Remember This When Chasing Late Season Toms on Alabama Hunting Land

There are few things more peaceful than hearing the woods come to life as the sky begins to brighten from the east.  Birds begin to chirp, the wind picks up slightly, a barred owl calls and then it happens-GOBBLE! The sound we have been dreaming about all night while we try to sleep.  The old Tom flies down, struts and comes straight to your set up.  You have been waiting for this perfect morning all week and must remain perfectly still or all of your hard work is out the window.  Gun up-you exhale and squeeze the trigger.  It’s over and you are celebrating and sending your friends pictures.  This is how it should happen but it isn’t always the case.

There are a multitude of things that can go wrong while trying to take a smart gobbler late in the season.  The hens are messing you up, they have been hunted and sometimes educated by an errant shot or a careless mistake but the most common issue is movement.  We can all be still but to sit completely motionless for extended periods of time with the best eyeballs in the woods watching you is very tough.  Here are a few simple but often critical reminders.

Always have a good quality seat or cushion.  When you are sitting on the ground, every part of your lower body will ache.  A good quality seat will keep this minimized and keep you from readjusting as much.  Red bugs and chiggers are miserable.  You can prevent scratching yourself like a dog with fleas for a week by simply remembering to spray down ALL of your clothing with a deet or permethrin based insect repellent.  These bugs are virtually invisible but will cause a tremendous amount of prolonged aggravation.  The last but maybe the most important thing to remember on Alabama hunting land is a thermacell mosquito device.  No one can remain still with hundreds of huge mosquitoes biting you or buzzing around your mask looking for a way in.  Insect repellent and a thermacell will keep you from these annoying monsters.  All of a hunter’s preparation can be for nothing if mosquitoes attack you or your leg goes to sleep at the most critical moment.  Remember these things as the weather warms during late season.