Who measures the quality of their year by the success of deer season?

[fairchaser]

I know this is shallow and sorta corny. But, when I look back at my year, I often measure it by whether I got the buck I was after. If I do it's been a great year! If I don't, it's just been average. I haven't had a great year since 2018. I'm hoping this year turns around for me. I need an exit wound on a target buck! Either way, God gets the glory!

 

[Jcalder]

I don't measure it by kills, but by sightings. I've sat too many days in my life not seeing deer. A good hunt is seeing deer, and killing one is icing on the cake. Last 2 seasons have been extremely slow, seeing mostly young bucks when I do see deer

 

[backyardtndeer]

With some of the health issues I have had, I am thankful to be able to go. While it may be disappointing not getting a target buck, that doesn't necessarily make or break my season. I will usually have a target buck going into season, sometimes things break my way and sometimes they don't. I am usually able to put a lot of time in the stand, I enjoy watching deer whether I squeeze the trigger or not. Some of my best/most successful seasons were ones where my kids went with me and they took deer.

Fwiw, a target buck often disappears from our property before I ever make my first sit. Would be setting myself up for failure and disappointment if i let that be the only factor in determining how my season played out.

 

[Ski]

Well I'd be lying if I didn't admit deer season means an awful lot to me. It's a year round endeavor with habitat work, scouting, and hunting. Sure is fulfilling when I get my hands on a buck I've been dreaming about.

That all said, my life is multi faceted and sometimes complex, even though I myself am a simple person. There are many, many measures to consider. Generally speaking if momma is happy, kids are good, everybody healthy, then I feel the Lord had blessed me beyond what I deserve. And that makes a great year. The big buck is certainly a cherry on top!

 

[Kelljp]

Alot of days I don't take shots I probably should.
Enjoy sitting in the stand and watching critters, getting old is making me be more selective.

 

[JeepKuntry]

My biggest measure is sightings. With the majority of my time being east Tn public consistently seeing deer has always been a struggle. Only seen 1 doe this month. Early bow it was measuring up to be a decent fall.

 

[Crappieaddict]

So far, if this is how I measured success, it would be very depressing. Fortunately, I have enjoyed hunting this past week. The only deer I've saw was in the field in front of the house when I was returning from a hunt. I didn't do a Seek One, so there's that.

 

[Kelljp]

Rut seems slow this year. Only deer I see are in my orchard beside the house around dusk.
Notice a young buck joined them this week. Maybe things will pick up.

 

[Ski]

Rut seems slow this year. Only deer I see are in my orchard beside the house around dusk.
Notice a young buck joined them this week. Maybe things will pick up.

It's been a strange season for most of the country, not just TN.

 

[philsanchez76]

Success= some deer in the freezer and my wife still wanting to be married to me

 

[Stalkhunter]

Successfully being able to hunt another season. God has given me 12 more seasons since my my non curable cancer diagnosis in 2010. So I thank God for everyday I get out there. Deer or no Deer and getting meat is just another blessing.

 

[Snake]

Only a couple of times have I had a target buck and I absolutely hate being tied to one buck so now any buck could be my target . Being able to just enjoy God's creation and come home the same way you left except a little more tired is a successful hunt to me . I've had what I think is a successful deer hunting career if you want to call it that killing many deer . Got several mounted no monsters but good ones to me and have delighted many people with venison over the years just hope I can go a couple more years . Thank God I've not kilt myself as I've done some dumb things but have enjoyed my time hunting . To God the glory !!

 

[Duck dogn]

I know this is shallow and sorta corny. But, when I look back at my year, I often measure it by whether I got the buck I was after. If I do it's been a great year! If I don't, it's just been average. I haven't had a great year since 2018. I'm hoping this year turns around for me. I need an exit wound on a target buck! Either way, God gets the glory!

I haven't killed a "good" dear since 2010 but alot of factors play in like loosing places to hunt and so on. I'm not sure if you've read some of my other post about being at my place now for 4 years and trying to manage just 20 acres a helping with food so I'm just now starting to see better deer. With all that no I can't base my year on getting a target buck lol

 

[tellico4x4]

Well I'd be lying if I didn't admit deer season means an awful lot to me. It's a year round endeavor with habitat work, scouting, and hunting. Sure is fulfilling when I get my hands on a buck I've been dreaming about.

That all said, my life is multi faceted and sometimes complex, even though I myself am a simple person. There are many, many measures to consider. Generally speaking if momma is happy, kids are good, everybody healthy, then I feel the Lord had blessed me beyond what I deserve. And that makes a great year. The big buck is certainly a cherry on top!

X2

 

[Chickenrig]

No sir
I do not rate my year on deer killed. I rate my year on how i felt, friends i have made,old friends i have seen ,and if our God has granted me the oportunity to wittness another sunrise and sunset I used to hunt my ass off and think i was doing something ,but nowadays i just mosey down back and climb into my shooting house and wait for the wood ducks to fly over and see if any deer will grace me with thier presence. If a goodun steps out then so be it ,but my freezer is stocked and our bellies are fed. Thats how i rate my year
God bless those that can still do and those that hunt thier asses off

 

[muddyboots]

Not on kills but how many times I get to go and what I see.

 

[wsm]

Thankful to be able to hunt and see what God has made for us to enjoy .

 

[MUP]

I don't measure it by kills, but by sightings. I've sat too many days in my life not seeing deer. A good hunt is seeing deer, and killing one is icing on the cake. Last 2 seasons have been extremely slow, seeing mostly young bucks when I do see deer

Pretty much the same for me. I don't target any specific buck, I haven't even run tcams the last couple of years to have an idea of what's on my property even. I think I like it that way better, so I just hunt to see what's out there. As JCalder said, I've hunted East TN enough back in the late 70s and early 80s to have had many a deerless sighting hunt, and still have some on occasion, so just seeing deer is a successful hunt for me, and that carries over to a feeling of accomplishment after the season and into the next.

 

[Bass1090]

Great thread!

As I have gotten older (54) my measure of success has changed like it has for others. I don't measure by sightings or kills anymore but mistakes and quality sits. I have challenged myself to not have any bad sits (not climbing a tree that conceals me but also allows me to see, hunting the wind wrong, to much movement, setting up to close to bedding etc.) I still make plenty of mistakes and get busted from time to time but I want to learn from each of them.

If I don't see deer or kill a deer and go home "feeling" like it wasn't my fault I call that success.

 

[RockMcL]

I have to say some of the posts above really hit it out of the park.

I live in a woods farm for multiple reasons and I definitely am a hardcore hunter gatherer but I don't rate my years. I thrive as God gives.

I have goals and I measure them but my summation of each year, so far, is always excitement for the next year.

Deer goals are almost always habitat related and/or family harvest. Grandchildren as they come up to bat, each son's personal development/goals, family members respectful harvest/management, safe attitudes, etc are great plusses.

Live through it, learn from it, and hopefully don't limp too much afterwards is something I have said for many decades.
I do limp but I am still moving, the wife is still here, my boys are all good God fearing men. What a blessed year! Lord willing I look forward to next year...

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

Kills are definitely a factor for me. Deer passed are just as big of a factor. As long as i am seeing quality deer, I feel it is a success. This year there has been an unbelievable level of high end 2 1/2 year olds and more 3 1/2 yr olds than I can remember. In this group, I have seen four 9 pters and nine 8 pters. Some were hard to pass but their potential is very promising. If I could get them to show up next year, there is the trick!

 

[41Magnum]

I consider it to be a success to just consistently see bucks in an area of low deer density where I hunt. Like yesterday I saw a 8pt. and at first glance thought he was a good buck from a side view but when he turned his head I could see that he wasn't even close to being outside of his ears. I let him walk and considered the day successful. He should be a good buck next year.

 

[Lost Lake]

Back in my 20's and 30's, I wore deer hunting on my sleeve like a badge of honor. In my 40's, I learned to relax a bit, and now I'm to the point that a season or so off might do me some good. I've been at it crazy hard for years.

But generally speaking, if my freezer is full, it's been a good year. If my friends have done well, it's even better. If I manage to kill one or two bucks that are of the age that I wanted, that's gravy.

 

[Gravey]

If I wake up to go sit in a tree and see another sunrise it's been a successful year. My goal is one buck a year and am skunked so far this year. Blessed to have taken 2 good ones the past 2 years so if I don't squeeze the trigger on one it's not the end of the world. I still have a a lot to be thankful for.

 

[Shooter77]

I'm like others, deer hunting is a year round thing for me. It's been my love since I was 12. 33 years later I still enjoying hunting, planning the hunts and now the habitat work for it. Every year I have different goals that make my season a success. My 12y/o son is into hunting, I like to see him enjoy the hunt. Also my dad is aging with health issues, so I'm excited to see him get one. This year has been a success for them. Dad killed a 7pt in ML while I was with him. My son has killed 3 so far. He killed his first with xbow, then scored a 9pt and doe with gun. Makes 12 deer for him at 12 years old.

1 goal I've had is to at least kill 1 deer a year. I've had a few years since 1996 that I got really close to not getting this done, '97 it was the last 10 mins of season and 17 it was the last week. This year has been a challenge. With my kids activities, this is the first year I've not bow hunted. Then ML I missed 2 does, after 2nd one, found my gun was shooting 6" low at 50. Just spent the past week being off and saw a total of 3 deer. The 2 days I've not been hunting my place, shooter bucks have walked right by my stand...lol

 

[Rackseeker]

I have killed my share of deer in the past so I don't have to kill to have a successful year. I still enjoy being in the woods chasing mature bucks. If I see deer and lay my eyes on a shooter sometime during the season, I'm happy.

 

[tree_ghost]

Man I would be a liar if I said that my deer season isn't a big measure of whether I consider my year successful or not. This year has been a roller coaster of highs and lows…I consider this year a giant success in spite of the fact that this is the first year in 5 now that I don't already have a buck tag punched. In spite of that I feel as if I have learned more this year about mature bucks and how to get on them than I ever have and in addition to all the other great experiences I was able to have through others success' this season has been a total success!

Highs
1-son killed his first deer
2-brother in law killed his first buck
3-I killed my first elk with my bow
4-I located and managed to get within bow range of a world class whitetail here in Tn
5-I finally got within bow range of a P&Y buck with my longbow

Lows
1- said world class whitetail that was within bow range was missed clean by me @46 yards
2-said P&Y class with tail with longbow above was shot low in the front shoulder/brisket and I wasn't able to recover him

 

[Ski]

I consider this year a giant success in spite of the fact that this is the first year in 5 now that I don't already have a buck tag punched. In spite of that I feel as if I have learned more this year about mature bucks and how to get on them than I ever have

THAT is key and cannot be overstated. I always used to hear that big bucks are like a different species, and you can't hunt them like you do other deer. You have to hunt big bucks if you want to kill big bucks, and once you get one or two it gets easier because now you know what you didn't know before. I believe it's true.

 

[Popcorn]

I am blessed to get to do this for a living and success is multifaceted. The kill being the last on the list. Soil building, plot location & design, blind & stand placement, planting, running cameras, setting up my land owners and family for the chance, ( I don't hunt till they have a chance at one or more), donating a few doe to folks who need and appreciate it, seeing great deer and healthy deer thru season, packing 200 lbs of blackstrap steaks and roasts in my freezer plus a doe into jerky. Oh and if a good buck happens to present a good shot during all this I'll take it and I'll thank God for it but it's no measure of my successes. I have had a great year so far and just started hunting Friday.

 

[Chickenrig]

I have to say some of the posts above really hit it out of the park.

I live in a woods farm for multiple reasons and I definitely am a hardcore hunter gatherer but I don't rate my years. I thrive as God gives.

I have goals and I measure them but my summation of each year, so far, is always excitement for the next year.

Deer goals are almost always habitat related and/or family harvest. Grandchildren as they come up to bat, each son's personal development/goals, family members respectful harvest/management, safe attitudes, etc are great plusses.

Live through it, learn from it, and hopefully don't limp too much afterwards is something I have said for many decades.
I do limp but I am still moving, the wife is still here, my boys are all good God fearing men. What a blessed year! Lord willing I look forward to next year...

Amen