Although it’s 32 degrees with blowing snow and March, the sounds of Whitetails walking in the leaves munching on White oak acorns makes me smile as I remember last fall. As a whitetail hunter on Legends of the Fall TV, I am constantly thinking about the next mature buck I will be chasing and the fun that comes along with it. From shed hunting, planting food plots, scouting, hanging Lone Wolf stands, running trail cams and all the dreaming in between I look forward to the chase every year.

It has truly turned into a year round adventure that has shaped my life and I love every second of it. I like to look back each spring and reflect on the last hunting year. As I look back, last year had some huge successes along with failures.

However, for years I have worked hard at securing solid ground with sound management practices in place to harvest mature bucks on in Midwestern states as well as my home ground here in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Virginia has a tremendous amount of deer hunters with long gun seasons, 6 weeks to be exact and most bucks never make it to maturity. But, I have learned that with hard work, you can grow and harvest mature bucks in any state. Last year I began getting velvet pictures of a big 4 year old mountain buck that I had named Sir Charles. I setup and started monitoring Sir Charles via multiple Wild Game trail cameras. I knew that once that buck shed his velvet it would be game on to see I could locate his fall core area. With several trail cameras in place I literally determined the exact 3 White Oak trees he was feeding on once he got up out of his bed.

The game plan was to hope the pattern stayed and then slip in stealthy like and hang my Assault Lone Wolf. I could only hope that I would get one chance at the big buck in upcoming weeks. I love to hunt mature bucks early fall on food as they truly are a slave to their stomachs. Even more interesting is that over the years I have learned that bucks are no different than we are when it comes to food. In other words, each deer will literally have certain food preferences and will actually choose certain white oak trees over others. They too have taste buds that vary between individuals just like us. Acorns have tannins in them that make them either sweet or very bitter. White Oaks typically are the lowest in tannins and Whitetails will pick out individual trees that they visit daily until they are all consumed through the fall.

Sir Charles was no different and I eventually narrowed down 3 particular White Oaks that he would visit as soon as he got up from his bed each day. So, on September 7th I went in the timber with my climbing sticks and Lone Wolf Assault on my back. This year, I would be attempting to film my hunt solo as a camera man for this time in the year would not be available. Once the killing tree had been picked, it was simply a matter of waiting on a South East wind and the season opener.

On October 8th, the wind shifted and I quietly slipped in to my stand as a Lone Wolf on a mission to harvest Sir Charles on camera. Just before the last light, my chance presented itself and the rest as they say was history. The ole buck came straight into a huge White Oak he had been feeding on for weeks and I couldn’t be any happier. Now this may not be a huge 170 class deer from Iowa, but it was a mature 4 year old that was very smart. It took me weeks to get within roughly 100 yards from where this deer bedded. We depend on the gear we use each and every day as we chase mature Whitetails.

I am truly proud to say that without a doubt Lone Wolf has as much a part in our success as any other piece of equipment we use. I have used every tree stand on the market in the last 25 years and I can whole heartedly say that Lone Wolf Tree Stands are the best on the planet. They are super light, quiet and comfortable and will last year a career as a Whitetail Hunter. But even better yet, they are made right here in America by hard working Americans just like you and me. That is why I choose and support Lone Wolf. Until next time, think about big Whitetails and be safe in the woods.

Eric Hale
Legends of the Fall TV