Well its been one of my personal best hunting seasons so far. However, I have not killed a deer that part is not what I expected when this year's season started but as I look back on the season, I feel like there were to many times where I let a doe go. I had so many opportunities to shoot a doe its ridiculous and I had planned on shooting a doe right away. However, we (Julie and I) had patterned a really nice 2 1/2 year old 8 point and watched him 3 times coming into the bean field 25 yards from my stand. So when the season rolled in that was in the back of my mind and I didn't want to ruin seeing him. Plus my father in law saw an 8 point opening morning. Anyway, I never did see him and in the process passed up 2 perfect shots on doe opening day.
Now I have made a rule for myself that I will only shoot a buck if it has 4 pts. on the one side, thus making it at least a 7 point. I really want to try and get the younger bucks bigger and I decided to start passing them up this year. Even though the neighbors are not doing the same thing. Like my friend Ross tells me if I don't pass them up then they have no chance. So wouldn't you know it but I saw more bucks this year then all my hunting seasons combined. The biggest was a 6 point, if he makes is going to be a really nice deer next year so I am keeping my fingers crossed. I am going to get my camera back out also see if any other of the bigger bucks made it this year.
My co-workers/friends have had about the same luck. Kevin shot a buck up in Reed City only to have someone claim it as theirs, and Scott who saw an amazing amount of bucks this year was playing cat and mouse with a really nice deer and finally had a shot during gun season but hit him a little high and he got away. Hopefully he makes it through the winter and he can get a shot at him next year. By the way it was over a 100 yard shot with open sights so I was impressed he even hit him at all.
So all in all, for myself, its been a blast this year I have scene over 100 deer so there wasnt to many times I was out where I didn't see deer. Julie had a good year to. She saw a couple big bucks just not close enough or to dark for a shot but its cool to see her out there with her bow and it makes me very happy that she enjoys it so much. I got my father in law out there once and my friend Ross was able to video a really nice 2 1/2 year old 8 point that I hadn't scene before and my brother in law Barry went out for his first time ever and got to see a couple of bucks.
Anyway, I will get out 1 or 2 more times this year and hopefully smack a doe to put some meat in my freezer but I can't believe its almost over again. Time to start planning for next season already.
