Hunting season 2011: Lessons learned.

[Rembrandt]

Learned there are more hunters breaking the law than obeying the law...very few are getting caught. After 25 years as a Hunter Education Instructor, teaching youngster responsible hunting & ethics, beginning to think it's a waste of time.

 

[2'Bucks'11]

Don't give up... That is when they win. IF they win we lose the ability to hunt. No hunting means... you get the point. The 2 ppl who were acting illegal by my hunting zone had to watch me drop 2 fighting bucks. Then yell for my old man to tag the other ( which is legal group hunting here). Then I got to meet them 2 days later at the gas station while I was telling the story... You should have seen them blush. Esp when the young boy said dad that sounds like us. I love life in a small town.

 

[sixgunner455]

My biggest lesson learned is not to haul too much crap. If you "Might" need it, you probably won't. If you "KNOW" you'll need it, that's what goes in the pack, plus a first aid kit and something to make fire with.

Work the dog in the summer. Hitting the fields cold, she's not going to be very hot on the birds.

Doves fly to water. Find the good water holes, get there early, and bring lots of shells. You know you're going to miss some.

If the dove is flying in low and slow, and seems kind of close, don't shoot it when it's right in front of you. Let it get off a bit before you shoot it. I'd been snap shooting doves all day, and hitting some well, dogs were having a great time chasing everyones' birds, and I nailed this particular one. Cloud of feathers. Found a wing.

A labrador *will* look at you like you are an idiot, if you miss too much or blow up a bird.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

sixgunner, you know the bird was too low when you get hit in the face with a beak Ask me how I know

 

[sixgunner455]

LOL!

 

[mquail]

Cloud of feathers. Found a wing

I shoot a 20 gauge 870, full choke. I got a triple once with that gun. A covey of quail flushed, boom. Then two roosters got up. I crumpled the first and crippled the second. The shorthair I had at the time was almost famous because she never met a bird she couldn't find. After about 15 minutes she brought the rooster back. The bob was destroyed. I mean it was feathers held together by a few strands of meat. The first pheasant was dead and it good shape. The second pheasant had that golden bb in it. As I got older I quit snapping the gun up and destroying the first bird that got up. Usually missed the last bird<G>

A labrador *will* look at you like you are an idiot, if you miss too much or blow up a bird.

That shorthair did something similar to me. I wouldn't shoot at some hens she pointed then missed the one and only rooster we got up. She refused to hunt in front of me the rest of the day.

 

[BIGR]

I did it again last year. I horn hunted for the big buck and messed around and didn't get much meat. This coming year, if the rut is not in full blast during muzzleloader season, then it will be time to put a couple of deer in the freezer.

I am not whining much though; I still had fun being in the woods away from work.

 

[CountryUgly]

I learned to uh um to uh make sure to uh um load a round in the chamber if you plan on shooting something......don't laugh you've done it too....

 

[mcdonl]

I re-learned that the deer do not follow the same game plan as we do, and that I need to purchase a hunting caliber handgun (Looking at a .44 Magnum SA 6" Ruger)....

I was in my tree stand, slight but stead breeze right in my face, looking over my favorite swamp and the damned deer came in BEHIND me down wind... He winded me before I could get around, but if I had a revolver with me I very likley could have gotten him...

 

[wkumatt]

Turn your cellphone on vibrate before you get sleepily settled into your stand.

Your wife will call to see how its going when she gets up an hour after daylight. And it will ring ten time before you can dig it out of three layers of pockets.

Great thread for a some good laughs.

Sent from my PB99400 using Tapatalk

 

[solvability]

I learned if you see a bunch of deer on the first day out and decide to wait for a really good one that you will even see anymore.

 

[Armored farmer]

My biggest lesson learned is not to haul too much crap. If you "Might" need it, you probably won't. If you "KNOW" you'll need it, that's what goes in the pack, plus a first aid kit and something to make fire with

An old Canadian Northwoods trapper told me that "all that stuff can save you...or it can kill you".
Gun, ammo, knife, permit, water, binos.

 

[wombat13]

Every day in the woods is a gift. My daughter was in and out of the hospital for three months. She was finally home and starting to feel a bit better and I was able to get out to hunt two mornings before the season ended.

Be thankful if you and your loved ones are doing well enough that you are able to get into the woods and hunt.

 

[mquail]

Be thankful if you and your loved ones are doing well enough that you are able to get into the woods and hunt.

Ain't that the truth!!! Its the plains for me but the meaning is the same.

Hope your daughter will be OK.

 

[7mmstalker]

Last fall I learned how to have a great hunting season without shooting much at all.

My lovely wife has taken to muzzleloader hunting quite well, early season is buck only, late season opens up for doe or buck.
We found really good looking bucks more than once hunting the early opening, she just wasn't comfortable with the distance or not enough lght to make a clean shot. She decided to wait for the winter hunt.

General season for firearm hunters- me and my son- his first deer tag filled with a nice whitetail doe.
I covered alot of ground with binocs and feet, but got skunked.

Late opening for wife and her smokepole, first day out, she made a double lung shot on a fat blacktail doe. A few weeks later I spent some more time trying to notch my tag with no luck. Maybe next year for me. Did have a lot of days in the woods with my 2 best buds!

Duck hunting was planned for 2012 season, my boy can"t quite swing a pump shotgun yet. Well, he talked me into going out anyway, he used his single shot (fits him quite well) and he scored alot of hits. The youngster is becoming a pretty fair wingshooter!

My patience and persistence was finally rewarded, the last few days of waterfowl season, I was gathering up my mallard decoys when a small group of HUGE Canada geese passed over me about 30ft above, splashed one. The wings stretched 70 in.

Never once did I feel I had a poor hunting season, as I told my son many times. We're hunting, not killing, we located lots of game, shot only a few. Thats good hunting.

 

[RevGeo]

I learned (or had re-affirmed, rather) that you never know what a bullet is going to do once it hits the animal. I had a 150gr .312 spitzer going along at about 2800-2900 fps (out of my 31-40AI) hit a spike whitetail at 100 yards or so right behind the shoulder - perfect broadside shot. Somehow it ended up coming out through one of the backstraps, totally ruining one of my favorite chunks of meat.
Since most of the shots around here are under 200 yds I've decided to load down to standard .30-40 velocities and use a heavier bullet. Maybe a cast bullet at that. Having those options available is one of the best things about handloading, IMO.

 

[trapper1]

I still haven't learned that whatever time I decide to call it quits, to give it a few more minutes...:banghead:

 

[newbuckeye]

I still haven't learned that whatever time I decide to call it quits, to give it a few more minutes...:banghead:

Dark....ALWAYS dark. That way when they run/fly/scurry past you, you couldn't have shot them anyway!

 

[sixgunner455]

Dark + >3 miles back in the mountains = spending the night out, and freaked out wife. And maybe freaked out hunter.

 

[N.Schafer]

I learned that camo, private property, and tree stands are not necessary to a successful hunt! Jeans and flannel-right after sweaty work. It was windy and I stalked it

 

[Andela]

I was tired of walking slow and decided to crash through some thick brush. As I emerged on the other side two white tail bucks were running away. The bigger one slowed down but did not stop. I shot him and he fell there. Walk slow everywhere! Another time I was walking home and decided to get back ASAP. I scared off about 10 doe and felt like a moron. The hunt is not over until you are back home.

 

[josiewales]

Learn how to estimate distances well for bowhunting. I had a buck closer than I thought and shot over his back as a result. Blew my first chance at a buck.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

josie, that is the number one FIRST rule of Bow Hunting. "Know your yardages. That being said, if you bow hunt any length of time, it will happen to you a lot more than once partner. More times than not, it's the deer ducking it. Try this, get downrange to the side of a target, about 3 of 4 yards to the side for safety. Now, have someone you trust shoot an arrow into that target. Everyone thinks it's just the string noise that jumps deer. NOPE. I don't care what type of fletchings you use, an arrow makes a TON of noise coming. If I can hear it loud as a fan, imagine a white tail's hearing! It's a combination of the string as well as that loud whoosh the arrow makes coming. Always aim a bit low to allow for the duck. I always aim for the bottom of the lung.

 

[josiewales]

Thanks Freedom Fighter. I do know my yardages well enough to get a deer(as my targets could tell you). The problem was he was REALLY close and I was on the ground. (I have a crossbow btw) I was afraid if I lifted my head he would the movement as he was walking toward me. I figured he was 25 yards and aimed accordingly. He was really more like 10 yard as I found out later. And bingo 8 point buck gone.

 

[infmp32]

1) Even a small bear looks pretty big when it's right under your stand and you're not all that high up.

2) Just because you saw close to a dozen deer on your second time out, and shot your first deer(doe with a bow), doesn't mean you'll see that many EVERY time out.

3) Most importantly, hunting is just as fun as I remember from when I was a kid. I'm glad I finally got back out there after not doing it for almost 15 years.