Bowhunting in a Strange New Land

There's something cool about finding a new place to hunt. I spent many of my college days driving western Kentucky back roads, knocking on farmers' doors, and asking permission to hunt. Usually, I'd initially ask about squirrel hunting. A few squirrel trips would lead to more conversations with the farmers, and on more than one occasion, the topic of deer hunting arose. I found some great bowhunting spots like that, and still hunt a few of them to this day.

Scouting those new spots, often while squirrel hunting (squirrels were a great source of protein to a strapped-for-cash college student), was an adventure. Each worn path near a bedding area, or late-evening deer sighting in a crop field reassured me that the hunting techniques I'd learned at home as a budding bowhunter would serve me away from home as well. Arrowing that first big doe before (or maybe during) biology class one morning was a definite confirmation.

Having moved to Cordova, Tennessee, late last fall, I again find myself in a new place in the weeks ahead of another bow season. There's a ton of public land around here; three or four places within an hour's drive, so I've got a lot of options. I'm a little intimidated by these big West Tennessee river bottoms, as they don't look like the Kentucky hills where I grew up. But man, there are a bunch of deer in this part of the world. I intend to learn them, and maybe earn a shot or two before the season ends. Having the opportunity to share what happens here, in real time, sort of reminds me of going back to the dormitory and sharing hunt reports with my roommates in college. They were all hunters too.

Will Brantley