Well, I wimped out. I always joke about hunting until the whistle blows no matter what, but this time was different. I hunted Friday morning and everything felt so right. A little wind, but not enough to make much of a difference. The sun was shining and deer were moving. It was also one of the few times all year that I saw plenty of ducks flying. But after lunch the wind began to pick up. The temperature started to drop and by 4:00 I could see my breath. I knew Saturday, the last day of the season, was supposed to be cold, but that never stopped me before. I pulled up the weather on my phone while sitting in the stand just before the sun went down and made a decision. I made the decision to pack it up, head home, and sit out the final day of deer season.
Missing the final day of the season wasn’t an easy decision. But when the weather people tell you that the wind chill in Mississippi is going to be 6-8 degrees you’ve gotta ask yourself, “Is it really worth it?” This time, for me, it wasn’t. Honestly, I don’t think I even own the right clothing for that kind of wind. On the other hand, there are no guarantees that I would even see a deer. So instead, I sat next to the window in my bedroom most of the day staring into the backyard happy to be warm. At the end of the day, I watched the sun go down and felt a little depressed that another season had come and gone. It always happens so fast.
When I coached baseball, the next season always began as soon as the last one ended. That meant exit meetings, season reviews, and preparation for the next year. Since I no longer coach, I’m going to take that same approach for hunting season. This season may be over, but now is the time to review and prepare for the next one with the lessons learned to be more successful in the future.
The first thing to do is an end of season gear check. All season long you push your gear to the limit. Now is a good time to assess all of your stuff to make sure it can keep going. Clean your weapons. Get all of the mud, dust, and powder residue off of them. This will save you a lot of headaches, and money, for the future. Next, take care of your clothes. That sounds simple enough, but taking care of your camo will increase its longevity. Wash it and pack it up to keep unwanted scents off the fabric so it’s ready for next season. When it comes to checking your gear at the end of the season, there’s probably nothing more important than checking your stands. Check for rust, loose bolts, and general wear and tear. Replace any parts that need to be replaced now before you forget. After all, your life may depend on this step next season. Last, restock ammo and any arrows that need to be replaced. Once again, it’s better to get this done now rather than wait until it’s go time next fall.
Review your season and learn from your mistakes. Sometimes this is the difference between killing your target buck next year or not. Few of us ever get it right all of the time when it comes to hunting, so it’s a good idea to look back on what you could have done differently. Maybe it’s stand placement. Maybe it’s food plot location, or even what type of food plot you planted. Take some time and walk your property looking for post-season signs. It’s a great time to see how the deer act with little pressure. It’s also a great chance to pick up a shed or two.
Go ahead now and start thinking about land management for next year. What lanes could you create? Can you create some trails to access your stands better and quieter? Think of all of the ways you can put yourself in a good position to kill deer while at the same time eliminating as much pressure as possible. This is also the time of the year to start going through those trail cam pictures and identifying bucks you’d like to target for next season. And if you want to do your best to hold them on your property for next season, it’s a good idea to start thinking about food sources that will keep them around until then. Summer feeding and plots make a huge difference.
The last thing to do is repair relationships and yourself. Now that the season is over, it’s a good idea to start sucking up to the family that you’ve probably neglected for the last few months. Your kids may seem distant at first since their daddy has been MIA for a while, but it will get better by Spring Break if you’re lucky. Your wife is going to be happy to have another adult back in the house to vent about the kids to. Although this is going to be painful, listen to everything she says and respond accordingly. As tough as that is, you’ve got to remember that another deer season will be here soon and you’re going to need all of the “brownie” points you can get between now and then. The other part to this is to repair yourself. You’ve been running on caffeine and Little Debbie snack cakes for several months. Get back on a normal, healthy diet plan. Take regular showers and shave. All of these things will be good for your physical and mental health and could end up saving your marriage. Rest up, the woods will be ready for you again soon.
