Yup, I've sucked this year. I don't normally do these rant type threads, but this year has been rough. If anything, I hope someone reads it and laughs, or at least makes them feel better about their season. Here's a quick rundown. Second day of the season, I miss high on a big doe at 25 yards. I knew as soon as I shot why I was going to miss high. Sometimes I don't think. Its been a while since I've missed. That was humbling, but maybe needed. The season has just started so I chalk it up as a "learning experience". Two days later, I have poison ivy all over one hand. From that point on, the days I can hunt are filled with very warm temps and/or high winds. Finally have a decent evening. I have seen a certain group of does, and one of them would probably be the biggest I have ever killed. They leave their bed and walk this field edge. So I sit there. And of course, they come by at 60 yards instead of their normal route which would have put them at about 20, but they slowly work in closer. That is, until a yearling buck decides he's going to chase them. Game over. I catch poison ivy again. This time its worse, and it spreads to some uncomfortable places. Most notable, I have poison ivy dong for the first time in my life. I've always laughed when someone tells me this has happened to them before. It has now happened to me, and I still think its funny. More bad weather. Then, it looks like I caught a break. Long story, short...my parents stumble upon an opportunity that they pass onto me. 2 1/2 days on some private land in a pretty good county. No one hunting it so far this year. It ends up being a smaller piece that I originally thought, but 30 acres of the best hunting land I've ever stepped foot on. Creek bottom, big ravines (by southern MI standards), alfalfa, clover, CRP...its beautiful. Here's how that went... Friday morning, 30 min before light. Buck makes two scrapes and walks by at 10 yards. 45 min after light. See small buck. Small buck watching hard behind him. I investigate, and see a beautiful 3.5 yo 8pt sneaking through the CRP. I would guess 120-125 ish...bigger than anything I have killed for sure. I call, he's coming. Dog from farmhouse decides its a good morning to sniff around the CRP. Buck at 75 yards and still coming. Dog decides he looks fun to chase. Game over. Sunday morning. Cold and calm. Buck making scrapes behind me in the dark. Another buck making one in front of me. One buck decides he doesn't like that idea. Runs the other one off. Still a little too dark to shoot. Buck walks by at 35 yards. Heads to the edge of a clover field and appears to be angry at the ground and surrounding trees. Light enough to shoot now. I call, he looks, he ignores. Sneaks off into a pothole. 10am, my parents take a drive to see the area. Decide to drive by the area I'm hunting. They see said buck get up out of the pothole with a doe. They work towards the road where my Dad snaps this one shot before he runs off. Cool to be that close, but still stings a little. Was cool to hunt an area with some older bucks. Back to reality yesterday. Two yearling bucks walking underneath me in the evening. They decided to see who's stronger, which was cool to watch. Only lasted about 15 seconds, but hey, they're teenagers. We all remember what that was like. A group of does work my way. 15 yard chip shot...right underneath! Whoa is me. I don't need any rah-rah crap. Laugh at me and tell me I suck. Thats what I would do to my friends. Feel free to share some of your not-so-good hunting experiences this year. On a positive note, poison ivy dong is no more. See, its not all bad. I can't hunt until Saturday evening, so at least I can't miss again until then. More positives! This season is really turning around.
WORST season for me yet. Ironically enough, it's also the most active season I've had in terms of buck/doe sightings. I've seen 8 different bucks, every single one in shooting range. Hit really high on a nice 8 the 4th day of the season, saw him again on Saturday doing just fine. Then (I really cant' believe I'm even mentioning this, because I swore I wouldn't), I missed high on a piebald 8 a week and a half later on the 1 year anniversary that I took my buck on (from the same stand, same time of day, and he was standing in the same exact spot). I still seriously don't know if I will ever recover from that. Turns out, my bow was hitting about 6-8 inches high since the season had started (I know, I know, I SHOULD be practicing in season, but I wasn't). I have since corrected the issue and am practicing regularly. You think you suck? I honestly think I'm possibly the worst hunter imaginable sometimes.
Thanks for reminding me, Matt. I shoot my bow all season, at least 1-2 times a week even if its only a half dozen arrows. Never once has my bow been "off" in 14 years of bowhunting. Two days before I was set to leave for the 2.5 day hunt, its hitting 3" low. Rest had moved. Shot it before every hunt last weekend just to make sure it was good. I'm starting to wonder if it moved again and thats why I shot low yesterday. Going to shoot as soon as I get home. If I did move again, I will be pissed. On the other hand, it gives me an excuse. I don't like either option.
Thanks for the help. Unfortunately, the property didn't go as far north as the caretaker originally thought. Still better than anything I had ever hunted. I saw a nice 2.5 yo buck come out of the exact area you had marked as bedding. Thought that was cool. Thanks for your insight!
Vito. You got some serious action with the bucks, that is awesome. Keep at it man, the best hunting days are the next two weeks and you are in the game my friend. Seriously, you are still in the game during the best days of action, unlike Randy Moss. For me, my wife had knee surgery yesterday and her knee was worse than feared. So I lost hunting yesterday and today, and more than likely tomorrow as she has not even gone 10 feet off the couch. I am also losing Saturday as she will be out of town. It looks like my hunting vacation will go from 2.5 solid weeks to 1.5. Ughhhh, but family comes first. I am going to enter some of my better spots even if the wind is not perfect starting next week, going for broke because as of the 15th my season is effectively over as my wife's basketball season begins. But Vito, keep your head up, you are giving it a good effort and it will pay off for you.
We all have had those seasons, mine was in 2007. It only takes 30 seconds and the right deer to turn a season around. In 2006 I was not getting close to a big buck, I had seen him but could not close the deal. A sighting from my dad and a fallen tree turned my season around. You never know what might be coming down the trail.
Vito, You are seeing deer and lots of them. Neither you and your season sucks. Enough said. Keep at it man. Good luck.
I am seeing less deer than normal, but still seeing something. Last weekends hunt was a lot of fun. Just to hunt land that has some olders bucks was exciting. To see a couple of them was even better. I saw more shooter bucks (4) in 2 1/2 days than I had in the last 2 1/2 seasons (2). That hunt was out of the norm for me. I already miss that place! Its back to reality and my normal hunting areas. A place where teenagers rule the land. A few crappy cell phone pics from last weekend... Saturday morning sunrise. The CRP field the farm dog likes to roam, apparently. Some stand sites. Saw 4 different bucks from this tree that evening. Was hoping to catch one sneaking through midday, but nobody home. Had two bucks bothering some does along this creek right before dark. Always fun to watch. Sunday morning sunrise. Through the trees and across the ravine is the clover field I watch the big 8 in. This was just after he walked off. Before it was light enough to shoot, he walked up this ravine to run off another buck. The ground he was mad at. And some branches that must have said something he didn't like.
Worst season for me as well Vito! Hang in there buddy. We have just under two weeks of some prime hunting! Good Luck, shoot straight.
A wise man once told me to always look before pee in woods. Words to live by my friend! haha, sorry I had to. At least you're in the woods bud. Heck, the way my season has been, with two little ones at home and a pending heart surgery on my mom, it really put a damper on the amount of time I spend in the woods this year. I'm too busy to be flailing arrows all through the woods like yourself! ;-) Keep your chin up, it could be worse.
Vito I am just glad you said it so we dont have to so all we will do is laugh! Hope all gets better for you and ivy will stay gone.
Keep at 'em Matt... its still only the 2nd of November... lotta time left. Sucks about the poison ivy though.
Congrats on all of the "learning experiences" you've had this year. A buddy of mine was busted 6 times attempting stalks on mule deer this year and ended up eating that tag for the year. I rubbed it in by going on only one and got a deer (not the one I was stalking but that doesn't matter). Sounds like a lot of people are having a tough go at it this year. Keep your head up, you missed high, than low. Now all you have to do is put one in the middle. I'm happy for you that your dong is back to normal, having ivy dong can't be much fun.
Vito, With all those sightings and those bad to the bone looking stand placements, it's only a matter of time. Those are some decent size limbs he decided to tangle with, and they lost! Good luck and Get 'Em! Eric
Or cutting you bow string with your broadhead. Then not getting to hunt... the most awesome time to hunt till it gets fixed !! Your best buddy shoots his buck and texted you while your bummed out cause you can only sleep with your wife !! 5 bucks says she had a headache !! :D God now that is depressing !!! I would rather suffer with a poison ivy-ed dong and get to hunt then have that happen to me !!!! Tim
Thanks Tim.... why don't you come out to my house and kick my dog while your at it. Bow just came home tonight.. will have the next 2 nights to dial it back up and be in a tree come Saturday. I aint done yet. (shakes fist).
