Who takes field notes/journals??
 

If you take notes about your hunts, what do you write down?

For me I note the stand I hunted, number of bucks or does seen, ages of each deer, score for each buck if they are 2.5 or older,number of points for each buckl, was there any chasing going on, sometimes weather conditions, were the deer within range, or any other thing I feel is important to write down.

I have a record of every deer I have seen hunting since 1999.It is always fun to read back on my notes and it really helps me remember special hunts in the past. If you dont take notes I encourage you to do so...its worth it!

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

Date; stand site; number of deer seen; # Does; # Bucks; # fawns; # in bow range; Notes on individual deer seen; Wind direction; Weather front?; General notes.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

I video'ed all my hunts this year and condensed it down to a journal.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

I am in the process of building a log of all the deer seen on my property including date, time, location, buck or doe, incoming direction ect. as well as photos of the deer taken on the land.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

good idea...I bet that is cool to have

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

I take notes on Weather, Moon, Wind Direction, Temperature, Methods, Date. I hope that each year I can look back and just learn from one year to the next.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

x2. I also add calls (effectiveness) weapon (since I hunt with three) companions andddddd I think that about covers it!:)

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

I have tried to keep daily notes. Somehow I always seem to quit doing it. Anybody that does has a leg up on the rest of us.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

I started early this season, then got lax on it within the first couple hunts. I wish I would have kept doing it though. I'm gonna force myself to next year.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

I just try to keep track of pill time. I really don't need to keep a journal to tell me where I want to hunt tomorrow or where I hunted yesterday. It's fine for people who have a need to do that sort of thing.... but really, I got other things to do when I'm not hunting.[8D]

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

Date, Wind, Stand, and Journal Entry, what I had seen so and and so on..

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

Doesn't taking notes and all this kinda suck the spirit out of it? Not really knocking people, just curious.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

I just started this year. Wrote down times, winds, general weather, deer or other animals seen, and stand locations..

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

Spirit?

In what way?

When I played college ball.....we kept notes on opposing hitters and I studied them before we played them (I was a catcher and called my own games).

I see this as no different.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

I don't know about spirit... it just seems a little anal to me. I hunt when I can. I use the wind to my advantage and set up with that in mind. I don't need to flip threw some journal from last year to tell me it's a beautiful day and the deer should be moving. Of course, all the journal entries in the world are useless if the neighbor turns his Dobermans loose at 6 PM every Oct evening. [8D][8D][8D]

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

I use to keep notes for years until I realized there useless. (to me ) ex. big buck killed nov 4th south wind 5:30 pm 58 deg. east side stand my junk hanging to the left. After comparing years of notes I realized the only thing that was consistant was my junk hanging to the left.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

Trust me David.....lol....It takes me about 15 seconds to log my last hunt into excel. What I get from it is really useful to only me and my wildlife bio.

If all I cared about was putting my face into the wind and having fun......I'd ride roller coasters instead of hunt.

To me.....keeping a journal is useful and fun to recall. Of course....you could just make stuff up and spew it....then who would know.....right??

I can cite how many does/buck/fawns I saw in a single season. I can cite how many deer I saw in a particular woodlot.....on a particular wind....on a particular weather occurrence. That's useful to me.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

I'm so excited for you. LOL

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

Just trying to show you it isn't "anal", Dave.

"Anal" is re-using a depends you only No. 1'd in to save $$.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

I've kept notes for years. I find them interesting and helpful. I did this in 2006 and would like to do it for the rest of my years of notes as well. I just need the time.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

not at all for me...I do it mostly to remember past fun hunts and to compare how many shooters I am seeing from one year to the next.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

i dont need it to tell me where i want to hunt tomorrow either...i do it to look back on hunts and past experiences for fun and memories....oh and I also have things to do when i am not hunting[8D]:D

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

OH so clever. Now I'm into depends. Cute.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

I guess for me, it would turn something as simple, and relaxing into work. I take notes on experiments all day long every day. I work in a lab, and love doing the experiments, but hate reporting and presenting.

So in my leisure activity, I won't be taking notes. Maybe one day, I might regret it, when i forget when I took at one buck on the wall here, or another buck there. But I have a feeling by the time I forget that buck story, I won't care anyway.

My other hobby is motorcycles. Believe it or not, I know people who log their rides, or takes notes on how many miles they road. I just sit and don't understand it. But hey it takes all kinds.

But in the case of Greg, he sees so many freaking animals at his own little Jurassic park, he has to take notes to remember the booners he saw yesterday.:D Just kiddin with you, kinda. Jealousy is such a horrible thing isn't it?

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

I do and pretty much what everyone stated except the charts for now.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

I like to watch it. It's about a 1/2 an hour long. I tagged out early this year. but it's cool to watch.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

BC:

Harley riders are the EPITOME of "anal".

Where's yours' right now.....and does it have dust on it?:D I used to have a shirt that said "I rode my bike to trailer week". It never rode on a trailer after it was delivered to the dealership. Chrome this...billet that......this leather seat looks cooler than that one. Is my leather wrinkled?.....etc..., etc..., etc... .

Glad you brought that up. 15 seconds to log a huntthe next day sounds SO Much more "normal", now......lol.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

right now, she is sitting right here next to my living room in sparkling glory.

Actually she has lost most of her sparkle. She has over 40K on her, and I can't say I worry too much about pretty anymore. I just ride. Actually ride year around. But road salt and harleys don't mix well.

But surprised you are trying to compare motorcycle vanity with taking notes in a hunting log. I guess I just don't see the connection. I have hunted for a long time, and know a bunch of hunters, and can't say I ever met one that kept a log. I guess if I started hunting recently and a young guy in the information world we live in it might seem a little more normal. When I started hunting, there was no excel.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

I always said if/when I bought another harley....I'd buy an electraglide std. and NEVER wash it (and I mean that).

I just thought it was ironic you mentioned harley riders and making something simple and relaxing......work. World's worst (as a community). Gettingdressed for a normal, Sunday ride is probably more of a productionto thecommon harley rider than it is for a broadway musical.

They're likely to be heard exclaiming.................."Is my 'live free or die' showing?"...as their big wife on the back says... "Yes"....."Now Get back in line, Stan".

:D

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

You guys that keep journals, do you hunt several different properties? I hunt one of 3 (usually one of 2 properties) depending on wind, how much time I have, etc. One of the properties I pretty much know when and where to hunt it, the other 2 I'm still learning. I could see where it could help the first few years when you are getting used to the travel patterns, but after that, it would seem like work to me.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

I'm like Greg. I like being able to say (without guessing) how many of each animal (age/sex) I saw last year....2006....etc... . I like being able to recall the dates I took bucks on (although I can do that off the top of my head). I like knowing how many deer I avg. seeing/sit.

Do I use it to tell me where to hunt? Heck NO. Do I take note if a particular spot was "hot" at a particular time of year? Yep. Would it make me chance a wind to go in there? No.

It's just interesting fodder, for me. And you're right.....3 yrs from now....if I'm hunting the same property....it won't aid me at all (other than trivially).

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

Nahh, that's not anal. That's just going GREEN:D

or maybe yellow?[:'(]

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

Things in my journal:
1. Date and time (morning/evening)
2. # of does seen, # of bucks seen
3. Stand site location

4. Any other special notes I feel should be included. I see turkeys on almost every hunt so I never write that down, but I usually write down predator sightings because I am trying to get ready to hunt them this winter.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

I don't know Jeff. Sounds like your riding with the wrong people. I have been ridin something or another since I was a sperm. I haverode Harley D's AMF's,EVO's, and now twinkies.If you make the mistake and ride with HOG, I can see what you are seeing. But if you ride with ABATE or the more traditional riders, I don't see this.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

Yes I have a few properties that I hunt.
No it really does not help my hunting at all, but It does help me look back on fun hunts and compare this years sightings to previous year.I do it for fun.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

I never rode with the HOG chapter. I didin't like people telling me where we were going....what time we were gonna be there......what time we would leave.....etc.... Sounds to much like a cruise ship to me.

I had a group of about 10 of us who rode (not all together....all the time).....or I just rode, alone (which was great, sometimes). I hear ya about the HOG chapters. Freakin joke IMO (At least they are, here). It's a rollingbike/fashion show.

I might have been riding with the "wrong people".....lol...but it's not for the reasons you cite.;)

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

How long did you ride Jeff? I thought I remember you saying you only rode like one year or something?

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I rode a crotch rocket for a few years in the late 80's (Interceptor 1000).....and bought my first FLSTF in 2001. I bought a FLHRC and sold the Fat Boy. I sold the Road King Classic in 2004.

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Ok, I see, so you have only road twinkies? I can see how you have developed your views on the fashion show.

RE: Who takes field notes/journals??
 

I too keep a detailed journal, and use Excel for it.

Extremely useful tool for me. Interesting, too.