Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds. High 81F. Winds light and variable..

Clear skies. Low 52F. Winds light and variable.

Joe MIles with an early season SC river bottom buck

Joe MIles with an early season SC river bottom buck

For most of my life, I was an avid deer hunter. I’ve killed more than my share. I love the woods in the fall. There’s nothing like sitting in a deer stand as the sun sets and the world quiets around you. The walk back to the truck and the quiet crunch of leaves and pine straw. I love how the air smells, I love the sounds of the night, and the feel of the truck as you lean against it listening to your friends lie about the size of the buck they passed on that evening. There’s nothing like the taste of a cold drink or sip of whiskey around a fire in the woods or that first rush of air when you open the truck door on the hunting property.

Did you know that one of the fastest growing segments of the hunting world is metro hunters? People who bow hunt in places like Athens, Atlanta, Columbia, etc. Truly urban hunts; suburban tracts and small farms that may reside inside small towns and big cities across the country. Makes you think, doesn’t it? 

Hunting, like much of our world, is changing.

As deer season takes over in the state, I was reminded of an interview I did a while back. Joe Miles is a good friend of mine over in the Columbia, S.C. and is the owner/inventor/chief bottle washer at ASIO camo. Now if you haven’t seen this you need to! ASIO is a new look at camo. Developed entirely for the treestand deer hunter, it’s modeled after the way owls camouflage themselves. Joe also got help making sure the clothing was transitional from the hotter-than-hades early season of the South Carolina Low Country to the deep freeze of the late Iowa bow season. Joe has killed more Boone and Crocket and Pope and Young deer than anyone else I know and is serious about his deer hunting. 

From Joe’s travels across the world to his success at killing big deer (within 30 minutes of downtown Columbia, SC mind you!) in North America he has developed a camo line and a community that is committed to big whitetails. Yes, Joe and his friends hunt everything, but they dream about big whitetails. In fact, his challenge to all of you hunters out there is to find a specific deer and hunt just it for a season. Just that deer. The knowledge you will gain can be immeasurable to your success in the future. 

When we visited last, I asked Joe for a tip to share. One that he felt was vital to his success. His answer was swift and easy. Scent. ALWAYS watch your scent. Hunt as high as you can and hunt the wind. Do everything in your power to cut out human scent. Joe even goes so far as to have his own washer and dryer that nothing but his hunting stuff gets washed in. He takes scent-free showers and dresses in his camo and boots in the woods. His advice over trail cameras was to set as many as you can afford to buy and put them out in the rain. That will keep your scent down. Everything he does is about bettering his chances at killing a big deer. From his diet, his workout routine (Joe’s office features a shooting range and a CrossFit gym), his daily routine even when not in the woods, and his trip planning ALL focus on killing big deer. This is a single-minded determination that frankly leads you to success no matter your endeavor. 

Now for me — I urge you guys to go out and try AsioGear.com.  I promise you will not be disappointed. The community Joe is building will help you achieve success this season and for years to come. 

 —Outdoors columnist James Pressley can be reached at pressleyoutdoors@gmail.com

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