To those who are reading, I am Kyle Comp, one of the mentors for the Fall Line Outdoors Chapter for NCWF.
Just wanted to give you all a word of encouragement. I just had one of my most exciting hunts I’ve had in a long time. I have now hunted maybe 7 hunts so far this season (2025-26) and have only seen one doe that I elected not to shoot and a coyote.
Due to the mass amounts of white oaks dropping in my area it has made the deer harder to pattern this year. Tonight I sat a historic white oak flat on one of my permission properties and it did not disappoint. I sat through the constant rain all evening, knowing that it was just a matter of time until I saw the flick of a tail or the twitch of an ear moving through the woods. I ended up seeing four does and three bucks all within 40 yards. I had three bucks circling my tree smelling the ground I walked on step for step while eating acorns. The bucks were not to the caliber of deer I was personally interested in shooting this early in the season but it made for an exhilarating hunt!
For those of you that may be new to hunting or even have years of experience, do not gauge your success this year by a deer on the ground or antlers on the wall. Some of the coolest hunts I’ve ever experienced were the ones where I never even harvested a deer.
Get out in the woods and LEARN!!!!
There will never come a time where I am not constantly learning something in the woods and as long as I am being an ethical hunter and being responsibly safe, that is an immeasurable amount of success in my book! Take the knowledge learned and log it somewhere. Take notes after each hunt. It can help you stay organized as a hunter and even keep track of things you experienced like how the deer move in various weather conditions or where the deer tend to spend there time at different parts of the season.
Slow your mind this season and be patient; don’t forget to find joy in the little things. The very fact that you have the desire and physical capabilities to partake in the outdoors is a blessing in itself.
Good luck this season in whatever adventure you are passionate about. Learn all you can in the woods this year and make sure to pass it on!