Best Learned Lessons...
 

In reading the thread How Did You Learn to Hunt, I noticed that the majority of the responses included trial and error.

This got me to wondering what some of these lessons you may have learned were.

So far for me, the biggest lesson is that stand placement is key to any successful hunt.

After a couple seasons of seeing little deer activity from the stands I hung myself and seeing quite a bit of activity from the stands hung by others hunting our property (hunting these stands with their permission, of course), I had to question what I was doing wrong. I compared the stands hung by others to those I had hung, and noticed many differences.

Using this new found knowledge to my benefit, I started to hang my stands in different areas and immediately saw a difference in deer sightings and activity.

RE: Best Learned Lessons...
 

Oh wow......this list could go on forever, but I'll be brief. Nov. 8, 2004. I arrived on stand early and hunted till 9 am. I had some errands to run, accomplished those, and was back in stand by noon. I wasn't in my tree, honestly, 1 minute when I heard running in the leaves. Looked left, and a doe was haulin the mail right to me. Yep, that's right, the big boy was behind her, along w/ 2 subbordinates. They ran DIRECTLY under my stand, around the corner, and back behind me. I had a 15 yard, standing still, broadside, wide open shot at a.....oh, prolly 140 class 10 pointer. Just one tiny problem.......MY BOW WAS STILL ON THE GROUND!!!![:@]

The lesson I took from that.......after I am tied into the tree....the very next thing I do, before I take off my backpack, anything.......haul that bow up and hang it! THAT won't happen again......

RE: Best Learned Lessons...
 

Judging distance. After gun hunting for years I just couldn't judge the 20 or 30 yards for a bow shot. I got a range finder and use it toconfirm distances now. I'll guess how far a tree is then hit it with the rangefinder as practice. This has really honed my ability to judge distance. I missed a doe last year when I shot over her back. I thought she was a lot farther out than she really was. I got her the next day.

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Don't hunt a valley on a foggy day.

RE: Best Learned Lessons...
 

Last season I pulled a drag into the area by my stand . It had doe in heat lure on it. Had a 12 PT. come in like on the hunting shows.Got my bow ready the buck gave me a broadside shot at 10-12 yd. Started to pull back and my release slipped/tripped and there I sat holding my bow in one hand and the release inthe other. Next day I bought a TRU Ball Copperhead to replace the Kmart end of season special. Moral of story ,buy a good quilty release don't skimp. A $5.00 release cost me a big buck the Copperhead cost $60.00 wish now I had spent that money right off the bat.

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Thatreminds me of another lesson agood hunter taught me. Hunt all day, especially during the rut. Alot of bucks move mid day.

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Keep it slow. The slower the better. Watch, Look, Listen to everything in the woods and to any Bowhunter you come across. Never to old to learn. Shoot your bow year round. Keep checking out this Bow site. There are some smart veteran Bowhunters that realy know there SH&# that live here!!

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When I first started hunting by myself and started watching all the hunting commercials and what not. I would pour a bottle of doe in estrus all over the place...That doesnt make deer come. lol.

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This past season I had a real nice buck come in w/ a doe. He was snort wheezing, something that I have never heard before. Cut to the chase, I had my top pin right on his boiler room but there was a small branch in the way. This guy was only 5-7 yrds from my tree too. Anyway, Im waiting for him to make 3 steps and my damn cell phone vibrates. He looked and looked and never saw me but he didn't like that sound. He jetted and I never saw him again. He was bigger than the one in my profile.

I carry my cell phone in case of an emergency which I used to never do. What I did was power my phone off but must have closed the lid too quickly and it didnt go off. So I ALWAYS made sure my phone powered down or was left in the truck after that incident.

Looking back, I could have probably pulled off a shot thru that small branch. It was a really small branch and I think I could have gotten trhu there. Oh well.:) Nice story to tell anyway.

RE: Best Learned Lessons...
 

It was a pretty windy day when I was on stand two years ago. Instead of hanging my backpack on a hook (like I usually do) for some reason I had it wedged in between a branch and the trunk of the tree I was in. At about 9:30 I saw movement off to my right, it was a real nice 10 pointer and he was coming in straight toward me. He kept coming in closer and closer until he was about 25 yards away. A couple more steps and he would be right in my shooting lane...
Just then a gust of wind came and blew my backpack right out of the tree. I'll never forget the look on his face when that thing fell out. He watched it fall the whole way to the ground and then looked right at me. I froze, but it was too late. Gone...make sure your gear is secured.

RE: Best Learned Lessons...
 

A couple of years ago I wenton an afternoon huntwith the father of myg/f (at that time) on a fairly windy day. We were hunting about 500 yds apart.I was walking through a milo field to get to this tree line bording asmall thicket. Kicked up a button buckthat was bedded in the headland of the field, right next tothe treeline. Proceeded to hang my climber on the tree, tiedon my bow rope, and tied the rope to my bow. Then I walked out to the edge of thetreeline (it was about 10 yds wide) to lay some dominant buck scent. No sooner had I gotten into the open when a 160"8pt. (one of the bigger bodied deer I've seen...close to 300lb on the hoof....and the fat on his ass jiggled when he came to a stop! no joke) came barreling straight to me. I duckedback into the treeling and "hid" behind a sapling/brush b/c at the time I thought this deer was coming at me b/c of the scent I was putting out. Anyways, he stopped about 10 yds off the treeline...perfect quartering away shot, then moved about 5 more yards out into the field. I was trying desperately to reach my bow...could almost reach the wheel but not quite. The buck ran off...no shot...just a broken heart on my behalf. After the hunt me and the guy I was hunting with swapped stories. While he was walking out to his spot he kicked up this same buck (bedded in the milo), it stood up and offered a perfect shot but he couldn't get it off...so the deer eventually ran to me.

Moral of the story: When it's daylight, I ALWAYS walk to my stand with my release on and ALWAYS carry my bow with me when putting out scent! If I had done this that day, I would have a damn nice deer on the wall. Oh well, live and learn!

RE: Best Learned Lessons...
 

I too would also have to say is always wear your release to and from the stand, i had a story similiar to GPSsnFORDS, the buck wasnt as big as his, but it was a nice one, but same result.

My second lesson learned is to never let your guard down. There are nights when i just know im going to see deer, and then there are others when i dont think its going to happen cause all the conditions are wrong, but then here he comes. Like we all know, you cant shoot them if your not out there.

RE: Best Learned Lessons...
 

Last year I blew a shot opportunity on a huge 9 point. I was in a doghouse popup blind. As I was drawing, the tip of my arrow brushed the inside of the blind and made a loud scratching sound. All I saw was antlers bouncing away. I wanted to vomit. Biggest deer I've ever seen.

Happily my dad got him during shotgun season but I still have nightmares. If I had just practiced drawing my bow from that blind I could have prevented that blunder.

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when I was young I went on hunt to ILL and forgot to check the MOON.

always check the MOON,

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Deer move any time of the day so hunt all day long if you can. Shoot fingers! You can't leave them behind and miss that chance at a big buck.

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Listen and learn. But if you're here reading this, you already know that. ;)

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The best lesson learned, The Wind is my Shepard. I shall always keep it in front of me.

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That is exactly the first two steps in my " ascending my treestand ritual" I also learned that the hard way.

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Leason learned.... Don't cheap out on any equiptment or necessities related to one of your passions.

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I also carry a cell phone in case of an emergency. Can't you tone down the vibration to a low enough level so you can leave it on? Mine can, just wondering.

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The wind determines every one of my hunts, or if I hunt.

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On the inside of my bow it is written:

*Point
*Pin
*Place
*Pull
*Pray (optional)

I follow the above plan...

RE: Best Learned Lessons...
 

If you shoot a smaller hog for meat dont drag it out infront of the mom sow.

my cousin and i were hunting and she shot her first hog. a small one because she couldnt get any good shots at the big ones. I told her it would be good meat too. She shot a small one and then we were dragging it out and when we got about 200 yards away from where she dropped it 2 sows came out about 10-15 yards in front of us. the mother looked at us started chomping her teeth. I told my cousin to give me the gun and i loaded it as quick as possible and sent the bolt home and shot just as she took a step towards us. the other one ran off.

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Always go slow and ready to your stand like mentioned before. I have killed 2 nice bucks while sneaking back to my stand and catching movement. When you do get to your stand climb very slowly and slowly look around as you climb. On afternoon I climed my stand in a hurry to get hunting and stood up only to see three, yes count them three kansas monsters practically laughing at me as my jaw droped. Well as you can imaginethe next image I saw was three brown butt holes making a mad dash in the oppisite direction. Looked like bouncing milk duds trotting thru the crp field.

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Be prepared , check your gear , and just have fun .

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My most learned lesson in the 4 years that I have hunted is SIT STILL I never fully grasped how much this really mattered until some people that I was hunting with were killing all the deer. I have been 2 for 2 on deer since then.

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Always be ready, alert, and expect the unexpected.

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Don't fall asleep... When I was about 11I think, when I had been hunting a few years and had a few deer under my belt... My dad took me to the blind with him one cold morning after we'd been up all night trailing a head shot hog (missed the brain, went over 2 miles)... He tried like everything to wake me up when deer started goin by.... the gun-shotwoke me up just finethough when he dropped the biggest 12 point I've ever seen on that old family ranch of ours.:)

My mom was packing up for us to come home one year, and saw a brute of a buck about 75 yds from the camp house. She had already packed her .30-30, but got it out and put 2 rounds in the magazine, snuck out side, braced on a fencepost, squeezed the trigger... *click* no round in the chamber...

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ROTFLMAO! These stories are great and are only funny because I have had similar experiences. One year got out of my stand because of stomach problems, went home, took care of it, came back and there was a huge rub 3 feet from my stand... no kidding. I also shot under a really nice 10 point because I thought I remembered how far the tree he was next to was from my tree. I've also forgot my release and missed an opportunity. The worst was when I drew on a really nice 8-point when I was about 12 and the arrow fell off the rest. All I could do was let down, which alerted the buck, who ran like his butt was on fire. So in summary: eatwell before a hunt, range everything and put out markers if possible, double checkgear before leaving, and make sure your arrow ison the rest properly before a deer shows up. I could go on, but it is making me laugh too hard.

RE: Best Learned Lessons...
 

With over thirty five years of experience I have to say the "best learned lesson" would be to stay committed to actually showing up in the woods on a daily basis... or as close to your comittment as possible.

Last season I was in the woods over fifty days, most of them full days, before sun-up and after sun-down.
I saw deer behavior that would take the casual hunter years to see.

It was one of the best years I ever experienced. It was my sons' first year to hunt since serving time in Iraq. Every outing in the woods I always seek to find a new nugget of truth. You might call it an,Ah,Hah!

Just showing up is half the battle.
Have a teachable spirit,look,listen and learn...

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Dont know where to start..... One that really sticks out on my mind is the second year I hunted. There wasa nice trail going right underneath my stand, a lot of cover right behind me and lots about 30 yards out...a nice clearing for a shot. At this point I didnt own any waterproof gear and it was sleeting and very cold. I was freezing left earlier than I should have. AsI was on my way down my stand, bow already on the ground, a nice 8 point came out of the thicket behind me. I tried climbing down slow but he just snorted and took off.So of course I got some waterproof camo...gotta have the right gear

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It's taken me six years, but I've learned not to overpressure my favorite stand. Not as much learned to do it, but forced myself to remain patient and hit it when its right. Also, playing the wind. I really didn't think much of it early in my hunting years, but have learned that lesson all too much. I believe time and experience make us all better at hunting. You can become a very good archer in a short period of time with practice, but to be a good hunter takes some tough and frustrating time in the woods.

Kelly

RE: Best Learned Lessons...
 

Walk half as fast and pause twice as long as you think is right.
(self explanitory,I think)
Don't walk too quietly.
(Cats and predators are quiet, everything else makes some sound)
Walk like a deer.
(part two, walk like a deer feeding. take a few steps, take a couple more, pause, take a few more. sound like the deer does)
Pretend you don't see them.
(don't stare..... like a predator)
and so on, and so on.....................

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on a climber make sure they are connected so the bottom doesn't drop out from under you and slide to the ground

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Shoot your bow throughout the season. On a sunday about half way through the season i was bored and since you cant hunt on sudays in pa i decided to take some shots out of my bow. Thank god I didnt shoot at a deer earlier in the season because my sights were about 6 in to the right and if I would of hit a deer it would be right in the guts if i was aiming for the lungs. You never know when you may of bumped your sight getting it out of the truck or hitting a branch in the woods if u hit your sight in the right spot you can definitely knock it off. always shoot during the season.

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Last year while on my way to my favorite spot I had a major goof. I parked my truck at the field entrance as usual and got everything ready, climber, bow, scent lock suit on....blahblah,blah. It's about a 1/2to 3/4 mile walk down an old logging road thats wide enough for one vehicle.to where I hunt along a ridge with a stream down bottom that leads to a marsh. I always walk slow to stay as quiet as possible. As I was rounding a corner I caught a movement to my left, and stopped immediatly to see a nicerackcoming up from a brookinto a Pine standwith a couple shooting lanes.All this happening no more than 15 yards from where I'm standing.I raised my bow slowly to draw and set my pin on him when I realize I never knocked an arrow for the walk down to my site, (which I always do sxcept for this day). Buck spooks and is gone. Huge Lesson learned the hard way.

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Don't shoot a doe during the pre-rut (late Oct). Last year I was doing my management part and harvested a 3.5 year old doe during the late morning hours.I made a confident shot on her and I wanted to get her back tothe house so that I could get back to the woods and not miss anything. Wouldn't you know it as I approached her, 40 yards to my right I see antlers, to my dismayit was the shooter I was looking for all year and he had already picked me out . If he wouldn't have been so far behind her, OR if I would have let her go, I may have had a 20 yard broad side shot on him. But that's why they get BIG.

Keeps you coming back for more. ;)

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Best lesson learned are always play the wind always and let the little ones go if you want to shoot the big ones.. Walt