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30-Days and Counting

The older I get, the more I despise Aug/Sep heat and humidity, especially climbing a tree and basking in sweat for an hour or more until I acclimate, become less irritable and more focused on the task at hand. With that said, I was on a solid out of State afternoon deer hunt few years back in September with a firearm, and in an area that had potential to produce a buck worthy of messing with in those conditions. I vividly recall walking 1000 yards with climber on back in 90+ degree heat, climbing the tree, drenched in sweat, to the point I shed my dry-fit shirt for an hour or two until I cooled off and the sun was lower in the sky. I was on stand early with a lot of anticipation of what might appear. As you might expect, not much happened until the last 30 minutes when several mature bucks appeared at 50-75 yards, best one grossing around 130", tall but tight. He had the long mature body and solid neck/shoulders for that time of year, pretty sure he was 5.5+. Two other bucks around 125" that looked 4.5 were with him, as was a few younger bucks. The midges and flies were wearing them out, and the deer were doing everything in their power to keep the bugs off, yet stay aware of their surroundings. They looked as miserable as I had been just a few hours earlier drenched in sweat. I watched them through the scope for several minutes but just could not bring myself to pull the trigger at 7PM and several hours from the house. The most mature buck's neck and body was as impressive, or more to me, than his antlers. It was a fun hunt with a lot of memories, but I ultimately climbed down, walked out, loaded my stuff, drove home, arriving at midnight, so I could rush and go to work the next morning. I know 99.9% of those hot afternoon hunts are just going to be "scouting/viewing sessions" for me as the juice just isn't worth the squeeze right at dark unless a real bruiser presents itself, which rarely happens to me. I have been a few more afternoon hunts with a bow where I saw solid bucks, but just watched them walk off, as yet again, the juice just wasn't worth the squeeze that day and time. As mentioned above by several members, had the same opportunities presented themselves in Nov/Dec with cold temps, drier air, shorter days and a rutting buck, I'd been more prone to take a shot and do the work if I hit the mark. Over the last few years, hot and humid hunting has all but lost it's luster to me.
 
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Went on a South Carolina Forestry Service WMA rifle hunt in the lowland pine country about 14 or 15 years ago.
4:00 am 95 degrees in a lowlands mature pine stand, 1000% humidity and I'm sure the noseeums were as big as song birds, still have scars… Soaking wet and dehydrated before dawn. I could hear my sweat drips hitting the ground under me.
Shot a real nice 10 ( by SC lowlands standards) in full velvet, had to follow the rules of the hunt, wait, track from where the shot was made…
Kept telling the guy he was wasting the deer. I heard the deer crash, knew where he was but didn't want to risk facing those water moccasins alone. Recovery by 9:am and 98 degrees dressed and to the truck by 10, back at camp by 10:30 and the meat was turning and the velvet was liquifying. Took a skull cap and helped dispose of the rest. I'll wait for October, y'all can have all the fun till then.
 

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