Been a regular visitor of the site for many years, and finally got myself an account and joined the family. Located in Central Minnesota, hunting a combination of private and public land. Have had plenty of success over the years, but the greatest lesson I've learned is to never stop learning. Whether it be more walks through the woods during the off-season, shooting the gun or bow one more day a week, even if it means a couple of arrows, or listening to fellow hunters about their experiences. My day-to-day is in the Marketing department of a major boat company, and with such, I get to meet and listen to professionals of the fishing world. I've learned to become a sponge and it leads to me trying new things and opening my eyes to more opportunities. With that being said what would be your advice to yourself if you could go back to when you first started hunting? For myself, I'd mention the following: 1) Staying on the stand longer. I've seen/killed more deer during the 10-2 period when other hunters get up and move around than I ever expected. 2) Don't chase the new shiny toy. Master the gear you can afford and ethically hunt with and you'll become a better hunter. 3) Stay Humble. Always be a sponge/Don't be too good to learn from other hunters. You'll learn more, and keep more allies when it comes to finding a spot to hunt or having a helping hand in trailing that deer you didn't get the best shot on.
Welcome aboard! Since you've been looking for a long time you already know that a this is a great place. If I could go back to when I first started deer hunting and give myself advice I wouldn't know where to begin. My Dad started taking us deer "hunting" when we turned 12. I put hunting in quotation marks because my Dad didn't have the first clue how to deer hunt. Back then we only gun hunted. Dad would get up in the morning, shave, splash on Aqua Velva, have coffee standing around the camp fire and then head out. He would pick a spot on the side of a ridge where he could see f-o-r-e-v-e-r, kick the leaves away from a tree and sit down. Then he would pour a cup of coffee from his thermos, lean back and watch. That's all we knew back then, and needless to say we didn't kill deer. Oh, we would luck onto young stupid buck once in a while, but we didn't have a chance. My Dad never tagged a deer in his life, but he sure never stopped getting excited about deer season. I sure wish I could go back and tell myself all that I know now and then have my younger self tell him what to do.
What a great story! One of my favorite things about "deer camp" is everyone telling stories from the years before and to see the inner child come out as they explain those stories. Makes me think back to some of those first hunts as a kid and how much fun they were and how excited we were.
Welcome aboard. You said some good stuff in your first post. Good group of men/women here. Chime in anytime. Glad to have you.
