by Dave Hurteau

When you are still-hunting well—when the sounds of your footfalls sink into the duff and you are not moving too fast, for a change—you feel like you deserve to see a deer. You sense not just that you could see one at any moment (a rare enough feeling in the northeast) but that you should.

But the Big Woods quickly cure you of such nonsense. You don’t deserve anything. You get what you get. And I got zip the other day in exchange for two hours of noiselessly picking over a hemlock-and-red-oak bedding ridge. I got more of the same silently paralleling a long, dark bench, after which I was about ready to give it up. But there was one other spot I wanted to check—a knoll of massive white pines where bedded deer like to put their butts to the fat tree trunks and face downhill.

So from a copse of small hemlocks on the high side, I glassed all around the pine bases. I wasn’t feeling it. I’d glassed the bases of a thousand other trees already, plus a couple hundred blowdowns and stumps and thickets. I’d seen exactly nothing, nothing, and nothing.

Then suddenly there was a deer.

There wasn’t one, and poof, there was—staring back through the binoculars. The thing might as well have formed from the ether.

When I hunt productive farmland I expect to see deer and I usually do. No big deal. When I see a deer in the big woods, it’s always a surprise—almost a shock—and it never gets old. (In this case it was a doe, which is now in my freezer, not that that matters.)

Comments (14)

from ejunk wrote 23 weeks 2 days ago

really great post. I understand this exactly and I love it. thanks for sharing.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from aegagner wrote 23 weeks 2 days ago

The next time one of my friends from Ohio asks me why I would rather spend eight hours on the ground in Vermont and not see a thing rather than spend eight hours in a stand and bag a 10 pointer, I will reference this post.

+3 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from MICHMAN wrote 23 weeks 2 days ago

There is a great new book called, TROPHY WHITE TALES, which like this blog speaks of the spirit of the hunt and includes chapters about the North Woods challenges. It would make a excellent Christmas gift for family and friends and is available on Amazon. Check out the Reviews - there are many!

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from buriti wrote 23 weeks 2 days ago

You remind us that the greatest trophy is the hunting experience.

Please, read my blog at http://awildbeastatheart.blogspot.com

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from buckhunter wrote 23 weeks 2 days ago

I have already Googled the Adirondacks. Will have to make it there soon.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from steve182 wrote 23 weeks 2 days ago

I often get questioned by guys at camp about heading out to the BigWoods when they are headed to the woodlots and farmland. "There ain't no deer up there." Not as many but they're there.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from hal herring wrote 23 weeks 2 days ago

Oh, it matters.

Great hunting story- thanks for it. I'd like to see that country someday.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Dave Hurteau wrote 23 weeks 2 days ago

Anytime, Hal. Say the word.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from MNflyfisher wrote 23 weeks 2 days ago

Same thing with the Tamarack swamps of Minnesota, the silence is deafening and as soon as you decide there are no deer, one morphs from the darkness of the swamps. Just an amazing experience

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Douglas wrote 23 weeks 1 day ago

Good post. We need you to move back here to these old hills Dave. Hunters with ethical hearts are as scarce here as 3 year old bucks.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Dave Hurteau wrote 23 weeks 1 day ago

I'll be honest with you, Douglas, that's why I rarely hunt deer up there anymore: no matter where you put your stand, there's a chance you'll be within 100 yards of an illegal bait pile. It really is a shame; the deer hunting there could be outstanding.
I still run up for birds and bunnies on occasion, though.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Douglas wrote 23 weeks 1 day ago

Seems to be more grouse and snowshoes this year than in the past 15 years in spite of the coyote population. I think its due to extensive clearcutting of the private forest land. I'm hoping that will translate to more browse for the deer as well.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Bjørnejeger wrote 23 weeks 19 hours ago

This brought back memories...it's all either farmland or bare mountain tundra here. Sneaking through the new snow and seeing a deer materialise out of nowhere, wondering if you'd been so careless as to not have seen it. One of my best days in the woods was walking in the moonlight and 10" of fresh powder. Breathtaking!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from shane wrote 23 weeks 16 hours ago

Way upstate NY and VT are my home grounds. I miss it, even with the scads of massive bucks around OH.

"The next time one of my friends from Ohio asks me why I would rather spend eight hours on the ground in Vermont and not see a thing rather than spend eight hours in a stand and bag a 10 pointer, I will reference this post."

That sums it up all too well for me.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

from aegagner wrote 23 weeks 2 days ago

The next time one of my friends from Ohio asks me why I would rather spend eight hours on the ground in Vermont and not see a thing rather than spend eight hours in a stand and bag a 10 pointer, I will reference this post.

+3 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from MICHMAN wrote 23 weeks 2 days ago

There is a great new book called, TROPHY WHITE TALES, which like this blog speaks of the spirit of the hunt and includes chapters about the North Woods challenges. It would make a excellent Christmas gift for family and friends and is available on Amazon. Check out the Reviews - there are many!

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from ejunk wrote 23 weeks 2 days ago

really great post. I understand this exactly and I love it. thanks for sharing.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from buriti wrote 23 weeks 2 days ago

You remind us that the greatest trophy is the hunting experience.

Please, read my blog at http://awildbeastatheart.blogspot.com

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from buckhunter wrote 23 weeks 2 days ago

I have already Googled the Adirondacks. Will have to make it there soon.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from steve182 wrote 23 weeks 2 days ago

I often get questioned by guys at camp about heading out to the BigWoods when they are headed to the woodlots and farmland. "There ain't no deer up there." Not as many but they're there.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from hal herring wrote 23 weeks 2 days ago

Oh, it matters.

Great hunting story- thanks for it. I'd like to see that country someday.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Dave Hurteau wrote 23 weeks 2 days ago

Anytime, Hal. Say the word.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from MNflyfisher wrote 23 weeks 2 days ago

Same thing with the Tamarack swamps of Minnesota, the silence is deafening and as soon as you decide there are no deer, one morphs from the darkness of the swamps. Just an amazing experience

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Douglas wrote 23 weeks 1 day ago

Good post. We need you to move back here to these old hills Dave. Hunters with ethical hearts are as scarce here as 3 year old bucks.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Dave Hurteau wrote 23 weeks 1 day ago

I'll be honest with you, Douglas, that's why I rarely hunt deer up there anymore: no matter where you put your stand, there's a chance you'll be within 100 yards of an illegal bait pile. It really is a shame; the deer hunting there could be outstanding.
I still run up for birds and bunnies on occasion, though.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Douglas wrote 23 weeks 1 day ago

Seems to be more grouse and snowshoes this year than in the past 15 years in spite of the coyote population. I think its due to extensive clearcutting of the private forest land. I'm hoping that will translate to more browse for the deer as well.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Bjørnejeger wrote 23 weeks 19 hours ago

This brought back memories...it's all either farmland or bare mountain tundra here. Sneaking through the new snow and seeing a deer materialise out of nowhere, wondering if you'd been so careless as to not have seen it. One of my best days in the woods was walking in the moonlight and 10" of fresh powder. Breathtaking!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from shane wrote 23 weeks 16 hours ago

Way upstate NY and VT are my home grounds. I miss it, even with the scads of massive bucks around OH.

"The next time one of my friends from Ohio asks me why I would rather spend eight hours on the ground in Vermont and not see a thing rather than spend eight hours in a stand and bag a 10 pointer, I will reference this post."

That sums it up all too well for me.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.