Tactics for Hunting Deer in Bad Weather: Part Five
John E. Phillips 12.14.11
No Deer Sign Doesn’t Mean There’s No Bucks in an Area
Every morning my longtime friend and hunting buddy, Dr. Bob Sheppard, would spot a buck on the left-hand side of a bridge as he came out of the woods from hunting. Although he scouted the area several times, he couldn’t determine how the buck got to the left-hand side of the bridge in the little woodlot where the deer fed.
Finally, Shepherd went down to the bridge and found the deer’s trail coming under the bridge just on the edge of the sand. He also noticed the trail went back into the water once it came from under the bridge. Apparently, this smart buck had learned that if he walked in the water and under the bridge from his bedding area to the woodlot where he fed in the morning, he would leave no sign. Once Sheppard determined the buck’s pattern, he set up a tree stand on the edge of the water. The following morning when the buck waded down the creek, Sheppard took him.
Often deer won’t leave sign in an area they use. Early in the fall, even when perhaps 20 to 30 deer are feeding in an acorn flat, they may meander in the 100 yard-wide and 300 yard-long flat and never establish a well-defined trail or leave much deer sign. Because you see no sign in the woods, you may decide you shouldn’t hunt until the rut. However, if you will spend a day or two where you know deer should hold, many times you’ll spot the deer, even though you can’t see the sign.
Regardless of what you may read elsewhere or what other writers and I may write, you’ll find no substitute for time spent in the woods for deer hunting success, particularly on bad days. Although you want to hunt as scientifically as possible and with as much information you can gather, many factors cause deer to move or not move. Not all deer do everything they should do when they should do it. In a perfect world, a man or a woman only will hunt under good conditions for seeing and taking trophy bucks. However, in the real world where I live, I have to hunt when I can and face whatever bad-day conditions present themselves to me on the day I hunt.
Click here to go back to part four, how warm weather and pressure affects whitetails.
John, the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors.
Phillips has been a contributor to many national magazines, has been affiliated with 27 radio stations across Alabama serving as their outdoor editor and wrote for a weekly syndicated column, "Alabama Outdoors," for 38-Alabama newspapers for more than 13 years. Phillips was Outdoor Editor for the "Birmingham Post-Herald" for 24 years. Phillips was also the executive editor for "Great Days Outdoors" magazine for 3 years.
The author of almost 30 books on the outdoors, Phillips is a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and an active member of the Southeastern Outdoors Press Association (SEOPA). Phillips also is the owner of Night Hawk Publications, a marketing and publishing firm, and president of Creative Concepts, an outdoor consulting group.
Phillips conducts seminars across the nation at colleges in freelance writing, photography and outdoor education besides teaching courses in how to sell what you write to writers' groups. Phillips received his photography training as a still-lab photo specialist for six years in the Air Force. He was the chief photographer for Mannequins, Inc., a Birmingham modeling agency, for 11 years.
While serving as 2nd Vice President of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Phillips was in charge of all press releases for the organization as well as serving as Chairman of Alabama's Big Buck Contest, which he founded more than 30 years ago. He also was president of the Alabama Sportsman's Association for three years.
Phillips is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the Governor of Alabama and the Department of Conservation for his work in the outdoor field. Phillips is vitally interested in the outdoors and travels the nation collecting personalities, stories and how-to information for his articles and features.
EDUCATION: B.S. degree from the University of West Alabama with a physical education major and a history minor.
EXPERIENCE: 10 years parttime and fulltime physical director for YMCAs and 34 years as a freelance writer, photographer, editor, book author, lecturer and daily-content provider for websites. Currently, Phillips is a field editor for Game and Fish Publications; serves on the editorial board of Grandview Media; is a regular contributor to 12 internet magazines and a daily content provider for 8 websites.
WRITING AWARDS: Runnerup - Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - 1981 - SEOPA; Certificate of Merit - Awarded by Alabama's Governor for writings on conservation; Most Outstanding Sports Writer in Southeast - 1983 & 1984; Best Outdoor Feature in Alabama, 1987 - Alabama Sportswriters' Association 3rd Place; Best Book of the Year - 1989 - SEOPA; 2007 - inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator; 2008 - received award naming him 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the Year from the Crossbow Manufacturers' Association; 2009 - GAMMA Honorable Mention for Consumer/Paid Best Essay for July/August 2008 in "Southern Sporting Journal."
