What are your goals?

[BSK]

We talk about this every year, but then people's goals change every year. And much depends on each hunter's personal hunting situations. Private property hunting with permission, owned land, public land, etc.

What is your hunting situation (type of land you're hunting) and what are your harvest goals for the 2026-27 season?

 

[PickettSFHunter]

I hunt diverse properties- private tracts I own, private permission, and public in various states. I want to enjoy it primarily but I would be lying if I said that I don't want to take 2 local 4.5 year old or older bucks every year and I generally do. That's not easy in a low population area but can be done if you dedicate offseason and season to it. For out of state public, my expectations are lower. I will shoot a 3 year old on most of those if given the opportunity. For fun hunts out of state where age structure and populations are low, I will shoot whatever and have fun doing it. For coastal islands, I will shoot whatever and have fun doing it. It's just all very situation dependent I guess.

 

[mike243]

Make some memories, will hit 65 mid November and you never know how many you have left, I always hope to get a big buck but I don't hold my breath these days, Haven't had a deer mounted in a long time and probably never will again, a mount is a poor picture of the animal I shot and as long as I have my mind I will remember it and no need to show it off. Hopefully everybody has a great safe season. I won't starve this winter if I don't kill a deer , not interested in any draw hunts that takes multiple years to draw kinda bird in the hand vs flock in the bushes lol. Take what's offered and be happy.

 

[Ski]

I hunt north Coffee near the head of the duck on owned, permission, and public pieces. It ranges from gum swamp to river bottom ag to mature hardwoods.

I also hunt OH hill country on owned, permission, and public. It's contiguous steep hogback ridges with narrow hollers & mature hardwoods. Think eastern KY coal country or WV mountains because it sits exactly between them.

Depending on how it goes I might also hunt WI, MO, and possibly TX.

Expectations vary accordingly but the goal is the same. I want to hunt the oldest buck reasonably available for me to hunt. I spend my entire year doing something deer related because I'm eat up with it. I love the habitat work, watching deer grow up, and studying how they use their respective environments. And I love eating venison. But when it comes to the actual hunt nothing appeals to me except killing the old buck that has beaten every other hunter before me. That challenge drives me. Aside from him I don't really want to kill a deer. Heck I don't even want to kill him. But as I said I love venison and that requires killing a deer so may as well be a buck already at the end of his natural life. If it doesn't work out I'll kill a doe or two to get my meat. Regardless of how the season goes I will have spent an entire year doing something I enjoy, having a front row seat to nature, and a freezer of meat to enjoy with family & friends.

 

[TheLBLman]

Private property hunting with permission, owned land, public land, etc.

What is your hunting situation (type of land you're hunting) and what are your harvest goals for the 2026-27 season?

I have been extremely blessed to have had thousands of acres of private property to both manage & hunt. That said, I seem to equally enjoy the adventures of public land hunting as well. "Different" is good. Different challenges, different journeys.

If all goes as planned, around 2/3 of my hunting will be on private, 1/3 on public.

Most years, I plan and do kill more female than male deer.
Any known "target" bucks tend to be 5 1/2 or older, and often have smaller antlers than many younger bucks I'm "following" via trail cam pics & observations.

Other than that, I generally avoid killing a buck appearing less than mature, and seem to enjoy just being out there "hunting" more than ever, while caring less & less whether I personally kill anything in any given year.

It's very meaningful to put someone else on a particular deer (sometimes a mature doe, sometimes their best buck), and share in their joy. I seem to be doing more of that than myself pulling the trigger.

Enjoy the journey, as it's not really about antler scores, feeders & feed, and other juvenile drivel sales theory selling gimmicks.

 

[deerhunter10]

My goals are basically the same. I generally have 1 pr 2 deer i want to kill i do my best to kill them. I want to get my nephew on his 2nd ever deer ( I think he is getting hooked) I want to have fun, I picked up a permission piece that doesnt look like anything special but I think is sneaky good. Be fun to.find a deer in there to hunt.

 

[Remi]

I hunt mainly private land in east TN. One place has a decent population and the other is more mountainous and has a lower population. I try to kill 2-3 does a year between both properties and while killing 2 mature bucks a year would be great the goal is 1 mature buck per year. In all actuality for various reasons it tends to be every other year.

I don't run cameras but I do scout around quite a bit on the properties. I tend to hang in the thicker stuff because I see more deer there.


It's kind of wooly where I am so seeing a mature buck and killing a mature buck often don't meet up at the same time.

 

[megalomaniac]

Same as the last 10 years. Assassinate every single 4.5yo or older buck that crosses my properties. Never happens, but it's always good to have goals

 

[buckbstr_1]

Kill more does and kill a +4.5yr old buck. Enjoy the outdoors more with my kids. I try to keep it simple.

 

[ZachMarkus]

Kill a 5.5 year old buck I have a ton of history with. He showed up on camera a couple days ago and he's looking very nice so far.

 

[Ski]

He showed up on camera a couple days ago and he's looking very nice so far.

Prove it

Pics or else I don't believe you lol

 

[BSK]

Kill a 5.5 year old buck I have a ton of history with. He showed up on camera a couple days ago and he's looking very nice so far.

That's a very cool situation.

 

[BSK]

It's very meaningful to put someone else on a particular deer (sometimes a mature doe, sometimes their best buck), and share in their joy.

I really get that Wes. Although all of my family are hunting the same bucks, I'm thrilled when one of them takes a buck I'm targeting as well. Last year I had two bucks on my list that I thought were killable (and one I believed was unkillable). However, opening weekend, family members killed both bucks I believed were killable. I was thrilled for them. Both bucks were the best bucks of each hunter's career.

 

[flyinpro]

We talk about this every year, but then people's goals change every year. And much depends on each hunter's personal hunting situations. Private property hunting with permission, owned land, public land, etc.

What is your hunting situation (type of land you're hunting) and what are your harvest goals for the 2026-27 season?

Well, coming off shoulder surgery 3 years ago I'm ready to take my new ARC34 out for a season. I'm not on a lease for three reasons, MONEY, (Greed) MORE MONEY and lack of contacts in the deer hunting communities. I'm looking at a couple of non-quota WMA's I hope not to Regret. Because of various reasons, I don't generally hunt alone any longer. I do have 18 acres of private that I can hunt, it just the hills with it are bit difficult that my age. I use my own recipe of mineral, but don't put corn out. Early pics are looking OK. Date is really last February. Stay well.

 

[BSK]

I do have 18 acres of private that I can hunt, it just the hills with it are bit difficult that my age.

I swear the very same hills I was hunting in my 30s have gotten a lot taller and steeper now that I'm in my 60s!

 

[Iglow]

If I go I want to try to get one with my longbow off the ground, tough to do but that's ok, I'm not too worried about it anymore.

 

[Deer Assassin]

Kill Deer Have fun Check off a few more counties and meet some great people along the way.

 

[rifle02]

My goal is to kill a deer with my new muzzleloader. Last year during the Muzzleloader season because I was hunting with my old traditional side hammer with open sights I couldn't bring myself to drop the hammer on an awesome eight pointer. Kind of low light, some brush in between and my 73-year-old eyes had a hard time with those open sights. Avoided the good possibility of a bad shot on a great buck. I just knew I could have killed him or the one running with him if I had anything at all with a scope on it . Anyway I have a new inexpensive muzzleloader and I am upgrading the scope that came with it. And even if I don't get a shot at that bad boy there's always some does to break it in on.

 

[slabhead]

To see/kill one of the mature bucks I have on camera every year.

 

[BSK]

My goal is to kill a deer with my new muzzleloader. Last year during the Muzzleloader season because I was hunting with my old traditional side hammer with open sights I couldn't bring myself to drop the hammer on an awesome eight pointer. Kind of low light, some brush in between and my 73-year-old eyes had a hard time with those open sights. Avoided the good possibility of a bad shot on a great buck. I just knew I could have killed him or the one running with him if I had anything at all with a scope on it . Anyway I have a new inexpensive muzzleloader and I am upgrading the scope that came with it. And even if I don't get a shot at that bad boy there's always some does to break it in on.

I can't believe you were hunting with open sight at 73! I used to have pilot-quality vision until a turned 40. Then my first set of glasses. Now, at 64, without glasses I can't even see the rear blade of open sights. Just a blur.

 

[BSK]

For me, on privately-owned and managed family land, first I want to get the whole family together and have a fun, successful hunt the first week of MZ season. Second, while conducting our season-long census, I will pick out one or two bucks that strike my fancy (at least 3 1/2+ but more likely 4 1/2+) and then hunt just those one or two bucks. It is the cat-and-mouse game with a particular buck that fuels my passion.

 

[Iroquois]

I hunt public land exclusively. Being a transplant I don't know enough people that have land to hunt. Living in Eastern Tennessee and hunting mountain habitat hunting is challenging because of low deer densities and the vast amount of land available for them to roam. My goal is very simple, kill a quality mountain buck!

 

[themanpcl]

We talk about this every year, but then people's goals change every year. And much depends on each hunter's personal hunting situations. Private property hunting with permission, owned land, public land, etc.

What is your hunting situation (type of land you're hunting) and what are your harvest goals for the 2026-27 season?

Goal for TN (private) , harvest more does (and with my bow), harvest another mature buck. In IL (public), one more mature buck.

 

[BPhunter]

Greenhorn Wilderness. Colorado. If it's still there in Sept. Fire burning near there at over 90,000 acres. Reached 78 today! Next goal 79!

 

[Snake]

Prove it

Pics or else I don't believe you lol

He will !

 

[rifle02]

I can't believe you were hunting with open sight at 73! I used to have pilot-quality vision until a turned 40. Then my first set of glasses. Now, at 64, without glasses I can't even see the rear blade of open sights. Just a blur.

That Muzzleloader is the only rifle I use that has open sights and it's of course only used for 2 weeks every year. And I limited my shots to 50 yards or so. In this case I didn't have it clearer shot and it was low light. I knew it was time for a change.

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

Kill a 4.5+ with my bow is the main goal. It's been a few years now since I've had the chance to hunt what I'd consider a high scoring deer for my area so if that chance arises this year killing it might become the main focus.

Other than those two things, I'd like to sling a quiver full of arrows at slick heads!

 

[rifle02]

That Muzzleloader is the only rifle I use that has open sights and it's of course only used for 2 weeks every year. And I limited my shots to 50 yards or so. In this case I didn't have it clearer shot and it was low light. I knew it was time for a change.

And as an aside as far as that rear sight goes about 10 years ago I cut a new dovetail on top of the barrel and move to that rear sight about 8 to 10 in forward. Shortens up the sight radius but at least I can see the rear sight!

 

[Snake]

Having no more leases and only hunting my little place plus the guy that joins mine my goal is very simple . First thank God for the opportunity and try to not hurt myself. Being 72 with a bad back just getting to the hunting woods sometimes is a chore in it's self, plus I hunt in trees . I do have several stands and hardly ever use my climber anymore . Goal is always the same to hopefully kill a decent buck regardless of age...I know I know but I don't have the time to field judge a buck so if he seems mature he's in the scope . I generally guage what I shoot with the headgear he possesses . If my daughter would like some more venison I may shoot a doe and if my shoulder holds up hopefully with my bow . Just being in the hunting environment helps to clear a person's mind of the obstacles we face in our daily lives ....right @BSK ?

 

[Ski]

He will !

I believe you're correct