salukipv1

Yup. 3 hunts, 0 animals.

Saw 1 tiny buck this year, that's it for bucks.

Another year of this and I may retire for quite a few years...

whitetaildreamer

Last year was like that for me. I arrowed a buck 3 days into bow season (2 days before the Sept. long weekend. I thought it was going to be a great season. Did not even see a deer during ML and rifle even though I logged even more days that in previous years. On a possitive note for you, this year arrowed a buck early like last year (I was truly praying it would not happen again this year). Did not even see a deer during ML season (started to get worried). Nothing first week of rifle (didn't even see a deer). Then out of the same stand shot a big doe then 5 days later called in and shot a nice little buck out of the same tree. As some one posted earlier, "I guess that's hunting". The biggest question that was running through my mind inbetween seasons was, What was I doing wrong for I've been deer hunting now 35 years?" Even through ML season the same questions kept racing through my mind. Even though I had scouted the area and was sure that my stand placements were right I wasn't seeing anything. Then bang bang .....3 in the freezer. I've shot a number of quality bucks over the years but have always been a meat in the freezer first kind of hunter for venison is my families first choice of red meat. I suppose that is where some of your frustration lies. I know I felt it last year. There has also been a couple of years where I let some real quality racks walk (that I'm sure that some would have mounted) just because I had harvested one both in archery and ML and decided to wait for that deer of a lifetime during rifle and ended up shooting a much smaller buck on the last day. Hopefully you will be rewarded with a very successful season next year. I'll pass a good word for you to the big guy upstaris, hey it worked for me. For all those non hunters that think this activity is so easy. Try staying in a stand from before daybreak till after sunset and not seeing a deer. I'm sure you'll get one next year. All my best and still hope you have some plesent memories from getting into the wilderness this season. That's a harvest I don't think can be measured.

WNYhunter

Now I can say that I am having a good season, 8 pt with the bow and shotgun. I am not seeing many deer at all but here is a run down of my sons first season deerhunting. I keep telling him, you are giviing me great stories and i don't need to drag anything.LOL

Misses
#1 doe 5 yrds hit a tree..bow
#2 doe 10 yrds over the back..bow
#3 buck 25 yrds under ....bow
#4 doe gun opening day am
#5 doe gun opening day am
#6 doe gun opening day pm
#7 & 8 Doe an fawn thanksgiving day am 5 shots 20 yrds lol
#9 Buck thanksgiving day am, came in right after the doe and fawn 30 yrds
#10 doe thanksgiving day am at 11am, we were packing it up for the morning.
#11 finally shot a doe at 8am
#12 2 shots at a coyote and 1 shot at a doe. miss, miss, miss

Horacio

I've been hunting 20 years and it seems like every season has had its share of head scratching events but I suppose this season ranks up there.

I set up a new stand on my family's ranch, meant to put it out of the way in a place no one else hunts and when I hunt, I want to be left alone with the game and my thoughts. Unfortunately, my dad doesn't recognize this point of view as being valid and has doen his best to interfere with my hunting this season.

The brush on the ranch is very thick and the terrain rather rocky. Over the years, my dad has had himself and his ranch hands clear alot of the cedar out with a dozer but they generally do a pretty awful job, just kind of indiscriminate and random leaving piles all over the place. Occasionally when its rainy, they'll burn them.

Two weeks ago, they did so including the one between my feeder and blind. The still smoldering pile didn't seem to attract deer...go figure. The following week, someone decided some more brush needed to be cleared and began doing so....right next to my stand. Several of the main trails leading the deer in are no longer there. I even caught the dozer on my game camera.

So, I called my dad and explained to him that I was unhappy with the timing of his landscaping projects and that didn't go over so well....He had to inspect first hand....while I was hunting. He saw my truck and called me and at least I convinced him to stay away...sorta, he still drove by the feeder on the backside and ran off all the deer that may or may not have been there eavesdropping our phone conversation where again, I had to raise my voice in a vain attempt to get my point across.

So....he decided that later, he needed to call me again and see if I was seeing any deer. To cap the evening off, he rolled by my blind again in his big diesel pickup and spooked the 4 pt I was watching.

Hoping things inprove. I have some nice deer on the game camera from before the dozer came through. Anxious to see if they are still coming there.

Western MA Hunter

I haven't seen a deer in Massachusetts since opening day... Mid October...
ugh...
been hunting alot too.

Maryland_Whitetail

Two seasons ago was bad on private land, got kicked off, had to hunt public, seen too many deer to count. Seems a bit backwards to me.

HuntingKS

I've had a rough and odd season as well. It started in September with the youth hunt I took my son on. The first day, we see a dozen deer - all does. He wants to wait for something better. The next day we see 10 different does, and he finally decides to shoot. He misses a fairly easy 120 yard shot (rifle hunt). The last day, after seeing dozens of does the previous 2 days and determining that we'd shoot anything, we see nothing. Not a single deer.

So, next hunt, we go out for an early season hunt in October. Only see one doe escaping at about dusk. Now, I've been out 3 days during the rifle season and haven't seen a thing. Just turkeys. I could have shot dozens of them by now. It's frustrating because I'm in a good area with plenty of sign, but the weather hasn't been cooperating. On the days I've been out, it's been very high wind, 25 miles an hour, with a full moon. They've only been coming out at night it seems. Hopefully, I wont' get skunked.

jrbsr

A step broke I fell and got sore all over, and my sholder still hurts.
I think I tore the rotater cuff.
I then kicked a small stump, broke my big toe on my right foot.
Then I pulled a mossle in my back.
I am going to Dr tomorrow for stress test.
And thursday I get a physical.
At least yall have got in the woods.
I haben't even stepped in the woods this season.
Season is over Jan 1st.

So I gotta laugh, better than crying lol.
It's gotta get better.

rustynobles

guys i appreciate the levity. at least i'm not alone in the misfortune department. hopefully i'll bag a turkey this year. because a decent buck seems out of the question.

FLBandit

I've been out since Bow season and haven't even got a shot. Two weeks ago I encountered a guy with his kids walking through the woods beating on trees and screaming! I also found out my car is to low to navigate some of the roads where I hunt! Today I finally saw a hog, but he was in such dense cover I couldn't get a shot. I tried to head him off, but he was alot better at running through palmettos than I was.