# how was your hunting season?



## treeman82 (Jan 13, 2010)

So I spoke with my friends in Westchester who hunt, and they all had a bad season. Nobody got a thing, whether because of time limitations, or dogs, or just nothing out there. Now I spoke with some people in town who hunt, and they all had great seasons.

Just wondering how things went throughout the country.


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## yooper (Jan 14, 2010)

Bad bad bad, first time in many years I didnt get a thing, unless a squirrel from about 5 feet with the 50 cal. smoke pole counts


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## isaaccarlson (Jan 14, 2010)

*Igot three rabbits yesterday and had em for supper tonight*

good rabbits, threw em in the slow cooker. There was 5 of us eating and we still had leftovers....


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## craddock (Jan 14, 2010)

I had a pretty good year. I took one 6 point in WVa and three does. I then took two deer in Ohio, one 5 point and a doe. None of the racks were any size but the deer are good eating.


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## JPP (Jan 14, 2010)

I got three does, lots of meat in the freezer but no racks.


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## jjett84724 (Jan 14, 2010)

My wife, myself and my son all got buck deer. Nothing huge, but meat in the freezer. My wife and I also killed two cow elk. The family raised a pig and put it in the freezer too. We had a good year.


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## LipDawg (Jan 14, 2010)

Had a good year here. Got 2 good size does with shotgun, and another with the muzzleloader. My hunting partner also got 3, two does and a 6pt.


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## outdoorlivin247 (Jan 14, 2010)

Had some ups and downs...Shot a nice buck back on Nov 7th, then made a bad shot on a monster on the 8th... Pretty sure one of the neighbors shot it w/ a gun second season...Was looking for a doe the last month, but nothing offered me a shot but this guy...Wanted more meat for the freezer so I shot him...


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## ShoerFast (Jan 14, 2010)

First year in 10 that I hunted for myself, I usually guide. 

Felt like I was living a dream! 

Another Farrier put me on to an area with a good, less-pressured elk population, an area that he classified as prime huge bull terrain (aka: hard to hunt) 






Only hunted 4 days (wasted 1 day as Berthed-pass was closed from an early September snow/ice storm) , I would leave camp at about 4:45am and got back into camp after 10: pm each day, hunting on foot covering far more miles and altitude then I care to mention. 

Got into a lot elk every day, and 2 of the days worked sizable heard bulls into a frenzy, knocked an arrow for both bulls!






Was so close I could smell them, but....
Made mistakes that cost me the shots, learned form them* **, learned the area very well, I will hunt it again this year, with better plans and tactics.






No meat in the freezer, but long over measuring a hunt by that standard. 

I can still close my eyes and hear those huge bulls challenging my bugle. 

It was the hunt of my life!

*Cost a shot on one bull as I was over excited and pressed a wind shifting issue. Wind in my face - wind at my back, I pressed an issue and pursued a herd bull, when I should have got the hell out of their and figured out his herds direction for a better advantage. My excitement gave him the wind as an edge. Hindsight: never push a borderline issue, I ignored the wind, he scented me. 

** First bull, I should have moved towards him first time he answered me, I waited him out giving him an option of making a mistake. Twice he worked the wind trying to get down-wind of me, I moved sideways to him. 

I called him into about a 60' shear rock-wall/cliff, I was above him, not knowing the area. 

If I would have moved fast on him, I would have seen what i was dealing with, and got around the rock wall, it would have took over a mile of stalking to get a 1/4 mile and at his level, I did not know the area or the cliff at the time. 

He gave me some profile of his antlers! Raked trees and dug dirt while telling me he was my boss! Just before dark, I was close enough for a rifle shot, dose no good when there is a cliff between us during archery season.


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## jjett84724 (Jan 15, 2010)

Shoer,

I have enough points to draw a limited entry big bull tag this year. Any pointers on getting those suckers in close? I have killed a spike with my bow, and seen plenty of big bulls close, but never called one in. That sounds like a lot of fun.


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## isaaccarlson (Jan 15, 2010)

*sounds like shoerfast had fun!!!!*

sorry to hear about that cliff.....its hard not knowing the terrain.


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## Hansenj11 (Jan 15, 2010)

treeman82 said:


> So I spoke with my friends in Westchester who hunt, and they all had a bad season. Nobody got a thing, whether because of time limitations, or dogs, or just nothing out there. Now I spoke with some people in town who hunt, and they all had great seasons.
> 
> Just wondering how things went throughout the country.



I was wondering who your friends are i live in west Chester too and maybe i know them.


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## RCR 3 EVER (Jan 16, 2010)

Not sure if this is a success or not? Deer was "hit" during hunting season but by a dodge (not me luckily). I claimed it though, cleaned it and will eat all 125# of the meat. 
My wife and I were on the way to our property with our hunting gear for a season of hunting when we saw the buck try to cross the freeway without looking both ways first. 

So I did "GET" a deer this year and it was even tagged.

It was a 12 point and a large cornfed 235# estimated weight.

Here I am posing with my successful hunting adventure trip:


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## RacerX (Jan 16, 2010)

I hunted Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock in Vermont and had one of the best years in a decade. Chased some ducks in RI but didn't bag one and only saw a few. Ducks in NJ were flying all over the place late in the season. Over all I'd rate the hunting season as a B-. Can't wait for Turkey in the spring.


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## RCR 3 EVER (Jan 17, 2010)

As for the actual hunting season,TERRIBLE. We were in the woods for entire rifle deer season and did not see anything except 1 malnourished scrawny extremely small yearling spike. 
We have 125 acres and there were no tracks not even on roads bordering property.
On opening day we heard a few distant shots after that probably 5 at the most and that was on the next 2 weekends.
Yet the DNR insists on handing out doe tags as if they grew on trees. The 12' of snow last year did not help either but that did not stop the DNR from harvesting does galore.


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## jcappe (Jan 18, 2010)

I didn't shoot anything had one nice buck within range but when I stood up my stand made a popping noise and he spooked. I did see alot of nice 2 and 3 year old bucks that hopefully made it through gun season. They will be shooters in a year or two. All in All it was fun though, can't beat sitting in the woods that time of year!


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## Walt41 (Jan 18, 2010)

I have 12 acres of the smartest deer in the county, I swear they know when the season begins! They pose for pictures, eat my corn, eat hundreds of my baby pines but, take a walk with a gun...nothing.


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## jcappe (Jan 19, 2010)

Walt41 said:


> I have 12 acres of the smartest deer in the county, I swear they know when the season begins! They pose for pictures, eat my corn, eat hundreds of my baby pines but, take a walk with a gun...nothing.



Until I noticed you were from NY I thought we were talking about the same deer herd!


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## deer slayer (Jan 19, 2010)

I did o.k. kept my average up with fewer days in the woods (3 y/o daughter & 8 m/o son @ home) The hunting in PA stinks, I grew up in MD and still have one property to hunt safely... Ended my season with 5 total with just as many days hunted. One nice 8 pt early muzzle loader and a 4pt, spike and 2 does during gun. Havent had an opportunty to get back out yet. Archery season ends @ the end of January, trying to get one more day.....


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## JEA (Jan 19, 2010)

*Deer Hunting*

Deer kill was way down where I hunt in Wisconsin, yet the DNR continues the message to hunters to kill all the does they can. All my friends and relatives saw less deer with many not shooting anything. I personally didn't hunt this year as we were dealing with a family emergency. It was the first year I have not hunted and was very difficult to not be out on opening morning.


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## spencerhenry (Jan 19, 2010)

two elk and a deer with a bow, then an antelope buck with a rifle. as of today january 19th, i am at 13 coyotes and a fox. no cats yet but still working at it.


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## lcso10 (Jan 27, 2010)

I guess what we (my son) had a great year. He is 9 and he killed 2 does and a 4 point this season. This is his first deers. Last season he shot at a couple with misses. This season he missed a nice 7 point but did get these 3. As far as me, I guess I will not get any but don't need to as long as me and him hunt together. He can do all the shooting he wants. I will get to go today for the last time this season which ends on the 31. Maybe the big one will show up.


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## jwarren2165 (Jan 29, 2010)

Got a 120 class buck Nov 7 with bow weighed 170 lbs dressed at the butcher


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## jwarren2165 (Jan 29, 2010)

Also heard and read from other hunters in past and present years Nov 7 Always seems to be productive? How many others have killed a trophy on Nov 7?


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## Dancing Bear (Feb 5, 2010)

None of the above. Mine : Great, but I didn't get a thing.
Even though i didn't get a shot off myself, our group did well as a whole. I pushed a couple of times, helped skinning and butchering etc. Good friends, good food, and good vodka. Who wouldn't have a good time!


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## tree md (Feb 5, 2010)

Had a great season myself. Not the most deer I have ever killed or even the biggest buck but I am kind of like Shoerfast in how I measure a season.

I did get my biggest bow buck to date as well as a doe. Saw plenty of deer and could have killed more had I wanted. I held out for a mature buck and got one. Most of the bucks I saw this year were 2.5 year olds. I only saw 2 bucks that were 3.5 or better and made good on one of them. Had the other one within rifle range but I only hunt with a bow these days.

Deer harvest was down on the lease I hunt this year. Unseasonably warm during the rut. I would imagine the harvest will be down state wide. I hunted plenty and saw plenty of deer though. One of the perks of being a treeman I guess. Lots of hunting in the slow season.


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