Where have you most improved?
 

Well, I don't know about ya'll, but I learn so much about the sport of bow hunting every year it amazes me. So, I got to thinking this weekend about where I feel I have most improved this year.
I would have to say my biggest improvement this year is my ability to set up on deer using the terrain. I hunt mostly big woods, and setting up close enough for a shot is quite tough. But, I studied and learned about terrain, funnels, things like that, and have consistently set up on deer. Shooting one? Now, that's another topic all together...[8D]

Anyway, where do you think you have improved the most this season?

RE: Where have you most improved?
 

Good question. I'd have to say that i hunted the wind alot more this year. Amazingly for me, i didnt get winded even once. Also i got a new bow and my accuracy has improved greatly.


Zach

RE: Where have you most improved?
 

Lets see.. My accuracy when shooitng the bow was gone up an enormous amount and i have been paying to the wind more important than just hunting anytime.

RE: Where have you most improved?
 

Well, this being my first year with a bow I'm not sure. Equipment has improved quite a bit when I went from an Alpine Impact X-treme to a Diamond Victory. I have also improved in my ability to get close to deer. Or hogs for that matter. After hunting with a gun for years , what a difference. Stand location matters so much more. I guess I've improved most in hunting the wind and staying as scent free as I can. At 150 yds. with a rifle it's just not as critical as 15 yds with a bow. I have learned so much this year and I have so much more ahead. I can't wait!

RE: Where have you most improved?
 

With the weather being less than perfect this year I saw alot different movement.The way the deer used the same area with the wind blowing in the opposite direction of the normal southwest.With the wind blowing like hell they still moved but they were out in the open where they could see better.I've seen alot of deer traveling with the wind also.Out of 35 sittings I've seen deer all but5 and only one buck was over 1 1/2 old.Needless to sayI've yet to shoot one. As far as learning something,I would guess it's deer are still as unpredictable as they were last year.:)

RE: Where have you most improved?
 

Excellent Post! I would say my confidence in my equipment! I purchased a new bow this past summer and therefore a entirely new set up. I really took my time in choosing my bow, arrows, rest, sight, release and broadheads! It took me a long while in getting it right but I am very happy. With this my accuracy has improved tenfold! Before I wasn't sure if the bow or the braodhead wasn't right when I had a random arrow. Know I know when I have an off shot that the problem is me. As in my forum getting lazy! This new setup makes me shoot correct and I love it! Once again excellent post!:)

RE: Where have you most improved?
 

Very good post. I would have to say my patience in NOT hunting my "honey holes" when I was dying to sit in my favorite stands. That goes along with hunting the wind (which was insane this year). I would only hunt one particular stand when the wind was PERFECT and nothing less. I only ended up sitting in it a handful of times but it paid off for me.
I also was more conscience of my routes in and out of the woods. I didnt' take the "easy" way to my stand in a hurry like I've done in the past. Sometimes in certain situations with the wind and my stand locations I would go well out of my way for what I thought was the best approach for that given hunt.

All in all I mixed up my routes in and out of the woods pretty good, didn't overhunt any of my stands, and only hunted them when the wind was right.

RE: Where have you most improved?
 

I have learned plenty this year but the biggest thing for me is probably old hat to most of you guys;gotta be able to judge the range of a target.
I took my 1st shot at a living animal in October, a small buck, shot right over his back at 10yrds using my 20 yrd pin, luckily he only ran 10yrds and this time my 20yrd pin worked well ;).

Since then I've bought a rangefinder, learned my paces, and I figure out distances when putting up the stand, instead of guessing at it when theres a deer standing there.

RE: Where have you most improved?
 

I forced myself to not to hunt the same places too much. That's always been difficult for me.

RE: Where have you most improved?
 

I went out opening day (like some of you may know from one of my earlier posts) and I killed my first deer with a bow. It was a little doe that was really small, but I was so excited and willing to shoot almost anything my first time that I shot her. She was my first deer and I'm really proud of her, but I have been out a couple more time since then, and I'm going to be going out some more in the future. Last time out I saw two does similar to my first; they were really young, but they were the only things that would come within range. I passed both of them up and even a young spike for this reason, and I think that's probably how I most improved. It may sound like common sense to some guys, but when it's your first time out and you actually see something, it's hard not to try!

RE: Where have you most improved?
 

I would have to say that it is a tie between my movement in stand and scent control. I spray down and keep my clothes in a scent free bag so they don't pick up any odors. I always check the wind before I climb into a stand.By movement I mean I stay completely still or limit it to the minimum. I wonder how many times deer have seen me before I have seen them and got out quietly without me knowing. I practice on squirrels and turkeys. If you can move without a red squirrel or especially a turkey seeing you then a deer never will when it is crunch time.

RE: Where have you most improved?
 

Actually it was my conscience effort to not completely and totally submerge myself into deer hunting, leaving all else dangling in the wind. All year long just about every spare moment is spent doing something related to deer hunting( scouting, cutting paths or lanes, planting plots, etc). This season I have hunted less and spent more time with my family. In doing so I have seen more bucks and even got my biggest buck so far. Maybe SOMEONE was trying to tell me something:eek:I have hunted less in the number of times out but pulled more all-dayers which really increased my number of bucks seen. Maybe the deer are having a hard time patterning me this time;)

RE: Where have you most improved?
 

I know this isn't true, but it seems that I am getting worse. My second year I shot the nice 10 in my sig, last year I missed the same buck twice on different occasions, and this year I got spotted by a nice one without even getting a shot off.

RE: Where have you most improved?
 

I have improved in my mental game. I used to get so worked up in the stand full of adrenaline heart going a 100 mph shaking. Its hard to make a shot like that. It still happens but Im working on controling it. Its a fine lineI love the rush, but sometimes it gets to me.

RE: Where have you most improved?
 

getting to my stand without disrupting deer

RE: Where have you most improved?
 

I would have to say patience. My first year of hunting, I just went out during rifle season. I'd sit in a stand for a couple of hours then get down and do some walking in hopes to kick one up. My second year of hunting, I started bow hunting. I learned to sit in the stand longer and didn't do much if any walking and learned a lot more about scent control. This year, I have had a few all day hunts where I'd sit in one stand all day from before sunrise to after sunset. I've seen more deer on those days. If I wasn't able to hunt all day then I'd still sit there until I had to leave. I didn't do much if any walking at all. The only times I did any walking was during this rifle season and it also gave me the chance to scout more areas of my property. I get to hunt the same property next year and have permission to do some "work" out there to better suit me and the deer. We'll see what happens, I plan to hunt a few more times this year for late archery, but don't know how that will turn out. I usually don't seem to see many deer in the late season. I'm still trying to figure them darn things out.

RE: Where have you most improved?
 

Man, I have learneda ton.....scent control is what I consider to be the most important..Being upwind from a deer at 30 yds for 30 min and not getting busted, that was priceless. among others are stand placement, arrow building, 3" groups at 25 yds with a rest that has some minor contact with the vanes (that is my next thing to learn, to tune my own bow, I had this rest installed at the local shop, need 1/4"more vane clearance for perfection) I do not take shots longer than 25 yds by the way! Need to learn more about rattling and calling.

Bo

RE: Where have you most improved?
 

Man I learned so much....Second year bowhunting and I got my first deer - a small 6 point that was 15 yards away completely downwind. Then a week later I got an 8 point at 10 yards away during 30 mph winds. My first year hunting I became focused on becoming a good archer but I didn't see any deer. This year I focused on hunting and finding deer. Some of my lessons learned are below:

I learned how effective Scent Lok products are. I had my scent lok dakota and a scent lok head/face cover and my bucks never knew I was there. I was working all day and all sweaty and stinky but the scent lok covered my stink up!A weeklater I got a nice8 point at 10 yards from a tree saddle. I learned how much I like the tree saddle. I was able to completely move around the tree to shoot at that buck since he was directly to my right. At 10 yards he never saw me because I kept the tree between me and the deer. I never could have done this in a traditional tree stand. Also, I was able to call two deer back to me after they had after they had left using a bleat can (one doe, one buck). I'm convinced that bleat cans work when used the right way. I also learned that hunting in severe wind is not a waste of time as proven by my 8 point. I learned that my tiny little compact broadheads don't leave a very good blood trail even with a double lung shot. I plan on trying a mechanical next year. And I learned how hard it is to blood trail a deer at night, even with the brightest lights and lanterns. Next time I'll just wait till morning and walk right up to my deer like I did this year.... I learned a ton this year. I learned alot from you guys - Thanks!

RE: Where have you most improved?
 

This is fun guys. Keep 'em comin! I am glad I wasn't the only "stupid" one out there.....[8D]

RE: Where have you most improved?
 

Grouping. I bought a bow sling or whatever so when you shoot it dosnt bounce out of your hand. I cant put them alltogether.

RE: Where have you most improved?
 

More woods sence,reading the terrian better spending more time
in the woods,help from my fellow club members,it all helps!:)