Dry spell

[hoghunter65]

What is the longest you have gone without killing a deer? When I first started deer hunting I could not sit still, had to be up walking, hunted 4 years before killing one, then I killed 5 deer in 4 years, next I went 11years without firing a shot.

 

[Mr.Bro]

Maybe 4 years.only killed 3 in the last 10 years. I'm still learning. Not very good at killing.

 

[backyardtndeer]

After killing my first one, and early on in my hunting just one year. Later on in my hunting I passed several that I would have taken early on in my hunting, and have had a few dry years by choice, but never more than one year in a row. And typically after a dry year I had a year with at least one very nice buck.

 

[Omega]

About three or four years. After I retired from the military, I was out hunting and just couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger on a deer so I quit going. Three or four years later I just told myself to get back into it, so started looking for a place of my own, found my 7.2 acres, on craigslist of all places, which gave me a bunch of work to do to prep the place for hunting.

My return was almost derailed a couple years into it due to a run-in with a GW, long story, but that ordeal just energized me even more, and I'm happy to say that I'm still into it, with no letup in sight.

 

[C1295]

I am at 4 years right now.

 

[wsm]

I am at 3 years right now.

 

[Ski]

About three or four years. After I retired from the military, I was out hunting and just couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger on a deer so I quit going.

Similar. I went several years without hunting at all after my service was up. No desire to hunt and shoot animals. Then an old vet I'd eat breakfast with on Friday mornings asked me to come along dove hunting just the two of us. I did and haven't looked back. It was my first time dove hunting and I had more fun than I knew was possible hunting. Shortly after I started deer hunting again.

 

[TNGRIZZLY_]

First thing first: thank you everyone who has served and who is serving now.

To the op: 12+ years, not sure on how long, but I just ended it Saturday with a nice 4 point with a kicker started but couldn't count it. Not long enough

 

[Vince]

Was seven years before I killed my first deer in 2020. Since then I am blessed to get at least one or two every season. There is some story to it. My mom half jokingly said "you are not going to get a deer" right at the time I started deer hunting in 2013. I have the problem of going 100% into something I like or commit to. So, obviously, she was afraid that I would get hooked and leave family duties behind to pursue hunting (because my dad had an uncle who did so; he came back only 20 years later). In my seventh dry year, when mom called me on phone, I was getting things ready to go hunt the next day and told her I'll be up a tree as long as I am healthy to do so. And told her about her words many years ago. She said "I don't remember saying so but if I did, I am letting it go now". The next hunt i am late in the morning, go to the woods with a pop up blind and see a deer that didn't look too scared of me and trotted off. I set up the blind about 7.30am and 45 minutes later doubled up. That was the end to my dry spell.

I wish the best of luck to anyone going through a dry spell; persist and it will happen.

 

[Ridgeline300]

Post like these remind me of how blessed and fortunate some of us are and some of us should be kicked in the butt for taking it for granted at times. 35 years hunting and I've never went a year without killing a buck. Blessed to have grown up on a farm in the middle of prime whitetail country.

 

[Crappieaddict]

Haven't got one the past two seasons. I did pass on a few.

 

[timberjack86]

Never went a season without killing at least 1

 

[GHOST95]

Never killed one so ya. lol

 

[DMD]

Early on when I first started in the early to mid-eighties i had a few 3 year dry spells. But, the last 20 years or so, my dry spells are voluntary. Just didn't see anything I wanted to shoot.

 

[chris1976]

What is the longest you have gone without killing a deer? When I first started deer hunting I could not sit still, had to be up walking, hunted 4 years before killing one, then I killed 5 deer in 4 years, next I went 11years without firing a shot.

Killed at least 2 every year since 1989

 

[Carlos]

I think this will be 3 years if I don't shoot one this season.
I've been killing quite a few hogs, almost rather shoot them anyways.

For some reason I don't just look forward to pulling the trigger on deer anymore.

 

[jwb]

Haven't shot one in 5 years but kinda by design. I have been playing guide to my son who is now 11. It's not always about pulling the trigger or how big the antlers are. I have had a blast watching him learn the last five years. Attached some pics of his. Proud dad!

 

[C1295]

Haven't shot one in 5 years but kinda by design. I have been playing guide to my son who is now 11. It's not always about pulling the trigger or how big the antlers are. I have had a blast watching him learn the last five years. Attached some pics of his. Proud dad! View attachment 202344View attachment 202343View attachment 202345View attachment 202348View attachment 202346View attachment 202347View attachment 202350

That is just awesome man!

 

[deerhunter10]

2 years that was probably 15 or 17 years ago now.