Tominator Posted February 8, 2012 Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 No deer for Tominator this year. Combination of time, access to land, and curious (to me at least) population trends. Had plenty of chances on a couple fawns and probably 20 one and two year old bucks. Hindsight being 20/20, I think I should have shot the big 8pt that walked right underneath me in late October. He was a pretty deer and I'd bet he would have tipped the scale at #200 dressed. Second year in a row of doe sightings way down, and hardly any deer around my immediate property for some reason. Next year is corn rotation so hopefully the sightings will pick up. Good news for me, though, is I finally started a financial plan to where I can buy my own land (hopefully within 4 or 5 years) so I'm not beholden to anyone for permission to hunt. A lot depends on my health and what happens with college for my kids. Believe it or not, I've also considered just giving the sport up altogether. I don't know that it's worth the frustration year in and year out. Time will tell... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted February 8, 2012 Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 Good luck with the land Chris. Met a guy who came from Ohio here this season through our preacher. The guy lives a couple miles from us and he killed a real nice for this area 130 class buck this season. He was not as pumped as most around here would be, but then he said came from Ohio, he said 20 acre tract up your way would regularly produce better than 130 class deer due to the state's management practice. Had plenty of chances on a couple fawns and probably 20 one and two year old bucks. Hindsight being 20/20, I think I should have shot the big 8pt that walked right underneath me in late October. My season was about like yours, doe sightings way down. Lot of little bucks though and looked to have promise, I shoulda shot the 8 I misjudged on the foggy muzzleloader opening morning, like you say hindsight. Second time in 4 seasons now that I have not killed a deer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted February 8, 2012 Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 Good news for me, though, is I finally started a financial plan to where I can buy my own land (hopefully within 4 or 5 years) so I'm not beholden to anyone for permission to hunt. A lot depends on my health and what happens with college for my kids. Good luck Buddy hope that works out for you!!! Believe it or not, I've also considered just giving the sport up altogether. I don't know that it's worth the frustration year in and year out. Time will tell... Just remember hunts like these and enjoy........ http://www.realtree.com/forums/bowhunting/77975-dont-come-ohio.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Posted February 8, 2012 Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 Don't get down on yourself too bad Chris, I haven't harvested a deer in the last 4 seasons on our leased property. If it wasn't for my Colorado trips the last three years I wouldn't have any meat in the freezer. Hope the land deal works out for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted February 8, 2012 Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 I think I should have shot the big 8pt that walked right underneath me in late October. He was a pretty deer and I'd bet he would have tipped the scale at #200 dressed. Sounds like that one was older than a 2 year old. Must not have been one to fire you up though. Second year in a row of doe sightings way down, and hardly any deer around my immediate property for some reason. Next year is corn rotation so hopefully the sightings will pick up. It was a strange year, especially for the rut. I heard the same thing from several different midwestern hunters I know. One day they were on, the next not. It was that way here too. I didn't see the numbers I usually see in MS either and I put in more time. That goes for skin heads too! Can't complain though...killed the biggest buck ever killed on our place and I did it with my bow. It was the 1st season since 2002 though that I didn't kill a mature buck during the MS rut period. Like you, I did pass a nice 8 point that I had 2nd thoughts about later. It was a weird year here. That would be cool if it works out that you buy your own place. Hope that works out for ya! I'll have to 2nd what toddyboman said about your thoughts on throwing the the towel. Yep...it can be frustrating from time to time. I go through that sometimes too...everyone does one time or another. The difficult part of it is what makes those emotions go through the roof when you score, or even see a real biggun. Hang in there Chris and in the mean time remember the great times you had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted February 8, 2012 Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 That's huntin' as the phrase goes. I can certainly relate to what you go through and at times it is hard to bear. I had a couple years in a row where things just didn't go for a buck I wanted to shoot. I had chances but hindsight always shows up. I had a decent year. I saw some real nice bucks, but like others the doe were not near any number as in the past. I'm thinking I made the mistake of hunting the small pieces a little too hard and the bigger spots not hard enough. I too, think of packing it up at times, but not out of frustration. For me it would be what hunting turned into and the attitudes of a lot of the participants these days. Sportsmanship has gone missing. I had to move a stand that I had for 10 years because a neighbor to the club ground decided it was too close to his house and a stand (new this year) on his land. I was 60 yards away from the stand and exactly 150 yards from the house. The project manager sided with the guy to keep the peace. To top it off a camera I had there went missing and no one knows anything about it. Yea, right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted February 8, 2012 Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 i haven't shot a buck in a handful of years. i almost feel like i should stalk any 1.5+ yr old buck to under 10 yards, and drill it with an arrow, just to break the trophy management mentality. maybe then i'll enjoy things more and be successful as i was way back in highschool. i've wanted to shoot one older than 2.5 yrs old and everything seems to get shot at that age. i think with management practices deer numbers will inevitably go down. many years ago you'd be lucky to see a track. people looked down on shooting does. deer numbers blew up. then management plans kicked in to even out the buck to doe ratio, but to do that you have to take tons of doe to catch up. not many doe are shot on my parent's farm, opposed to elsewhere. when i hunt there i'll see 30+ deer any day. i'll hunt some places like behind my house and see 1 or 2. my dad never hunted this past season. he'd shoot the same size 2.5 yr old buck year after year on opening morning with his rifle. he got into the whole crossbow thing a little. also if there's a bigger than average buck he seems to have a little fire inside light up. he's getting older and not liking cold whether. i really want to hunt with him again. it's been awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted February 8, 2012 Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 lots of good stuff on the RT home page. i came across this.... Ralph Cianciarulo Speaks His Mind During Award Ceremony | Realtree ® ...i thought about it for surprisingly longer than i thought i would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohiobucks Posted February 8, 2012 Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 Believe it or not, I've also considered just giving the sport up altogether. I don't know that it's worth the frustration year in and year out. Not sure about the frustration part, I hunt to relax. Hunting is time I spend away from all the frustrating things in life. It's not always about the kill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted February 8, 2012 Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 Not sure about the frustration part, I hunt to relax. Hunting is time I spend away from all the frustrating things in life. It's not always about the kill. I certainly agree with you Tom...same here. I will admit it's a WHOLE LOT easier for me to kick back and relax while I'm bowhunting. Nothing wrong with fireams hunting but I have issues with some of the firearms hunters I share the woods with that can sure make our firearms seasons frustrating for me. No need to go into details & hijack Chris' thread. All I'll say is during that part of our deer season I feel more like a free guide than anything else. I rarely get a thank you too! That will all change next deer season but that's another story for another thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardwood_HD Posted February 8, 2012 Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 Just wait till september Chris, you'll be more than ready to get back up in the tree stand. This was by far the most frustrating season i have ever had, i was ready to give it up at one point this year but kept on. It was a weird year for me, but as far as deer numbers.. i saw more deer this year than i ever have before, closing the deal was my problem i should have filled all 6 of my tags but blew 4 oppotunities at mature does. If land is the issue i have a couple awesome properties i could get you in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted February 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2012 Not sure about the frustration part, I hunt to relax. Hunting is time I spend away from all the frustrating things in life. It's not always about the kill. I certainly agree with you Tom...same here. I will admit it's a WHOLE LOT easier for me to kick back and relax while I'm bowhunting. I do too Tom and Al, the problem is, seems I can't relax when I always have the threat of having someone walk in on me while I'm hunting, and worse case scenario, like this past year, I get some guy striking up an argument with me as he's standing at the base of the tree I'm hunting. That got my blood going so bad, I got disgusted and didn't hunt for a few weeks after that. The only solution I see to that is getting my own land. That's always been a dream of mine anyway. I'd LOVE to be able to host the people who have allowed me to hunt over the years and leave something for my kids when I depart this earth. I want to open the ground up to some sort of foundation to let folks hunt who are battling a terminal illness too. I've been lucky to dodge that bullet so many times in my life, I want to give back. As far as "it's not about the kill..." I'm hoping you said that tongue in cheek because it's honestly not for me anymore. It's about sharing the stories around the tailgate for me, it really is, and sadly, that didn't happen too much for me this year either. Sometimes I don't even want to go out if I can't go with someone. Anyway, just blowing steam, lamenting I guess, but I'm starting to sound like a girl, so I'll stop, If land is the issue i have a couple awesome properties i could get you in Thanks Dev. Looks like maybe some snow for Saturday, you and Kyle should come out. We need to set up on some yotes too. I see their tracks, and now crap, in my field all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted February 9, 2012 Report Share Posted February 9, 2012 In the mean time there's the option of leasing some hunting land with some buddies. Everybody splits the cost or they don't play. When everyone splits the expense, they all have a vested interest in it. Then post the heck out of it. Agree on rules, expecially for limitations on guest. Organize it where anyone hunting, signs out at an agreed to place on the land where they are hunting when they arrive so you don't walk in on each other. If you get the rules straight, there's no more chance of a treestand argument than there would be if you owned it. Then you can share stories with those buddies around the tailgate after the hunt too. It doesn't bother me at all to hunt by myself but at times I do enjoy it more when I'm hunting with good friends and/or my son...telling stories...messing with each other in fun...you get the picture. Some of my close hunting buddies don't like me hitting the woods by myself. It's only because they worry about me having an accident when nobody's around. When I do, I call them after my feet are on the ground. If I don't...they're calling me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardwood_HD Posted February 10, 2012 Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 Looks like maybe some snow for Saturday, you and Kyle should come out. We need to set up on some yotes too. I see their tracks, and now crap, in my field all the time. That figures lol, i wasnt planning on coming home this weekend i was going to wait till the last weekend of bunny. thought more deer would have shed by then, figures you guys would have snow this weekend tho lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted February 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2012 That figures lol, i wasnt planning on coming home this weekend i was going to wait till the last weekend of bunny. thought more deer would have shed by then, figures you guys would have snow this weekend tho lol I might take Matt out, but I'd rather wait to take a walk with a pal or two. My college buddy can't make it this weekend, he's working. Randy, if you're out there, you're welcome to come down, lol. I heard the yotes tonight, btw Dev. Snow or no snow, next time you're in town, call or text me and we'll go out. I can even swing an evening hunt during the weekend. Sunset is pretty late these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly Posted February 11, 2012 Report Share Posted February 11, 2012 I've been there Chris. I enjoy being in the outdoors, and it is relaxing. However, I can hike in the woods a lot cheaper than I can hunt. Not having a chance (or many chances) at game sucks plain and simple and gaining access is worse every year. Purchasing your own land is a great idea, but expensive and figuring out where it sits on the priority table is tough. Leasing is ok, but i'd want to have multiple years in the contract and really don't like the idea of managing an area that can be taken away. I feel your frustration - Good luck Chris, I hope something works out for ya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardwood_HD Posted February 11, 2012 Report Share Posted February 11, 2012 I will be home either this weekend or next to do my taxes, i'll be sure to bring my shotgun and rifle when i leave here. Would love to get a few more bunnys to bring out here, they dont cost much to eat lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted February 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2012 I will be home either this weekend or next to do my taxes, i'll be sure to bring my shotgun and rifle when i leave here. Would love to get a few more bunnys to bring out here, they dont cost much to eat lol I've got a window tomorrow after church around 11 then I'm heading to Polaris to meet a few guys from work for dinner around 5. If you want to head out then I can. Next week, I don't know if I have anything going. I know my son has a scholarship competition at Wittenberg soon, but that might be in 2 weeks. Either way, hit me up with a text and we'll head out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardwood_HD Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Sorry got my days mixed up, i meant i'll be home next weekend or the weekend after that. planning on next weekend tho, we'll see what the weather does but it doesnt look like snow. so as of now lets plan on next weekend unless something comes up, i'll be in town late thursday night thru sunday afternoon. I will get a hold of you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheProvider Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 Everyone has bad season, all part of hunting and the way I see it when you pass up deer then you can't complain. Last year I didn't shoot a deer but I did pass some small bucks up. This year I filled one of two buck tags and was plenty happy with my mature blacktail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted February 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 Sorry got my days mixed up, i meant i'll be home next weekend or the weekend after that. planning on next weekend tho, we'll see what the weather does but it doesnt look like snow. so as of now lets plan on next weekend unless something comes up, i'll be in town late thursday night thru sunday afternoon. I will get a hold of you It would have been a cold hunt yesterday, lol. I'm taking Matt out again tonight. I think I might carry the Benelli as backup. I need to shoot something, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardwood_HD Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 See any Chris? Is your cell still 5525? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted February 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 See any Chris? Is your cell still 5525? Snow was all but gone when I got home, and Matt had a lot of homework, so we're going out tonight instead. We're getting a decent coating right now. Yep, same cell #. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardwood_HD Posted February 15, 2012 Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 good deal, save a couple for this weekend! lol what day looks good for you? I'm heading back to PA sunday around noonish but I can push it back a few hours if need be, i'll be in town thursday night. Let me know, i'll make sure Kyle isn't working. I seem to be hijacking your thread lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted February 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 good deal, save a couple for this weekend! lol what day looks good for you? I'm heading back to PA sunday around noonish but I can push it back a few hours if need be, i'll be in town thursday night. Let me know, i'll make sure Kyle isn't working. I seem to be hijacking your thread lol I don't think you can hijack this forum anymore, lol. We went out last night and jumped one, but Matt lost interest after 1 field. I think he just wanted to take a walk with dad. We almost caught a mouse though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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