A Developed Obsession

My boys think I have an obsession with archery hunting. My wife calls it a developed interest…God bless her! I think they are all kind of right…I call it a developed obsession! I took the family with me last night to help set up my turkey blind for the upcoming gobbler season which opens on April 25 (tomorrow). I’ve got a spot where I have seen several gobblers over the past couple of years. This year though, I’m moving my blind closer to where they roost. But even though I was consciously in turkey hunting mode, that deep “developed obsession” I have came bubbling up from within me before we even hit the wood line. Bubbling might not be the correct word to describe it though. It was more like it erupted from me like a volcano. I had decided to take my family to my turkey spot by the easiest means possible so we drove about a half mile behind our house and parked the van on the side of the road. We had to walk through about 50 yards of sparse woods before we got on the field that would take us about 400 yards back to my turkey spot. But as I led my little troop towards the edge of the woods, I suddenly stopped. When my wife asked if I was lost (we weren’t 20 yards from the van yet), I pointed out all the deer trails. As my children milled around like fawns do when the lead doe comes to a stop, the eruption inside me occurred. Now, we’ve all heard the stories, read the articles, and seen the pictures and videos that show some deer trails that look more like cattle paths. I was of the belief that these special types of trails were only created on property where hunters had VERY limited access. But I am here to tell you that we were standing near not one such trail, but three…and they converged to a point where all three were in bow range! Suddenly, I had transformed into archery mode and was looking for that special tree in which I could hang my stand. Now remember, here I was on my way out to set up a turkey blind in April and I had instantly “fast-forwarded” to October! I could already picture myself perched up in atree watching these three trails that you could easily ride a motorcycle on. As my fawns…um…children started to get restless, I decided a quick scouting session was called for. As we moved through the area, I was quickly able to determine where the deer were bedding and where they were feeding and that this little travel corridor was the perfect bottle-neck that all hunters seek. I carefully looked at all three trials and could see tracks moving in both directions so I knew they were using the same trails to access the field in the evening and vacate it in the morning. The set up is perfect because thanks to a large and steep hill across the road, I know that even the bucks would prefer to cross at this point. Especially since the property they bed in across the road is untouchable to hunters. The steep hillside on one side of the road and the field on the other funnels the deer to this pinch point. After setting up the turkey blind (my troops were under strict orders to maintain radio silence), we stepped back out into the field. As I looked down the wood line, I saw a deer standing in the field watching us. Is that a sign or what?! Here it was 6:30 in the evening and the deer were already hitting the field to feed with two hours of light still left. I knew right away that the deer in this little corner were very much at ease. I did not have the chance to find that “perfect” tree yet but I’ll be back. Oh yes, I will be back.