Hunting
courtesy Enon Plantation
Blue Chip Whitetails
“Just follow the ribbons,” Enon Plantation manager Fred Law told me as I crawled out of the Suburban for my first evening hunt, “the stand is on the edge of the plot.”
I found the stand all right, and grew slightly dizzy just from looking at it. While only twenty-some feet up the skinny pine, that hang-on stand may as well have been brushing the moon for all I was concerned. I don’t do heights—wreaks havoc with my balance and scares the stuffing out of me. With no good place to ground hunt along the plot edge, I decided to slip into the hardwoods below. Fred explained that the deer come up from the secluded bottoms in the evening to feed on the plot, so I did my best to find a sizeable oak to hide behind and settled in for my first evening of southern Alabama bowhunting. In short order the deer were heading in. One here, two there…and everyone of them busted me well out of bow range.
My hunting partner for the trip was Brent Gluck, former PBR champ, shooter for Martin Archery, and owner of an excavation enterprise out of Texas. Brent, as fearless a climber of tall trees as he is a rider of cantankerous bulls, fared much better than I did that evening. He watched several deer feeding on the green goodies below his perch, and was entertained by a nice 8-point. But this was the first hour of a three-day hunt, and our intended quarry wasn’t anything that would fall into the “nice” category. We pretty much had the run of the sprawling wildlife-managed property for the duration of our stay, so our sights were set on crossing paths with at least two of the Pope & Young-class bucks which call Enon Plantation home.
Nope, we’d wait.
The notion of throwing a couple of paychecks for the opportunity to hunt whitetails may seem downright preposterous to many folks. And to be honest, that is a reasonable conclusion. Most whitetail states have populations that are at or exceed the desired management levels. Why, then, with so many deer running around, would you pay big money to hunt them?
I’ve often asked myself that question. I can justify dropping a month’s wages (saved, naturally, over the course of a few years) on a guided hunt for the chance to match wits with a book-class elk, caribou, moose or some such species, yet the idea of flipping a grand or two at a whitetail outfitter never seemed plausible. That changed after my trip to Enon.
Let me walk you through my thought process . . .
Enon Plantation boasts 12,000 continuous acres of prime deer hunting habitat, and is intensely managed for quality whitetail development. Fred Law and his crew maintain 130 separate food plots for deer, with plantings running from February through August. Furthermore, this is no hunter mill. Slots are limited. Lock-on style tree stands are set up in key locations, and each stand may be hunted only once or twice a season.
Enon, like similar high-quality pay-to-hunt operations, has established a size limit on harvestable bucks. In their case, hunters are allowed one buck that is six points or better. Don’t make a mistake and shoot a smaller one, Fred reminds everyone, or you’ll pay…literally.
As for does, go get ’em. This is Alabama, after all, and the bag limit is two deer per day. In fact, although most hunters at Enon are set on getting a real wallhanger, Fred encourages hunters to take does if they are so inclined. This is a needful management tool in helping to maintain the desired population and buck-to-doe ratio on the property. Hunters can quickly add to their home freezer, or donate their harvest to the local food bank, which most hunters choose to do. It’s a worthy cause all the way around.
Finally, the Enon Plantation only allows bowhunting.
So, add it all up: bowhunting only, one buck per hunter, limited number of hunters, six-points or better, intense food and habitat management on 12,000 continuous acres, and little to no repeat stand use in a given season. That, my friends, is not a scenario you’ll ever encounter on public hunting lands, and is fairly scarce even on large, privately owned properties.
Suddenly, I found myself warming to the idea of paying to hunt whitetails.
The excellent opportunities for harvesting a large buck is not, however, the only lure of a hunt like this. Hospitality and accommodations must also be factored in, and establishments such as Enon Plantation score high on both counts. When Brent and I finished up our first evening hunt, we were treated to a feast of Southern-style vittles that left us both moaning and busting in the middle—hearty, solid fare that, while simple, could easily put some of the snootiest culinary artists in their places. It was a scene of gluttony that would repeat itself over the next several meals.
Then you have to consider the added benefit of freeing yourself to do nothing but hunt. The guides pick you up early in the a.m., drop you off at choice stands based on the weather conditions and observed deer patterns, pick you up at mid-day if you want, set you in another stand after lunch if that’s your desire, then shuttle you back to an astounding meal after shooting light is gone. Should you need help tracking, Fred will call upon his Jack Russells to put you on your downed trophy. Sure beats spending time scouting, setting up stands, preparing meals and all the other necessities of do-it-yourself hunting. I know that when I’m in quality hunting territory, I want to maximize my time afield. A top-shelf guided hunt allows you to do just that—nothing but hunt. Do it with one or two of your favorite hunting chums, and the experience is that much more rewarding.
During our three-day hunt, Brent and I saw many deer cruising by our stands, but the trophies for which we’d come to Alabama weren’t playing nice. One of the unfortunate guarantees about hunting is that the weather will always be unpredictable. Our hunt was in early November, and we drew the bad luck of having a heat wave blow through. With highs consistently in the mid-80s, the big bucks held tight to the cool cover during daylight, moving as little as possible until the wee hours. I did have the drop on a well-proportioned 6-point on my last evening, but decided to let the fellow grow another season. With any luck, this fall he may bring some lucky bowhunter a fine return on his investment.