Junk mail, electric bill, wrong address. Finally, this month’s Outdoor Life arrives.
As you glance over the record buck on the cover, you wonder where and how someone could get lucky enough to kill a deer of that size. You open the magazine to the table of contents to see what tips this month’s issue has.
“How to Get Close to the Big Ones” catches your eye, so you turn to page 34 and read the article.
Every magazine has how-to articles and tips for becoming a better hunter, but the truth is that the majority of articles written in Outdoor Life and other popular outdoor publications aren’t going to help you kill deer in Mississippi.
The Magnolia State and its deer seem to have a mind of their own.
The rut in Mississippi is about as consistent as the football team. Who knows when the bucks will chase after the does?
The terrain is different here, the weather is different here and hunters must have a little luck on their side in order to take a good buck in the South.
So in order to become a better hunter, don’t pay attention to how people kill record deer in Kansas because you aren’t even close to Kansas.
Here are a few tips to help you become a better hunter where it counts.
* One of the biggest problems hunters have is waiting to scout at the last minute. Hunters want to go out and kill a deer without doing any work at all.
That just isn’t how it works. Scout the land before hunting it and take notes of what kind of sign is where.
Draw a rough sketch of the land and document the findings. Look for trails, water sources, thickets and food sources.
Also, remember not to scout during early morning and late evening. The less time hunters remain in the area, the less likely their scent will become familiar to the deer in the area.
* From rolling hills to flatlands to thickets and open-pastures, hunters have a variety of land types to hunt in Mississippi.
Hunters need to decide what type of hunting fits their needs. If they are going after that monster buck, then they need to hunt where the big deer are: thickets.
If hunters are going after meat, then hunt food plots. During the rut, hunt where the does are because the big boys will be near by.
* When hunters go to their stand, they often make two major mistakes. The first is making too much noise and the second is not being ready when a deer appears.
Hunters assume that they will not see a deer until they get to their stand, but that is a poor assumption. Be ready at all times, walk slowly to the stand and take the quietest route to your stand.
* The weather is always changing in Mississippi, so hunters have to be ready for anything. It is a good idea for hunters to keep a journal of the weather each day they hunt.
Keep up with the barometric pressure, the temperature, the moon phase and the wind speed of that day. Over the years, hunters will be able to check their journal to see when the deer move best in their particular area.
As all hunters know, Mississippi hunting is different from any place else on earth. The best tip that hunters can remember is to learn from their mistakes and capitalize on the lessons they have learned in the field.
Jake Fagan is a senior communication major. He can be reached at [email protected].