Why do I suck so much!?
 

Well, here's the deal. I got myself and my dad into bowhunting 3 years ago. I became obsessed, and read everything about deer. And my best friends dad took me out to show me more tricks of the trade. Well I moved away so I can't go hunting with him anymore but either I moved to a bad area, or I just suck at deer hunting. They say where I hunt is one of the best places in northern illinois but I'm starting to doubt them. Well so the only action I've gotten all season is a very small doe torturing me in every shooting lane at about 20 yards but I passed it up. Then the last time I went I had a spike come within 45 yards and I'm not comfortable taking that shot. I've been out plenty other times in good conditions but I've seen nothing. I get desperate when I don't see anything which leads me to do stupid things like just pick a random stand and ditch the one I have. My stand before the season had trails beaten in and everything so I set up about 15-20 yards where a couple of the trails funnel and I have 3 trees to choose from so i'm never winded. I also, do blind calling when I'm desperate. I read a lot that it works but it never has for me by doing it in intervals of a half hour with the doe in a can, grunt call, grunt call/rattle bag, and a fawn bleat. Well I've never actually tried the fawn bleat in the woods but I've called in does to my backyard with it. So am I doing something wrong here?? I'm starting to get mad because in the past 3 years I've gotten one doe and last year I had one jump the string. Just give me your opinions on why I am not getting anything.

RE: Why do I suck so much!?
 

If you have does in the backyard what's the problem? I have does in my backyard too. Although my backyard is 60 acres but that's beside the point. If you're calling does into your backyard you should be putting meat in your freezer. Now if you're just trophy hunting, that's different. Could be there are no mature bucks in that area. But if there are does there, there will be bucks. This time of year start looking for their feeding areas. Cornfields, alphalfa fields, oak trees, soybean fields, whatever is around for them to graze. The does are concerned with fattening up for winter. The bucks are too and still looking for the odd doe that didn't get bred during the rut. Using the doe bleat call and doe esterus scent should bring in mature bucks within 100 yards of you right to you provided they don't see you or wind you. Don't get discouraged. I've hunted for 2 years with a bow and still haven't gotten one. Because of equipment, not tactics. Good luck. Hope this helps.


KEEP IT LEGAL. KEEP IT SAFE. OR WE MAY NOT GET TO KEEP IT AT ALL.

RE: Why do I suck so much!?
 

well in Il. second gun season is in. i do not see much after the first one. i would look for the thickest thicket you can find, look for the trail and set up. if you are around chicago GOOD LUCK all the part timmers probably have it tore up. at least that is the way i found it when i lived in indy. and chicago is a lot bigger. But i also found that a couple of weeks after the guns are done they start moving again. Hunt the thickets in the morning and the food in the evening. hope this helps.

RE: Why do I suck so much!?
 

AHhhhhhhhhhh.. Patience Grasshopper. When you can pluck the stones from my hand you will know.<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle> Anyway, don't be so hard on yourself. Maybe you do suck(I doubt it)... but you can get better. Be absolutely positive you're hunting the wind. Rather than try and make noise and rattle and stink the woods up... try and be as quiet and still and stink free as you can. But first, make sure you're in the right places. Where are the deer feeding? Which way do they go to get there? Where do they go to bed? Look for thicker travel corridors and alternate food in between. Food sources change and change often sometimes. Hunting pressure adds another factor that can blow the best laid plans. How high in the tree are you? Watch your approaches to your stands. Change stands a LOT. You should never see a whole deer first. Look for a flick of an ear, a tail, a horizontal line, the triangle of a deers face etc etc etc. I can guarantee that you may not be seeing deer... but some are seeing you. Almost ALL new hunters I've ever seen move to much. Get comfy and wait them out.

RE: Why do I suck so much!?
 

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>AHhhhhhhhhhh.. Patience Grasshopper. When you can pluck the stones from my hand you will know. Anyway, don't be so hard on yourself. Maybe you do suck <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

LOL&lt; Thats not nice, LOL

Hunting ; an act of love for nature guided by the strongest spiritual forces.
http://www.adventuresoutdoors.freehomepage.com/

RE: Why do I suck so much!?
 

Just reread Davidmils posts, that's what I would say if I felt like typing it all out. Just hang in there, and keep trying. Start scouting now for next year, always be looking for changing patterns, look for the food the deer are eating now, not last week. Watch the wind, and how you go to and from your stand. Don't walk through feeding or bedding areas, be very still, and quiet. You may also just not have that great an area to hunt. In my &quot;back yard&quot; I have a huntable population of deer, but I really have to work to find them. I may hunt 3 days before I see one. on the other hand I may have 3 days of good sightings, and a decent buck in the mix. Deer hunting is a year round sport if you want to be succesful. You can't expect to start on opening day, and stop on the last. Always look for a &quot;better&quot; spot, and don't give up.

TAKE YOUR KIDS HUNTING AND YOU WON'T BE HUNTING FOR YOUR KIDS

RE: Why do I suck so much!?
 

Master is correct, you must be patient.

This is my second year back to the sport after a 10 year hiatus. Last year I saw a total of 5 deer, both gun and bow.

This year I saw at least 30, all does, but hey, they eat good.

The buck to doe ratio in my area is about 20:1.


Hang in there.

&quot;Kill'em and Grill'em&quot;
By The Nuge (aka Ted Nugent)

RE: Why do I suck so much!?
 

Chances are you are overdoing it with vocal calls or your scent is getting you. Hunt the wind. Keep it simple and have patience. It took me 7yrs to kill a deer with bow, learned from school of hard knocks {self taught}. I now after twenty years harvest several ever year. Nothing like in field excperiences, you will learn something almost evertime you are in the field. Just when you think you know it all, those whitetails will prove your theory wrong! Good Luck!

RE: Why do I suck so much!?
 

Gee strange post ,the only people that I know that suck are limp wristed people.And I stay far away from them

RE: Why do I suck so much!?
 

just keep scouting and have fun hunting

OU RULES!!!

RE: Why do I suck so much!?
 

Welcome to the world of Bowhunting! First and foremost don't get frustrated. Its easy to do, but like you said yourself its easy to make dumb mistakes, and guess what that only leads to MORE frustration. Next take into consideration this is your first year in the area, so use it to help learn the area the best you can. Try multiple stands throughout, not multiple tree's within a spot. Over use of an area will key deer onto you very quickly if this is what your doing. Next, humm only your 3rd year with the arrows. Took me 7 yrs also to stick my first, and I only had 1 shot in those first 7yrs. Finally if you can take a good doe, what are you waiting for. Its meat in the freezer, and it only boosts your confidence. Oh 1 more thing, enjoy the time and experience. Its really what its all about. Good Luck!

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: Why do I suck so much!?
 

Until you are confident with the basics, I would dump the callers, and don't experiment with scents, other than some fox or raccoon urine on your boots, and stay clean.

It has been my experience that many bowhunters loudly and visually advertise their presence to the deer on a constant basis. Deer quickly learn to avoid you and/or your location when they constantly see you walking to your stands, when they constantly see and hear your vehicle arriving, when they constantly hear car doors slamming shut, etc. Add the same old scent to your person while all the above is being committed, now they have additional (association) help to peg your presence and avoid you and your stand location.

Although you may not see or hear them when you are going in and coming out, does not mean they are not seeing, hearing, and scenting you.

If your area has high and low terrain, how you go in in the AM and PM can sometimes make a difference.






Edited by - c903 on 12/08/2002 16:42:28

RE: Why do I suck so much!?
 

Keep it simple. Watch your scent, watch your movement and above all, stay in your stand. There is more to hunting then just the kill. Learn to enjoy just being in the woods alone.

RE: Why do I suck so much!?
 

edawg it took me 3 seasons to get my first bowkill and that was after 35+ years of successful gun hunting. As others have said be patient, learn for next year, work the wind, go back to the basics, forget the calls and the scents and rattle bags for now, they are something to be learned after the basics are down pat. Change stands/areas, let an area rest for a few days before you return. You are on new turf and as a result you need to learn it. Take your time, you will learn and make the kill, even if it is next year, you will benefit from what you learn this year.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

RE: Why do I suck so much!?
 

Tip 101:

At the end of this hunting season, scout for the deer herds...
Deer herds will be huge and they will only have 2 things in mind, Food and Bed.
They will take the most direct paths to their feeding ground and bedding ground.
Scout on them from a distance, know their feeding and bedding areas and next year, hunt the path from the bedding to the feeding area.

I don't know what your land looks like, but from your post, it seems like you're choosing your stands at random....

* Never shoot at the first deer you see, wait for the MONSTER that's lagging behind *