Who got blanked, skunked, bupkiss...
Connecticut
After finally taking a look at the "who got one" thread that BBB started, it hit me that many discussed there not being a tally of those who got skunked.
So, I volunteer to start it... That said, my vote doesnt count this year - I didnt get down to CT at all. Just hunted, N. Central MA. Hunted pretty hard - at least the AM or PM 4 X week I'd say. Had one great encounter with a buck that was likely 4.5, but he didnt quite offer a shot. Passed a skip in late October. Had a group of 4 does come in 1 AM, and never managed to draw - one picked me out in the tree and with 8 eyes looking, I never was able to get a chance to draw. Saw a few other bucks and does. Changed areas to one closer to Worcester in hope of increasing deer density a bit during gun, and saw probably 50 deer in one area - the same group of about 10 does. Almost every evening walking out they were eating birdseed in a backyard near where I park - ha! Damn you MA and your 500 foot setback rule :)
Saw about 10-15 yotes over the season as well and a good number of turkey.
In the end though, had a lot of fun, learned some things, and had a little "ego shave" getting blanked. On to next year.
So, my vote I guess doesnt really count - since I didnt hunt CT this year... But, of those who did - did you get skunked? Speak up with pride - you learn more from failure than you do success :)! (there's actually research to prove that too)
I'll speak for my kid. Nothing with a bow. Missed a big 8 with a shotgun (bumped his sight a few days earlier, dad said "it'll be fine") my bad. He did have a chance to shoot at it a week earlier as it stood broadside 70 yards away with its head behind a tree for 3 min. Problem was that it was 10 yards off the property.
People are going to be coming out of the woodwork to post on this one;) I remember reading somewhere on the big game forum that something like 3% of bowsite members actually post. I bet its a little more when asked "who got one". Correction factor?:)
Depends how you look at it. I had three ops. Passed on a young 6pt. Missed a 10pt and an 8pt at close range with my recurve. Yes, I was in the right place, right time and got the shots off. I missed clean, twice in same day. No does came close enough for a shot. So, I'm skunked with bow, but only because I choked at two slam dunks. Not because I couldn't find them.
The question should be, "How many opportunities, whether hit, missed or passed"?
I saw more deer this season than most, but freezer is empty as far as venison goes. I had a couple of opportunities with does early in the season, but they each had skippers in tow and I kept having Bambi flashbacks so I never drew my bow on them. I had a very big bodied 6 point cruise past me in range, but he was on a mission and never paused for me to get a clean shot at him. I then had a smaller bodied 8 pointer with unusually large brow tines come in to my call but I got spotted by him and got caught in a stare down - with him trying to figure out what the heck the pot-bellied green blob in the tree was, and me trying not to fart, move or make eye contact with him. I would normally have gotten out more, but elected to go pheasant hunting with my son Saturday mornings instead. While deer hunting is my passion, I wouldn't trade those mornings for any amount of venison. We had a great time and hopefully as he gets older he will find the interest and patience to sit still and quiet.... for hours in the cold.... For that matter, hopefully I do too!
Brian, close doesn't put meat in the freezer:)
Zero for me, first skunk in 5 or 6 years. Hunted some new spots and saw a lot of deer just not very many shot opportunities. It happens.. back to the drawing board!
