Open Season by: Skylar Mabe

Gun season in North Carolina ranges from around Nov. 20- Jan.1. For most hunters that means 42 days of sitting, waiting and watching.

           

            Saturday morning, Nov. 20 it begins. Grant Trivette, a hunter since the age of 6, wakes up at 5 a.m., stumbles to the kitchen and pops some Eggo waffles into the toaster. He could hardly sleep last night.

            “The mystery of what’s out there gets me. You never know what you’re going to run into- it could be a doe, a buck, a turkey, a fox, a bobcat, a coyote. You just never know,” said Grant.

            After breakfast he’ll put on his thermal long johns, wool socks and boots then head outside to make sure everything is ready to go. Once everything is packed, he’ll load his gun and a few bullets in its case and throw everything in the bed of this truck.

            For Grant hunting is a challenge, a test of the senses. A test he’s aced, killing six bucks and nine does; however, some hunters will go their whole life and never kill anything.

            Donny Stewart, age 55 has only killed one deer. He’s been hunting seriously for about four years. He and his wife belong to a hunt club in South Carolina.

           

            “It’s just the damnest thing. I take a trip about five hours away and come back with nothing. I read all the hunt magazines and try to do everything they tell me to. It’s a bunch of shit. I don’t understand deer and I probably never will,” said Donny.

            Identifying with the deer is only a portion of hunting. Preparation is the first step to hunting down a deer; it could make or break a deer season.

            Grant packs a box and a book bag of hunting necessities.

In the box:

            His second layer of clothing consisting of a pair of bibs (insulated overalls) and a heavy coat

            Fox urine

            Buck urine

            Doe urine

            Bleat call (the sound a doe makes when she’s in heat)

            Gloves

            Binoculars

            Bug spray

            Moss spray (to mask the human scent)

            Hand warmers

            Flashlight

            Hunting license

            Orange hat

            Camouflage hat

            Toboggan

            Knife

One you’ve loaded up the truck, packed a few snacks, and gotten settled in the woods its time to sit.

           

Sitting

            For most hunters, sitting is the hardest part. Its a battle to stay awake, stay focused and stay alert.

            “If you gotta move, do it slowly. It’s eerie to think about but you never know what’s watching you…waiting for you to turn your head or lift your arm. Deer look for any movement that signals danger,” said Grant.

            There are many different kinds of deer stands, the favorite, and conveniently the most expensive, is the tower.

            The hunting tower is the most sought after because it caters to the mobility of the hunter. Everything below the hunter’s chest is shielded by the towers walls.

            Say you don’t want to drop a grand on a stand… there are other options. The treestand or the self climber may be right for you. Most tree stands you can pick up at Wal-Mart for around $200 and the self climber will cost you anywhere from $50-$300.

           

            If the guns, the climbing and the wild animals do not pose enough danger for you, there’s always the threat of a blood clot. Rest assured it’s not an everyday thing for hunters, but is not completely unheard of.

             
            According to preventdvt.org, over 300,000 die annually as the result of blood clots, but most of those are due to a long period of traveling.

            On Average hunters will sit on a tree stand anywhere from 5-10 hours at a time. It’s pivotal to keep those legs and arms moving, not just to prevent blood clots but also to stay warm.

            The right clothing is a necessity in both warm and cold weather. Camouflage bibs or coveralls are a must in cold weather. All winter clothing comes insulated and most clothing has the option of becoming a back up scent neutralizer.

           



Waiting

            So you started hunting at 5 a.m., it’s hard to be awake, much less stay awake. The want to rest in a tree stand or tower is a battle that hunters have faced since the beginning of time.

           “If you’ve never hunted before you wouldn’t think you would ever want to shut your eyes in the middle of the woods but everyone does it. As soon as you feel that warm morning sunrise on your face and you’re bundled up with your hands in your pocket and all you have to do that day is wait for a deer, sleep is the only thing on your mind,” said Grant’s dad, Marvin.

           

            Depending on where you hunt will determine which senses you’ll be using that day. If the leaves are falling and the fresh scent of fall is in the air, then you’re sense of hearing will be tested but if you’re hunting in the snow, then you must keep your eyes peeled. The hard part about hunting is not finding the deer, but finding everything else and realizing it’s not a deer.

          “Those damn squirrels drive me crazy in the woods…they’re back and forth running on the leaves. Half the time I can’t tell if its five squirrels or one deer walking behind me. If it were my way id shoot em’ all. I shot 70 of those tree rats at my house and I’ll be damned if I wont do it at the hunt club.” said Marvin.

Watching

         Once you’ve woken up from your nap, its time to scope out the area. The number one weapon a hunter has is his eyes. A hunter can hear everything in the woods but if he can’t see it, he can’t shoot it.

           “Every buck I’ve ever seen I didn’t hear coming, they just appear. You glance one way then you glance back and there they are. They’re patient,” said Grant.

             

            Sight is everything in the woods. Its the only way to tracking a deer, finding a fresh scrape or a dig. Like most deer, you too must be patient. The deer are watching you as much as you are watching them. The moment you think the coast is clear to move is the moment you’ve scared a deer away from stepping out in plain sight.

TREE RUB

            For every extra hour you fight off sleep and keep your eyes open, you’re one hour closer to seeing a trophy worthy deer.


            Saturday night, it’s 8 p.m. and Grant’s climbing down from his deer stand. Sounds of coyote howls are nearby; they’re after the blood trailing behind him. He’s holding the antlers of a 175 pound, 8 point Buck. As he drags him through the woods he’s constantly shining his flashlight behind him warding off the unwanted predators of his deer. The first day of hunting, November 20th gone, 41 days to go.