Boats and Bucks

I saw on the news the other day that Old Spice ranks Memphis, Tennessee, (Cordova, where I'm living now, is a Memphis suburb) among the nation's sweatiest cities. I've found reason to agree with that nearly every afternoon this month. Consequently, even though I love early-season bowhunting, I've found it a little difficult to turn my thoughts from fishing to sitting in a treestand. But, several public-land opportunities around here may give me the chance to combine the two.

Rivers, some big (like a little trickle called the Lower Mississippi River), and some small abound in and around many of the WMAs and National Wildlife Refuges in West Tennessee. I've quickly learned a few things after several fishing trips to these places this summer. One, once you're a mile or two away from the boat launch, things are pretty remote. Two, I'm seeing quite a few deer, and a ton of sign, along the banks of these rivers. Some of the dry sandbars are loaded with tracks.

So, it seems to me that replacing the tackle boxes and rods-and-reels in my boat with my climbing stand and bowcase, or maybe even just my bow and a daypack for stillhunting, would be pretty easy, and might be a good way to get away from the masses in these areas. Plus, throwing a dead deer on the bow of the boat and motoring back to the truck with a cool breeze in my face is much more appealing than, say, dragging that same dead deer through a cottonmouth-guarded riverbottom at midnight.

So, have any of you guys ever used a boat to access a public area? It's a great idea in theory, but honestly--is it worth the trouble?

Will Brantley