Reflecting on my younger self: my biggest flaw
- xpauliber
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Reflecting on my younger self: my biggest flaw
I’m 35 and have archery hunted since I’ve been 12 years old. I killed one mature buck in that time due to pure luck and the rut in 2010. I found the BEAST in 2011 and since joining, reading, and implementing what I’ve learned here, my success has sky-rocketed. I’ve noticed a lot of new members joining and being excited about the amount of information on here and asking for advice about what they’re missing and I wanted to share what turned the tables for me.
Looking back on my younger years hunting, my biggest flaw was that I thought bucks just bedded randomly. I thought there was no rhyme or reason to where they decided to lay down and spend the daylight hours and therefore, when I went hunting, it was like I was always chasing a moving target. I would look for buck sign obviously but all that told me was that a buck was there at one point in the past but I never was able to use that information to help narrow down my quest because I didn’t think a buck would do the same thing twice. I distinctly remember the people around me at the time shared the same beliefs about buck bedding and so it wasn’t until I found the BEAST that I saw the light. If there’s one piece of advice that I can offer to new members, it’s to adjust your mindset and realize how important buck bedding is. Once you realize that, your whole outlook will change.
I just scouted a new piece of property that I got permission on over the weekend and it was amazing walking a piece of fresh ground with the experience that I’ve gained since joining the BEAST. I found 3 different doe bedding areas, a funnel on the downwind side of the doe bedding that should be dynamite for the rut, a creekbottom draw leading to ag fields, and some sign of other hunters on the property too. What I didn’t find was mature buck bedding on the property and so I’m not going to be wasting my time hunting that particular piece until the rut when the bucks will be cruising through checking those doe bedding areas. My younger self would have burnt up an entire season bouncing around this property trying to kill a buck that isn’t there because there’s no buck bedding there!
As I said, I joined the BEAST in 2011 and it wasn’t until 2014 that i killed a buck that I can say was a direct result of what I’ve learned on here because it takes time to read/learn/implement and put it all together out in the field. But the sooner your mindset revolves around buck bedding, the sooner you’ll start hunting like a BEAST! Good luck!
Looking back on my younger years hunting, my biggest flaw was that I thought bucks just bedded randomly. I thought there was no rhyme or reason to where they decided to lay down and spend the daylight hours and therefore, when I went hunting, it was like I was always chasing a moving target. I would look for buck sign obviously but all that told me was that a buck was there at one point in the past but I never was able to use that information to help narrow down my quest because I didn’t think a buck would do the same thing twice. I distinctly remember the people around me at the time shared the same beliefs about buck bedding and so it wasn’t until I found the BEAST that I saw the light. If there’s one piece of advice that I can offer to new members, it’s to adjust your mindset and realize how important buck bedding is. Once you realize that, your whole outlook will change.
I just scouted a new piece of property that I got permission on over the weekend and it was amazing walking a piece of fresh ground with the experience that I’ve gained since joining the BEAST. I found 3 different doe bedding areas, a funnel on the downwind side of the doe bedding that should be dynamite for the rut, a creekbottom draw leading to ag fields, and some sign of other hunters on the property too. What I didn’t find was mature buck bedding on the property and so I’m not going to be wasting my time hunting that particular piece until the rut when the bucks will be cruising through checking those doe bedding areas. My younger self would have burnt up an entire season bouncing around this property trying to kill a buck that isn’t there because there’s no buck bedding there!
As I said, I joined the BEAST in 2011 and it wasn’t until 2014 that i killed a buck that I can say was a direct result of what I’ve learned on here because it takes time to read/learn/implement and put it all together out in the field. But the sooner your mindset revolves around buck bedding, the sooner you’ll start hunting like a BEAST! Good luck!
- tgreeno
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Re: Reflecting on my younger self: my biggest flaw
My younger self biggest flaw's, in no particular order:
Not pre-season scouting enough
Not post-season scouting at all
Not scouting during season at all
Over hunting stands
Hunting wrong winds
Poor access routes
Too loud while accessing
Too loud while setting up
Being lazy & setting up in easy spots
Not learning from my mistakes
Not pre-season scouting enough
Not post-season scouting at all
Not scouting during season at all
Over hunting stands
Hunting wrong winds
Poor access routes
Too loud while accessing
Too loud while setting up
Being lazy & setting up in easy spots
Not learning from my mistakes
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It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid, than to open it an remove all doubt
It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid, than to open it an remove all doubt
- Ghost Hunter
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Re: Reflecting on my younger self: my biggest flaw
My biggest problem when I was younger. I stayed in woods, I Mean daily. Never let it rest. Hunted where I spent all my time.
I'm reason they call it hunting and not shooting.
- Hawthorne
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Re: Reflecting on my younger self: my biggest flaw
I would of killed a lot more nice bucks in the past if I would of adjusted to the sign being mobile. I usually rotated thru the same pre hung stands. One thing I did do right is I always wanted to be near a bedding area And I waited till late October to hunt my best spots. Some of those would go cold from year to year and I needed to move. I did kill some good bucks back then but not at has frequently has I do now. Especially the last two years. I’m covering tons more ground now also than I did in the past. The beast took me to the next level for sure
- Lockdown
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Re: Reflecting on my younger self: my biggest flaw
Great post Paul.
For me, and I know this keeps getting repeated, but hot sign, Hot Sign, HOT SIGN!! Up until last year I didn't key in on it nearly enough. If you aren't on hot sign you're setting yourself up for a lackluster hunt. End of story.
Aside from that, in the field observing during the summer months. When I started getting out of the truck (bring the mosquito spray AND thermacell with) my big buck sightings went way up. I'm convinced big bucks spend the vast majority of their time just out of sight. They know where they can and can't be seen. In the flat farm country I hunt I consistently find them in the little depressions that you don't even know are there from the road.
For me, and I know this keeps getting repeated, but hot sign, Hot Sign, HOT SIGN!! Up until last year I didn't key in on it nearly enough. If you aren't on hot sign you're setting yourself up for a lackluster hunt. End of story.
Aside from that, in the field observing during the summer months. When I started getting out of the truck (bring the mosquito spray AND thermacell with) my big buck sightings went way up. I'm convinced big bucks spend the vast majority of their time just out of sight. They know where they can and can't be seen. In the flat farm country I hunt I consistently find them in the little depressions that you don't even know are there from the road.
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Re: Reflecting on my younger self: my biggest flaw
My biggest flaws:
1. Overhunting stands & limiting myself to 1 property
2. Chasing away most of the good bucks running trail cameras
3. thinking that scent control products would fool a big bucks nose
4. Not considering the effects of thermals
1. Overhunting stands & limiting myself to 1 property
2. Chasing away most of the good bucks running trail cameras
3. thinking that scent control products would fool a big bucks nose
4. Not considering the effects of thermals
- Dewey
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Re: Reflecting on my younger self: my biggest flaw
I always hunted mobile even in my young days only problem was I hunted way too far away from bedded bucks to see them in daylight except during peak rut. I had some success seeing good bucks but once I figured out where bucks bedded and set up close to the staging area my buck sightings increased dramatically.
Not completely understanding air currents. Milkweed is easily the next best thing that ever happened to me. Without that getting close to bedded bucks would be so much harder.
Not completely understanding air currents. Milkweed is easily the next best thing that ever happened to me. Without that getting close to bedded bucks would be so much harder.
- thwack16
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Re: Reflecting on my younger self: my biggest flaw
Last season was my 20th. I had a very good teacher in my dad. I've been mobile since I started and have always in season scouted thanks to him.
My biggest flaws were pounding the same 500 & 200 acre farms over and over, my shooting a bow at good bucks, and not fully understanding bedding.
My biggest flaws were pounding the same 500 & 200 acre farms over and over, my shooting a bow at good bucks, and not fully understanding bedding.
- jkelley1487
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Re: Reflecting on my younger self: my biggest flaw
A lot of good posts. I would say my biggest flaw the last 10 years has been the inability to make the shot. I would have 3-4 good bucks down if I could have made the shot when I had the opportunity. For example, I missed a buck at 20 yards during muzzleloader season because my scope was on a 9 and I couldn't find him in it. I laugh about it now but at the time I was hot. The hardest lessons are unfortunately learned first hand.
I think a lot of it is knowing your weaknesses that prevent success and working on them. For me, I shoot my bow/gun more often in the off-season and mimic real hunting scenarios.
I think a lot of it is knowing your weaknesses that prevent success and working on them. For me, I shoot my bow/gun more often in the off-season and mimic real hunting scenarios.
- Grizzlyadam
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Re: Reflecting on my younger self: my biggest flaw
The biggest mistake I made for many years was over hunting spots. I would sit the same stands over and over anticipating that one of those sits the stars would align and the buck would walk by. A lot of wasted time was spent and I learned very little doing that.
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Re: Reflecting on my younger self: my biggest flaw
I am like all the rest, part of the journey
- Uncle Lou
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Re: Reflecting on my younger self: my biggest flaw
Great post Paul. It has been fun watching you move up the ranks in mature buck hunting. You definitely get it.
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Re: Reflecting on my younger self: my biggest flaw
I severely overhunted spots, didn’t use the wind, hunted mediocre spots etc.
I was a slow learner to come around the chasing and killing big deer, however those were the whack and stack days and wouldn’t trade them for the world haha
I was a slow learner to come around the chasing and killing big deer, however those were the whack and stack days and wouldn’t trade them for the world haha
- backstraps
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Re: Reflecting on my younger self: my biggest flaw
For me, I look back at all the deer seasons that have passed... and I really don't like to call what I was doing flaws It was simply a long dragged out learning curve. Those hard knock lessons I learned has really stuck with me.
The flaws I was making back then was for sure not getting me close to anything mature. I hunted hard, hunted a lot, and I killed a bunch of deer. Killing those "deer" along the way was slowly teaching me more and more.
When I finally decided I wanted to kill bigger, better, older deer, honestly that's when I began learning "how" to hunt. Finding Dan and his tactics was purely an accident. Man when I did, I was in both feet, neck deep as they say! I remember back when I joined the BEAST, I was starting threads everyday some days many threads. I couldn't get enough. Dan and many members on here would answer my questions and lead to more questions
I can share the same feelings as my brother xpauliber... joining the BEAST reading, listening, trying new things, failing, trying again, learning to hunt beds, learning to scout more efficiently.... well it has been a game changer! Forever grateful for the BEAST and it's family
The flaws I was making back then was for sure not getting me close to anything mature. I hunted hard, hunted a lot, and I killed a bunch of deer. Killing those "deer" along the way was slowly teaching me more and more.
When I finally decided I wanted to kill bigger, better, older deer, honestly that's when I began learning "how" to hunt. Finding Dan and his tactics was purely an accident. Man when I did, I was in both feet, neck deep as they say! I remember back when I joined the BEAST, I was starting threads everyday some days many threads. I couldn't get enough. Dan and many members on here would answer my questions and lead to more questions
I can share the same feelings as my brother xpauliber... joining the BEAST reading, listening, trying new things, failing, trying again, learning to hunt beds, learning to scout more efficiently.... well it has been a game changer! Forever grateful for the BEAST and it's family
- backstraps
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Re: Reflecting on my younger self: my biggest flaw
For me, I look back at all the deer seasons that have passed... and I really don't like to call what I was doing flaws It was simply a long dragged out learning curve. Those hard knock lessons I learned has really stuck with me.
The flaws I was making back then was for sure not getting me close to anything mature. I hunted hard, hunted a lot, and I killed a bunch of deer. Killing those "deer" along the way was slowly teaching me more and more. I did however hunt the wind the exact opposite as I do now. I would have never set the edge of a bedding point with the wind hitting my backside and blow just off wind of the bed. Used to wind was hitting me in the face blowing back away from where I "expected" to see deer moving.
When I finally decided I wanted to kill bigger, better, older deer, honestly that's when I began learning "how" to hunt. Finding Dan and his tactics was purely an accident. Man when I did, I was in both feet, neck deep as they say! I remember back when I joined the BEAST, I was starting threads everyday some days many threads. I couldn't get enough. Dan and many members on here would answer my questions and lead to more questions
I can share the same feelings as my brother xpauliber... joining the BEAST reading, listening, trying new things, failing, trying again, learning to hunt beds, learning to scout more efficiently.... well it has been a game changer! Forever grateful for the BEAST and it's family
The flaws I was making back then was for sure not getting me close to anything mature. I hunted hard, hunted a lot, and I killed a bunch of deer. Killing those "deer" along the way was slowly teaching me more and more. I did however hunt the wind the exact opposite as I do now. I would have never set the edge of a bedding point with the wind hitting my backside and blow just off wind of the bed. Used to wind was hitting me in the face blowing back away from where I "expected" to see deer moving.
When I finally decided I wanted to kill bigger, better, older deer, honestly that's when I began learning "how" to hunt. Finding Dan and his tactics was purely an accident. Man when I did, I was in both feet, neck deep as they say! I remember back when I joined the BEAST, I was starting threads everyday some days many threads. I couldn't get enough. Dan and many members on here would answer my questions and lead to more questions
I can share the same feelings as my brother xpauliber... joining the BEAST reading, listening, trying new things, failing, trying again, learning to hunt beds, learning to scout more efficiently.... well it has been a game changer! Forever grateful for the BEAST and it's family
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