I had been watching several does picking over the sparse remnants of marsh cowpeas, long spent from the early December frosts. The frosts had also knocked down the once tall flag and cut grasses interspersed with bull tongue and peavine that make it nearly impossible to spot deer in the vastness of the marsh. Now, those deer stood out like cows in a pasture — a pea pasture — nearly 3. Had it been a few weeks earlier, I'd have never saw him. The grass would have been too high. I was hoping he'd feed toward me like the does were doing. There's something peaceful about sitting in the marsh, where the temperature is just a tad above a goose- bump shiver. As you breathe, the chilled air in your lungs dissipates a smoky vapor upon each exhale. It always reminded me of when I was a kid watching the Minnesota Vikings on television. The smoky vapor rising above their helmets made them look invincible. I loved to go outside and force the air out of my lungs imitating them. I couldn't help but notice the deer in front of me exhaling the same smoky vapor. They were mammalian just like me.
Only, I was looking at them with eyes located in the front of my head like the predator that I was. Theirs were set on the side of their heads providing almost 3. Funny, the things you think of when sitting on a deer stand. My set- up couldn't have been better. The crisp morning breeze was in my face, and the morning sunrise was to my back. Lord, how I wanted this buck. I wanted him so bad I began to pray. . Because I had my sweater cap on while I whispered my devotion, I wondered if it still counted. However, lying across my lap was a Mossberg 1. Leopold 1. 7. 5x. But when you hunt a shotgun- only lease, you improvise as best as you can, only to still fall short sometimes. Granier's buck measured 1. Not only has Granier been able to overcome the obstacles of marsh hunting for whitetails, but he also has been able to parlay that experience into harvesting huge monarchs — mainly bowhunting. . Bucks can reach the 2 1/2 to 4 years of age required to sport larger racks. Granier looks for the same sign that most whitetail hunters look for, but says the success is in the set up once an area is found that looks promising. . On a new set up, you're coming in one time and that's it. I'll try to get between them — say 2. Actually, I had to give him credit. The early season hunting pressure had long passed, and the crowd overlooked this piece of marsh for the most part. Moreover, I knew that the odds of seeing deer in the pea- patch they were feeding in were pretty good, since it adjoined the thick myrtle cover; a nice buck would eventually show himself. Stephensville resident Noah Bergeron is another refuge bowhunter who utilizes the difficult terrain to his advantage. . I set up on edges of thick myrtle areas where there are intersecting deer crossings. Like sugar cane, the grasses literally form a wall. Others, where allowed, utilize airboats to break shooting lanes similar to what you would see in a right of way. Where airboats aren't allowed, a good weed- eater works just as well, although not nearly as fun. Bergeron utilizes the myrtles for concealment. . Marsh hunters who keep this in mind will utilize this combination to their advantage when looking for big marsh bucks. Does in heat are still going to feed during a buck's most vulnerable time of life. Though the thickness of cover is a marsh hunter's biggest obstacle, knowing the preferred food for the time of year is a key ingredient for success in overcoming it. Marsh deer put on weight during this period from these legumes, and become butterball fat. On more than one occasion, I've had to cut layers of fat off choice cuts of venison in order for the meat not to have that tallow taste. Local old- timers, who hunted the marsh, often use the phrase, . A pea- patch in the marsh will have vain- like roads branching out in all directions as deer feed. The hunter looking to outsmart a big marsh buck will strategically place his tall tri- pod stand where it intersects the travel route from thick cover to a patch where the deer are . Due to coastal erosion, hurricanes and saltwater intrusion, however, oak trees have been thinning over the past decade. During the few weeks when acorns ripen and fall to the ground, deer will cut trails through the marsh to get to them. Buy Year Dated Patches Embroidered Patches At PatchSales.com. Find more embroidered patches quickly and easily. I've seen these beaten- down trails used so much they form a muddy road. There's not a blade of grass left standing, and tracks fill every square inch of the path. Find a live or water oak in the marsh heavy laden with mast, and you've found a place to consider placing a stand. You've also found a key location where a game- trail camera would be extremely effective in patterning deer movement and seeing what the local clientele looks like. Bayou Vista resident Shane Wiggins has harvested several wall- hangers in the past decade. Wiggins knows that in order for hunters to harvest bigger bucks, they have to let them get through a few seasons first. If you want some meat, shoot a doe, but you've got to let the smaller bucks pass and give them time to grow. I was sure they would bed down in that thick cover and chew their cuds until late afternoon. When I saw the buck putting it in gear to follow them, I worried that he was probably going to do the same thing. The Boy Scouts of America will increase its annual membership fee for youth and adults to $24 from $15, beginning Jan. For those who join after the beginning of the year, the fee will be prorated at $2 per month. Biutiful 4:50AM Movies MA. From the director of . Uxbal (Javier Bardem) works illegally to look after his two children, but his life comes undone when he is told he is going. To my dismay, that's exactly what he did. I sat disgusted and praying again: . At 1. 50 yards, I raised my shotgun, and put my scope on where the neck met the front shoulder. I wasn't confident in my ability to place the SST bullet where I wanted it. Though a technologically advanced load for a shotgun, I was still holding a shotgun. As he weaved in and out of the myrtles, palmettos and patches of flag grass that wasn't totally flat from frost yet, I looked ahead of him to see if there was a place that would offer a clear shot. Finding a little spot where he had to pass, I positioned myself to where I'd be comfortable when I raised my shotgun to close the deal. He'd disappear into it for a brief few seconds, and come out the other side. I raised my shotgun and waited .. Tell me it isn't what I think it is. I'll be set up in this monster monarch's dining room this fall, and with his peas, I'll be serving SSTs. With any luck, I'll be telling my taxidermist.
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