How would you rate this deer season?
 

Well the deer season is winding down here in Oklahoma and so far I've been shut out. This year my dad and I along with a couple of other family members took on a new deer lease and it's been a learning experience on patterning the deer on this new piece of property. I've seen alot of deer this year and also had a couple of close encounters with "quality bucks" but just couldn't make it happen. I still feel confident that I'll get another chance before the season ends, but even if I don't I still think that this season was a good season. My dad took the best buck he's ever taken. A beautiful 9 point with 19 1/2 inch inside spread, and I had a great time sharing in the excitement of his accomplishment. I wonder how this season panned out for everybody else? Good, bad, average? I know that many other factors are involved other than just taking a deer. For me this season was still a success even though I haven't taken a deer (yet) just simply because my family got this new property to hunt and it feels good to know that it'll be ours for several years to come. I have enjoyed hunting for sign and patterning the deer and sharing the stories with my dad and family. Also I found this website back in September and have visited almost daily. I have enjoyed the guys/gals and all the input each has given here. I like to hear the stories from around the country about each individuals hunting experiences. I enjoy experiencing the hunters success and failure through their stories and pics. Overall, for myself this season has been a successful season. How about yours?

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

WELL!! This has been a good season .I have been learning a new piece of land as well ,still haven't taken a deer there but should have put meat in the freezer.
On 3 occasion's I had shootable deer in front of me ,1 I chose to let walk another surprised me and was only 10yrds away but I wasn't in good position to take the shot and didn't want a bad hit . The 3rd snuck in behind me but was in thick cover and again didn't take the shot.If I can't make a clean shot then I won't shoot at all I don't want to wound him because then I might not ever see him again . There's no sense shooting because you don't want him to run off and die or vacate injured somewhere else.

nubo

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

JohnDeere: It has been a great year for my son, Joe and myself. Joe bagged a 5pt. and a doe with bow and nailed a button w/shotgun. They pitched a shut out to me, so far. I have had numerous chances but I screwed up twice and let numerous pass so as to mature for the future. We will hunt this afternoon and tomorrow in the snow, about 5" so far with another 6-12" predicted. It's our last two chances because our late NY bow ends Sunday at sundown. Maybe we will have success maybe not. Who really cares when your best buddy and you are out their in the whitetails playgrounds? Thank you God, for everything. Happy Holidays to ALL!

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

I had an Awsome year, best so far. My list is my first elk, My best buck ( A three by two with brow tines w/17.5" outside spread / very nice one for blacktail),a turkey, geese, grouse,quail, and a couple squirrels. I also almost had a chance for my first bear but he was just too fast. And I landed a couple of salmon. Guess thats about it.

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

I didn't see as many deer as last year, but I did see more nice bucks this year. I had 1 chance at my dream buck this year, but I passed on an iffy shot. I was real disappointed in the rut this year. I did see some rubbing and scraping, but very little chasing unfortunately. I've been fortunate enough to get a 10 pt. and a doe, and I have one tag left to fill. So, overall I'd have to say this season has been good.

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

It started slow for me but with the colder weather it has picked up considerably. Turning out to be one of the best years ever for me anyway...

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

So far it's been great, 3 shots, 3 kills. 2 does and 1 nice nine point. However, I've been so busy at work I haven't stepped foot into the woods since November 19. Luckily for me, I still have over 1 1/2 months left to go and the bucks are just starting to move good.

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

OK so far, a buck with the bow, a doe with the shotgun and two weeks of muzzleloader still to come. No complaints.

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

I've had an interesting season.... My archery season was full of bucks, more than I've ever seen before. Of about 12 bucks I would say that 7 were shootable. Unfortunately I shot one tree, three twigs and wounded a doe that I could not recover. I did see the big boy that made me shake my arrow off the rest last year. He's at least a 10 point with tines a foot long. Maybe he'll be there next year when I will be ready. All the deer I saw in archery disappeared during the gun season. I did manage to get a doe though. Now I am anticipating the late season..... I have never gotten a buck yet.......

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

In september and October i wasn't seeing much but now it the later months i have been seeing deer everywhere. So i would say that it is medium

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

I have to say my year has been great so far, I got my first deer with my bow this year, a smaller doe but still a trophy in my book. I have seen alot of deer so far this year, and I have let some smaller bucks go. I have gotten to get out alot this year, alot more than the years past, and my wife has been very understanding. I wasnt overly impressed with the rut this year either, alltho I have seen more bucks this year. I would have to say that all in all, my year has been great.:D

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

This season was about below avgerage for me. Passed up a spike at 5 yards a 4 pt., which was fun to watch work an early scape. and two does. and jumped two other deer not sure what sex. Up north we always see deer in the past. at lest one a day. I saw nothing for a week and my buddy got blown at once. I have tried hard to fullfill my goal of a 6pt. or better. I have got smaller deer in the past, but I still got a tag and a fall turkey bow tag also.

sunday..12-14 will be my last hunt of this year.(Bow) A doe is looking good. a storm will be moving in. hopefully the deer will be out feeding in the afternoon.

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

So far it sounds like everybody has had a decent season. Keep the posts coming!

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

Excelent year , saw more bucks durring bow than I have ever seen . Shot a doe and buck during bow , my good friend got his first in archery this year , and shot a doe in blackpowder and a doe in gun .

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great 10 point & doe during archery & big body 7 point during shot gun best part was just being out there

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The weather was almost always bad on the days I could hunt, but I still had good fortune. My first 4 arrows shot resulted in 2 bucks and two does. I bowhunted during firearms season and saw several which would have been easy kills with a gun. I haven't been out much over the past few weeks, but might get an afternoon or two over the next few weeks.

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

I would define my season like this:

* Mother nature is in complete control. There was some bad weather in Ny this season. I've never had so many unhuntable days. Wind storms came one after the other. If it wasn't windy it was raining during bow.

* I am a bumbling idiot this year and would like to know who the hunter is that possesed my body is and hope he leaves soon.

* I stalked the biggest buck I've seen in my life for 3 hours only to blow it in the last 10 seconds from 30 yards. I still wake up at night screaming.

* I just about got in a fight with a buck who thought I was trying to go after his girlfriend. (she wasn't my type.)

* I passed on 7 different bucks this season. I went through the routine of drawing on them and putting the pin on them. Then just let them walk. Some satisfaction knowing I could've taken them.
I had 3 chances at taking a shooter buck but as stated in point #2 I was a bumbling idiot.
Why is it the ones I let pass I could get to full draw and shoot them if I wanted to and the ones that I wanted to shoot I made a mistake of some kind? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

* I've learned I need to locate those underground tunnels somehow during gunseason.

* I reconfirmed Murphy's Law on several occasions.

* I learned that when you take your bow with you it is a big plus to remember your quiver with all those arrows in them and not leave them back at the lodge.

* I learned that my hunting life is in the hands of the farmer leasing the land. And when he comes in there on opening day of bowseason and cuts 200 acres ofswail, nothing good comes from it.

All in all I loved it and wouldn't trade it for the world!!!:)

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

This year was HORRIBLE!!!

Hunted more days and covered more land then I ever have and saw very few deer.

Last year we had deer all over the place and I was seeing them right up until the end of the seasons. This year the deer were very few and far between.

My brother and 2 out of 3 of my hunting buddies got skunked all year. My brother had taken at least 1 deer for the last 5 years and my buddy hasn't been skunked in 16 years......until now.

I saw about a dozen deer. Hunted well over 40 days and walked I don't even want to guess how many miles. Saw 2 bucks all year. One was a 4 pointer during bow that never got in range and the other was a big 13 pointer that I was very lucky to kill on Thanksgiving day. The rest were does and all but 2 of them were running from other hunters.

Bought a new Patriot this year and a new muzzleloader......also put a scope on my shotgun. Didn't shoot any of them.....killed the big boy with my fathers gun because I took it out to change my luck.

My other brother who lives 2 hours from here had a decent year but around here it just sucked big time.

I took the best buck of my life in the worst season I can remember.

That was 11-27-03.

I did not see one single deer since I killed him.

Last year I saw MANY more deer........and so did all my hunting buddies. I killed 3 last year......this year lucky to get 1.

Man, I hope this is just a fluke and the DEC isn't falsely stating the size of the deer herd around here.........according to them they are almost out of control and they want to open the gun season on Saturday next year to get more hunters out and kill more deer.

I haven't talked to anyone in my area that hasn't had my same experience.

Scarey.

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

Atlas,
I think the DEC in Ny may want to consider doing their deer herd studies while NOT under the influence this year. The herd is wayyyyyyyyyyyy down. Stop the nuisance tags and stop being able to give out, sign over, give as christmas presents, whatever deer tags. This is by far the worse season I have ever seen.

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

NY Bowhunter , you had me laugh'n , sounds like my season last year . The first day pulling my bow up 3 of the 4 arrows in my quiver got caught on a vine a tumbeled down to the ground . It did'nt matter anyway as I did'nt see anything that first day with the one arrow I had , great start for the season .

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

I've had a very weird season. Took me forever to get a doe in bow range. The weather/moon phases/logging all played havoc with my deer sightings, yet I managed to see a boatload of bucks, and passed on the smaller ones that were in range. I eventually took a pretty nice buck with my bow.

Gun season I hunted public land and didn't see a deer. The following saturday back in my normal spot I got a doe pretty early.

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

:D

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

I would say I had a decent season. Not my best, but certainly not my worst.

I had a lot of deer sightings and plenty of deer within shooting range most of the season. I passed up numerous shots at yearling does, button bucks, and small bucks. Even a few mature does early in the season. Had a bunch of good buck sightings by not only myself, but the hunting partners as well. Got close to a few, but no shooting. Had a shot at a decent 2 1/2 year old 8 pt, but missed him. Doh!

Unfortunately the late season is shaping up pretty poorly for me. Hit and lost a doe this past weekend. It was a marginal hit, a little low and back, but right after I shot her it started snowing like crazy and any hopes of a blood trail I had were lost. Looked for 3 hours that night and 5 hours the next day and came up empty handed. :(

Hopefully I get a chance to redeem myself in the next month or so before the season ends.

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

MY BEST EVER! all it takes is like 30 seconds to turn your season around. I shot my biggest buck ever, a nice 9 point and a doe( first time i have killed 2 two with my bow in one season) didn't see that many deer but every year i hunt i learn a little more and this year i learned a lot. hope everyones season went as well as mine did!:D

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

I would have to say that this was the worst season I've seen since I started bowhunting in the late 70's. I too wonder if all the bad windstorms we had in Sep. - Nov. had anything to do with it. One thing though, doe numbers are WAYYYY down. Only saw 8 mature doe (combined) in 6 weeks of archery and three days of rifle hunting. Saw 8 different bucks as well, but no real nice ones. That is pretty poor for me also. A lot of other guys in my area are complaining about a bad year too.

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

I have a couple different ways to look at this situation. First off, any season that I get to spend a substantial amount of time in the woods is a good one for me. I did not get to spend as much time out there as last year because of my little guy but somehow I just don't seem to mind...;)

Second, I agree with Olink.....as for deer numbers in general, in my area they are way down. I saw significantly less deer this year than last year and last year was worse than the year before. Though I did see a few nice bucks the buck sightings have also gone down significantly.

I still have high hopes for the late season though...;)

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

I had a good year. I killed three deer, two does and a button buck. I pasted up several small six pointers, and a small eight. I saw quit a few deer. I really enjoyed this year.

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

I rate it as one of the best I have ever had. I shot an 18 1/2" heavy rack 8 point with my bow. Then I shot a 195 LB bear in the bear season. Then I filled both my doe tags in the rifle season. But more importantly I was able to take alot of time off work and was able to get out into the woods alot. The only problem is the upcoming taxidermy bill!!

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

so-so season so far, shot a doe right away passed up a few small bucks and a
basket rack 7pt early. Later in the season spine shot a nice 6pt [never do that
again] couldnt find him, found him during gun season no good. couple nights ago had a 6 and a nice 8 pt come in, drew on the 8 the 6 blew at me and I
released before set. Missssssed. learned some important lessons so far. I still
have 2 weeks left and I know were the big 8 lives:D

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

Had a GREAT season for both turkey and deer - mostly deer, and more deer, and more deer, and more.......:D

And the season isn't over for another 6 or 7 weeks.:)

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

i give it a 7/10, saw a lot of deer

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

i give my hunting season a 8..... can be better.


go deep hunt hard.;)

RE: How would you rate this deer season?
 

In Maryland there is alot of deer,the season has been excellant..Bob