Well after I write this, I will be out the door to make my final sit in the PA rifle season, and most likely the last surge of me hitting the woods hard until next season (I may get out for some late season archery). Unless something magical happens tonight, I will be eating my buck tag for the 6th season in a row. My last buck was taken in 2002 in October. I've hit a pretty all time low at the end of this season, and frankly, I became burn out. I started questioning my abilities, whether or not I was really even capable of doing this. I KNOW that a tagged animal doesn't equate to success, but when you fail to place that tag on an animal for a long period of time such as I have, you really begin to question some things. Now in all fairness, I technically didn't hunt too hard 4 of those six years (2002 was my senior year in high school, and the next four seasons I was in college, and only hunted a handful of times during archery and rifle). The last two seasons since I was out of school, I've really focused more on technique (or so I thought). I played the wind religiously, practiced strict scent control, scouted in the post-season months of jan, feb, and march, focused on entry/exit routes, planted better plots, etc. The last two seasons, I hunted HARD. My deer sightings went up drastically, but still I'm left holding an empty tag. I improved upon last season a bit more this year in that I saw more bucks this year (6 different compared to 3 last year), and had 13 total buck sightings, and one GOOD 115-120" 8point at 20yds, but no shot due to fading light and his angle. I had 158 sightings in 40 sits, and many shot opps (small buck here and there, and a lot of doe), so I'm starting to pass deer, but I'm still not seeing the results. One thing that I noticed is that I didn't see the bucks much until after Nov.1 (actually, I only saw on prior to November). That's an obvious sign that I'm hunting the wrong spots in the early season. Problem is, I'm hunting 90acres, and most of it has been covered by me, so it leaves only a small portion that could hold early season bucks. If not, I need to acquire new properties. Anyways, how many years in a row of eating a tag would it take before you made some serious changes, or even began questioning your abilities? I still can look back at this as a great season of learning, but, man...6 years?
Please don't let it get to you. I have questioned my abilities in one season. That then makes me do a little scouting or change my game plan. Sometimes that is all it takes. I also do not equate a nice buck by inch of rack. This year my buck was smaller rack but huge body, old too. Any deer taken is a trophy. I had a terrible year, I only saw maybe 30 deer. but it was successful. Dont be afraid to change the game plan or check out new places to hunt.
1st of all It really depends what you have for bucks and what your holding out for. Maybe your setting your standards to high and holding out for something that's not a common buck In your area. I've ate my tag many more times then I've used It. Reason being, my standards are pretty high for my area. I know I have some nice bucks around but I also know that there Isn't too many around also. You pretty much make your own bed when you set your standards.
This is the first season in a while that I have used my buck tag. For one reason, l am in college and don't have a lot of time to hunt. But I also have high standards. While we do have a lot of big bucks everywhere I hunt, I'm just not that good at killing them lol.....yet....I hope.
If i dont end up getting one in the next 2 months, this will be my second year in a row not filling my tag.
Matt, it'll come and it'll happen. To be completely honest, I started bowhunting when I was 15, I tagged my first animal in my early 20's. It was hit or miss for a couple years but now I've tagged out on my buck tag 9 of the last 10 years in archery season. The one empty year was hunting a specific animal or nothing at all. Well you can see what that got me. Tag soup isn't all that bad, it just depends on how you spice it all season. :d
So everything you did paid off but your chance was spoiled by circumstance.......that's life. Sounds like a successful adventure.........sometimes they zig when you want them to zag. It happens. Again, I am having trouble seeing your problem.......unless you mean a lack of patience What exactly were the "results" you thought you would see in the same season?? The ONLY way passing a deer helps you in the SAME season is if a bigger one comes by later.........and the two certainly are not related.
Tag soup isn't bad...6 years in a row, I've run out of spices:d Atlas, I suppose I approached this post the wrong way. I can see how I'm coming off like I have it so bad with the season I had, but I don't really feel that way. I saw a good number of deer, had plenty of does within range (that was my choice to not take them), I had a close encounter with a great buck, and passed some small legal ones. As a matter of fact, compared to many, I had a GREAT season, and I do feel very fortunate to have been able to see that many deer, and hunt the location I can hunt. There's just that inkling in the back of my mind at the close of each season reminding me of how I couldn't close the deal on a buck again. I suppose the standards thing is a valid point as well, because I had two small sixes that gave me shot opps this season, and if I really felt I needed to fill my buck tag, I could have taken them, but I didn't. That's my choice. I don't have overly high standards, I just don't want to shoot anything small like most of my previous bucks have been. I would be just fine with an 80" buck. The fact that I sat quite a bit (I know 40 sits in a 6week season isn't a TON, but it's more than the average PA archer spends), bothers me the most, because I bet if I put many of the guys on here in my position, on my land, they would have had a deer down. To go along with Dubbya's post on HNI, if I didn't get it done, there's no one to blame but myself. In short, I had contemplated taking a break after this season, but it quickly hit me how ridiculous that is. I'm just going to have to bounce back, put even more legwork in this offseason, and hit it full force again next season.
I've eaten my tags for what will be the third season in a row this year if I don't have any success. While it is pretty disappointing, I have to realize that I am holding off on a trophy buck that scores 135+". This greatly lowers my chances for succeeding. I've had chances at does but past them up, because we didn't necessarily need the meat at the time. It does get pretty frustrating, especially for me. A lot of hunting has to do with luck and being in the right place at the right time. The most frustrating part to me is that my dad had had shots at 7 mountable deer in the past 3 years. Out of those 7, only 2 of them are on the wall. I would kill to have a shot at a trophy buck, and know that my capabilities are a lot higher than my dads when it comes to bow just because of how much I practice. I can't get mad at my dad though, because he's putting in the same stand time as me. We usually alternate stands that we sit in, and I guess it just comes down to luck as I said previously. Good luck filling you buck tag. Holding off on smaller deer will eventually pay off for you.
I don't mind eating my tags if I'm seeing bucks. Like you said Brandon, I first wait for 3.5 yrs old, and then I'm looking for about 135+. That greatly reduces my chances. Again, if I see good bucks, I just try to learn from that, and I still really enjoy it. I also think it makes it easier if I'm shooting does. I like to shoot a few does every year, not only does it help the herd and freezer( Mostly my parents freezer, I can't eat that many deer by myself.), but it also beats siting on stand all that time and not killing anything. The season before this one, I shot four does and zero bucks, but I saw more good bucks than I have ever seen. I consider that season to be one of my best seasons.
This is the 2nd season I failed to tag a PA buck. I have many months to think about it, but right now, I could easily see myself drilling anything decent next year. The quality of bucks are there, but my skills aren't.
Whew! I thought we'd lost you for a minute there, Matt! Now you're thinking correctly again! Like you said you just got a little burned out and we've all been there. It took me 7 years to kill my first deer (a small buck). After the 6th year I was like Bret Farve, I wanted to retire! But, the juices were flowing again that spring and I was ready to go in the fall, again just like Bret! In the last 5 years I've been lucky enough to take 5 bucks and 2 does. Everyone has a standard that they want a buck to be before they shoot. I'd say stick with your standards but take a doe if you can. It will make you feel better, they taste good, and it will sharpen your "moment of truth" skills.
buck? buck? we don't need no stinking bucks! plenty of them slick heads around to shoot at, at leat maybe out there by you. No damn deer here in wi. Don't worry, it's not you. But I would seriously look at trying a new spot. I hunt 3-4 places on a rotation. So I don't trash the place w/my scent/presence. Go and try some public land for a change of pace. try something completely different, like using a blind. I know the frustration my frined, I'm hitting it hard several times a week, and nothing to be seen. It's just a matter of right place, right time.
fourth year for me. I think my expectations are just about right. I have a doe tag and a buck tag and I will shoot anything that I am tagged for! Like a friend of mine said, You can boil'em, fry'em or even bake'em!!! No matter what you do to them, them horns ain't gonna taste no better! I am bummed that I spent upwards of a grand on lease fees, out of state tags and alot of road time and was actually pretty distraught up until Sunday afternoon and then I had a change of heart. For 4 straight years 2000-2004, I managed to take deer on public land. I now look back at it and I am kind of excited. I plan on scouting like a mad dog with my 2 kids Jan- March on our public land here (we have alot). I;m going back to hunting the way I know, harder than the next guy!! I have came to the conclusion I make or break my seasons and I need to quit putting all my marbles in other things or places. I need to find the honey hole spots that are further away than Joe Smoe wants to walk or go through the creeks tha Joe smoe is scared to cross. I've gotta go further and harder than Joe if I want a deer next year and that is what I plan on doing. I still have 1 day of hunting on my lease and 1 or 2 days to help a friend cull out 1 of 3 bucks he wants off his land and then the tag soup gets put on the burner to simmer for the rest of the year so I have to smell the aroma of it and push me to do what I need to do.
Hunter success ratio is pretty low in Pa. right? Only one tag? I mean is that your bag limit. I know when we could only kill one deer in OK there was lot more pressure. We can still only kill two bucks total but if you have one tag you can burn you can kill a smaller deer once in a while to stay in practice. Any doe tags? Good meat in the freezer. My wife bought my lifetime hunting license a lot of years back so I don't really relate any more to eating tags, but I know what it's like to do without. But having a good bag limit here helps. I can pretty much stick the first thing I see and not effect the rest of my season too negatively. Also if you are passing up shots you are not going home empty handed. I think it sounds like you are progressing nicely, but you might give it some thought on lowering your standards just a little to increase your confidence level. I only try to beat my former records, if a nice 2.5 year old 10 ptr. comes by in bow season I would probly let him have an arrow. Fore firearms and ML my sights are set a little bit higher. If I run out of freezer meat I will take a doe when I can. Good luck and good hunting! (One more thought, are there bucks as big as your standards even in your area?) lp
I wouldn't say hunter success is terribly low in PA. I'm going to catch some flack for this, but we have plenty of hunters complaining that we've all but decimated the deer herd through the extra long doe seasons, but I'm not one of them. Maybe it's because I associate my success/failure with that of other PA hunters on here and HNI. They are among some of the best in PA that I know. Compared to the average hunters I PERSONALLY know in my area, I see more deer than most, but people like Rob, Ryan, Fran, PA Hardwoods, Matt (RJ), Matt (Matt/PA), etc all put GOOD PA deer down year in and year out, so while PA may not hold the monsters the midwest does, there's plenty of opportunity...if you put the time in, and have the skills. My standards MIGHT be a bit high for my piece of property due to the fact that I'm not seeing a lot of good bucks through the summer. Couple that with an over abundance of doe on my property (according to my logs, I think I had around 35 different doe on my 90 acre parcel), and the 147 acres that borders our property that hasn't been hunted in 50+ years and serves as a sanctuary, I have some hurdles to overcome. It's the fact that I didn't overcome them which bothers me a bit. Thanks for the kind words, though:d
Same boat Matt, only this year I had my chance, twice. What changed? I hunted more this year than ever, but I had new properties to hunt. This isn't an easy problem to fix at times, but you could try. I honestly believe if you look at it, you could consider that this is only your second year of hunting hard and "right" if ya know what I mean. With your attention to detail and continued work on your food plots and stand location, Rob is right, it will come. If you need a buddy to start to sip on your tag soup with, I got a stand for you at my cabin second season.
