NullPointerException
New member
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2019
- Messages
- 29
This season is year two of me chasing muleys with stick and string here in CO and I've yet to draw blood. I wanted to share my experiences here for a number of reasons. First, I feel like I need to vent. Second, I'm hoping new hunters can get an idea of what to expect and maybe some of my experiences can help others be successful.
Things I've learned:
1. Social media is full of shit. If Facebook is to be believed, everyone is shooting 200'' deer on opening day. I kinda liken this to a young woman who is bombarded with unobtainable standards of beauty in advertisments. It messes with your head if you think that you should be shooting a giant and all you're looking at is a few does. Then again, maybe I just suck.
2. Scout, scout, scout. The first thing I learned is to ignore just about all advice about units. Pull up some satellite photos of different units and see if the unit is actually huntable. Sure there are deer in dark timber, but good luck finding them before they wind you. Here's a good video explaining types of terrain to make you successful:
Last year, I took scouting for granted and figured the one nice buck I saw in July would still be there come opening day. Boy was I wrong!
3. Ignore everyone except your gut. Both this year and last I got lots of tips from people I felt were well meaning but that put me in spots where deer weren't. Instead of relying on my own data, I took these tips as gospel since these hunters have lots more experience than I do. This led to lots of miles covered with no sign.
4. Again, trust your gut. Last year I had a really nice buck at 15 yards. The problem was I didn't know he was there until he bolted. I was following a fresh trail (and knew from previous days where he liked to bed) and should have already ditched my pack and nocked an arrow. Instead, I had my head down following the track. Suffice it to say, if I was more attentive, I would have caught him in his bed and had a really easy shot.
5. More often than not, you will not be "successful" in terms of filling the freezer or racking up a taxidermy bill. That said, I've learned to measure success against only myself. Each day I'm out there I'm a better hunter than I was the day prior. As an example, last year I could go days without seeing a deer. This year I have yet to have a day where I didn't at least spot multiple does.
6. Hunt every year if you can. In CO, there are some sought after units that take five resident points. That said, I've found nice deer in units with leftover tags. Like I said in my previous point, I improve by trying and failing, so the more I'm out there, the better.
7. Everyone told me that optics are really important, but I will say that I've found some great offerings for folks like me on a budget. Just because you don't have $3,000 worth of glass with you doesn't mean you can't spot muleys.
Hope the rant helps someone and good luck!
Things I've learned:
1. Social media is full of shit. If Facebook is to be believed, everyone is shooting 200'' deer on opening day. I kinda liken this to a young woman who is bombarded with unobtainable standards of beauty in advertisments. It messes with your head if you think that you should be shooting a giant and all you're looking at is a few does. Then again, maybe I just suck.
2. Scout, scout, scout. The first thing I learned is to ignore just about all advice about units. Pull up some satellite photos of different units and see if the unit is actually huntable. Sure there are deer in dark timber, but good luck finding them before they wind you. Here's a good video explaining types of terrain to make you successful:
3. Ignore everyone except your gut. Both this year and last I got lots of tips from people I felt were well meaning but that put me in spots where deer weren't. Instead of relying on my own data, I took these tips as gospel since these hunters have lots more experience than I do. This led to lots of miles covered with no sign.
4. Again, trust your gut. Last year I had a really nice buck at 15 yards. The problem was I didn't know he was there until he bolted. I was following a fresh trail (and knew from previous days where he liked to bed) and should have already ditched my pack and nocked an arrow. Instead, I had my head down following the track. Suffice it to say, if I was more attentive, I would have caught him in his bed and had a really easy shot.
5. More often than not, you will not be "successful" in terms of filling the freezer or racking up a taxidermy bill. That said, I've learned to measure success against only myself. Each day I'm out there I'm a better hunter than I was the day prior. As an example, last year I could go days without seeing a deer. This year I have yet to have a day where I didn't at least spot multiple does.
6. Hunt every year if you can. In CO, there are some sought after units that take five resident points. That said, I've found nice deer in units with leftover tags. Like I said in my previous point, I improve by trying and failing, so the more I'm out there, the better.
7. Everyone told me that optics are really important, but I will say that I've found some great offerings for folks like me on a budget. Just because you don't have $3,000 worth of glass with you doesn't mean you can't spot muleys.
Hope the rant helps someone and good luck!
