I'm thankful for a good deer season. Many thanks to everyone who has provided info to me based on their knowledge and experience. I've learned a lot and still have a lot more to learn.
This was my first season on my own land, first time to hunt in around 15-18 years (someone put a slug in the back of the tree I was sitting against in the pitch black on public land and I never went back) and my first to actually take a deer home after hitting it.
Ended up with two 8 points, an accidental button buck, and yesterday, took two mature doe within a few seconds of each other. There was a group of 3 that came into view while I was using one of our grain bins as a blind. Lucky the second one stopped and looked back...dropped her where she stood. Just crazy, never thought I could get two back to back like that. That was only the 11th and 12th time to shoot that rifle so I'm not that great at ejecting/loading (it holds 4 bullets)...I don't even know what ejecting/loading is supposed to be called...lol.
Also thankful that my wife decided she wanted to go out with me. No, not 34 years ago on our first date, a few days ago on our most recent date. Um, in case she reads this, YES, 34 years ago on our first date. Shew, almost messed up there. She took a young buck on her first time out hunting and her first time shooting my rifle. Very proud of her. Also, very scared of her now.
What would I have liked to do better? Like many, I'd like to get the big one. So, I'll be more selective next season and will focus more on being out there during pre-rut/rut when the big ones are more likely to mess up and be out during daylight. The advice given to me for this season was just get it done so I got it done. Meat in the freezer, in cans, in the neighbors' freezers, in my belly. I will make sure to get in better shape physically so I can walk all the way in instead of 4 wheeling part way. Every once in a while the deer could smell the 4 wheeler down the hill with the wind coming in just right and would turn and walk away. I would like to shoot better. Didn't miss a single time and actually put a bullet through the lungs of one tonight, but most of the time I've jerked right. Being right handed I will practice aiming left some when the adrenaline is pumping. (The gun is well sighted, it's just me pumping the heart a little too fast.)
I'm pretty happy with the land here as far as deer go. The does tend to rule an area out front, but the bucks are here and seen often in one of the meadows out back so things seem to be fairly well balanced. I would like to build a network of linked cell cameras, add normal stair (risers) to one of the previous owner's blinds so I can actually get in it, do some minor repairs to the blinds, clear some vegetation at one for clearer shots, buy a sled and hoist of some sort (had to use plywood and pull the heavier doe up into the truck on the "reverse slide" tonight because no one was able to help - quick and worked great), figure out the travel routes in the ravines/creeks/topography, explore the land further back (lowlands), plant an orchard and more oak trees, thin a couple areas of trees to get light onto the ground and tell my wife to get her own rifle so we can count to three and shoot at the same time when there's more than one munching the clover like the other night. Oh, and she needs to learn to sit still and I need to help her find some hunting clothes and some camo to cover her face...deer can see her fidget a mile away and they stare at her. Maybe they think she's good look'n too.
I'd like to buy a high quality cross bow and turkey gun. Oh, and next season I want to start butchering my own deer. Need to do this!
(trail cam pic from 1/8/23 in front of one of the deer blinds. Surprised they were knocking antlers after the rut/second rut, a third buck coming in from the right side of the picture. So there's plenty of upside opportunity for bucks here next year!)
Again, many thanks to you! Also, a thank you to K&J butchers in Paris. I think the guy's name is Shane. He saved my butt tonight by being there later than he planned. The meat has been amazing!
Well, now it's time to learn about turkeys and how to post video on here.
What are your thoughts about your season???
This was my first season on my own land, first time to hunt in around 15-18 years (someone put a slug in the back of the tree I was sitting against in the pitch black on public land and I never went back) and my first to actually take a deer home after hitting it.
Ended up with two 8 points, an accidental button buck, and yesterday, took two mature doe within a few seconds of each other. There was a group of 3 that came into view while I was using one of our grain bins as a blind. Lucky the second one stopped and looked back...dropped her where she stood. Just crazy, never thought I could get two back to back like that. That was only the 11th and 12th time to shoot that rifle so I'm not that great at ejecting/loading (it holds 4 bullets)...I don't even know what ejecting/loading is supposed to be called...lol.
Also thankful that my wife decided she wanted to go out with me. No, not 34 years ago on our first date, a few days ago on our most recent date. Um, in case she reads this, YES, 34 years ago on our first date. Shew, almost messed up there. She took a young buck on her first time out hunting and her first time shooting my rifle. Very proud of her. Also, very scared of her now.
What would I have liked to do better? Like many, I'd like to get the big one. So, I'll be more selective next season and will focus more on being out there during pre-rut/rut when the big ones are more likely to mess up and be out during daylight. The advice given to me for this season was just get it done so I got it done. Meat in the freezer, in cans, in the neighbors' freezers, in my belly. I will make sure to get in better shape physically so I can walk all the way in instead of 4 wheeling part way. Every once in a while the deer could smell the 4 wheeler down the hill with the wind coming in just right and would turn and walk away. I would like to shoot better. Didn't miss a single time and actually put a bullet through the lungs of one tonight, but most of the time I've jerked right. Being right handed I will practice aiming left some when the adrenaline is pumping. (The gun is well sighted, it's just me pumping the heart a little too fast.)
I'm pretty happy with the land here as far as deer go. The does tend to rule an area out front, but the bucks are here and seen often in one of the meadows out back so things seem to be fairly well balanced. I would like to build a network of linked cell cameras, add normal stair (risers) to one of the previous owner's blinds so I can actually get in it, do some minor repairs to the blinds, clear some vegetation at one for clearer shots, buy a sled and hoist of some sort (had to use plywood and pull the heavier doe up into the truck on the "reverse slide" tonight because no one was able to help - quick and worked great), figure out the travel routes in the ravines/creeks/topography, explore the land further back (lowlands), plant an orchard and more oak trees, thin a couple areas of trees to get light onto the ground and tell my wife to get her own rifle so we can count to three and shoot at the same time when there's more than one munching the clover like the other night. Oh, and she needs to learn to sit still and I need to help her find some hunting clothes and some camo to cover her face...deer can see her fidget a mile away and they stare at her. Maybe they think she's good look'n too.
I'd like to buy a high quality cross bow and turkey gun. Oh, and next season I want to start butchering my own deer. Need to do this!
(trail cam pic from 1/8/23 in front of one of the deer blinds. Surprised they were knocking antlers after the rut/second rut, a third buck coming in from the right side of the picture. So there's plenty of upside opportunity for bucks here next year!)
Again, many thanks to you! Also, a thank you to K&J butchers in Paris. I think the guy's name is Shane. He saved my butt tonight by being there later than he planned. The meat has been amazing!
Well, now it's time to learn about turkeys and how to post video on here.
What are your thoughts about your season???
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we missed the best time of year here by being sick but we still managed to nock out a few more donation does before season ended!! It was a blessed season!! Now to get over this back surgery and get ready for turkeys!!!
