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Old January 10, 2018, 09:17 PM   #1
jersurf101
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Join Date: January 27, 2013
Location: Eastern NC
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Reflecting on the season

Well, another deer season is in the books and we put plenty of meat in the freezer. Between me and my oldest son we killed 3 does and an 8 point. It was his first year with hunter education so he could sit on his own. His first sit solo he saw 12 does and did not fire a shot. Waiting on a buck. More patience than I had at that age. Glad he was able to connect later even if it was a doe and not a buck.

My rut hunting skills are not so hot. I had a bad November but scouted some trails that have good potential for next year. Passed on a fair amount of bucks and the cameras are showing good seed stock for next year. I am always bummed when deer season ends. We get almost 3 months of gun season and it's always a bittersweet ending.

I hope you guys had successful and rewarding hunts this year. It seems like no matter how much you think you have your prey figured out there is more to learn.
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Old January 10, 2018, 09:31 PM   #2
shootniron
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Our season ends this Sunday...hate for it to be over.
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Old January 10, 2018, 10:09 PM   #3
North East Redneck
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Had a good season. Didn't get out much but saw deer when I did get time. Took a spike in early November.
Got out 6-7 times with the shotgun saw a few but no shots. Prefer bow season anyways. 9.5 months to go till bow opens in NY..
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Old January 11, 2018, 05:24 AM   #4
NHSHOOTER
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Join Date: November 26, 2012
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I had a excellent season, took my 11 yr old granddaughter out for her first hunt on youth weekend here in NH and after only sitting for a bit over a hour in our little ground blind a nice 4 pt walked by at 65 yds and she took it with 1 shot from a 243..I was 1 proud PaPa. Headed down to SC for my annual week hunt and took a very nice 13 pt. Back to NH and sat in my stand for quite a few hours with very little results until 1 afternoon a nice 8pt showed himself and got lucky, I shot and my bullet hit a branch that I didnt see in the scope (too close to me). I was bummed to say the least but was determined to sit until he came back. 1 week later at almost the same time of day he showed again and this time I didnt miss. 1 week later I took a doe with my anterless deer tag in the coastal zone..All in All, my best deer hunting year ever!!!
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Old January 11, 2018, 06:16 AM   #5
Blindstitch
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Join Date: April 14, 2013
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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This year was good but not as good as last year but I really can't complain.

During bow season I bounced a broadhead off a bucks shoulderblade but it deflected in a way that looked like it would have been a killshot. Trailcamera footage showed days later he was perfectly fine.

On opening day of gun season I sat all morning when a nice little 6 point ran into view and the 30-06 and a heartshot made it look like a Halloween massacre.

In addition to that I do a lot of small game shooting 24 pheasants, 9 coots, 4 raccoons, 2 ducks, and a rabbit. I only wish I had more people that wanted someone to take them hunting.
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Old January 11, 2018, 08:25 AM   #6
Mobuck
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My deer season lasted approx 4 hours. On the other hand, I was able to hunt with two Grandkids-including Granddaughter's first deer. Deer harvest in the latter portions of local season(S) was abbreviated due to my successful elk hunt in New Mexico--there's only so much space in our freezers.
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Old January 11, 2018, 11:06 AM   #7
Sure Shot Mc Gee
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Join Date: January 2, 2012
Location: Minnesota
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Moderm gun 2 wks.
Muzzle loader 2 wks
Archery 4-1/2 months. (Mid september to December 31s.)

A fellow can hunt all deer seasons. But must purchase a license for each.
Allowed deer: No more than one (1) deer per year~ in possession.

Top half of the State: Federally protected {higher than anticipated numbers} of Grey Wolf eating everything that crawls walks fly's including pets and domesticated cattle.
Bottom half: farmers clear cutting & plowing up every bit of land they own or lease leaving very little foliage for free roaming game.
No pheasants~ no quail~ minimal amount of deer.

Advice to non-residence hunters: Go else where to hunt. Minnesota is no longer a State where wild game thrives uninhibited by human intervention or intentionally planted predators.
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Old January 12, 2018, 12:46 AM   #8
Jbotto
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I had a dry spell of 9 years going this year. In past years, I passed on very young dear, had patience to shoot a buck, when I was only seeing does, missed, passed on more fawns, etc. Lots of reasons why. In that time my shooting went from arrogant, to confidence dropping low, now it's back to a reality based level. I learned lots and can't wait for next season and many more seasons to come. Going into this year, I told myself I wasn't going to be so picky, with an either-sex tag and a bonus antlerless tag in my pocket. On the third day of hunting I had a young doe with two fawns walk in. I waited for the doe to present a perfect shot, that I took and am still very proud of. Her knees buckled, and she tipped over. I replayed the shot in my head a million times while a waited to get off the stand that morning and confirmed my guess when I went to dress her out. Missing half her heart and both lungs were destroyed. I have my confidence back and am still proud of the decisions that got me here.
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Old January 12, 2018, 07:34 PM   #9
Colorado Redneck
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Only had a doe tag for the late season. Spotted a few deer on the far side of a wide dry creek valley. Figured a way to get close enough, and took another big grass and wheat fed mulie to the game processor. Should get a buck tag in 2018. Takes one point in the unit I hunt.

This year it looks good to get a couple of "private land only" doe tags in the left over sales. That will add some more days to hunting for me. I turned 70 this last fall and some way or another that recalibrated my mortality scale. I want to keep hunting till the kids take my truck keys away.
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Old January 13, 2018, 09:59 PM   #10
doofus47
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Good for you all. I forgot to apply for the draw and had to do leftover tags. Didn't get any rifle and ended up chasing only with a bow.
Luckily, still have a few deer loins and roast left from last year.
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Old January 14, 2018, 12:21 PM   #11
BIGR
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Join Date: June 13, 2000
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I will summarize my 2017 whitetail deer season like this:

First of all I will tell you that I did not fire a single shot during the two week muzzleloader season or the regular rifle season. Only the second year since 1999, that I did not take a deer. It was by design I could have tagged out but I was hunting for the big buck that was roaming around, yelp horn hunting. I let a decent 6 point walk and only saw smaller bucks but nothing that got my attention. The weather was hot and the big bucks just never showed up during the daytime. Yea I hunted my butt off I spent about 34 days in the woods hunting hard. Ole big boy just never showed up.

I started deer hunting in 1985 and only took a deer now and then from 1985 to 1999. After 1999 I have had the opportunity to about tag out every year. I tell everyone that I used up my big buck luck bank in 2016. I took two real good 8 points and their on my wall right now with about 3 other pretty good bucks that I have chosen to mount. The weather in 2016 was very similar real warm then around election day it got real cold and I started seeing and taking some bucks. In 2016 I even say a lot of bucks chasing does, I never saw that in 2017. It use to really bother me when I didn't get a deer for the season, but I don't care anymore, I really enjoy being in the outdoors and the camping adventure at deer camp along with my hunting buddies. We sure do eat good so thats one perk of hunting.

You might ask why didn't you take a bunch of does for meat. Well I use to shoot a lot of does for meat but over the last 4 to 5 years the doe population has taken a nose dive due to disease and Coyotes. I have been more selective the past few years and focused more on good bucks. I generally take a real good buck about every 3 or 4 years, I hit dry spells from time to time. I use to see a doe about every time I went into the woods but there were days that I didn't see a one this past season.

I already look forward to deer season 2018 and realize it will be here before we know it. This year I have pledged to be in a little bit better physical condition and be prepared to drag out that big buck that eluded me in 2017.
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Old January 14, 2018, 02:52 PM   #12
gw44
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The 2017 deer season here in Michigan was a average one so said the DNR, we were above average three bucks two does, always a sad day when it is over, bye the way I did not firer a shot, grandpa lets a lot of deer walk but boy do I have fun !!!!!!
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Old January 14, 2018, 04:03 PM   #13
THE
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Archery season is only 8 months away.

My only complaint this year is someone broke the lock apart on my ladder stand Stole the bottom two section of the stand, the ladder brace, my rope and ratchet straps.
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