For those who don’t pursue wild turkeys or spring black bears, it’s a long wait until fall hunting seasons arrive. To help feed your hunger, I’m showcasing a film (34 minutes in length) that I think captures the essence of public land bowhunting for whitetails. It was produced by Curtis Zabel of “Behind the Bow,” and details his 2016 archery deer season in Wisconsin.

In Zabel’s own words: “I had envisioned putting a film together depicting a story, portraying a 'behind the scenes' look into bowhunting public land in Wisconsin for quite some time now. For one reason or the other, hunts ended quickly, dragged on, or there was a different story to tell. Last season finally gave me the opportunity to do just that. ‘Life of a Public Land Bowhunter’ portrays MY life. Every hunter has a different story to tell and different goals set. Days, weeks, months, years, come and go, but there is one thing that always stays the same — my love and passion for bowhunting whitetails. Every hunt took place on public land in Wisconsin, 100% DIY, 100% self-filmed. Follow along through my camera lens, my heart, and my mind.”

I suggest finding a comfortable chair and sitting down with a large bowl of popcorn and a cold drink. Allow yourself to escape spring for a half hour to walk the whitetail woods and swamps with Zabel during fall and winter. It’s a rollercoaster ride that culminates with a surprise ending.