Season Recap: Wasn't For Lack Of Trying

Andy's Long Awaited Archery Buck Kill

   The 6 week archery season came and went in a blink of an eye. To summarize things up, the deer outsmarted us this year. Buck sightings were way down all across the board as well as our kills. We only managed to fill 3 tags with the bows, Andy got the well deserved bragging rights with the only buck kill, a beauty 7 pointer that we had on trail camera most of the summer.

   Charlie Alsheimer was dead on with his rut predictions this year. (as well as the last 6) We experienced some good activity around the Rut Moon in mid October (Andy's buck had his nose to the ground) and also some decent activity the last few days of the season. Everything we experienced was very similar to what he described as being a "Trickle Rut." Billy and I also think our buck sightings were off back home because of the lack of "scrub racks" at the property we hunt. There was also a surplus of apples in a certain area that we don't hunt and that had the does concentrated down there for part of the season. Billy and my dad were the only 2 that saw good bucks (Besides Andy's Kill), early on Billy saw a good 8 point from the crossover and my dad saw the same buck in the field stand. Billy also got a glimpse of a 8-10 pointer in the Laurel Stand but a 300 pound black bear was why he got the sighting. I only managed to come home a few times but the deer eluded me each time I went out.

Nothing Beats An Archery Buck Kill

   Back at my place  area I had a brutal start to my season. I spent more time on stand this year than I ever have. I learned that I need to put the fishing rod down a little bit more in September and do some more scouting. I found myself hunting a plethora of new spots and it didn't pay off for me. I felt like I wasted a bunch of sits trying to discover the deer patterns and it was taxing on the mind. I did find a great crossing point for deer in one location but by the time I figured out where they traveled and the wind direction it was too late to connect. I passed up on a few mature does but only 1 scrub buck came into shooting range the entire season. The wind was my enemy this year for sure scaring off 2 shooter bucks, 1 at  and 1 at the farm.

   Gun Season is still around the corner but nobody in my family gets too excited about it. Although this year I think the rut activity may be better on the first day of rifle then what we saw in archery. My time in the woods will be limited for the rest of the year so if I don't get lucky my buck tag won't get filled. Let's hope My dad, brother and I get lucky in gun season.