Whitetail deer season is a few months away, but if you’re like me, it never really ends. From treestand maintenance to food plots, there’s always something to be done. Planning is a big part of any hunting season, and with that in mind, I’d like to suggest five books to consider reading during upcoming deer seasons.
To be clear, I’m not talking about books on how to kill mature bucks — although I think the simple act of reading in a treestand or ground blind can increase your odds for success. Let me explain.
The Reading Hunter = Motionless Hunter
For me, reading helps keep my mind sharp and refreshed while sitting hour after hour in the woods. Unless deer sightings are frequent, it’s easy to zone out in a treestand, and I stay more on top of things if I have a good book in my hands.
In addition — and you’ll probably think I’m crazy — I believe my brain isn’t broadcasting the message of “I NEED to shoot a mature buck!” when I’m focused on a book’s characters and storyline. Maybe you believe, as I do, that some whitetails have a sixth sense and can feel/detect danger. Maybe you don’t. Regardless, in my experience, the more I read and the less I think about spotting and killing a whopper whitetail, the more I’m covered up in deer.
Finally, I don’t move around as much while reading a good book. As a rule, I read a paragraph and then slowly look up and scan the surroundings. If I don’t see any deer or other interesting wildlife, then I resume reading. I rarely miss a thing — at least I don’t think I do.
Experienced Hunter + Talented Author = Bobby Cole
I’ve been reading Bobby Cole’s suspense novels for a few years. Cole’s thrillers are set in the Southeast, and hunting and fishing is cleverly woven into the storylines in a way that only an avid outdoorsman like Cole can do.
Recently in South Dakota, his book Old Money kept me company during many treestand sits. The title is No. 3 in a series featuring character Jake Crosby; the first two books are The Dummy Line and Moon Underfoot.
Without giving too much of Old Money away, Jake is a newly minted Mississippi game warden, and he’s trying to solve two cases at once. The first involves a series of ongoing robberies of wealthy sportsmen as they return to their trucks in the dark after an afternoon/evening of deer hunting. The second includes a redneck brother and sister pair and their ruthless search for their deceased father’s rumored hidden treasure.
Here’s an example from chapter one of Old Money. A thief waits in the dark as a doctor returns to his vehicle deep in the woods after an evening deer hunt:
The doctor wasn’t trying to walk quietly. He was in a hurry. A backpack slid off one shoulder, and his scoped rifle was slung barrel up over the other, inviting the rain to flow down it.
“Novice,” the robber whispered. Probably buys a new gun every year anyway.
Reaching his truck, the doctor opened the gas flap to retrieve his hidden keys. Clicking the remote, the doctor unlocked the doors, and the inside of the truck illuminated. The robber used these noises to cover any sounds of the final approach, thumb cocking the .357 Magnum pistol in the doctor’s ear. The chilling metallic sound had its intended effect, and the doctor froze in his tracks.
Like Cole’s other books, Old Money is a fast read and entertaining. To date on Amazon, it scores 4 out of 5 stars with 140 reviews. FYI: Dummy Line, which was Cole’s first book, scores 4.5 stars with 1,355 reviews. Moon Underfoot scores 4 stars with 789 reviews.
As for standalone titles, Cole has written two: The Rented Mule (4 stars, 1,869 reviews) and Silent Approach (4.5 stars, 92 reviews). It appears I’m not the only one who enjoys Cole’s suspense novels.
My only complaint is I wish Bobby Cole’s softcover books, which measure about 5.5 by 8.25 inches, were smaller so they’d fit easier in my hunting jacket pocket or fannypack. Many inexpensive paperbacks are quite a bit smaller (approximately 4.25 by 6.75 inches) and faster to stash after I spot a whitetail. I’ll have to send Cole an email to see if he can make this happen in the future. His publisher could call them “treestand editions.” Tip: I take a black marker and camouflage the book ends. Do this well before deer season so the stink is gone.