my season was to short to tell what i would have seen in my ONE "honey hole" this year...only hunted it twice...1 1.5yo and 1 2.5yo opening morning(POSSIBLY a 1.5yo but he had decint mass and was atleast 12, maybe 14" wide and 8pts) in that area...last year the only buck i saw in there bow season was 2.5yo...and 1 i saw in rifle was an older deer..i cant age past 2.5 lol...i saw pics of it when a kid killed it in rifle..big nasty lookin rack...that area is my "honey hole" because its one of the areas that always seems to have good bucks in it...but seems to be hit or miss as to WHEN they are in it...

last year i WAY OVER hunted it and hunted it stupidly...i wont lie, that 2.5yo almost certainly came out of my buddys squirrel hunting in the area...but i was hunting stupid and too much so not seeing deer is the result..

this year i hunted smart..no more than once a week and saw bucks both times in there..who knows what i may have seen after that...buddy did kill a wierd buck out of it this rifle season..2.5 or older...real wierd rack...

but, i cant rely on that ONE spot...i know that...and with the difficulties of that spot, i need more spots just like that...spots i know hold bucks and usually hold better bucks...this year i was trying to stay out of that spot as much as possible..hunting it when the weather was right(fronts coming in or leaving, good temps, right wind) and not more than one day a week tops...my 2 buddies that bowhunt, and are also family to the guy that "helps me hunt" and they both said if i aint hunting that hill that day, that they are(some friends) i love them both, and the farmer(their uncle) but hunting often drives me nuts with them 2...i dont go into their spots, or even hint that i would...but thats how they are...their uncle(farmer friend of mine) trys to help us get on deer and tells me what he been seeing where...but lately i been noticing he keeps some secrets...he thinks of me as family..but he either keeps things hush hush or really doesnt see them...

anyyyyways, i need more spots...next year im being a different hunter...im not telling them where im hunting or when im hunting where...their guess will be as good as anyones...and ive learned to park in really wierd places to keep my areas hush hush..i could easily park within 150yds of my treestand in the honey hole...but park over a half mile away just to keep EVERYONE that may pass by guessing...the hill aint big at all...i dont want any pressure...

i guess i need to apply what i already know to NEW spots...and gain permission in new areas...a 2.5yo will make my day....but bigger/older will be awesome...save them for later in the season...burn up some other areas in the time before that...i just dont know how to spot these "buck areas" i just kinda, lucked into the honey hole...perfect spot...bedding, feeding, thick stuff, pines, a variety of oaks and sassafrass all on one tiny hill...oh, 2 saddles too!

im actually NEW to buck hunting...dad taught me alot, but really, he was happy to see deer...in rifle season if we were into deer, it was just a matter of time when a buck would come through...so im new to this bowhunting for bigger bucks thing...i just know i got alot of work to do between now and may...and want to get it done RIGHT so it pays off...yes, i know, chances are good i eat tag soup...but if i do the work and do it right, and then hunt right, chances are decint i tag my buck next season...since my standards arent REALLY high...

and your right rybo...its amazing how these bucks travel these small woodlots, go unnoticed and cover A TON of ground...funny how you hear guys sayin they seen one here...then its seen over a mile away...not during the rut...first spot has all the food and cover a deer could ask for...i really think pressure does that to them...and i think thats whats making this difficult for me...they cover more ground than im used to and the sign is WAY far apart and i cant put it together...thats why im hoping SNOW will teach me alot...