- Me using a home-made pvc stand on a hunt in Junction, Tx.

This is an ideal ground blind because it offers concealment while giving that open-air feeling. It also allows you to rest and swing your bow if you need to.

This pvc stand is custon-made to the correct "shooting" height and close to an 180 degree semi-circle. It's covered with army camo netting and freshly cut cedar limbs.

This year's hunt was another good hunt, as we went in on some cold weather which was a Godsend after a long summer of 100 degree temps. Instead of a story, I'll just detail our hunt and add some particulars to the Walter Buck hunt like a map of the hunt area and some things I've learned while hunting here.

The first rule at the WMA is that you should bring bait. Corn is not allowed because of its threat to the turkey population that lives there, but the deer seem to love food pellets like alfalfa. When we first go out into an area, we'll bait about 4 or 5 different places even if we're not planning on hunting them until later on. You never know what the deer will be doing and you may need to move around a lot to get close.

Following this train of action, we also set up about 4 or 5 different stand sites. And we may even forsake the first afternoon or morning hunt to get up on top of the mountain and just glass to find out when the deer are moving and where. At the WMA, it's a given that some of the deer come down from the hills and enter the park (off-limits to hunters) to feed and some remain in the hunt area.

There are 5 designated hunt areas in the WMA, outlined by the dotted lines. And area 2 at the top right has been set aside for disabled access since it has the most flat land and good spots close to the road.

We like to look for the oak trees that are dropping acorns in early October. Every year we have gone, we've found that a lot of deer are using these trees (the oaks with the lightest green leaves) as feeding areas and have seen some good bucks staying in the hills under cover and hanging close by.

Another key is to look specifically for trails leading into and out of each area. Once you find some you'll know what I'm talking about. They are usually worn bare by game use. And I've harvested 2 of my bucks while guarding these kinds of routes.

The main point is that there is plenty of space to hunt, more than enough for 4-6 archers in each area.

Here's a picture of one of my favorite set-ups along a caliche road that had 3 game trails crossing it. The first afternoon, Kevin & I saw about 10 deer, including 2 small bucks, on our way in to set up before the afternoon hunt. It was cold and overcast and things couldn't have been more perfect.

That would be deceiving though...

After 2 days of hunting, the 3 guys in my group hadn't seen any good bucks yet, just a few spikes and an axis buck that should've been taken. If I didn't mention it before, there are a few exotics like sika and axis on the WMA and all are fair game during this hunt. That makes it more attractive.

Anyway, a buddy of mine had set up perfectly on this trail and had a big axis coming right into his shooting lane where he wanted him to come. And just when the buck passed behind a bush and he was going to draw his bow, a puff of wind blew his camo blind in on him. When Matt let go of the bow to catch it, the bow swung and hit a twig and that was all she wrote. Those exotics are more skittish than the whitetail there.

Back to the deer hunting, after 2 days we really needed some meat on the ground. I also was trying out a new broadhead by Rocky Mountain called the Revolution that is an expandable that opens up backwards so there is no loss of force on impact. (I'll add a pic later when I get some developed.)

I set up right along the road where there where at least 3 worn game trails coming across and where we had dumped half a sack of alfalfa pellets.

When this spike came in and stood browsing at ten yards, I couldn't pass him up. The shot passed right through and opened up just like it was supposed to.

On his way in, this deer came within 2 yards of me and didn't see me at all.

Surprisingly, we didn't see any big bucks like we had on previous trips, but there had been a drought that year and we have a great time just by getting out there and chasing them. The main thing is that we can and will again.