Ah, November. To a hardcore whitetail hunter, what more need be said? It's overwhelmingly the best month of the year, a time when big bucks are prowling for does and many trophy hunters' dreams are fulfilled.
NAW editor Duncan Dobie (center) congratulates Junior Nesbitt on his Ohio buck as cameraman Brian Rusk records the action. Photo by Tom Cross.
Now that we're finally into this most magical of months, all indications are that the 2007 rut will be a good one. Here at North American Whitetail we've already received a lot of photos and stories from successful early-season hunters, as evidenced by the September and October bucks making it into our "Deer of the Day" section. In the past couple of weeks things have picked up even more. Perhaps it's linked to the full moon in late October, which some observers think should trigger an early rut. Whatever the case, with the weather having turned cooler and that full moon having waned to last quarter, it's time to go to your stand with the expectation, not just the hope, of taking a magnum whitetail.
Admittedly, our team's own efforts of late have had mixed results. Editor Duncan Dobie and cameraman Brian Rusk had the extreme misfortune of getting into Adams County, Ohio, about the same time as autumn's first really nasty weather did. Our team struggled through several days of intermittent hard rain and wind, during which the local deer all apparently had the good sense not to move much. Duncan and Brian left without seeing a trophy buck, but it wasn't for lack of big ones in the area. Adams County is big-time trophy country.
One of the whoppers in that area did make a mistake while our guys were there, and the deer paid a hefty price for his error. On the afternoon of Oct. 24, local bowhunter Junior Nesbitt decided to go out on his first hunt of the season, and along came a 160-class 12-pointer. Junior was more than happy to fill his lone Ohio buck tag right then, and I certainly can't blame him! (See photo.) That sort of good fortune didn't rub off on our guys, but at least Duncan and Brian got to congratulate Junior and shoot some video and still photos of his massive buck.
A few days later, Dr. James Kroll ("Dr. Deer") and cameraman Mike Clerkin found the buck movement to be much more favorable where they were. On the opening morning of an early-season rifle hunt with Chris Boscamp of Encino Outdoor Services (www.huntencino.com), James downed a tremendous 10-pointer. "Chris had these deer patterned beautifully," James told me, and the results seem to concur with that assessment. The mature buck had a spread of 24 inches!
By the way, James got this Texas trophy with his new Thompson/Center Icon (www.tcarms.com), the company's first-ever bolt-action rifle. I had hoped I'd be the first NAW team member to get a whitetail with this model, but Dr. Deer beat me to the punch. He and I are both shooting this rifle in .30 TC, a new cartridge.
My Icon and I will get a chance to catch up in mid-November. After what should be an interesting muzzleloader hunt Nov. 5-7 at Primland Resort in southern Virginia (www.primland.com), Mike and I go on centerfire rifle hunts with Don Schwandt's Nebraska's D&E Outfitters (www.donsalaskanguideservice.com), then Matt Eldridge's Two Rivers Outfitters in South Dakota (www.tworiversoutfitters.com) and finally, Jeff Smith's Seven J Outfitters (www.sevenjoutfitters.com) in Wyoming before taking a holiday break. By the time that Wyoming hunt ends, it will be Thanksgiving, and we'll be due at least a few days off with our families.
As I type this, Stan and Tim Potts are on another bowhunt with Joel Snow's 5 Star Trophy Outfitters (www.5startrophyoutfitters.com) in western Ohio. When that hunt ends, it's back to the Potts' home state of Illinois, where Stan has hunts with Chad John at Sugar Creek Outfitters (309/257-2590) and then Rob Scott's Buckhorn Outfitters (www.buckhornoutfitters.com).
Meanwhile, Don and Kandi Kisky are videotaping away on their own farm and surrounding lands in southern Iowa. Son Kaleb arrowed a fine buck in early October, and now it's Mom and Dad's turn to get some tagging done. We'll see how those efforts turn out, but you can rest assured there will be a lot of bone piled up by season's end; this family's track record is amazingly consistent.
As for James, he and NAW TV editor/cameraman Josh Viste will be at Fred and Oscar Gopher's Double Arrow Outfitters (www.doublearrowinghunting.com) for another Saskatchewan rut rifle hunt in mid-November. James also has some offbeat ideas for hunts later this year. Obviously, I don't know if those ideas will pan out, but when Dr. Deer is on hand, you know whatever happens will at least be interesting. I'll update you more on his "unique" hunt plans after the chaos of the next few weeks has passed.
Until then, get into the woods as often as possible, and park yourself in the best rut location(s) you can find. Good things come to those who wait . . . especially when the magic of November finally rolls around.
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