Monday, November 26, 2007
October is when father and son are ‘hitting the woods,’ one hunter said.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BAZETTA — Longtime hunter Brian Phillips says it is a fairly common mistake to believe that rain showers like those expected today make hunting for deer more difficult.
However, the idea that deer might stay in their bedding in such conditions instead of moving around for food and water is false, he said Sunday while practicing near his house with the shotgun he’ll use today during the first day of deer-gun season in Ohio.
“Some hunters will come out for a few hours and say, ‘They aren’t moving because of the rain,’ but [the deer] got to move,” he said. Deer, Phillips said, behave about the same way whether it rains or not, and they consume a large amount of water about three times per day, he said.
Those are the times when it’s easiest to harvest a deer — when they are on the move.
Phillips, who enjoys bow hunting more than hunting with a shotgun, says the deer-gun season brings out lots of hunters on the first day of the season who make another common mistake: leaving the woods at lunch time.
“Usually at noontime [deer] get up to take a drink,” Phillips said, which causes a lot of hunters who leave the woods for lunch to miss their opportunity to harvest a deer. Phillips usually packs a lunch for that reason, he said.
Phillips has been hunting with his friend Dave Hunter of Cortland for 20 to 25 years. Almost 10 years ago, his son, Chad, 24, started hunting with the men. And about three years ago, Hunter’s son, Davey, 16, joined them.
All four plan to be out this week to take a shot at a trophy whitetail.
Phillips and Davey Hunter agree that bow hunting is more fun because of the challenge. Bow hunters must get within about 30 yards of a deer to be successful, and that means the hunter must pay attention to wind direction and other factors, he noted. Bow season began in late September.
The start of deer gun season is cause for excitement for even the most avid bow hunter, Dave Hunter Sr. said. The lure of hunting with a gun is that a successful shot can be fired from as much as 75 yards away, he explained.
When asked what they enjoy most about hunting, Phillips said, “The thrill, the adrenaline rush.”
Phillips said the most important factor that determines whether a hunter will be successful is whether he has “done his homework” in the woods before the first day of the hunting season.
Doing your homework means looking for deer bedding locations, deer trails, sources of food and water and observing scrapes or rubs on trees, Dave Hunter explained. Once these things are known, the hunter can put himself into position to be successful, he said.
On Sunday, Phillips and Davey Hunter bought their shotgun ammunition and spent some time behind Phillips’ Bazetta home taking some practice shots, which is a tradition as well as a good idea, Phillips said. Davey Hunter fired four shots at a milk jug and some coffee containers while bracing himself against a tree.
Besides the challenge and thrill of hunting, it is also a family tradition for many people, Phillips said, adding that this time of year is a reason for him and his son to spend some time together.
“He’s doing his thing all summer. I’m doing my thing all summer, but when October comes, we’re hitting the woods,” Phillips said.
Hunting also gives a person the opportunity to enjoy nature.
“You see all different types of wildlife,” Phillips said. “Just getting out and getting away,” he said.
“And for stress,” added Davey Hunter.
“You’re just out in your own little world. That’s always nice,” Phillips added.
runyan@vindy.com