Best Lessons You Have Ever Learned

bwfarms

Old Mossy Horns
I planned for my youngest son to be born last fall. Worked out great for me! Between wife's maternity leave and holiday pay, I did whatever I wanted from October to the end of January. I won't have that luxury this year but that's alright.

I still have the flexibility of using 'I'm not feeling well, will you take the day off/work from home' ?

The best lesson I learned was make a life that you don't have to work to get away from.
 

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
You don't have to hunt "deep". Just hunt opposite of where most go, with deer sign of course. Don't be afraid to move your sit up during a hunt, if you realize you need to move, usually from observing deer.
 
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timber

Twelve Pointer
I always liked the 3 strike rule. If i hunted a stand 3 times and didnt see a deer moved the stand. If it was a permanent stand around a big field might wait a week or so and give that another try.
 

Roanoke

Eight Pointer
Don’t waste time hunting poor quality areas. Research the counties that harvest trophy bucks.
Never underestimate how good a deer can smell. Always hunt the wind no matter how much you want to hunt that spot.
 

hitman6397

Old Mossy Horns
Had 2 target bucks on camera last year. 1 disappeared early bow season the other only showed at night. Shot the 9pt that disappeared mid November. Didn't hunt the stand the next morning figured I boogered it up with the tracking and hauling the 9pt out. Got the only day light pics of the season of the other target buck at the same spot the next morning. If you have a good spot and conditions are right don't be afraid to hunt it.
 

cloningerba

Old Mossy Horns
You can’t kill them in bed....

Never walk past hot/fresh sign to hunt an area you think may be better....

Hunt the wind as much as possible....

Try to minimize your scent.....

Enjoy the hunt and company.....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
I think the only way to stay interested in the sport is to make it a challenge. Let's face it: deer in NC is hardly a mountain sheep adventure.
From cooking them to killing them make it harder on yourself to achieve success.
Kill more or bigger ones or micro-deer, something to spike your rewards from the hunt.

Another lesson that I have really learned is to be receptive to different takes on the sport.
The biases we develop from our experiences are limits that need to be questioned.
Not followed blindly forever.
 

CutNRun

Ten Pointer
Contributor
You have the rest of your life to count the points on his antlers once he's down.

Shooter bucks don't get big by being careless.

Hunt like you're using a single shot. If you have a good shot at the buck (or doe) you're after, make it count.

Deer do move when it's 75 degrees in the middle of the day, especially in the rut.

Jim
 

Roanoke

Eight Pointer
Use fall protection! Stay in shape so you can handle the climb. Many tree stands are made in China with monkey metal and can not handle much weight.
 

Aaron H

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
A friend of mine says "Every deer is somewhere all of the time". That might seem meaningless but on those days when nothing seems to be moving and there isn't a deer to be had it comes into play. Lots of times I've heard a hunter say "he's gone nocturnal". That is rarely the case (imo). A deer is somewhere even in the daylight. The challenge is to find a place where he's willing to move in daylight. On deer that are hard to see in legal shooting times, a rainy afternoon can be deadly. Bucks like this will move as daylight fails and a cloudy rainy afternoon brings a false sunset early- that buck will walk. I've killed 2 of my biggest bucks on such an afternoon- both were bucks that seemed to be nocturnal.
 

Deerherder

Ten Pointer
Hunt when you can, there is no perfect time to see a deer.

The gun or crossbow will NOT fire regardless of how hard you squeeze the trigger if the safety is on.

The noises a fox makes will scare the mess out of you if you don’t know what it is.

Have fun, you’re in the woods to relax, it doesn’t always have to be a competition.
 

CAP305

Six Pointer
Since I hunt gamelands almost exclusively here's my top lessons:

- Scouting is your friend. Always have multiple locations scouted before you leave for the hunt.
- Good boots are a must. Your feet/knees/back will thank you.
- Try to hunt uphill of your truck unless you like a challenging drag.
- You ARE going to make mistakes. Learn from them.
- Enjoy your time in the woods.
 

Dan Apple

Old Mossy Horns
I could write a book on what all the deer have taught me..... I have said here before... Hunt the deer doing what they are doing, not what you want them to do.... Maybe that'll be my title lol..

If I had one single tip for a new hunter,,,, it would be to think about the big picture...... imagine what a "normal" day there without your presence is like... not just at your spot but on the entire area/farm/lease/neighboring land/roads/creeks... ... from that perspective I have learned when NOT to hunt is probably more important that when TO hunt.....

the chance of ruining your opportunity at a big buck comes far more frequently than your chance of killing him,,,
 
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