1.) bluecat - 12/10/2013

This season hasn't yielded high results (yet) but I was able to connect on a small buck early. The value of a season though is definately not in the "how many" but rather the experiences and lessons learned.

In mid November, I was on the stand in a light flannel shirt. I knew that we were expecting some bad weather in the afternoon so packed accordingly. In about an hour, the winds picked up and it really started getting cold. After two hours of frigid temperatures and sleet, I decided to take a walk and see what I could see. In walking the property I found areas where you would never know there was inclement weather. It was completely protected by the weather. Needless to say it was a whole lot warmer. It got me to thinking that you often don't know the value of an area until you experience it in harsh conditions. You can really understand how game can move around and optimize their conditions.

Sitting on stand this year, I was able to enjoy a lot of turkeys and their calling. The big winter flocks provided immense entertainment value when no other game was around. It's a perfect opportunity to improve my own calling by listening to their cadence, inflection and presentation. I continue to improve on the diaphram.

Two weeks ago I had about eight deer walking toward me lead by a big doe. I decided I would take her as she was about seven yards from me. I made the mistake of beginning to draw early without letting her walk past and not seeing me out of her peripheral vision. When she stopped and looked at me I froze and we stared at each other for about a minute before she backed away and took all the other deer with her. Letting her not walk past was my mistake but when faced with that situation again I must remember to do the following: make the decision to draw and don't stop. I'm thinking that we could have been staring at each other with me at full draw. My initial reaction is to freeze but once you've been picked off it's pretty much over.

I'm definately getting a full-bodied buck decoy next year. It will have removable horns that can be used as a doe decoy as well. I just feel I'm missing out on some opportunities by not having one in certain situations. I've owned decoys before (Montana fold-up) and they have cost me deer over the years. On at least three occasions I've had deer in the area. Once they see the decoy, they run. It happened when I had a doe decoy out (does ran away) and it happened when I had a buck decoy out (buck ran away). I definately swing back and forth on the issue but have never owned a 3-D decoy. I hate having a lot of gear to lug around. Time to try it out.

I really want to try the Magnus Stainless Steel Snuffer. It looks like a Montec but made by Magnus. I have no problems with the Stinger 2-blade (use for turkeys) and the 4-blade (use for deer). I guess if I had only one bad thing to say about the 4-blade is that the bleeder blades are not easy to sharpen because they are hard to hang on to as you draw them across the stone.

I've never killed a deer from a ground blind. I really want to do that.

Chime in with any of your own observations and revelations.

2.) Ventilator - 12/10/2013

The primos scarface decoy seems to yeild good results in Nebraska the times ive used it. This year was especially good. I went with one antler a time or two and both other times. Ive had better luck with the buck version. Also, montana dekes have cost me deer more than once!

As for the odds, im confident i couldve killed at least two nebraska giants over the years if i wouldve had a deke out. Both of those bucks came toward me when i snort wheezed. But with open prairie and no deke, it was game over at 65-80 yds.

Those fat nanny does need to be killed! Hate you didnt pull it off. Congrats on the buck you took early. As youknow, i did manage a nice buck on my last day in NE this year. Otherwise, it has been one of the worst deer seasons ive experienced in modern times! Lol

Good luck late season! Im hoping for some late season success in Ohio after Christmas.

3.) luv2bowhunt - 12/10/2013

I learned to be more careful on tree steps. Nuff said on that.

Also I think I've been bouncing around too much from place to place, looking for the perfect area. I've got one area, not super hard to get to, but thick. It's a 200 acre 10 yrd old clearcut, nasty thick. This area holds deer, holds some nice deer, but I haven't been real serious about learning everything about it. And the only reason is I know the work involved in scouting and making places to hunt.

I've done this before, and it can take an entire winter scouting season to scout, understand, and then make huntable places in areas that thick.

Maybe I'm getting lazy in my old age, but I've been finding it easier to keep looking for other places that are more 'user friendly' for bowhunting.

Bottom line is, I think I need to pick one or two areas and stick to them. That would have helped me immensely the last 2 seasons. It's been difficult to see deer when I'm always in a different stand every other week.

As in most of life, I think most of my problems and struggles have been self inflicted. Time to get back to some basics.

That, and being more careful on tree steps, that's what I was reminded of this year.

4.) Swamp Fox - 12/10/2013

The lead doe is tough to kill!

I can give you the good-buddy price on a 3D deke with removable antlers if you're up for it. I hardly ever use it. It does work best if there is some way to add motion to it, like toilet paper at the tail. I used to have a tanned deer tail on some fishing line for it, but who knows where that is these days. I want to say the decoy is a Delta but I'd have to think about that for a while. It could use a paint job refresher (they sell some stuff for that, or at least they used to); otherwise it is just a little faded.

I ditched the damn over-the-back, around-your-neck, always-in-your-way four-point-between-the-shoulders strap this year, after fighting it for six or seven seasons. I was used to the freedom of a one- or two-point waist strap and couldn't stand messing with the behind-the-back strap every time I wanted to shoot to the right or face the tree. I am using a rock-climbing seat harness/daisy chain/ loop runner system these days, and loving it.

I've also upgraded some tree-climbing gear after messing around too long with the same old "hunter's" stuff. Mainly this in in the area of safety lines and linesman's tethers/rope grabs (such as prussics and positioners). I spend enough time in trees that I came to realize that a lot of the stuff that gets marketed to us is not as good or as easy to use as what guys who spend MOST of their time in trees use.

I don't think there's a problem trying to keep your stands fresh by bouncing around. The problem I have is that sometimes I bounce around just for the heck of it, and at some point you realize you bounced so much that you didn't give any one or two stands the time they should have received over the course of a season.

5.) Wild Bob - 12/10/2013

Great thoughts gentlemen, I feel that anyone that can't read these first four posts, and pick something of value out of them, is fooling him/herself with false pride.

My two bits go as such: My hunting area has been ravaged over the past three years with; the worst winter in 50 years, worst flooding in 100 years, and three successive seasonal outbreaks of EHD. Needless to say, the pickins' have been slim; deer where phantoms this season, as where antelope. That didn't deter me from putting in more time deer hunting with bow and rifle this year than ever. Then to beat all; after all the planning and prepping for a week and a half off to hunt elk in the back country, the federal government closes down, and issues a no use mandate on the area where my elk tag was for...(still a sore subject, but I've accepted it.)

So, my season took on a very different look compared to what I was envisioning back during the dog days of summer! I guess the take away in so far as my revelation was this: Do the best you can with what's dealt to you, keep your chin up, and enjoy what you do have/can do. If you stick with this game long enough; there are going to be phenomenal years, terrible years, and everything in between.

I did kill a small 8 point whitetail (so I'm very thankful for that). I did not fill the 2 doe tags that I had, or the elk tag that I had, and I didn't even draw an antelope tag...but we do have some venison (which ultimately, is the reason I choose to hunt). And I have some great memories; like the pleasant October afternoon I sat in my blind and actually got to watch a golden eagle take out a rooster pheasant about 15 feet from my position, many wonderful autumn evenings listening to the owls come out and begin hunting along the river bottom, hearing the coyotes always on their hunt, watching Bighorn sheep graze peacefully, seeing our Brittany's point pheasants and grouse during this - their first year hunting, and sharing long days hiking and hunting mule deer with my son in places that are more remote than probably 70% of majority of Americans will ever set foot on.

And, there's still some pheasant and waterfowl hunting to do over the next month, not to mention coyotes to call...so all in all, I feel pretty lucky despite the way the season played out.

6.) NEBigAl - 12/10/2013

My season isnt over yet by a long shot, but its been a good season.

The thing I have really thought about is that every single year I feel like I learn more about deer than I ever have in my life, but the more I learn about deer, the less I know. Just when I think I have things figured out is when they completely throw me for a loop, and I end up feeling like I know less about them then when I first started.

7.) luv2bowhunt - 12/10/2013

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;13428]I don't think there's a problem trying to keep your stands fresh by bouncing around. The problem I have is that sometimes I bounce around just for the heck of it, and at some point you realize you bounced so much that you didn't give any one or two stands the time they should have received over the course of a season.[/QUOTE]

Just to clarify, I wasn't talking stands, but areas. I was abandoning an entire area to hunt one 2-3 miles away. I might have 3 or 4 stands in 200 acres, and mixing it up between them is a good thing.

I need to refocus and let the deer tell me where I should be hunting, not ease of setup, or nice view, or boredom.:tu:

But who really n.............nevermind.

8.) bluecat - 12/10/2013

SwampGiggle,

If the legs are stored inside the body and the decoy is in good condition and ventilator hasn't slobbered on it, I might be interested. Also, I wouldn't mind seeing your harness setup sometime. Take a picture and show us what you are talking about.

WildBob, seeing that eagle take out the pheasant sounds like an awesome memory.

Good conversation fellas.

9.) DParker - 12/10/2013

At this point I'd just like to actually see a deer (not counting the one that was hanging from the scale at the ranger station). Oh, and a weekend that doesn't consist of nonstop rain/sleet.

I am taking 11 straight days off work the end of this month, so there's still hope.

10.) bluecat - 12/10/2013

Um, don't forget about us. Eleven days is a long time.

11.) Swamp Fox - 12/10/2013

Bluecat, I will see if I can manage to take some pictures in the next couple of days of the deke and the harness.

:wave:

12.) bluecat - 12/10/2013

I forgot to mention I broke out the Heater Body Suit I purchased several years ago. I was waiting until the right time. Two weeks ago was the right time. It definately made a miserable hunt enjoyable. I have only positive things to say about it.

13.) bluecat - 12/10/2013

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;13452]Bluecat, I will see if I can manage to take some pictures in the next couple of days of the deke and the harness.

:wave:[/QUOTE]

Yeah!

14.) Swamp Fox - 12/10/2013

[QUOTE=luv2bowhunt;13439]Just to clarify, I wasn't talking stands, but areas. I was abandoning an entire area to hunt one 2-3 miles away. I might have 3 or 4 stands in 200 acres, and mixing it up between them is a good thing.

I need to refocus and let the deer tell me where I should be hunting, not ease of setup, or nice view, or boredom.:tu:

But who really n.............nevermind.[/QUOTE]


See, that's the problem with having thousands of acres of public land to hunt, and all of it good...LOL.

15.) bluecat - 12/10/2013

Sounds like Luv2 needs to hire a deer whisperer.

16.) Swamp Fox - 12/10/2013

[QUOTE=bluecat;13451]Um, don't forget about us. Eleven days is a long time.[/QUOTE]


We should probably do this in shifts so the whole place doesn't shut down...:-)

17.) DParker - 12/10/2013

[QUOTE=bluecat;13451]Um, don't forget about us. Eleven days is a long time.[/QUOTE]

I just looked at the calendar and I miscounted...I'll actually have 12 days off, but that's counting weekends and holidays that I would have gotten off anyway. It's not long enough, and ends up burning only 5 days of actual vacation time...of which I currently have ~54 days accumulated.