I started bowhunting 7 years ago and those first two years were rough. I didn't have any family or friends that hunted so i had to learn from trial and error and spending hours upon hours on here and other hunting message boards. The biggest mistake i made when i started was over scouting and putting way to much pressure on the property i was hunting. Get out early and scout during the summer, don't wait until a week before the season starts to go stomping around the property. The biggest mistake i regret was gut shooting a buck that i jumped while walking to my stand. I had been skunked the previous year and was desperate to put some meat in my freezer and took a risky long shot which resulted in me searching for that poor buck for 3 days with no success. Gut shooting that deer was actually a blessing because it really put things into perspective and i became a much more responsible and patient hunter which has resulted in me easily tagging out each and every season since.