Hmmm, what did I learn.......
1. I learned that no matter how still a deer is standing, it can move before your arrow gets there (I shot at a large doe standing broadside, but, a smaller doe walked in front of her and took a arrow in the neck, we tracked her over a mile and finally gave up when we saw her feeding, P.S. I have heard that another hunter shot her this rifle season and she was doing fine)
2. Just because there were alot of large bucks last year doesn' t mean that they will be in the same spot this year. (I had seen several P&Y bucks the year before last, but, this past seaosn, they were gone from my spot. I saw one nice 11 point and my friend saw a big 9, but, other than that, 4-6 points were pretty much all I saw)
3. When the going gets tough, I need to learn to give up.
(In late season archery, I went out a little late in the evening due to work. Well, I got to my spot, set up and started climbing. I get up about 22 feet and look down, there is my pack with my calls and my release. Well, I climb back down, get my pack, put my release in my pocket and climb up again. Well, I get about half way up and my release falls out of my pocket. I climb back down, get my release, and climb up. I get up to 22 feet again, sit down, tie on my safety belt, and then start pulling my bow up when the stupid hook slips and my bow is left laying on the ground (the bow didn' t drop, I had lifted one axle about 7 inches on the ground before it slipped). Well, I climb down, tie it up good then climb up, and settle in, by this time, I had waisted alot of time and was sweating my butt off. But, I stuck with it and didn' t get a chance at anything)
4. Don' t laugh at stupid animals, they will spoke and mess up your evening (I had a small button buck that would come into my stand EVERY time I sat in it. He would just stand around me all day, occasionally looking up at me. He was doing this one evening, and he was eating off a green briar. Well, the green briar flew back and hit him in the face and he jumped off the ground. I started laughing, little did I know there was a doe in the brush behind me and she spooked. The little button buck stayed there though)
5. Always have alternative routes to your hunting area. (I walk from my house to my honey hole, well, this year a lady bought a small piece of property I have to walk by. Well, I was walking past it, on the edge of the road, and, here comes this ladies horse, a.k.a. Devil Horse as I call it. Well, the thing ran right up to the fence and kicked the fence, scaring the crap out of me. Everytime I walk past, that darn horse charges to the edge of the fence and starts snorting at me)
6. Don' t accidently bump your trigger on your release in mid draw, it tends to get a little expensive.
7. Never spray acorn scent on your clothes (When setting up my game camera, I sprayed some acorn scent on a tree in front of the camera. Less than an hour after that, a bear came by, rubbed his head against the camera, and then smashed it with his paw)
8. I learned to never use any information from Frank, as it is all b.s.
Hey Frank, anytime this fall, if you make the trip out to Indiana County, I' ll be sure to put you in a GOOD spot. I have one in mind. There is a water tower, roughly 80-90 feet high, it is sitting in the middle of a corn/alalfa field. If you set up on that, you could see deer comming from MILES away.