This season has been really frustrating and I need to vent... I don't own a place. I only hunt a local public area that you have to buy zones for a Thursday - friday hunt and they're first come first serve and you can only have one at a time. In years past you could have two at a time. This drastically cut down on the number of hunts this year. I've never seen a trophy buck out there but usually shoot plenty of does to fill the freezer (my main goal). But this year... I've only seen two does there. One was opening weekend and she saw me WAY before I saw her (that was a lesson in ground blind construction) the next one I missed with my recurve because my limb smacked a branch during the shot. I Thought my luck would change when I got permission to hunt my church buddies 80acres which is down the street from me. I scouted, hunt cams, found a good buck sign and several does. Even saw several out of bow range. Then during gun season he let several other people come out and they shot a total of 6 deer. All small bucks and my nice 8pt which was never recovered. Since then I've only picked up two does on camera and the public hunting has ended. I fear my season my pass without any meat... to add insult to injury, my buddy who has MISSED 7 deer this year hunting in the same places I have, borrowed my tree stand (that I haven't used yet) and my crossbow (which I haven't shot anything with yet) and shot a nice sized doe. Arrrrgggghhhh!!!
So you shot a buck and never recovered it or you're calling a wild deer on someone else's property your's?
If there are so few deer in the area your hunting maybe not killing a deer this season is your best option?
good things come to those who wait (and may I add, to those that don't give up) I've experienced (as we all have and do) frustration, but the key is don't give up, keep doing the right thing, and again, it will come together...be patient and hang in there as I was told many many years ago..this is why it's called "Deer Hunting" and not "Deer Killing" many times then not we are the bug and they are the windshield lol
Sorry, I did make that sound as if I felt it was "my deer". I don't consider any animal "mine". Except my dog. What I meant was it was frustrating because I spent considerable time patterning him with scouting and trail cams only to have another person come in and just randomly (his words) sit at just the right spot and shoot the buck. It's his first year hunting and he said when he shot his scope was so zoomed in he couldn't tell where he was aiming. But we trailed the buck for two days and never found him. Even got a pilot up to look. Normally I would agree with not hunting because the population already seems low. But this summer the landowner plans to bulldoze most of it for cattle and build his house on a small remaining wooded area. So they're going to get run out this summer anyway. I'm considering a day lease. It's $100 / day and the guy says he's still got good amounts coming to food plots and feeders. I normally wouldn't do this as I don't really enjoy that type, but we have come to rely on the meat throughout the year. My luck a nice buck will come through, on a canned hunt. Haha. Thanks for the support guys!
Sorry, I did make that sound as if I felt it was "my deer". I don't consider any animal "mine". Except my dog. What I meant was it was frustrating because I spent considerable time patterning him with scouting and trail cams only to have another person come in and just randomly (his words) sit at just the right spot and shoot the buck. It's his first year hunting and he said when he shot his scope was so zoomed in he couldn't tell where he was aiming. But we trailed the buck for two days and never found him. Even got a pilot up to look. <br><br>Normally I would agree with not hunting because the population already seems low. But this summer the landowner plans to bulldoze most of it for cattle and build his house on a small remaining wooded area. So they're going to get run out this summer anyway. <br><br>I'm considering a day lease. It's $100 / day and the guy says he's still got good amounts coming to food plots and feeders. I normally wouldn't do this as I don't really enjoy that type, but we have come to rely on the meat throughout the year. My luck a nice buck will come through, on a canned hunt. Haha. Thanks for the support guys! Oh, season ends Jan 15 but I won't have much opportunity to hunt now. So, I have one more shot on some heavily hunted public land n tx weekend but that's prob it.
Hunting is what you make of it. As well as hunting is what you determine for yourself is hunting. Sometimes you want some venison and you need to do what you have to to acquire it.
Vermont. Leaves a lot to be desired if you want numbers or quality but it still gives me a lot of pleasure getting out there.
I hunt there at least two weeks out of the year. I normally hunt cherokee game management area near tahlequah. Living in missouri now so don't get down there much.
Well I guess I should share the end of the '15 season. I decided to take a trip to a WMA with a buddy as a "hail marry". He duck hunts this area a lot and sees deer often. So we get there and the temps are in the 30's, 20-30mph winds and rain. Not looking good. I scout around and this place is mostly agricultural fields (winter wheat and milo) which have tons of sign around them. I found good sign right near the parking area and I decide to hunt it because of lack of time to scout the rest. The area is all knee high grass and spattering of mesquite trees and rocky outcropping a. I make myself a ground blind in some cedars in hopes of blocking some wind and pray for the best. About an hour in to my evening sit I see a doe making her way through the mesquite. She hung up behind a cedar at about 20 yards and I drew back and let down atleast three times before she finally came out at about 12yds. I watched as my illuminated knock disappeared through both lungs and heard that unmistakable "thud" of a good impact. She ran about twenty yards, stopped, wobbled and fell over. As she did that another doe I didn't know was there stopped out, watched the first fall, then took off. I was still thanking God for my doe when I looked up and the second doe that ran off was back looking for her friend. I had to knock another arrow and move in position to shoot, as I did she started walking directly toward me. From this angle there was zero cover between us, just the cedars behind me. Cabelas outfitter camo works great!!! As she crossed behind a small mesquite I drew back, she got all the way to 6 yds before stopping and looking behind her which gave a shot at the shoulder. I accidently aimed high ( it's stressful at ground level and 6yds!!!) and I hit spine. She dropped right there and I walked out and used my third and final arrow to finish the job. I didn't want to take a head on shot because I was using mechanical BHs that open front to back and I'm not confident they'll work in the situation. But, this is just another example as to how quickly things can turn. Over 100hrs of stand time culminated in about 45 seconds and I now have about 60lbs of venison for the freezer. Not as much as I usually have, but having worked this hard for it I'm more thankful than ever. sorry this isn't a big buck story, but in 27 years of hunting I ve only seen one buck over 120" and he is now hanging on my fireplace. I'm mostly a meat hunter and with the places I have access to hunt I'm thankful to get that. Sorry for the long post....
