I was just pondering this season on when the last time I did the fill my buck tag was...I can't remember exactly...I have a decent streak going....And other than last year's "accident" I've been happy with the bucks I've been killing.
I think my 3rd year was the only year I didn't kill a deer...I shot at a few...Turned out my scope was broke on and me and dad had no idea...
Most years I'm fortunate enough to tag a couple does and a buck.
I'm to the point now where if I do think fill my buck tag it's out of choice....
Next year will be interesting for me... Should have a house up north by then and will be hunting a lot of new ground....Or ground I'm not so familiar with....I honestly think after I get my feet under me that my hunting will get even better...My home ground I spend most my time Hunting gets pounded...My cameras even show the rut movement is after dark for the most part...Even in thick secluded places...
The Drought?
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- cbay
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Re: The Drought?
Had long droughts when i was younger. Since getting back into hunting in 2010 i've taken a buck each year. This year i was willing to eat my tag and figured it might happen in order to have that tag available for a big one. I got lucky and got him but now i'm realizing that and really stepping it up on scouting and homework so i can hopefully get a repeat next year.
That fear of not getting some opportunities on big deer is what is driving me to put in the work now. If a drought happens i want to be good with it knowing i did what i could.
That fear of not getting some opportunities on big deer is what is driving me to put in the work now. If a drought happens i want to be good with it knowing i did what i could.
Scout. Learn. Hunt
- Hawthorne
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Re: The Drought?
Deer drought no, big buck drought yes. I havnt shot anything over 3.5 since 09. I wounded a big one in 10. I don't pass up many two year olds maybe that's my problem. Another thing I lost my best property. I went on a roll between 06-09 I shot 5 that would qualify for my states trophy book. Since 97 I've shot at least one deer with my bow usually 2 or 3.
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Re: The Drought?
My big buck drought ended when I started killing 99% of the big bucks that I shot at. And when I started hunting states that were higher percentage for bigger bucks.
Now 1 or 2 big bucks a season is not enough
Cmon joe killed 3 and ridge killed 4...
Now 1 or 2 big bucks a season is not enough
Cmon joe killed 3 and ridge killed 4...
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Re: The Drought?
Back when I was killing almost any buck, I had a bad drought that lasted about 5-6 years because I was shooting a bow that was garbage......but I was to stubborn to switch it up for something different. Wounded way too many during that timeframe. In more recent years, I have had a few droughts of 2-3 years, but that was usually due to not seeing anything worth shooting, as my standards had gone up. Hopefully hunting smarter these days will keep the droughts to a minimum.
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Re: The Drought?
It depends. I tagged (6) 2.5 year olds in a 10 year span. Maybe not a literal drought but they sure weren't what I was hoping for. Since joining the beast I have since learned the reason for that "drought". I was spending too much time"hoping" and not enough time scouting!!!
At the time I blamed it on not being lucky enough to have a refuge to hunt on. Chalk it up to being young and dumb -guilty
During this time span, I graduated college, got laid off twice, had two kids, bought a house that needed some work.... I wasn't setting around scratching myself. Just too ignorant to know what it really took for someone not made of money to succeed. I was pretty sure the hunting videos of the day weren't my reality but didn't know you could be as hard core as Dan. I betya he's SLEPT in a buck bed or two ....just to better think like one
I'm also from OH- a one buck state. These 3,4,5 buck states leave me scratching my head ...one with each type of weapon, two carryover from last year, unlimited with a car, one in your front yard, one in your back yard.....I guess your DNRs know what they are doing??? Its almost impractical to compare across state lines because the quotas vary so much. Dan would be just as lethal growing up in OH but would have less than half the legal number of bucks hanging on the wall
Until I found the beast I was having a bit of a "satisfaction" drought but you guys have pretty much cured that. I'm not afraid to work for it!
s
At the time I blamed it on not being lucky enough to have a refuge to hunt on. Chalk it up to being young and dumb -guilty
During this time span, I graduated college, got laid off twice, had two kids, bought a house that needed some work.... I wasn't setting around scratching myself. Just too ignorant to know what it really took for someone not made of money to succeed. I was pretty sure the hunting videos of the day weren't my reality but didn't know you could be as hard core as Dan. I betya he's SLEPT in a buck bed or two ....just to better think like one
I'm also from OH- a one buck state. These 3,4,5 buck states leave me scratching my head ...one with each type of weapon, two carryover from last year, unlimited with a car, one in your front yard, one in your back yard.....I guess your DNRs know what they are doing??? Its almost impractical to compare across state lines because the quotas vary so much. Dan would be just as lethal growing up in OH but would have less than half the legal number of bucks hanging on the wall
Until I found the beast I was having a bit of a "satisfaction" drought but you guys have pretty much cured that. I'm not afraid to work for it!
s
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Re: The Drought?
Let's just say I have plenty of good recipes for tag soup
But typically I hunt harder than I do smarter, and usually get one opportunity at a deer a year. I just don't make it happen. Bad shots, bad decisions, you name it, I've done it. Shooting a deer doesn't make you a good hunter, it just means you were in the right place at the right time. How you got to that spot at that time says how good of a hunter you are. I'm not a good hunter, I know that and will admit it. But that's why it's called hunting and not killing. The journey to the kill is why we are here. The guys who enjoy killing are the ones who end up getting the chair. Killing is just a cap on a memorable journey. It isn't a deal breaker on success of a season. Success is becoming a better hunter. Joe, ridge, Dan all killed multiple bucks. Mature bucks we all dream of getting. I'm pretty sure they will all say they learned something new this year that made the year a success for them. And next year they will come back better hunters.
Now having a drought on successful seasons, that's a different story. If you aren't learning something new and becoming better every day, then something needs to change. If you are learning new things and just not getting it done, change some small details and keep after it. It will happen, just have to make it happen.
But typically I hunt harder than I do smarter, and usually get one opportunity at a deer a year. I just don't make it happen. Bad shots, bad decisions, you name it, I've done it. Shooting a deer doesn't make you a good hunter, it just means you were in the right place at the right time. How you got to that spot at that time says how good of a hunter you are. I'm not a good hunter, I know that and will admit it. But that's why it's called hunting and not killing. The journey to the kill is why we are here. The guys who enjoy killing are the ones who end up getting the chair. Killing is just a cap on a memorable journey. It isn't a deal breaker on success of a season. Success is becoming a better hunter. Joe, ridge, Dan all killed multiple bucks. Mature bucks we all dream of getting. I'm pretty sure they will all say they learned something new this year that made the year a success for them. And next year they will come back better hunters.
Now having a drought on successful seasons, that's a different story. If you aren't learning something new and becoming better every day, then something needs to change. If you are learning new things and just not getting it done, change some small details and keep after it. It will happen, just have to make it happen.
You have a monkey Mr. Munson?
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Re: The Drought?
Another thing that came to mind when thinking about my drought... if guys are successful on, say, 10% of their hunts... I hunted 3 times this year. haha At that rate it'd take my 3 years to put a tag on a buck. Which is actually kind of close to what my droughts have been. So maybe it isn't necessarily a drought, maybe it's that I need to hunt more!
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Re: The Drought?
mibowhunter wrote:Another thing that came to mind when thinking about my drought... if guys are successful on, say, 10% of their hunts... I hunted 3 times this year. haha At that rate it'd take my 3 years to put a tag on a buck. Which is actually kind of close to what my droughts have been. So maybe it isn't necessarily a drought, maybe it's that I need to hunt more!
yeah thats kind of a problem...lol
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