crossbuck

Well, today marked the last day of deer season in Ohio (didnt go because of school and sports)...This was my first season of deer hunting and i absolutely loved it (although i didnt get anything the thrill of seeing a couple was enough to hook me)

Now i find myself thinking "wow,about 8 or nine months until i can start hunting deer again"

So my question is this...how do you veteran hunters deal with this delema? and if there is any other Northeastern hunters reading this, is there any other game thats exciting to hunt with a bow in the offseason?

Hotburn76

Well I hunt in NW ohio and by the time today came my wife has probally had enough! But I just take a break and wait for the walleye run to start in the maumee river and that will hold me over until about late april then its varmit time! after that its now late June and July and its time to start scouting and waiting for the deer! But yes today was a sad day!

crossbuck

by varmit are you refering to groundhogs? cause we have a ton of those on our farm...if you are do you hunt them with your bow?

also, would cats be considered "varmits"? we have to many around our property...shot at one yesterday and missed

BuddyBo

Well Crossbuck, congrats on your first year deer hunting. I know the felling of getting hooked on your first year. I remember, a very long time ago, an old friend took me on my first deer hunt and put me in his son's tree stand and told me to stay there until he came and got me at 11:00 AM. I borrowed another friend's 30/06 auto rifle and waited but saw nothing but 6 cows near a fence around 9:00 AM. When my friend came and got me at 11, and asked if I'd seen anything, I replied only 6 old brown and gray cows. He said, man, there're not any cows in these woods. Those were deer you dummy. WOW. I was so hooked! Haven't missed a year since and that was 41 years ago. LOL. Any body else remember their first deer hunt? Tell us about it. I'd like to hear em.
And crossbuck, us dummy verterans get very sad when deer season ends and we try to passify our lust of it by hunting other stuff and fish. Writing hunting logs during the winter months and using our trail cameras help as well. You'll develop your own thing in time so hang in there and good luck next year.
BuddyBo

Spiffy

I never stop thinking about deer and deer hunting. In the winter I like to feed the deer and look around for sign. And I have a game camera that I play around with when it is warm enough not to kill batteries. I am also working on the mount of my 5 point horns and my bearskull mount.

Spring for me is the worst time of year. There isn't enough ice to fish, nothing really to hunt, and the fields are to muddy to drive across. I ussually just wait it out.

Summer I start feeding deer apples and putting out salt. I plan to do this more now that I have a game camera. I walk the bush when it is cooler.

September 1st bear season opens and I plan to take advnatage of that now that I am hooked. I also scout for deer.

October I bow hunt, November Gun/bow hunt, Dec bow hunt deer.

It seems it is always back before ya know it.



[/align]

Alex The Hawk

We does hunt pigs all year in Florida and coons no season on them critters or rabbits and yotes and armadillos and nutria and two legged varmints.

moxie1884

It easy! I have no off season. I hunt with my crossbow during archery season, rifle during the regular huntiing season, and again with my crossbow during the shotgun and muzzleloader season. That long season is accomplished by hunting with a camera, or cameras, or cameras, and game cameras. It's still hunting and called catch and release. You catch them on film and let them go. It's also a great time to let your game cameras do some work for you. I also use the off season to prepare an area for a new stand and then spend time in it watching the action. I have one stand I leave set up and practice out of. It can be interesting to watch what happens when you have decoy's.

Big Guy01

My Crossbow is de-strung and hanging on the wall. It will stay there until next fall when I will restring it then fire a few test shots and I am good to go. Thats what I love about a crossbow You can pick it up 8 months later and be right on the money. No practicing required. Now I just need to enjoy all the sausages and roasts from my deer this fall.

BuddyBo

Why de-string a crossbow? Don't you need special vises to do that? I ain't got one.

early in

I have only de-strung my crossbow once in four years and that was to replace the string! Leaving it strung doesn't hurt it, just don't leave it cocked all the time. My cb shoots as good as ever leaving it strung.