Lessons learned this fall

[Shu]

Every fall I learn something out in the woods, here are a few things that happened in the last week. It was great hunting, saw a lot of bucks, including 7 shooters. Would love to hear any of your thoughts:

Decoys can get you deer and can cost you deer. This year it cost me a big buck when the doe he was following did not like the decoy and held up at 50 yards. Had the decoys not been there, I know that doe would have brought him within shooting range. My son also had a big buck turn away from the fork decoy. In a high traffic area I'm not sure I will put out a decoy again.

Sometimes there is more than one buck. I put a scent drag down and a basket 8 came down the drag line from behind me. I decided to fool around with him a bit after he passed me. Grunted, stood up, put the binos on him, etc. Heard a couple more steps behind me and a shooter was looking up at me from 10 yards. Busted me. There were 2 bucks following that drag line within 40 yards of each other.

Practice more - had a 10 pt at 43 yars in a good opening but didn't feel comfortable with the shot. Didn't want to wound him. More shooting next year!

[slimngrizzly]

Work gets in the way of everything I love!

[matchset]

I'm learning a lot too

[Scoot]

Great idea and thread, Shu. A few things I learned or re-learned this year:

1) Having two backup releases doesn't do you much good when you leave both of them at home. This one cost me a full day of hunting last weekend.

2) Time in the field with the kids is invaluable. Sacrificing a chance at a good buck for time with my children in the stand is an excellent trade off and very worth it.

3) Quality time with my loved ones at home is something to not miss out on too often. It's great to go hunting when I get a chance, but not too often. I got back from a funeral yesterday- my buddy's mom died far too young. With my parents' health problems, it's important for me to remember that there isn't a deer out there that can replace quality time with my loved ones. It's easy for me to lose perspective on this one and the last week has really been a reminder of how out of whack I can get with my priorities if I let myself.

4) Enjoy your successes when you get them. Enjoy your time in the field when you get it- even a day of getting skunked is a wonderful thing and something to appreciate. An eagle's call, a flock of geese, a fox running by- these are all wonderful things that really are all little successes in the field. Enjoy them.

[CrewJones]

1) I learned that the deer are not so worried about all the 4 wheeler riding that is going on, or the duck hunting thats about 1/2 mile away. it only made me mad

2) Just because your camera fills up with bucks doesn't mean you'll actually see any of them.

3) after you sit hours and hours you only need to sit 300 hours and more and you might get a chance, or it could come 5 mins after you climb up in september

4) A big deer is not a one man job, just because the handles are bigger doesn't mean you can pull it all by yourself

[Shu]

Every deer could be "The Big One". I get jacked about every one I see.