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

[Cory Mattson]

I learned that - or remembered - Blackbeard Island is a great bowhunt open to all, GA, longest running Federal archery only hunt - by late November here in the south gun seasons open early and most good places are shot out. Unique sub specie of whitetail, plenty of wild hogs.

[Cory Mattson]

Stay in your blind - do not leave early- even if aggravated
Mid October afternoon hunt on a HOT oaks ridge nuts plopping down constantly blind up since early September and all but ignored by deer. Lots of little goofy stuff that day nearby homeowners coming and going unusual times had 4 different groups of deer try to get on this ridge to feed but boogered off by people, cars, dogs yapping and I had given up but decided to relax and sit the last 10 minutes of gray light before leaving. Then the last one minute of me being able to see two does trotted in 4 yards away. Big nanny doe perfect shot!

[Cory Mattson]

Unless the wind is wrong you GOTTA hunt. Early September I was very tired long day scouting and hanging stands Hot day and by 4pm was simply too tired to climb a tree. So I went to my ground blind cuz the wind was right and I could sit in a chair or even lay down if I needed Turned out to be a fantastic afternoon lots of deer working through feeding on acorns saw four bucks and I had the uncharacteristic patience to wait them out and shoot the biggest
Perfect shot!

[Altiman94]

I learned that I need to hunt areas that other hunters would over look.  Since most hunters want to get up in a tree,  I am going to work harder to find areas void of timber stands where the hunters set up.  This means I will be on the ground.  I am primarily a public land hunter and have seen more hunting pressure this year than most other years. 

[Wudstix]

To read the fine print and not get a permit for the early archery season only, which is open Friday through Sunday only, then have commitments for Friday and Saturday mornings.  At least we have hogs to hunt year round in Texas.
         

[UrsusNil]

I learned how much I've missed the woods. Nine years ago had a significant family tragedy, stepped away from hunting. Got back into it this year and rekindled my love for trad and the woods.

[SlowBowKing]

I learned to always be sure you are on the bottom rung of the ladder before stepping back.

That’s a hard way to learn it, Charlie! Hope you’re healing up well!

[SlowBowKing]

I learned how much I've missed the woods. Nine years ago had a significant family tragedy, stepped away from hunting. Got back into it this year and rekindled my love for trad and the woods.

Welcome back!

[Bobaru]

Excellent thread.  Very successful season this year for me.  These are some of my lessons.

1)  Don't smell up your hunting area by over-exposing to too many visits.  My first visit to my (new) honey-hole was Wednesday, Oct. 30.  My second visit, three days later, Saturday, November 2, netted an 8 point.  My third visit, 7 days following, November 9 netted a doe.  My third visit, 7 more days, November 16 and I had opportunities with no tags.

Why stop, right?  It's done for the season.  Burned out.  That's okay.

In addition, this stand was close in, not requiring me to walk past good deer habitat to get to my stand.
 
2)  Back cover is more important that front cover.  Huge tree behind, leaves all gone in front, and no problem.  Buck was 18 yards unaware.  Doe was 7 yards unaware.  I say the stand is only 12 off the ground.  A friend says 10 feet.  Whatever.

3)  Hunt funnels.  This stand is on the corner of a field with woods on both sides.  They come through the woods rather than the field and turn the corner.  They come at various angles through the woods.  So, this is a pinch point.

4)  Treestand is on the inside of the radius.  The deer trails all curve around the treestand.  The deer, coming from multiple angles, almost never are facing directly at the treestand in their travels.  They loop around.  I have been spotted in treestands where the deer trail comes directly toward that stand at reasonable distances, say 30 yards and less.

5)  Wait for your shot.  Wait for your shot.  Wait for your shot.  Even after I drew on the doe, I did something I never do.  I held my draw for several seconds for one reason alone:  to see if the doe saw my movement, was alerted, and would react.  Satisfied that she was relaxed, I picked a spot, and released.  My now passed friend, Rusty Boos, upon learning I was going bear hunting  jumped up and down almost screaming at me, saying "wait for your shot."   After having too many failures on deer, I decided to internalize his admonishment, "wait for your shot."

[BrianC]

My dad and I have realized that we have gotten lazy w/ our scouting and stand placement.

He owns 120 acres, he lives on the property and I'm only 15 minutes away.

With work and life in general, we have just been settling for hunting the same stands year after year.

We got into trad 6 years ago and are both deer less at this point.

In 2020 we are going to take down all of our old stands, scout hard, and go into the fall of 2020 with a new mindset.

Brian

[Overspined]

Becoming very clear over the last three years of hunting public land the deer populations are way down. Getting harder and harder to find deer, sign, anything. There is a need to find some private ground that hold deer for next year. Our wildlife agencies are failing us deer management plans need to be re-visited.

  Sorry to hear that Wild Bill. I used to hunt Pa and the numbers was always up but that was years ago. Believe it or not, the deer population is down here in southern Iowa due to EHD hitting my area harder than normal because of the wet spring we had.

EHD? I thought that was a drought problem

[Josh H]

I've learned to take a good shot when you get the opportunity.

If I had, I'd be eating backstraps tonight and not leftovers...again.

Josh

[Pine]

I learned that even though you have become hearing impaired you can still connect with your shot. 
Just had to figure out a different strategy.
I will add, it's a great rush to look up and see a shooter 15 yards away and standing broadside. I went from  to  in less than a minuet.

[BlacktailBowhunter]

I learned I should have learned to shoot 3 under a long time ago, I don’t take the cold like I did a few years ago, and Sleep deprivation affects my interest in hunting significantly more than it did a year or 2 ago. Oh yeah, check my video camera before each hunt, so I can fix malfunctions.

[Justin Falon]

Ive learned that I'd have been better off on the ground instead of searching for a perfect tree.
I'm now a ground hunter. Season aint over yet!!

[Cory Mattson]

I learned this wheel thing is gonna add ten years of freedom and gettin after em for me

[Bluefeather]

I learned that a bicycle is a great way to access good hunting spots further from the road.

[Bowwild]

That an elk in the freezer puts a damper on motivation. More interested in squirrel this year than deer. Can't believe I'd ever write that in the 50 years I've been climbing trees.

[RedRidge]

I learned a few things this season. Two I confirmed is true and two others that hurt a little.

1) Scouting pays off. Not only pre season but each trip is a scouting session. I played chess with a deer and moved my stand twice and it paid off. Being very observant in the stand and pick landmarks for future stands.

2) Simmons are awesome

3) Be more patient in shot selection. I had a small young buck walk to my tree. I shot it quartering to me at like 10 yards. Figured my arrow at that range wouldn't have any problem with penetration. His shoulder won. Should have waited for him to pass and shot him quartering away or passed.

4) Arrow weight. Probably works fine if I was patient but I was shooting a 485 grain arrow with good success. See above for lesson learned. I will prob shoot a heavier arrow next year.

[Zwickey-Fever]

Becoming very clear over the last three years of hunting public land the deer populations are way down. Getting harder and harder to find deer, sign, anything. There is a need to find some private ground that hold deer for next year. Our wildlife agencies are failing us deer management plans need to be re-visited.

  Sorry to hear that Wild Bill. I used to hunt Pa and the numbers was always up but that was years ago. Believe it or not, the deer population is down here in southern Iowa due to EHD hitting my area harder than normal because of the wet spring we had.

EHD? I thought that was a drought problem

Drought?? Not here. I have not been able to get in some of my fields for over a year and had to put a lot of my crop land in preventive planting because there's been to much rain. I just spoke with two state biologist and they said that southern Iowa is a complete disaster area and the hunting season should have been stopped because of EHD, CWD and tuberculosis in the deer. But there's no money in that for DNR. The deer population is not even a fraction of what it was just a year ago.