Missouri closed yesterday , and I have to say it was a great year. I always enjoy learning and this year was no different. Some lessons were learned, some confirmed but I'm thankful for all of them. Best achieved was by far helping my wife take her first deer. After being able to fill tags last season and the freezer. My focus this year was to do all that I could to aid her in season. Not that I didn't last season, but I just had more opportunities last season than her due to getting drawn on a managed hunt. She let me drive this year, we went through her gear stripping what wasn't needed. This helped her go further , longer. We only have access to public land, so we have to be flexible and be willing to go deeper into the woods. She didn't fight me on stand location, last year it was like hanging pictures setting her stand. All married men understand this. Deer never seem to walk within bow range of the "perfect" tree. She kept her phone away and saw more deer this season than all previous. Had a few encounters where see couldn't get it done, a heartbreaking miss but I think all of those helped her in not rushing the shot on the one she did make out on. Things I'll probably do different next year. Be more flexible, sometimes you just can't hunt that stand no matter how much you want to. I'll hang a couple different ones. Slow down, I ended up not even hunting the last 2 weeks of season due to burn out. Late in the year I only kept going to get my wife her first. After that I didn't go back out. I'm not even going to buy a rifle tag next year , instead I'll use that as a break to recharge. Does eat better, smaller ones better yet. Bucks smell awful, like bad bad. Maybe if it huge, or if I haven't tagged anything yet, but I doubt if I'll grab my bow if one walks by. I did pass on a nice one because I just wasn't 100% sure of the shot, don't regret it a bit. I get to do it all over again next year, but this time my boy will be out in the woods with his bow. He shoots regularly and maxed his current bow out at 32#. He doesn't know it yet but he's got a new one coming for his birthday that will go to a suitable hunting weight. So I get to help him, I think I'm genuinely happier helping someone else fill a tag. He's filled rifle tags, but I'm sure he'll find out like us. There's just something about a bow.
Sounds like you had a great season! Good luck next year. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
