I thought some of y'all might enjoy my tale of this weekend. There is steep learning curve and this board's members have helped me a lot. I am not Charles Dickens, but I have tried my best to make it a good story.

I am a public land hunter in my first season. I've spent a lot of time in my nearest WMA and feel like I am starting to have a clue. I have taken workshops, gone on a mentored hunt, watched videos, and spent a lot of time on Aldeer.com (of course). However, this weekend there is no gun hunt at my local WMA so I figured I would spread my wings and check out the fuss about Barbour WMA this weekend.

My plan was to pack the car (I don't have truck yet) and as soon as UPS dropped off my new tree stand Friday morning, it would be off to be my glorious weekend. Well the first thing that happened was my extremley pre-mature buck fever kicked in Thursday night. Even after all my usual remedies to bed down (without alcohol), I got about 2 hours of sleep. I spent most of the night obsessing, looking a google maps of the WMA, and reading Aldeer. Still no biggy for me, once I get out there I usually feel great. I shrugged it all off and continued to get ready Friday morning.

I patiently waited for UPS, but they don't show till about 7PM. I already decided about 2PM that I wasn't going to leave Friday so again, no big deal. I still got all day Saturday and Sunday, I thought. Turns out that was fine because putting together a tree stand and figuring out the harness took up my entire evening. I figure I'll catch a few hours of sleep once I finished the stand and wake up around 2AM to leave. This should put me at Barbour WMA around 5ish, set up, let the orange army get set up and then see if I can find a decent place to set up after looking around a bit.

Well the insomnia hit again and after 1 hour of sleep around midnight, I realized I would not be sleepind. I decided to just head out as I am just wasting time looking at my ceiling. So I arrive there about 3 AM and I am greeted by hundreds of campers, no real shock but definitely a different scene than my local WMA. I maybe see one or two other vehicles driving in and out. I have only seen another deer hunter on foot once at my local WMA once and that was because he was 300 yards away standing in a clear cut while I was scouting a little after a morning hunt in my vehicle.

It was queit at the camp area, no one was up and moving yet. I didn't want to be the asshole setting up camp making noise. I figured I would check out the roads I wanted to use to make sure they were suitable since I had the time. I took the major road leading into the heart of the WMA. I made if 50 yards past the WMA HQ before my car started sliding like it was on ice while going down what I would call the most humble and simple hill ever created. I turned the wheel to the left and the vehicle just kept sliding right like I was on a sheet of ice. Once stopped I got out to see what this mysterious substance was that made the road. LOOSE AND WET CLAY, a substance I had no experience with. It was just as bad if not worse than ice. I realized it was a bad idea so I turned the car around and decided to get out of there and back to the camping area. My Hyundai was having none of it. Clay was caked into the treads giving my tires the effeciency of racing slicks. I made several attempts before getting out and realizing in about an hour this road is going to be like I-85 in Atlanta during morning rush hour. Those that didn't blow past me waving a middle figure, might stop to offer to push me up the hill and miss their chance to claim their favorite spot. It was a no win for anyone and my bumper if that happened. However, it seemed like the only plan. I figured I had a half hour before the traffic started as it was about 4AM. I realized when I was backing up intitally the vehicle did seem to grab better. As a rule I elminate going in reverse unless there is no option, too dangerous. But, it make me think.

Once I turned the vehicle around again I am going uphill ass end, and it worked. The wheels had to burn up some loose clay to grip the hard stuff underneath but it did eventually move uphill and straight. After that drama, I decided ok, set up camp, take a nap and then scout. I'll still have the better part of Saturday to hunt and ALL day Sunday. Life rewards persistence and I was ready to keep going and collect that 8 point buck reward I keep thinking about.

So after a brief nap, I woke up around 7AM and started scouting. WOW, I mean every nook, gate, crannie had a truck there. This wouldn't be so easy. I did find about 3 spots that could work, so I headed back to HQ and camp to check on some rules with the biologists before heading out. I get to the window, ask my questions and get the answers. Then the biologists tells me, TODAY IS THE LAST DAY OF THE GUN HUNT. I am sure I looked like I took a 308 to the chest. "Waaaaa" I had assumed that any 3 days listed as gun hunts on the WMA's were Fri-Sun. I didn't even think to check the exact dates, but he was right. The gun hunt started Thurs and was ending on Saturday, not Fri-Sun as I had assumed.

Well, no point in wasting time. I guess a long second half is better than nothing. So I load up and head to my spot around noon. I get to my spot and after an hour I finally have my climber a few feet over the ground. I am watching a creek crossing full of tracks leading across my lane into a thicket full of trails that pinches the traffic between a highway, and a road. It doesn't get any better than this I think to myself...

Then I give the rope my rifle is tied off too a gentle tug so my 270 winchester may join me in the stand. I get more than a few pounds of resitance and look down below. I guess in the process of climbing I didn't notice my rifle fell from the tree it was propped against into a little ditch. The rifle was coming sideways across the forest floor as I tugged it like an anchor catching every damn thing until finally it began to leave the earth and ascend to me. Ok...OK... I know, dirt in the barrell etc.. I pull out the bolt, look down the barrell... It passed my eye ball test. Let's boogie! I go to load a round and the bolt refuses to close. I pull it back and the round does not extract. It stays lodged in the breech and will not budge.

After some cussing and fiddling, I realize I must descend my stand and hope there is something in the car to fix this. I consult with my gun smith via phone (my dad) and we both agree, I must go back to camp and use my cleaning rods and kit to even attempt to fix this. So I go back into the woods to remove the stand, then head to camp. It is 2PM on the last day of the gun hunt at this point.

Back at camp I give the rifle a good dry cleaning. A little brushing, swabing, picking around that breech area. What falls out? A piece of pecan or acorn husk smaller than my finger nail on my pinky! I remove the offensive piece of husk and the gun functions property again. At this point, I am exhausted emotionally and physically on only 4 hours of sleep combined in the last 3 nights. However, I wouldn't let that stop me. So I get back to my spot and set up a stool at the bottom of my tree and give it my best.

No deer or I would have told you by now, saw some Turkey and the biggest, prettiest, red headed wood pecker come out around dusk. It was a weekend full of humbling and great lessons. It didn't go anything like I thought it would, but that isn't always a bad thing. I hope you appreciated the novel and if you are like me, don't give up there is something to be learned every trip.

Here are the lessons summarized in bullet point.

*Never scout unknown or unfamailar roads in the dark. I will extend this to even scouting areas on foot in the dark. I kind of learned that one already. Know where you are going, how you are getting there, and it better not be your first time if you are moving in the dark.

*Read, check dates and information critical to your hunt and then double check. Don't assume, especially if you are like me and can't tell someone the exact date with out looking at a calendar.

*Always take a gun cleaning kit into the field. Even if you don't have it on your back, have it in your vehicle.

*Be adaptable, resilient, and humble. Even though one of the best part of harvesting a deer is eating one, this is still a sport and you must keep a good mentality and realize you won't win them all.

Thanks for sharing your hunting adventure. Better luck on the next hunt.

Indeed

Thanks. I honestly appreciate the challenge and it will only make bagging that first one so much sweeter. Most nomhunters think all you need to know is guns to successfully hunt. That seems be about 10% of it or less. Personally if all I had to do is go in the woods and started shooting, I would be bored and feeling a little pity for these deer. There will only be tears of joy with all the work I am putting into this.

Most of us have been there i hear ya.

Never hunted Barbour, are you serious about hundreds of campers. Does that WMA get that many people on a gun hunt ? Good read, sounds like some of my adventures. Keep trying.

And start looking for a truck!

In a pinch a car antenna will remove a stuck round 😂

CWB - yes it looked like the infield of Talledega Speedway. I think someone posted a picture of the board showing 600 permits issued on a Saturday. I will say the deer are out there too. Seems to be a social thing too. I mean what else is there to do out there? It did make me appreciate my local WMA a lot more. I wouldn't go out there again unless my local option was not available.

Dang, I cant imagine. I hit a WMA for a weekend hunt too. Scouted Wed and Thur afternoon, Hunted Fri and Sat. Never saw another hunter. I would like to try Barbour but cant handle the thought of that many people. Was it hard to find a spot to hunt?

Hope you get one soon!

I admire your perseverance

I was limited to the high ways and mostly WMA roads in zone B due to my vehicle. Zone A is more swampy, B is a little more hilly and drains better. I saw trucks coming back with clay to the top of the windows. A lot of people hauled ATVs and left camp in those. There are spots they don't even want to take 4x4.

The spot I did find was promising in the middle near the camp. It was a small wedge bordered by a highway, WMA road and private property. Only problem was the other side of the creek is private so there is a chance you are going to have to chase one if it dies over there. If I go again, I'll probably hunt it as long as I get ahold of the owner and make sure I got preliminary permission and a good number. Who knows if I promise to never ever shoot one in their side of the creek they may be cool with me. I don't think anyone lives in that parcel.

Thanks...I like the challenge. My life is boring outside of this. Haha

Quite the story. Thanks for sharing. We have all experienced a similar situation where nothing goes right I would imagine. At least I know I have. Good luck on your next adventure.

You got to look for them mylar balloons and Clorox jugs and you will kill every deer on the place....lol
We all been there is some crazy stuff happening while hunting

Was going to recommend that as wells been there done that.

Good learning opportunities and a trip you will always remember. I always learn something new each hunt. Most important thing is to have fun with it.

My first deer came from Barbour WMA off of East Rd. I can remember as a kid camping out there and the board at the check station would have listed that there were around 2000 permits issued. One trip someone had a noisy generator that they ran all night. One of my dad's buddies stole the spark plug so we didn't have to hear that crap the next night. Fun times with good camp food. The roads would be slicker than owl $hit when it would rain and they were crowned pretty steep. The old K5 blazer we had had a winch that saw a little use there. I can remember when they first started issuing permits for either sex too. That place had a pile of deer then.

David

I enjoyed reading your story! I sure hope your next trip goes better, but your eventual success will mean more after having experienced some difficulty.

I think you've already reached some good conclusions, but one I would suggest is to forget the tree stand on your first trip into a new area. Even if you have scouted it on a satellite map, it's going to look different than you expect when you get there in the dark. I'd rather know the tree I'm going to, and I think the odds of eventual success go up if you will mainly scout on your first trip into an area. And if you do find a good spot, you can certainly hunt it from the ground. I've killed a lot more with my feet on the ground vs trees.

When you do use a tree stand, make the care of your rifle a priority. Carefully place it on the ground on the side of where your tree stand will be at the top of your climb, and tie the rope to the center of the sling. Coil your rope over it so that it will not snag, and then tie it to your stand where you can easily get to it. Get settled in at the top, and let the very last step be raising the rifle. Pull out the slack in the rope, and then lift it off the ground with one smooth motion, then raise it carefully, keeping it from spinning as you raise it. With just a little planning, you can make sure that nothing bad happens to your gun.

I know people who have gotten tickets for trailing wounded deer off that WMA, so you are smart to be cautious. I wouldn't bother to contact the landowners; I would look at the chart CNC posted on shot placement and shoot any deer in the C5 zone. You won't have to worry about tracking him. That's not the shot I usually take, but I will if it is close to the property line. Good luck on your next hunt!