Preparation Pays Dividends

We all know one of the biggest secrets in the deer hunting world is open public land. That is, if you know how to hunt it. Alabama host thousands of public acres. The Talladega National Forest alone spreads somewhere in the neighborhood of 140,000 acres. Limited access to the remotest portions tend to crowd unprepared hunters close to the roads. If you fall among these comrades, your hunt may be over before it begins. Why do hunters hunt near the truck? One reason is simply they do not want to get lost. Secondly, they know if they kill a deer deep in the forest, they have to lug that sucker out. That is work, hard work. It is scary for some out there at dark. Shoot a deer that runs away and you are trailing him into the unknown, pitch black darkness, your best friend being your mag lite. If you want to be one of the elite, public land hunters, if you want to get the best out of a piece of property, take a few preliminary steps and go kill your deer. One of the first things you are going to need is direction in the way of north, south, east and west. A 3 dollar compass from Wal-Mart will work but if you want to do it right, get you a gps. Mine cost $99. It is the lowest form of gps on the market but spot on when it comes to getting me out after dark. With it I can follow a twisted deer trail through the thickets and have 100% confidence I know the shortest route to the truck. I know where my gear was left, and I know where my stand is. I can also "mark" interesting spots to scout later, say I find a big scrape after dark. Next you need a deer carrier with wheels on it. As you are walking to your remote location, take it with you. Don't leave it at the truck. You will only have to return to get it should you kill a deer. Take it to the woods and lock it to a tree in the visinity of your stand. It is useful not only carrying a deer out, but carrying your gear in. You need a light, a big one. The mag lite on your belt is good, carry it. But also bring a light source that will illuminate to woods. It needs to be one you can set on the ground and work around as you field dress your deer, load your hauler, or track a wounded animal. Finally, a cell phone is your safety net. I have found service in the most difficult places and don't leave home without it. These extra steps may seem inconvenient. You weigh it out for yourself. I have found I would rather prepare. I want to do those things that get me into untouched areas and hunt deer, many of which have never seen a human. I want to do whatever it takes to be successful and avoid the poor souls in site of the road.

Lost In Alabama?

What would you do if you were lost in the woods? What would your thoughts be? How would you get through it? Have you even thought about it, practiced, or prepared for just such a day. If you are like me the answer is no. I feel I have the skills and over the years heard enough stories of lost hunters and how they survived to get me through. Probably not the best plan but what about your children? Would they know what to do? How would they make it? With just a little basic knowledge, a lost night in the woods should just be a minor inconvenience. Without it, it could be a panic sticken, nightmare they may not survive. There are many ways to gain knowledge, train, or practice such situations. You can find all sorts of methods online. Here I am going to give you just a basic acronym. It is STOP. S stands for, you guessed it, stop or sit down. Your child is potentially at their closest point to where he needs to be or where you will begin to search. T stands for think. Your child will need to decide what the course of action will be. Panic must be avoided at all cost. There are no witches, goblins or killer bears out there, nothing that will harm you, unless you panic. When that happens the woods will bite you. So stay calm. You will hear woodland sounds and creatures walking about, none of which are dangerous. O stands for observe. As you are thinking, observe your surroundings. Is shelter near by such as a rocky outcrop or large evergreen tree? Can you find something to signal with? A tin can or two liter bottle shaken with a few pebbles or pennies inside makes a lot of noise. Your voice will give out quickly if you are shouting, so conserve your energy. Now as you have stopped, and are thinking and observing the next step is to start planning and that is our P. If you have the means to start a fire you will need to gather fire wood while light remains. You will want to get your shelter tightened up. Gather shrubs and twigs to sit on as you will not want to lie or sit on the bare ground. Build a wind break, use you head to make this night in the woods just a minor inconveinience. Be sure to remind your children to let you know where they are going and how long they plan to be there. If they become lost, it will be noticed quickly and the search will start much sooner. Remind your children, they will not be in trouble, or punished for an inadvertent misplacement of themselves and it is your expectation they will conduct themselves as little survivors.

Ahhhh, what a nice road. What a beautiful place. If you, like me, have stood in a place like this with a hunting permit in your pocket you consider yourself one of the world's luckiest, or most blessed hunters. This particular hunting area is one of the south's finest. It is 999 acres of Black Warrior River bottoms. Only God could have designed it. There is no other explination. On this 999 acres, 5 hunters pursued whitetails with black powder and one dropped a big doe. 5 hunters on 999 acres. I'd say that's pretty low hunting pressure. As a matter of fact, it is one of Alabama's best kept secrets. Alabama's WMA's are forgotten by most. During the 80's and early 90'd when thousands of hunter's flocked to these areas, you now, in many cases may have as few as 5 on 1000 acres. I have taken full advantage of this opportunity in recent years and have found many places I go to year after year, never seeing another soul. Thousands of beautiful acres await on Alabama's WMA's. Just don't tell.

Web Site

Check out the new web site for Public Wildlife Commission at: publicwildlifecommission@webstarts.com

The site is currently being updated as quickly as I learn how to operate the thing. It is up however and I hope you visit. Leave a comment or a post. You can email me at publicwildlifecommission@gmail.com

Looking forward to hearing from you. Please, send me your hunting stories, your suggestions, and your issues.

We want to build a team capable of wielding a nice size sword when hunting issues are on the table. You are part of the team.

If you would like to be a member of the Public Wildlife Commission, just send me your email address or home address and I'll get you the information.

Without you, I am just one hunter speaking for me. Join me and start an organization everyone can be proud of!

The only agenda we will have is the one set before us by the greatest conservation group in the country, the hunters and fishermen of America.

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Young Hunter Do's and Don'ts

Do's

1. Do give up your expectations of what he/she should be
2. Do make it their hunt, not yours, with them tagging along
3. Do let them play in the creek, sit on a rock, or chase indians
4. Do let them talk softly, break twigs, sneeze and cough
5. Do let them leave when they want to
6. Do teach them safety, courtesy, honor, and woodsmanship
7. Do introduce them to the game warden
8. Do tell them they are potentially the greatest hunter that ever lived
9. Do tell them your stories, sit down and have a snack
10. Do thank them for a day in the woods with you

Don'ts

1. Don't tell them how they should feel
2. Don't put words in their mouth
3. Don't say, "Ain't you excited!!"
4. Don't say, "He would have been bigger next year."
5. Don't break any laws
6. Don't leave them alone in the dark
7. Don't forget to bring your camera
8. Don't freeze them
9. Don't let them hunt without proper equipment and safety precautions
10. Don't ever forget, they are not you

There are so many do's and don'ts, each one different for each individual. I compiled just a few. In the picture above, a young hunter stands at a prime location. Unfortunately the stand was damaged as the U.S. Forest Service executed a prescribed burn. You may not think about it but this guy could climb that stand, if not directed otherwise. Teaching and molding young hunters is our future. Expecting them to love it as you do and be at your level immediately is a mistake. I see it more and more. Some kids go gang busters early and some evolve over many years. Either way, it is your job to recognize traits of the youngster and adjust accordingly. Forcing enthusiasm on them will end thier carrer before it began. Telling them how they should feel, never. And for the love, never, ever, tell them he would have been bigger next year.

From the big dark tree just to the left of center, on the top of the hill, I stood quietly in the Georgia dawn, November 12, 2010. Soon shots began to boom through the bottoms as the second day of the either sex hunt on the Cedar Creek WMA had begun. I prayed it was my day. Scouting the woods yesterday I found some rubs and scrapes, several undesernable inside this picture. I found the spot up by the tree to be pleasurable and I stayed a lot longer than I had originally planned. As I stood and the shots echoed thru the swamps, I thought of those whom were shooting and tried to picture in my mind what they were seeing. They were not thinking of me, I'm sure, as a hunter far away, listening to their rumblings but I was thinking of them. As the shots echoed away, quiet was restored. Woodland sounds of leafs falling and birds chirping filled the air. Then sounds of rifle fire would trickle in again from some far away place. I was beside my tree quietly standing, listening for any sign of a deer. Then it happened. I heard something. Was it a squirrel? A coyote? No, it could be neither. It was a deer and close. Footsteps coming fast. I raised my rifle half way straining to see into the woods. Then emerging from the bottoms, coming up the creek, I saw him. Glory! A spike! Coming my way. I waited, looking ahead to make sure I had an opening. Stopping under the big oak tree in the forefront of the picture to the right briefly, the deer nibbled an acorn. I raised my rifle the rest of the way and put him in the scope. The spike took two steps and Boom! He fell down into a ditch. I racked in another shell but the deer was not getting up. My shot echoed through the bottoms and somewhere far away, some other hunter heard it. I wonder what he was thinking. I was thinking HooRah!! HooRah!!