A Hot Weather Archery Season Start in Georgia
Backwoods Life 10.24.12
To kick off the Georgia archery season, cameraman Shawn Sumrall and I made a trip over to hunt with my good friend Gary Smith at Trophy Georgia Hunts. He has a nice place with over 5,000 acres of managed free range property that borders some state land that allows very limited hunting. This helps Gary have a great crop of deer and turkeys each season.
As normal for September in Georgia we were prepared for hot weather with our lightweight Realtree on and our LaCrosse Alpha Mudlite snake boots. The first afternoon we settled in a ladder stand setup on a large oak flat. Just before last light a couple of small bucks came in passing through. It’s a good start for the next couple of days. With a zero the next morning, we decided to hang a couple of climbers in another oak flat close to an unpicked peanut field. We were in a perfect travel route and with acorns falling that helped even more.
The second afternoon it was pushing 87-90 degrees so we knew we would be sweating when we climbed. Before leaving the truck we sprayed down with Lethal Field Spray and made our way in. After getting settled in it’s nice to have the Lethal Field Wipes to cool down a bit and eliminate odor from sweat on your skin. It’s a great one-two punch!
Not much was happening until thirty minutes before dark when Shawn spotted a buck coming in. From the body size we could tell it was a mature buck. Looking at his antlers I knew this was one that we needed to put in the freezer. The buck made his way into bow range to about 25 yards where I drew back my Elite Answer and settled my Spot-Hogg top pin. After a touch on my Scott release, my Muzzy found its mark right behind the shoulder. The buck bolted, ran about 50 yards, stopped, and then fell over right there in sight. My first buck tag of the young 2012 Georgia season was filled!
It’s always great to get the pressure off early and fill a tag, especially when you get to share the experience with good friends in camp. The people at Trophy Georgia Hunts work hard to do their best to help you have a good time while hunting with them. Check them out at www.TrophyGAHunts.com.
Michael’s Gear List:
- Bow: Elite Answer #70 30 inch draw Ninja black
- Arrows: Easton Injexion 330
- Broad heads: Muzzy DX3 100 grain
- Release: Scott Shark
- Arrow Rest: QAD Ultra Rest HDX (red)
- Binoculars: Hawke Frontier HD
- Safety Vest: Hunter Safety System Hybrid in Realtree
- Camouflage: Realtree AP
- Scent Control: Lethal Field Spray and Wipes
- Boots: LaCrosse Alpha Mudlite Snake Boots
- Pack: Gameplan Gear Over N Under pack
- Utility Box: Concealed Outdoors
- Conditioning: Hunt Strong
