WV Hunter

The season is upon some of us already, and for the rest of us it is rapidly approaching.

We have a very diverse group of bowhunters that frequent this board.
...Some are newbies and this will be their rookie season.
...Some have hunted a few years, but have yet to connect, for one reason or another.
...Some have slid past the rookie stage and have a few kills under their belts.
...And some have numerous kills, and spend all year thinking, planning, scouting, practicing, etc....getting ready for bowseason...a self proclaimed " addiction" . The season never really ends.

Obviously, the folks that fall into the different catagories, will have different goals and expectations for this season.
...Some folks want to make their first kill.
...Some want a record book deer.
...Some live in low deer density areas, and just making a bowkill is great. That is their goal.
...Others live in areas with lots of deer, and they regularly pass up what many of us would consider a trophy...in hopes of taking an animal that probably doesn' t even exist in many other areas of the country.
...Some may not even have any goals, or ever even thought about it.
...The list could go on and on.

I believe goals are very valuable, not only for hunting but in all aspects of life.

My goals for this bow season are:

I hope to take a few does...and I will try and harvest my first mature buck with a bow. I decided 7 years ago, that I wasn' t shooting anymore bucks unless they were mature. I' ve been shooting plenty of does, and passing immature bucks for the last 6 seasons. It has been fun, and a great learning experience. I just haven' t put it all together yet. This year, I' ve changed my thinking a bit. Primarily due to the fact that I haven' t connected in that timeframe. I' ve always believed that if it ain' t working...I must be doing something wrong. And if I don' t change anything...nothing' s ever gonna change. Anyhow, with my new gameplan, and advice from some great folks here...I' m hoping to make it happen this year. If nothing else, it will be a great learning experience for me...and I' ll be one step closer to my goal. [:-]

What are your goals for the season?

Good luck to everyone this season, and above all else....be safe!

Ken/WV

Well I' ve had an action filled past three or four years of bowhunting. I' ve taken plenty of does, missed a nice buck, and had some rotten luck with other decent bucks....like losing my last arrow a half an hour before a nice 6 pt decided to take a stroll underneath my stand.

So with all the success, heartbreak, and great times...I' m looking forward to another great year full of memories. Me and a couple of my buddies have a great year every year, and this is my favorite time of the year. I can' t wait until October 18, 2003. The season begins, and the memories from past hunts will flood my mind when I take that long walk to the stand. I can' t wait to see what the season holds for me...hopefully that nice buck will take another trip my way like he did two years ago.

My goal is a mature whitetail buck for this season. Doesn' t have to be the king of the West Virginia mountain, but a nice 4 1/2 year old whitetail buck would satisfy me just fine.

And hopefully this year, when someone decides to spotlight a 21pt. buck less then 1/4 of a mile from my house, the proper athorities get their guys instead of letting them slip through their fingers like last year.

Martin Cougar

My wife is starting bowhunting. She only made it out twice last year and didn' t see anything.

One of my goals is that however many days she can make it - that she has fun. And fun for her would be to see some deer - have them close - and then maybe even get a shot and make her first kill.

If she has fun, I' m sure she' ll be interested in the future and the more she goes, the better her chances are of actually getting her first.

wolfen68

First off...great post! I think goals are important as well and really help one to maintain focus while hunting. I' m blessed and fortunate enough to be able to hunt a decent herd of deer. I plan to harvest the first mature doe within range. I also plan on holding out for 140ish or better prior to the end of November and then I will ease that back to 125 or better until the end of the season.

Mantis Mayer

Awesome Post! [8D]


My goal for this year is to harvest 2 mature doe and a buck in the 120' s (or higher of course.)

Most importantly like every year, my goal is to have a fun filled memory building and safe experience with friends and family.

Phil J.

1. Take the kids with me out on some evening hunts
2. Put one friend on a buck so he can get a shot at one, put another in front of any deer so he can get a shot
3. Two bucks and at least one doe, of which one buck is taken during bow
4. No more spikes or forkhorns, only sixes or better
5. As always, enjoy every minute out in the woods

I' ve been setting goals like this the last few seasons and I think it helps, I set them high that way I have to work for them, if I set them low then I only have myself to blame.


Hey, can someone help me out here. I' ve tried to add a signature and where I' m from in my settings and it never comes up in my posts..........what' s the deal??

titleist_03

I' ve bow hunter for e years. This will be my fourth. Connected on my first last year. A 105 lbs. doe. I' m hopeing to see some good deer this season. I know of a couple bruiser that frequent a new spot I' m hunting this year. So my goal is to pattern them out and hopefully give myself a good chance at harvesting one of them. But to have a successful year this year, I don' t have to harvest them. I would be exstatic to see them a few times. But putting one on the wall would be awesome!

portable ladder

1) to get out and hunt as much as possible
2) harvest a healthy doe for the freezer
3)enjoy myself and relax in nature
4) try to get a trophy for the wall

W. Dale

* Enjoy the atmosphere
* Tag out on does.......I usually let does walk hoping a buck is following..My luck
has been I missed taking a shot at the does and never even see a buck....I plan
to use my doe tags as soon as possible as well as the buck tags...In other words
I' m not going to be so selective...I' ll try to hold off on the small 4 pointers and
restrict myself to 6 pointers and larger.....
* Hunt legally,safley and respectfully...

Two Beards

My goal each year is to harvest a mature buck.
I have been fortunate the past few seasons,
but I have also eaten my share of " tag soup" .
For me, nothing comes close to bowhunting
in November during the rut. After all the hard
work over the last year....it always seems to
come down to one opportunity...one shot. I
wouldn' t have it any other way.

For the first time, this year I have a couple
doe tags that I' m looking forward to filling.
IDNR is trying to cut deer numbers, so I plan
on doing my part.