What mistakes have you made this season and how do you expect fix/change things for next season? For me I would say that I have over-hunted a couple spots. So for next season I will do my best to restrain myself from hunting a spot too much.
In the early season I also over hunted a few stands. I was after a particular buck and had two encounters with him, but my exit route isn't great there in the evening and after the second encounter I bumped about 20 deer of the wheat field walking out. I never saw him on cam near that location again. Thankfully he stayed on the farm and survived gun season. Lesson learned.
I got a little to excited when I had a few come in, last day of season for me and I had 8 (does and fawns) under the stand... let them all walk until the last one and went to draw but I didn't account for the first one looking back, I didn't take into account the others looking back at me when they had passed and they busted me.. it was a good lesson in how to deal with that many eyes on me but it will be a sore story for some time I suppose
I hunted a couple locations on the wrong wind. I thought I'd be Ok because I expected the deer to be traveling from the west since I have an open soybean field to the east. Each time the deer came from that direction and caught my wind. The never really blew out of there, but they went on alert and never gave me a good shot opportunity. Another miscalculation I made was not having enough hunting areas. I hope to diversify my hunting opportunities before next season.
I missed the peak time of the Rut on my best property. The Rut was earlier here than what was predicted. Middle to late October I seen the most buck activity. Also, not hanging trail cameras high in trees on new property. Two 2012 Covert Red40s were stolen. Looking forward to 2015!
I texted a picture of a buck to the wrong person, who would retext a picture to a bunch of people of a buck they did not shoot?
Hunted a new area and my stand setup left a little to be desired. Plenty of deer activity, especially during the rut. Was successful but visibility from the stand was atrocious and I had only 1 shooting lane which is retrospect limited my opportunities a lot. Great location though for deer just will be more judicious with stand prep.
I do not spend enough time pre-season scouting. I also have a sub-conscious that tells myself that trail cameras are cheating the game, so they sit in garage and I use old fashioned eye balls to look for sign. Not next season though, I want that wall hanger, all efforts will be exhausted to get him.
I did not spend enough time in the stand, relied too much on my trail cameras, so instead of spending more time scouting for signs of the deer I had on camera, I just waited on there arrival...still waiting. Going to look for some additional properties to hunt next year as soon as I can. -Andrew
I am guilty of over hunting a stand, and not spending enough time in the woods or even doing enough preseason scouting. Really hoping to change that next season. Beefie
my biggest mistake is second guessing myself as in where I should hunt... I will pick a tree and think that tree over there is better, only to watch deer walk under the tree I originally picked..
Not practicing enough... I missed 2 bucks - 2 weeks apart in October. Both shots went right over their backs. I need to practice shooting from an elevated position. Over hunting was huge for me... Not many stands. Entry/Exit points were for the most part horrible.
I didn't make one mistake this season. But if I had to go with something, it was the mistake of having days off from work where the weather was either 65 degrees and sunny or a monsoon.
I focused too much of efforts on trying to kill a single buck without a plan B. When that buck disappeared for almost 4 weeks during the late pre-rut/rut I was left with few options of other spots to hunt. Consequently I hunted a lot of mediocre stands and saw deer but was unable to kill them. That's frustrating. This Spring I'll be doing a lot more scouting and spending more time hanging better stand locations for all different scenarios and phases of the season.
I stood too soon with a buck coming from behind me and got caught. When he got to where I could see him, which was only at 15yrds, he looked RIGHT UP AT ME (25ft) and I knew the game was over. I should have let him get by me, then stood up, but I thought it would be better to be in shooting position before he got to me. MISTAKE! I figured I had nothing to lose, so I tried drawing on him.... lol That was the biggest buck I've seen in 12 years of hunting this Public land, including night time rut pics. I'm guessing he was 130"-135" 8pt and thick, which is big for my woods!
Stood too soon on a doe in front of me. Got busted by the second doe that I didn't see. Also I started the season late and didn't get to scout.
