Let's forget about cop out answers. So don't post that your biggest weakness is, "I don't have enough time to hunt" or "there are no big deer in my area" or "I don't own enough Packer stock". That may all be true, but not the intent of this thread. This is a self reflection thread. What is your biggest bowhunting weakness? Mine is setting up stands to take advantage of cover so that I don't get busted but still have a shot. Too often, I can pick a great location for a stand and see deer. However, I always feel one of two things after the stand is set-up. 1. I'm too exposed and will get busted. 2. I'll never get a shot because there is too much crap around me. I never am able to find that happy medium. This is something I need to improve on. It has cost me many deer over the years. So stop beating your chest about how great you are................ and post what you suck at.
For me,it's staying awake on stand.I get so relaxed that I just doze off and will spend an hour or so napping.Don't matter how rested I am or whatever.I get in the stand and the sun comes up,my eye lids just wont stay open.
For me it would be sitting still. I'm good for an hour or so but then i'm looking around, playing with the iPhone or camera or just wanting to get down and move around. Can't sit still and my stands are never comfortable enough to sleep in.
I like this topic and seeing others list their weaknesses may just open up some eyes to weaknesses in ourselves we didn't realize were weaknesses. Here are mine from this season May have more: 1.) By the time rifle season comes in, I am ready to get out of the stand in the mornings around oh 8:30am (would stay in till 9:30 or so) and not go back out till 4:00pm. Early season I would stay in till 11:00am and head back to the stand around 1:00pm-1:30pm and sit till dark. 2.) I didn't shoot when I should have. I should have taken 4 or 5 doe at the beginning of the season and what do I do? No that one has a fawn, nope not her, Nope he isn't big enough, Nope he is too far out (27yd is well within my ability) and Dang it, I knew I should have shot her before she busted me. lol 3.) Need to hunt less and scout more during season. selfexplanatoryy isn't it. 4.) Use my gut feelings to my advantage. When my gut tells me to hunt an area and my head tells me to hunt somewhere else I need to go with my gut. I had a couple times had I stopped and hunted that tree my gut told me too on the way in, those tracks would have stopped at that tree instead of me looking at them go right by the tree on my way out. 5.) Be more open minded and go the extra mile, literally. I need to travel in farther instead of taking the easy stand that day.
my biggest weakness by far is getting jealous of other hunters that don't hunt near as hard/often as me but end up killing a big buck. I know that I shouldn't be this way but man, I take bow season very serious and it seems like every year someone I know takes a big buck after only making a couple of trips to the woods and I will hunt twice as much as them and not do near as good.
Staying awake is one. I don't take an hour nap but I do doze off for 5 mins or so at a time every half hour or so. No good at all. Another is I'm a bit lazy on my pre season work. I shoot a ton but don't scout as much as I should or make improvements to the property. But hopefully this year will be better there. And my other is motivation after archery ends. I hardly ever hunt after bow season and I still have a good 2 months. But somethin about bow hunting in the cold keeps me in the warm bed or on the couch.
Well lets see. Probably my biggest downfall is being stubborn about stand selection. For instance, I have a rut stand, that I know, if I hunt it long enough, will produce. However, I've had lots of times where I've found fresh sign, sighted a big deer, etc., in another area, but I wasn't guarenteed of anything there, so I squated on "ol' tried and true". I need to be less reluctant about moving around more. Related to this, I just need to hunt and not worry so much about tip toeing around, being ultra careful, etc. I remember the days when I was younger, hunting off the ground, and was always moving around, stalking, sitting in new spots, etc. I saw tons of deer, learned more, and had a blast doing it.
1. sitting still 2. staying awake 3. stop second guessing myself 4. find a closer place to hunt so I can spend more time on stand and scouting! ( I live two hours away from my property)
1. Pre-Season Scouting. I set up camera's but other than that i don't think i take the time to pattern the deer or to know the routes they take. 2. Second Guess myself. do this to often and have passed or missed a deer because i thought if i waited a little more for the perfect shot. but the deer turns and gives me a worse shot or no shot. 3. Slow Down. some times i try to rush everything, when i pull back, when i move (got busted 2 times this year when i tried to move to the other side of the tree)
1. Slow down. 2. Be MORE mobile. Pretty good now, but could be better, and by doing this could teach my son to be more mobile as well. 3. Hunt safer. I use a harness, but 2-3 times this year I hung a stand without it. DUMBDUMBDUMB!! 4. Better scouting, before and during season.
My biggest problem/weakness Is getting good bucks 20 yards and under. I need them close. If you want one with In 25 to 30 yards I'm your man!!
This year my weakness was tunnel vision. I focused too much, on too little an area, chasing one buck. I think I put too much pressure on him. Plus, in an area where I'm 'blessed with nearly 2000 acres of public land to myself, I essentially stayed on the same 45 acres.... Yup... tunnel vision.
Sounds crazy, but I'd say hunting too much. I'm in a tree all day, everyday (for the most part) from opening to end of season. I about kill myself mentally and physically(combined with the 15 or so deer I butcher). I still do enjoy it, but man it's a grind. I tell myself to back off, shorten hunts, maybe take a couple days and not hunt. But just can't do it. Only way I know how to go at anything I do. Also like has been mentioned. Sometimes the magnetic force draws me to my honey hole too many times. Need to back off and not hunt my favorite setups that I know will produce if sat in enough. I think I screw myself by being there too early or when conditions aren't exactly perfect.
I think this has happened to most of us a time or two, having options and being able to bounce around to different areas always helps with minimizing pressure. Most big mature bucks pattern the hunters well before they even know it and they never forget where that pressure is coming from and going to come from season to season.
My weakness was tromping up my area checking trail cams too often. It is sort of like opening Christmas presents!
