Bad bad season, or, Sometimes I Hate Hunting

My focus completely changed once I actually found out what was out there. I would get the first buck or a acceptable one if possible every time. Didn't know to wait for something better. When I got trail cams, I found out what I was missing, and what I should aim for.

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I was not convinced there was anything too great on my farm. These pics proove otherwise. I spent lots of hours looking for them, and have closed the deal in recent years because of my renewed enthusiasm by actually seeing proof that they exist. I'd settle fore an 8 pointer before seeing these. Corn is helpful here to find them, but not usually very huntable over corn, (at least for me). I usually find them in draws and creek crossings.
 
Know what you mean, it pays to measure the fun in a different way. it is nice to just see something, or share in friends and family's success. So far I've seen mice, squirrels, hawks a bunch of grouse and for the first time while hunting - bears! sow and a cub. my son on the other hand has taken his first buck a little spike on grandpa's property and a fat doe on my bud's this past wknd. I hope you at least get a few steaks outta your family's hunt. I get to share my son's take (I hope;-)
 
Kansas has MOOSE!

nice photo's of BULLWINKLE & company, now try and figure out wher he disappears and how get the opening time and day. Then you get him.
 
I know how you feel peetza. I went one what is basically my first deer hunt ever this Thanksgiving. It was the reason I joined this forum. So I go get all my stuff ready and get there. My buddy takes me to where I get out to go to the stand, all the way there I'm hearing how many deer are killed out of this stand and so-on and so-forth. On my way across a 300 acre wheat field to the stand I see HUGE deer tracks, I mean HUGE!! I get to the stand all excited, then spend the next three hours crying as I see deer after deer after deer come out and cross the field about 200 yrds away. I sit there with my smooth barrel shotgun that I haven't shot at anything over 40 yrds.


I would go back in a heartbeat!!! But with a 30-06..;)
 
nice photo's of BULLWINKLE & company, now try and figure out wher he disappears and how get the opening time and day. Then you get him

I did get this years buck on opening day. I'm a bow hunter, and got him on rifles opening day. He ranged through, but didn't live or usually eat at my place. Hunters working adjacent to my farm gave me the chance. Here are last years and this years bucks:

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Peetzakilla:

GO buy yourself a couple of ultra cheap trail cams and start your scouting NOW., or as soon as rifle (last season is over). Once rut is over, bucks go back to their habits from before rut. you may find you get a chance at bigger and better when you know where to go in the first place!

Good luck!
 
Peetza, I've been there and done that ... in your neck of the woods most likely. I hunt Onondaga and Cortland counties each year.

This season was successful for me, but a strange one nonetheless. I was on my favorite stand (Onondaga Cnty) early on opening morning. Had already heard a couple of shots when, right at the beginning of legal hours, I had a nice 8-point walk up on me. I dropped him promptly at 40 yards with a Federal Barnes Expander from my Mossberg 500. Had him dressed, hauled out of the woods, and in the back of the truck by 9:30 a.m., and was back on stand by 10:00, hoping to fill one of the DMPs in my pocket. Shortly after 10, another buck -- looked like a 6-point -- walked by. I'm thinking, "This is good! Should be a doe or two along shortly!"

End of the day, nary a one.

Didn't hunt Sunday. Monday headed down to a Cortland Cnty, where I also had a DMP. Didn't see a doe until noon, and she never presented a shot. Changed stands a couple of times, heard some shots, saw lots of turkey ... no deer.

No deer, that is, until about 3:30 in the afternoon, when a yearling buck snuck into the field I was overlooking to graze. I started watching for doe movement, and instead saw a larger buck in an adjacent field. To make a long story short, the larger buck stiff-legged it into the field in front of me and for the next hour those two butted heads, pushed each other around, grazed, and otherwise fooled around like a couple of bored teenagers. Either would have been shootable, and both were in range, but I'd already filled my buck tag. No doe to be seen.

Tuesday, back on the original stand back up in Onondaga cnty. A couple of deer ghosted past me 40 minutes before legal hours ... close enough to see, but too dark to decipher sex. Again I'm thinking, "Good, they're moving; I should get one today." Didn't see anything but squirrels and turkey for the rest of the day.

Last year and this I saw more bucks than doe, and third year in a row I've filled my buck tag and left multiple antlerless tags unfilled. Go figure.
 
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bwaaaaah ha ha ha ha ha :eek: oops was that out loud.

i feel your pain, well not this year.:cool:

im just glad to hear i am not the only one related to that a-hole murphy guy.:D

when i quit horn hunting and started shooting first deer, 50 lb with spots to 300 lb. 28 pt. the deer gods started to smile on me.:)

we have lots of dressed 180 - 200 lb does, so if it dosent have a massive tree on his head im wating on my big girls, better eating. but i seriously do put first deer down reguardless. call me superstisus but havent been skunked since i started that tradition.;)
 
Legionnaire,

Where do you hunt in Cortland county that there are more than one or two racked bucks for miles around? Holy crap. I've hunted all over, grew up in Cortland county. Never (literally, never) saw a single deer during hunting season bigger than a six point until I started hunting Cayuga and Tompkins counties. Even in those counties, which are "over-populated" supposedly, I only see doe after doe after doe after doe.....

Don't get me wrong guys, I know deer hunting. I'm not a rookie. I got 3 this year during bow.

It's the "buck curse" that I don't get. If I shoot the first deer that walks up, it's a doe. If I let them walk and wait, it's more doe (or nothing). Rut, pre-rut, post-rut, it doesn't matter. No bucks. Scouting, no-scouting. Doesn't matter. No bucks.

My uncle? 7 in 4 years. Hunting the same property, same hours, same stands.
 
See, that's part of the frustration. It's like a curse. My uncle doesn't suffer from any lack of bucks, hunting the same times and places, he's killed 5 racked bucks in 4 years counting bow, and 7 total. I've killed 0 "racked" bucks and 2 minis, a spike and a 4 point.
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Actually it's 9 bucks in 6 years of hunting (first year I was skunked, didn't shoot anything). But 3 of those were small (2 threes and a four). The other 6 were a five, 2 sixes, 2 sevens and this year's eight. I know and you know my luck is going to change. I hope it never does, I wish it never would, but that's not realistic. I'm on an insanely lucky streak. It will end! Then I'll be posting about how my nephew keeps shooting the bucks out of the same stands that I only see does from. :-) And hey, let's not forget how big your four point was! Not sure how he managed to forget to grow brow tines. It was a very big 4 point, that's for sure.

Still, it's exciting for me no matter what comes walking down the path, and like many have said, a bad day hunting sure as heck beats a good day at work. Remember bow season? I saw one doe all season and that was it! Meanwhile you shot 3 deer!!

I'm almost having the opposite problem now. I have 3 doe tags to fill and can't find a doe! I'm opposite cursed. The doe with the 8 point would have had a slug in her too, but my gun wouldn't fire of all things (trigger spring popped off). Now would I trade that luck for yours? Well, no, I wouldn't! But sooner or later I'll HAVE to! That's the thing about luck, not much control over it.

If you continue to be patient and continue to pass on the does, you'll get your buck, I guarantee it. Might not be this year (getting late!), but if you keep the same level of patience, your day will come! In the mean time, don't give up! Because if there's one way to make SURE you never get a buck, it's to never hunt! You can't shoot him while sitting at home! Hopefully Sunday is the day...I still have that unbloodied knife that needs to be broken in, sure would be good if YOU could take care of that problem with a nice buck. :)

Jack
The infamous "Uncle" :-)
 
going crazy

I've hunted 3 times since my last post. Worst season ever as far as seeing deer goes. Hadn't seen a deer from a tree in weeks.

Today, 8:50AM after being in a climbing stand since day break, hunting a terrain feature leading to bedding cover, I'm bored, a little cold ,and stand to stretch and dork w/ my bow. Ran off 5, 60 or so yds away. !!!!!!!!!!

Didn't know whether to cry or scream. Looked like all does, but only got a glimpse. They spotted my movement at that distance, and I was 20+ ft up in a tree. Its a wonder you ever kill one w/ a bow. They may have alerted on a wind change, but they sure saw me first.

Then I got to go home, go to work, and pull second shift.
 
I know the pain. I haven't seen a single deer yet. I hunt public lands and have pretty much figured they have gone nocturnal from the pressure this year. But its bad that I haven't seen even a single doe.
 
Legionnaire said:
Zhe Wiz, welcome aboard! Have you ever hunted the Connecticut Hill WMA? Pretty close to Ithaca.
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Don't give him any ideas! He's the one shooting all the bucks already!:D;)


Zhe Whiz said:
Actually it's 9 bucks in 6 years of hunting
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See how he helps my pain? He corrects my recollection and it's WORSE than I thought!:)
 
NY doesn't like us

Peetza -

I've been hunting for three years now (Erie, Genesee, and Wyoming counties). Until this year I had never even seen one deer while I was out, at all. Not even a single doe.

My parents' house is in a pretty rural part of Erie. Everytime I'm over I see deer all over the yard. But, when I'm actually out hunting, I've never seen anything, just squirrels. Then a family friend shot a 9-point right around where I'll usually go out just last year.

This year I finally got my first buck (also first deer, period) - an 8 point. But it wasn't behind my parents' house. Still haven't seen anything there. So I know how you feel, even though I haven't been hunting nearly as long.
 
Zhe Wiz, welcome aboard! Have you ever hunted the Connecticut Hill WMA? Pretty close to Ithaca.
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Thanks!! Nope, never hunted there. I hunt mostly in the Lansing area, around Cornell during bow season and up by Lake Como - Peetza's dad's property. :-) Never hunted Connecticut Hill.

Zhe Wiz
 
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