Show Notes
This week we're talking with an absolute legendary deer killing machine, Jim Forbes. Jim has been hunting the mountains of Virginia for his whole life and has learned things that have upped his odds in the deer woods. Like so many local legends we've talked to in the past, Jim makes it clear that he's not hunting deer, he's hunting old mature bucks. Mr. Forbes continuously says "food is everything in these mountains", and for good reason. He talks with us about just how important it is to find the hot oak trees in the mountains, with red oak acorns being his personal favorite. This makes sense as he tells us that his most successful time is in the latest part of the rut. Several things stick out to us about Jim. First of all, he is very calculated about his approach. Hearing him talk about how he breaks down the monotonous big woods found in the mountains is nothing short of precise. Secondly, he places most of his confidence in the natural features he finds. If he finds the right vegetation or terrain feature that he knows mature bucks like, he has confidence that one day it will produce, even if it takes years. Lastly, he puts a lot of stock into knowing the area he's hunting from front to back, as any good woodsman should.
