Originally posted by South MS Bowhunter:
Travis,
Excellence story and another beautiful buck! How you do it on PUBLIC land is amazing 
Have learned a few things through your stories and have a lot more to learn, thanks.
Public land is a decision. My home sits at the edge of the Homochitto National Forest, always has. I have stalked these hills and hollers for over 40 years now. Those of you that know me know I also hunt at Lake Mary. That is a different world, thousands and thousands of acres of crop fields on the Mighty Mississippi surrounded by in penetrable swamp. Food, cover and very light hunting pressure means lots of bucks in the 5 year and older age class. 200 inch deer are generally taken there every year. I took a massive 190 class buck there earlier this season(see 'High hopes and High water'). That buck dwarfs my public land buck, yet, I am at least as proud of him as the giant buck. Those public land bucks are much farther and fewer between and far more wired than the deer at Lake Mary. This makes them as a great a trophy as the much larger deer from private land. Now when I explain that to my non traditional friends, they look at me as if there were a rather large foot growing out of my ear. To them, the destination is far more important than the Journey. If the opposite were not true of us, then we would not be traditional bowhunters in the first place. The journey is more important than the destination, that my friends is what sets us apart. The main reason for my success on both public and private land is simple. I fail a lot!!! But, I also hunt A-L-O-T!!! Since the beginning of October, well over 300 hours have passed with me in the woods, bow in hand, pursuing game. As usual, I have also lost over 20 pounds since late summer.
Topic: Old Magnolia (Read 4875 times)
