sum up your season!

[Robhuntandfish]

someone had to start it and i am up early so.....  Plus i like reading everyone's take on the season.  I know its not over for everyone but for most it is.  

My season --- the best ever and the strangest ever. 40 days in the field with 42 deer sightings.  Last year had 104 deer sightings.  What a difference.  Bow started off as my worst season ever with terrible weather and many days of seeing nothing in the stand.  Couldnt figure it out. Made a last week hail mary move for a stand to the corner of a field with corn.  This field has always been clover and i have a stand about 250 yards from there already and hadnt seen hardly any deer there and usually thats one of my best.  So put the stand up and first time in it, 3 doe come in, and i take one withe the xbow and couldve had another.  3 days later take the biggest buck of my life in the same stand.  Hunted it both times on an east wind and it paid off. Gun season - saw deer on opening day - 2 nice bucks but 250 yards and moving in the brush - no shot.  Never took the safety off all season.  onto muzzleloader.  Can hunt my hot stand again as i dont gun hunt there, and shoot a buck that dropped its horns, thought it was a doe, and while looking for its horns within 60 yards of it i jump the biggest buck i have ever seen in the woods but no shot.  So i saw 4 wall hanger bucks this year which is the most i have even seen in a a season but saw less deer overall than i have seen in years.

  Very odd year but a very good one.   Freezer is full, getting a buck mount for the first time, got to be there with my buddy when he got his first deer with a gun, had a great time despite the lousy weather in bow season, had snow for the entire gun season but didnt connect, didnt drop one with the bow for the first time in years, got my first deer with muzzleloader which for some reason knew this was the year, and got to see and share with you folks all our adventures and see a lot of great deer you took and some great stories.  Already looking forward to Oct 1 !  (vacation time is in!)  And thank goodness for a last minute stand change !!!!  3 times in same stand - dragged deer 3 times. 

[rob-c]

We got on our new lease late, so we were not expecting a lot . Going from 200 acres down to 67 we decided to not over hunt it.i saw doe every time we were out during archery but none presented good shots, And passed up a 4 point.

Firearms pretty much the same, saw doe every time out, shot a big doe the Sunday after thanksgiving midday. Then the Saturday on the last weekend of firearms I hit a doe in the shoulder and lost her after a long tracking  job, Midday  also.

Wife had a few shot opportunities but no deer and my son actually had it the worst , he ended up rolling his ankle during archery on a leaf covered log, then slipped in the mud and tweaked his knee during gun. And to top it off the only deer he had seen was the one I hit in the shoulder and he couldn’t get a shot off at her. 

We had some highs and lows no doubt, but we learned a ton on how the deer are using this property. The entire lease is a saddle and the deer are traveling it a ton. So looking forward to next season and hunting it a bit harder. 

I will say we ran no cameras and we have no cell service on this lease and it was actually nice going old school. I think I may not put up cameras next year too .

Edited December 19, 2018 by rob-c

[landtracdeerhunter]

You had a really good season  Rob and a big congrats on that. I can only comment on mine after it simmers a while in me and the numbness wears off, LOL.

[First-light]

It was a slow bow season the least amount of bucks sighted in a long time. Trail cams had picts of bucks so they were around. No deer harvested at bow and we had 2- 7 pts and 1- 5 pt taken at gun. My Niece's fist buck so that was a high point. In all a decent season. Something to remember the corn around my place was still up until late November. How it changed the hunting I'm not really sure. 

[Robhuntandfish]

2 minutes ago, First-light said:

It was a slow bow season the least amount of bucks sighted in a long time. Trail cams had picts of bucks so they were around. No deer harvested at bow and we had 2- 7 pts and 1- 5 pt taken at gun. My Niece's fist buck so that was a high point. In all a decent season. Something to remember the corn around my place was still up until late November. How it changed the hunting I'm not really sure. 

i think a lot people saw that with corn still standing as farmers never had a chance to get it with the bad weather .  Was a HUGE factor for me this year.  Across the road were some very large cornfields and i think deer hung there a lot.  But the little patch i had paid off.  Glad it was there or i might have zeroed.  Congrats to your niece!!! 

[Robhuntandfish]

7 minutes ago, rob-c said:

We got on our new lease late, so we were not expecting a lot . Going from 200 acres down to 67 we decided to not over hunt it.i saw doe every time we were out during archery but none presented good shots, And passed up a 4 point.

Firearms pretty much the same, saw doe every time out, shot a big doe the Sunday after thanksgiving midday. Then the Saturday on the last weekend of firearms I hit a doe in the shoulder and lost her after a long tracking  job, Midday  also.

Wife had a few shot opportunities but no deer and my son actually had it the worst , he ended up rolling his ankle during archery on a leaf covered log, then slipped in the mud and tweaked his knee during gun. And to top it off the only deer he had seen was the one I hit in the shoulder and he couldn’t get a shot off at her. 

We had some highs and lows no doubt, but we learned a ton on how the deer are using this property. The entire lease is a saddle and the deer are traveling it a ton. So looking forward to next season and hunting it a bit harder. 

I will say we ran no cameras and we have no cell service on this lease and it was actually nice going old school. I think I may not put up cameras next year too .

makes it tough to lose hunting land .  that sucks . But always fun to figure out new dirt !   sounds like you have a good start. 

[Bionic]

Craptastic. 

[Robhuntandfish]

15 minutes ago, landtracdeerhunter said:

You had a really good season  Rob and a big congrats on that. I can only comment on mine after it simmers a while in me and the numbness wears off, LOL.

lol yeah i can understand that and thanks.  But it really couldve been my worst easily as it was headed that way to start.  After last year not filling a buck tag at all was glad to get one this season 

Edited December 19, 2018 by Robhuntandfish

[UpStateRedNeck]

Wet.

[moog5050]

First year I ever shot a buck opening day in either bow or gun and it was both.   Not complaining but it kinda made the rest of each season less interesting.   So I guess I would sum the year up as quick.  

And it was so tough to just watch this guy stroll by at 25yds.  As far as I know, he is still kicking. 

I should note, I had a lot of fun with the guys and Natalie    And was invited to my first deer camp    All good!

Edited December 19, 2018 by moog5050

[landtracdeerhunter]

I can say one thing that I am really proud of though, we had a new deer hunter in the family this season and she harvested her first deer, and a nice one at that; a really mature doe.  To me family's where it's at. That in itself, is a high for me and makes me feel good. That made my season.

Edited December 19, 2018 by landtracdeerhunter

[Robhuntandfish]

3 minutes ago, moog5050 said:

First year I ever shot a buck opening day in either bow or gun and it was both.   Not complaining but it kinda made the rest of each season less interesting.   So I guess I would sum the year up as quick.  

And it was so tough to just watch this guy stroll by at 25yds.  As far as I know, he is still kicking. 

yeah you won both your cases with the opening arguements!  lol 

I always hope to take an early doe to fill my tag and buck hunt after just for that reason.  See one like that go by and not be able to take ....... damn !!!!  that is a stud!  My trigger finger would be cramped for a week after seeing that. Hope you get him next season.  

[Paula]

Circumstances made me change where i hunted this year, and it was a good thing. I have been hunting in Pavilion the last couple years, hardly ever seen anything unless it was dead from someone else being lucky. I hunted Nunda and seen more deer there and i have ever seen while hunting. Three bucks had been hanging around so i was hoping for one. There were so many doe,  one just hung out so i took her. First time using my rifle and i love it. Finally i got my own meat at a time i needed.

A few people thought i should just give up and stop hunting, but they just didn't understand i couldn't quit and i love being out there.

 

[JALA RUT]

The season was great even with some of the weather challenges this year!  I managed to tag two bucks, one with bow on 11/9, a nice main frame 10Pt with a 1" kicker off of one of his bases (My best buck to date and my #1 Target buck from Trail Cams) and one with Muzzleloader yesterday 12/18 the last day of the season at 4:20, a mature broken up 8Pt that looked like he was a fighter with a broken up rack and a torn ear.  But in all honesty, even if I hadn't punched a tag my answer would be the same. The punched tags are just the icing on the cake!  I can't express how much I just enjoy being out there and already can't wait until October 1st. I had some messed up stuff going on in my personal life and the alone thinking time on stand was needed and really helped. I keep a hunting sighting log and after completing last nights hunt in it, it shows that I logged 262 hours of stand time (Not counting time sitting in the dark waiting for it to get light out-I usually am on stand an hour to an hour and a half before light to give the woods time to settle) - broken down as follows: Bow - 122.25 Hrs, Gun - 112 Hrs, & Muzzle - 27.75 Hrs. I logged 45 Hunts as follows 13 AM Hunts, 19 PM Hunts, and 13 All Day Hunts with 22 Hunts during bow, 16 Hunts during Gun, and 7 Hunts during Muzzle.  As for deer sightings I logged 137 Deer Sightings; 27 Buck sightings, 100 Doe/Antlerless sightings, and 10 Unknown sightings (I'm sure lots of repeats over different days). 55 Sightings during Bow; 12 Buck / 39 Doe / 4 Unknown; 73 sightings during Gun; 10 Buck / 58 Doe / 5 Unknown; (They were moving like crazy the last day of the season - 22 sightings that day including a shooter at 70 Yds with 6 Doe that never presented a shot and later a small 6 Pt that bedded 17Yds from my tree stand for over 2 hours) and 9 sightings during Muzzle; 5 Buck / 3 Doe / 1 Unknown.  During the season I passed countless shots at smaller bucks and does but had encounters with 6 Shooter bucks; 3 during bow, 2 during gun, and 1 during Muzzle (Don't get me wrong - not bashing anybody for taking does or younger bucks.  Any legally harvested deer by any legal means is a trophy.  Just for me I choose to pass and wait for mature bucks or does after buck tag is punched).  I learned that I still get the adrenaline pumping with Buck Fever as it took me 3 tries to get my bow pulled back on that 10 Point and I could swear he could have heard my heart pounding...but that's why we do it! I hope that feeling never goes away! I've come up with a list of projects for next season and looking forward to the prep and start of a new season next year! I'd post pics of my two bucks but for some reason the site won't let me post pics anymore. I'll gladly send pics to someone if they want to post them up for me or tell me what I'm doing wrong...LOL

Edited December 19, 2018 by JALA RUT
typo

[Nomad]

Wet, wet and wet .

[johnplav]

Hunted less than normal.

Saw fewer deer than normal.

Got hours of entertainment from this forum.

Didn't hunt with a gun at all.

Took 3 deer via broad head and the freezers are full.

Time to hibernate!

[fasteddie]

I had a fair season . Due to my health this year , I couldn't and didn't hunt without someone with me . I had lost a lot of strength and couldn't draw my bow so I was limited to just Crossbow the last two weeks of bow season . During gun season , I got 2 doe . One of the places I would have hunted was flooded and no deer during daylight hours . The other , where I had gotten two doe , was also partially flooded . 

Except for my elevated platform stand , I hunted from the ground . It the first time in a long time that I didn't hunt from a treestand . Next season will be different ( I hope ) . I am thankful to my two sons than hunt got me out this season . 

[grampy]

Pretty tough season here, but a good one! Grandson didn't get out much, but he did have an opportunity at a mature eight, during youth weekend. Buck fever got the best of him. His football and baseball, carried over into November. After that he only went three times. No bucks seen on those days, and that is what he wants to shoot. I made it very clear, that I wouldn't pressure him to go, and that he could go ANYTIME he wanted. We did have a great time when he did go! Then the season got cold, and he's outgrown all my stuff at 14. Especially boots, at size 16!!! Once he stops growing, I'll outfit him with all he needs! He still does love hunting, but this year it seemed that he just lost some of the motivation to get out there? That, and he likes working out with his teammates and friends, preparing for the next ball season. I pray that I don't lose him as my hunting buddy.

Bow season, for the first time in decades neither my partner or I shot anything. Saw some nice bucks though, and came close, but no shots taken. The "Extremely Wet" weather, flooded out traditional bedding areas and food plots on our property. Totally changing deer patterns. So it was a challenge to keep on deer. Oh, and hunted with Jdubs on the lake property. We both saw deer, but no shots taken. I passed quite a few small bucks during bow season. And had a couple awesome shooters in close, but didn't get a good enough shot opportunity.

Then came the snow to start off firearms season! Was both a blessing and a curse! Opening morning had a ton of tracks from the night before but I didn't see a deer for three days!!! As they just hunkered down and did not move much at all. So I just kept trying new setups to get on deer. On the fourth day, I was going down to a thick sheltered area, where I've had a stand for years, and shot a mature eight point, 100 yards before I got there! Persistence or dumb luck.........I was very happy to get him!

After I got my buck, I was trying to help my hunting partner get one too! I was also looking to shoot a doe. Wouldn't ya know, all I would see now were bucks!! And a couple of the best ones on the property. But couldn't get them to go to my buddy. But finally did push a nice eight to him.

So a tough, but successful season for us!!!  Learned a bunch and had a lot of laughs. Can't ask for better than that.

Overall, hunted more, saw much less deer.

Already making plans, and looking forward to next year!

[Cory]

I didn’t harvest anything this year and I’m ok with that. I seen more deer this year than in the last 10 years or so. I had chances but things went wrong or I just decided not to shoot and just watch.I really enjoy just being in the outdoors watching nature and laughing with the guys at the cabin. I also had a lot of first this year. Like having a 5 deer lay 5 yards from me for over an hour while I was sitting on the ground. Talk about being sore from not being able to move. I can’t wait to see what next year brings. Enjoy the off season boys and girls. Looking forward to doing some coyote hunting soon. Merry Christmas and happy New Years!

[ApexerER]

I had a very enjoyable season. The land we lease is split in two with a horse farm in the middle that we don't have permission to hunt. We call them the North Farm and the South Farm. I never understood why we called them farms because there was never any farming going on, at least until recently. In 2015 the North Farm had soybeans on it. This was the first time in years of hunting the property that there was an agriculture food source and that lead to my best year for me taking my first deer with the bow...A doe, my first and biggest buck at the time with the bow,  a 5 pt and a beautiful 8 pt that is now on my wall on opening day of rifle. They didn't plant anything the next couple seasons so I was excited for the season when they planted several acres of beans and 5 or so acres of corn on the south farm this season. I concentrated my bow season near the food sources (mostly the corn) and saw more deer then I have ever seen in a season. I don't keep a log, I should really start but there was one day that I saw at least 30 doe and 7 different bucks. All the bucks were small, spikes, 3's and forks but I enjoyed seeing them. I passed several small bucks during bow season and I won't shoot a doe that has fawns with her. I ended up taking a large doe with the crossbow that came in by herself one evening. That was my first crossbow deer. I missed a beautiful 8pt from the same stand. A deer we had on camera that we called the wide white horned 8. I just simply blew it with buck fever and shot underneath him. I was thankful for the clean miss when I found the bolt but angry with myself for not controlling my emotions better.  I had another encounter with him a few days later, but I needed him to zig and he zagged. As far as I know this deer made it through the season. As soon as rifle opened my deer sightings dropped to almost nothing compared to what I was seeing during bow. After the first week of hunting rifle and not seeing much I moved back to "my stand" that I have shot the majority of my deer out of and took a small 8pt which was my 3rd biggest buck ever. A hunting buddy signed over a DMP cause I didn't get one this year and that allowed me to stay in the woods. We did some pushes later in the season and the guys killed a couple doe and a nice 6pt.  This is the first year I can remember that nobody shot a wall hanger. Several were seen during bow season but nobody could connect then once rifle started it seemed like the deer went into hiding immediately. It wasn't a good season for us as a group as far as deer taken. Overall I had a really great season, had a great time with the guys, took a couple nice deer and saw more deer in the season than I ever have. Can't wait until next year.....

[Uncle Nicky]

I don't have the excitement for deer hunting that I used to, I mostly chalk it up to being too much work, and as I get older, not being able to sit still for long periods of time in the cold. But I still can't get it completely out of my blood.

One day spent archery hunting, connected on a doe. Very short drag home.

Hunted 4 days in NY rifle season, killed a respectable 6 pointer and a doe.

An old buddy gave me another buck he didn't want this year.

Hunted last week with friends in Georgia, multiple deer seen, but they are trophy hunters and don't want does shot this year. Passed on a few bucks that weren't up to their standards, it was interesting just watching deer & not shooting them.

I stil have over a month where I can hunt in PA, I may get out once or twice after Christmas if it isn't cold, we will see. Enjoying the smoked sausage I made, I will try to make some "venison corned beef" if I get another one.

Edited December 19, 2018 by Uncle Nicky

[WNYBuckHunter]

For me, it was a season that Id like to forget with one exception. Ill just leave it at that.

Congrats to all of you that had a good season.

[NFA-ADK]

Good bow season so far seen deer every outing except my opening day also seeing a good amount of bucks.  I was lucky in the ADK again which is a big bonus and we had a great time at camp.  Weather has been a downer but with over a month to go I am hoping for some tracking snow at some point on LI.   Have not sat in a tree once the entire year and have been using a small chair for sitting, so far one of the funnest years hunting to date.  Looking forward to the weekend and the 5 vacation days I still have and can use in January just wish I could have used them more during the rut.  

 

[turkeyfeathers]

2 hours ago, Bionic said:

Craptastic. 

But an A for effort and dedication

[CapDistPatriot]

3 hours ago, rob-c said:

We got on our new lease late, so we were not expecting a lot . Going from 200 acres down to 67 we decided to not over hunt it.i saw doe every time we were out during archery but none presented good shots, And passed up a 4 point.

Firearms pretty much the same, saw doe every time out, shot a big doe the Sunday after thanksgiving midday. Then the Saturday on the last weekend of firearms I hit a doe in the shoulder and lost her after a long tracking  job, Midday  also.

Wife had a few shot opportunities but no deer and my son actually had it the worst , he ended up rolling his ankle during archery on a leaf covered log, then slipped in the mud and tweaked his knee during gun. And to top it off the only deer he had seen was the one I hit in the shoulder and he couldn’t get a shot off at her. 

We had some highs and lows no doubt, but we learned a ton on how the deer are using this property. The entire lease is a saddle and the deer are traveling it a ton. So looking forward to next season and hunting it a bit harder. 

I will say we ran no cameras and we have no cell service on this lease and it was actually nice going old school. I think I may not put up cameras next year too .

Same here, was only allowed access in September so missed all of archery. Got one medium sized doe last Saturday of rifle, so didn't blank thank God. The way I am looking at it, and so should you, is this was a learning year, every minute we spent on that property was invaluable and will help us be better prepared next year.

 

Oh and on the cams, I have never used them before, and damn do they help, especially if you have a lot of land to cover.