When to quit?

[Jpsmith1]

So, for all of my whining, tonight was a good night.

I saw 5 deer during my morning sit. The 3 doe I mentioned in the OP and 2 more that cruised by about 10AM but didn't bring their boyfriend along.

I moved to a place I hadn't scouted intensely, just a pin on OnX of a crossing I'd found a few years prior.

Did a quick post-lunch scout and hung my stand.

A bit before sunset, I caught a deer moving through the brush. Too far out to shoot.

Brought the binos up and saw a very nice 8-10 point. Because my brain is broken around antlers, I stop counting as soon as I see 3 on a side making it legal so I didn't take a full count.

I gave a couple light grunts but he didn't seem to care. He wandered off.

 

[Jpsmith1]

I have years less experience than my dad hunting but he still gets the nervous shakes and is all around not calm when a shot presents itself. The cold fact is that my dad shoots his rifle once or twice a year before season. I was this exact thing when I was younger.

These days I spend a ton of time behind rifles I own. I practice basically like a competitive shooter. I am confident in building a solid position and my ability to stay calm under pressure or time. These past four or so year I have never been so calm when it’s go time.

Know we’re talking about archery but same premise…. Practice how you hunt to where things are just second nature.

If I missed the vitals on a 30 or even a 40 yard shot on the 3D range or in any kind of practice scenario, even running with a pack on, I'd probably drop my bow from the shock.

Last season, I had an 8 point at 27 yards. Gave it a little trim on the brisket. Cut hair, no meat.

I KNOW it's in my head. I KNOW that i need to kill more deer to get over it. Then I get in the woods and I see the does and thing "what if there's a buck following here" I hold off and here I am.

 

[Jpsmith1]

You are in one of the best, if not the best states for deer in the country. Do two things, start looking into moving location and put in more time target practicing. Maybe do a lot of varmint hunting. You said you wounded and missed more than you care to mention. Unless you are set on trophy deer, I would bag some does. that will give you experience along with putting meat on the table.

The hunting shows on tv make it look easy..it isn't. Keep on hunting. What else would you do with your time anyways.....whitetails in Pa are one of the toughest animals to hunt since most of the time it's in close quarters.....not like shooting a muley or elk at 500 yards across a canyon or grain field.

One of ya says it's the best state and one of ya says it's one of the toughest.

It can't be both

 

[Jpsmith1]

Many have offered "move" or "try a new spot" as advice.

First, thank you. I wish someone gave me that kind of advice 30 years ago rather than "keep at it" and "it's all luck, it'll be your turn someday" maybe, just maybe I'd be in a different place today.

I'm planning it. I have dozens of spots at my sportsman's club pinned. I've been eScouting spots up in the ANF in preparation for something of a 'backcountry' PA hunt. I'm also TRYING to get a couple guys to go west and hunt but have run into a number of roadblocks with that and now, with CO removing OTC tags, I see that dream evaporating because I probably won't be able to put the money together for a guided hunt before I'm too damned old to do it the right way.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

One of ya says it's the best state and one of ya says it's one of the toughest.

It can't be both

Pennsylvania is #3 whitetail state in the USA behind Indiana and Tennessee. I have shot deer and Elk in close quarters and out to 500 yards. Give me the close quarters anytime.

 

[Jpsmith1]

Pennsylvania is #3 whitetail state in the USA behind Indiana and Tennessee. I have shot deer and Elk in close quarters and out to 500 yards. Give me the close quarters anytime.

Genuine curiosity.

Based on what Metric?

 

[Yoder]

I'll be 51 in a few days. I've hunted in PA on public land most of my life and I'm in NE PA. We consistently kill deer. Since the antler restrictions and the increase in doe tags, we have been seeing much bigger bucks. I try to kill big bucks but usually end up with a something around 3 yrs old that's decent. I'm far from an expert.

One guy to check out on YouTube is Dan Infalt. His channel is the Hunting Beast. He has some great advice. He also has a hunting forum. He hunts Wisconsin, a lot of swamps but he spent a lot of time hunting hills. His advice made me a better hunter.

Some things to try:

Drive around any road that goes through land you can hunt and look for deer. Especially at first light and right before dark. When spotting is legal, do that too. Anytime you see a deer crossing or standing by the road, mark it on whatever hunting app you use. Get a hunting app if you don't have one. I've been using Onx for about 6 years and the historical data I have saves me so much time. Go back later and scout the areas you saw the deer. I killed the biggest buck of my life doing this. He died within sight of the road.

If you find awesome deer sign right next to the road, hunt there. Don't walk in a mile when you have rubs and scrapes next to the road. Put up some cameras, cell cams if you can afford them. Deer like areas people avoid. If you see a spot and think who in their right mind would hunt there, check that spot. Most of my best spots are within 100 yards of a major road.

Look for public land that buts up against private. Especially communities, stores, schools. Anything that would make people think it's a waste of time to hunt there. It also gives the deer a place where they are safe. They usually still wander onto public. They only care about people in the woods.

You have to go where the people are not going. Whether it's three miles deep or 40 yards off the freeway. You also have to hunt fresh sign. Find where they are digging up acorns right now. Fresh scrapes, tracks. Look for heavy trails. Put cameras up to verify. Don't hunt it until the wind is right. Sometimes you don't know which way the deer will come in, just do your best.

Always look for transitions. Swamp to woods, thick brush to open woods, walk that transition looking for sign. My buck this year walked a transition line where it went from oaks to mountain laurel. I was blind calling with a grunt call, and he came running in.

Be mobile. If you aren't seeing anything, move. Hunt during the week if possible. There's a lot less pressure, especially during archery.

I hope this helps. I really want you to kill more deer. Check out Dan's channel. He actually teaches you how to find deer and kill them. Good luck.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Genuine curiosity.

Based on what Metric?

Just do a little online search. I always heard Pa was good, I just did not know how good until I did search.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

Can you get Doe Tags there?

Whenever i felt like i was in a slump, burned out, or just generally felt like i needed to have some success i put a green light on does. I’d kill 2, maybe 3 and feel good about just being a hunter doing what i am programmed to do.

Killing does seems to work wonders getting your head right. Dont even bother thinking “there could be a buck with them” because 9.8 out of 10 times there won’t be. And you need to set your goal to “killing does” then be successful doing that. But outside the narrow rut you’ll never see a buck with does. And if it’s a group of does you can be near 100% positive you won’t see a buck tailing them. He’s interested in estrus does and he will get her singled out and separated from her family group.

 

[Jpsmith1]

I'll be 51 in a few days. I've hunted in PA on public land most of my life and I'm in NE PA. We consistently kill deer. Since the antler restrictions and the increase in doe tags, we have been seeing much bigger bucks. I try to kill big bucks but usually end up with a something around 3 yrs old that's decent. I'm far from an expert.

One guy to check out on YouTube is Dan Infalt. His channel is the Hunting Beast. He has some great advice. He also has a hunting forum. He hunts Wisconsin, a lot of swamps but he spent a lot of time hunting hills. His advice made me a better hunter.

Some things to try:

Drive around any road that goes through land you can hunt and look for deer. Especially at first light and right before dark. When spotting is legal, do that too. Anytime you see a deer crossing or standing by the road, mark it on whatever hunting app you use. Get a hunting app if you don't have one. I've been using Onx for about 6 years and the historical data I have saves me so much time. Go back later and scout the areas you saw the deer. I killed the biggest buck of my life doing this. He died within sight of the road.

If you find awesome deer sign right next to the road, hunt there. Don't walk in a mile when you have rubs and scrapes next to the road. Put up some cameras, cell cams if you can afford them. Deer like areas people avoid. If you see a spot and think who in their right mind would hunt there, check that spot. Most of my best spots are within 100 yards of a major road.

Look for public land that buts up against private. Especially communities, stores, schools. Anything that would make people think it's a waste of time to hunt there. It also gives the deer a place where they are safe. They usually still wander onto public. They only care about people in the woods.

You have to go where the people are not going. Whether it's three miles deep or 40 yards off the freeway. You also have to hunt fresh sign. Find where they are digging up acorns right now. Fresh scrapes, tracks. Look for heavy trails. Put cameras up to verify. Don't hunt it until the wind is right. Sometimes you don't know which way the deer will come in, just do your best.

Always look for transitions. Swamp to woods, thick brush to open woods, walk that transition looking for sign. My buck this year walked a transition line where it went from oaks to mountain laurel. I was blind calling with a grunt call, and he came running in.

Be mobile. If you aren't seeing anything, move. Hunt during the week if possible. There's a lot less pressure, especially during archery.

I hope this helps. I really want you to kill more deer. Check out Dan's channel. He actually teaches you how to find deer and kill them. Good luck.

This is largely what I've been trying to do, minus the YouTube.

I am pretty mobile and I've been working on getting more mobile. I have a Summit viper and picked up a Millennium stand this summer planning to use it with sticks but it's ENORMOUS and even more difficult to move than my Summit is.

For several years, I have been taking the last week of October into November off to hunt. During this time, I hunt as much as possible, often sitting all day. Last year was a pretty good year, possibly the best year I've ever had, where I saw more bucks than does (mostly forked horns) but I did see 2 legal bucks and got a shot opportunity on one, a miss at 27 yards. Work has been a bear this year and I plan to take the first week of gun season off.

I will look into that YouTube. Might make good treadmill watching

 

[Drenalin]

This may have been asked and answered, but you mentioned hunting a club - are you in preset stands that get a lot of sits? My hunting took off when I stopped climbing trees and started scouting and hunting simultaneously. I’d recommend you get really aggressive. No light grunting, either give it hell or be quiet. Deer out of range? Move, now. Stop playing with all the scent voodoo and focus on wind and thermals. What’s the worst that can happen? You’ll bump more animals, but you can’t possibly kill any fewer.

 

[Jpsmith1]

Can you get Doe Tags there?

Whenever i felt like i was in a slump, burned out, or just generally felt like i needed to have some success i put a green light on does. I’d kill 2, maybe 3 and feel good about just being a hunter doing what i am programmed to do.

Killing does seems to work wonders getting your head right. Dont even bother thinking “there could be a buck with them” because 9.8 out of 10 times there won’t be. And you need to set your goal to “killing does” then be successful doing that. But outside the narrow rut you’ll never see a buck with does. And if it’s a group of does you can be near 100% positive you won’t see a buck tailing them. He’s interested in estrus does and he will get her singled out and separated from her family group.

I have 2 doe tags right now.

 

[Jpsmith1]

This may have been asked and answered, but you mentioned hunting a club - are you in preset stands that get a lot of sits? My hunting took off when I stopped climbing trees and started scouting and hunting simultaneously. I’d recommend you get really aggressive. No light grunting, either give it hell or be quiet. Deer out of range? Move, now. Stop playing with all the scent voodoo and focus on wind and thermals. What’s the worst that can happen? You’ll bump more animals, but you can’t possibly kill any fewer.

It is, essentially, a large block of land that only members have access to.

No "club" stands or anything. You're on your own to figure out the animals and set up your own stand or blind. It seems like there are stands EVERYWHERE, too. This morning, I was setup near a stand that the tree had fallen and a ladder stand with a blind "skirt" this afternoon, I was set up within 100 yards of 2 other stands and someone's hanging rope scent post thing.

 

[Yoder]

This is largely what I've been trying to do, minus the YouTube.

I am pretty mobile and I've been working on getting more mobile. I have a Summit viper and picked up a Millennium stand this summer planning to use it with sticks but it's ENORMOUS and even more difficult to move than my Summit is.

For several years, I have been taking the last week of October into November off to hunt. During this time, I hunt as much as possible, often sitting all day. Last year was a pretty good year, possibly the best year I've ever had, where I saw more bucks than does (mostly forked horns) but I did see 2 legal bucks and got a shot opportunity on one, a miss at 27 yards. Work has been a bear this year and I plan to take the first week of gun season off.

I will look into that YouTube. Might make good treadmill watching

Last year I saw about 4 legal bucks and maybe 8 doe all season. This year, I only saw one legal buck and three doe so far. I haven't hunted or scouted as much as usual and it's a weird year. I've never seen it so dry. I almost never sit all day. It makes me miserable, so I stopped doing it. I'm sure I miss out on some deer. If I had a giant coming in regularly I might do it, that's about it. If you are seeing deer and getting shots, you are on the right track.

 

[Jason Snyder]

I have 2 doe tags right now.

Then fill them and stop worrying about bucks.

 

[Jpsmith1]

Then fill them and stop worrying about bucks.

Tomorrow is my last opportunity for archery. The season doesn't end tomorrow, but work and life will prevent me from getting out again with a bow until after Christmas. Everything is game.

Bucks are my "white whale" and it is a goal I've set for myself. I want to harvest a buck with a bow. Maybe more than that, I want to "earn" that buck. I don't want someone to throw me a "pity buck" and push one to me. I'm grateful for it, but in some weird mental gymnastics, it doesn't count. All I did was shoot.

I think that the decades of failure have made the goal of taking a buck so important that it has become all consuming and the continued failure to achieve it just compounds it.

Somw therapist reading this is cracking his knuckles wishing he could get me on a couch. I'd send his kids to the best college for sure. Lol

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Wisconsin where I am from and where I some times hunt, and I consider a good state for white tail had a total harvest report of 280,000. Pa had 430,000. Totals for all seasons.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Somw therapist reading this is cracking his knuckles wishing he could get me on a couch. I'd send his kids to the best college for sure. Lol

With all due respect, you sound like a head case and a cacophony of self fulfilling negative prophecy. If you aren’t having fun, quit. Don’t let a hobby make you an Eyore.

 

[Jpsmith1]

With all due respect, you sound like a head case and a cacophony of self fulfilling negative prophecy. If you aren’t having fun, quit. Don’t let a hobby make you an Eyore.

You're not entirely wrong, but the thoughts of quitting do nothing great for my mental health either.

 

[Traveler]

Maybe it’s time to quit hunting