I reached the answering machine of one of my fishing buddies the other day when I called. When he phoned back, he seemed awfully out of breath, so I asked him if it had been hot on the lake that afternoon. “Man, I’ve been out cutting trails back into my deer stands,” he said.
The thought of spending an August afternoon with a machete or a chain saw in hand is enough to make me think twice about deer hunting in general, but it’s an accepted practice now to prepare for the opening of the season for months and months in advance.
Scout. Find where the deer are bedding. Find where the deer are feeding. Figure out how they get from Point A to Point B. Locate a couple of good places that you can hunt on different winds. Hang your stands and get out of there.
Sure, some hunters just stumble onto big bucks. There are lucky people walking among us; you know them. They step into a cow pie in a pasture, and when they go to clean off their boots, there’s a wheat-back penny stuck in the treads. But putting in your time usually brings some measure of success.
Years ago, a really good bass fisherman, the kind of guy who could almost make a living just fishing tournaments within an hour of his driveway, he and his partner didn’t have a great season. “We went to too many (fishing) shows this winter,” he told me. “We didn’t spend enough time putting out brush. We won’t let that happen again.”
And sure enough, the next year, there was no stopping this guy. He spent most of his weekends in December, January and February cutting brush, hauling it to the lake, tying it off with cinder blocks and sinking it in places where he thought it would attract bass. He and his partner won a lot of money that year.
That’s pretty much the way it goes with hunting and fishing. You put in the work, and you reap the rewards. It’s the same way with dove hunting. If you haven’t put in your time by the time you read this, you’re going to have to rely on the kindness of strangers (or friends) to get in on a good dove shoot on Labor Day weekend.
Sportsmen who love to shoot doves understand that most of the work is done before the first barbecue sandwich is eaten at 11 a.m. on the first Saturday in September, before the first pitcher of sweet tea is emptied and the first Lab heads into the field at his master’s heel.
There’s the matter of setting aside or finding a field. Then comes the disking and harrowing and planting of whatever seed or mix you’ve chosen. Then, there’s the bush-hogging of strips of millet, sorghum or sunflowers to give the birds a place to land — and give you a place to hide. Finally, there’s the matter of spending an afternoon or two watching the field, seeing how and when most of the birds arrive — picking your spot. Only then do you get to enjoy the shooting.
About a year ago, the magazine decided that there were plenty of words written about shooting and calling and scents and camo and that kind of thing, whether it was deer, turkey or duck season. A full-time biologist, Jeff Burleson, had been contributing articles on a regular basis, and we decided he’d be perfect to write a monthly column about all the work that needs to get done before the fun begins. “Greener Pastures” is approaching its first birthday, and it’s been a tremendous addition to the magazine. I hope you agree — and I hope you take his advice and reap what you’ve sown. Don’t worry, he’ll tell you exactly what to sow.
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