I've come to the conclusion that I suck.
11-12-2006, 03:57 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 165
I've come to the conclusion that I suck.
This is my 3rd season bow hunting and I have yet to tag a deer. Once, in the last minute of the closing day (last year) I actually got a draw on a doe, but two other does came crashing through and broke every one up. Doesn't matter, I would have missed anyway as the deer was further out than I thought.
Most often I see nothing. Tuesday morning I had one pass behind me UP WIND! That's all I saw that whole day, one, although, fat doe.
Today was the best day for sightings. I gave up on my morning spot and headed deeper into the woods. I walked down a service road and a doe was on the side running right towards me. I hit the dirt, and she kept on cruising. A kick grunt didn't stop her. Bu-By! At the crest of the hill I saw a deer crossing the path. I crept closer, then the deer came back the other way. I got closer. As I kept moving, I noticed a doe to my left and she noticed me. As soon as I stopped she waved by-by with her tail.
I steathly walked closer. walking heel to toe and trying to sound like a deer. Then I saw a deer pass from left to right again. Is this the same deer going back and forth 50 yards at a time? Or are there many deer playing the scooby-do trick on me. Doing the duck walk now and notice Mr. Big Buck on my right. He crosses the path a trots down the shoulder 100 yds. and exits again on the right. Then I notice another buck on my left. I crouch down, And peek back up. I THINK it's a buck. Im doing the belly crawl now and popping up every 10 yds. or so. Still there. This went on for an hour. Finally I get closer and I see a fallen birch tree with bark hanging off of it. My eyes have tricked me again!
I start with a half upright walk. Oh No! It WAS a buck right behind that fallen birch and he's taking off. Two quick grunts stopped him and he turned around. I inched a little closer and emptied my pockets of possible noisy stuff. 3 yards at a time and a quick peek. Now I am close enough to observe him through the tall grass.
Keeping an eye on him on my belly, and only moving when the wind blows. I'm about 50 yds now and I need to play this out. Then I see him turn around and slither away behind some shrubs. I wait it out to see if he comes out or goes the other way. .5 hour passes, I sneak back to get my stuff and make my way to 30 yds from where i last saw him. He didnt seem spooked, maybe he'll come back. I wait another hour and noticed 5-6 deer crossing the service road further down from left to right.
I figure this guy slithered away and he's not comming back. So I decide to make my way down the service road closer to the other deer crossing. I am walking up right, but very very quiet and slow. Suddenly, the buck I thought has slithered away, jumped up an took off. Grunting didnt stop him, he was gone.
I was hoping he would circle around so I moved quickly down the service road 20 yds. past his bed. Laying in the dirt, I see him cross at that other deer crossing. But I never saw him come back. I wait it out and move closer to that deer path. Another buck makes his way behind me. I heard him grunt, I turn around, and he is leaving the path. I decide to wait that out for an hour or so.
No activity for a few hours now an it's getting late. So I take it slow back to my morning spot. What do I see? A freshened scrape and a pile of turds.
Back at the parking lot I see another fellow who is wrapping it up. I left the woods today feeling pretty good about myself for seeing more activity in one day than I had seen in all other trips combined. Even though I jumped a buck that I was stalkig. So I ask the other fellow how he did. He said "I let 8 does and one small buck go. I got two does already, so I'm just hunting for the big boys. Did you see anything?" I said "hmm, just a few."
Then one of the maintenance guys comes by and tells us a story how some guy got a 12 pointer this morning on his very first day of bow hunting!
All this time I have been blaming the public land and preassure. I am paranoid about scent control. I practice 3-D shooting all year, my bow is emaculatley clean and tuned. I play the wind. I read books, subscribe to 3 mags, and read this site. I look for signs of deer activity and hunt those areas. I make sure I am at least 20 yds. down wind of trails, scrapes, and rubs. What am I doing wrong? It's either bad luck, or I just plain suck. Probably both.
If you read this long sob story, thanks. I don't expect sympathy, or a reply, but I am frustraded to the point where I am thinking that my next post will be to advertise that all of my crap is up for auction on eBay.
Most often I see nothing. Tuesday morning I had one pass behind me UP WIND! That's all I saw that whole day, one, although, fat doe.
Today was the best day for sightings. I gave up on my morning spot and headed deeper into the woods. I walked down a service road and a doe was on the side running right towards me. I hit the dirt, and she kept on cruising. A kick grunt didn't stop her. Bu-By! At the crest of the hill I saw a deer crossing the path. I crept closer, then the deer came back the other way. I got closer. As I kept moving, I noticed a doe to my left and she noticed me. As soon as I stopped she waved by-by with her tail.
I steathly walked closer. walking heel to toe and trying to sound like a deer. Then I saw a deer pass from left to right again. Is this the same deer going back and forth 50 yards at a time? Or are there many deer playing the scooby-do trick on me. Doing the duck walk now and notice Mr. Big Buck on my right. He crosses the path a trots down the shoulder 100 yds. and exits again on the right. Then I notice another buck on my left. I crouch down, And peek back up. I THINK it's a buck. Im doing the belly crawl now and popping up every 10 yds. or so. Still there. This went on for an hour. Finally I get closer and I see a fallen birch tree with bark hanging off of it. My eyes have tricked me again!
I start with a half upright walk. Oh No! It WAS a buck right behind that fallen birch and he's taking off. Two quick grunts stopped him and he turned around. I inched a little closer and emptied my pockets of possible noisy stuff. 3 yards at a time and a quick peek. Now I am close enough to observe him through the tall grass.
Keeping an eye on him on my belly, and only moving when the wind blows. I'm about 50 yds now and I need to play this out. Then I see him turn around and slither away behind some shrubs. I wait it out to see if he comes out or goes the other way. .5 hour passes, I sneak back to get my stuff and make my way to 30 yds from where i last saw him. He didnt seem spooked, maybe he'll come back. I wait another hour and noticed 5-6 deer crossing the service road further down from left to right.
I figure this guy slithered away and he's not comming back. So I decide to make my way down the service road closer to the other deer crossing. I am walking up right, but very very quiet and slow. Suddenly, the buck I thought has slithered away, jumped up an took off. Grunting didnt stop him, he was gone.
I was hoping he would circle around so I moved quickly down the service road 20 yds. past his bed. Laying in the dirt, I see him cross at that other deer crossing. But I never saw him come back. I wait it out and move closer to that deer path. Another buck makes his way behind me. I heard him grunt, I turn around, and he is leaving the path. I decide to wait that out for an hour or so.
No activity for a few hours now an it's getting late. So I take it slow back to my morning spot. What do I see? A freshened scrape and a pile of turds.
Back at the parking lot I see another fellow who is wrapping it up. I left the woods today feeling pretty good about myself for seeing more activity in one day than I had seen in all other trips combined. Even though I jumped a buck that I was stalkig. So I ask the other fellow how he did. He said "I let 8 does and one small buck go. I got two does already, so I'm just hunting for the big boys. Did you see anything?" I said "hmm, just a few."
Then one of the maintenance guys comes by and tells us a story how some guy got a 12 pointer this morning on his very first day of bow hunting!
All this time I have been blaming the public land and preassure. I am paranoid about scent control. I practice 3-D shooting all year, my bow is emaculatley clean and tuned. I play the wind. I read books, subscribe to 3 mags, and read this site. I look for signs of deer activity and hunt those areas. I make sure I am at least 20 yds. down wind of trails, scrapes, and rubs. What am I doing wrong? It's either bad luck, or I just plain suck. Probably both.
If you read this long sob story, thanks. I don't expect sympathy, or a reply, but I am frustraded to the point where I am thinking that my next post will be to advertise that all of my crap is up for auction on eBay.
11-12-2006, 04:20 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Iowa (Heartland USA)
Posts: 3,249
RE: I've come to the conclusion that I suck.
bjanakos, don't give up. You think that's bad, read on:
1. First year hunting, my muzzleloader misfires when a buck walks by. I change the nipple and 3 more misfires during the season. I borrow a friends' gun and on the last day I shoot a button buck and blow off 3 legs. (I have a witness to verify this one).
2. Second year, I spent the whole season without getting a shot.
3. Third year, I get deployed a month before season starts.
4. Fourth year, I get a double hernia at work and can't go out. All my hunting friends drop massive bucks.
5. Last year, (first year bow hunting) I crap out (shoot 2 deer and find each one after the coyotes finished dinner) and end up shooting a doe the last day of season. Duringmuzzleloader season, my new muzzleloader lag fires and when I am getting down to track the 6 pointer I shot, another hunter across the river finishes him off. During shotgun season, the store is out of my usual slugs and I try some hornady SST's. I shoot at a slickhead at 125 yards and took out his spine. Had to slit his throat to end it all.
6. This morning I take a shot at a HUGE 8 pointer with my X-Bow because I tore my rotator cuff and 3 tendons and end up killing the only twig that could possibly take the shot for the buck.
Point is, don't give up. I still hope to get that nice buck to mount on the wall. A day in the woods even when it doesn't end up the way we planned is still better than any other day.
1. First year hunting, my muzzleloader misfires when a buck walks by. I change the nipple and 3 more misfires during the season. I borrow a friends' gun and on the last day I shoot a button buck and blow off 3 legs. (I have a witness to verify this one).
2. Second year, I spent the whole season without getting a shot.
3. Third year, I get deployed a month before season starts.
4. Fourth year, I get a double hernia at work and can't go out. All my hunting friends drop massive bucks.
5. Last year, (first year bow hunting) I crap out (shoot 2 deer and find each one after the coyotes finished dinner) and end up shooting a doe the last day of season. Duringmuzzleloader season, my new muzzleloader lag fires and when I am getting down to track the 6 pointer I shot, another hunter across the river finishes him off. During shotgun season, the store is out of my usual slugs and I try some hornady SST's. I shoot at a slickhead at 125 yards and took out his spine. Had to slit his throat to end it all.
6. This morning I take a shot at a HUGE 8 pointer with my X-Bow because I tore my rotator cuff and 3 tendons and end up killing the only twig that could possibly take the shot for the buck.
Point is, don't give up. I still hope to get that nice buck to mount on the wall. A day in the woods even when it doesn't end up the way we planned is still better than any other day.
11-12-2006, 04:21 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Wilmington NC
Posts: 4,919
RE: I've come to the conclusion that I suck.
are you only stalking i would go set up a stand on that scrape and get there before day light and sit all day long sounds like good deer mvoement you should nail one
11-12-2006, 04:42 PM
#4
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location:
Posts: 65
RE: I've come to the conclusion that I suck.
Paitence is key in hunting. I started bow hunting when I was a freshmen in highschool, it wasn't untill my freshmen year in college was I finally able to tag a buck with my bow. The first year I saw deer all the time and tried to shoot a couple bucks but was still learning that just because I am 25 feet above ground that I need to be still and that deer could still witness me drawing back. My point is I went through alot of sh!t my first couple years hunting but instead of just letting missed shots or not seeing any deer frustrate me I went back and reviewed those hunts and learned what I did wrong and it was important for me to even look at the things I did right. Well after all that last year I tagged my first buck and he scored just under 164 inches. Stay with it and you will definitly be rewarded.
11-12-2006, 04:48 PM
#5
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: GREENSBURG PA.
Posts: 214
RE: I've come to the conclusion that I suck.
are you only stalking i would go set up a stand on that scrape and get there before day light and sit all day long sounds like good deer mvoement you should nail one
11-12-2006, 08:02 PM
#8
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Northern IL&Southern IL
Posts: 963
RE: I've come to the conclusion that I suck.
bjanakosI bowhunted 6 years before I got my first deer.I learned alot those years and it sounds like youre learning many things too.Don't let it eat you up.Fnd good spots be patient and sit tight.You'll also probably find that by relaxing a bit ,that things will start to fall into to place.
11-12-2006, 08:32 PM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Illinois
Posts: 1,608
RE: I've come to the conclusion that I suck.
Hey buddy, it seems like you're doing alot right. Don't give up yet.
I shot my first deer, a 9-pointer, my first day of my second season. It was 6 years and 13 misses before I got my second. Thank God I stuck it out. I've got 5 deer under my belt, and the last 2 were a piece of cake. Then, just this morning, I left my stand (I know, it's the rut, and I should have sat ALL DAY), and was knelt down at the base of the tree getting my stuff together when up runs a doe and the BIGGEST buck I've ever seen in the woods! He looked like one of those Ontario-deer you see on T.V. He was over 250 pounds, at least 5 years old and probably scored 150-155. Beautiful 10-point buck, broadside and unaware of me, AT 10 YARDS!!
I killed a branch.
Get you a stand, setup where you see the most activity, and watch the woods. You'll get one, just be patient.
I shot my first deer, a 9-pointer, my first day of my second season. It was 6 years and 13 misses before I got my second. Thank God I stuck it out. I've got 5 deer under my belt, and the last 2 were a piece of cake. Then, just this morning, I left my stand (I know, it's the rut, and I should have sat ALL DAY), and was knelt down at the base of the tree getting my stuff together when up runs a doe and the BIGGEST buck I've ever seen in the woods! He looked like one of those Ontario-deer you see on T.V. He was over 250 pounds, at least 5 years old and probably scored 150-155. Beautiful 10-point buck, broadside and unaware of me, AT 10 YARDS!!
I killed a branch.
Get you a stand, setup where you see the most activity, and watch the woods. You'll get one, just be patient.