Huntin’ the Pockets- Day 2

Back up at 4:30 and hit the same country I did yesterday.  I never saw either of those good bucks (and saw far fewer bucks, too.)  I can tell I put the pressure on them as I’ve seen at least one of them every scouting trip.  It’s always tough with archery to know how aggressive to be. Obviously you have to get within range sometime but knowing when to make your move is as much of an art as it is a science. 

The last few years hunting only Jalapeño, I was very cautious to not spook him as too many times I’ve seen the really big deer just pack up and disappear.  However, there were probably a few stalks I could have tried on him that I elected to pass.  Looking back, I never pushed him out of the area and was able to hunt him multiple days, so caution was probably the best choice.  This is where patience comes in (see Patience vs. Perseverance and Why the Difference Matters)  Again, you never know and just gotta keep hunting.  

The tough part about hunting desert country is finding a place to camp.  There are very few trees so shade is a serious issue. You can see what I’m talking about in the lead photo of my tent.  I don’t usually hunt all day this time of year unless I’ve glassed up a good buck, so getting rest in camp can be tough when the tent hits 120 degrees.  I’ve learned to bring a black tarp so I can make my own shade in country like this.  Here is a quick & dirty shelter I set up with the truck strategically parked.  Works long enough to take a nap. 

Headed out in a bit to glass some other country where I saw a pretty nice non-typical about a week ago.  He’s not big by any stretch- about as wide as his ears- but had some good forks and some extra points.  Good enough for this deer hunter on a year like this. I’ve never hunted the country he’s in, so there’s a little more logistics to workout.  Stay tuned.

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