Make sure you're able to draw your bow long before any deer show up.

Bring a field point arrow with you to shoot in the ground for judging distance.

Hard work and determination will eventually pay off.

Big deer love brushy river bottoms (hm, who knew?? )

If you can't find big deer on one piece of land, find somewhere that does.

Never, ever, ever hunt w/ a marginal wind.

Open pattern camo is absolutely the way to go.

It's ok to shoot a big deer 3 times if need be.

Firends are an INVALUABLE part of deer hunting.

Killing big bucks w/ archery tackle is a lot of fun, and VERY hard.

Because it's hard, it's also extremely rewarding.

I am good enough to get it done.

It's ok to let deer walk by.

Entry and exit routes are incredibly important.

Scent control is of utmost importance.

for myself
1. that i still love bow hunting as much as ever
2. Im proud that my son has safety harness etched in head forever after years of pounding it in him. its now a habit.
3. That killing a turkey with a bow gave me a new addiction
4. Honcho12 is still a bully and my pal
5. Hunt your best spots only when the time is right
6. That EHD can wipe a many deer out
7.That loosing 40 pounds and getting into halfway decent shape can make the season so much easier. I did not even sweat on the Hot days using the climber.
and draging deer is a cinch.
8. Trees can still hold green leaves at the tail end of Nov.
9. Germ likes to Hug (spoon) and i think i liked it [8D]Naaaahh!!
10. That changing my standards was not that bad after all

1. Deer do exist, dont let your mind wander after long hours of seeing nothing
2. An interest in bowhunting can quickly transform into an addiction
3. Make as little noise as possible getting to your stand, every sound counts
4. Calling although sometimes effective, is not magical, and should be used sparingly
5. You are your most important mentor, youd be suprised what you can teach yourself
6. Although sometimes frustrating, you are hunting to enjoy yourself

Don't take binoculars into the woods when bowhunting!!!

This cost me a chip shot at a big 10 point this year. I was glassing some does 150 yards away when a 10 point snuck up to my left at 20 yards. I never knew he was there until I moved to hang my binoculars on the hook and the buck blew at me and bolted. It would have been the biggest buck of my life, if I'd only left the damn binoculars home..... Save em for gun season. They'll just distract you and you never know what could sneak up on you while you're glassing does on that ridge 150 yards away.

I would guess the best lessonwe should get from allof this is that all of us have plenty to learn.[8D]

From the threads about chasing hitdeerto soon I hope every one learns to go home, call a friend, eat lunch with that friend then hug your wife ,kiss your kids and then wait another hour before you go look for a less than perfect hit.

And last but not least if you feel your effective range is thirty five yards keep your shots in side twenty yards and you will be increadablyeffective.

I'm the complete opposite, I live with my binos when I'm out in the woods. More than once I've caught a glimpse of something that turned out to be a nice buck that I was able to grunt in. Without the binos I would have missed out.

The reason that they call it a stand is cause you should stand as much as possible as to remain ready for the deer.

Yep, I almost never sit...even if its a 4hr+ watch. Needless to say, I'm developing a stronger back throughout the season.

I'm with you GregH. I absolutely HATE it when the rare occasion occurs and I forget my binos. I feel completely naked. I use mine a LOT to identify deer and I catch them using different routes.

It's a good thing to know when to move up the ridge 60 yds.