Mistakes I've made along the way
12-11-2008, 04:24 PM
#41
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,102
RE: Mistakes I've made along the way
I have been avoiding this thread because it is to painful!
I have either made most of these mistakes or have thought I have which is some times worse.I have a tendency because our lower deer densities and small percentage of mature bucks to be so freakin paranoid that I am not as aggressive as I should be,for fear that if I bump a big sucker I will not see him again for the remainder of the season.Finding that balance has not been the easiest thing for me.
I have never forgot my bow,I did oncewalk back to the truck to get my release that was in my pocket the whole time.Not a stellar moment!
I have either made most of these mistakes or have thought I have which is some times worse.I have a tendency because our lower deer densities and small percentage of mature bucks to be so freakin paranoid that I am not as aggressive as I should be,for fear that if I bump a big sucker I will not see him again for the remainder of the season.Finding that balance has not been the easiest thing for me.I have never forgot my bow,I did oncewalk back to the truck to get my release that was in my pocket the whole time.Not a stellar moment!
12-11-2008, 05:02 PM
#43
Site Buck Guru
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Racine, Wisconsin
Posts: 5,922
RE: Mistakes I've made along the way
ORIGINAL: NY Bowhunter
Dont' accidentally crap on your grunt call. Trust me that's one of the biggest mistakes you can make.
Dont' accidentally crap on your grunt call. Trust me that's one of the biggest mistakes you can make.
[:-][&o][
] [:'(] That is Gospel!!
12-11-2008, 05:29 PM
#44
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: May 2006
Location: IA/WI/IL
Posts: 1,482
RE: Mistakes I've made along the way
One of the biggest mistakes I have made is not being prepared. I try to visualize the two or three most difficult ways a buck could possibly come in to my set up and how I would try to get off a shot. Before I started doing this it cost me a big buck as I didnt think to turn around in the stand to shoot around the tree before it was too late. This year, the buck I shot took one of those 'difficult' routes, and the results were different.
12-11-2008, 05:35 PM
#45
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Blossvale, New York
Posts: 21,199
RE: Mistakes I've made along the way
I don't see them as mistakes I've made. I see them as lessons I learned the hard way.[8D] "We've all been there done that kind of things. The secret is to learn.
12-11-2008, 06:46 PM
#46
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: West Ky.
Posts: 1,161
RE: Mistakes I've made along the way
ORIGINAL: GregH
Well, how about sound?
I was blind calling one day with my grunt call when it was 12 degrees out. After my first session I waited 15 minutes before I was going to try again. When I tried, my call was froze up. I started to slowly breath warm air into the call to thaw it out when it broke loose and let out a loud awful squawk! A big buck came charging across the creek so .... I shot him. I have never scared off a deer with a call, except the time I rattled at a 90" buck with a set of 150" antlers!
Try banging an aluminum arrow on your stand or have your stand give off a metallic creek!
Deer don't seem to be too concerned about hearing natural sounds, like sticks breaking and such but foreign, metallic noises will definitely get their attention.
Don't be afraid to use your calls.
Well, how about sound?
I was blind calling one day with my grunt call when it was 12 degrees out. After my first session I waited 15 minutes before I was going to try again. When I tried, my call was froze up. I started to slowly breath warm air into the call to thaw it out when it broke loose and let out a loud awful squawk! A big buck came charging across the creek so .... I shot him. I have never scared off a deer with a call, except the time I rattled at a 90" buck with a set of 150" antlers!
Try banging an aluminum arrow on your stand or have your stand give off a metallic creek!
Deer don't seem to be too concerned about hearing natural sounds, like sticks breaking and such but foreign, metallic noises will definitely get their attention.
Don't be afraid to use your calls.
I've heardyou speek of blind calling Greg. I have had good luck doing it but how many buck'swinded me that I never seen?
12-11-2008, 07:02 PM
#47
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: West Ky.
Posts: 1,161
RE: Mistakes I've made along the way
ORIGINAL: tsoc
I have been avoiding this thread because it is to painful!I have either made most of these mistakes or have thought I have which is some times worse.I have a tendency because our lower deer densities and small percentage of mature bucks to be so freakin paranoid that I am not as aggressive as I should be,for fear that if I bump a big sucker I will not see him again for the remainder of the season.Finding that balance has not been the easiest thing for me.
I have never forgot my bow,I did oncewalk back to the truck to get my release that was in my pocket the whole time.Not a stellar moment!
I have been avoiding this thread because it is to painful!
I have either made most of these mistakes or have thought I have which is some times worse.I have a tendency because our lower deer densities and small percentage of mature bucks to be so freakin paranoid that I am not as aggressive as I should be,for fear that if I bump a big sucker I will not see him again for the remainder of the season.Finding that balance has not been the easiest thing for me.I have never forgot my bow,I did oncewalk back to the truck to get my release that was in my pocket the whole time.Not a stellar moment!
You have to know when to hold'em and knowwhen to fold'em.
Some of best hunters in the world are losseive aggressive.
12-11-2008, 07:22 PM
#48
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Indiana PA USA
Posts: 3,656
RE: Mistakes I've made along the way
One of my biggest mistakes was setting up to close to to the sign I was hunting. Setting up just a few yards off of a scrape and when a buck would come in, I was pegged down. This season it was a bunch of crab apple trees that the deer were really hammering. I set-up right on the edge of them and the woods around were pretty thick, the deer would be on me before I could get ready.
Keeping an eye on where my shadow is hitting the ground, actually scared a nice buck off a few years ago when he saw my shadow moving on the ground.
Picking stands that afford the most viewing area and most shooting lanes (also happens to mean that the deer don't have to pass by in shooting range)
Spray scent killer on your tow rope after handling it, no sense in having a 30' human scent wick
Don't be affraid to go against the grain with stand sites. My one stand site this year wasn't between a feeding area or a bedding area, it was an area that the deer really had no reason to be in, yet their was sign and I saw alot of deer including three really nice bucks from that stand.
ALWAYS PUT YOUR CELL PHONE ON VIBRATE
Keeping an eye on where my shadow is hitting the ground, actually scared a nice buck off a few years ago when he saw my shadow moving on the ground.
Picking stands that afford the most viewing area and most shooting lanes (also happens to mean that the deer don't have to pass by in shooting range)
Spray scent killer on your tow rope after handling it, no sense in having a 30' human scent wick
Don't be affraid to go against the grain with stand sites. My one stand site this year wasn't between a feeding area or a bedding area, it was an area that the deer really had no reason to be in, yet their was sign and I saw alot of deer including three really nice bucks from that stand.
ALWAYS PUT YOUR CELL PHONE ON VIBRATE
12-11-2008, 07:36 PM
#49
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: West Ky.
Posts: 1,161
RE: Mistakes I've made along the way
YES, always put the cell on vibrate. That is a given.
Ialways spraymy tow ropedown, but never thought of it as a human scent wick, thats avery good one.
If my back ground cover is right, my shadow should not be an issue. But one of the things I focus on.Thats a good one.
Keep them coming.
Ialways spraymy tow ropedown, but never thought of it as a human scent wick, thats avery good one.
If my back ground cover is right, my shadow should not be an issue. But one of the things I focus on.
Thats a good one.Keep them coming.
12-11-2008, 08:16 PM
#50
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,200
RE: Mistakes I've made along the way
One November morning 3 years ago, I was set up in an awesome funnel. I had seen a 140 inch 8 pointer 2 afternoons ago, and then got a shot at him (and missed) the day before. Right at dawn I saw a doe come through and I shot her. As I was sitting there (and not another arrow knocked), here came a total brute 150 inch 10 pointer 10 yards in front of me.
1. Don't shoot a doe right at dawn in November.
By the time I got an arrow knocked the buck was out of range.
I ended up seeing several more bucks that morning, while I stayed on the stand. I could see my doe and was not worried about having another tracking job. I had 3 1.5 yr olds walk through and another 125 10 pointer that I couldn't get a shot at.
After some time I figured I would get down and go get the doe taken care of. I lowered my bow to the ground FIRST and then packed up my stuff. As I looked up I could see the same 8 from the past 2 days coming right at me. I finally got my bow raised, an arrow knocked, and then drawn when he was at the long distance of 5 yards and he busted...no shot. I am still have nightmares of this hunt to this day.
2. NEVER lower your bow until the second you are ready to climb out of your stand.
This rule helped me out last year as I was able to get a shot off at a buck. I had already had my backpack on my back when the guy walked out into the field. This time my bow was ready and well yeah it didn't work out again then.....but one of these days I'm going to put one of these Illinois studsdown.
I have been hunting for 10 years now, and the last 3 or 4 have been when I started getting serious. I have made a lot of mistakes, and learned from them, and then still made them somewhere down the road. Some things I really need to work on are hunting the wind and stand locations. I have become "used" to how the deer move through our farm. I need to just look at it from a whole and figure out how they are really using every piece of the property.
1. Don't shoot a doe right at dawn in November.
By the time I got an arrow knocked the buck was out of range.
I ended up seeing several more bucks that morning, while I stayed on the stand. I could see my doe and was not worried about having another tracking job. I had 3 1.5 yr olds walk through and another 125 10 pointer that I couldn't get a shot at.
After some time I figured I would get down and go get the doe taken care of. I lowered my bow to the ground FIRST and then packed up my stuff. As I looked up I could see the same 8 from the past 2 days coming right at me. I finally got my bow raised, an arrow knocked, and then drawn when he was at the long distance of 5 yards and he busted...no shot. I am still have nightmares of this hunt to this day.
2. NEVER lower your bow until the second you are ready to climb out of your stand.
This rule helped me out last year as I was able to get a shot off at a buck. I had already had my backpack on my back when the guy walked out into the field. This time my bow was ready and well yeah it didn't work out again then.....but one of these days I'm going to put one of these Illinois studsdown.
I have been hunting for 10 years now, and the last 3 or 4 have been when I started getting serious. I have made a lot of mistakes, and learned from them, and then still made them somewhere down the road. Some things I really need to work on are hunting the wind and stand locations. I have become "used" to how the deer move through our farm. I need to just look at it from a whole and figure out how they are really using every piece of the property.