I love the outdoors. It really doesn’t matter if I’m prepping for the Bassmaster Classic, repairing a treestand or sighting in my rifle, I love all things outdoors—especially when my family is involved. I’m glad I don’t have to choose one over the other, but hunting whitetails is one of my biggest passions.
I know there are a lot of folks out there who hunt in the fall, and fish the rest of the year. It’s an exciting lifestyle. Recently I’ve been thinking about how one sport impacts the other. I really believe that embracing the challenge of chasing big deer has made me a better angler—and visa versa.
I’ve found that there are so many similarities between fishing and hunting, and if you are willing to apply the lessons you learn from each, you will build a better understanding about how fish and game adapt to their environment.
For example: When bass are pretty inactive, the fish often like to hang out in the weeds or tuck themselves to a brush pile. A big whitetail buck does the same kind of thing. He needs security and comfort so he can sleep to rebuild his strength between harassing does or traveling to a destination food source. Knowing that certain conditions will find both whitetails and bass in similar locations will help you eliminate unproductive water, or where to hunt during a particular outing.
When I sit in a deer stand, I like to visualize why deer use a particular route. I take that to the lake—most of which are reservoirs with submerged timber—and locating the same kind of travel corridor will often hold fish.
Intersections are huge for both, as well. If a couple of deer trails converge in one spot, it’s probably a good place to hunt, if the wind will allow. When submerged creek channels and old roadbeds come together, you can bet there will be bass there.
To put it simply, several structural elements coming together in one location creates an increased likelihood that big bass are nearby. The same applies to whitetails.
Bass and deer are very different, no question about it. But, being a student of both, I found that relying on my experience as a hunter has helped my strategy in the boat, and being a bass angler has played a big role in my success in the woods.
When I’m scouting a lake or a deer lease, I take a similar approach. Before I ever step foot on the land or launch my boat, I spend a great deal of time studying topographical maps and contoured lake maps. Both are very, very similar and offer the same kind of useful information. An angler that hunts will recognize submerged land features on a lake map that will likely hold fish.
As I’ve been in a treestand and waited for the big boy to step out, and many times from the front of my boat, I have thought of many similarities between hunting and fishing. I really think being a well-rounded outdoorsman will lead to increased success in specific scenarios.
I guess, you could take this as a suggestion to go hunting, if you don’t already. It’s good for the heart!
Above all else, love what you do and you’ll find success.
