How did you Grow this year??
 

With the end of the year comming quickly, How did you grow as a hunter/bow hunter?

I have to give props to Rob for helping me with my "Killing small deer" problem. He helped me to realize the difference and saved a Button Buck's life this year. I accully PMed him 30 seconds after it happened thats how excited I was about it.

I also grew through the way that I no longer look at poaching as the norm. Thanks to everyone on here for that one.

I also now use Technology to aide me in my hunting endevors, things like topo maps, trail cams, anything I can use to help me I do use.

I also realized that its not so much about the kill. Ive hunted a TON this season, the most ever accully, and I diddnt have to kill something to have a blast and most of the time I was more excited for my friends when they killed deer.

So, How have you grown as a Hunter?

Ryan

RE: How did you Grow this year??
 

I lost 40 lbs that I did not need to carry around with me this season. Thus improving my physical and mental fitness.

I increased my respect for the outdoors in that the hunt does not have to include the kill to be successful. Although I have had some rough moments this season, I've had some great interaction with the wildlife and witnessed some awesome sunsets/sunrises.

RE: How did you Grow this year??
 

I reinforced the theroy that you can't kill them off the couch. Have to work on that next year if I want to get a deer on the ground.

RE: How did you Grow this year??
 

I will offset AF's acheivement and say I gained 40lbs since March. [8D]

And my freezer gained about 140lbs of venison. Good growth.

RE: How did you Grow this year??
 

Got closer to my wife with this yr being her first yr bow hunting . And learned its not easy hunting with 2 people in tree. But we saw a lot of deer together.

RE: How did you Grow this year??
 

I toughed it out and myself sit for more all day hunts than I ever have during the rut. I learned that a good book and a few snacks go a long way towards being comfortable all day.

I grew even more as a "mature buck" hunter. I passed on deer this year that would have never gotten a pass from me in previous years. I let a few 125"-135" deer walk and even let a 145"+ walk because he looked young. I am confident that this will only lead to bigger smiles in the future, although it hasn't done a lot to help my team this year.:(

I also grew in my ability to not "force" a shot. I have been bowhunting now for over 20 yrs. and I have gotten away with shots in the past that I probably shouldn't have. I don't know what happened this year, but something clicked. I became more comfortable with say to myself "If it doesn't feel 100%, don't release the arrow." By doing this I accomplished two things, cutting down on my chances of wounding a deer and learning a lot more by simply watching deer.

Over all this has been one of the best years I can remember in the field. I have until Jan. 15th. to put a buck on the ground and I will continue to hunt as hard as I can to do that. If it doesn't happen I will still consider this a successful year because of what I have learned and because the good Lord allowed me the time and the health to be out there doing what I love to do.

RE: How did you Grow this year??
 

I learned I wasn't as good as I thought I was..

RE: How did you Grow this year??
 

Although I did not down an animal in our early archery season, it's not because of not having chances. I set very high goals at the beginning of our season and was very commited to only taking a select couple of bucks that we caught on game cams. As the seasonwent on it was hard not to take a younger buck, but I was proud my standards never changed. I also had the pleasure of helping Rob / PA with his fine PA buck and building and strengthening a life longfriendship.

Hereare a couple of pictures of my target bucks from this year. The first one was killed on opening day of our rifle season about 1/4 mile from our property. The second one however is still running and Ihopefully have a plannedmeeting with him in our late archery season after Christmas.Enjoy the pic's.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

RE: How did you Grow this year??
 

I too started the early season with an incredible amount of confidence , that coincidently ended probobly burning me a bit. Overall just a new respect for my (friend) - my- (advisary) the elusive whitetail

All i can fiigure is next year as long as i can stay calm and focused on stand , with the amount i learned this year it should be lethal

RE: How did you Grow this year??
 

i started bowhunting this year. i only saw one doe(during bow season), but i couldn't have pulled off the shot if i wanted to. i also learned how to shoot better, and that i have more patience than i thought i have. i learned why a harness is important (fell from 10 feet last wednesday in the process of climbing up to 30 feet). i learned that most everyone else has better luck than i do (even during rifle season). and unfortunately i learned that too many people are willing to do the wrong thing to harvest deer.

RE: How did you Grow this year??
 

I only grew in the mid section:eek::eek:...well last year I shot no deer and this year I shot a buck and a doe.I think I'm starting to understand deer behavior more.

RE: How did you Grow this year??
 

I grew more as a dad than as a hunter this year just last week my daughter turned one and I didn't get to spend the time I wanted to in the woods this year but for the first time I felt like there was something more important.

RE: How did you Grow this year??
 

Good stuff Mike!

RE: How did you Grow this year??
 

As for myself, I grew frustrated this year buck hunting. I don't usually get this frustrated but this year everything I hunted (bear and whitetails) was tough hunting. I'm ok with that though, that's bow hunting for ya.;)

RE: How did you Grow this year??
 

First bowkill. 'Nuff said:)

RE: How did you Grow this year??
 

hmmm....

found out that i CAN sit DARK to DARK and its not all that bad...even if you dont see a single deer all day [:'(] but i did it...a couple times. if i didnt, i snuck out, grabbed something to eat and was back in the tree(usually elsewhere) within an hour or so and sat till 12 or 1 instead of 9 or 10am before leaving. the desk job i had this summer made it all possible IMO.

got off my "honey hole hill" the last couple hunts and seen bucks in new spots on a whimm. i never had confidence doing it before, but without acorns, and with corn surrounding my hill when it never did before, i HAD to do something. gave me the confidence boost i needed for the future..i know of many areas i THINK will produce deer, just never bothered because i didnt have confidence in it and knew the "honey hole hill" is usually good...

also, i got a good bit of motivation to beat on doors and try to find new spots this season...my area of the township was sad this season...VERY few legal bucks to be found...between spotting, farming, people driving around, scouting, etc etc, there just werent many legal bucks at all. i talked to ALOT of different bowhunters this year, and the ones that seen nice bucks, or much deer movement at all, had pretty exclusive private property...my buddy got 2 new properties he never even scouted and seen GOOD bucks on both properties the first time hunting them...just walked through the woods till he found trails and rubs...just had the right property that wasnt crawling with small game and fall turkey hunters etc....

learned a good bit this season....was a good season and looking forward to next...lack of acorns killed my deer hunting for the most part...