Winter Outdoors
Mark Fike
Deer hunting
As I type this, there is still a few weeks of deer season left. However, some hunters have lost interest until the final week citing fewer deer to be had and tougher conditions. There are a few tricks to put the odds in a late season deer hunter’s favor. First, don’t get up at the crack of dawn and freeze yourself out of your stand. Go later, stay a bit longer and if the woods are dry, sit tight and don’t walk around so much. The deer have patterned most hunters and understand what crunching leaves and slamming truck doors mean. They also know most hunters leave the woods before lunch. Go out around 9 and stick it out for the last few hours. Guys leaving the woods before lunch move deer around and maybe to you.
Go hunting on bad weather days. Few hunters are out on those days. Windy days are my favorite to hunt in late season. On those days I stalk and I do it very slowly. Deer may be bedded or they may be looking for food to warm up. Look for them on southern facing slopes late morning. Walk slowly and watch for ears flickering, horizontal back lines and odd shapes. Walk only when the wind covers your noise and walk crosswind or into the wind. Rainy days are the same. Hunting during a light rain is a bit tough but the deer cannot hear you very well. Use that to your advantage.
Rabbit and squirrel hunting
King George and the surrounding areas have plenty of rabbits and squirrels. I love to hear the sound of a pack of beagles rousting a rabbit. Find a friend that has dogs and enjoy working the dogs some. New rabbit hunters need to understand that the rabbits are almost always well out in front of the dogs. Sometimes you see a rabbit dash from cover 200 yards in front of a dog! Keep the shotguns handy, wear orange and stay within sight of your buddies while hunting so you are safe. Some light loads of #6s do the job well and a 20 gauge will be sufficient. Take the kids too. Talking is OK until the dogs strike and start moving the rabbit back to you. Then quiet down and watch for movement but never shoot until you are SURE it is a rabbit. Talk about some fine eating! The backstraps of a rabbit are scrumptious.
Squirrels are feeding primarily on leftover nuts and are scrounging on the forest floor now. A .22 rifle is better than a shotgun because you have more range, but please be mindful of using a backstop when shooting. Find a good oak or hickory lot and go sit among the trees for a half hour. The squirrels will start appearing when they think the coast is clear. Squirrel stew is a great way to warm up after some winter time outdoors! Use a crock pot to tenderize the meat right off the bones and then put that in your favorite version of vegetable soup. Add some of your favorite spices (mine is Creole seasoning) and then let it simmer slowly for a few hours. Add a side of fresh baked cornbread. YUM!
Fishing
I would be remiss not to mention that on warm stretches of weather the pond fishing for bass and crappie can be spectacular. Last winter we had three days of warm weather and I hit a pond and used beetle spins and knocked out five bass over 2 pounds in an hour off steep points near shallow water. We picked up a few crappie that were nice size too! Give fishing a try under those conditions and take home some fresh fish to break up the venison routine.
Mark Fike
Deer hunting
As I type this, there is still a few weeks of deer season left. However, some hunters have lost interest until the final week citing fewer deer to be had and tougher conditions. There are a few tricks to put the odds in a late season deer hunter’s favor. First, don’t get up at the crack of dawn and freeze yourself out of your stand. Go later, stay a bit longer and if the woods are dry, sit tight and don’t walk around so much. The deer have patterned most hunters and understand what crunching leaves and slamming truck doors mean. They also know most hunters leave the woods before lunch. Go out around 9 and stick it out for the last few hours. Guys leaving the woods before lunch move deer around and maybe to you.
Go hunting on bad weather days. Few hunters are out on those days. Windy days are my favorite to hunt in late season. On those days I stalk and I do it very slowly. Deer may be bedded or they may be looking for food to warm up. Look for them on southern facing slopes late morning. Walk slowly and watch for ears flickering, horizontal back lines and odd shapes. Walk only when the wind covers your noise and walk crosswind or into the wind. Rainy days are the same. Hunting during a light rain is a bit tough but the deer cannot hear you very well. Use that to your advantage.
Rabbit and squirrel hunting
King George and the surrounding areas have plenty of rabbits and squirrels. I love to hear the sound of a pack of beagles rousting a rabbit. Find a friend that has dogs and enjoy working the dogs some. New rabbit hunters need to understand that the rabbits are almost always well out in front of the dogs. Sometimes you see a rabbit dash from cover 200 yards in front of a dog! Keep the shotguns handy, wear orange and stay within sight of your buddies while hunting so you are safe. Some light loads of #6s do the job well and a 20 gauge will be sufficient. Take the kids too. Talking is OK until the dogs strike and start moving the rabbit back to you. Then quiet down and watch for movement but never shoot until you are SURE it is a rabbit. Talk about some fine eating! The backstraps of a rabbit are scrumptious.
Squirrels are feeding primarily on leftover nuts and are scrounging on the forest floor now. A .22 rifle is better than a shotgun because you have more range, but please be mindful of using a backstop when shooting. Find a good oak or hickory lot and go sit among the trees for a half hour. The squirrels will start appearing when they think the coast is clear. Squirrel stew is a great way to warm up after some winter time outdoors! Use a crock pot to tenderize the meat right off the bones and then put that in your favorite version of vegetable soup. Add some of your favorite spices (mine is Creole seasoning) and then let it simmer slowly for a few hours. Add a side of fresh baked cornbread. YUM!
Fishing
I would be remiss not to mention that on warm stretches of weather the pond fishing for bass and crappie can be spectacular. Last winter we had three days of warm weather and I hit a pond and used beetle spins and knocked out five bass over 2 pounds in an hour off steep points near shallow water. We picked up a few crappie that were nice size too! Give fishing a try under those conditions and take home some fresh fish to break up the venison routine.
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