Stories and Articles    -    Authored by Jason

The ‘main approach’ – my first deer hunt  

What do you remember about your first deer hunt?  Hopefully the just the very thought brings back pleasant memories of a great outdoor experience with you father, grandfather, brother or other family and friends.  I remember several details about my first deer hunt that are still today very vivid in my mind.  While I have many amazing recollections of my first deer hunt, my thoughts seem to drift back to a specific incident I refer to as the ‘main approach’. 

We were hunting in Western South Dakota for mule deer.  While the land we were hunting was pretty open, relatively speaking, the land was full of deep ravines and gullies in which the deer loved to seek refuge.  In fact the only way to hunt this land was on foot, just the way I like it. The chunk of land we were hunting was fairly decent in size (at least in relation to South Dakota).  It was several miles wide and several miles deep.  Since that first hunt, I have become intimately familiar with this property, however, this was my first time even laying eyes on the land so I was in awe just trying to soak everything in. 

I could hardly contain myself as we got ready to head out in the field.  There were 3 of us in our party, including my father and a long time hunting companion of my dad’s.  The game plan was simple, at least that’s what it sounded like.  We where going to separate and walk our own draws and ravines and “meet at the main approach around 10 am”.  Great -  I thought as I was overflowing with adrenaline and ready to get going, I just wanted to get out hunting.  About a half hour into the hunt I was making my way through one of the ravines when something finally dawned on me, I didn’t have the slightest idea where ‘the main approach’ was, in fact I didn’t even know the direction. 

Of course no one else was in site so I kept walking, but started angling towards the direction my dad had taken.  After what seemed like hours, though it was probably closer to an hour and a half I heard gun shots come from the North East.  I took off and bee-lined towards the shots.  About a half hour later I came up on the rest of my hunting party, both had had filled their tags.  The first question to come out of my mouth was, “where the he** is the main approach”. 

After a brief geography lesson on the various landmarks, which probably should have happened at the beginning of the hunt, I helped them get there deer out and then continued my hunt.  I too, shot my deer on the hunt, the very next day. 

Looking back, my first deer hunt is filled with many striking memories, probably the most of any of my hunting or fishing adventures to date.  Maybe it was because it was a bit traumatizing and overwhelming during the time when I didn’t know where everyone else was and where the ‘main approach’ was located. Now, as we look back we laugh at the incident.  

But it’s a good lesson, especially if you plan to hunt large vast tracks of land.  In our case we weren’t in a wilderness area, so we probably didn’t put as much emphasis on that piece as we should have. We got complacent because of the open terrain. Make sure everyone knows the plan and the general lay of the land.  Today, I also carry a GPS, which has become an amazing asset.  Many a times, has the GPS made a walk out of pitch dark canyons or woods in total darkness an easy feet.