South Dakota Solo Hunt
Most of you who know me, know that I am a big fan of solo hunting. There has always been a part of me that longs for solo time in purist of wild game, and now that I'm getting older and more confident as a hunter, I’ve made it a goal to start solo hunting other states. Talking with my good friend Clint who runs The Western Hunting Hub Podcast I was easily convinced to hunt for mule deer or white tail with my bow in South Dakota. The time for my hunt was here and I couldn’t have been more excited to spend some time alone in the prairies and in the black hills. Having just come off of a breakup, my heart and soul was in need of some challenge and grounding. Ever since I was a young girl, being along in the wild has always been food for my soul and as I drove east I daydreamed of putting stalks on bedded bucks and my stomach fluttered with excitement and anticipation.
Arriving to camp I wasted no time heading out to the highest point of ground to look for a buck. It didn’t take long and the deer started filling out of the drainages, feeding about. Wanting to get a lay of the land and find a mature buck I spent the evening behind my spotting scope, only seeing does and a couple small bucks, regardless I was hopeful for the next day. The nights were cold, and I was thankful for my Big Agnes sleeping bag as I curled up in the back of my Toyota Tacoma.
Waking to frost lining my soft topper and my breath creating fog I made a cup of coffee and headed back out. As one drives the interstate that cuts through the prairie, it appears to be flat for miles, but me tell you, that isn’t correct. Miles of ravines create a maze of thriving habitat for deer to feed and bed. I was surprised by this terrain as I spotted a buck and started hiking towards him.
The rut was just barely kicking off as the small bucks were starting to push the does around. Finding a buck feeding down a drainage I watched as he bedded down under a bluff. A nice cool spot for an afternoon nap. He was alone which made the stalk that much more doable as there would be less eyes, ears, and noses as I stalked in close. Giving it a half hour I knew he was napping for good and would allow me time to move in closer. Grabbing just my bow I started my stalk and when I got closer I took off my boots, making my steps that much quieter. The terrain was hard to decipher as there wasn’t any land marks to help locate the buck. Looking back up towards where I was glassing I scratched my head as I was confused to where this buck was bedded. Everything looked different now that I was in the bottom and as I crawled up to the top of a bluff, pulling my bow back, anticipating a buck bedded below me, I was surprised to see the buck wasn’t there. Realizing I went too far I looped back around to the bluff above about 300 yards away and tried again. The sun was at my back, creating a shadow of me that the buck surely would see. I realized I should have waited a couple more hours for the sun to get higher in the sky but now that I was here, I went for it. Pulling my bow back and slowly standing above the bluff, the buck was right where I thought he was. Just 20 yards below me he stood up and bolted, not even offering me a chance for the shot.
This was soul food as I felt alive, primal and connected to my ancestors. As I hiked back to my gear I thought about life and how it’s just like bow hunting. In bow hunting many times we fail (just like I did on this stalk) but instead of quitting we try again. In life we make mistakes, loose relationships, and constantly face hardships, and just like hunting we must continue to try until we succeed.
Talking with Clint he convinced me to head to the black hills to chase whitetails. Leading up to this I had no experience hunting whitetails and I felt like a kid learning something new as I left the truck behind me, headed towards to the timber for an evening hunt. Instantly I bumped into a small buck feeding. He had no idea I was there and as he fed about I used the terrain to move in closer. Loosing him behind a thicket of trees I thought he had fed off out of sight and ended up bumping him, his big fluffy white tail telling me I had spooked him. Man, that was fun I thought as a smile covered my face. I continued on. This landscape was like nothing I had hunted before. The tall piñon pines dropped their needles on the ground floor making for quiet walking and open visibility as I slowly crept through the forest floor, my binoculars constantly scanning in front of me. Hearing a rattling noise I stopped in my tracks and realized two bucks were fighting just on the skyline above me. I couldn’t see them, but I knew they were close by. I snuggled into a patch of timber when I saw one of the bucks looking down at me. Off they ran and I was humbled once again at how insanely difficult it was to get in close to these wild animals.
Clint and I had met just over a year prior to this hunt when I sold him some antlers. Over the year we got to know each other as we partnered on his podcast and created a long-distance-social media relationship. Arriving to their home I was welcomed with hugs, a hot shower and a warm bed to sleep in. It felt as if I was seeing friends I had known for years and fell right in place as I played with their son and chatted about hunting with Clint. We planned out our next couple days as we would hunt together. We both had tags but Clint would focus on calling, trying to get me a buck first. There was no shortage of deer in this area and everyday I was able to put on a stalk. This is why people hunt from tree stands I reminded myself, but something about the challenge of shooting a whitetail from the ground was so addicting.
Below are a couple small pieces I wrote while out in the field.
“Moral today was low after such an action packed day yesterday. Unable to talk to anyone and bounce ideas off each other makes this hunt that more challenging. Many times I have questioned what I am doing out here in the whitetail woods, sitting on the cold ground. The emotional roller coaster was in full operation today and as I scrolled through social media, seeing others post of their success in the field, and I can’t help but question my skill. I wish I could disassociate the pressure that naturally comes on after a few days of hunting, but as a woman who holds high expectations of herself, this is a constant battle. To boost moral I decide to switch it up and move back to where I saw the three bucks yesterday. I wasn’t there long until a great buck pushed his two does out from the timber. My heart nearly burst out of my chest! I finally did something right! Seeing he was distracted by pushing around his does, I grab my bow with the ultimate predator decoy attached to it, and slowly inch closer to him. He see’s my decoy and continues to feed, giving my confidence to push on further. In these moments, it can be difficult to know when to press on and when to be patient. I should have stayed put as he sees me and bolts. The roller coaster is going for another round”
“An overwhelming amount of anxiety and stress came over me today knowing that as my hunt is coming to end, I have no home to return to and no job to bring financial reassurance. I felt as though my mind was on speed, racing to try and figure my life out…. Then I returned to the woods, and this happened…”
“The quiet engulfs my mind, freeing up space as thoughts come and go. The vibrations of mother earth flow through me shaking free the dust on my mind. I breathe in deep her crisp clean air and it brings renewed energy to my soul. Closing my eyes I feel as though I am floating on a cloud of bliss, high, never wanting to come down. I breathe in more, big gulps, now intoxicated, drunk on her ability to bring me utter peace. The lessons I have learned here ground me in my essence of being a human and my place in the world. I am captivated by the wild animals that fear my presence, snorting, stomping their hooves, their fluffy white tails raised up as they run towards shelter, trusting only their instinct to survive. I don’t want to leave this place and return to the unnerving feeling that I’m sure most of you experience on the daily as well. I’m tired of being a statistic. I’m tired of watching money come and go so quickly because it cost so damn much just to live. I want to escape to the mountains, to sustain myself off the land. I want to build and live in a home that I have built with my two hands, not in a home that I must pay nearly all my heard earned money on and don’t even own it. But most importantly, I want to be free, free from the chains of society has tied us down with.”
“It’s 5 pm here in South Dakota as I sit with my back against a pine tree, by bow by my side waiting on a whitetail deer to appear from the dark forest. Whether or not he does I don’t really care for I am here for a bigger purpose. I can’t help but feel dejavue from the many memories of being a young girl that frequently visited the forest, seeking solitude and peace of mind. Not much has changed now that I am 30, for I still require these moments to ground me in this chaotic world. Today marks six days of hunting and just like most hunts, I have not notched my tag. Sounds of distant gunshots make me believe someone has notched their tag as they provide wild organic meat for their family and friends. That’s why we do it right, that’s why we hunt? Everyone had their personal connection and reason as to why they hunt but I find the more time I spend out here, the deeper spiritually I become as the healing process continues..”
