Frustrating, but a learning experience

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freeboro
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Frustrating, but a learning experience

Unread postby freeboro » Tue Nov 04, 2014 7:43 am

I took off last Thursday to hunt and Friday to go to my son's school a couple hours away for his halloween festivities and to bring him back with me for my weekend with him and hoped to get out a little Saturday.

I only managed to get out on Thursday, but all day. Friday was shot with the travel, school stuff, etc. Friday night, me, my son, and my fiancee all came down with a stomach bug and were up half the night so Saturday was out.

Thursday morning I slipped in to where I had an encounter with a shooter on a NE wind a few weeks ago. It's a funnel connecting 2 big wood lots and the funnel itself is large and very thick, doubling as bedding cover. Add in a transition of pines to hardwoods and the funnel thicket and my downwind approach and I figured I'd have a banner time with cruising bucks. Got set up just at first light and at 830 a large framed 4 point moved through just as planned....and that was it until I got down at lunch. The wind was right and I felt the location was right but I was going to sit there and waste time. I had a move (to another property) in mind already and figured I'd speed scout the woodlot I had access to and see just where the deer were if I needed to stay on this property. Well, they weren't anywhere. I never found a fresh scrape or rub and only jumped 3 does out of a patch of hemlock the size of my living room. I found no acorns, hickories, or beech nuts on the ground, and the crops have been cut. So I returned to my stand, took it down and split.

I went to a piece of public land I'd hunted spring turkeys on and found a stand in what I felt was a really good spot. A large swamp / marsh in the valley, surrounded by hills. In the swamp there was a very prominent piece of high ground, covered in hardwoods and it was thick. There was a stand set up just on the edge of the transition with the swamp and I made note of it to hunt at this point of the season. The parking area for this piece is very small and sure enough, there was a truck there. I knew where that guy was so I pulled out my topo and took a look. On the other side of the road is a VERY small piece of public ground. All swamp, very thick and nasty and there was one small piece of ground that would be dry. I'd say it was smaller then the footprint of my house and I thought it'd be a good place to investigate. Grabbed the stand and stalked in. I immediately found a good trail, a couple of small scrapes and little rubs! I figured I was good to go and looked forward to seeing some deer! I moved into a position downwind of the high ground where the trail split, one branch going directly at the high ground, one looking like it went past it, running parallel to the stream I was next too. I found my kill tree and got up high so I could cover both trails and see out into the swamp to catch anything moving, even if it didn't come past me. I neither saw nor heard a thing.

To say I was frustrated and disappointed would be an understatement, but I learned something. I'd read while on stand where Dan said "the sign in the low country is from at night. They bed high and move into the lowlands after dark." at the time I thought "Well I'm hunting a swamp, they bed in the swamp." Well, I think they probably do....when the surrounding area is also all flat ground. But, since i was just in a swampy valley surrounded by hill country, I should've hunted high. That point was driven home as I pulled out of the road the parking area was on and 3 does were coming off of the hillside and headed straight for the piece of ground I'd just hunted...


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Motivated
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Re: Frustrating, but a learning experience

Unread postby Motivated » Tue Nov 04, 2014 1:47 pm

Sounds like got more accomplished in one day than many hunters would in a season. You were mobile, aggressive, thinking, making decisions, ruling out areas, reflecting, and learning. One good lesson learned well is worth it. Most of us only get better by realizing why we have failed in the past, then thoughtfully correcting those errors. That's how I learn best.

You have my respect.

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Work hard, stay humble, be kind.
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freeboro
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Re: Frustrating, but a learning experience

Unread postby freeboro » Wed Nov 05, 2014 2:25 am

Well, you made me feel a lot better about it! LOL

That was my intention of speed scouting that piece after a dismal morning sit. My mission was to find fresh sign or cross it off the list, so it's crossed off.

On to better things and new areas!
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KillYourTV
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Re: Frustrating, but a learning experience

Unread postby KillYourTV » Wed Nov 05, 2014 12:26 pm

As a new deer hunter, I LOVE reading stuff like this! Great lessons.

Oh yeah, happy one your anniversary on THB!
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