Page 10 - 2018 MAY/JUNE Outdoor Oklahoma

SUCCESSFUL HUNTER HEAPS

PRAISE ON OLAP

By Craig McBrain

I am an avid outdoorsman and started hunting at a relatively couple of fresh scrapes along a trail that led me to a rub on a
young age. In a perfect world, I’d spend time with family and hackberry tree. I had found plenty of sign to get me excited, but
friends, and hunt as often as possible. The reality is that, like it took looking from several angles to find a tree fit to use for the
many hunters, I have to balance my time outdoors with a mul- climbing stand that I brought. The only tree suitable for my stand
titude of obligations. ended up being only about 8 yards from the rub I had found. I
However, there is a hindrance to my outdoor pursuits. I, like felt a little nervous about being right on top of the rub but didn’t
many other hunters, do not own land that I can hunt on. That have enough time to keep looking, so I made my way up the tree.
leaves me the options of asking permission to hunt private Once I attached my safety harness and began to look around,
land, leasing private land, or hunting on public land. I have I noticed several good shooting lanes that I couldn’t see from the
found a bit of success in all three, but it takes a great deal of ground as well as another deer trail that appeared to be used often.
work to ensure it. I recently moved and now have to drive about I sat there contemplating my odds of actually seeing a mature buck
an hour and a half to the private land where I usually hunt. during my first sit in that location. The wind was favorable though.
There is also very little public land to hunt near my new home. I made peace with myself knowing that my odds in any tree were
When I heard about the Oklahoma higher than they would be if I had
Land Access Program administered stayed home.
by the Oklahoma Department of CrAiG mCBrAiN In the first hour, I saw two does
Wildlife Conservation, I was excit- in brush just out of bow range. It
ed. Suddenly, this meant that there gave me hope there would be a
was a chance I could gain access that mature buck in the area. Less than
didn’t exist before. 15 minutes after the does went out
I immediately searched the Wild- of sight, I caught a glimpse of some-
life Department’s website for more thing through the trees southwest
information. I found news about of my location. My heart rate must
the program and a link to the have doubled as I turned my focus
OLAP Facebook page. I followed and landed my eyes on the antlers of
the page and paid careful attention a buck moving toward me through
to the updates throughout the sum- the trees about 80 yards away. I
mer and early fall. I became even knew it must be the buck responsi-
more excited when the Department ble for the rub.
released the OLAP map tool, and My excitement grew as the
I discovered that several parcels buck strutted through the trees
were available within 45 minutes with head held high. As the buck
from me. approached to about 50 yards from
Through early fall, I continued me, it turned and took another
the usual upkeep of the private land trail. Although this trail should
that I deer hunt on, but I kept a Hunter Craig McBrain shows the 10-point buck he harvested bring the buck close, I worried that
close eye on the OLAP land closest on a new public-access property that became part of the it might spot me from that direc-
to Stillwater. On Nov. 10, 2017, I was Oklahoma Land Access Program last year. tion. I counted 10 points on the
off work for Veteran’s Day but was busy most of that morning. I rack and decided that it is a buck I would shoot if given the
wanted to hunt really badly because I had seen and heard several opportunity. I stood as it passed a large tree about 20 yards
bucks moving during the day that week. I wasn’t able to get away from me. Just as I started to draw my bow, the buck looked
until 3 that afternoon and would have very little time to hunt if directly at me and promptly turned and ran into the trees. I
I drove an hour and a half to my usual location. So, I loaded my made a soft grunt, and it stopped immediately.
climbing stand and headed to an OLAP tract near Marland. I My heart was racing. But deep down I thought it was all
arrived at about 3:45 and promptly made my way into the field. over as the buck took a few steps and disappeared into the
I walked a few hundred yards into the property and located a trees headed away from me. In despair, I made another series

8 Off the Beaten Path