In many ways the differences between myself and the majority of folks is very little. I live in a world surrounded by technology, I'm a husband, father, employee, neighbor and a friend to many, but there is a special relationship that I have with the outdoors and Whitetail Deer Hunting, that places me in a much smaller minority.
There is not a single day that passes out of 365 where my mind isn't drawn at some point to Whitetail Deer and Hunting. It's not an obsession it's just a tremendous passion!!
Most people see the month of November as the start to a dead and dreadful part of the year, on the other hand I see November as a start to a bright and hopeful part of the year. I compare a cold overcast November day equally to a beautiful bright sunny day in the Spring. When most find the coldness of the winter months as uninviting and depressing, I see it as the greatest opportunity to get out in the woods and enjoy the true bone structure of the landscape, unaltered with foliage and insects. This is the time of year when a true hunter is able to get back to their primitive roots.
For some, hunting is just a traditional exercise in order to obtain venison. That of course is part of my hunting goal as well, but the main attraction is matching myself against the most adaptable big game animal in all of North America. The Whitetail Deer is equipped with over 3 million years of experience built into it's genetics that makes it extremely elusive and incredibly sensitive to it's surroundings.
Most all of my Whitetail Deer hunting is done solitarily because I feel it increases my odds of taking a big mature buck.
Although I have been hunting for more than 30 years, each time I enter the woods alone before daylight I renew my relationship with the darkness and solitude of the forest. I try to hunt as smart as possible, never driving a motorized vehicle into my hunting area and I pay close attention to the wind direction as it relates to my stand selection. In order to get to any of my stands I must spend some time walking.
Once I have entered into the forest away from civilization, that feeling of being alone in the dark taps me on the shoulder just to remind me of it's presence. There is a part of me that feels very inferior to the vast darkness of the forest, but as I continue further into the woods I am overtaken by a feeling of complete peace that reminds me that I'm right where I need to be. Once I reach my stand and I'm settled in, I take solace in the dark silence that surrounds me. It's at this point that I recognize that I am of a select group that is actually out in the woods experiencing these sensations. Shortly thereafter the light becomes prevalent and the woods begin to come alive. This is a true feeling of fulfillment that can never be duplicated regardless of technological advancement.
WOW all these different feelings and now the main event begins, THE HUNT!!!
Deer hunting success is measured in many different ways depending on what you want out of the hunt. My personal measurement of success is harvesting a mature buck and or filling my tags with does if that big boy doesn't show, all while capturing the hunt on video.
Hunting in Southwest Virginia, I try to keep realistic expectations. Don't get me wrong I enjoy watching big bucks being taken on TV but I don't let it cloud my 100% fair chase, no feed , no fences, limited land, old school hunting approach. I do realize that most of the deer hunting shows are customized for our viewing pleasure. My biggest Virginia buck is a 157(VA. score), so by no means have I taken a true monster buck yet, but my desire is through the roof and when I do there will be no one on earth that will appreciate what goes into it more than I.
Hey, I certainly understand how hunting might not be everyone's cup of tea, but whitetail deer hunting is good for my soul, and it's an activity that is almost as important to me as life itself.
Ever since my first deer hunt alongside my grandfather at age 12, I have understood that the continual existense of wildlife and wilderness is essential to the quality of life for humans and it's our responsibility as outdoorsman and women to KEEP IT GOING!!
Jeff Phillips