best lesson learned from 2017

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creepingdeth
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best lesson learned from 2017

Unread postby creepingdeth » Thu Jan 11, 2018 10:18 am

You can surely tell most of us are done w/ our seasons by latest posts. This is one of those... :lol: Just wondering what was your biggest "ahhah" from this past season. Anything to do w/ hunting deer....behavior, equipment, areas, terrain etc...
Mine was not necessarily w/ deer, it was areas. The season started out w/ a bang, numerous smallish bucks under the stand and no busts. Huge for me, I'm a kindergartner at Beast tactics :lol: . Then the season got real tough. By the time the season was winding up for me, I was not even seeing much for even does or youngsters. I kept getting out, but figured a few things out while twiddling my frozen thumbs.
#1. The areas I hunt are public, mostly smaller(3-400 acres), and see bow, A, B, and muzzy. Fairly pounded. Deer numbers are nice w/ a few mature bucks around, very blessed. Those deer are still around, its my job to find them.
#2. I need to find those out of the way places and holes nobody in their right mind would try to enter. I have some water nearby I know hold big bucks. Wasn't ready this year, I will be for next.
#3. All areas are within 30 mins. of me...need to travel to some bigger ones.
#4. Have only scouted these areas 1 yr. It will take maybe 2-4 to really understand them. Daunting, but a piece of the puzzle.
I could go on and on... :lol: , but really, I learned more about the when, where, and whys of some of the places I hunt. What was your biggest or most important find from last year?? :think:


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Edcyclopedia
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Re: best lesson learned from 2017

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Thu Jan 11, 2018 10:21 am

I suck @ hunting mature bucks...
But look good doing it!
Expect the Unexpected when you least Expect it...
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Jonny
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Re: best lesson learned from 2017

Unread postby Jonny » Thu Jan 11, 2018 10:55 am

1. Be more comfortable with my gear and confident in my ability
2. Failure is okay. Wasting time second guessing isn't. Make a decision, go with it and learn from it.
3. Don't let stupid stuff get to you. Hunting is fun and a way to get my mind off life
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Re: best lesson learned from 2017

Unread postby Jeff G » Thu Jan 11, 2018 11:12 am

I was reminded by a slob buck to always have your weapon in your hands when on stand.
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Re: best lesson learned from 2017

Unread postby KLEMZ » Thu Jan 11, 2018 11:28 am

The most important thing I learned is that when you find an active area....WORK IT! I don't mean keep sitting the same tree three days in a row, but keep bouncing around in the active area based on sightings, sign, and wind directions. This year on my big woods rut bowhunt, I found a doe bedding area that was very active. Day one I saw 6 does/fawns and one young buck chasing. Day two I moved 60 yards in order to cover where all the deer movement was seen and saw a couple does out of range moving towards the bedding area but no bucks seen. Day three I moved in tighter to bedding (about an eighty yard move) and shot one of my biggest north woods bucks to date. In the past I would have moved on to greener pastures after the second hunt, thinking I had burned the bridge, but this year I wanted to try sticking it out in an active area...and I am glad I did! Thanks to magicman for that idea! I don't know if this is a solid strategy in all terrains, but in low population big woods I believe it is.
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Re: best lesson learned from 2017

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Thu Jan 11, 2018 11:35 am

KLEMZ wrote:The most important thing I learned is that when you find an active area....WORK IT! I don't mean keep sitting the same tree three days in a row, but keep bouncing around in the active area based on sightings, sign, and wind directions. This year on my big woods rut bowhunt, I found a doe bedding area that was very active. Day one I saw 6 does/fawns and one young buck chasing. Day two I moved 60 yards in order to cover where all the deer movement was seen and saw a couple does out of range moving towards the bedding area but no bucks seen. Day three I moved in tighter to bedding (about an eighty yard move) and shot one of my biggest north woods bucks to date. In the past I would have moved on to greener pastures after the second hunt, thinking I had burned the bridge, but this year I wanted to try sticking it out in an active area...and I am glad I did! Thanks to magicman for that idea! I don't know if this is a solid strategy in all terrains, but in low population big woods I believe it is.


Thats the same approach I use. In urban, never saw a deer from stand till I killed a target buck. 2.5 weeks of Sept hunting I saw 1 small buck from stand. Cameras told me bucks were around...just zig zagging.
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Re: best lesson learned from 2017

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Thu Jan 11, 2018 11:51 am

My lesson? Don't hunt Nebraska with a bow during the firearm season.
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Re: best lesson learned from 2017

Unread postby Twenty Up » Thu Jan 11, 2018 11:53 am

Scout more!

Got hung up on mature buck sign near doe bedding, turns out my buddy got the slob on camera during daylight 1/4 mile away. Found his rut beds but no dice...

Scout more, search for better access and seek permission for some more closer private land
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Bedbug
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Re: best lesson learned from 2017

Unread postby Bedbug » Thu Jan 11, 2018 12:05 pm

Strategy wise My number 1 lesson
~entrance and exits~....always been a top priority for me but every year I seem to find more flaws in it. Usually sent impact this year the ahah was the first step, parking.
Mid October I watched THE buck flee from the very area I thought predicted hed be bed that wind. Simply because I slowed down on the gravel road and stopped where I normally park....
A real who's hunting who moment :think: was eye opening.

Coming in very close 2nd
The realization that I need to bring the wife with more and wondering why I hadn't in years past.
She tagged along 4 times total this season. Just to see what it was about. Let me tell you guys it was an absolute blast!!!! Normally a quiet, lone hunter I was personally surprised at how much I actually had to teach someone thats green too it. On top of that the memories. There was moments we were laughing until we were crying!
The 4 times she came with were by far the my most memorable and enjoyable hunts of my 17' season.
Until the kids are old enough I'll be capitalizing on it.
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Re: best lesson learned from 2017

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Jan 11, 2018 12:05 pm

Big lesson learned by me in 2017 was don’t get too overconfident in your shooting abilities. I haven’t wounded a deer in 15 years. During that time if I released an arrow something died quickly. This year I wounded one buck and completely missed another. No matter how long you hunt or how well you shoot a season like mine will eventually happen. All I can do is learn from it and do whatever it takes to prevent it from happening again in the future.
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Re: best lesson learned from 2017

Unread postby stash59 » Thu Jan 11, 2018 12:13 pm

Don't count your chickens before they're hatched.

Because my health had improved to a good enough point I got to hunt quite abit in 2016. I thought I'd continue to improve health wise. Some things did improve but others didn't and new stuff popped up. Leading to a season no better in 2017 than 2016.

So I need to think in my head to plan for the best, but not be surprised by things being the worst.
Happiness is a large gutpile!!!!!!!
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Re: best lesson learned from 2017

Unread postby <DK> » Thu Jan 11, 2018 12:16 pm

mainebowhunter wrote:My lesson? Don't hunt Nebraska with a bow during the firearm season.


:lol: :violin:
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Re: best lesson learned from 2017

Unread postby <DK> » Thu Jan 11, 2018 12:17 pm

Edcyclopedia wrote:I suck @ hunting mature bucks...
But look good doing it!


There ya go :handgestures-thumbupright:
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Re: best lesson learned from 2017

Unread postby JAK » Thu Jan 11, 2018 12:37 pm

Hunt where sign tells u to no matter what. Cyber scout a point night before hunt get in and all the sign tells me I have to sit this tree but since it was small (but big enough) I decided to hunt a bigger tree 30 yards away and had a big 10 walk right past that tree at 10 or so yards and I ended up missing him at 40. Sign never lies. If it means being uncomfertable in a smaller tree but it's where I've got to be you can bet I won't make that mistake again
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Re: best lesson learned from 2017

Unread postby blackwidow » Thu Jan 11, 2018 1:34 pm

My biggest lesson was to go in and hunt. Stop being too worried about busting something out. It was obvious since I don't have much pressure where I hunt that the deer weren't leaving due to the pressure that I put on them. Mature bucks were daylight active and visible and I didn't move in when I should've to kill the buck I was after. Of course, I still have 2 days to hunt, so maybe I will heed my own advice here and just go for it. Sometimes I try being too careful and I don't hunt like I should. You can't always kill the buck that you're after by playing it safe.


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