I have a few: 1. Regularly film my hunts. On very rare occasions, I've had friends film me and I've filmed them, but haven't done so on a regular basis. I'm going to self-film more hunts in 2011. 2. Bowhunt turkeys. I really don't turkey hunt that much; I'll go if I have time and I always take the shotgun. But for 2011, I'm going to set up a blind and hunt with my bow, something I've always wanted to do, but never have. 3. Be more disciplined in killing mature whitetails. I'm pretty good when it comes to passing younger bucks regardless of their headgear. But, I let a buck get the best, or worst, of me in 2010. I got a trailcam pic of a buck in August that was tall, wide and had a 3 or 4 inch kicker coming off the base of his right main beam. However, I knew he was no older than 3.5, and could have been only 2.5 yrs old. I let too many factors influence my decision to take him; the kicker, others telling me I'd be crazy to pass him, thinking he'd just get hit on the interstate that borders our property, worried the neighbors would shoot him anyway, etc. I'm definitely proud of him and he will adourn my wall, but I wish I would have let him go another year. I will be more disciplined in 2011. Those are a few of the things off the top of my head that I plan to do in addition to my normal routines for Hunting Year 2011. How about y'all? I hope everyone has a Happy New Year and a successful 2011!
Make an honest attempt at the "Maine slam" turkey, bear, moose, deer. Hopefully I'll draw a moose tag!
keep self filming to become better at it. I shot my biggest whitetail too date on the illinois opener this season, which was my first day ever filming myself in tree and didn't get the shot on film. Just continue to improve, there is alot more to worry about when filming yourself, but I have grown to enjoy it! Other then that, keep letting good bucks grow to be mature, I've been doing this alot the last 5 or 6 seasons and it has paid off.
Good luck with your quest JCraig! Let's us know how it all turns out! That's an awesome goal! I'll be hunting the 1st thru the 3rd of Jan. for a desert mule deer in New Mexico. I'd like to shoot one and find it before the feral hogs devour it this time around. I am going to hunt safer from tree and ladder stands. I've been a tad laxed employing my safety harness.
Film my 10 yr old son's archery hunts. Spend the next 10 months getting my son ready for said archery hunts. Have patience teaching him how to shoot that bow, shooting some hogs on the farm should give him some good experience. Also, he loves his new bow and that makes me very happy!
Attempt (again) to find a place to hunt. Self film. Continue to hunt mature bucks. Put a mature buck on the wall.
Age a buck- shoot a buck. I keep determining a deer a "shooter" while glassing and reviewing trail cam photos and then, when I have a shot opportunity, I second guess the age and hold off. I screwed myself over on multiple deer, this year, because of this..
Kill a Colorado elk with my bow on film in September. Going on a trip with 3 of my closest friends, a college graduation present to myself! [More of a goal rather than a resolution, I suppose]
To work hard during the late winter, spring, early summer. Shooting, Scouting, trimming lanes, scouting, setting up stands/cameras, shooting, and scouting and shooting some more. Sounds easy, but fishing season will keep me busy well into october. With that said this year ill be ready for September 15th.
Quit smoking and get back into shape so I can shed hunt, scout and hunt even harder then I do now. Get Britney out more for shed hunting and scouting. Do a lot of shooting this summer with Britney. Bow and rifle. Tim
Continue to scout hard. FIND target buck beds. Without finding a big bucks bed(s) where I hunt, getting close to one is like finding a needle in a haystack 98% of the hunting season. Bring my six year old son and eight year old daugher into the woods with me more and continue teaching them what I know. I don't know of any other kids that are starting to learn how to read topographical maps at that age...hahahaha. I would love to hunt with some guys on here in different states. I already told my wife I am looking to potentially travel to another state to camp out and hunt public land. I have goals on my home turf but need a change of scenery after hunting the same basic area for a decade.
BEST ONE YET! Make sure that I take my daughter out there as much as I can so that she stays interested in hunting and will eventually take her first deer when she is a little older! She is 9 but has no thoughts of a gun yet. Her mother totally disagrees right now with her and guns but has no problem with her going with me. I also want her to find her first shed antler this year since she also enjoys that a lot. I just want to be involved with her and pass on what I can to her and both of us be as good as we can in the field!
Just get out and hunt for my first time. Meant to go this year, but having the year from hell, prevented me from doing so.
Hard to do when you are FOS! Sorry Jeff you left the door wide open on that one Hope you had a Merry Christmas!! I hope to be able to get out more next year. Landed a good job this year that had to be done in Nov and could not turn it down. So I ended up getting less than 7 days in from sun up to sundown. I did get to hunt several evening but I much prefer to hunt daylight til dark. Gotta take what you are given! Dan
I'm on a 6yr streak, so far, Dan. Just hoping to add to my streak in '11. I did. Actually, it's been great, lately. Go figure!
