What would you do different?

[Kingman Cruncher]

I always reflect on my season for the next few months and start thinking about what next year will bring. It’s the excitement of hunting that carries well after the season.

For those successful or not, what would you have done different for this past season and/or what will you do different for next?

Location change? Style of hunting? Gear changes, maybe more scouting?

 

[NH Hunter]

I had a very enjoyable season even though I went a long time between deer sightings. The only thing I can say I MIGHT do different is rethink the week I took off. BUT with that being said, I had a great time with even better company at a friends "camp", so I'm not sure I'd trade that. Hell.....maybe I just need to take 2 week off next year. LOL

 

[mowbizz]

Get a heated body suit and stay in my ladder stand all day during the rut. The big boys visited the scrape when I wasn't there of course... Cant walk far anymore so that's it.

 

[groundtender]

I had a great time with friends hunting MZ week up north. Saw a bunch of deer. But next year, if possible I will make sure I don’t have any schedule conflicts that prevent taking a week or ten days off for hunting earlier, in rifle season.

 

[JDK]

Generally very happy with this past season. I guess I'm going to:

Get into far better shape. Far better.

Hunt a different state...it is going to happen in 2020.

Sadly, a new (to me) truck.

Consolidate firearms to a 308 and 35 Remington.

 

[NorthMaine]

Actually get out.

 

[Browseline]

We talked when we left camp in Maine this year about maybe hunting more the second week ( we were there the first week, 3 days of the third week and the last week.) The last 2 years during the last week we battled deep snow, high winds and temps around 0 to 15 degrees along with impassable roads and many of the deer had headed to the yards and feeding areas in town. We have most of the time done better and the hunting more enjoyable with bare ground conditions or 2 or 3 inches of snow and warmer weather.

 

[Junebugg2.0]

Try not to over think everything & also think I need to be somewhere else; other than where I am hunting at the time.Anyone else suffer from this? I really think I have hunting ADHD.
Never used to be this way; makes me lose focus & kind of takes the fun out of it all.
Also have a couple places I want to hunt from a canoe; & maybe get back into bow hunting.
I also am thinking about a canvas wall tent to hunt a fairly remote place with no distractions for a full week...

 

[Mainewoods]

I really enjoyed this season, especially since I got to hunt out west for elk. It's always fun to plan something new, learn new tactics, and then start thinking about the next "dream hunt" so to speak. Unfortunately I did not get to hunt Maine, but I'll be there next year for the 3rd week of rifle, and maybe with my 20 preference points I'll pull a moose tag soon!

 

[MGK]

Well I have 0 complaints on 2019’s hunting season. I had time, deer to hunt, and people to hunt with. With that being said I’d like to shoot a big buck on the track at some point. Might be my goal for 2020. My issue is I have some fantastic spots that I currently hunt with some great deer so it’s very hard to leave those.

 

[Gfedor]

Wish I would've hunted the next "finger" over from where I was setup. The buck came 60 yards away, couldn't get a clean shot from where I was, but only if I was on the next finger. It was a little higher in elevation , would have offered a better shot. It's a crap shoot, lol.

Other then that it's been a great hunting season for me ,

 

[Mountain Hunter]

Honestly, not a thing. I had the best season of my life, and for the first time in years, the only regret I have is that I didn't get to spend more time in the woods.

 

[sneaky_pete000]

We had an awesome season. It was the first of my life without either grandfather at camp, but there isn't much I can do about that. Next year I'd like to use my cams more. Not for intel to hunt with, but because I get the same feeling I used to get when I was trapping. Its totally separate from hunting to me, but still fun. I'd also like to force more time to hunt in October. Knowing we can hunt primetime next year during archery will be fun.

 

[sneaky_pete000]

and I've got to improve my track aging skills....

 

[longbow]

Try not to over think everything & also think I need to be somewhere else; other than where I am hunting at the time.Anyone else suffer from this? I really think I have hunting ADHD.

Grass is always greener on the other side. I stay awake at night thinking about what stand I will go to in the morning. Sometime I can't decide and when I get to the crossroads in the truck, I abruptly turn one way or the other making the last minute decision as to where to go. lol When you have two or three good spots, sometimes there is no objective criteria than you can rely on to make your decision and you just pick based on the comfort of the stand, prior hunts there, beauty of the land and give it a try.

 

[longbow]

and I've got to improve my track aging skills....

Stop following the tracks with moss growing in them, will ya!!

 

[sneaky_pete000]

Stop following the tracks with moss growing in them, will ya!!

Ok, but the pointy things show where they came from right?

 

[802-603hunter]

We started building our new home in February (and by "started" I mean fired up the chainsaw and started cutting trees, it has been a lot of work), so by default I had way less time to dedicate to hunting this year. We got the heat fired up and semi-moved in by the first part of November, which was good, or my time would have been limited even further. I used to get up to camp in late summer and hang some cameras on signposts, more for fun than anything else but it gets you out there seeing whats around for tracks in the process. This year the closest thing I did in the preseason to being hunting related was catching up with Browseline when he would come check on progress at the house.

I missed hunting NH muzzleloader and the first three days of rifle this year. I can appreciate now how much that time can set you up better for success later in the season. It's very valuable "scouting as you hunt time". It has helped put me into better places once the snow hits in years past, and helped check some others off the list. I'll look forward to that next year.

I tried striking off on some old undrivable roads on foot to get back into some more remote areas this year. I checked them out on old snow and found some good bucks had cruised through, even identifying some overlaps in their swings which would make good spots to check, but when I hit them on fresh snow I struck out. I'll probably try more of this in the future. I think this will reduce the chances of getting cut off on a track in comparison to some other areas with more tightly weaved road systems. Nothing worse than burning a morning and some mileage to put one across another road and have someone else take up the track. It's happened some, not a lot, but it could have. This past year I jumped a buck out and 45 minutes later he crossed a road and some guys had gotten out to take a look at the track. With the warming temps you could see it was clearly smoking fresh, and pretty darn respectable in size, so I guess them fellers weren't interested in tracking that much or I would have been cut off right there.

I've been busy enough still that I haven't read very many of the season reports so I'll have some great reading to fill what leisure time I have coming up, however limited that may be.

Really looking forward to next year and getting back to full swing!!

 

[SportsmanNH]

We started building our new home in February (and by "started" I mean fired up the chainsaw and started cutting trees, it has been a lot of work), so by default I had way less time to dedicate to hunting this year. We got the heat fired up and semi-moved in by the first part of November, which was good, or my time would have been limited even further. I used to get up to camp in late summer and hang some cameras on signposts, more for fun than anything else but it gets you out there seeing whats around for tracks in the process. This year the closest thing I did in the preseason to being hunting related was catching up with Browseline when he would come check on progress at the house.

I missed hunting NH muzzleloader and the first three days of rifle this year. I can appreciate now how much that time can set you up better for success later in the season. It's very valuable "scouting as you hunt time". It has helped put me into better places once the snow hits in years past, and helped check some others off the list. I'll look forward to that next year.

I tried striking off on some old undrivable roads on foot to get back into some more remote areas this year. I checked them out on old snow and found some good bucks had cruised through, even identifying some overlaps in their swings which would make good spots to check, but when I hit them on fresh snow I struck out. I'll probably try more of this in the future. I think this will reduce the chances of getting cut off on a track in comparison to some other areas with more tightly weaved road systems. Nothing worse than burning a morning and some mileage to put one across another road and have someone else take up the track. It's happened some, not a lot, but it could have. This past year I jumped a buck out and 45 minutes later he crossed a road and some guys had gotten out to take a look at the track. With the warming temps you could see it was clearly smoking fresh, and pretty darn respectable in size, so I guess them fellers weren't interested in tracking that much or I would have been cut off right there.

I've been busy enough still that I haven't read very many of the season reports so I'll have some great reading to fill what leisure time I have coming up, however limited that may be.

Really looking forward to next year and getting back to full swing!!

Nice recap 802-603 ! Hope you do a write up and building pics of your new house !

 

[silver belly62]

Had a great time this year, and the two others that were were new in camp seemed to have a great time too. I usually go up for two weeks every year but I'm seriously thinking about doing three weeks next year. Would do more scouting as I hunted, which I did this year, cause it helped out a lot and was able to get into some different areas I've never hunted before.

As for gear I picked up a pair of the lighter ounce weight big bill wool pants to try (more olive in color). Wore them most of the time I was there, except for the couple really cold mornings, and they weren't too bad. Just don't think they are going to last 7-8 yrs as some others have. Last year I picked up a Primos big game vest to try, which I cut the stupid strap buckles off the back and also cut off that fold out plastic seat, and has been great so far. Have things finally organized for what I need without having to carry a pack or other type pouch, made things a lot lighter and more mobile. Just wish it would be made out of a light wool fabric. Gave the 760 carbine a break for a couple days and took out the Browning Xbolt I picked up last year, and have to admit I liked that a lot.

Great two weeks and looking forward to next year