So what changes are you doing / making for next season

[rob-c]

Myself getting back into shooting my bow a lot again, got back into shooting indoor spots and will be hitting 3-d pretty hard. I am simplifying mine, wife’s and boys archery equipment, going to have us shooting the same broad head and that means I am going to fixed blade after shooting spitfires for the last 18 yrs. 

were going to get several ladder stands put up on the new lease. Clearing trails and lanes. 

Biggest thing is getting some more weight off and getting in better cardio to increase my endurance. And making sure Myself and my family have more fun in anything we are doing.. 

Edited January 20, 2019 by rob-c

[Jeremy K]

Improve on entry and exit strategy , i'm 100 percent sure there is some slammers ,i'm also 100 percent sure they are outsmarting me. 

[corydd7]

1 minute ago, Jeremy K said:

Improve on entry and exit strategy , i'm 100 percent sure there is some slammers ,i'm also 100 percent sure they are outsmarting me. 

I feel the same way as Jeremy. Buying a good climber after my buddy showed me the light. More food plots, more hinge cutting to make use of all 40 acres of my land. Go further in then I ever have on state land.

[First-light]

Open up the canopy a bit. Its been choking out my apple trees. Take down all the 16 foot ladder stands and replace with 20 foot. Add two more shooting boxes. Make an offer for the property that borders mine! lol

[corydd7]

Why 20 foot stands over 16? Good luck with the neighboring property I hope to do the same. 

[doebuck1234]

Food plots.move some stands around.build a tower blind overlooking open field.shoot alot more!

[UpStateRedNeck]

Spring project is definitely going to involve trimming out some of the apple trees.  Going to hunt more in the area around the cabin, especially if it's a good apple year.  At least 1 food plot going in.

[G-Man]

Planting few hundred more trees as a visual fence, regrading logging road to creek, 2 new apple orchards to be planted, release an. Old orchard, do some Aspen management for grouse, build 2 new elevated blinds. Till and plant about 10 acres in various plots. 

Sight in new muzzleloader.  Get some 45-70 shells reloaded. 

Need to step up scouting for guests arriving in nov.  

 

 

 

[First-light]

9 hours ago, corydd7 said:

Why 20 foot stands over 16? Good luck with the neighboring property I hope to do the same. 

Oh the 16's are old. Small uncomfortable platforms. I received a Muddy Skybox as a gift two years ago and fell in love with the stand. 20' to me is a real nice height to go undetected. GL also.

[Robhuntandfish]

Going with less is more. Have 10 stands on lease and we are gonna cut down to 7 but reposition 3 so we have better spots.  

Have to move a stand at another spot about 15 yards for better shots .  You learn a lot just sitting in stands and observing deer. 

Also get in better shape here. Down 11 pounds so far.  

[Daveboone]

I have already started cutting back trees to get more light to my young oaks, apples and chestnuts, but this weather is probably putting me on hold for much more for a while! I hope to open up some more area for oaks. I will be making more of a point of getting time off in the late season hoping for snow, but darn it, I just love being in the woods in the early season. 

[wolc123]

As far as guns go, three Marlins have or will soon get a little work.   I had enough free time, up in the Adirondacks last Thanksgiving weekend, to sight in my father-in-law's new-in-box, scoped, model 336 30/30.   As long as there is no rain, sleet or snow in the forecast, that is what I will carry up there this season.  I also swapped out the iron sights, on my new model 336BL 30/30, with fiber optics.  That should cover me for the foul weather days up in the northern zone. 

The Marlin 512 bolt-action 12-gauge slug gun, that I use at home in the southern zone, will also get new optics this year.  I am leaning towards a Redfield 2-7 scope, to replace of the beat up Bushnell banner 3X, that it currently wears.   I also plan to disassemble the bolt, and clean and lube it well.  I dropped it in a swamp, while dragging out a buck on opening day last year.  A couple weeks later, on a very cold day, the bolt froze up and prevented a "chip-shot" on a doe.  That was the second doe in ten years that owes it's life to a frozen bolt on that gun. 

As far as habitat improvements go, I am expecting to have a little more time for that this season.  I will start with some hinge cutting in a couple sanctuary areas at home.   For food plots, I hope to get some winter wheat in this year.  I missed that at home last year, because the only little bit I planted failed, probably due to bad seed.  The deer sightings were way down here as a result.  

Fortunately, they were way up over at my folks place, a few miles away.  Thanks for that go to an energetic neighbor, who finally got the trespassing issues under control over there, when he bought an overgrown field out back.  One change I will make over there will be moving a hang-on tree stand from right near his property line, to the interior of a block of woods that my folks own.  I now know exactly where the property lines are, thanks to this guy's fresh survey posts.  The posted signs he put up, spaced about every 10 foot along the line, help too.  Last year, for the first time in 36 seasons, I did not see a single trespasser in those woods.            

  

[stubborn1VT]

I'm going to move a couple stands.  I'm also going to make a number of make-shift brush blinds to keep me mobile and give me lots of options for different winds.  I'm going to hunt more on other properties instead of focusing on the farm so much.  

[Will_C]

I will be scouting the back 30 acres of land we lease. Never have hunted that area much-it's wooded land that slopes into some swampy area. Also work up another load for my .250 Savage. Have a great load with Ballistic Tips but prefer using Accubonds.

In Pennsylvania, my cousin had about 25 acres logged-almost a clear cut. We talked about putting a tower blind overlooking that up. Told him I would buy it if he would help put it up. Should be a good place for many years as it regenerates.  

Will

[Cory]

I’m going to mow down some the golden rod in my field in hopes of creating natural food plots.

[Nytracker]

Weather permitting I will put in 3 small food plots . Move 2 ladder stands. 

Practice more with the crossbow so I can pull off the 100 yd kill shot  everybody says  crossbows are capable  of . Shouldn't take much with the new meat seaking  missiles ... er um arro...   or was it bolts.

Perhaps after everything else is done I would like to put up an elavated box blind for the wife.

[Merlot]

My plan is to work a little harder on my body, in order to keep using my compound bow, as opposed to having to purchase a x-bow. Want to stay away from that scenario for as long as possible.

[Jeremy K]

19 minutes ago, Merlot said:

My plan is to work a little harder on my body, in order to keep using my compound bow, as opposed to having to purchase a x-bow. Want to stay away from that scenario for as long as possible.

Been doing the same so i can move quicker without sweating so much. I'm still ramping up my workouts so i dont burn out . 

[sodfather]

I need to change something up. Just haven’t figured it out yet 

[GreeneHunter]

Getting out more and more pre-season scouting more !

[fasteddie]

I have a lot of work to do . I havn't been able to draw my compound since my bout with the internal bleeding and hospital stay .

1) Get in physical shape to be able to shoot my compound . Practice .

2) Cut shooting lanes for a stand I have at my SIL's that I couldn't use last season due to being physically unable . Had some nice deer pics in that area .

3) Work on an area near my Elevated Pond Stand to do a food plot . That will require a lot of physical work . 

[Savagehunter]

Added a 7600 carbine in 35 whelen to Arsenal. 

[Uncle Nicky]

Do more squirrel hunting. I always wanted to kill a fox squirrel, I think I know where to go and when to go do it.

Bow hunt a little more this year. I don't have my camp to rely on anymore, so I'll have to hunt locally.

Find some better spots to fall turkey hunt, especuially in Virginia & Pennsylvania.

I have my work cut out for me I think.

[Paula]

I might work harder on hunting. I got my doe opening day and was thrilled. I did hunt the rest of the day. I did not feel the need to go back out, one deer is more than enough for just me. 

I like hunting so I feel now I missed out on all those hunting days. 

[grampy]

Try and develop a slam dunk spot for my grandson's first deer!! Close last year, but not close enough. 

Will shoot the new bow as much as my shoulders allow. Want at least one more deer with a bow. 

Plant food plots on higher ground, as they got flooded last fall.

Prepare some new set ups on secondary bedding areas.

Hunt with someone I've never hunted with before. 

Make up the perfect rounds for our individual hunting rifles. Using all this reloading equipment, and info I've gathered over the last year.

Try to be a better NYS Hunter Education Instructor. To make a difference with young and new hunters. Hopefully learning something, that they will carry with them. And pass along to another hunter.

Try to keep my mind and body, in as good of shape as possible.