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2nd worst season in recent memory

MUP

MUP

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2013 being the worst, with ample opportunities to take a couple of good bucks, but circumstances (me) screwed it up both times. Since then it's been good, then 2021-2022 I didn't kill a deer, but saw a good amount, and got several good bucks on camera, cell phone pics and video that is. Killed a good buck last season, saw a giant that I passed on at 15 yards or so, just bc his main beam tip was broken off, and I regretted that decision almost immediately after looking at the video I took. FF to this year. Got to go opening day of ML, then I was pretty much sick from that point on, only making it out a couple more times in rifle season, then, even tho I had to force myself to go, I went yesterday evening. In the few times I went, including yesterday afternoon, I only saw 1 little yearling doe. Count your blessings and be thankful of your time being able to get out and enjoy the woods bc it can slip away fast. Here's hoping I'll be in better shape for next season. I'm glad I got to go last evening tho just for the views. 👍🏼

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I killed one deer but this was the least amount I hunted in a very very long time. I just didn't have the drive. I had plenty of time off too. Might have been the lack of bucks on camera. In all summer I didn't get 1 shooter on camera over the mineral block I keep out. Tons of does, no mature bucks. Kept me bummed all summer. I'm going to work on property/food plot improvement this year and hope to draw more deer to my property. If I have another season or 2 like this past one I can see myself giving up altogether.
 
I didn't kill anything this year or last year. I've had the 2 worst years I can remember as far as deer sightings go. I went a decent amount. Mostly afternoons cause I just couldn't seem to make on mournings. I got sick a month ago finally this weekend I'm better. Enough to feel like hunting anyway. Went yesterday afternoon didn't see anything. Finally thought this is it and got out of bed at 4:30 am. Made it out to the woods before daylight sat till 11am my feet almost froze off and seen 1 maybe 2 squirrels. Oh well I hope I feel better and more motivated next year. When your not seeing anything no matter what you do or where you go. Takes about all the wind out of your sails.
 
Sounds about like me. Got to hunt one week of muzzleloader. Then I caught some kind of crud and missed the second week and the first weekend of rifle. Hunted the second weekend of rifle and then the landowner's friends of the farm I hunt came in to stay in their camper for a week. While they are there I don't hunt because they like to ride their sxs and let their dogs run loose. I got to hunt a few times before Christmas. The owners of the farm came in the day after Christmas to stay till today. I saw some smaller bucks and one decent buck that I didn't shoot. I had a good time and I'll be back after them next year. Here is the best buck I saw all year.
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You have a pretty place there. I have had a few seasons like that.

This season has been a weird one for us with some major ups and downs. We should have had some 4.5 and 5.5 year olds around based on what I passed up last year, but we only had one I know of that I never saw that may have been from last year, and had one passer thru last week. Wife had vacation for the first week of muzzleloader, but she had to cancel it to use that towards her time off for her surgery at the beginning of December, which kind of messed up things. Son in law was wanting to come out to hunt rifle with my 308, but he never came out for a range day to show us he was competent. I am giving the deer I killed to them.

I really had high hopes for my son and I passed on a really nice buck I am sure is only 3.5. I was able to get him on the deer and he missed him at a little under 100 yards. All three of my girls never missed on deer, so I may have taken for granted that he had enough practice. Needless to say he will be practicing a lot before next season. I saw that deer again yesterday afternoon and shot him with my phone.

I did kill the one though, a buck that wasn't much for antlers, but that I had seen a couple times and passed. He was a decent body sized deer early on and was run down pretty bad when I killed him a couple weeks ago. Had a little over 3 minutes of pretty good video of him whooping a bigger antlered buck December 1st. Thought he killed the other deer.

Always cool watching deer do their thing oblivious to my presence, big part of what I enjoy with hunting and what keeps me going back out. Saw/heard more cool vocals and learned to mimic with my grunt call. Closed out my season this morning walking out late and seeing 7 different bucks over about an hours time. Heavy rain and thunder here now, so that's it for deer for me until fall.

Juvenile hunt next weekend is supposed to be very cold, may or may not feet my son back out.
 
First season since I killed my first deer, 32 years ago, that I didn't kill a deer. Kinda hated to break that streak. Saw an old doe with two little ones yesterday morning, had the crosshairs on her…never even took the safety off. I guess I'm getting soft in my old age. I saw deer every time I went hunting…just nothing I wanted to kill; 18 month old bucks, does with little ones, button bucks.
 
Weather played a huge part I believe. All archery was warm. Even most of ML. I don't have the drive like I used to. Gonna try to explore more public in my area and see if that gets things going again. If not I will probably just ML and gun hunt whenever I feel like it.
 
Steve, you had some awesome sunrises and sunsets in God's great creation. Sorry you didn't kill your usual good buck but I trust you still had some great experiences to remember and cherish.
 
Lost Lake said:
Sorry you had a rough season. Hang in there and focus on next season.

I enjoy your pics, especially that one of what is (I believe) your dads rifle leaned up against a tree with a buck in the foreground? A Remington I believe?
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Yes. That one was back in 2010 when I took the first buck with my Dad's ol Model 742 Woodsmaster 30-06. That pic surprised me after I saw it, with the sun rays shining down love they were. Probably a top 3 pic of my lifetime of hunting. 👍🏼
 

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