I'm back in Virginia after a five-day trip to Georgia for my wife's kin's annual Christmas party, hosted by her dad in his home on the shores of Lake Blackshear near Cordele.
Her dad, Chick Whelchel, had told me there were some deer around his place, which comprises maybe a dozen acres. He asked me to try to shoot one for him because his eyesight is no longer good enough to shoot a gun. It's rifle season down there, but because there some other houses around -- it's not like Smith Mountain Lake, but it's fairly developed -- I thought it would be better to haul the bow. Plus, frankly, I like bowhunting a lot more than hunting with a gun.
I spent about an hour scouting late the first morning we were there. I found some tracks, some decent trails and even one good scrape. The strip of woods I would be hunting was maybe a quarter mile long by 200 yards wide. Not big. It was mostly big, mature pines with a really thick understory. So even though there were plenty of stand-worthy trees, there weren't many in areas where I'd have any chance of getting off a bow shot. But I eventually found a pretty good spot that was surprisingly open with a good tree.
I was back that afternoon. I didn't hurry to get in there because it was really warm, maybe 75. I didn't see anything but song birds. That was actually pretty interesting. I hunt one spot up here that has so many deer there is very little understory and I don't see many song birds. No wonder birders are among the biggest supporters of sound deer population management.
I was back in there the next morning well before legal shooting light. As soon as it got light the shots started -- the duck hunters were having a ball on the lake. Meanwhile, nothing for me.
Maybe I should have just hauled some duck decoys down there and gone that route. I'm sure I would have had more action, and the licenses would have cost less than the $105 I spent on the three-day license and big-game license, and the primitive license.
I'm not complaining. We had a great family trip, and hunting was just a little part of the whole adventure.
And the hunting was fun, too, and different. Plus I believe the area has enough potential that I wouldn't hesitate to give it another try next time we're down there in the fall.
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