Don't rush tracking if you know you made a bad shot!! Gut shot a doe this past season, waited for 3 hrs before I started tracking ( knowing well I should have waited over night), tracked her to a spot where she bedded, jumped her and by that time the blood had clotted up and no more blood trail. grid searched all the next day but never found any sign of her. My own stupid mistake. Always shoot your bow with the broadheads you are planning on using!! The reason that I gut shot that doe was because for some reason my bow was shooting 3 in. to the left at 20 yrds with the broadhead and the doe was at 33 yrs. Field points were bang on and my broadheads were always bang on to. Bought a new pack and didn't bother to shoot them because they were always bang on before. Bad rookie mistake on my part!! Always enjoy your time in the woods and treasure the lessons you learn from your mistakes and be safe
I did learn something again this year that I learned the year before. Get in the tree and like others said shut up, no rattling no grunting no scent.
If you want to kill a deer you have to go more than twice. And don't go at all if the conditions are not right. But Chemo will do that to a guy. PSR
I made it a point last year to take the gear needed to spend all day in the woods regardless of how the weather turned and ended up staying dawn to dusk every day except for one. Result was seeing two legal bucks, one being the king of the hill. did not take a shot at the king because he was 5 yards past my comfort zone. So goal this year is stretching that comfort zone in case he repeats his performance. But my standard now is to go prepared for and the intention to stay all day. The game seen is worth it.
The 2015 was my most successful season. I had numerous encounters, countless deer in bow range, and finally filled a tag. I am going to try and get the same tag this year, but if I don't, I learned that I have the skills and knowledge to harvest a deer on my own. That was one of the biggest fear I had this last year.
1.) WAIT to take up the trail...burned me the season prior to this one. 2.) DO Take an early season doe...build up the confidence!! 3.) Trust your gut, dont know how many times I have changed a stand last minute only to check cameras a week later to find I missed many shooter bucks where I originally wanted to sit. 4.) Be Patient....if you are seeing multiple young bucks chasing does, there WILL be a bigger boy around. 5.) Don't call too much
Don't leave nice stands in the tree. Just went to pull my last one out (on my family's ground) and found that someone thought they needed it more than me. Scumbags.
That stinks, I left my stand in on public land this year, I still haven't gone for it yet because I dislocated my knee, and didn't want to risk reinjuring it on the ice, I probably am going to have learned the same lesson you did but here's hoping otherwise!
I learned you can actually have 9 bucks between 125 and 145 inches in bow range in three days time on public land and not get a shot off. I also learned to look around "one more time" before letting your bow down and tie your bow rope on so you can still shoot it with the rope attached if the opportunity arises. I learned it is important to have a place to get rid of your rattling antlers when two mature bucks charge in after you've rattled for just 6 seconds. I learned that hunting with a bow is just as exciting at 58 as it was at 18.
