has anyone ever had an bad year
 

I have been hunting for 2 years now. I got myself an button buck last fall. I have had many deer around me mostly all does. I have had an few shots but i didnt take any shots I wanted an buck. I just wonder how do you get the bucks by the stand?

RE: has anyone ever had an bad year
 

Spend as much time as you can in the woods and learn deer movements and habits. Deer will change their habits in as little as two or three days. Try to understand why they are moving like you are seeing them move. Is it food, pressure, water, or bedding area location why they are going someplace? These questions often lead to new discoveries of areas that you didn't know they are using. These areas may only be hot for a few days or a week during specific times of the pre-rut or rut. Are you seeing the does in an area during the rut(usually gun season) or another time? Are they feeding or are they passing through? Before and after rut, the does usually have their areas and the bucks theirs. I have seen nothing but does/fawns up until the pre-rut starts and then all of a sudden the bucks move into the area.

I try to stay back from travel routes to see as much ground as I can at times, just trying to find out the whole picture. It makes it real sweet when all your hard work and scouting goes just like you predicted. But it is hunting and you have to have luck, you have to be in the right place at the right time.

RE: has anyone ever had an bad year
 

I wrote an article for an online hunting magazine called Bantahunting.com . The article is titled "Season from Hell" and it was about my 2000 season. Give it a read if you want.
Huntinbull

Live Hard, Die Well