Trad Gang

As the title states what did you learn about bowhunting this year? Im always looking to learn and feel everyone has room for improvement. I learned a few lessons from mistakes I had made this year. What mistakes did you make that you learned from?

I lowered my bow and dropped my rope when getting out of the stand one evening without first checking directly behind my stand. When I dropped my bow rope a nice little buck spooked but continued feeding right under my stand. He snuck up on me without me knowing and I had 5 more minutes of shooting light. I should have kept my rearend in the stand a little longer.

I also learned vanilla makes a nice cover scent.

I learned that a saftey harness can save your life and that it can restrict your shooting directly behind your stand and save a deers life also.

i learned a little patience!!  :knothead:

I learned that vanilla don't work as a cover scent for me.  Even after showering, keeping clothes covered in baking soda inside a rubber tub, etc., deer still wind me, alas, I stink!  That's what I learned.  :>)

To take advantage of the time you have and hunt while you can.

I worked harder this past year than ever to be competent in the accuracy category.  Short more this year than the past 3 or 4 combined.

Virgnia's squirrel season came in the first weekend in September.  I didn't hunt.  Didn't want to "mess up" my spots for deer season.

Finally, Virginia's deer opener came on the first Saturday in October.  Had a good hunt with friends....then 4 days later, I was in the hospital.  That lasted a week.  Then I wasn't truly able to hunt for another 2 weeks.

I've learned not to take my time for granted and to hunt when I can.  Hard lesson learned, but I will  not forget it.

Ken

I learned what I knew, pick a spot not a direction.

Pass on too many perfectly good bucks, and its tag soup for ya!

I learned a few things, several of them at Solana.

1.  My treestands have been way too exposed.  Have more cover in front!

2.  Be still!  I'm way too fidgety on stand.

3.  I carry way too much junk with me; I don't need all that extra stuff, just the basics.

4. I know this already, but seem to forget every time a critter shows up.  Pick a freakin' spot!!!!   :banghead:

Hunt where the elk are, DOH  :knothead:

too much work and not enough hunting makes me VERY unhappy !!!!!!!!!  :mad:

Time to change my strategy where I hunt. Not enough good trees for a treestand so I'm going to build ground blinds.

to be more patient, let the medium size bucks go by.

That hunting in Dec.-Jan. is not quite as much fun as it was 40 years ago.

Hap

I also think i need to move stand sites more often, i hunted one stand 4-5 times without any activity, and the day i moved got a kill

Picking a spot helps. Also using a different shaft than normal will make you miss a deer by an incredible margin. All of that and I can't bring myself to shoot fawns that are just out of spots. No matter how much I tell myself I will shoot the first thing without spots.

I learned a ghillie suit can help get stick bow close. Had 4 deer with 10 yards this season. That was one of my goals. Next season I need to convert these close encounters into shots.

I learned that taking deer off the ground is way more satisfying and more of a rush than hunting them from a tree could ever be!

SEE THE ABOVE POST!!!   :readit:   :help:lol

Steve

That evidentelly I'm terrible at it

I learned the deer are quite safe.

I learned it's much colder now then when I was younger.     :eek:

Stay focused right to the end of every session!   :banghead:    :banghead:

QuoteOriginally posted by Bjorn:
Stay focused right to the end of every session!    :banghead:      :banghead:  

Ditto. Don't jump the gun.

QuoteOriginally posted by Thumper Dunker:
 

QuoteOriginally posted by Bjorn:
Stay focused right to the end of every session!     :banghead:        :banghead:  

Ditto. Don't jump the gun. [/b]

Sound advice

I learned its very tough to due with your draw arm in a sling.

I learned that some lessons don't stay "learned". I must remember to pick a spot every time I draw, even if it is a half-dozen times over 20-40 minutes! I hated to learn that one again, especially 8,000 miles from home.

Life is good when kept simple.
Enjoy the hunt and hunt with your mind at peace.
Pick a spot. Forgot to do that and missed a buck a 6 yards I didn't think I could miss that close! On the ground!
Ground hunting is the ticket mobile and personal.

QuoteOriginally posted by Hot Hap:
That hunting in Dec.-Jan. is not quite as much fun as it was 40 years ago. Hap

LOL, that's for sure. A lot of stuff in single digit temps and a foot and a half of snow aren't quite as "exciting" as they used to be.   :p

Cold weather freezes truck doors shut, windows up or down, tree stand locks locked, safety harnesses in a wrapped up ball, pull ropes into long sticks, a foot of snow onto a tree stand, ice on steps, ice on tree stands, ice on tree stand's seats and walking on snow is louder than a school bus full of 3rd graders.

In general snow is pretty , then it sucks and if I'm going to hunt the late season..go South to do it.

Confirmation why I truly love the complete lifestyle of bowhunting,the animals,birds and pristine nature,the true solitude and peace while carrying me bow.

If something isn't working, try something else. Milkweed pods are fun to watch, easy to use and free

Deer are way faster than my arrows,  don't make eye contact, move the stirrups on summit climbers up as high as they will go once you are where you want to be in the tree.

To buy a quality flashlight with extra batteries and carry it!

I learned that I need to practice my shooting a lot more than I have been, especially when I'm in a tree and facing the excitement of having a whitetail deer in bow range. I thought I had that down pat (two arrows, two dead deer in '09 and '10), but I learned this season that I actually don't! Missed two bucks this season, both by just an inch or two over the back.

I also learned to always use a pull rope for the weapon of choice when climbing into any elevated stand, even ladder stands. Using one hand to climb with doesn't cut it!

No matter how old I get or how many times the scenerio has played out, the thrill of seeing a whitetail buck approaching my stand makes my heart race! I just love being in the woods!!!

QuoteOriginally posted by Flatshooter:
No matter how old I get or how many times the scenerio has played out, the thrill of seeing a whitetail buck approaching my stand makes my heart race! I just love being in the woods!!!

Ditto! Except for me the gender or size of the whitetail does not matter!

Here in NY State the archery season began on Oct. 1 as opposed to the traditinal mid October date and I figured it was just too warm that early and that early isn't real hunting mood weather.  When the hurricane hit later,I lost two weeks of prime hunting . Fortunately I shot a deer before that but "carpe diem" is the lesson relearned. Lou

If you don't go you will never shoot anything! d:^(

I learned that when you're a professional bowyer, the months preceeding Christmas are too busy to find the time to hunt.  (Same thing I've been learning since 2006)

All so thoughtful and mature.   :saywhat:  

I learned that the PA Game Commission has Cranial Butt-itis and needs surgery.

12 illegal bucks in the same area, some 12-14" LONG spikes & 130# that I've seen for 3 yrs, puts doubt in one's mind that not shooting spikes or 4pts because they're all "late born fawns" is a bit questionable!   :knothead:

3 1/2 months goes a lot quicker now than it did 20 years ago!

I learned my hunting karma is still in the toilet!

What did I learn? ! Great thought I :)
Each year is certainly growth and I try to keep it in a positive direction. Lol each year I keep a journal of various types.  Yearly I remind myself to be aggressive and work hard at hunting deer. My nature can be to become a little to content and happy in the cabin clearing shooting my bow or working on one of an endless list of little camp projects... ha this year my focus was better I shot my best buck to date 29Oct durring the worst day of hurricane Sandy in the middle of a golden rod field at 1130am. I was just in one of those stubborn moods and the outcome literally amazed me... I still shake my head?! Its my best story and I should share it with you all i've enjoyed so many of yours :)
This year I reinforced what we all probably should know all ready...  PERSISTENCE!

Practice, practice, practice.  Practice from different ranges, with heavy cloths and gloves. Practice from sitting, standing, tree stands and on one knee.
Tune your setup perfectly and have confidence in it.
All of these things helped me to be patient, calm and take a good shot as if on cruise control. Put in the time and the moment of truth can be a foregone conclusion.

I always practiced a lot but never had the confidence I did this year.

I told myself to hold back on shots that may be iffy. Passed up on a buck at 17 yds. and later got a doe at 7 yds. with my selfbow and stone point fir shaft. Patience. Practice till confidence sets in.

Iv'e learned that past success doesn't guarantee future success! Continued success only continues when effort is persistent. 3 shots 3 misses and an old adversary (TP) still rears his ugly head   :banghead:

Without a little luck all the hard work in the world won't help.   :)

QuoteOriginally posted by 4 point:
Without a little luck all the hard work in the world won't help.    :)  

Persistance is a good thing, but I also believe "a little luck" plays its part as well.

I learned it is a lot of fun to have a camera and a bow with you in the field, the trick is to have the right one in your hands at the right time!

I learned that not all my bow hunting stories need to end with the line "I did everything right till I pulled back the string" usually that is where everything goes to heck, finally got a deer with a bow and a grouse with a bow this year. Been trying several seasons for both with a compound, finally got it accomplished my second year hunting with a stick bow!
(http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/wachatz/deer2012/dadeer.jpg)
(http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/wachatz/IMG_20120921_100427.jpg)

175 grain Woodsman Elite-tipped arrows belong in QUIVERS.....NOT on the flooor next to the barefooted owner who (for reasons beyond belief) could inexplicably jump from the couch (barefooted) to mimic a kung fu movie on television.  9 stitches make SURE the lesson sticks with me!

   :banghead:  

Kingsnake

I learned that no matter what always enjoy your time in the woods. Someday we will all have a last hunt. Enjoy them all.

I actually learned a lot! I spend a lot of time in trying to kill trophy bucks. I also put a lot of pressure on myself to get out every chance I can. Well, I swore that this year would be different. I took the pressure off and just went out when I WANTED to and not feeling like I had to.
Best part was I got to hunt with 4 different kids! Talk about an exciting year. Me and my nephew(Hayden) had several buck encounters on the times we went out together. Me and Woods were knee deep in BIG bucks the week him and his dad were here.(there's a 140 class that Woods has a score to settle with). Of course my daughter and me had a couple great hunts. She's getting picky Now since she turned 16.lol  I got to take Benny who is 8 and on his first hunt. A doe almost bought the farm.
So, in a nutshell it's great to kill big bucks, but hunting with the above group topped any big buck I could have shot.

I learned not to leave bows and equipment in truck at house so someone else can steal it.   :knothead:    :banghead:

I learned to get in better shape, simplify my hunting strategy and take less equipment. I bumped several deer headin out in the morning cause carrying a seat, pack and bow was too much stuff.  Now I just take my bow and stand near a tree for a few hours.

I learned that being on the ground and having deer close is amazing.  I also realized that there is such a thing as to close and deer hear way better than I am quiet.

1. Grizzlies work.
2. Don't bother hunting an area after 19 Black powder guys invade.

I learned that you can't shoot anything if you're not in the woods!  Other obligations kept me a little busiier than usual this year.  

Squirrels are probably one of the most difficult things in the world to shoot. Period.

1)Mostly, I just learned to avoid any stress that cuases you to enjoy the time in the woods any less.

2)If you see deer moving with any consistancy in another location while nothing is happening under your stand...move it.

3)I will be putting my stands higher with more cover this year, I got busted a few times. And trying to find a safety system that doesn't drive me crazy and save more deers lives than mine.

4)I will be more concerned about how I enter my location.

5)I got to see more mature bucks this year and am very impressed with their smarts, I wonder how many mature deer I have missed sighting in the past and didn't know it.

6)I brought my 17 HMR on stand every time I hunted this year and was glad I did, I got 4 consecutive coyotes the first three bowhunts. I may have missed some opportunities at deer because of it, but it was good to be able to shoot the darn things.

7) Most importantly, I feel like I have learned how deer jump the string here in Oklahoma and will be aiming for the lower chest and slightly farther behind the shoulder at any range from 5-30 yards.