I was just wondering what you guys have changed the most since your first hunt.
Personally I take scent tactics alot more seariously, I have also learned the senses of a deer are much stronger than I originally thought.

My question is whats the most important thing you've learned thats helped you bag more deer? What will you guys change for next season?

I have better equipment
More stands to choose from and rotate
Better land to hunt
There are more deer
I am much older

I think my shooting ability is the biggest difference in my hunting from then to now. Some has to do with the equipment, and some has to do with the fact that I wasn't very good at shooting at live animals when I was 8 years old.

Man that got me to thinking about how ever since the first time I went hunting for deer, I was 6 and had a crossbow, there is nothing in the world thatgives me a rush like a deer that I am going to try to shoot coming in to my stand. I didn't get one when I was 6, but I almost got a shot at a button buck one nightand I can remember it like it was yesterday. That was 20 years ago. I love this sport.

My two biggest would be stand location/coverage. Especially when the leaves have dropped.

The next would be scent control.

I would have to say stand placement and ground blind set - up.
Picking the right tree where you know the deer are going to be traveling and choosing the right area for your ground blind.

well i have changed how long i stay in my stand. When i first started i would get out of my stand too soon. Now i stay in my stand until i have to get out i stay until 1:30 then go back befor 3. I have seen a lot more deer this way.

I also take my scent control more serious. I did not at first but now i do.

I have learned the following......

K. Keep
I. It
S. Simple
S. Stupid

The longer I hunt and the older I get the more this makes sense to me.

WOW. Where to begin???????

The first time I hunted a whitetail deer......I was really just taking my son. This was October of '05. I drove 40 minutes to a woodlot of 15 acres that was the only place I had permission to hunt. I did go there a week ahead of time to "look around". I saw some rubs.....and thought "hey....looks like a good spot".

We did see 3 does, that first morning.....but the thing that came out of that hunt.....was my obsession with pursuing and learning about these animals. I've read everything I could get my hands on. I've watched every show. I've picked you guys brains. I've gotten access to some GREAT land (and NEVER, EVER, EVER make light of this. THIS is the key to killing deer. PERIOD. You CAN NOT KILL what isn't there), too.

I went into the woods that first morning with my blind in one hand.....and my soft bow case in the other. Scent control????? lol
Since then I'm a scent control fanatic. I've become proficient with my bow. I've leaned the deer I hunt and where they are at different times of the season.....week....DAY.

I can't believe how much I've learned in a short time.....and that I STILL learn something every time out. I suppose I always will.

Scent control and better recognition of deer sign.

I took my 1st Deer with a bow my 2nd season in 1958. I have learned TONs in 50 years of Bowhunting.
NEVER think you have them figured out.
I let more walk within bow range than I shoot at. (just selective on Bucks). Take a Doe (this is hard for old guy-I AM old school).

I have let several Bucks & a few Does pass but I did take one in Nov.