Adapting Beyond the Norm

Written By: Kendra DeBerry, Fall Obsession Field Staff

Alarm clock sounds off around 4am and you scramble to your feet to quickly jump in the shower so you can wash away all your scent. You're on a time schedule that’s ticking away at a faster pace than you desire, as you begin preparing for the morning hunt the night before. You pack all your gear, checking it twice and sometimes more. Questions often arise such as; “should I take this grunt call? Should I use this deer lure instead? Do I need my binoculars? Do I have my rangefinder?” The weather is checked several times along with the Spypoint cameras for deer activity times. It always feels as if it is a rushed endeavor. Especially if you're hunting public land in order to be the first one there and claim your spot. You develop a mentality to beat that other guy out there and defend your territory. It can make it overwhelming and question your choice of should I go here or should I go at all. These are some of the normal descriptions you will hear about experiences that generations of hunters have had over the years. Then you have those that had to adapt beyond the normal hunting scenarios.

The author, Kendra, and her son today

There are circumstances that you have to work with in order to accomplish the goals you have set for yourself. Not everyone gets dealt the same cards in the game. This was my experience. I was a mother of a young child starting kindergarten and an avid hunter. I was not afforded the opportunity to get into the woods before daylight if I want to hunt a big buck. My son had to be at school like the rest of his classmates just after daybreak and I was his transportation. His father and I didn’t feel comfortable with him riding the bus at that age by himself. He didn’t have an older sibling to watch over him and show him the ropes of school bus travel.

So what did I do? I adapted a skill of my own that worked for me and my family. I learned to be quiet and stealthy! I learned to use the terrain to my advantage, sneaking quietly just as if a mature buck would to elude a hunter. Eyes constantly looking out for movement, shapes running horizontally, the hues of color from a deer rack or the flicker of a tail or ear, the smells of the woods. I paid very close attention to all the animals I encountered as I trekked to my destination. They would give me subtle clues of my surroundings. What better tool to use than the creatures of the forest. That was their home, they lived there all the time. If I learned how they saw their surroundings and reacted to the presence of deer, it would be a big plus for me.

I used a combination of still hunting with stealth. Many times it would be 8am or later before I could get to the woods. I learned many things in my early twenties during this time. I wasn’t just the weekend hunter, I was a daily hunter. I took my turkey hunting skills and mixed them up with my deer hunting skills. Always looking and listening to what the woods had to say.

Windy days and rainy days were the easiest because they muffled and silenced my footsteps in the leaves. The wind was to be respected and used to my advantage. By paying close attention to the thermals, it would determine my route and strategy on any given day. A deer's greatest tool is their nose. That shiny black, two holed, wet object on the front of their face is a formidable opponent. You can confuse the ears of a whitetail, but not the nose! Learn it and learn it well.

When my son was born, I wouldn’t miss a day of hunting. He was along for the ride as well. Strapped to my back or in a papoose, he was learning skills even when I didn’t realize. When he was able to walk, he still struggled to keep pace, so I would piggy back him up and down the mountain. He enjoyed the outdoors. As he grew older, it became the norm for mom to pick him up from school with a buck she had harvested during the day. Always putting a grin on his face as if he was in celebrity status with his classmates. Mom was cool, but he would never tell you.

I didn’t realize until this year how much my style of hunting had influenced my son’s own style. His dad is the old school, alarm clock, on time kind of guy, or you're not going. Don’t get me wrong, if I can I will get up at four in the morning for a hunt, I’m afforded the luxury. The past two years my son and I have been hunting together quite often. Many times it’s after daylight and it’s a scout, walk and stalk type of hunt. He’s gotten really good at getting close to bucks in broad daylight. Just yesterday, we stalked up on four different deer, two of which were good bucks. We nearly stepped on one at five yards as it lay hidden in a briar patch.

I’ve taken most of my bucks by hunting this way. It's become my signature style, all because I had to adapt in order to be able maintain my responsibilities as a mom and enjoy my passion for hunting or I would miss out. The next time you sleep through the buzzing alarm clock and feel rushed to get into the woods, step back and relax. All is not lost! The game is not over, it’s only just begun.