1. Harvest a Big Antelope in Wyoming in August 2. Hunt my target buck at Property #2 during the Rut 3. Hunt in South Carolina with my Dad
I have a bi-lateral hearing loss that hearing aids can't really help. I could wear one that transfers sound from the left to my good ear but that doesn't help me at all for what direction game's coming from. I bowhunt with a distinct disadvantage in that regard. Really hampers me getting ready for a shot and led to me getting busted coming to full draw twice last fall. Before I took up bowhunting, I gunhunted for deer and pigs from the ground a lot. Wind in my face, watch and wait far more than walking. I killed some animals really, really close, but as you say, when you're ground level and skirting thick stuff, you cannot possibly see everything in there. Do you hunt this style with a bow? Since taking up the bow, I've never considered deer hunting from the ground. I put on a decent stalk on some pigs last winter but then blew the shot.
I grew up bowhunting on the ground. My dad would stick me in a laurel patch and then go to his hot spot. Then when I was older I was always in a tree, up until last year. in 2016 I had a stroke. My balance has never fully recovered. I did hunt in 2016 out of a tree after my stroke, but realized if I were to have another stroke, I was dead for sure. How could they rescue me in a tree? I hunt 10,000 Ac hardwoods with barely any other hunters, I would never be heard or found till I was stiff. Okay, confession time, my wife was the one who pointed it out!! So last year I started hunting on the ground again. It is so liberating NOT having to be in a tree or carrying around a stand on your back. I bought a ghille suit, and now can hunt anywhere. I did make another change last year, I switched to a crossbow. I have a disability rating on my shoulder from the VA, also since my stroke holding a bow back at full draw was iffy with my balance. I bought a recurve crossbow, which only shoots at 250 fps. (made me feel better about the switch) I bought an alpz turkey chair, and I can literally hunt anywhere. With the crossbow, I also lay prone on my stomach now and then when there is low cover. The ghille suit is amazing. I've had owls and hawks dive bomb me seeing my eyes blink. Being on the ground I truly feel like I'm in the hunt at all times, on the deers level. I do miss being in a tree, but this has opened up a whole new world for me. I have a thin leafy suit for when I still hunt. My ghille stays in my pack unless I'm sitting or laying. It gets tangled in everything.
Make a kill in no less than 3 states Kill a 130+ Score at least 150 for my team in The Contest Drag out one more for my old man Have one successful true hang and hunt No maimed/lost deer *not necessarily in that order
No goals, just hunt and have fun. Be grateful for whatever comes my way. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
Hunt more often and hopefully fill my first archery tag. I also have a bet with my wife that I'll kill three deer this season. I want at least one with my bow. Sent from my Pixel XL using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
My goal this year is to target and key in on the environmental factors that a core is made up of. Basically just conformation, cross reference and tying up loose ends. If I kill in the process, that's great but not necessary.
******be alot more like little chief, stack up some deer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!***** Make a clean ethical kill on all my deer this year. this is my goal every year!!!! A few years back i did not, so i strive to do this every year
In no particular order: 1) hunt more than last year 2) clean and ethical if I am fortunate to loose an arrow 3) hopefully draw a city hunt to explore a new piece of public ground 4) get close still hunting
Kill one of my mature bucks on film. Kill 2 does, one with bow and one with gun, on video in my food plots. Same plan every year. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk