Our Season Was Not A Disappointment Thread

[Bear55]

Heck I've had back to back great years. 4 deer, 3 of them with the bow and two mature bucks. Deer sightings are down but like they say, the harder you hunt the luckier you get.

[NoWiser]

Shot the wolf?

I stand corrected!

[matchset]

hard to be disappointed with a 50+ inch minnesota moose ST!

my season was one for the books; spectacular!

i digested my third straight bear tag sandwich.

harvested a beautiful moose with my pops (yeah i teared up after the shot).

and flung 4 Rage broadheads threw 4 antlerless deer

and the best part is...its still not over yet!

[CodyDawg]

This was my best fall too. Started out with shooting some woodies and got one for the wall. Best part was sharing it with my 6 year old daughter. Then off to elk hunting where I shot a 300 inch bull on a spectacular wilderness pack in hunt. Then back here where I shot a dandy 8 point buck. I am putting the frosting on the cake with some great rooster hunting. Just fantastic! If hunting season lasted the whole year, I think I would die of pure bliss.

[GSP4EVER]

I have had the time of my life this season.

I have a 1.5 yo GSP that I trained my self and earlier this week we got our first rooster. I should say he has pointed and flushed alot of birds and I finally hit one.

Opening of deer season in the rifle zone I sat in the stand with my 13 yo nephew and watched him harvest his first deer. Nice little doe.

Finally this is my first year bow hunting. I have seen deer just about every outing. I have had a few opportunities to shoot, a few of the does have had fawns or small deer with her and let them go. Other times it was fun just getting that close that I let them go too so I could keep coming back. I am really enjoying watching the deer move about in there natural state and being hidden amongst the trees. My first outing I saw 17 deer. A doe and I were in a stare down. She was about 40 yards away facing me and the I heard this stomp and wheeze behind me. A little 6 point busted me sitting on the ground. He was about 20 ft behind me. He came around the corner and saw me sitting there. My heart was pounding and I was instantly hooked on bow hunting. Like I said earlier...The time of my life

[Xplorer]

Hey Frank,

First off, a big Congrats on the Bull, awesome accomplishment made even better by the story and having JR and Lonnie there. I had a great season, as this was the true first where my 8 y.o. son and I got to spend a significant amount of time together in the stand.

It is a learning process for him, but we did take a nice 145# doe on the second weekend. We have a good amount of venison to share for the next months, and he loves it. Next year we will spend much more time scouting our area, and enjoy the time spent together in the woods even more!

[bikeoutback]

I saw a few deer and didn't get a single shot off and had a great year. My wife shot her first deer after 12 years of hunting and followed it up with shooting her second deer shortly after. Small does but after 12 years I'd shoot the first deer that I could cross hair too I'm sure. Had one frustrated hunting buddy as he saw no deer, it's his first year and I think he thought it would be easier. My other buddy I hunt with shot 4 including a personal best of his, a 208lb 8 pointer. 4 people 6 deer = One hell of a good year and everyone ended up with the meat. I may not have shot it but I'm still gonna enjoy eating it.

[eyeguy 54]

Could not hunt this year, back surgery and sciatica. Bummer! Sure was dissapointed but better now since I hunted probably 30 years in a row with great memories, and lots of stories to read on here and PICS. :>) So I am thankfull for the seasons I have made it to the woods and hope for more in the future. This site is really great therapy. :>)

[bigbucks]

Had a great year as well. As long as I see deer on some of my many outings throughout the fall & get some in range it's a good year as far as I'm concerned. Shot my personal best buck, with my bow, for the second year in a row. What's to complain about?

My Dad shot the first deer he's ever killed on his own property. He's killed probably 10 or so before, but never one at his place.

Spent lots of time hunting with friends & family. Shot my first antelope & although none of us shot an elk had a great WY elk hunt.

[Hoyt4]

Every season is great to me as long as I have the privilege to be able to hunt. All I ask is just the chance to and love it.

Always a plus when I can start the year off in the spring with my old man chasing turkey's. Always great to see his face after he takes a bird or even a deer.

The deer does not have to be a P/Y could be a spike and he's like a little kid. Another year I got to process his deer for him after many years of him doing that for me and me just trimming fat. I love it ,the hunt does not just end in the woods. Getting to spend the time after telling the story of the hunt or years past and what to do next year.

I do not think I will ever lose that. I had many years starting bow hunting where I did not harvest an animal and not once did I think that was a disappointment I knew that could happen and it was part of the hunt. I think it took me 3 or 4 bow season's before I even took a shot at a deer. It's all about the work you put into it.

Great thread, I like to read about people enjoying the hunt without a tag filled. So much more to the reason you go into the woods. If I do not shoot another P/y deer it will never bug me if I just end up with a spike or fork in the freezer or tag soup. I will still keep hunting putting cameras out and hunting with my dad and friends as long as the god allows it.

[Riverratpete]

Had a great fall hunting, only bummer is the winter closed in so fast and shut down the late season Pheasant and Grouse hunting that I was really hoping to get in..oh well, next year.

[Musky Buck]

Yo Bear55, the wife forced me to go Sunday morning as she said the only way to empty your muzzleloader is to shoot it, I said -8 and a -25 wind chill to boot, truck started rough as ever, hadn't seen a deer from a stand since Nov. 9th, cousin also wanted to empty his gun, got to our stands at precisely 7:20 AM. At 8:00AM exact, according to my cousin, had 7 deer come sorta by, 1 was a nice buck, pulled the hammer back, fired and quickly the worst deer season I ever had turned into the best hunt I've ever been on. 9pts. 182 dressed, and told the wife I emptied the gun alright, she said you got frozen blood on your boots, hands, etc. Told her I got 1. Cousin said bout fell out of the stand when u shot, that brutal cold had them moving after the front. 1st December buck and learned a ton, dressing a deer never felt so good.

[Gordie]

Happy days MB bout time

[Bear55]

Woo Hoo! Lets see some pics.

[fr0sty]

Yo Bear55, the wife forced me to go Sunday morning as she said the only way to empty your muzzleloader is to shoot it, I said -8 and a -25 wind chill to boot, truck started rough as ever, hadn't seen a deer from a stand since Nov. 9th, cousin also wanted to empty his gun, got to our stands at precisely 7:20 AM. At 8:00AM exact, according to my cousin, had 7 deer come sorta by, 1 was a nice buck, pulled the hammer back, fired and quickly the worst deer season I ever had turned into the best hunt I've ever been on. 9pts. 182 dressed, and told the wife I emptied the gun alright, she said you got frozen blood on your boots, hands, etc. Told her I got 1. Cousin said bout fell out of the stand when u shot, that brutal cold had them moving after the front. 1st December buck and learned a ton, dressing a deer never felt so good.

[TruthWalleyes]

I ended the season with only 1 fawn, but missed a small buck in late november and lost a doe the first week in december. I hunted more than 20 days throughout slug and muzzy season. Good company! Got the chance to see hundreds of acres of new hunting land! Saw thousands of deer...you gotta go to an area where you can't shoot does to see em ...But next year i will make sure an apply for that area.

I hunted in beautiful warm days, Freezing Rains, Sidways Rains, Blizzards, 45mph wind blizzards...and enjoyed every bit of it!

The last two years i have enjoyed looking over the photos i've taken of the landscapes from my deer stands. They're usually running on my comp's background and reminds me of the peacefull times in the woods!

I think the best and most memorable were all the times my heartbeat got a THUMP’N when deer came very close! Still can’t believe I haven’t conquered that yet! Being surrounded by Turkeys on opening morning of slug. Getting snorted at and stomped at by does and fawns. Being out in the storm on Saturday, had deer close enough to kick, a really interesting experience, but quickly became disorientated out in the snow too-a big eye opener for me!

At the end of the year I ate a bonus tag, Slug tag, and muzzy tag. But, I ate the best tasting deer of my life (Younger the better folks) with the only bonus tag that I did fill.

Everyone finished safely.

No conflicts, or confrontations with other hunters.

Didn't see too much illegal activity. (Few friends and Friends of Friends i'd like smack up the side of the head!! - I wasn't hunting with them to witness the illegal stuff, but heard about it.)

And, Hopefully with APR, i'll have my chance at a nice buck next year!

[bigbucks]

That's awesome, congrats. It was miserable this weekend. I went 3 times, didn't get anything, but saw deer all 3 times.

[Cicada]

One of the most rewarding hunts I've ever had. Saw a couple during opening weekend, but nothing near me. Got a rare mid-week day off and headed out again. Figured there would be no one around to push deer, so I grabbed a pair of rattling antlers. After the fog lifted, I picked the antlers up and began rattling with them. I don't think I went on for ten minutes, but it felt like it. Set them down and looked to the west and a deer was trotting along the slough on the neighbor's property. I watched him for a minute and he stopped like he was looking for something, so I picked the antlers back up and banged away for about twenty seconds. He looked up again and began moving my way. He got to a little hill, still on the neighbor's property and looked around again. He then headed off. If he would continue east, I should get a long crack at him. If he turned north, I would be out of luck. A couple of minutes later, he climbed back up the hill, looking around. I hit the antlers again for, maybe, 15 seconds. He looked right at me and headed down the hill and through the slough towards me. He got to the brushpile below my stand and I was expecting him to come out right below me. He turned somewhere in the brush and came out about 80 yards north of me. I had time during all this to throw out some more doe scent. He got to the top of the brush, stopped and put his nose in the air and looked right at me. I launched one from my old .243. Hit him right in the engine room. He trotted about 70 yards and dropped over. He was a big bodied fork buck (actually, larger than my brother's eight point buck). One of the neatest hunts I have ever experienced. One of those rare times you can feel like you actually outsmarted the deer rather than just getting in their way. With all that being said, I have a disappoiniting ending. Went to the basement last weekend to work on the ice fishing stuff and decided to grab some sausage while I was down there. Opened the freezer and the smell almost knocked me over. The freezer must not have been working for well over a week. The indicator lights were on and there was a humming coming from it but it was not freezing. Lost all but the few pieces I had in my upstairs freezer.

[mabr]

Congats on a couple reasons for a great season MB. No come on now proud papa post both the lil one and the buck.

WTG again and congratulations on both.

[96trigger]

Congrats MuskyBuck, get us some pics of both. Soon as possible.

[bottom-bouncer]

I had a great season Took three does with the bow. One was while hunting with my two youngest sons. That was a blast. Was hunting with my oldest son when he harvested his first with a bow remember sitting in my tree when I could feel my cell phone vibrating seen it was him and thought to myself what in the world does he want its only 8:00 in the morning he cant be bored already! I answered First words out of his mouth were I love you dad. I knew instantly just told him I would be over to him in a half hour What a great feeling! Tried muzzy hunting for the first time this year what a blast didnt see much untill the blizzard. But had agreat time hunting with my son. I also had the pleasure of hunting with my daughter. She missed a buck and a fawn but had a great time. Now with all of this snow I am more than likely done for the year but what a great year it has been. I passed on a number of inmature bucks and one not so inmature 145" drop tine that after the fact I sat there and thought to myself what the he!! are you thinking!(there is a larger one in that woods) so it looks like I will be eating my buck tag again this year but thats ok there not bad with a little salt and pepper. THe only thing that is disappointing is that its over already seems not that long ago I was making that first climb up the ladder for the season.

[Musky Buck]

Will do gang, the dr. said no to inducing, wants her to carry out to full term, unclear as to the medical reasons, lungs I think, so got a buck last Sunday and will have a doe fawn joining our family pretty soon. I'm still fairly stunned, I was so lucky they didn't hear that magnified click when I pulled the hammer back or the creak sound the stand made, they were busy browsing along and didn't care that buck was among them, I seem to forget how bad burnt black powder smells after the shot, P U. My cousin said you shot at exactly 8 o'clock, felt like noon as cold as it was, luckily that area missed that big snow event from last weekend or hunting would've been really difficult, may have changed deer movement getting that much snow.

[Bear55]

I seem to forget how bad burnt black powder smells after the shot, P U.

Really? I love that smell!

[Musky Buck]

True that Bear, just that plus the field dressing etc. Kinda got me funny, side note now I've had the chance to visit quite a few guys etc., got a lot of we did pretty good etc., but we didn't see very many like years past, so I put the ? to a good friend who has what I would consider some of the best land in the state and lots of it well over a thousand acres, hunting the same amount of rifle days, 3 years ago he saw like 119 deer, last year in the 60's, this year he said maybe 15. Pretty drastic. He said 5 tags for a long time and the T-wolf and wa la. Another interesting tid-bit is I have seen at least a 12 pack of bucks that will easily make the B & C, was a monster buck kind of year thanks to is it 2 years of standing corn and last Spring/Summer ideal antler coditions ? More go grow or what ?

[harvey lee]

I had one of the toughest season's I have had in years in regards to shooting deer.

I did end up with 3 flat tops though.

I was really happy that after 2 shoulder surgeries and a total knee replacement that I could again crawl up a tree 20' to archery hunt.

I was starting to wonder if my archery days were over so, it was a great season to be able to sit in the tree again and spend it with friends.