nothing this year...

[samcolt87]

but it was nice to get out for my first deer season! No one else in my family hunts, so I kinda picked it up on my own, but now I'm hooked! I think I'll head out after some squirrels tomorrow. There's my ground blind, my sporterized hawken out on the last day of muzzleloader season at Sterling Forest. Hoping to bag something next year with everyone's help! Merry Christmas.

[Doc]

Glad to hear that you caught the "hunting bug". Now you have the rest of the year to study up on methods and tactics and get out there and learn first hand a bit about the deer. Small game hunting is a great way to get out there and observe a bit about the ones that got away. Grab up a few hunting magazines throughout the year too and you'll pick up a few pointers there too.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

And by all means get that ground blind brushed up or get it tucked into some cover so it doesnt stick out as much. Even though its camo i think by not blending them in with their suroundings they do get noticed by the local wildlife!!!!

[G-Man]

yeah by late season you should be near some really thick stuff and brush in the blind!! glad you still got the bug!!!

[Warren]

Samcolt87

This was my 43rd deer season and I got nothing this year also and I too was hunting at Sterling Forest.

43 years and I'm still learning or maybe I just keep forgetting what I know.

I think it is a great idea to get out there and small game hunt and scout out the areas for next deer season.

[samcolt87]

you can't see it too well from the picture, but my blind was actually about 30' off the ground on a flat ledge on a hillside which dropped vertically. it was pretty hard to see from level ground (with exception to the b/o vest I tied to the top!) When I was on the ground, I placed it by thick pines/dense brush. Do you guys have any way of determining the freshness of dropping/tracks?

To give you another perspective from the ground, my blind was about where the red circle is... just enough to see the b/o from there while keeping my scent way up high! wind was blowing into the blind also!