2012 season. What did you get? and were you satisfied?

[dan]

What did you get? Where you satisfied? Did you learn anything? Would you do anything differently?

[dan]

My season started out great, got a good buck, and then blew it on a nice buck opening week... Went down hill after that and did not get a lot of chances. If I could change something I would of hunted more. I slacked off a lot after getting a good one early.

[ehlusive]

I did not take a single deer, but I am satisfied with that. I wasn't able to hunt a ton unfortunately but I am satisfied in the fact just because of lack of hunting opportunities I didn't lower my personal standards. I had chances on smaller deer yet held my self to the goal I set before season started. Hoping that I can get back to hunting more this year.

[UntouchableNess]

Y'all are probably tired of seeing my 2012 bow buck, biggest to date. So I consider the season a huge success. I continued to try to fill my landowner tag, but probably didn't hunt as hard as usual.

Closing the season with an urban hunt archery double doe on Dec. 20 was a nice cap to the season, since it sets me up for the buck tag drawing in 2013.

[Crazinamatese]

2012 was my second season in 19 years of hunting not filling a tag. Not counting the times I was unable to hunt due to military obligations. The first few weeks of bow season I had a few close encounters. The season seemed promising. Saw some does and fawns and one buck. The last time I had a deer within kill range during bow season was Oct. 5th. I wounded a doe. I made a very bad shot and never found blood and did not recover. After that day, close encounters encounters went way down. When I say 'close encounters', I mean within at least 40 yards. Gun season was a blow out. I seen about 6 deer. Those were in one day in a short amount of time. There was a drive going on across the road from where I was hunting and they were bumped toward my direction. I only seen one buck the entire season. I hunted an area the first week of November where rut action was hot during the 2011 season, and no action occurred there. All in all, 2012 sucked! Partially my fault for not committing to the time I had available to hunt, and lack of scouting.
This year, I put some time in scouting already and have some areas somewhat figured out. I expected the rut to be awesome in 2012, but just never seen any action at all. Its hard to let deer walk when you know the rut won't promise anything. Thats a lesson I learned for sure. Finding those beds last month gave me a little bit of hope for next season. Its all about scouting and learning to expect a long season because nothing is guaranteed.

[ttsbuck]

I killed my biggest buck ever and was very satisfied with that. But I put a lot of effort into trying to kill a good buck on public land and was unable to accomplish that. I also wanted to kill a doe and didn't. I think never being satisfied is one of my personal faults or qualities, not quite sure which

[Maple_Ridge]

Yes....happy with my buck. Not huge by any means, but for my area this is what is on the upper end of the buck food chain. I really, really enjoy seeing photos on this site of some very nice bucks. Hopefully someday I can place a tag on a local buck of that caliber.

That said, I sure do like takin the does to the freezer. With an overabundance, and seeing over 80 does and fawns in a 1/4 mile strech last december, I have no problem doing my part and dropping the trigger on em.

Besides that, I hit another one with my truck a month ago on my way to work. That was fuel on the fire I tell ya......

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[kurt]

satisfied yes. biggest on public mid 130s. weighed 207 dressed

[Jackson Marsh]

Overall I am satisfied with my season. Had my first almost successful bed hunt the second weekend of the bow season. Had three bucks come out of a bedding area, nice tall four pointer which I passed on. Little latter had a real nice tall tined buck come through which I ended up wounding (brisket shot). The buck behind the buck I wounded heard me shoot and headed deeper into the brush, got a look at him and he was a big one. Tracked the wounded buck the next morning and ended up jumping him out of his bed.......which was the end of the blood trail.

Ended up killing a buck during the rut in a dinky little tree, about eight feet off the ground......really exciting hunt.

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[BigHills BuckHunter]

Very Satisfied....I honestly had my best season ever.

The season started off rough wounding a doe and missing a buck on public and wounding another but just like that everything changed for the best.

Filled bow tag on my best buck, killed a doe from the ground with a bow, filled both doe and buck tags with gun as well.

What would I change?.....practice shooting my bow a lot more. Also working on my patience and confidence while on stand. I learned if I dont go into a setup confident my hunt is WAY less enjoyable and unproductive.

[muddy]

Yup happy. Good public land 145 class, 2 does and 2 turkeys off public a few days later, and a 5 doe slaughter during late season off one turnip field

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[Stanley]

Killed a couple of bucks in the 140 -150 range. I never lament about any buck I kill. If I killed it that's good enough for me. I don't have to kill a buck, so what I killed is what I got. I am satisfied to answer the question.

[hunter_mike]

2012 season was overall a great season for me. I didn't kill anything except for when I massacred a doe and a fawn on a deer drive during gun season mainly because the landowner wanted venison. I passed up a couple year and a half bucks and messed up on a 2.5 buck that I wounded. And there were three other buck encounters that didn't end with me killing one. But this was a learning year for sure. I had more "on purpose" rather than luck close encounters with bucks this year than any other hunting year prior.

I ran into a DVD called "Hunting Marsh Bucks" in mid august which suddenly exploded my learning curve which had absolutely plateaued a several years prior. By the time gun season ended, I was pretty much in scouting mode already, and I have managed to get out and scout 1-3 times per week to scout since then. The spots I have found, and the knowledge I have gained from that make me feel confident that 2013 will be my greatest year yet and I can not wait Is it September yet?

[Dewey]

I didn't kill a buck with the bow again for the third straight year but it wasn't from lack of opportunity. Been seeing great bucks and passed on quite a few that were borderline shooters.

My regret was the two biggest ones that I messed up on. One was in the 150's that busted me drawing while hunting on the ground. Never got a shot off. The other buck was easily a Booner with probably the widest spread I ever saw while hunting. Didn't get him in position for a shot but if I would have listened to my original gut feeling when setting up I would have been in position perfectly for a killing shot.

I killed a 7pt on opening morning of gun season up north. Wasn't a big buck but felt good since I have been thinking about giving up on the gun season and this kill kickstarted my excitement again. Been real tough hunting up there the last 5 years or so and not nearly as much fun since much of our group moved on to better hunting.

I suppose you could say my bow season was frustrating because of those two bucks I messed up on but I don't look at it that way. I am just happy to be in the game and being in position to have an opportunity. It's all about the chase for me at this point in my life and a kill doesn't make or break my season.

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[G3s]

I had a good season, I managed to take a couple of good bow bucks, one being my oldest buck ever which was really awesome. If I could go back and change one thing, it would have to be to get my kids out a bit more often.