My first season and what I learned... A Story....

[zeus1gdsm]

SO I officially completed my first true season of deer hunting. I must say I am pretty proud of my dedication, I put in around 100hours total between regulars northern and southern and late muzzleloader. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for answering some of my posts. Even the more errr…. Negligent ones. And I wanted to share a list of achievements over this first season and follow it up with a short story of my final day.

 

1. I sat through 10-20* temps shivering.
2. I fell asleep a few times in the evening after going out in the morning as well.. 
3. I learned to be able to sit still for longer periods of time.
4. I sorted my gear and got my insulation and necessities system parred down. 
5. I also realized how much sitting comfort plays a part in the enjoyment of the hunt. 
6. I learned to walk a little slower and softer.
7. I only saw deer 2 times.
8. I heard them 2 times.
9. I learned how to better spot them in the woods. 
10. I learned more about deer moving and bedding habits.
11. And I am sure there are others I am forgetting.

 

So on my first time ever out with a rifle in my hand hunting I was sitting halfway down a large ridge that ran the length of a creek. Unfortuneartely I was not sitting far enough down and was treated to the sound of several deer crossing said creek about 50 yards outside my vision. In the middle of a text message id ropped my phone and readied to shoot. Only to see hide nor hair of them.

 

On my second time out we were sitting on the same ridge in a different section where ( the deer always go) according to my “guide” on the way there he tells me the cleared a bunch of land a little farther down and did some logging. This time I saw doe, 2 of them come from crossing the creek and then trot directly away from us down towards where I had sat the first time. My first true sighting but no chance in heck of a shot.  After an uneventful rest of the sit I went down and checked out where they had come from. Seemed to me that the logging and land changes had caused the deer to no longer move as far down the ridge / creek and were now using a split in the creek as a bridge to move from one side to the other and there was heavy trail showing such.  Sure enough as we followed said ridge towards my first spot we heard 2 grunts of some sort down by the creek but nothing showed its head.

 

For the rest of the season I saw NO Deer.  I moved from 6k to 6p to 6r. The later 2 being large tracts of private land. I saw sign, oh boy did I see sign. Deer Super highways, rubs, beds etc. but no live deer. And so went the entire rest of the season, I had a week vacation, a couple 3-4 day weekends and spent every free moment in the woods. Getting in an hour before light many mornings in effort to be set before they showed.

 

So came muzzleloader. My partner had an extra so I bought the tag. We went sat evening and sun all day on the final weekend. We let his father talk us into doing a stalk down through some swamp in an old crab apple orchard where we had spent a majority of our season…. Well needless to say the swamp was fine but the east end of the orchard was so over grown there was no lanes to speak of. So we humped the rest of the way to his stand and I made my way around the outside of the orchard to where a bordered a southern field, there was a defined small ridge here with an old old loggin trail that I had wanted to hunt all season. For this last day I had moved my chair over there the morning before, 10 feet down my ridge overlooking a small 30yards of marsh then up 10 feet to the ridge in question with a large corn field and creek on the other side.

 

I get my husky self there with about 2.5 hours of shooting light/ time left. ( till legal sunset) I sit down. And strip a layer, remove my hat, get my water out. And in general and “preparing” to sit for the net 2 hours.  All in all about 4 minutes of movement tops.  As Im bringing my bottle down after a sip or water is ee a flash of white in the trees at the start of the logging road.  I freeze.  Sure enough 3 doe.  As slowly as possible I set down the water and lift the rifle to my shoulder. Getting good and set. They stand for a minute and then go down the trail a decent trot.  Sight is on the lead doe the entire time, but there is decent coverage in the way.  Looking ahead I see a nice gap in 2 trees and move my sights in the middle to take a shot. Sure enough the doe goes right behind said trees and for a moment I have a solid block of unobstructed hide behind the sights. …… but she keeps moving and they disappear down the ridge.

 

What happened?  Well my brain didn’t think to make a bleat or something to try and stop them so I could shoot.  And I told myself all season I would be someone who unloads at a moving deer in hopes they hit it.  I told myself all year I would go for ethical and safe shots. I don’t want to send a deer to painfull drawn out death because we cant find her or the yotes get her.

 

And so ended my first season of deer. Mother nature saw fit to taunt me for my first season at the ripe age of 30. Showing me the goal for a moment in the beginng and the end of the season. Like a drug dealer for an addict. Punishment for the previous years not putting the time in. Heres hoping I paid my dues and next year is more successful.

 

Hind Sight 20/20…… I had an acceptable shot and should have taken it. The excitement of the situation delayed my reactions.

 

Thanks all. I hope you enjoyed the read.

[zeus1gdsm]

oh..... and im hooked.

 

gotta get my bow ready and get the course out of the way for next season.

 

as wella s some warmer Bib pants and warmer jacket.

Edited December 19, 2014 by zeus1gdsm

[robw]

Nice story, I remember being there in 1983, and can relate to the desire to keep it up.  Only 9 1/2 months till we can start again!!  Now, you just need to add that bow to your hunting....by far my favorite season to hunt

[dbHunterNY]

that list will expand by 100 times before the end of your third season.  a lot you have to learn for yourself to really understand.  important thing that limits most hunters is they don't apply what they learn year after year.  they hunt a way that's convenient or easy.

[fishuntrapper]

way to be dedicated. good luck

[LI OUTDOORSMAN]

Great story...once you take up bow or crossbow hunting youll see much more deer activity...And hopefully more shot opportunities..Nothing like watching deer acting like deer in a relaxed setting.

[philoshop]

It'll come. One of the hardest parts is learning from your mistakes, and not making the mistake again.

[wolc123]

As a hunter, you will never stop learning. Nothing will teach you like your own experience will. Mistakes will teach you a lot more than successes will. I have been hunting a few years more than you have been breathing, and I still make some. My biggest this season was staying out too late one night during late archery season and falling asleep in my blind. I also had seen very few deer throughout the season this year, so I was not expecting much. Naturally, I was awakened by the soft footsteps of a nice young fork-horn buck as he approached to within 15 yards of my blind. My crossbow was on the floor, and our eyes locked as soon as I woke up. Very slowly I lifted the bow, but as soon as it cleared the rest, he bolted off never to be seen again.

Sometimes mistakes are really blessings however. A couple days later, I did get the jump on a slightly larger buck, seeing him before he saw me. The range was far, but everything else was perfect, and he rests peacefully in our freezer now. I was also extremely blessed to harvest my largest ever buck this fall wit my rifle, up on a ridge in the Adirondacks in an area that sounds similar to where you were (zone 6C). I was very high up and had a good view of the buck sneaking along the creek below. The ice along the bank was crashing hard at the time and that was probably what kept the buck from bolting off after my first two shots. Fortunately, I was able to find a good branch to rest the rifle, for the third shot. The buck paused in an opening just long enough for me to concentrate on hitting a tiny spot, high behind his shoulder.

I made two mistakes on that buck, underestimating the range and missing low on the first, well rested shot, and rushing the second shot offhand. Just like baseball, he was out on the third strike however, and now rests peacefully in the freezer also. My wife even let me get a mount for the big 50 birthday I will hit in a few more days. Over all those years, I have made almost every mistake that I thought was possible, but the good news is that they do diminish a bit with time. Be thankful if your are one of the fortunate few who can learn from others mistakes.

Across NY state, this was one of the toughest years on record for deer sightings due to record acorn production. All the deer had to do was find the nearest oaks, and get into some heavy cover downwind, waiting for the coast to clear. They remained nocturnal for the most part, from the time those acorns began to fall. Don't be surprised to see way more deer next season, as I know that the numbers are still high, and the puny harvest numbers this season will also lead to a lot more chances next year. So will the mild winter that we are getting again. In the Western part of the state, they are calling for temps in the mid 50's next week and the ground is not even frozen yet. If this keeps up, we are going to have to deal with hogs soon, like those poor folks down south have to deal with.

Some folks on internet sites like this just love to criticize folks by telling them that they were just lucky and stuff like that. That is usually the bunch that still has their tags when the season ends. Two things they don't have good recipes for are tags and antlers. Generally, you will find that the more experience you gain, the more "luck" you will have. Good luck next season.

[wildcat junkie]

Leave the phone in your pocket. Better yet, leave it in the car.

Edited December 20, 2014 by wildcat junkie

[landtracdeerhunter]

Like anything else, the more time and effort you put in, the more experience will become you. Add to it, the willingness to never stop learning. We all started there. Continue down the road, you'll start tasting deer. Good luck. . By the way, nice story!

 

Edit: spelling

Edited December 20, 2014 by landtracdeerhunter

[the blur]

And people think you walk into the woods, shoot a deer, and walk out. Little do they know, it's the most challenging sport I have ever done. My wife calls it wasting time.

[Northsox65]

If you find a spot with lots of sign and wait it out you will see deer, I think you moved to other locations without giving the spot you were in a chance. I have sat in a spot for a week and seen nothing but squirrels, however if you sit there long enough the deer will cycle trough.

[G-Man]

Congrats! that sounds like a great learning season! let me add this insite from almost 40 years o hunting.........the hardest part to learn and bow hunting a few seasons will help you learn this faster than anything, there is a big difference between seeing deer that you might get a shot at, and getting a shot at a deer you might see.... stand and setup locations are most critical. i may not see a ton of deer but every deer i see is in range and presents a shot. you need to decide which will make you a more sucessful hunter.

Edited December 22, 2014 by G-Man

[grampy]

It's great to see new guys and gals really getting into hunting! I have put more than forty hunting seasons behind me and the best advice I can give is to always be adaptable. Nothing stays the same forever. Not us,the deer and their patterns,the woods we hunt,and the way we hunt. Things will change and we as hunters need to be adaptable to remain or be successful. If a certain set up,position,or style of hunting isn't working for you don't be afraid to change it up even if it did work in the past. As I said in a prior post "if hunters were only half as adaptable as deer,there would be a lot more deer killed."

[Five Seasons]

I think a few of your lessons learned are why some of us "gear junkies" have more invested in our clothing than our guns. It's not that we want to look pretty for the deer or that they will notice. It's the comfort they provide to keep us hunting longer. Some good wool and flannel will get it done for sure but I appreciate some of the lighter thinner modern tech that keeps me just as worm.

 

At the end of the day, you need to be in the right spot. This is something that will come with the more time you spend in the woods. Right now is the best time to scout for next year. Don't wait till the spring or late summer. Pattern them now. Hope you get some success. It can take years for some to get their first deer.

[zeus1gdsm]

it was def. a hectic season and the wife was mind blowingly supportive of all the nonsense.

 

 

Thanks for all the positive responses...  I know the majority of us like a good story so i figured id put it all out there.

 

My partner and I are going to work his land in the coming months and get some more cheapo stands up in some prime areas on his land.  after getting some walk time in in the last 2 days of ML i was honestly dusgusted that we put in so much time sitting in the one area of his property.

 

 

[Five Seasons]

we've hunted this one 60 acre property for 30 years. Still moving stands. You need to know where the food sources are. Some of it is based on local crop rotation, others from logging and certain areas becoming hardwoods and others reverting. It's a game that's never over. Make your own deer runs. Lots of work but it helps a ton.