What did you learn this year
Wisconsin
As the season closes I've reminisced my season. To be a better Hunter I always pick apart my flaws and excuses. What are some of the things you hunters learned out there this year? Please keep it respectful fellas.. This is something I think we can all learn from.
I was reminded to trust my judgement/decisions concerning my hunting set-ups. It's so easy to second guess yourself, especially in the north where deer densities are so low. I brought a buddy along hunting this year that I used to hunt with all the time and turned him loose in the area that I had thoroughly scouted all spring and summer. I can't imagine another bow hunter who is more accomplished in big woods and ag land and has always had that extra sense of what the deer were doing and where to set up. He found and ended up hunting same spot that I had located.
Although my season is not completely over because I can hunt in the Metro sub-unit. I have learned in my first year that bow hunting is extremely addicting and the fact I have not even had an opportunity to draw on a deer yet maybe beneficial. It has allowed more times in the woods: to gain experience, passion, create and learn from mistakes. I have gotten a lot of insight from fellow bowsiters, so thanks for sharing stories and experiences as well.
I look forward to harvesting my first deer and will hopefully learn from all of that when everything finally comes together.
I have learned to go with my gut feelings when dealing with clients. Trust those you are most comfortable with, and walk away from those who come off as shady. I have learned to say "No" instead of cramming more onto my plate. I have learned I have to take more time for myself and spend that time wisely. I have also learned to not second guess myself when it comes to stand placement and over thinking things too much.
Now just to put all of this to good use is another thing I have to learn how to do.....
I learned that there are things more important in life than bow hunting. I learned that it is still relaxing to sit in the woods, even though you have no expectation to see a deer. I learned that if you don't shoot a deer on your property(and none of your neighbors hunt, there are about 5 hunters on about 900 acres of land) for over 5 years, the numbers will go up slightly......no where near the numbers on our land in Waupaca County though. I learned that the newer lady that does the sports on WAOW in Wausau is every bit as personable as the previous sports director. I learned that with all of my family commitments, it doesn't pay for me to buy a CP license over the next few years.
I learned that western hunting is a blast, didn't completely ruin whitetail hunting for me, but it is now 2nd on my list of things to look forward to every fall. I enjoy whitetails, but just love all of the planning and work that goes into an out of state hunt as well. I also have learned to be more patient with family members who shoot young deer on our property, at the end of the day it is simply just that, a deer. Last but not least I learned my wife is understanding of my obsession, 2 weeks in WY elk hunting, week in SD pheasant hunting with our golden retriever pup, and countless hours on stand in WI, and not so much as a complaint on her end despite the honey-do list staying about the same length all fall.
I'm going to get made fun of for this for sure but I don't care. I got into hunting as a rifle hunter very young, I think 8 years old. My uncle had a rule that if you couldn't drive a car, you couldn't carry a gun in the woods so I would tag along, help with deer drives, etc. Many of you will disagree with this rule but it was the rule my family followed. I hunted for about 2 years before college (I didn't get a deer either gun season) and then while in college I left hunting altogether to focus on school. Plus I was going to school about 5 hours from where we normally hunted. It wasn't until 2007 that I got back into hunting. It wasn't until 6 years ago that I harvested my first deer (doe) during the rifle season. I didn't know the first thing about gutting a deer so my uncle showed me the ropes and told me the next one that I got I would be doing. Early November I was hunting with a good friend and shot my first archery buck (small spike). It wouldn't be a trophy in the eyes of many of you but it was to me. Well guess what I got to do? That's right I gutted my first deer this season. I've always had the general idea but I don't think you truly learn something until you've done it. Overall, I think it went pretty well. Had some issues with the windpipe and getting that all out but no complaints.
I've learned that being with someone else when they kill a deer gives me more joy than killing one myself.
Even the smallest tree can stop an arrow.
Don't overlook a spot that I know is good for a spot that just looks good. (Choosing beauty over practicality)
Just because you have a ton of fresh sign doesn't mean you'll see the deer that are making that sign.
Our sport is called deer hunting and not deer killing for a good reason.
Sunsets and sunrises are beautifull every time no matter how many you get to watch.
I've probably learned a lot more than these things but I've already forgotten them.
This isn't something I learned this year per se, but I've learned to really appreciate the time spent hunting with family and friends. I have shot several turkeys with my father before, but this was the first season that he was able to get one while hunting with me, and that was an experience I really appreciated and will never forget.
I've also learned to always keep the dog on a leash, because you never know when a skunk may be right around the corner...
I try to learn a number of things every year. I think we all do, but at the end of the season we cannot always verbalize exactly what we learned. A guy who has been bowhunting for five years is probably a much better bowhunter than the first year bowhunter,...or at least he should be if he has been paying attention. But our "five year" bowhunter may not be able to really nail it down and say why he's a better hunter, he just knows he is. But maybe he would not be able to tell you exactly what he has learned, he just knows he has. I'll bet if we sat down and talked to the two bowhunters we could tell in an instant who's the more experienced bowhunter, who has learned more.
So, what did I learn this year? Real simple answer! I learned how important acorns are to my bowhunting success. In 2016 our property was 100% devoid of acorns. (We normally have billions & billions.) Of course, they bring in & hold the deer. With the lack of acorns this year the deer moved off our property and into the croplands. They bedded near their food sources and did move through our property as much resulting in about one-half of our normal sightings for the year. The guys on the lands surrounding me noticed the same thing. Next year, we need our acorns back!
I try to learn a number of things every year. I think we all do, but at the end of the season we cannot always verbalize exactly what we learned. A guy who has been bowhunting for five years is probably a much better bowhunter than the first year bowhunter,...or at least he should be if he has been paying attention. But our "five year" bowhunter may not be able to really nail it down and say why he's a better hunter, he just knows he is. But maybe he would not be able to tell you exactly what he has learned, he just knows he has. I'll bet if we sat down and talked to the two bowhunters we could tell in an instant who's the more experienced bowhunter, who has learned more.
So, what did I learn this year? Real simple answer! I learned how important acorns are to my bowhunting success. In 2016 our property was 100% devoid of acorns. (We normally have billions & billions.) Of course, they bring in & hold the deer. With the lack of acorns this year the deer moved off our property and into the croplands. They bedded near their food sources and did move through our property as much resulting in about one-half of our normal sightings for the year. The guys on the lands surrounding me noticed the same thing. Next year, we need our acorns back!
I learned that after all these years I can still screw up.
You cant shoot your way out of a high dosm.
I've learned a lot in my first year here.
Choosing a tree with a climber can be a challenge. The rut is a ton of fun. Hunting is a lot harder than I though. Public land is horrible after November 19th.
looking forward to the rest of this season and getting ready for next!
"I was reminded to trust my judgement/decisions concerning my hunting set-ups. It's so easy to second guess yourself" musky I too had to learn this. I do it every year honestly. This year it cost me more than once.
Casekiska you said it well on your post. I always enjoy your write ups.
Smokey you explained something simple. The experienced hunters will still mess up. But that is hunting. Sounds like an interesting story you have.
Crusader: You explained what the hunt is all about. It is not about the kill but rather appreciate the beauty around.
Brewcrew im happy you got your first buck. A trophy is in the eye of the beholder. No matter what. My first buck is my fondest memory. Always will be.
You all touched on something important and I appreciAte the sincerity of it. This is why we are here.
I've rolled into my 18th deer season. I am still a young guy and have lots of curves to trim out. For me, most importantly I am learning to connect with the woods and listen to what it tells me. I'm learning to feel the woods, to connect with the woods. We live in a modern world very disconnected from nature. takes some time in the woods to unwind and settle into a rythme with nature. We discussed earlier this year about time. And rushing for a couple hours to hunt. Is it worth it? I strongly believe now that id rather Take a hour or longer to get in quiet and hunt for 40 minutes. Than rush in and hunt for 2 hours.
I've criticized my set up for a couple years. And I finally feel like I have built the perfect system for myself.
This year I passed a lot of great bucks. In search of a known bigger deer. Some say you can't kill a bigger buck if you shoot a smaller one. This is true but public land hunting has its automatic difficulties. Food sources changing on a weekly basis resulting a change of bedding. Pressure keeping them bedded later. Sometimes I would have to set up close to 40 yards to kill them. I need to pay attention to non pressured staging areas vs pressured staging areas. I believe there are two kinds. And one takes a lot of effort to get that close.
Bouncing around area to area I had my lowest odds in seeing good bucks. I had higher visual success when I focussed on a certain area. And hunted it until I ran out of beds.
As a solo cameraman I can write another page. But I'll just say I have found a new passion. I've learned more this year than I have in other years combined when it comes to understanding deer. Going back and reviewing raw footage I see things I didn't see when it unfolded in front of me and i now have questions of my own and more I need to learn.
Hope to read more from you guys.. Keep em coming..
I decided that tree stand safety can not be over stressed. I was not the first hunter to wear a waist strap and neither was I the first to use a harness. Looking back it was too slow of a progression to get to where everybody had a harness and every climbing stand has a lifeline. Turns out some relatives hunting with me were not always using the lifeline, just attaching their harness once they were in the stand. I am now the Safety Nazi.
I am reminded of three basics and have to strive to get closer to perfection.
Scent control
Scent control
and most important, scent control
I learned that quality time in the stand is better than quantity. By this I mean that if the wind is not right for a particular stand, don't hunt it and educate the deer. It pays to not burn out your area. I had less hours on stand this year because of picking my intrusions carefully, and it payed off with my biggest buck. I also learned that I need to find more places to hunt so I can hunt more.
Wish I could help but I didn't learn a darn thing .
I learned that my body absolutely does not like cold weather anymore. It has been getting worse every year but this year there were several days that I wanted to hunt but did not hunt at all and several more that I did not hunt mornings because it was just too cold for me. (last Saturday/Sunday were two of them) Handwarmers help but it has gotten to the point where it sometimes is just too dangerous for me to be out there. 10 Degrees with no wind is now about my limit for all day sits and even then I was pushing it. I might try hunting for a few hours mid day on some of those kind of days next year. Maybe I will break out the old big fat fluid type hand warmers to see if they help. They sure did back in the late 60's and thru the 70's. They do smell but deer now days probably have never smelled them and it might not alarm them, maybe be more like a cover scent.
Jeff, Have you tried the Heater Body Suit? I don't have one, but am considering purchasing one. Falls lately have been pretty mild, but late season can be a different story.
I learned that water holes and water tanks are incredibly important even if you have ditches or ponds. There is no such thing as too much water.
I learned that sometimes you have to hunt areas where you havent hunted in many years as smart old bucks become smart old bucks for reasons. Once the shooting starts, think about a backup plant stand where you might only hunt it once or twice a year.
MuskBuck I have had a heater body suit I think for over ten years. Worth their weight in gold. I even take it ice fishing for grandson to take a nap.
MuskBuck I have had a heater body suit I think for over ten years. Worth their weight in gold. I even take it ice fishing for grandson to take a nap.
I have been considering a heater body suit. I don't think I could safely get into or out of one while in a tree stand or effectively use a safety harness with one but I should probably start to transition back to more ground level hunting or larger hand built ladder stands anyway. I need to get to a store where I can try getting into and out of one. Other problem is I already carry too darn much other stuff in with me already. Maybe some of the newer technology insulated coats and bibs too. Hands and feet are the areas most affected by the extreme cold.
INSANITY is doing the same thing, the same way and expecting a different result. Change things up on occasion. If your not getting the expected results, regroup. Be willing to change the game plan. Sometimes you have to prove something will not work, to understand what will work or that you were wrong.
I learned to be more patient before taking the shot.
I like the pillow case idea. It never occurred to me that any mud on the boots would end up in the suit. Better to learn that from others experience than on your own in this case.
The HBS is excellent, but to tell you the truth it is too warm for me, so I did not buy one.... I used one in 2015 - 2016 winter,,,, for me, I had no problems with it. Using a Tree Spyder Harness, that was a non issue..... I simply wore a good base layer, and I did not wear heavy boots.... actually I only wore, my 400 gram fall boots......
I did not use a pillow case, but I did use bread bags, over the boots to keep it clean from the friend who had me try it out........
cold walking in, but once set up, that baby is warm,,,,,, to me I was cooking in it,,,, I would only need it for 10 degrees and below, with a lot of wind,,,,, I do not hunt those extreme conditions like I use to.....
Even at cold conditions with sun and no wind, not much of an issue..... However I did go to a very good quality bib..... I looked at Sitka and was not impressed, with the price tag of 400.00
I bought a set of bibs, reversible, snow camo, on one side and fleece on the other side, quality, zippers etc, all made in the USA by Trinity, it was not cheap about 200, but I got some off, during a customer appreciation sale,,,,,, with that and a good hoodie I am all set.....
but if you get cold, easily the HBS is a no brainer,,,,,,, My bibs are warm enough
I tried Nose Jammer this year and was starting to buy into the hype because on several sits I had deer all around me. When I started bragging up about how I liked it, a younger guy (24 year old) in camp asked "how many big bucks have you seen?". His theory was that the strong smell of vanilla was unnatural, spooked the decent bucks and I should give Ever Calm a try. So I tried it and what can I say, the kid might be onto something. I had decent activity with bucks once I switched. I think $20 per stick is kind of steep but I'm going to experiment more with it next season.
I learned some more patience. Guess we never have enough. Learned Adhesive capsulitis or frozen shoulder syndrome (FSS) will keep you from bowhunting for an entire season. I am already looking forward to next year. Learned what is really important to me when you can't do what you thought was important.
I learned that some people will never change. Neighbor is a master baiter. Instead of 2 gallons of bait per 40 acres, it seems he places 40 gallons per 2 acres. I confronted him about it a while back after getting permission from him to track a deer. WOW is all I can say to the corn piles I found. His response "It's my F***in property and I'll do what I want. Not you or the F***in DNR will tell me what to do on my property. Fast forward to this season, Oconto County was declared a no bait county on Nov 1. I used a climber about 50 yards off the fence line facing our property as I sat. I stood to glass behind me and lo and behold there was a golden bait heap about 50 yards on his side of the fence. I got out my phone and called the tip hot line. Don't know what happened. Some people just don't care, it's all about ME.
I also learned "RELAX" enjoy the hunt, no worries out there.
I learned that my "secret spot" wasn't as secret as I thought :(
I learned that deer hunting, especially bow hunting, is a process that cannot be rushed. To be "successful" (as measured by traditional harvest methods), I need more time to scout and work the woods, practice shooting, and spend time in a stand. Like many of us, the constraints of the real world (i.e., family, work, etc.) don't always permit that time. However, I have learned to appreciate the time I do get to spend time in the great outdoors and not fret so much about petty issues that irritate us and sometimes dominate these types of forums. This is not a new lesson, but one I re-learn every time I am able to get away. We are lucky to have the great opportunities that we have in our great state of Wiscaaaahnsin.
Konk- that is a tough situation as he no doubt knows it was you that called in and now he could refuse to let you trail a deer onto his land again.
I would think that the season was VERY successful (IMO). I shot a very average 8 point buck in my woods and that freed me up for more things. My first (and only) wife and I had our 45th Anniversary this year and decided to celebrate all year. Did some traveling and got a LOT of projects completed around our house/woods. Last year I was a lot more successful if you just consider antlers (42 inch wide moose and an 18 inch wide buck) but this year was at least as good...happy wife, happy life-she was the one that suggested the moose hunt last year. Learned that a season is not judged just by the antlers on the wall!
I learned well actually confirmed something I have known for awhile now. Although I LOVE to hunt, study, scout mature bucks. I really love venison, I can handle not shooting a decent buck every year. But I have a hard time dealing with an empty freezer. My family will easily eat 5 plus deer a year. This year we have 2, I'm still working on getting more... I also learned/confirmed another thing I have known for awhile. The season, especially October. Goes by way to quickly.
Sometimes luck is the most deciding factor in weather or not you get a buck. At times the odds of getting an opportunity at a decent buck seem so long and improbable,,,, but you end up with a deer in your lap anyways and you realize luck was 99% responsible.
I learned to never take for granted the long season. I didnt hunt as much as usual in the earlier part of the season. Now I am suffering from 2 herniated discs and am unable to hunt. My season has been over for a couple of weeks now and it is depressing. I planned on hunting heavey during late season but things change. All in all it was a good season, I really enjoyed the time I did spend in the woods.
I also learned to pick and choose what threads to read. It makes it a much more enjoyable site.
That when your in your 60s....... you should try to stay in shape. learned that the hard way this late season.
I feel your pain South Farm. With ATVs going everywhere, GPS, and cyber scouting, it's getting harder and harder to find and keep the honey hole secret.
After a warmer than normal fall, I learned I didn't miss the colder weather. Hunted more often, stayed on stand longer, and enjoyed it.
What did I learn this year? That I like it a lot more when deer run towards the game pole instead of away from it.
If you're hunting on the ground don't ignore that clueless looking mole nosing around boots he just might crawl up your pants leg.
The neighbor leased his land out. 15 deer, 4 of them nice bucks and thats besides what the other neighbors shot. bummer
I learned, or at least reemphasized in my life, the value of each day out in the field, and I have yet to harvest any deer in Wis,,,,,, but satisfaction also comes not from the horns that I scored, but those who I have helped, or tried to advise,,,,,,,,
Losing so many this year, my main goal now, is to give back, and offer what I can, and like tonight, thank the good Lord, of the day I was able to have
I have learned there are very few deer in the NW part of the state (at least in my area). Fifteen trail cameras out pre rut until gun season and not one deer, just wolves and coyotes. Sad!
That's a tough pill to swallow Hoot. Where in the northwest do you hunt?
I learned how satisfying it can be to see someone else get their deer. My buddy, using a '58 Kodiak bow, shot and killed a dandy ten-point from one of my favorite stands. Then later both he and his son took does off my property. It was great to see both be successful and go home knowing they'd gotten what they went hunting for.
MuskyBuck - I live in southern Washburn county, but can't bow hunt anymore, but gun hunt in Vernon County.
Planning a trip to SDak (deer) and Wyoming (antelope). Judging by the cost of the license fees for these two---if you are one of the guys that feel that " if you Wisconsin guys raise our fees (mostly ducks and fibs) we won't come"...boo hoo.
