I once decided to get down from the stand and stalk some does on the other side of the field I was near. Lowered my bow arrow still nocked and silently climbed down. Stalked all the way up to within 25 yards of this doe. It was perfect, wind was good, she had her head down behind a bush feeding. Had no idea I was there. I drew, anchored....and misjudged the yardage. Arrow went clean over her back. She didn't even look up. So there I was, 22 yards from a doe in perfect conditions and no arrows for a second shot. I had left my quiver in the tree. Moral of the story, keep your quiver on your bow unless you're in a tree or blind!
Slider - another thing I've seen to many times to admit..... Once you've shot a deer and are going in for the recovery, TAKE YOUR BOW! LOL!!! Ive seen way to many friends go in for a deer the next morning on a marginal hit expecting it to be dead and bump it but its so weak and stiff it can only go 10 yards before dropping again. Now what.... (that's a whole nother story in itself).
I'd have to say my biggest thing is wanting to hunt the same stand that I've seen a big buck work previously. I just can't get my mind off him and I think I have to be in that stand just in case he ever crosses that path again.
"forget the wind, just hunt" - doesn't work. The guys that stack up the big ones know how to "hunt the wind". It has less to do with controlling where your own scent blows and a whole lot more to do with knowing how a mature buck will use the wind as he moves in daylight. Most hunters never figure it out and most hunters never kill mature bucks on purpose or consistently.
Yep,Hence why I have over 100 bow stands on 200 acres. Some I don't hunt for 4 years do to wind. Mature buck in daylight? That happens the first week of season and the rut. They will tolerate a tractor or vehicle more then walking in. Check the book kill dates.
my first mistake as a new hunter was i got my first bow october 17th (season started the 1st) and after 2 days of shooting in the back yard at 20 yards i thought i was ready to go hunt. had a doe come in shot over its back and then ran a little farther stopped, nocked another arrow and aimed lower and shot under it. i didnt hunt again for about a week lol so practice practice practice!
Doing the same thing time and time again and expecting different results. I'm a bit limited as to where I can hunt, so I sometimea get tunnel vision with regard to my options of how I can hunt my 90 acres. Sent from my SCH-I545
My buddy did that exact same thing two yeas ago. I felt so bad for the deer, he had been lying there for like 14 hours and couldn't even raise his head. My buddy was a dumb*** and left his bow at the house. I finished him off with my pistol, which I know isn't technically legal. I wasn't going to let him suffer for another hour while my buddy went back home and got his bow, just did what was "right" at that time and in that situation. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
I would have to say never scouted enough. I used to scout one day then hang stands. Now I try to use cameras/glassing/most recent info to determine where to hang and hunt. Still getting better at this as the years go by. Another would be being aggressive. I never used to be aggressive with calling....as I thought I was screwing something up as IF something was about to sneak in...HA..never worked. I watch a friend of mine be aggressive each year with great results. Tried it last year, and had much more action. The deer that didn't respond, didn't care.
Yeah, taking a pristine piece of property and ruining it by showing up to much to fill feeders and check cameras. Now I say go in once or twice off season to get the work done then leave it alone till season opener. Easier said than done though
I think my biggest mistake is patience. I tend to get a little down when I am not seeing much and get anxious. I have busted myself getting out to early and not giving myself enough time. I am still pretty new at it and I think I am getting the hang of it.
Mine has to be over hunting a stand. Last year we hung a stand at a great funnel in the end of October. Saw deer the first few times in there then nothing. I think I came up with the solution to over hunting this year though. It's called graduating and getting a job that only let's you hunt Saturdays. Having to be responsible sucks sometimes. Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4 Beta
