Just thought I'd ask you guys some of the things you learned this year/accomplished?
For me, this year was one of the best I've had! I learned a lot and spent some time in the woods with some great people.
#1: I really enjoyed organizing hunts with some great buddies, family, and fellow Tradgang members! It definitely made my year. I'll be sure to take the time in the future to plan to hunt with others.
#2 I feel really happy with my scouting skills and keeping the bar high in stand placement. I moved a lot of stands and pulled a lot more in an effort to only hunt stands that would give my buddies and I really good success. The extra effort paid off and in the future I will not maintain a stand that doesn't present with a game animal within range at least 50% of the time. Getting lucky won't be an option.
#3 I learned a lot about hunting new areas and had good success on public land. I grew up hunting my parents farm and had always wondered if my success was do to having a "cherry" spot to hunt. I found the opposite! I plan to focus more on public land and save up for my own price of private land to purchase in the next 5 years.
Would love to hear your thoughts and wish you all a blessed 2015!
1. I learned how much fun 3rd tournaments can be and hope that I can make more of them this year!
2. Don't over think it....
3. Got my first trad harvest this last fall and I'm amazed how fast and clean a sharp broad head can put down a buck. Sharpness is the key!
4. Sit back and enjoy God's creation.
God bless,
Rodd
I learned that when you grunt a mature buck to a stop, on a crisp morning........Aim low!!!!
Yep!
I learned never again to pass-up a ten yard shot on a mature doe that had no clue that I was there...the result was "tag soup."
What did I learn?....
1- Work is over rated.
2- Take a day or so off before and after a hunting trip.
3- Leave nothing un-done at home before you go away.
4- A Trad Get Together is what I live for.
5- Who ever dies with the most toys, wins!
Happy New Year Everyone!
... mike ... :D ...
As I get older, I am learning that you need to do it or it won't happen. I keep saying next year, and there may not be one.
ChuckC
QuoteOriginally posted by ChuckC:
As I get older, I am learning that you need to do it or it won't happen. I keep saying next year, and there may not be one.
ChuckC
Ain't that the truth........ :thumbsup:
I learned that when you move to a new hunting territory do not neglect to check out your old faithful spot. The new one was a flop and the old one was overran with big bucks. Lol, that's the breaks of outsmarting yourself.
Don't panic when the big one "appears to be leaving"
1) Get on target first rather than getting to full draw and then moving on target.
2) I need warmer clothing when the temps get below zero F.
3) Trail cams that are located close to the ground will be stolen.
I am not sure I really learned anything totally new, but I sure was repeatedly reminded about the importance of continual review of what has been learned before. Also, somebody stated that a research project on excellence looked into the difference between very good performers and outstanding ones, and this applies to music, dance, sports and many precision activities. It stated that the threshold is crossed at approximately 10,000 hours of dedicated practice. Guess I still have a way to go in 2015.
Don't just rely on what you think has always worked.
You have to do the prep work.
Try new things.
I also got to spend some time with a fellow TradGanger, and I was reminded that isolation is refreshing, but the fellowship is why we do this.
I look forward to trying to participate in some "group" hunts and making a few more 3-D shoots.
Lastly, I learned that it will always seem really hard until it isn't... that is, once I get a harvest or a great opportunity, it seems easy. Then it's hard again until the next.
Lastly, I learned to enjoy every second of! Admire what has been created for us to enjoy.
I learned a little more about stand placement and how much fun my Ghillie suit can be.
QuoteOriginally posted by Michael Arnette:
Just thought I'd ask you guys some of the things you learned this year/accomplished?
For me, this year was one of the best I've had! I learned a lot and spent some time in the woods with some great people.
#1: I really enjoyed organizing hunts with some great buddies, family, and fellow Tradgang members! It definitely made my year. I'll be sure to take the time in the future to plan to hunt with others.
#2 I feel really happy with my scouting skills and keeping the bar high in stand placement. I moved a lot of stands and pulled a lot more in an effort to only hunt stands that would give my buddies and I really good success. The extra effort paid off and in the future I will not maintain a stand that doesn't present with a game animal within range at least 50% of the time. Getting lucky won't be an option.
#3 I learned a lot about hunting new areas and had good success on public land. I grew up hunting my parents farm and had always wondered if my success was do to having a "cherry" spot to hunt. I found the opposite! I plan to focus more on public land and save up for my own price of private land to purchase in the next 5 years.
Would love to hear your thoughts and wish you all a blessed 2015!
Oops
I learned I stopped killing deer when my wife and I dropped to 1 vehicle. I have been getting closer though every year.
If you're going to hunt from up high practice from up high or at least remember to aim low ! Big bucks up close are harder to kill than does farther away ; at least for me !
I learned that I need to do more scouting. Weather changed my plans right during the rut and I was out of my best spot. I had to scramble to find a spot since I had focused my efforts in areas I could no longer hunt. For next year I'll do more scouting starting right after the season ends (Jan 10). I'm going to log the spots in a spreadsheet with coordinates and what wind(s) would be best to hunt them.
Equipment wise, I was pretty set. Except, I need to put some felt tape on the metal parts of my lone wolf sticks and stands. I've used it for 10 years without but quieting it down would be a plus.
I do have a new bow on order for next season as well!!
I realized that all those shooters who say they shoot better with a longer bow and a heavier bow might actually be on to something...LOL
I basically learned that I haven't learned near enough yet (as far as locating game and the planning portion of hunting)! :knothead:
I haven't actually learned it this year,it has been taking place over the last couple actually, and this is what it is......
When I come home and jot down the days adventure in my hunting journal, it does not matter if anything has been killed or not. Anymore it is about what I see or feel while I am out there, because it is a true "privilege" to just be there.
I love venison. Pure,lean,protein at it's finest, and when I do fasten a tag on a deer, the circle has come complete and I make the most of it. The years that the circle does not come round.....that's o.k. too!
Good Hunting,
Craig
I knew I'd be giving up possible shots on deer by going traditional. Indeed I could have had 3 in the freezer before gun season, instead I had none. What I learned was I didn't care.
A doe at six yards early in the season is a doe that is still walking after the season ends. Oh well.
Age requires better clothing to stay comfortable on stand.
#1. There are very few deer in East Texas
#2. There are fewer Bucks in East Texas
#3. Don't lower your bow from your stand with 5 minutes of legal shooting light remaining. :mad:
#4. There's always next year.
#5. I've got to stop buying so many bows.
#6. The most important one...I'm retiring in a few days and can't wait. :goldtooth: This will most likely help with #5.
Have a great year.
Learned to keep focused on basics and pay attention to details. The rest will take care of itself
I also learned that there is no substitute for confidence and excellent equipment
I learned that I still have a lot of work to do on my new property.
There are not many deer in northern Michigan compared to southen Michigan.
Hunting big woods deer is tougher than hunting agricultural deer.
My plots came up great and I have access trails to play the wind when hunting a stand, but I need to create some bedding areas on my land. The deer were not bedding on me most of the time and they didn't get to my place until after dark. The chain saw is ready to roll for this winter and spring. I will also plant a few hundred norway sruce and some shrubs to thicken things up in the future.
D.P.
Relocated to Arkansas in March of 14. This is my first whitetail season ever, to say i learned a lot is a under statement. O i came from California
!. When Scouting in the summer time its HOT
2. When hunting in the winter time its COLD
3. Hunting in the cold is no where near as bad as hunting in the cold with a 15 mph wind.
4. Good wool clothing and boots to handle 2 & 3 are not cheep but worth it at twice the price.
5. What a white oak looks like and why you need to know that.
6. What a pinch point and a travel corridor looks like.
7. How to use a climbing tree stand
8. Aim a little low when hunting from a climbing tree stand.
Got to go More to come.
I learned early in 2014 the importance of a freezer alarm. Lost 100lbs of deer meat, 85 lbs of hog, 6 chickens and 4 rabbits. Such a waste.
I learned that shooting a bare bow instinctively is much harder than shooting a compound with sights......I also learned that I find it much more rewarding and enjoyable.
I learned that the biggest buck on the property I was hunting didn't get big by being stupid. First sighting other than Trailcam pics and even though he was as close as 9 yards behind my stand, he never presented a shot and ignored bleats and grunts until he was 32 yards away....
....then, I also learned that when faced with a quartering away shot between two trees and a million tiny branches at 32 yards on the biggest buck I've ever hunted, I had enough respect for the animal and ethics to not force a bad shot just because I wanted him.
I learned about the Trad Gang and feel extremely blessed to have found my way here.
I learned that you can't kill a good buck every year, and some years you just have to be satified with taking some does. I also learned I need to try my hand at trad hunting next year.
Don't pass a shot in October you'd be glad to take in December. Not quite tag soup this year but awful close.
1.that monster bucks can just appear out of no where
2. when said buck sees you in tree at 10 yards, go ahead and finish draw, because he wont be there long
3. like others have said, dont pass early what you wouldnt pass on the last day
1) Be in the spot as early as needed, and don't be afraid to drop off the backside, even if it means losing 1500 ft of elevation.
2) when you find elk, don't give them a week to reset their patterns. (hunting multiple days in a row would have been really smart)
2) There's always a way through the cliffs :scared: => :eek: => :thumbsup: (see #1)!
1.Go hunting more in the AM. My trailcams have verified this fact to me.
2.Don't rush your shot. If a deer is close enough to shoot then it doesn't know you are there!
3.If you are going to hunt from a ground blind, then you need to practice shooting from the ground blind.
4.Continue to practice IN deer season just like you do BEFORE deer season. This is a lesson that I "relearn" every year! (the hard way, I might add!)
5.THANK THE GOOD LORD FOR EVERY DAY HE GIVES YOU and WHAT JESUS DID FOR YOU ON THE CROSS!
I'm happy to say I've put venison in the freezer every year. This year I decided to hold out for a "good buck". When the opportunity presented itself, I missed (deflected arrow). Lesson learned, pay attention to what lies between me and my target. No problem, I wasn't even upset. I had the opportunity and I was still seeing deer every sit. I decided to continue holding out for a "good buck". I sat a stand I just moved and had a nice buck in front of me...busted as I tried to stand to take my shot! Lesson learned, practice more from a seated position. Season continued and I passed on several chances for does and young bucks. Lesson learned, try to fill the freezer in October then hope for an opportunity at a "good buck" in November. In November I passed on a beauty of an 8pt twice that was too far 35 yrds. I saw that buck a couple more times at the end of the season. Lesson learned, he'll be there next year!
Even if you make a poor shot, give it time, don't assume, follow up cuz you owe it to the critter! 100 yes later a nice 6pter. God is good!
QuoteOriginally posted by hitman:
I learned that when you move to a new hunting territory do not neglect to check out your old faithful spot. The new one was a flop and the old one was overran with big bucks. Lol, that's the breaks of outsmarting yourself.
Same happened to me! Found a farm 5 minutes from my door and it was a flop. My old farm that has been a flop in the past was on FIRE! The lady sold off all the cattle and there is nothing left but deer and turkey now. I also learned that gadgets is over rated and I'm well on my way to an all trad 2015. I started it off last week when I hit a running rabbit with my recurve!
I was lucky. I learned not to assume that the loop of strap you click your harness tether onto is the loop secured to the tree. After hunting for 4 hours in a stand that is set in place for the season, I lowered my bow to the ground, stood and turned to unhook my tether and discovered that in the pre-dawn darkness I had clicked my carabiner onto a random loop of excess strap, not the loop that was intended and secured to the tree. Thank God I didnt stand and lean out for a awkward angle shot. Next year and thereafter I will double check every time.
I learned just how fast your life can change .
Lost my best friend and hunting partner and lost my dad just before Christmas .
There is no do overs in life , don't waste time or do what you could regret .
I learned where this guy lives.
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And if you notice the date on this last picture, he made it through rifle season!
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There is no such thing as a Chip Shot, and I need to pratice before season with my face mask on so I can feel what anchor is like.
:thumbsup:
Don't fall asleep when hunting, or at least don't let your son catch you.
Physical Therapy can work.
I guess I just reaffirmed that big bucks don't get big for being stupid. I played cat and mouse with a 160 class buck for a month and a half and he won. It was a great fall even though I didn't get to put my tag on him but the opportunity to be able to see and hunt such a magnificent animal made it a great fall.
I learned when the Doc tells you "You have cancer" You look at things a whole lot different. Got to hunt some and spent more time enjoying it. Didn,t kill a deer. But from the sounds of all my post op reports there is always next year.
PRAISE THE LORD, Longbow58!
To stand and ready for a,shot as,soon as I spot a deer coming in. twice the deer did not stick to the script. And I hand cuffed my self by getting pinned down by a big ten then he got right under me and looked right up at me. The other I had a small window to shoot but could not cuz I was sitting. And needed to stand he was in and out of my lane to fast.
The other thing I learned (again) was always be ready in the pre rut no matter the weather or deer activity they can be,where you least expect it. ( jumped one miday by nonchalantly taking a ladder down from a tree.
And not to take a rest day during the rut even if it's during gun season.
I'm sure I' could think of more. But those are the main ones. I did not loose one arrow at a deer all season. Just,stumps and squirrels.
and the award for the best reply goes to........ Wait for it, Wait for it, Longbow58. Great news!
To buy my own farm to hunt.. :banghead:
1-learned how much I love traditional archery!
2-learned to never give up,practice practice practice, and eventually it will all come together on the target and in the woods!
3-learned so much on this site from great people!
Thanks guys. Also learned how many great guys you meet on this sight! C'mon 2015!
QuoteOriginally posted by Longbow58:
I learned when the Doc tells you "You have cancer" You look at things a whole lot different. Got to hunt some and spent more time enjoying it. Didn,t kill a deer. But from the sounds of all my post op reports there is always next year.
May god bless you buddy. I bet it really changes the way you see and think about things.
John; PM sent.
I learned that small platform tree stands are no longer for me. Replacing all my stands in 2015 to larger platform stands.
Ron
Change strings more often.