For Everyone who didn't shoot a buck!

[vtbuck]

I’m in it for the experience and piece of mind. I’ve had 9 years of buck tag soup. Had chances. Kills are great but I’m also looking to kill a buck that I either have history with or that makes the ticker jump out of my chest. I’ve passed a lot of bucks but have no regrets.
Getting more beast oriented helps cause of all the new locations I’m hunting. I never know what slob might come into bow range or just be seen.

[Kraftd]

Two different conversations going on here in my opinion.

Chasing mature bucks is certainly helped by higher deer numbers, but is a different conversation to overall deer herd management.

I get a little annoyed when people blame management agencies for deer herd numbers, frankly. If you're the one on the ground in your area, you know what it can take, for the most part. The public I hunt in SE WI has very low deer numbers. I won't shoot does there. They have limited the public tags, which is good imo, but the guys on the ground need to be more responsible. If you see one deer a season an shoot it, you are a bigger part of the problem than the DNR, again just my opinion. The DNR only offers the tags, they don't pull the trigger.

If getting a deer is that important to you, which I get, I would hate to go without venison for a year, there are still plenty of areas of WI that there are plenty high deer numbers to get your deer for the year. Find them.

I also think we have to understand that the deer herd isn't and probably shouldn't be managed for trophy deer harvest. That's a slippery slope or loss of overall support of non0hunters, again in my opinion. If our refrain to antis is largely focused on using the meat, and we push the management agencies to manage for big antlers, we lose our footing as an already dwindling population.

Back to the original post, I got a couple of bucks (estimated 2 an 3 year old). Missed a couple of chances on true mature animals too. The funky weather through the traditional late season kind of killed my drive to get out and try and fill my final buck tag. On to scouting!

[adudeuknow]

Killed 2 bucks. 3.5 and 4 5. Happy with my season. Both killed late season. PA and OH

[d_rek]

Did not kill a buck this year and am totally OK with that. Yes, I would have liked more meat for the freezer but would have gladly taken a 2nd doe if I had the opportunity.

Sadly I did not even see a 2.5yr old or better on the hoof last season and I hunted the hardest I ever have. Tons of pre-season scouting, tried to hunt only good winds for spots, but just an endless parade of 1.5 yr old bucks at most of my locations. Yes it was disappointing but I also passed on a lot of 1.5 yr old bucks.

I feel like i'm on the cusp of breaking through to figuring out hunting older deer and buck bedding. Learn a ton this year especially in regards to access and thermals. Armed with what I learned this year i'm positive I should be able to get on some good deer next season.

[Navy96]

Didn’t close the deal on any bucks this year. i had the opportunity X2 this season( 1. Wasn’t comfortable with the range and very small opening 2. From his approach i didn’t have the opportunity before he winded me).
That being said prior to this season i haven’t hunting 10X in the last 5 yrs. ( 4 boys - ALL out of HS now).
This season i got a late start( mid Nov). I hadn’t been in so long i didn’t realize how BAD I MISSED BOWHUNTING.
So stumbled upon DAN’s videos on YouTube and Caught the bug real bad. Learned a lot from the videos and lurking on this site for a few weeks before joining. Hunted 20+ times this season - Had those 2 opportunities at mature bucks. I know of at least 3 shooters that made it through the season so far. I have already started scouting the public properties I hunt in my area for next season. It’s not easy but I feel I’m learning more and more every time i step in the woods.

[Tufrthnails]

I killed a young basket racked 8pt for the meat, but didn’t kill anything mature. I possibly have one more 4th qtr Hail Mary trip depending on scheduling. I’m not disappointed in the least with the season overall. I filled the freezer nicely. I also chased the biggest buck of my life in KY this year and had multiple encounters with him, but he didn’t get old by showing off. My Fl public land hunting was sorta short with bow season being ruined by the hurricane and all. I did get a little burnt out in the swamp toward the end on gun season and missed some days I should have been out with the rut firing off.

[Brian1986]

I didn't get to hunt nearly as much as I had planned this season and didn't end up taking a buck. Work projects kept me busy until late October. Then the engine in my truck blew midway into my hunting vacation. When the transmission in my backup car blew the very next day I began wondering if God was trying to get my attention?! Haha... At any rate, despite that I still had a few big buck encounters. This one sticks out-

I missed a good 10ptr at 30yds broadside Oct 29th. I have replayed it over in my head several times. It was only my 2nd hunt of the year (the first being a different area, observation hunt). I had several cameras out since late July but had only checked a couple. One of them had a giant 8 pointer on it. In addition to him, there were a couple more bucks that I had hoped made it from the 2017 season that could be whoppers if they survived. So the wheels were turning in my head that morning thinking of what might be. About an hour after legal light that morning I first caught glance of a dark set of antlers. The buck was on his way back to bedding and slowly feeding on acorns & green leaves about 65 yards away. With all the trees and brush still holding the majority of their leaves, it was hard to get a good view of him. But as time went on I continued to catch bits and pieces of him. I could tell he was big, but how big? Long story short, almost 40 minutes later the buck had fed 25 yards closer to me. Now he is at 40yds and working a licking branch over a scrape 10yds from my lane. I can finally get a good clean look at him. I hadn't seen this buck before. He appeared to be in the 150s, blocky head and body, mature.

I was excited, yet I also was conflicted... I had just started my hunting for the year. I wanted him, yet I was bummed about the idea of my season already being over. Plus Dad and I always hunt the last week of October and first week of November together. He's in his mid 60s with health issues. Don't know how many seasons of doing this he has left. Ha, those are not the thoughts a guy should have running through his head as he is trying to pull a shot off on a good buck. But it's where I was at. I decided, I will only take a shot if he stops perfectly broadside in my 30 yard lane. Ha, I think part of me might of even been rooting for him to not walk into it. But sure enough a couple minutes after he had finished with the licking branch he was slow walking into my lane. He turned his head away for a short moment, so I decide Im going to go ahead and take him. I draw. He turns his head back towards me. I'm relaxed and steady as I put my pin on him and am thinking ok, season over. He should even run back towards the truck some after the shot! Great, 100yds less drag time. Ill tell dad to keep hunting, it's cold out, the buck will be fine on the back of my truck. I release the arrow only to watch the arrow safely fly an inch over the top of the buck's back, burying into the base of the red oak tree behind him. The buck had dropped some at the shot, increasing my error. Funny how all that nostalgia and indecision left me once I saw that buck run away after a clean miss! It was instantly replaced with frustration and that sick feeling in your stomach when you blow a perfect opportunity. Arghhh... I made myself sit in my stand for another 3hrs just to look at that green arrow nock staring back at me in the base of the tree. I relayed the story to dad on our drive back home and he gave me a good friendly but chewing haha.

It's no guarantee I would've made the shot had I done everything right. But not being 100% committed and focused on killing the buck severely reduced my chances of pulling it off. Had I not had my head in lala land, I would've thought more about the buck being a little wary when the doe's ahead of him moved off. I would've thought to adjust my point of aim lower being high in a tree. I would've waited til the buck turned to look away from me when I shot. And maybe I also had gotten a little cocky. Big bucks have a way of humbling you fast :) It was a fun season.

[Deerhuntermark]

Awesome Topic... enjoyed reading everyones responses.

On this forum more than anywhere else, it is easy to feel like you are the only one who did not shoot a buck this year! Lets take a realistic look at this... Even though there are several good hunters here I'd bet that a fair number of us didn't.

I believe on learning from each experience. So here are my take aways for the season.

Personally I scouted more this season than I have in the past but obviously not enough. So im gonna scout more.

I also had one opportunity where the buck came in but I got busted for drawing at the wrong time. This is something that comes with experience. I learned that just because the buck is not "looking at you" it doesnt mean he can't see you. Next time if i get caught on the draw I will finish the draw instead of freezing, they will probably take a couple bounds and then present you a shot. If you let down and try to draw again after the bound, well good luck.

Scouting your access is just as important as finding the spot. I used to only hunt spots that I could easily get to. Then I stoped worring about how to get there and just worried about being there. This was also wrong, making too much noise, and walking in with your wind blowing to the bed will ruin your hunt even if you find a spot with all the sign and a good wind once you are there. To fix that Im going to find the spot, and then access it in any way necessary even if that means looping all the way around. Balance....

Regardless if you killed this season or not share what you learned or what your barriers to success were and how you plan to fix them for the next season?

[john1984]

I didn't get a buck either I blame it on guns. If guns were illegal there would be ALOT more bucks.

[Dewey]

I didn't get a buck either I blame it on guns. If guns were illegal there would be ALOT more bucks.

I bet a lot of gun hunters blame it on the bowhunters.

[OH nontypical]

Passed on a nice 9 pointer in Oct. I wanted something bigger. Didn’t get to hunt the rut due to work.

It was my first year in ten on public and I struggled to get on the deer as I was hunting after gun season. I scoured more than ever and have a better idea for next year plus two new public areas to scout between now and Summer.

Pushing 50 now so getting a buck isn’t the priority it was years ago but I still love it.

Looking forward to more time in the woods nex year.

[brkissl82]

I didn't kill a buck this yr.....and I'm not ok with it. It burns my @@@!!! Cant wait til sept ro redeem myself!!

[Jackson Marsh]

I didn't kill anything this year, passed on some smaller bucks but the good ones I saw didn't cooperate

It was a fun year even without the kill, but it would have been a lot better with a kill.

I did get some good intel on buck movement in new spots, hopefully it will pay off in the future.

[Twenty Up]

No, my lack of an attention span and focusing on my IPhone instead of my surroundings saved a heavy 9pt the morning of Nov 8th.

I had 2 other opportunities at mature “target” bucks on Public this year, just never got a clean shot with the bow..

By far my biggest weakness this season was prioritizing my sits and utilizing the scouting & information (trail cameras, buddies sightings, etc) efficiently. I spent the better part of my season chasing “Big 10” and had multiple other shooters on camera, in daylight... But it’s hard to let a 170”+ Buck slip away so easily.

But in my opinion I’d rather eat a tag and not shoot the buck I wanted than shoot a “lesser” buck just to kill something.. I’ve shot spikes and I’ve let 8pts walk, it’s honestly whatever I’m feeling at that moment. But recently I’ve gotten into chasing a specific buck on a property, for better or worse!

[milkweed-militia]

No, my lack of an attention span and focusing on my IPhone instead of my surroundings saved a heavy 9pt the morning of Nov 8th.

I had 2 other opportunities at mature “target” bucks on Public this year, just never got a clean shot with the bow..

By far my biggest weakness this season was prioritizing my sits and utilizing the scouting & information (trail cameras, buddies sightings, etc) efficiently. I spent the better part of my season chasing “Big 10” and had multiple other shooters on camera, in daylight... But it’s hard to let a 170”+ Buck slip away so easily.But in my opinion I’d rather eat a tag and not shoot the buck I wanted than shoot a “lesser” buck just to kill something.. I’ve shot spikes and I’ve let 8pts walk, it’s honestly whatever I’m feeling at that moment. But recently I’ve gotten into chasing a specific buck on a property, for better or worse!

Did this guy live? I hope we get to see you holding him next season!