RE: What you'll do different this season
 

I wont hunt WV this year. Only Texas since I'd rather not drive/fly 1600 miles. [8D]

RE: What you'll do different this season
 

I am going to get my son, age 10, a portable "pop-up" ground blind. I really love to take him hunting but after an hour or so, he does get restless. Although he begs and begs to go, he simply can not last as long as necessary to get the job done.

Usually I will put up some camo cloth and make a quick "field blind" then I get in my climber stand, but it does not give him enough cover to move about and fidget. Noise has never been a problem, just movement. This was, he can pack his gameboy or what ever and be content while I continue to hunt.

Lastly, I picked up another Thermo Cell to counter the mosquitoes (sp). Last year, they made hunting all but impossible.

RE: What you'll do different this season
 

Last year I over hunted my favorite stand but not this year. I will save that stand for the rut only. It seem to better later in the year. I'm setting up a doe only stand .

RE: What you'll do different this season
 

I am going to make a better effort to stay in the stand all day and I am also going to do a better job of which stand I am going to hunt out of.

RE: What you'll do different this season
 

IM not gonna move around so much and pay more attention to the wind. IF im gonna shoot a doe IM GOnna make sure it ant no button.....

RE: What you'll do different this season
 

I will not pass up a doe at first light, thinking " it's early I'll see something else". i did this opening day and the day after and never had anything else close enough to shoot.

RE: What you'll do different this season
 

Now this is a great question. Last year, I drew back on what would have been my best buck with a bow. I calmly aimed in the "armpit area" . The thick-bodied brute was standing clueless at 18 yards, broadside. I couldn't believe my good fortune. Just a few days earlier I had killed my best buck, a 163" 12 pt with a muzzleloader , and less than a week later I was about to release on my 2nd best buck ever and best bowbuck. I instantly recognized the monster from 2 stealth cam pictures I had of him. I could already taste backstrap and see my 3rd P&Y buck on the wall asI let her fly.
It was then I almost suffered from a massive coronary. The string hit my coat and my arrow flew crazy.I remember seeing the fletch end dip and the whole arrow planed upward . The broadhead sailed through the buck just grazing the TOP of his spine. I was sick. As a matter of fact , I was still sick a month later, worried to death that the buck might be dead somewhere. I felt horrible.until on the last day of our gun season I got a phone call from my brother. He had been hunting that morning when the big boy come chasing a doe through. You don't need string clearance with a 30-06 and my brother was able to get him, on another property about a mile away from where I shot him. He is a basic 5x5 with several kickers, and grosses 153". I was so elated that he had survived my shot and even happier that my brother got him. He had lost a lot of weight but was definitely on the comeback trail. As a gift to my brother I gave him copies of the pictures I had plus I gave him my arrow, which still had the bucks blood on it from a month earlier. In return, he had the portion of the bucks hide where the bow wound was tanned and he gave it to me. Cool story , huh?

Anyhow, ever since that day, all I could think is how I should have had an armguard on , or something to hold my bulky coat sleeve down. You can bet your buttons I will be doing something different this year!!!

RE: What you'll do different this season
 

Maybe hunt a little more in the early season while its warm. I really don't like hunting when its very warm like it is on some days in early October, but I saw a buck Thursday evening that I am going to try to pattern early. The skeeters and full leafed trees will just have to stay out of my way.;)

RE: What you'll do different this season
 

I will be more patient and wait. Last year I could have shot a slightly larger buck had I waited a mere two or three minutes. ;)

RE: What you'll do different this season
 

I will remember to take my quiver with arrows before I walk a mile to my treestand.[:-]