The Straight 8: Small Quick Wins for the Whitetail Offseason
The deer hunting offseason is long – particularly for hardcore hunters consumed with antlers, back straps, buck rubs, and the like. We ingest gobs of digital hunting content, shed hunt, and even summer scout. Nevertheless, many of the basic to-do’s go unaddressed. Then, on the brink of the opener or even in the early morning hours of the first sit, regret sets in. Misgivings over simple tasks that could have easily been handled over the last several months resurface.
Charles Dickens once said, “Procrastination is the thief of time.” This is true in life and certainly when it comes to addressing the more elementary aspects of whitetail hunting. Here are just a few manageable jobs that often get lost in the shuffle.
Check-in with Your Hunting Host
Whether you pay to hunt or not, contact the guy or gal that gives you hunting access. After all, they’ve provided you a place to hang your stand and partake in your greatest passion. Drop by for a visit. Bring them a bottle of their favorite drink or even venison from one of last season’s adventures. If nothing else, pick up the phone to say hello. If you haven’t already done so, tell them about your hunts and harvests from last season. They may not own the deer, but they’ve made it possible for you to hunt them.
Keep yourself a known quantity and show your appreciation at the same time. By the way, your privileges can be revoked at a moment’s notice. Minimize the chances of this dreaded circumstance occurring.
Practice Shooting
At times, I’m guilty of putting off bow practice. It’s kind of counterintuitive since I enjoy shooting. It’s therapeutic and improves my effectiveness and confidence. It’s also a good way to make sure your bow and its components are in good working order. Don’t wait until a couple of weeks before the bowhunting opener. Practice now and vow to do it weekly.
Do you think this offseason task is mentioned too often? There is a reason for it. Are you doing it?
Find New Hunting Digs
Whether you hunt public land, already have private grounds secured, or are currently without a place to sit your butt on a tree stand seat, seek a new property. This is a great summertime activity that might just yield your next great whitetail kill or encounter. Even if you strike out, you may cultivate a relationship that pays off in the future. At a minimum, you can sharpen your permission-seeking skills or broaden your public land hunting range, or both.
Learn Something New
It’s been often said that “there are no true deer hunting experts.” It’s true. There is always something to learn. You can try a new weapon, establish your first mock scrape, or plan for a new hunting approach. You don’t have to wait until the golden days of the fall. Get out and scout, make a habitat improvement to the land you hunt or attend a seminar. Heck, check out an educational hunting channel on YouTube. These days, educational opportunities abound in the deer hunting sphere.
Recruit a Hunter
Hunter numbers are dwindling. Give some thought to anyone in your life ripe for taking on the hunting lifestyle. Friends and family members, kids, or adults. It doesn’t matter. Introduce them to the whitetail woods and teach them what you know. Most of all, make it fun for them. It can be as simple as sharing some tasty wild game at the dinner table to pique their interest. Regardless of skill level, any deer hunter can tackle this simple mission.
Address a Problem
You know that squeaky blind chair or the large cedar limb that has already cost you a quality shot at a buck. What about the stand where you keep getting busted? The one begging for better entry and exit routes. You’ve got the best of intentions but haven’t followed through – and you’ve paid for it. The offseason is the time to improve a situation or right a problem in your hunting regimen. You know you have one or two of them…
Clean Up and Organize Trail Cam Images
Like most deer hunters, you absolutely love capturing deer on trail cameras. You also abhor the process of managing and organizing the images. You don’t mind gawking at deer pictures, but you’d just as soon poke a stick in your eye than sort through hordes of images. “I’ll do it tomorrow,” you tell yourself. However, many tomorrows pass and it’s out of control. I know, this is a common one and can be painful to even think about. But it’s all about getting started. Take a deep breath and make time to analyze the images you have by hunting area and start the season on a good footing. Once organized, you can use the data from them to look for patterns through the data your footage provides – variables such as time, date, and weather conditions. This task isn’t as hard as it seems and can help you catch up to the potential shooters on your whitetail dirt.
Tend to the Home Front
Finally, like during the season, give real attention to your family and loved ones. You have a hobby that consumes the fall and winter months. Use the summertime to be present for your spouse and kids, as well as the other important people in your life. Plan a couple of trips. Consistently participate in family activities. Engage in things with them that have nothing to do with your hunting escapades. This means doing them without a thought bubble consumed with drop tines and buck scrapes. Show them that, while whitetails and whitetail hunting are dear to your heart, your loved ones are still your biggest priority.
Do any of these potential offseason duties usually go unaddressed for you? If so, use this whitetail offseason as an opportunity to act. Remember, they don’t all have to be completed. Pick one or two of them and diligently knock them out. There is power in checking off some of the more manageable tasks associated with your whitetail pursuits. Come fall, when “deer on the brain syndrome” is at full tilt, you’ll be glad you did. I promise.
Based in Texas, Jerald Kopp is President of 1st Light Hunting Journal. His articles cover a variety of topics about hunting and the outdoor lifestyle. Jerald is an avid outdoorsman with deer hunting and whitetails being by far his greatest passion. He was introduced to hunting and fishing at an early age and has been enjoying it for 40+ years. In 2005, he established the Empowerment Outfitter Network (EON) – a faith-based non-profit organization that provides hunting opportunities for disabled and terminally-ill children and youth. When not hunting, he spends his time traveling and enjoying life with Amy, his wife of over 30 years. Jerald and Amy have two adult daughters and a son-in-law.
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