The deer aren’t moving as much and are often in bush where fewer and fewer hunters seem to hunt these days. Funnily enough, it is for those reasons that I love winter hunting, especially with my indicator dog, Sami.
There are fewer hunters about, and scent holds a lot better than when it is hot and windy, so she can track scent better. And because deer are often yarded up, when you hit fresh sign, they are often not that far away. The forest floor is quiet and less crunchy. The other plus is that it isn’t light enough to hunt in the bush until after 7.30am. So, on day hunts I get a good sleep and can then hunt all day, or until I have had enough. You have to love that. I hate the heat too!
So, on this day, after yet another bout of rain and cold crap, the weather for the weekend was finally looking fine and sunny. As discussed, we didn’t rush away at stupid o’clock. I had a coffee and a good breakfast, and we were driving out the gate well-fed and watered at about 6:30am. That was what we did for the next three hours. Every mark that looked fresh was turned down by the
