Greatest and worst season?

[lpcjon2]

What was your greatest and worst hunting season. I would like to know what factors that made it a great season.Was it the gear,the weather,the area,did you see a big rack while getting coffee at the Piggly Wiggly,or was it the animal you harvested or didn't harvest.

And what were the factors for the worst season.Hunting related only,not that my truck broke and I couldn't go stuff.Thanks in advance Tim

       

[kbetts]

Best year was last year.  In my first 12 months as a trad archerer, I took two turkeys and two deer.  Didn't even shoot at what would have been my largest buck by bow.  Don't care either as the memory lives and he's just bigger this time around.
Worst year was two years prior when I missed two of the largest antlered deer I've had in bow range two months apart.  Then followed it up by missing a piebald at 15 yards twice, from the same stand, on two different hunts, while it stood in exactly the same spot.  I blamed it on the wheels on the bow and decided enough was enough.

[bear1336]

Best season I ever had was in the early 70.s I got to hunt Pa,WV and Mi and took a deer in each state. The worest hunt ever was in 1975 or 76 the first morning of the season on Drummond Island,Mi I shut the car door on my lower bow tip and broke it off and had to drive to Bear Archery in Grayling and buy a new Grizzly bow.

[Zradix]

Last year was the best season ever.
I was able to go on a few short hunts with my Son.
We saw some deer but nothing in range.
Talking about sounds. Eating a snack. Showing him tracks. Paying attention to the wind.
Just great being in the woods with my boy!

Worst hunting DAY (didn't ruin the season) was hunting some public land and having a landowner (who owns land almost surrounding the public land)  block off all the two tracks leading to the public land while my truck was inside the blockade.

Thing of it is the guy owns an earth moving business and used a front end loader to dig a big trench and 6-7' pile of dirt to block the way.

He was trying to annex my little slice of heaven into his own.

[ChuckC]

Worst hunt ever was elk hunting in Colorado a few years ago.  I hunt a large public tract that is not accessible to motorized vehicles with the exception of the gas company that had wells back in there.  We back packed in a mile and camped in a particular meadow, as we have done numerous times before.  I have hunted this area since 2001 and have watched it get more and more crowded.

This year, we had nasty weather (rained more than half the days there), we had a large influx of hunters into "my areas" (yeah. .  I know).

We had a herd of about 10,000 sheep being pastured two valleys up, maybe a mile and a half further into the property.  This is a very large drainage system and is usually very good, and also attracts a bit of hunting pressure. With sheep, two dogs and two shepherds in, elk are out. Those folks that hunt this area dispersed with some of those coming to "my secret area".

We had a party of new folks come in and put up trestands over a wallow area that is right in the middle of . . my area.

Then, to top it off. . .  we had the oil company building a new pipeline thru the wilderness.  In order to get the pipes to the work areas they had to fly them there using a very large and loud helicopter which flew over  (yup. .  my area).

What made it bad was I gave up and stopped enjoying being out there.  Yes.. I moved my hunting area and even got into elk again. .  but I lost the thrill that year.  That is what made it "the worst".

ChuckC

[cbCrow]

I don' have bad seasons, to take an animal is sort of like icing on the cake. Rewarded by just being able to.

[adeeden]

Best year was 2008 I hunted four states and Canada that year. I wasn't real sucessfull but got to share camps and hunt with some really amazing people!

Worse year 1999 I missed an enormous buck twice in Indiana, had mutiple vehicle problems including a couple overnight stays that I hadn't planned for, had a limb delaminate while drawing on a buck in IL, shot a turkey which I didn't recover, all while going through a nasty divorce!

[Dawn Patrol]

The best year was when I watched my bride take three deer with a recurve the first year she hunted.
 The worst year is a toss-up; the year I took a Razorcap thru my thigh from a lousey bow quiver or the year my heart quit pumping.
 But this year is going to be good !

[smokin joe]

Now that I am over 60 years old, every season that I can still get out is a wonderful gift. I expect this season to be the best ever just because I can still get to the woods. At my age I know that each day is to be cherished no matter what comes my way. Good or bad -- it's all great.

[Tom]

Best season is the one coming up and the worst is last year because it ended.

[stevewills]

never had a bad season but some were better than others.......

[ronp]

They all have been good.  The years spent hunting with family are well remembered.  But they are just memories now.  Last year was real good.  We ordered a side of grass fed beef in the fall, so I really enjoyed the season without thinking I had to get a deer, which I didn't.  Heck, I had no room in the freezer.  I told everyone that I was really going to enjoy the season.  I spent more time in New York's Adirondack Mountains than ever, so it was very special.  I think I will order another side of beef!

[Bowwild]

Best: Indiana 1969 -- Killed the 1st live deer I ever saw at age 16.

Worst: Kansas, 1991 -- I boycotted the entire season due to my irritation about a too-liberal doe harvest -- I worked for the agency too boot!

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

Shot a nice buck second day of the season, in about '76.. We could only get one permit then and I had to stay home for 88 days..
that was a bummer

[Buckeye Trad Hunter]

My best season was 2007.  I took my first trad animal ever, which was a button buck that I took from the ground with an 8 foot shot on the opening day of bow season.  The following Saturday I took a nice doe with a different bow and a wood arrow which I made myself (also shot from the ground).  Then when the firearms season came around I took a 140" 10 pt. with my muzzle loader on the third day.  I had been hunting this particular buck all season and had seen him several times but never had a shot opportunity.  

As far as my worst.  I've never really had a bad bow season because I just enjoy bow hunting even if I don't see many animals.  But this past season would have to be my worst firearms season.  Tresspassers all season long.    
Need I say more?  

[eddings220]

The best year was last year, my 11 year old son killed his first turkey, deer, dove, and rabbit! It was a toss up as to which one of us got more excited with each success.  Priceless stuff!  

The worst year...not sure, I enjoy just being out so much that "having to make the kill" is not that important anymore, not as much anyway!  

[Sam McMichael]

My best year came in 1970 (if my memory is correct). I had hunted for several seasons and never killed a deer.  But that year I killed my first deer ever, a 10 point buck with a 45# Ben Pearson recurve bow. I was a happy camper for sure.  I don't think I have ever had a season that I regarded as overall bad. I had a few individual outings that were pretty miserable, but in hindsight most of those memories just sweeten the better ones.

[Bowwild]

Sam,
What Pearson did you shoot the deer with. If you saw my post above I killed my first deer in 1969.  I killed it with a Ben Pearson Cougar. Ironically (given your name) this bow was 1st owned by my dad who's name was also "Sam".  Thank-you for causing me to recall my wonderful father today. He's been gone since 1996--2 months before he would have retired from the railroad.

[reddogge]

My most memorable years came from 1967-1973.  Shot some deer, shot field archery, belonged to a very active club, shot in the state championships, had lots of fun.  It all had kind of a magic to it.  I had a feeling I couldn't miss a deer and I didn't.

[myshootinstinks]

1972, Routt Nat'l Forest in N. Colorado. Had the time of my young life at age 16. We were hunting with several of my Dad's friends from Michigan, all very dedicated bowhunters. Blew several opportunities at deer but had a blast.  The bow I used is still hanging on my wall.
   We went into Hayden one night as the guys decided it was time to get drunk, which they very much did and wound up in a bar-room brawl.  I had a ring-side seat, never forget it.