2018 Lessons learned

[wolc123]

Now that the fat lady has sung across most of the state, what are the lessons you learned this year ?    It is always better to learn from other's mistakes, rather than the "hard way" by making them yourself.   I made a few this year, that cost me two doe for sure.   Fortunately, with help from a friend who gave us a couple of deer that he killed on opening weekend, my own immediate family's year's venison supply was secured before I paid the price for those mistakes.  I would have liked to have killed another doe or two for my extended family and friends, but my mistakes stopped that.  Sorry about the length of this post, but I made a lot of mistakes this year.     

A string of mistakes cost me the first doe, on the third Saturday of gun season.   When sighting in my Marlin 512 Bolt-action on Labor day weekend, at 100 yards, I saw two "bulls" when looking at the target thru the Bushnell banner 3x scope.   Not knowing which to shoot at, I moved in to 50 yards, where I could only see one.   The two shot "group" I fired was centered a couple inches above the bull, so I let it go at that.  

On opening day, I shot a heavy swamp buck from 100 yards away.  My first shot felt bad, but the noise stopped the fast-walking buck.  My second shot broke his back and put him down.    I walked over and gave him a third to the neck from point-blank range as he was pulling himself up with his front legs.   The first two shots struck just under and right on the spine, just behind the diaphram, about 15" to the left of my point of aim.   While dragging the 200 pound plus (with guts in) carcass out of the swamp, my gun slipped off my shoulder into the muddy swamp water.   Later, I used my dad's gun cleaning rod to push the mud out of the barrel, and I oiled the outside of the gun.

The temperature was below freezing the next day I was up in that stand with three DMP's (I had already used one on a button buck with my cross-bow) and no buck tag.   About an hour after sunrise, I heard branches breaking and bucks grunting.   A small four point and a tiny spike (close to 3") were in hot pursuit of a doe.   They drove her in a wide circle around my stand.  The range was too far for a running shot at her thru the broken hardwoods but, like good beagles on a rabbit, they brought her around for another lap.   This time she passed almost under my stand.  I pulled the trigger and "click", no "bang".   I ejected the "dud" but was unable to get another shot the doe.   The little spike stopped about 30 yards out but I was not willing to gamble that those horns were under 3" so he got a pass.

After they all moved on, I climbed down and had no luck finding that "dud" in the snow.  I wanted to see if the primer was pricked.   After about 15 minutes of searching for it, I climbed back up the tree.   About half hour later, I heard that old familiar branches breaking and grunting again.  The "beagles" brought her back around for a 3rd and fourth lap.  Usually I pull the trigger if I am 90% sure of a shot, but I let one go at less than that because I wanted to see if my gun would fire.  It did, and I am about 90 % sure it was a clean miss.  The doe showed no reaction of being hit, and I found no blood on the snow in several hours of searching.   The one bright spot of this "miss" was that the next day the temperature got up to 60 degrees, so the carcass may have spoiled had I connected, since I always like to hang them a while.

A couple weeks later I found that "dud" and the primer was not pricked.   The firing pin must have been frozen back on my first "point blank" mishap on that doe.  To correct those mistakes, that bolt will get disassembled, cleaned and oiled in the off-season.   That cheap old scope will get shit-canned and replaced with a new Redfield Revolution 2-7X.  Finally, I will do my best to stick to my "90%" or better rule before pulling the trigger.   

The week after that miss, I missed another doe up in the Adirondacks with my ML.   Much shorter story here.  It did not take me too long to find the branch that deflected the bullet.  On this doe, I am more than 95 % sure it was a clean miss because I tracked her all the way to where she bedded, about a mile away, and there was no blood the whole way, or in her bed.   After killing and recovering every deer I have shot at over the last 14 seasons, the Good Lord was due to teach me a couple of lessons.  The bright spot of the last one is that I think this was the mother doe who frequently visits my in-laws house, along with her two fawns, to clean up under their bird-feeders.   Now that entertainment will be able to continue up there for them thru the winter.      

               

               

Edited December 19, 2018 by wolc123

[turkeyfeathers]

Shorter posts to be read 

[GreeneHunter]

2 minutes ago, turkeyfeathers said:

Shorter posts to be read 

I fell asleep after the first paragraph !

[wolc123]

10 minutes ago, turkeyfeathers said:

Shorter posts to be read 

No problem, you got plenty of time until October 1 2019.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

6 minutes ago, turkeyfeathers said:

Shorter posts to be read 

lol....Did you really even start reading 

[wolc123]

8 minutes ago, Four Season Whitetail's said:

lol....Did you really even start reading 

I think he read until he got the the part about button buck.  We had tacos from it for dinner tonight.  Man were they tasty.  Too bad you folks ain't into those "fatted calves".   You don't have a clue what you are missing.  I am thankful for that and thankful for folks like you though, that leaves more for me and my family.         

[Zag]

Never trust an early morning dart!

[First-light]

We all learn from our mistakes no matter how old. It was about three years ago I loaded my 1187 autoloader and held the action as it slid up into place. That morning a huge buck with a shot off leg hobbled right under my stand. Had him at 0 yards! lol the gun didn't fire. Action did not seat properly and that buck trotted away on three legs. I'll never do that again. I have owned that gun for over 30 years.......

[Four Season Whitetail's]

24 minutes ago, wolc123 said:

I think he read until he got the the part about button buck.  We had tacos from it for dinner tonight.  Man were they tasty.  Too bad you folks ain't into those "fatted calves".   You don't have a clue what you are missing.  I am thankful for that and thankful for folks like you though, that leaves more for me and my family.         

Yeah i dont think many can take any lesson learned from a guy that actively targets the dumbest animal in the woods.  Kinda counter productive.

Edited December 19, 2018 by Four Season Whitetail's

[wolc123]

17 minutes ago, First-light said:

We all learn from our mistakes no matter how old. It was about three years ago I loaded my 1187 autoloader and held the action as it slid up into place. That morning a huge buck with a shot off leg hobbled right under my stand. Had him at 0 yards! lol the gun didn't fire. Action did not seat properly and that buck trotted away on three legs. I'll never do that again. I have owned that gun for over 30 years.......

That brings back memories of my first antlered buck about 35 years ago.   I had my Ithaca 37 16 ga and it was not loaded yet, near sunrise, when I heard crashing in the brush next to my stand.   The buck stepped out, just as "legal" sunrise occurred.  I jammed a slug into the bottom, hoping it got into the chamber, as I pushed the action forward (a side opening Remington 870 would have been better).   Fortunately it did, allowing me to kill that 7-pointer.   Shooting straight down has not happened for me since then.   

[wolc123]

8 minutes ago, Four Season Whitetail's said:

Yeah i dont think many can take any lesson learned from a guy that actively targets the dumbest animal in the woods.  Kinda counter productive.

I am thankful they are also the tastiest 

[DirtTime]

I learned, just this morning, that hunting in very cold temps in high winds with a bow sucks!

I learned a few other things about the land I hunt, but the above was the hardest lesson I learned.

[Chef]

I learned that even though I think wolc is insane he’s still a nice guy. I learned that belo is so
Uncomfortable with his sexuality that he won’t eat deer nuts, I learned that mighty taco sauce is pretty dam good. I learned that moog likes to make fake rubs by peoples stands, I learned that buckmaster is a badass. I learned that Paula rides a Harley. Biz is afraid of tree stands, Pygmy likes em young and with his eggs. Oh and last but not least growie was really dyslexic


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tughill Tamer]

Don't pass up a Buck on day 1 of your vacation that you wouldn't pass up on day 7. Especially in the areas I hunt here in the north where your lucky to see 6 Bucks all year.

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[nyslowhand]

For us old farts - Don't expect this ole body to be able to do next year what it has reliably done in the past!

[Northcountryman]

Well I definitely wasted a lot of time this year, got up late, didn’t go out if it was too cold, etc. and consequently got skunked. I will pay for it now having to wait another full year till I can do this again . Don’t waste time!! 

[Robhuntandfish]

 thanks Wolc for the idea of taking hot cider for hunting.  Did that a bunch this season and after hunting a thermos of that hit the spot.

Lesson learned this year is dont be afraid to move stands in season, it was my best idea all year! And not to give up cause it can change so fast!!!! As always have ideas to make next year even better with some changes to stands etc.  

[First-light]

11 minutes ago, Robhuntandfish said:

 thanks Wolc for the idea of taking hot cider for hunting.  Did that a bunch this season and after hunting a thermos of that hit the spot.

Lesson learned this year is dont be afraid to move stands in season, it was my best idea all year! And not to give up cause it can change so fast!!!! As always have ideas to make next year even better with some changes to stands etc.  

That last one is good Rob. I told my gang to write down things in a log book that they would like to do before next season. We would review it and plan a work weekend. I know I have mine written down. 

[Robhuntandfish]

3 minutes ago, First-light said:

That last one is good Rob. I told my gang to write down things in a log book that they would like to do before next season. We would review it and plan a work weekend. I know I have mine written down. 

Def a good idea - write it down so you dont forget and if all the guys you share land with do the same you got a plan!   I keep a hunting log/journal every year and then a seperate list for ideas for the next season.  Already have 4 stand placements to change, a different idea for cutting brush in some areas, a different approach on using trailcams - all written down to work on and am sure i will add more. 

[CapDistPatriot]

I learned not to leave your gut kit at the car when going to the deepest stand from your parking area.

[ApexerER]

Just because the deer are here today doesn't mean they will be here tomorrow. 

[The_Real_TCIII]

Just because youre considerate enough to get up early and make EIGHT peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for you and your hunting crew do not expect them to be thankful and not whine about the amount of peanut butter you used. As my mother would see, thered be a lot less if there were none!

 

Thats about it. Im not out there trying to learn

[dbHunterNY]

i can kill deer if i'm out there but can easily be a sucker and not tell others to piss off to let me hunt for myself. i really didn't hunt much this year. i guess it would be good to check the zero/sight in the ML when i have time and am already doing so for my rifle.

[NFA-ADK]

Some "Friends" will only be my friend if I do what they say!  Told the guy I hunted with for 6 years in tree's that this year I would not set up a stand and would stalk, still hunt or just sit.  That started an argument that resulted in him telling me I was out of his click, then I was threatened IF I tried to hunt ANY location he hunts. 

  I learned I do not care if I ever shoot a buck with the bow, the chase is too much fun to give up and it is much more rewarding for me challenging them on there own turf vs sitting in a tree. 

I learned I should have gotten glasses years ago!  

[wolc123]

10 hours ago, Robhuntandfish said:

 thanks Wolc for the idea of taking hot cider for hunting.  Did that a bunch this season and after hunting a thermos of that hit the spot.

Lesson learned this year is dont be afraid to move stands in season, it was my best idea all year! And not to give up cause it can change so fast!!!! As always have ideas to make next year even better with some changes to stands etc.  

The in-season stand move also worked for me this year.   I think that most of us hunters tend to be very predictable to mature bucks and does.    A last minute stand move is a good way to get them off their game, and into our freezers.    The hot cider did its job this year too, keeping my hydrated, full of energy, warm, and providing enough cover scent to allow a group of three deer to make 4  circles around my stand (7 feet high) when there was a very light steady wind.