So, what have you learned from this hunting season??

[frassettor]

I have learned how difficult it is to hunt public land.   It’s almost as if someone has to pattern the other hunters more then the deer. As a ground hunter, I’ve been focused on going into spots that aren’t conducive to tree stand hunters.

[dbd870]

I learned that wherever I decide to hunt that day the deer will be where I was the day before

[Hanktownpete]

If you spend too much time at work or get a cold at the wrong time you won’t get to watch the light change on the leaves. If you don’t get in the woods you ain’t huntin.

[huskyarcher]

To not get talked into coaching volleyball--I despised being a weekend warrior this fall 

[oz]

I learned that "good enough" is not good enough.

I have been trying to live this one, we have a sign in the weight room where I teach that says
"Good Enough is Neither"

oz

[PICKNGRIN]

I learned I had been overlooking the obvious!  There is a large low spreading branched ash tree that bumps out along a weed field edge.  I have seen deer waltzing below those branches for several years.  Looking at the tree, it seemed not suited for a stand.  One day after a morning hunt, I walked over to the tree and started thinking.  Three tree steps would take me up to the lowest large branch that angled away from the trunk.  Barely over 6 feet off the ground, but 2 other large sweeping limbs made it a great little hide out.  The second time sitting there I got a nice mature doe!  Two weeks later a good 7 point!  Both deer were shot at about 10 yds.  Did not use a stand, just stood on the large limb and leaned back against the trunk.

[Wudstix]

"Good Enough is Neither"

AMEN!!!

[The-Crow]

I will spend more time shooting from a treestand! Practice at many different angles and distances. I had a deer at 8 yards and found I couldn’t get my body contorted the right way to shoot.

[slowbowjoe]

Only hunted a few seasons so far (even tho I'm a "senior"), but had my best experience the last afternoon of late season. I was mostly just stumping', but kept an eye out for sign. This day, saw not a single track. Making my way back up, I was ambling along, look up, and there's a beautiful young doe not 25 yards up from me. We were both out in the open, which is rare in "my" woods.
I froze; she looked at me a bit, and went on with her browsing, occasionally looking, sniffing, and/or twitching her ears. Learned I could get an arrow out of my side stalker, nock it, get to partial draw... be still when she looked over... this went on for what seemed like 5 minutes or so.

Dumb lesson was that I had traded for a new bow a week or so before, and hadn't "bonded" with it quick enough. Had at least 3 perfect shot opportunities with her at 20 yes or less, 2 broadsides, and a slightly quartering away. I wouldn't take the shot, 'cause I didn't trust the bow yet. Went and put the arrow back in the quiver to eliminate the temptation. All the while she was just puttering there, in good range. Saw her mom another 60 yes up; she wasn't alarmed either.

When you least expect it...

[Carpdaddy]

 I learned to be thankful for every opportunity to get out and hunt. My season was taken away due to illness this year. Praying I can soon shoot a bow and walk through the woods again. Unstrung bows are ugly!

[kennym]

I just a couple days ago learned that a Sapper kill jacket will pass inspection from a huge old doe at 10 yards.  Nothing but air between us and 2' high buckbrush behind me.  

[TIM B]

I learned being a big buck hunter vs shooting every doe ya see doesn’t require a lot of late night skinning sessions.....
Tim B

[Barry Wensel]

I learned everyone needs to look up "Deep Vein Thrombosis". On Dec. 6th it was 26 degrees with 80% humidity and light winds. I climbed in a 15 foot ladder stand that had a metal flip up/down seat w/o a cushion. The way the stand was set between two larger oaks my best shooting lanes could be shot from a seated position. I shoot fine from a seated position so I sat still from 1PM until 5PM. I never stood up once... only moved my eyes and head. I didn't need to pee so remained seated for four straight hours for minimal movement. Right at 5PM here comes four does. They walked by perfect. It was prime-time so I decided I maybe should stand in case a buck followed where I would be a little more mobile. When I went to stand I could NOT stand up. Both my legs/knees had seized up. I don't mean stiff like when an old guy gets out of a vehicle after a couple hours driving, I mean I could not stand up at all. I had to flex/extend both knees about a hundred times each. I still could hardly make it up but did so by pulling myself up via some close branches. Once I got standing both legs felt numb and the knees felt very unstable. It felt like I was standing on stilts. I still had to climb down 15'. I snapped my safety line on each rung of the ladder all the way down. When I slowly walked out my legs didn't feel like they were a part of me. Went home and immediately soaked in a hot tub of water and took 800 mg of Ibuprofen. I have one of those giant foot massagers by Medi-Rub (one of the best $200. I ever spent.. use it all the time). I used it on my feet, as well as one of those big vibrators that look like a sander on my thighs and knees. Then I packed both knees in ice. For the next two days I could hardly walk. And when I did I was walking like a 100 year old man. Scary stuff. It's something we don't ever think about. Basically the edge of the metal seat cuts off both the circulation and the nerve distribution down the legs. It basically can form clots in your legs that can break down and go to your lungs and be fatal. DVT is considered a medical emergency so don't mess around with it like I did. It's one of those things most people don't even think about. Similar to a topic I started a couple years ago regarding dry-rot to those 3" wide nylon belts in treestands we leave out for years at a time. The straps look perfectly fine but when you put your weight on them they snap like 2 lb. test. My safety belt caught/saved me.
    Anyway, just a warning for those who are unaware. We all need to be ultra careful out there.  Merry Christmas to all.  BW 

[Zwickey-Fever]

I learned everyone needs to look up "Deep Vein Thrombosis". On Dec. 6th it was 26 degrees with 80% humidity and light winds. I climbed in a 15 foot ladder stand that had a metal flip up/down seat w/o a cushion. The way the stand was set between two larger oaks my best shooting lanes could be shot from a seated position. I shoot fine from a seated position so I sat still from 1PM until 5PM. I never stood up once... only moved my eyes and head. I didn't need to pee so remained seated for four straight hours for minimal movement. Right at 5PM here comes four does. They walked by perfect. It was prime-time so I decided I maybe should stand in case a buck followed where I would be a little more mobile. When I went to stand I could NOT stand up. Both my legs/knees had seized up. I don't mean stiff like when an old guy gets out of a vehicle after a couple hours driving, I mean I could not stand up at all. I had to flex/extend both knees about a hundred times each. I still could hardly make it up but did so by pulling myself up via some close branches. Once I got standing both legs felt numb and the knees felt very unstable. It felt like I was standing on stilts. I still had to climb down 15'. I snapped my safety line on each rung of the ladder all the way down. When I slowly walked out my legs didn't feel like they were a part of me. Went home and immediately soaked in a hot tub of water and took 800 mg of Ibuprofen. I have one of those giant foot massagers by Medi-Rub (one of the best $200. I ever spent.. use it all the time). I used it on my feet, as well as one of those big vibrators that look like a sander on my thighs and knees. Then I packed both knees in ice. For the next two days I could hardly walk. And when I did I was walking like a 100 year old man. Scary stuff. It's something we don't ever think about. Basically the edge of the metal seat cuts off both the circulation and the nerve distribution down the legs. It basically can form clots in your legs that can break down and go to your lungs and be fatal. DVT is considered a medical emergency so don't mess around with it like I did. It's one of those things most people don't even think about. Similar to a topic I started a couple years ago regarding dry-rot to those 3" wide nylon belts in treestands we leave out for years at a time. The straps look perfectly fine but when you put your weight on them they snap like 2 lb. test. My safety belt caught/saved me.
    Anyway, just a warning for those who are unaware. We all need to be ultra careful out there.  Merry Christmas to all.  BW

Thanks for the info Barry, you have always been a bounty of information and Merry Christmas to you and your family as well my friend.

[Zwickey-Fever]

I learned to be thankful for every opportunity to get out and hunt. My season was taken away due to illness this year. Praying I can soon shoot a bow and walk through the woods again. Unstrung bows are ugly!

I wish you a speedy recovery Tony!! Bows are meant to be shot for sure!! Merry Christmas!!

[Wudstix]

DVT can happen in long car rides with minimal breaks as well.  Be careful out there.  Thanks for the heads up Barry.
               

[yeager]

That my Native American name is “Black Cloud”. 

[degabe]

I learned again that if I don't fill that tag the first two days then I will be having some nasty tag soup.