HuntingEd

Jeff - Sometimes its better to eat tag soup then to shoot a buck that is below your personal goals.... Trust me. I keep going back and fourth on the buck I shot friday, it happend too quick he was at 30 yrds before I saw him and I had one shot window. And had about 1 second to decide as he was on a steady walk... I'm happy w/ the shot, and will surely enjoy the meat. But Ive set high standards for myself (you know this), and I feel this buck was just at my min. Taking into account the deer I shot last week, I probably should have passed on this buck, granted its two differnt states, so its not like I've taken two bucks at my min, off the same property...

Dont get me wrong however, I'm very happy w/ the deer, and have a great idea for my mount, BUT, what really gets to me is that I think I just cant locate the big ones, I've already used this to raise my standards really high for the remainder of the season, I can take another buck thankfully, but this experience has given me the motivation to spend a ton of time scouting this winter to locate the big ones for next year. My strategies are going to improve, because right now I dont think they are good enough for me to take a monster, only by luck...

I also need to learn to be a better judge of deer on the hoof, I still get pretty excited when see bone older than 1.5 yr. The best that has come out of this is confidence, I have made two great shots in just over a week, I am more confident w/ a bow than I have ever been, so now I'm ready for the 150 incher!

GregH

You may or you may not tag a buck this year. It has nothing to do with ineptness. The bottom line is that you have learned. That is what it's all about.

WV Hunter

Jeff....I certainly wouldn't call you inept. Heck, most of us would have loved to have been able to put in the time you have this year. Just because you didn't connect with the buck you wanted, didn't mean you couldn't have shot "a" buck, and certainly doesn't mean your season wasn't successful. It sounds like you did learn alot, but darn near wore yourself out too. I did that one year a while back....I learned that I needed to balance better.

On another note:

If you are jabbing at yourself as being inept...what the heck am I? I must be an absolute moron. [8D]This is my 10th season without taking a buck(by choice) because I haven't seen one I feel like meets my standards. I can say I've learned a TON over those years, and have also passed literally hundreds of bucks in hopes they would grow up some and mosey by later. I've aslo taken quite a few does - but still "that" buck, has eluded me. Its tough holding out for a deer that meets certain standards....when they are very few and very far between.

Bottom line, hunt for yourself....be happy with the choices you make....and have fun! Good luck the rest of the season...

Mike

Schultzy

Them are good words Greg. All to often young hunters get discouraged quite easily. The same goes for someone trying a new hunting tactic and not having success right away. Experience and time breeds success and It will happen, one has just got to keep at It and stick with the plan or tweak It some If that's what needs to be done. This year I have been hunting a little different then in the years past. I'm hunting these "buck trails" more this year then I ever have. I've hunted these "buck trails" before In other years but never on a consistent basis as I have this year. This year hunting these buck trails Is kicking my ass, I'm not seeing **** for good bucks (only one so far). My problem I think Is I'm not hunting the right buck trail and I'm paying way to much attention to the big bedding area's. I've got to start keying In on the buck only bedding area's and not worry about the other ones If my wind Is going Into them. I'm hunting a buck, not the doe's. I know where they are but I've been to chicken **** to hunt them being my wind Is going Into the big doe bedding areas. This will be changing next year, maybe even this year If I'm able to get out more yet this year.

virginiashadow

Funny I should see this post when I got home. I was thinking about your post yesterday Jeff about scouting for next year. I was thinking, "dang this guy has worked his butt off this year, and has put it all out there". You don't owe anyone anything. You have learned so much this year it is sick. Every single time you play the wind right and hunt where you know the deer are succesfully, you up the odds for your success. Your odds increase every day. You may or may not score this year on a nice buck, but one thing is for sure, you may score on that buck next year or in 2012 based on all of the hunting foundations you are laying each hunt. YOU will score this week. I know it.

Here is another Steven Chapman book I read a couple of years ago while on stand over a couple of days......was awesome.

Dr Andy

I've passed on some dinks this year, although I did shoot a BB just to work out my personal jitters. I passed on a small 8-pointer and a spike 2 times. I'm just not getting any does in my set-up. But I do learn a lot watching the bucks that I passed. I think Duke is right. He's helped me a lot

GMMAT

WOW, Brett! good stuff! I hadn't thought about that....but you could be right!

And that last part.....If I don't .....it won't be for lack of effort....or lack of a sound gameplan. I have a "hunch" on a spot to try one morning. After leaf drop....I think the deer are feeling a little exposed traveling from bedding area to bedding area. If I'm right....they may go behind a farmhouse and travel the pines in lieu of the hardwoods.

I have a few days before Will gets here.....and I may give that a try. It'll also keep the best areas I have fresh for our hunts. Only thing it'll cost me is time in the woods.

virginiashadow

I have 5 more days of hunting before I head back to work next week. The gun hunters are all over the base so I have to move in early and deep for any chance at a nice buck while the rut is still moving (albeit very slowly). I will be doing the 0530-noon sit every day this week. I really hope I get another crack at a mature buck.

mohunter82

i've got over 40 sits in and only a coyote on the ground...But anytime i start to second guess or get that feelinf i think back to this blog i posted awhile back



The most wondeful time of the year!

Current mood: thankful


Some people call it christmas. I call it Bow season.

Its those morning thats you get up and get your gear on and walk outside to a crisp cool autumn morning. Leaves are changing colors and starting to fall. A light dew has covered the grass making your entrance into the woods just a little bit quiter. as you slip into your stand and the world begins to wake up you realize that it wouldn't matter if you saw a deer or not. You get to witness one of Gods greatest miracles every morning.

The sun coming up over the tree tops. The squirrels coming out for morning breakfast. Birds chirping and picking seeds off the ground. A lone racoon wanders back to his home for the day. The tukeys start clucking to wake the others for the fly down. A slight wind picks up and a few leaves slowly make their decent to the ground. A doe and her fawn work their way through the acorn patch, and instead of thinking about shooting. You sit back and bask in the beauty that is nature.

Next time you hit the woods, just stop worrying so much about the kill and take a look around. You'll be surprised what you see.

gri22ly

The season of 2003 was my greatest and most memorable, butI didn't kill a buck.
The opening week of bow season, I seen a 10 point that would score180, his main beam's were as wide as my hand between his G3's and G4's. I logged over 300 hours in standthat year and never seen him again.
In the course of the season I got to know a 140 class 9 point very well, I seen him 8 times and could have taken him3 times.

As theend of season drew near it left me withan empty feeling inside, I started to think back at what I had done wrong, I second guessedevery move.It was at that point thatI realized I had done nothing wrong, I had learnt more about deer behavior,the habitat in which thay live and most importantly my self,than in all previous seasons combined. It was a turning point.

Three days before the season ended I drew back on the9point,he steped out at 23 yds. broadside. He looked right at me, our eyes locked for about 10 sec.,he then turned and slipped into the pines. AsI lowerd my bow,I was smiling inside and out. WOW, what a season my greatest ever.