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.