Harvest

Well summer sure left us pretty quick in September as we jumped into October. The cooler temps that usually bring on football, fire pits, Halloween and of course deer season were welcomed by many of us who made decisions to climb trees in hopes of starting off deer season with backstraps.

The full moon that we saw at the end of September is often referred to as the Harvest Moon and really illuminated those of us who hunted in the afternoons during bow season. It is called the Harvest Moon since the full moon occurs for several nights in a row just after sunset, allowing farmers a few extra hours to bring in their crops.

Muscadines and persimmons are two fruits that deer really like to key on during archery season. During a recent hike, I spotted a few ripe persimmons on the trail. I’ll usually take a taste of a ripe one, as nothing will pucker your mouth like an unripe one. I recently spotted a doe doing the same thing. I noticed that her reddish summer coat of hair was gone. Now, she blended nicely into the woods with her brownish, grey coat. Like a dog, she moved to devour those savory sweet morsels.

I’ve seen several good white oak trees that are beginning to drop their acorns, and I will probably set up close to them as we move into October. The deer will often leave red oak nuts on the ground for awhile, as they’re much more bitter when compared to white oaks.

What about water sources? A mature deer may need several quarts of water per day, so setting near water can be a good strategy, especially if it gets dry. They’ll need even more water on hotter days, which is also a good tip for hunters. We’ll need to stay hydrated, too.

My son and daughter in law each took a couple of deer during the early part of the month. Some of that meat will go to provide a lunch of crockpot chili at my next hunter-education class. It’s always good to share.

Throughout the month, GON posted many pictures of harvested deer, with some of the bucks being in velvet. I enjoyed seeing those first archery harvests.

Congrats to all of you, and good luck for the rest of the season!