Got an Attitude?
Larry Weishuhn
Out of the darkness approached a man wearing clothes befitting a vaquero, a mere ranch hand; tattered shirt and jeans, tall boots and spurs, well-worn leather gloves, topped with a sweat and blood-stained western felt “properly screwed on”. His swagger bespoke authority.
“Your fire is warm and inviting. But you look down at the mouth. If you continue with this negative attitude you just as well spend the rest of your hunt sitting here and staring at the dying embers!” The interloper poked mesquite coals sending a spray of glowing embers skyward.
“Cuernos, by your appearance my two friends from downtown Atlanta may think of you simply a vaquero, a “brushpopper”, a mere ranch hand. They don’t know you earned two degrees from Texas A&M; one in Wildlife Science and the other in English Literature, and, you are indeed the owner of this rather expansive ranch which you inherited from your ancestors who received this land for serving to the King of Spain 300-years ago.” I could see with my description the two fellow hunters suddenly seemed a bit more interested, than when he initially approached our campfire.
“Don’t tell them all my secrets!” Commented my friend with whom I had shared many hunting camps and campfires. Turning toward the two seated around our campfire, “Hunting may be a little tough, but you need to have hope and confidence if you hope to take a deer. Rid yourself of all negative thoughts, think you’re going to take a big deer tomorrow.” He continued, “Every time I hunt, I strongly believe I am going to take a big, massive antlered buck. Thinking thusly, I do!”
Cuernos’ statement could not have come at a better time. Hunting had been really tough the past two days. Deer movement had been minimal compared to what was usually expected and experienced.
The deer were here, there was no doubt. But they were simply being whitetail deer! Aggravating at the moment! The property we hunted had been in Alonzo “Cuernos” del Torreon’s family for centuries. Not only per Spanish land grant, several of his forefathers had married Indian maidens whose ancestors had lived on the land long before the arrival of the first Spanish explorers.
The ranch had always been “taken care of” and had been managed for wildlife for over fifty years, which I could attest. As a young wildlife biologist I had set up their initial wildlife management plan back in 1970.
I appreciated Cuerno’s statement regarding whenever a hunter goes to the field, he or she should have a positive attitude expecting not only see deer but harvest one. In so doing, the hunters learns from what he observes and experiences. I knew too with such an attitude, hunters stay vigilant. When something moved it would be seen.
Sometimes it is good to have something to help one keep confidence and proper attitude. Such aids can come in many forms. In the past I have frequently written about my “Lucky Quarter”. I also have a couple of lucky red and black plaid hunting shirts. It amazes me, when deer or whatever I’m hunting are hard to come by, when I wear one of my 40-year old red and black shirts, critters “magically” appear. Is this because of the “mystical and magical powers” of those shirts, or, simply that I pay more attention when wearing them and expect deer to appear? I suspect it has much more to do with my paying attention.
My dear friend, Jim Bequette, nearly always wears a special vest when he hunts. Many of you will recognize Jim as long the editor of SHOOTING TIMES magazine and for his work on various outdoor television shows. Jim and I became great friends back in the late 1980’s, before he hired me to be a staff writer. Our first hunt together took place on Texas’ Stasney-Cook Ranch. Every day, Jim wore a green and orange reversible vest and he did well when he did.
Today, he continues wearing it, but now having given the vest to his granddaughter, he must ask permission to borrow and wear it. The vest is a bit tattered and worn, but whenever Jim wears his “old hunting vest” or simply has it with him, he takes what he is after. That includes hunting on several continents for numerous species. Should you have the opportunity to visit with Jim, be certain to ask about that special vest.
Jim and I were recently hunting whitetails on the Choctaw Hunting Lodge (www.choctawhuntinglodge.com) in southeastern Oklahoma as guests of Avient Rapid Heat Releasing Barrel Technology. He and I decided for old-times sake to hunt together in the same ground blind. First day, Jim for whatever reason did not have his “lucky vest” with him. Probably because the temperature hovered above 90 degrees. Second afternoon’s hunt he did have “the” vest with him, although initially he did not wear it. The temperature still hovered near 90-degrees. However, he did have it on his lap to help support his 7mm PRC rifle with its Avient Rapid Heat Releasing Technology Barrel System, topped with a 3-18×44 SVT Stealth Vision scope (www.StealthVision.com) and loaded with Hornady’s Precision Hunter 175-grain ELD-X (www.Hornady.com). That afternoon we saw several deer hunting the Choctaw’s estate hunting area.
We were watching several does when a buck approached from the south. Initially, all we could see were his antlers, which were extremely massive, many points on a typical 5×5 frame. I was just about to suggest Jim consider taking the buck, when he raised his rifle. Using his vest, he created a solid rest. When the buck gave Jim a proper shot, he pulled the trigger. The buck took four steps and collapsed. A few minutes later, we walked up to Jim’s biggest whitetail ever.
Had Jim’s favorite hunting vest, which he wore the first time we hunted together in the early 1990’s (and long before we started hunting together) and on nearly every hunt he’s done, made the difference? Possibly…but it likely had more to do with Jim’s attitude, and expecting a good buck to show when he had that vest with him. Interestingly, he did have it with him the second afternoon. Something special about Jim vest? What do you think?
I have often written about when, as a six-year old, my dad would let me hunt by myself from a ground blind. Before leaving for his stand, Dad always reminded me, “Son, Stay awake!” My dad knew I was not about to go to sleep. It was his way of telling me to pay attention, and, maintain a positive attitude. Back then there were very, very few deer in our part of Texas. Seeing even a doe made for a hugely successful hunting season. So, I did not want to miss a single chance, even if it meant only seeing a deer.
Confidence comes in many forms. I have several friends who swear by particular scents. They do not go hunting without them. During my seventy years of hunting whitetails I have used many different scents from calming to curiosity to the various sex attractants. Personally I have always had mixed results with these. Sometimes scents attracted deer, other times the deer spooked when they smelled them. As a result, I have often said regarding deer scents, on occasion they may be biologically important, but, they are always psychologically important. If a hunter believes in them, he or she will be watchful and see things when they happen.
Several times I have had hunters swear bucks were walking directly toward where they had just put whatever scent. When I helped them drag out their buck, I noticed they had put the scent downwind of where they were hunting. When they told how they took their buck, they described the deer traveling upwind of the scent, walking in the direction of where they had put the scent. The wind was such there was no way the buck could have smelled the scent. But because the hunter believed in it, he was paying attention, had the “proper” attitude and was able to take a really nice buck.
I have added a new tool to my “stay positive arsenal”, Vineyard Max, a bait consisting of a mixture of crushed dried grape skins (both red and white), rice bran and cracked corn. What I like about it, where it is legal to use is that deer are naturally attracted to the aroma. Vineyard Max (www.vineyardmax.net) is highly nutrition and actually good for deer because of high energy content, unlike most baits.
Next time you head to the deer woods get and keep a “proper” attitude. Then wear your lucky vest, shirt, jacket, hat or whatever brings you confidence and keeps you vigilant. Doing so will pay huge dividends!
