Nov 13, 2020 4 min read

I think it would be safe to say that last year’s archery, black powder season didn’t hurt the bear all that much. While not official, I have heard there were more than 1,800 bear downed this year.

Congratulations are for two of my hunting partners who have just returned from a successful hunt in Montana. Mike Weber and Bert Snyder of the Bentleyville-Scenery Hill area came home with above average mule deer and a host of other critters. No, they were not hunting Elk but instead were hoping to get good representative Mule Deer. They each downed a Muley with an inside spread of about 24 inches. Not satisfied, they spent an afternoon shooting Prairie Dogs. I have shot these hole diggers and if you enjoyed the glory days of chuck shooting, you haven’t varmint hunted until you have burnt a barrel shooting these pint-sized pests.

During their trip, Mike also bagged a couple of coyotes and, of all things, a badger. I must admit that I have never known anyone who saw, let alone shot, a badger. Also, on their agenda was a bird shooting day at Sharp-tail Grouse and other Western game birds. It isn’t often that the hunter goes home with so many animals. I’d say that was a successful hunt. For most hunters after the first days of a successful hunt, they would prefer to sleep in the second day. As all friends of Mike know, he is a person of constant motion and his hunting partners feed off that.

I am sure that most of you who are reading this are thinking about the upcoming deer season. You are hoping and praying that at least one buck survived the long archery season. I guess I should get with it and spend my hours sitting in a tree until a buck passes my stand. The problem is I remember days surrounded by colorful leaves, checking trails and watching scrapes.

There also is something about toting a rifle out to the back 30, hoping to see that big buck while well-armed. One should also take note of the price of some of the newer cross bows. I could buy a pre-64 model 70 for less. Have you ever seen anyone pulling a crossbow from the closet with pride of ownership?

The 10 percent factor is what I always call the difference in success and failure. We all enter the deer domain with equal luck sitting on our shoulders. That makes up 90 percent of the hunt. In other words, we all started the morning with an equal chance. It is the 10 percent that makes the difference. Did you ever notice how some hunters consistently get bucks?

There are many things that make up the 10 percent. From being careful what you eat the night before to where and when you exit and enter the woods. Deer are affected by increased human activity and in the past year, they had a week to recover from much of that. This year that will change. Is the rifle right for the spot you are watching? Watching a 300-yard field is hardly the place for the old lever action 30-30. Did you forget your binoculars? Are you depending on a $10 glass bought at a yard sale? Good glass is a wonderful aid. Noisy clothes are a pain and should be avoided if the hunter truly wants to hunt and not just snipe. Are you avoiding watching from a vantagepoint that silhouettes you right at dark?

Enough to remind the hunter to watch those little things that lead to or from venison in the freezer? I think you get the idea. Have a good hunt and remember curtesy goes a long way.