Reflection of the Season/Tons of pics added
 

:D












Bored today..rainy...bookwork is done...so I am making a post[8D]This was my best year of bowhunting and I spent less time in the woods than I have in many previous years. Some of my seasons observations...take them for what they are...simple observations... from the NM elk, 2 MO bucks, a MO doe, and a MN buck

1.This is the 1st year that I used absolutely no scent sprays or scent elimination products...dismissing the fact thatI have to spendmy $$ on the stuff IMO. I never aired my clothes out either. I washed them only in baking soda so that they would be clean with no UV brighteners.No carbon clothing or silver lined clothing.

2. My entire season I hunted strange woods in NM, MO, and MNthat I had never been in, so there was no preseason scouting. Maybe I was successful as I had to think more and not rely on old habits of hunting the familiar woods that I have known in the past.

3. 99% of my hunts from a tree were 25-30 ft up....helping me keep my scent undetected and my movement hid when it came time for the shot.

4. I never hunted the same tree or location twice. I always setup and tore down my Lone Wolf Alpha hangon and LW sticks the same day.

5. I always watched the wind and only hunted a location when the wind was favorable.

6. I used no lures, urines, cmere deer..or any other attractants

7. I used a buck decoy only one night and because of the decoy...it made a 125" class buck come in and he offered me several shot opportunities while he scoped out the decoy,I would not have had, had the decoy not been there.

8. I discovered that if you have to..you can improvise a location and make it work like I did with my pinoak buck setup where I hung a stand 8 ft up and had a nice buck walk right by and under me. Pics below.















Here he is directly under me...no scent sprays..stand hung an hour before this...wind in my favor



Him walking away still unalarmed after only having the top of his back 4-5 ft from me

9.I discovered you can hunt in their bedroom provided you get in well before light and get your stand hung. Deer bedded and sleeping below me and around me



buck sleeping just 5 yds from the base of my tree..see my arrow in upper left



Another bedded buck

10.I also learned that if I didn't have a self leveling hangon stand like my Lone Wolf...I wouldn't have been successful as I wouldn't have been able to hunt many of the trees I used as they were crooked. Climbers would not work on any tree I hunted out of this year.



No way a climber is going up this tree and if the stand didn't have a self leveling platform...well...it wouldn't work

11. I also discovered that on the only one night I used it, that deer don't seem to see a white blind like they see other blinds as I had shot opportunities with this setup and I never even brushed it in. More field testing obviously on this needs done though.





picture of buck taken from my blind that night

And last thing I learned.....BOWTECH ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Great photos (and season) Don;)

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Cool stuff!

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Why didn't you shoot that buck?[&:]

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

too little

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Not for me.;)

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

I have had a frustating season to say the least! After turning down a few I probly should have taken, only to loose the big 10 up north. Still dont know what went wrong there. I was hoping one of the muzzleloader hunters would have got him just for some closure. BUT after last sat. watching my 13 yr old son shoot his first buck and a dandy at that. I will call the 08 season a success. Don if you could post that pic on your phone of sams buck.

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Nice HCH, real nice. Congrats...

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

My bowkills for the season in order:



NM elk..public land



MO buck


MN buck..public land



MO doe



MO buck

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

OK

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Great season.... nice photos. I like the white ground blind. Pretty cool.

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

You've definitely had a dream season!

Congrats Don.

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

wow, what a season! congrats to you. cool pics as well.
Your best season and my worst. 21 total sits for me. 1 doe spotted! oh ya, 4 squirrell hunters too. I did put in a lot of time with the rifle this year and was very successful there. I'm heading north on the 14th to give it one last shot. The snow is starting to pile up. I hope I can still get around alright. I have snowshoes if ness.
Congrats again! truly a season to remember!

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Congrats on the season Don!

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

more pics. I bought a new Canon SX100 IS Camera this year and have really enjoyed whatbringing a camera in the fieldcan mean to your hunt memories

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

More pics

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

You've had a hell of a season. That's for sure. One that I honestly dream of! Congrats again!

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Awesome post. Congrats on the wonderful season.

I love me some good photography:)

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Great photo review! Congrats on a fine season.

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Heck of a season. Never had one that good. But very happy for you.

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Sounds like one sweet year for you! Congrats

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Thanks everyone; I appreciate the compliments and your friendship.
Don

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Don, fantastic reflections. I think this is one of the more profound threads of yours really appreciating the outdoors as I do. Congrats on one hell of a season.

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Congrats on a season that most dream about! Job well done! Enjoyed the photos also, something that I plan on doing more of next season.
Thanks for posting

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Like I said somewhere else Don...Glad to see you back!! Hopefully we can share a story or 2 face to face some day!!

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Thanks Rob

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Bringing a camera is something I wish I had done from the beginning of my hunting days. My camera has a silent shutter option too and silent start up option.. a real must when taking wildlife photos.

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Thanks...I would like that.

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Great post....really enjoyed it, and congrats on a great season. Now if only those banks would free up some loan money for the taxidermy bill.:D

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

I am doing all euro mounts. I really like them and Imade my mind up before season that I am doing the euros...doing them myself too. I just really like them..

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Congrats Don,rumor has it you'vekilled more deer than insects this year.[8D]

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Dave...it was a bad cricket year this season...I killed 5..just pulling away from the total deer kill.[8D]

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Excellent season HCH...congrats man, looks like you had a blast.

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

This is a great thread. Congrats on the great season again!

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Hardcorehunter you certainly seem to be the master of blind concealment

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

I don't know about that..but the job on this ASAT sure looks good. There was a natural deadfall area here and I slipped my blind into it. I saw a lot of deer out of this the one day I set in it Iand didn't bring my camera. It was set up in a finger of timber that was surrounded by cornfields. Now that I am done buck hunting... I am going to spend the rest of my season hunting does from the ground. It will be comfy, warm, and I want to learn as much as I can about being a successful whitetail hunter in these ground blinds. The only way to get good at it is do it.

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Great post and awesome pictures. All I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!!!!

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Thats because he only goes to work every 4 months!

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

thanks for posting...I love this type of post

RE: Reflection of the Season
 

Great post awesome pics. This thread has made me plan to get a new camera that has the silent options you have so I can take it with me next season. The camera I have is old and make that shutter noise when you take a pic that's why I've never taken it with me hunting.