By the end of all deer seasons on Jan. 10, 2022, deer hunters using archery gear, muzzleloaders, shotguns or center fire rifles will take about 110,000 deer. This number is consistent with historical trends. And this number seems to be a fair balance between the biological carrying capacity of the land and the social carrying capacity of what people will accept.

OBSERVATIONS FROM A TREE STAND of a wide variety of wildlife activities are a bonus that every deer hunter, particularly archers, can look forward to every time they go out. Any bow hunter can tell you that the waiting game is long. Many hours go by with not much happening. It goes with the territory, as is to be expected. The hunter is there for deer, but what happens otherwise is not uneventful. Many times any deer activity can range from zero deer passing by. They just were not in the vicinity at that particular time.

At other settings on stand, deer may be all around, some close or not so close. Even so, observing the behavior of these four legged critters adds to the pleasure of being outside snuggled up against a tree watching all that is going on. Other wildlife critters going about their daily tasks adds to the enjoyment of being in wildlife’s element.

Birds of all kinds make appearances. I especially look forward to pileated woodpecker appearances, as this crow-sized large bird pecks away into tree bark looking for morsels of insects or larvae to eat. Pileated woodpeckers are noisy and unmistakable. Tiny woodpeckers like the downy and its larger cousin the hairy make appearances. Red-bellied woodpeckers are also conspicuous with both sounds and flight patterns. Many other smaller warbler type birds flit about the branches and never seem to sit still. They are always on the move.

contributed photo

In my over five decades of tree stand sittings, many memorable wildlife encounters have come and gone. The best of the best include watching a red-tailed hawk gliding right toward me, or the tree I was in. I remember seeing its image get larger and larger as it approached. What I did not know at the time was this raptor was just changing locations. I could have sworn it was coming to investigate my slight movements of my head. Instead, the big hawk was intent on finding a new perch. That perch happened to be an old dead tree limb on the opposite side of the tree I was in. It landed a mere six feet away, tucked in its wings and began a survey of its new location. As I carefully, silently and slowly peeked my head a bit to get an improved view, the hawk had no idea I was watching it. For about the next few moments, it was me and the hawk in the same tree. And then, when the hawk eventually turned its head toward me, it realized that those two big eyes looking back at it were human. That did it. The red tail took its startled flight away from me.

I have seen little sharp-shinned hawks snatch a small bird out of the air, come land close by to pluck feathers and eventually grab beak sized meat parcels to eat. I have watched turkey vultures gather in swarms to feast on a raccoon carcass on a river sandbar. I have watched bald eagles soar overhead and occasionally land in the top of the tree I am sitting in. And owls on silent wings have periodically glided close to inspect that big bump in the tree, me, to see what it was, only to veer off at the last second.

At ground level, woodchucks have waddled about his or her newly dug ground burrow entrance. Raccoons also pass by from time to time, or even climb the tree I am in, until they realize that the tree is already occupied. Then they make a mad scramble higher into the tree or a quick exit down the tree. Squirrels become inquisitive and inspect that camouflage bump sitting in the stand. Field mice have even exited a hollow maple tree limb site to scamper around the tree bark a mere arms length away. Their big black eyes are well suited for night time bug and seed hunting activities.

Weather is always changing. Remarkable sunrises and sunsets are sights to behold. Those colorful sky patterns etch new memories about time spent outdoors. Then when a new morning comes to full daylight, fog may slowly drift in and out, blocking and then exposing new views of the grassland or forest. It is magic. Along with nice calm or light winds come other instances with strong winds and cold air. Obviously, dressing correctly for the weather elements is key to staying warm and dry. I have gone to a tree stand in the past without any snow on the ground. However, before I climbed down at quitting time, snow had fallen in enough quantity to turn me and the land white. As I continued my walk out of the forest, I noted deer footprints made just moments prior leaving delicate impressions of their recent passing.

During 2021, new outdoor memories will be added to every hunter’s scrapbook. Each will be unique and special, a reflection of superb snippets of time spent outside hiking, hunting, canoeing, fishing or whatever trips your trigger to keep you enthusiastic about tomorrow. Enjoy.

TRAIL CAMERAS remain a popular device that hunters may choose to use as silent recorders of what passes by. Deer hunters have a wide variety of styles and options now available that record animal meanderings day and night. These recording devices tell a story of what, when and where so the hunter can gain information about what is using that particular trail. Trail camera options have progressed and improved functionality over time to even send cell phone messages to your device of what is happening right now, or what has just occurred.

Hunting organizations have recognized the fair chase element that is paramount to ethical taking of a wild animal. An unfair advantage is not to be used as an end-all method of taking big game critters. Recognizing that trail cameras can be used responsibly, or not, two nationally recognized organizations have set a policy statement into effect before a big game record can be accepted. These organizations are the Boone and Crockett Club and the Pope and Young Club. Here is the actual wording of the policy.

Trail Camera Usage: “The use of any technology that delivers real-time location data (including photos) to target or guide a hunter to any species or animal in a manner that elicits an immediate (real-time) response by the hunter is not permitted.” The key word here is immediate. How will this play out in real life scenarios?

In most cases, trail camera images just record what traveled past and within view of the lens. The hunter later examines a memory card, or cell phone image, and notes the time, date and location of an event. By the time a hunter has time off work or travels to a deer stand, the incident that was recorded is just a historical moment of the past, not a “right now, right here” happening. In other words, the recording did not elicit an immediate response. No big game animal just stands around waiting for a hunter to show up. They hear, see or smell humans way before that human gets close. And they move away along a trail as they feed or seek cover during any daily movements.

Hunters know that deer use multiple trails to go from point A to point B. In two weeks time, a trail camera will probably take enough photos of any and all deer, raccoon, wild turkey, bobcat, coyote, skunk, opossum, or feral cat that resides in that particular habitat area. When actual stand time by a hunter is taking place, all he or she knows is that in the past, wild animals have passed by that location. There is no way to know if that setting for a hunter will yield an opportunity while they sit and wait. Responsible hunters and ethical hunters know the odds are heavily stacked in favor of the wild animal. To use woodsmanship skills to outwit a wild critter requires a lot of hard work, good timing and even a bit of old fashioned good luck. When all these factors come together, and if a wild critter is legally and ethically dispatched by your bullet or arrow, the hunter can claim respectful accolades from family and friends.

NOVEMBER is upon us. During this month preceding winter’s arrival, our earth’s orbit position is such that direct sunlight duration on the northern hemisphere is getting shorter. For those of us living in Marshall County, daylight length on Nov. 1 was 10 hours and 22 minutes. On Nov. 30, day length will be exactly one hour shorter at 9 hours and 22 minutes. Those 60 minutes equate to an average loss of two minutes per day. I know you are thrilled about shorter days. Daylight savings time ends today, Nov. 7. Set clocks back one hour.

“You may delay, but time will not, and lost time is never found again.” — Thomas Edison