditional southern deer hunting with buckshot and hounds, and although I may hunt this way, at times, the places I hunt most frequently, involve stand-hunting on trail crossings or in sitting a food plot.
On some of our most extravagant plots, we have shooting houses contructed of ply-wood around 2"x2" framing. These are mounted on cross-ties or power poles in a fashion that places your eye-level about 8 to 10 feet above the ground. One usually enters the shooting house from a small door in the rear, although some are tall enough that they are accessed by a trap-door in the floor. There is usually some seating arangement--a folding chair, 5 gallon bucket or maybe even a 2x6 devised across the sides of the house. The house will have windows at about chest level, on three sides and these will have hinged coverings which open upward. On "econo" models, just simple sheets of burlap or camo netting will cover the windows. Hunters arrive quietly at their stand, climb into it and prepare to wait for deer stopping by for "salad". Some people listen to a Walkman or bring a book to read. I have had most success by watching the afternoon hours from about 2PM 'till dark. Others swear by morning hunting and still others have the fortitude to stay all day.
The use of portable stands should not be overlooked, here. They are most useful in trail watching or in sitting a scrape line that you may have found. Many models are available from ladder stands, to self climbers to hang-ons which must be accessed with a ladder or screw-in steps. The weight of the stand must be taken into consideration along with the distance that it will be carried to the sight.
There are still those ground watchers, who kill their share of deer. They have their special crossing to watch, or that super persimmon or whiteoak that is dropping it's fruit. Ground standing requires the absolute ability to sit still for long periods of time and to be vigilant about body odor and the use of camoflage. I reccomend a cover scent which is natural to the area and the use of a portable blind. Also a suitable seating cushion. We have often made "pine" scent by mixing turpentine half and half with distilled water and stored in a spray bottle. There are some commercial scent killers on the market that really work. A suitable blind can be made from a 6 to 8 foot section of camo netting and some green painted 5/8" dowel rods.
Still-hunting involves slow movement through fairly open timber in hopes of spotting deer before they see you. It is very hard to be successful in this method. All the techniques of camoflage, scent killing and being motionless will apply. Still-hunter may in the course of hunting, come across a likely looking spot and begin a stand hunt for a short period. I find still-hunting to be most useful during midday hours when deer have seemingly stopped moving in feeding areas. I would not advise you to still-hunt an area that you intend to stand hunt in during that afternoon. Wear soft quiet clothing and some comfortable footwear.
I realize that a deer drive conducted north of the Mason-Dixon line, involves several friendly hunters trying to push deer from cover. In south Alabama, it starts about 5:30 am with the hunters surrounding the Huntmaster. A head count is taken, a hunt location is selected and drivers(dog handlers) are appointed. Sometimes, the huntmaster/leaders will have to determine where to stand hunters along a tract of ground and then there are places where the stands are premarked. I've been on hunts where the hunt master decided where i would go and on others, I've drawn a number out of the hat which corresponded to a stand sight. Stands most often are located along woods roads, but may not be. They will usually be 80 to 100 yards apart--sometimes you can see the next stander, sometimes you cannot. After being placed on stand(from the back of a pickup truck, sometimes by walking in single file) you will wait a short time before dogs are cast from the start location. A driver will start on a course which is believed will drive deer from the area toward the stand line. He will "cast" a "pack" of 4 to 8 dogs into a particular direction. he will begin to whistle and yell as he walks in circles, but generally toward the stand line. The dogs will usually follow around him until they "strike" a scent. At which time they will be off after the scent. The dogs have a the ability, some what, to tell the fresh scent from the "cold" scent. They will run the scent trail and gain ground on the deer until they make it run. This is a "chase" or "race". Sometimes, a bedded deer will hold until the dogs and driver are very close until it will flee. The dogs will frantically tear out after it in an exciting race. This is known as "jumping" a deer. A driver may often get a shot in this instance. There are time that a deer will circle back when it is being chased and will return to the same general area. A driver can hear the barking dogs returning and will prepare himself for a possible shot at the deer. If the dogs do jump and run away, the driver will continue to amble toward the standline yelling as he goes, walking into every possible likely bedding area. A hunt conducted in this manner often results in deer being driven to the standers.
Here are some basic rules of the game: Standers never shoot down the standline, standers never shoot towards a close driver, standers whistle to the driver when he approaches near them--this allows him to begin to parallel the line and also to know the presence of a human that he has walked up to, standers try to stop and catch dogs that are running doe on a buck only hunt,. Do not leave your stand, do not wander into the woods, weapons safety is first, guns are not loaded until you are on your stand and finally, any deer killed, are butchered and divided among the hunters.
South Alabama deer range from about 60lbs for a yearling doe, to about 165Lbs. An average buck, however, will only weigh about 100 to 110lbs. They are not really hard to kill, but shot placement is important.
Rifles have only been in general use here for about 20-25 years and coincides with the decline of dog hunting(which is primarily conducted with shotguns). Most people use a bolt action, although there are those who were used to their shotgun, who selected a pump or auto rifle. Lever actions are used along with muzzled loader, which ahve become popular after a two-week either sex season was added in January. There are hand gun hunters, as well.
I would guess that the 30/06, 270, 30-30 and 243 are most popular, in that order. There does some to be a shift towards lighter calibers, and I have been shooting a 257 Roberts in the past few seasons. This is on the half-chance that I may sight a coyote.
The weight and size of rifle and it's scope which you choose would depend upon the terrain which you are hunting in. For example, a varmint weight gun and large scope may be useful on a large plot, power line or bean field, while a lighter gun and scope may be a better choice in heavy trimber or a creek bottom. My model 98 Mauser conversion has a 21inc light contour barrel with a 1.5X5 Leupold scope. Chambered in 257 Roberts cal., it seems right for my general purpose gun. On 1.5 power, I can see the end of the barrel, so you can imagine that it is pretty easy to shoot when things are up close and fast.
On the other hand, a 25/06 with something like a 4x12 scope would be good as a power line gun.
Shotguns have been used in deer hunting for a very long time, and they are still very effective within their range limitations. A gun used with buckshot should be patterned at the forty yard range with various buckshot with the idea of finding the tightest possible pattern. Generally, a full or some modified choked guns will give the tightest buck pattern. We like to shoot 000 buck if possible, and to hold our shooting to that range that our pattern testing has indicated would be our maximum.
Fresh meat from the Lord!
More later
last updated on 1/21/2003