Mistakes , Bad luck and Unforeseen Circumstances

[Swamp_bucks]

Double post

Edited December 13, 2021 by Swamp_bucks

[Swamp_bucks]

55 minutes ago, Northcountryman said:

Oh ok, so you use sticks. what about climbers -dont like 'em? 

Not against them but I can get into just about any tree I want with my hang on. I don't hunt more than 14ft on the majority of hunts. I also hunt alot of nasty swamp/brush lots so there aren't a bunch of good trees to climb with a climber.

[Northcountryman]

2 minutes ago, Swamp_bucks said:

Not against them but I can get into just about any tree I want with my hang on. I don't hunt more than 14ft on the majority of hunts. I also hunt alot of nasty swamp/brush lots so there aren't a bunch of good trees to climb with a climber.

Yeah, but wouldnt that also limit your choice of trees using sticks too, or no? Ive never used sticks so dont squat about em!!

[Swamp_bucks]

1 minute ago, Northcountryman said:

Yeah, but wouldnt that also limit your choice of trees using sticks too, or no? Ive never used sticks so dont squat about em!!

Nope I climb trees 8inches around up to whatever a climber can if not more. One tree I climbed this year leaned almost 30degrees before it straightened out and I went right up it. Also sat in a nasty short little crab apple as well this past year.  It just allows me to sit the freshest sign possible.  I will say hang-on and sticks aren't for everyone. 

[REDNECK4LIFE32]

38 minutes ago, Swamp_bucks said:

Not against them but I can get into just about any tree I want with my hang on. I don't hunt more than 14ft on the majority of hunts. I also hunt alot of nasty swamp/brush lots so there aren't a bunch of good trees to climb with a climber.

I hunted with @Swamp_bucks he help me set my climber a day b4 we hunted. Like he said he's got a great setup with a hang on stand and sticks. Puts up takes down each set I was with him. He talked me into getting a setup. Easier set up then my summit climber. And like he said can set up on trees a climber won't he can verify that. The tree we wanted my climber was to small to wrap around. He said my hang on would work.

[G-Man]

Seems many hunters have one or 2 stands,  if you want to hunt undressed deer then you need to wait 3 to 5 days between sits in thos stands.   I prefer many stand over a large area, deer pattern us as much as we pattern them ,probably more so.  I'll use climbing sticks and hang on over a climber any time.   Preset stands or even tree  can be found using reflective tacks assuming you use a light to go to your stand..  after 30 years on same property I've given up use of a light and just go in on starlight.   

[Steve D]

10 hours ago, Northcountryman said:

o as of right now, still havent gotten a deer this year; suffice it tosay, its been a disappointing/frustrating year, to say the least, for many different reasons, including the following:

All part of deer season. I think the most important thing is to be prepared and organized then hope for the best.

 The weather is something we are unable to control so being prepared to hunt in all conditions is a must.

Talk about frustration this year I bow hunted a total of 40 sits and during gun 24 sits.

After seeing some beautiful bucks all summer and some pretty big does I promised myself I wasn't going to shoot anything that wasn't decent.  During bow I really never had a good shot opportunity but saw a total of 73 deer with 24 of those being bucks. During gun season I saw a total of 29 deer which is very unusual for this area during gun. I passed on a bunch of opportunities thinking something better would come along. During bow I kept seeing this decent 4-point off & on. I saw him again during gun broadside @ 75 yds., had the scope on him, the safety off, my finger on the trigger, and gave him a pass at the last second. The next day he was killed on the road by a car not to far from my house.

With time running out I shot a small doe on Thursday to be sure to have some jerky. Sunday the last day of gun I saw two deer right at dusk. One was bigger than the other so I concentrated on that one. They were feeding in the cut corn and I ranged it @ 189 yards. The one I was watching never really gave me a good shot but with daylight fading and 20 mph winds I decided on a hail mary.  Needless to say, I missed and he came running towards me. That is when I saw he had horns. Not a big rack but a decent size deer. At 135 yards he made a left headed for the woods and stopped broadside before going in. I took a shot confident he was mine. He headed into the woods and five minutes later I heard two quick shots a couple hundred yards away in the direction he was headed.

By now it was dark and I have made it a habit to bring my thermal on afternoon hunts. I went to where I saw him last and didn’t find any hair or blood.  I walked into the woods and couldn’t pick him up with the thermal at all. The rifle I use is deadly accurate and I have never had one go more than 50 yards using it. So now I am thinking I either missed or he is laying in the thick brush and I can't pick up an image. After a half hr. I decide I would come back in the morning, hope the coyotes didn't get him, and see if I could pick up the trail.

Today first thing I was back out and it didn't take me long to figure out what happened. About ten yards from where I shot on a downward slope there was a tree branch sticking out that could not be seen in the scope. The bullet nicked the top of the branch and that was all she wrote. I am thankful it was a clean miss but can't help but wonder if the other shots I heard was someone shooting at him and if they got him or he got away.

Frustrated…yes but thankful I had the opportunities I did and look forward to the late season weather permitting. If I don't connect and add to the frustration I will still look back and be glad I was out there. No one ever knows what next year will bring.

First pic is where the bullet hit.

Second pic is the opposite side of the branch.

 

[Enigma]

We could be brothers.

I'm a 6' tall 200# uncoordinated oaf. I fall and pick myself up at least once every time I go walk in the woods. Shot nine times at two deer on opening day years ago. Never cut a hair. Scope was 14" high and 6" right. The number of times I've left my truck to go hunting and returned to find my keys locked inside is pushing double digits. Dead car batteries are my middle name. Dropped 3 of the 4 arrows in my quiver onto the ground one day in the stand as a parade of deer walked by. New nocks weren't tight lol. Happens all the time.

Perspective is important. Don't sweat the small stuff. Take it slow when you get time to be outside. Much much more enjoyable imho and hey, at least you weren't working.