What have you learned from this season you will apply to next year 's season ?

[ManOfTheFall]

Seeing that I messed up my one and only chance at a shooter this year, I would have to say never under estimate the size of a buck until you can clearly see him. I thought this was a 2 1/2 maybe 3 1/2 year old deer because of his spread. Guessing 14" inside spread. So I didn't even give him a second look until he got in the clear 30 yards behind me. Once I saw how big this deer was I never even had a chance to draw on him and he was 8 yards broadside and I still couldn't draw because I had given up on him too soon. I estimated this buck would have scored between 150"-160".

[Griz]

I learned not to 2nd guess your instincts. I was hunting and area (public land) that an old logging road system was the way you got back in to where I wanted to hunt. All of the other hunters were using these grown up rd/paths to do the same. On the way in the first time it was day light and I scouted to look for a location. At a cross rd/path I saw lots of tracks, a few scrapes, and a rub in the middle of the 4 way that was tore up. The area looked good but it was right on the path, thickets on both sides were to thick to get into with very few trees to choose from, the human traffic was high. So I rules it out and went on. I found a saddle and ridge that I liked about a mile in and hunted it for 5 days. I did notice on my way in an out that the scrapes were being hit on that path but couldn't make myself hang a stand. On day 6 things got slow at the saddle/ridge area and after running it threw my head a 100 times I decided to bring a stand and climbing sticks in the next morning and hang a stand in the only tree at the 4 way that would work. I would hunt it the following morning. When we were getting ready to leave that morning I told my hunting partner I was hunting the (stupid stand ) this morning. He just laughed. So now I'm in the stand thinking how many hunters are going to walk by me today. The number ended up being 7, not one of them saw me. But to my surprise I had two shooters walk by with one of them giving me a shot. If I hunt the same area next year I am going to give that location a good look. Also not one of the other hunters looked at the sign, they walk right by on a mission to get in deeper.

[hortontoter]

Griz, I have found that these logging road intersections can be great places to hunt. Especially if the area around them is thick and brushy. The deer use these as major travel corridors because the surrounding areas are thick. So IMO not a "stupid stand" at all. I think many time we over think things and over look the obvious clues as to where we should hunt.

[Whitetail Freak]

good tips guy's thank you good info keep it coming