Hunting Goals and a Good Season

[Hatrick]

Before every season I usually set a few goals for myself. Nothing too lofty and always something within reach if the effort is there. I live and hunt in Maryland. I have a very limited piece of private ground to hunt and we're lucky enough to have some good public ground close by that's bow only. The deer season here will go until the end of January but as the bones get older and the weather gets colder I'll be limited from here on out.

Goal #1 was to get back to wood shafts for the beginning of the season. I made a set of sitka spruce and a set of cedars for old times sake. Truth be told, I've probably killed more game with woodies than any other shaft material.

Early October doe with a sitka spruce shaft with a 160 Ribtek on the business end and a Hill Country TD longbow.

 

Goal #2. I don't know why but with the great opportunities for Sika deer available in Maryland I've only hunted them once before. Some friends of mine are die hard Sika hunters so when the offer came up to go for the mid-October rut I just had to go. Getting a Sika deer with a woodie became the goal. My friend Paul Kelly who is quite the Sika hunter himself was kind enough to show me a great spot. I ended up seeing 4 hinds (does) and finally got a crack at a stag.

 

Goal #3. Now we're getting into the whitetail rut so it was time to get out my favorite oldie bow, my Howatt Monterey. A late evening hunt the second week of November brought me a nice 8 pt.

 

Goal #4. Time to take out the last longbow I made and take another doe. I have to tag another doe (or antlerless deer) before I could kill another buck. Something special about hunting with a bow you've made yourself. This one ended up being a button buck. When 2 deer came running into my stand area I never gave it a second thought. I was sure they were both does. Anyway, a good shot and short trail were very satisfying.

 

Goal 5. Yet to be met but besides just getting back out to enjoy mother nature I'd like to get another buck or doe. I have a couple of friends waiting for some venison.

I hope you've met some of your goals this hunting season.

[Stumpkiller]

Mine are less lofty.

Goal #1: put venison on the freezer.

Goal #2: spend every Saturday and Sunday during the season out hunting.

Goal #3: stay cool and forgive when wife and family seem to conspire to intrude into #2.

Goal #4: relax and absorb what is around me and enjoy.

[greyghost]

Great stories and meeting your goals. Congratulations on a fullfilling year.

I bet you have many great campfire side stories to share.

You look familiar, would you know a Tom Parsons or a Jonhny Buck?


Earl

i relly like that dark coat on the sika, looks like your having a pretty good season.
   good luck on another buck..

[Bowwild]

Hatrick,
Remind me to stay off your list!

Congratulations on what appears to have been a very satisfying season.  I have a very good friend who is an officer with the MD Bowhunter's Society.  I might have to get him to drag me out to the Sika marsh!

Since this was my first year back to traditional hunting since 1974 my goals were less lofty:

1. Bowhunt at least 24 times -- the national average. I've bowhunted 34 times so far.
2. Teach myself to shoot a recurve again.
3. Perfect my form and thought processes to 4.Try to find the perfect (for me) hunting recurve and arrows. This has turned out to be quite exspensive but fun. I'm still not there with the bow but I've found my arrow.
5. Kill some deer with my recurve -- anything but a small buck would be fine. Got a doe and BB.
6. Kill one of the bruisers I had pictures of. I saw only one of 3 I had pictures of. I passed him at 23 yards because he was quartering slightly toward me.

I'll get out a couple more times this season I hope.

Next year, I'm guessing around mid-April, I expect to zero in on the perfect bow. It's but a gleam in the bowyer's eye at the moment though.

[Steve H.]

That Sika sure is beautiful.

I met none of my hunting goals this fall beyond self preservation.

[rastaman]

Way to go sir!      

[Ben Maher]

Me neither Steve ,
sure had fun but !

[LV2HUNT]

Congrats on the great season!

[wildgame]

my goal this year is to get a kansas buck with my longbow! leave the 26th to try and met this goal!!

[frassettor]

What a great year yoy had, congradulations

[Hatrick]

Earl, funny you should mention Tom Parsons and Johnny Buck. I was fortunate enough to have dinner one night at Denton Hill (Potato City) with those two characters. They shared some great hunting stories and I got some bow building tips from Tom.

Bowwild, a Sika hunt is a great hunt that I would highly recommend. You need to plan for mid-October when they're rutting and you can hear the stags bugle. Just be sure to bring the thermocell!! It can also be a very wet hunt back in the marshes.

That picture of the Sika does not do the animal justice. He had been dragged a good ways through the marsh and his coat is all matted down. He's gonna look great all cleaned up.    

[Izzy]

Thats a cool looking stag. Nice deer all of them and congrats.

[IndianaBowman]

Mine was pretty simple. Hunt with my kids as much as possible.

Spent a week in Indiana hunting whitetails with my son.
Spent a week in Florida hunting alligators with my daughter.
Spent a week in Maine hunting bear with my daughter.
Spent a 3 day weekend in Ohio hunting whitetails with my son and daughter.
Spent several weekends hunting whitetails in NY with my son.
Spent another week in Florida on spring break and managed to sneak in a wild boar hunt with both kids and several bass fishing trips.
Spent a nice weekend at the JLMBH with both.
Spent many mornings and afternoons catching some nice stripped bass with both.

Been a good year! We even killed some stuff.

[Cory Mattson]

Goals were to hunt 2 days a week - did that with a few extra days thrown in - which resulted in 30 (+) days hunted. Great season - weather - and really slowing down and enjoying the ride. No goals other than to spend time and harvest cleanly with my longbow. Got 14 whitetails I think. Stands are pulled till Feb for winter deer - start hog hunting next week. One goal was to take my daughter with her flatbow but she could not get to it. Hope for next year. Had one hunt blown due to boat trouble - hope to fix that for next year too.
"self preservation" - Steve that was funny!
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[LITTLEBIGMAN]

wow you did really really good this year!

[wapiti792]

Those are some great goals and achievements. I REALLY want to hunt Sitka someday! Way to go!

My #1 goal every year is to kill a big, mature buck...so far, not done this year. First year in 5 I haven't had a taxidermy bill to pay  

[Hatrick]

I've had a few inquires about Sika deer. Here's a couple of web sites with more information.

An added bonus is the chance to see some Delmarva fox squirrels. You can't shoot em but they sure are a neat animal. They look like a gray squirrel on steroids!

      http://www.dougwigfield.com/about_us.html    

     http://www.tourdorchester.org/attraction.php?attraction=336&category=15&ac=336,15    

    http://www.ehow.com/list_6765843_sika-deer-regulations.html  

   http://www.friendsofblackwater.org/hunting.html

[Boone the Hunter]

great year, that sika is sweet!  you may have just given me a new goal, congats on a fine season

[Hatrick]

wapiti792, my lifetime goal is to shoot 1 BIG mature buck... and I wouldn't mind the taxidermy bill.    
I just don't see bucks like you and Boone have in your avatar's.

I'm hearing a lot of interest in Sika hunting. Think of it as the "poor mans" elk hunt. Check out those links.