Modern gun season ends, and my freezer's still empty...

[cmjust0]

...but not for lack of opportunity.

In the 7 days I spent in the woods, I saw easily upward of 100 deer and could have taken more shots than I can even recall. The more memorable opportunities were the two bucks that walked directly in front of me at about 15yds...but one was a spike, and the other was a 4pt who was coming along nicely. They were standing directly behind a medium-sized doe who ran out totally unaware of my presence and stopped directly in front of me. I passed on all three. Then last night, another medium-small doe walked out broadside at about 20yds, and I passed.. She gave me another perfect opportunity later, but I passed again. Or the doe who literally almost walked into me, then hopped a few yards and stopped broadside...too small. Or the small doe who ran past me at about 15yds, then stopped in a clearing to sniff noses with a buck through the line fence. I could have killed either of those, but the doe was small and the buck wasn't much and, more importantly, he would have been a totally illegal kill. Though the doe was perfectly legal and nobody would have been the wiser had I killed the buck, I wasn't even tempted enough to draw up on either one.

I did draw up on several, though.. It's not an "analysis-paralysis" or freak-out situation...I see so many deer that it's not really a heart-racing, adrenaline pumping experience to be able to draw up, pull the hammer back, and take aim. I did all that several times over, but always decided against the harvest of the animal.

Part of me says I'm too conscientious, but another part says there's no such thing as being too conscientious. There are too many killers and shooters in the woods, imo.. I try to be a hunter.

Am I overthinking it?

 

[bargain]

You did the honorable thing and that's always right...Sounds like you listened to what I call the wee little voice and that's always good to do....

If you are just crazy for the taste of venison, a lot of processing plants have the deers left and never picked up and just charge the processing fee that they would have charged to the hunter.

We got our deer that way this year.... Saw a smaller one by our property today and I just prayed that she wouldn't jump into our fall garden and so far so good.....

We would certainly miss our veggies!

Have a blessed day.

 

[Stumpy]

Gun season ends? It lasts for many weeks here. You were conscientious and I think you'll be rewarded for it.

 

[Bridget399]

My husband got a nice 8 point... with the truck...

... nothing in archery, nothing in rifle.

 

[Rebel Rooster]

Long season in most Counties here in SC! Season opens August 15th and runs thru to January 1st and a youth day hunt on the first Saturday following January 1st. Also... 14 or more either sex days in there too... where it is legal to take either bucks or does without tags on public or private land! I come from a family with close ties to DNR of SC, and we never take enough deer out of our herds here in SC! No limits on the number of deer taken per person in most Counties in SC!

 

[Boyd]

there's three things that you need to bag a deer... availability, Opportunity, and ability. Sometimes the moment is too perfect and I elect to shoot them with my camera instead

And I loves me some venison

 

[Tala]

Modern gun for my zone is open till the 13th for an unusually long season and I haven't had a bit of luck yet!
It's a full moon this past weekend, I can almost read out there (j/k of course) so the deer are moving at night!

My freezer is mostly full of ice (to use less energy than freezing empty space)

 

[4-H chicken mom]

If you don't let the small ones walk, they will never get bigger. I pasted on a thin, small eight point back in Oct. Since then I haven't even seen a deer. Today was our first day of gun season and nothing. We have two weeks, I sure hope my husband or myself can get some meat for our freezer.

 

[cmjust0]

So...maybe I'm doing it right then.

Ya know...lately I feel like for some reason I'm being nudged toward bow hunting. I used to sorta be a wee bit opposed to bow hunting because of the risk of wounding one and never finding it, which seems such a waste. Then again, with as many deer as we have and as close as I can get even at ground level without a stitch of camo..maybe that's what the cosmos/my conscience is telling me. That it's just ridiculously unfair for me to be out their with a 30/30.

And I definitely need a deer stand anyway, sooo...maybe a bow comes with it. I've determined that there's no really good place to set up at ground level without running the risk of being snuck up on by a deer. Which has happened, more than once, most recently Sunday evening. I guess I set up where there are no trails or rubs or frequented bedding sites around, but then there are no deer in those places either.

How do you guys feel about bow hunting? Kentucky's archery season typically runs from early September through mid January, so it's quite a long season. Plenty of time to get the right animal in front of the right shot, with no real pressure to get the freezer full quickly. If I had a bow and nothing in particular to do on a September afternoon....sounds kinda nice.

What do you guys think about bow hunting?

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

How do you guys feel about bow hunting?

Bow hunting is a LOT of fun.
It's also a LOT of frustration at times.
Practice as much as possible before you hunt the first time, and dont forget to practice EXACTLY the way you will hunt, meaning, wear your hunting clothes, and shoot from a stand like your hunting stand.

Practice drawing with as little motion as possible, and in all possible positions

You dont want a big 10 point standing at 20 yds when you discover that twisting around to your left makes your string snag on the front of your jacket​