2014 Off Season Support Group Deer Season Thread

[bigtruuck]

Well this season was my worst season hunting. I didnt see a single deer that i could shoot. the two i did see were standing 10 yds from my neighbors house. I ordered a new rifle right after Thanksgiving and when it came in it had the wrong caliber barrel on it. so it went back. still waiting on the correct rifle to come in, on the good side my LGS that is handeling it i am compleatly satisfied with. But i did get to spend the most time i have ever spent in the woods so i count it as a season well spent, and i did get to teach one of my co-workes how to gut and skin his first deer. I have enjoyed everyones posts and look forward to next year. Good luck for the spring turkey hunts as well as those that get to take a youngster for the youth hunt.

[Luke E.]

Have fun and don't wait on me...ya'll start without me! :rofl:

 

Dave

 

 I'm sure they appreciate you not making them wait on you  :rofl:

[Fire/hunting guy]

I couldn't resist posting a picture of this bruiser I killed a couple weeks ago.  Just now figuring out how to post pics.  11 Pointer, biggest I've ever seen, especially for an East Tennessee dear.  Think I'll quit and go out on top cause I'll never top this one!

Edited January 7, 2014 by Fire/hunting guy

[vanilla gorilla]

What a season! 3 does and 2 bucks. My 7 point was my biggest yet.I take pride in my marksmanship and sportsmanship......10yards for one doe.....the rest dropped in their tracks. More importantly, my son and my cousin made memories. Edited January 7, 2014 by vanilla gorilla

[ShaunM]

Awesome season for me. My daughter got her first ever deer. Everything else after that really didn't matter. That memory will last a lifetime.

[rugerla1]

Awesome season for me. My daughter got her first ever deer. Everything else after that really didn't matter. That memory will last a lifetime.

That's about as good as you can ask for brother! I bet she'll be pumped up next year about the time you start scouting!

[Luke E.]

I couldn't resist posting a picture of this bruiser I killed a couple weeks ago.  Just now figuring out how to post pics.  11 Pointer, biggest I've ever seen, especially for an East Tennessee dear.  Think I'll quit and go out on top cause I'll never top this one!

 

 

 Nice buck man! That one is nothing to turn your nose up to anywhere I've ever hunted.

[Luke E.]

Awesome season for me. My daughter got her first ever deer. Everything else after that really didn't matter. That memory will last a lifetime.

 

 Can't beat that!

[DaveS]

I couldn't resist posting a picture of this bruiser I killed a couple weeks ago.  Just now figuring out how to post pics.  11 Pointer, biggest I've ever seen, especially for an East Tennessee dear.  Think I'll quit and go out on top cause I'll never top this one!

A fine one indeed!!!

 

Dave

[DaveS]

What a season! 3 does and 2 bucks. My 7 point was my biggest yet.I take pride in my marksmanship and sportsmanship......10yards for one doe.....the rest dropped in their tracks. More importantly, my son and my cousin made memories.

Memories is what it's all about!

 

Dave

[DaveS]

It turned out to be a good season for me as well. I really have to admit that y'all taught me a lot. This is the first year that I have NEVER taken a buck (by my choosing). First one on opening day was a young spike buck. Last year I would have shot him dead without a second thought. I let him walk to give him another year to grow. It felt pretty good. I have some wallhangers running those ridges on the property, although I don't care much to kill them, I did miss one the second day of muzzleloader season. I decided "what the heck, I'll just trophy hunt this year. So, after listening to a couple of y'all on (letting little bucks grow big) I got six Trophy Does, well, at least to me they are! Don't misunderstand me here...I'm not going soft on my stance of shooting what I want and I had several opportunity's to take a young buck and "opted out" on them. Plus, I kinda figure by letting them grow a little...well you know the rest. I have no one hunting my property with me (no one at all hunts but me), maybe, just maybe, one or two of y'all on here will be my hunting guest next year.

 

Dave

Edited January 7, 2014 by DaveS

[rugerla1]

I miss this thread already! I hope some youngsters (including my daughter) lay some brown down and we get to post some pictures up this weekend!!

[Slappy]

I miss this thread already! I hope some youngsters (including my daughter) lay some brown down and we get to post some pictures up this weekend!!

 

We are relying on you man! 

[rugerla1]

We are relying on you man! 

I'm running everything through my head over and over. I want to make sure I pick the right place for my daughter, to give her the best chance at seeing deer! I'm more excited about this than I am when I go out to hunt!!

[ShaunM]

My daughter is wanting to go again. Im ready to take her and cant wait.

[KahrMan]

Good luck to all the younguns going out this weekend.

[Slappy]

I'm running everything through my head over and over. I want to make sure I pick the right place for my daughter, to give her the best chance at seeing deer! I'm more excited about this than I am when I go out to hunt!!

 

Thats good you are giving it some thought.  You should always be intentional with how you plan and where you plan to hunt.  This will lead to seeing more deer.  Now, that being said....if things start not going according to plan, don't worry about it!  Let me tell you a story about a hunt I went on this year...

 

It was opening day of bow season this year and I am in pursuit of my first bow kill.  I meet my dad at his house and we make our way to our family property and get there super late for a morning hunt around 7:30am!  So "problem" number 1, is that was not there during their peak activity.  

 

So when we get to the property, I am still nursing a knee surgery so there is no way I can walk to my stand.  My dad has bad hips so there is no way he can walk to his stand.  So we decide we will take the 4 wheeler that was out there.  Well we tried to start it up but the battery had died.  No worries, we had another battery with us just in case.  So we swap out the battery and get it started up.  So "problem" number two is now I am even LATER than before!

 

We hop on the 4 wheeler and I get dropped off right at the base of my stand because of my knee surgery.  So "problem" number 3 is we made all that racket going to my stand scaring everything away in a 300 yard radius.  

 

"Problem" number 4 occured when I went to grab my jacket.  I had placed it in the back bucket of the 4 wheeler...right in the way of the exhaust.  My jacket reeked of gas!!!  You know with Bow Hunting you need to get them in close right?  Well thats awfully hard to do smelling like gas.

 

So we had a lot of things going wrong before we even got in the deer stand.  Once I got into the deer stand, I really did not have good expectations.  But like I said in my "So you want to hunt" thread, mental toughness will have you ready when the time comes.  Well I wasn't in my stand but 30 minutes before Mrs. Doe walks out and I send an arrow right through her.  So yes you do increase your odds of seeing deer my thinking things through, but you can also be successful even in less than idea circumstances.   

[whiskey]

  So yes you do increase your odds of seeing deer my thinking things through, but you can also be successful even in less than idea circumstances.   

 

You'll never shoot a deer sitting on the couch. Well, hopefully never. :)

 

I have buddies that would have just gone home when they missed getting in the stand before daylight, or had a dead battery, or had a stinking jacket. They miss the mental aspect of just being in the woods. 

[ShaunM]

You'll never shoot a deer sitting on the couch. Well, hopefully never. :)

I have buddies that would have just gone home when they missed getting in the stand before daylight, or had a dead battery, or had a stinking jacket. They miss the mental aspect of just being in the woods.

I killed my 9 pointer after getting into the woods late. Edited January 12, 2014 by ShaunM

[rugerla1]

So I took my daughter's friend out hunting for the first time ever today. She was so excited to go and I was glad to take her. She wanted to go with me and my daughter in the morning but had other family plans. We got to the woods about 2 pm and climbed in the stand. About an hour and a half and saw nothing but squirrels. I turned to my left and 25 yards away in some thick brush. I nudged her and got the rifle in her hands and then the w....a....i....t....began. That doe didn't move for probably 6 or 7 minutes which seemed like 45 with me helping her hold the rifle up while whispering "stay still, don't move". My heart was thumping through my coveralls, I was so excited thinking that she could be only moments away from killing her first deer on her first hunting trip! It finally moved....2 steps...lol I was about to die and my arms were starting to shake. Not counting the fact that I was dipping and needed to spit something fierce but knew that was out of the question till this deal was done  :rofl:  So we wait, it moves a few more steps, and this process is repeated for almost a half hour. The wind was swirling but we had scent reducing showered and sprayed, so she smelled something but not enough to have her really freaked out, just cautious. The doe finally walked behind me and I had her stand up and was helping stabilize the rifle above me and knowing the sound was going to be loud when she shot, but worth it! Then the doe turned around and walked right back where she came from in the same method....HOLY HECK! It ended up never giving her a shot, but lemme tell ya, she was sooooooooooooo excited and what a way to start a new hunter, with excitement like that. Later she said "I really hate that I didn't take the shot when she was behind you". But not only did my left ear thank her, but I thanked her and commended her for being patient and not taking a shot that she wasn't sure of. Pretty SMART girl! 

All in all, she said she can't wait till next year and wants to start with me during bow season. So now, I'm getting my daughter ready for the hunt in the morning, and a buddy of mine is sitting in his blind with my nephew to give him a chance to hunt for the first time! God, I love this stuff and thankful for your blessings! And I love to be able to share this with my TGO family!!!

[rugerla1]

Thats good you are giving it some thought.  You should always be intentional with how you plan and where you plan to hunt.  This will lead to seeing more deer.  Now, that being said....if things start not going according to plan, don't worry about it!  Let me tell you a story about a hunt I went on this year...

 

It was opening day of bow season this year and I am in pursuit of my first bow kill.  I meet my dad at his house and we make our way to our family property and get there super late for a morning hunt around 7:30am!  So "problem" number 1, is that was not there during their peak activity.  

 

So when we get to the property, I am still nursing a knee surgery so there is no way I can walk to my stand.  My dad has bad hips so there is no way he can walk to his stand.  So we decide we will take the 4 wheeler that was out there.  Well we tried to start it up but the battery had died.  No worries, we had another battery with us just in case.  So we swap out the battery and get it started up.  So "problem" number two is now I am even LATER than before!

 

We hop on the 4 wheeler and I get dropped off right at the base of my stand because of my knee surgery.  So "problem" number 3 is we made all that racket going to my stand scaring everything away in a 300 yard radius.  

 

"Problem" number 4 occured when I went to grab my jacket.  I had placed it in the back bucket of the 4 wheeler...right in the way of the exhaust.  My jacket reeked of gas!!!  You know with Bow Hunting you need to get them in close right?  Well thats awfully hard to do smelling like gas.

 

So we had a lot of things going wrong before we even got in the deer stand.  Once I got into the deer stand, I really did not have good expectations.  But like I said in my "So you want to hunt" thread, mental toughness will have you ready when the time comes.  Well I wasn't in my stand but 30 minutes before Mrs. Doe walks out and I send an arrow right through her.  So yes you do increase your odds of seeing deer my thinking things through, but you can also be successful even in less than idea circumstances.   

Thanks for the story and advice. If there's one thing I know for sure, Murphy is a biiiiaaatcchh and will do whatever it can to mess with you for a laugh. I know this from personal experience ha ha.

[KahrMan]

So I took my daughter's friend out hunting for the first time ever today. She was so excited to go and I was glad to take her. She wanted to go with me and my daughter in the morning but had other family plans. We got to the woods about 2 pm and climbed in the stand. About an hour and a half and saw nothing but squirrels. I turned to my left and 25 yards away in some thick brush. I nudged her and got the rifle in her hands and then the w....a....i....t....began. That doe didn't move for probably 6 or 7 minutes which seemed like 45 with me helping her hold the rifle up while whispering "stay still, don't move". My heart was thumping through my coveralls, I was so excited thinking that she could be only moments away from killing her first deer on her first hunting trip! It finally moved....2 steps...lol I was about to die and my arms were starting to shake. Not counting the fact that I was dipping and needed to spit something fierce but knew that was out of the question till this deal was done :rofl: So we wait, it moves a few more steps, and this process is repeated for almost a half hour. The wind was swirling but we had scent reducing showered and sprayed, so she smelled something but not enough to have her really freaked out, just cautious. The doe finally walked behind me and I had her stand up and was helping stabilize the rifle above me and knowing the sound was going to be loud when she shot, but worth it! Then the doe turned around and walked right back where she came from in the same method....HOLY HECK! It ended up never giving her a shot, but lemme tell ya, she was sooooooooooooo excited and what a way to start a new hunter, with excitement like that. Later she said "I really hate that I didn't take the shot when she was behind you". But not only did my left ear thank her, but I thanked her and commended her for being patient and not taking a shot that she wasn't sure of. Pretty SMART girl!
All in all, she said she can't wait till next year and wants to start with me during bow season. So now, I'm getting my daughter ready for the hunt in the morning, and a buddy of mine is sitting in his blind with my nephew to give him a chance to hunt for the first time! God, I love this stuff and thankful for your blessings! And I love to be able to share this with my TGO family!!!

What a great outing! Edited January 12, 2014 by KahrMan

[Slappy]

Thanks for the story Ruger!  That is 1,000 times better than my first hunt!! I didn't see JACK.  haha!  You are a true gentleman and a hunter.  Thanks for teaching the next generation.  I hope you get some deer down tomorrow!  Prayers sent!!

[Luke E.]

So I took my daughter's friend out hunting for the first time ever today. She was so excited to go and I was glad to take her. She wanted to go with me and my daughter in the morning but had other family plans. We got to the woods about 2 pm and climbed in the stand. About an hour and a half and saw nothing but squirrels. I turned to my left and 25 yards away in some thick brush. I nudged her and got the rifle in her hands and then the w....a....i....t....began. That doe didn't move for probably 6 or 7 minutes which seemed like 45 with me helping her hold the rifle up while whispering "stay still, don't move". My heart was thumping through my coveralls, I was so excited thinking that she could be only moments away from killing her first deer on her first hunting trip! It finally moved....2 steps...lol I was about to die and my arms were starting to shake. Not counting the fact that I was dipping and needed to spit something fierce but knew that was out of the question till this deal was done  :rofl:  So we wait, it moves a few more steps, and this process is repeated for almost a half hour. The wind was swirling but we had scent reducing showered and sprayed, so she smelled something but not enough to have her really freaked out, just cautious. The doe finally walked behind me and I had her stand up and was helping stabilize the rifle above me and knowing the sound was going to be loud when she shot, but worth it! Then the doe turned around and walked right back where she came from in the same method....HOLY HECK! It ended up never giving her a shot, but lemme tell ya, she was sooooooooooooo excited and what a way to start a new hunter, with excitement like that. Later she said "I really hate that I didn't take the shot when she was behind you". But not only did my left ear thank her, but I thanked her and commended her for being patient and not taking a shot that she wasn't sure of. Pretty SMART girl! 

All in all, she said she can't wait till next year and wants to start with me during bow season. So now, I'm getting my daughter ready for the hunt in the morning, and a buddy of mine is sitting in his blind with my nephew to give him a chance to hunt for the first time! God, I love this stuff and thankful for your blessings! And I love to be able to share this with my TGO family!!!

 

 Nothing quite like getting hung up in an awkward position and then about the time you see relief she jerked the rug out from under you and made to continue to stay in that position! I got a good chuckle out of picturing your arms void of blood shaking while trying to the rifle still. Sounds like you had a good hunt even though the trigger didn't get pulled. Good luck with your daughter this morning!

[DaveS]

So I took my daughter's friend out hunting for the first time ever today. She was so excited to go and I was glad to take her. She wanted to go with me and my daughter in the morning but had other family plans. We got to the woods about 2 pm and climbed in the stand. About an hour and a half and saw nothing but squirrels. I turned to my left and 25 yards away in some thick brush. I nudged her and got the rifle in her hands and then the w....a....i....t....began. That doe didn't move for probably 6 or 7 minutes which seemed like 45 with me helping her hold the rifle up while whispering "stay still, don't move". My heart was thumping through my coveralls, I was so excited thinking that she could be only moments away from killing her first deer on her first hunting trip! It finally moved....2 steps...lol I was about to die and my arms were starting to shake. Not counting the fact that I was dipping and needed to spit something fierce but knew that was out of the question till this deal was done  :rofl:  So we wait, it moves a few more steps, and this process is repeated for almost a half hour. The wind was swirling but we had scent reducing showered and sprayed, so she smelled something but not enough to have her really freaked out, just cautious. The doe finally walked behind me and I had her stand up and was helping stabilize the rifle above me and knowing the sound was going to be loud when she shot, but worth it! Then the doe turned around and walked right back where she came from in the same method....HOLY HECK! It ended up never giving her a shot, but lemme tell ya, she was sooooooooooooo excited and what a way to start a new hunter, with excitement like that. Later she said "I really hate that I didn't take the shot when she was behind you". But not only did my left ear thank her, but I thanked her and commended her for being patient and not taking a shot that she wasn't sure of. Pretty SMART girl! 

All in all, she said she can't wait till next year and wants to start with me during bow season. So now, I'm getting my daughter ready for the hunt in the morning, and a buddy of mine is sitting in his blind with my nephew to give him a chance to hunt for the first time! God, I love this stuff and thankful for your blessings! And I love to be able to share this with my TGO family!!!

What an awesome hunting story. That little girl will never forget that experience of her first hunt. You da' man Ruger!!

 

Dave