Photos courtesy of Bob Coombs.

The whitetail's amazing ability to adapt to an infinite variety of habitats has been stated many times. Without question, this special quality is one of the primary reasons the animal is generally considered to be the No. 1 big game species in North America. Diverse habitat conditions dictate that hunters must also be adaptable, particularly in regard to modifying methods used to pursue these great deer.

Few situations require more adjustment on the hunter's part than bowhunting whitetails in a highly urban environment. Over the last few years, Bob Coombs has hunted several locations within the suburbs of northern Fulton County, an area that has experienced extreme urbanization due to its proximity to Atlanta.

Despite the ongoing changes in land use, deer can be found in scattered small-acreage tracts of land not yet developed, and along drainages, both natural and manmade. In many cases, these drainages are rugged, rock-filled ravines, commonly referred to as "greenbelts" because they have been covered by dense thickets of kudzu, privet and small hardwoods.

During the 2005-2006 season, Bob hunted a 50-acre tract of mature hardwoods located on a rounded hilltop above a small creek. Houses and a four-lane highway bordered the wooded knoll. On the final day of the season, the hunter settled into position well before daybreak, enduring subfreezing temperatures and brisk northerly winds. Weeks earlier, he had sighted a huge wide-racked buck on the hill, but on this morning the woods remained totally devoid of deer activity.

"Cold and hungry, I had decided to take a quick break for lunch and was lowering my bow to the ground," Bob said. "At that same moment, a 4-point buck and a doe suddenly came running up the hillside, followed seconds later by the giant buck. I immediately tried to pull the bow up, but only succeeded in getting the rope tangled with several of my equipment straps."

The hunter looked on as the three deer disappeared over the top of the hill. After remaining in the stand for a short while to see if the buck might return, he took a quick lunch break. The afternoon was uneventful, but in the near darkness of late evening as Bob prepared to leave the stand, he suddenly spotted the 4-pointer and doe almost directly below. Although the big deer was not in sight, he could hear the sounds of antlers raking and breaking tree branches a short distance away.

"That experience was a tough way to end the season," Bob said. "My only hope was that the buck would survive to the following fall."

That question went unanswered for an extended period of time. Although the hunter had three trail cameras located on the site, the big whitetail managed to stay out of sight during the summer and early fall of 2006. However, while hunting the property during the second week in October, Bob sighted the buck twice during a four-day period, and then the deer disappeared again.

"Hunting in urban areas requires an entirely different perspective on understanding deer movement patterns," Bob noted. "The number of deer at a specific location can change dramatically from one day to the next, and the animals may travel considerable distances to reach a particular pocket of habitat. Highways and neighborhoods are certainly not barriers to deer movement.

"In this case, I was just happy to know that the buck was still around and had grown an even bigger rack than in '05," he continued. "I was reasonably sure the big deer would eventually return to my location."

While Bob's assessment was correct, approximately a month elapsed before the buck was next sighted a few days before Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, during that afternoon hunt, nature walkers and dogs, plus a broken bow sight that resulted in a lost 30-yard shot opportunity, caused an extremely frustrating day.

"I believe the sight must have been damaged while I was carrying the bow by the string," Bob said. "At the time, I was really afraid that single mistake may have cost me the buck. Needless to say, I was disappointed."

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