Preparing for Gun/Deer Season

Editor's Note: Brian Ross of Port Sulphur, Louisiana, has guided clients from across the nation to deer and turkeys the past 11 years. You can read more about the adventures of guiding hunters for a living by visiting "John's Journal" and looking for the information on Scott Dillon.

Question: Brian, how do your responsibilities during gun season differ from your responsibilities in bow season?

Answer: With a gun hunter, you don't worry too much about anything close to him. You give him longer shooting lanes -- up to about 100 yards. You take away a lot of the cover around his ladder because he needs to be able to move 360 degrees. You also put him near a much larger greenfield in a shooting house off the field, whereas a bowhunter will remain on the edges of a field.

Question: How do you try to make your hunts special for people who come to White Oak?

Answer: First, I try to learn what skills and abilities a hunter has. I make the hunt safe and fun. If a guy is uncomfortable shooting over 100 yards, I won't put him on a large greenfield. I'll keep him on a field where he feels comfortable. Guys who shoot their guns a lot and have better skills can set up on fields with longer shooting distances that will challenge them.

Question: What's the hardest thing about gun-hunting season for you?

Answer: On most days during gun-hunting deer season, hunters shoot at the lodge six, seven or 10 deer. The hardest thing is recovering all the deer, bringing them back to the lodge and butchering them.

Question: Do you follow up every shot?

Answer: Yes, we follow up every shot. Even when a guy comes in and tells us he's missed one, we still go back and look the next day. If his gun is halfway on target, he may have hit a deer without realizing it.

Tomorrow: The Challenge of Turkey Hunting

Check back each day this week for more about Diary of a Hunting Guide: Chapter Two ...

Day 1 -Getting Started as a Hunting Guide
Day 2 -How a Guide Gets Ready for Bowhunting Season
Day 3 -Preparing for Gun/Deer Season
Day 4 -The Challenge of Turkey Hunting
Day 5 -Balancing Marriage with a Guiding Career

John's Journal