Full circle as a deer hunter

[may21581]

When I first started hunting my dad took my brother and i to public lands close to home. Ocassionally we would go with my uncles and they would also take their kids. We never had much luck and sightings were low. As i got older i kinda became disgusted with public land and chalked the lack of sightings and success up as bad property to hunt. Everyone must of shot everything in the woods there and animals were extinct.
I never really warmed up to hunting till a little later in life. With all my bad and unsuccessful hunts on public and being busy with college and chasing the career thing it just never seemed to fit my schedule. I caught the bug later in life when i married and my step boys are really into hunting. They always hunt the private lands where no one steps foot all year and old step dad kinda was stuck with what he had available to hunt. They just give me a funny look now when I say I'm going to public. However they have had great success with their spots too.
I grabbed every book I could, I watched every video I could, and best of all I joined the beast. I'm kinda a hodgepodge now, a creation of multiple influences and teachers that were willing to share their knowledge so others could find success as well. The best tool a hunter can posess is "drive" and "determination" I guess this holds true with whatever you do in life. When someone has these characteristics look out because their going to do something! This feature is also common amongst the 10 percenters and "all" successful beast hunters!
It's not the expensive bows that make us better, it's not the new scopes and sights that make us better either. In fact it's the other way around, we make that stuff better!
I'm proud to say all my trophies have come from public land! What I once hated I now cherish! It's been a heck of a ride and my only wish is for it to continue. Happy New Years everyone. Be safe! Keeping pushing on if you still got a tag.
Top picture is my stepsons 2019-2020 Ohio buck. It was taken early Novemember. Small 12 acre parcel close to town. The bottom picture is my 2017-2018 Ohio buck, it was also taken early november on public 4000 acre parcel.

[greenhorndave]

Those are epic man.

Great to hear the backstory too. While I’m still trying to attain the caliber of bucks you have, to me having the knowledge of how to hunt in somewhat adverse conditions is better than hunting prime ground and scoring big every year. Don’t get me wrong any big buck is a huge accomplishment, but getting the wariest of the wary is even better and I think makes you a better hunter overall. Glad you’re making it happen.

[headgear]

Great bucks!

[Bird]

Awesome story, and congrats on your success!

[Huntress13]

Beautiful bucks, congrats to you both! It's interesting to hear about people's evolutions as hunters.

[mauser06]

Great bucks!!!



You're absolutely spot on...to get on mature bucks consistently it takes determination, drive, persistence...it's what separates many of the guys here from most of the rest of the hunters out there.


You have to be out there. You have to work hard...put in the time. Learning is huge. You have to always be paying attention and learning from it all.

When I hunt with a few buddies a couple times a year, they just walk through the woods to get from point A to point B. We are DEER hunting. Look for deer. Look for sign. Look for a spot better than the one you are walking to.

Once tags are punched and/or the season is over, most guys put their gear away. Hunting is over for them. It just is. I bet most guys here are like me...my stuff really never gets out away. Once I'm done hunting, I am scouting right upto spring gobbler season...which is basically scouting for deer and talking to turkey a little.

After that, foliage thickens and what I am looking for is hard to see. I don't spend much time in the woods june-august but my gear gets gone over. Adjustments are made, etc etc. Basically prepping for the season to come.



Awesome story and awesome bucks. You seek to be on the right track for sure! Those are some dandy bucks for anywhere...let alone anywhere public.