Hunting/overwhelmed.

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So here is what’s been bothering me. Last week there was 3 of us hunting the lease and one guy says he passed a doe cause she had triplets with her. They haven’t been seeing the amount of deer as usual so they were going to relax on 3 guys shooting 2 doe a piece and sometimes 3. Moments later I had a monster doe come out with twin buttons. I text the other guys I had twin buttons and a big doe at 40yards and was told don’t shoot the buttons. I then second guess shooting momma doe because what if she’s producing twin bucks yearly? EHD killed a lot of bucks in our area 2yrs ago so big bucks are slim. I also had a hard time with shooting the momma doe cause of the little ones hanging with her. The next day one of the guys tagged out with 3 doe for the season and the next day another guy shot a button and another guy shot a 4pt. I was then asked why am I passing all these deer? I said well I figured let them grow up a little bit so you guys have more big doe and more babies and more bucks or bigger bucks. After gun week all my spots are trash and I figured if I want venison I need to shoot something. I also felt like because everyone else had something I needed to shoot something. I’m happy with the doe I got and not really sure why I thought I should have waited for bigger. It really does bother me. Last night I was told about an 8pt who’s limping chasing a doe the last few nights. I asked how big of an 8 cause there is a 130-140” 8pt everyone has been trying to get. He said 100” max. First thought was pass that buck cause they passed it several times. Last year I would have shot that deer, shook like a leaf and been happy. I never used to be this way where I would pass deer. I’m trying to not tick off my buddies by shooting something they don’t want shot even though they say shoot what makes me happy. People always ask me if I’ve shot a big buck yet or show me their bucks. Again 2yrs ago I wouldn’t care. I guess cost of tags, etc are getting to me. I said to myself last night he wants more doe killed now it’s gotta be a 150lbs doe for me to use a $32 tag and 75 butcher fee. I never used to be this way.
 
Anyone get overwhelmed with hunting? I am 31yo and held a license since age 13yo. It wasn’t until I was 17/18yo that I really got into it and within the last 5yrs after having a very accomplished hunter take me under his wing I ended up with more guns, more stands, more gear, more time in the woods and kind of feel like I have to kill something. Usually through bow season I pass a lot of stuff cause my confidence is crap after losing a few deer or I am waiting for bigger that never shows. I also feel like because my buddies shoot 130-180” deer I can’t walk away with a 100” buck. I hate that mindset but it’s starting to grow on me. I hunt a lot with a buddy on his lease and every 2-3yrs someone kills a giant cause everyone is selective. I try to be because I have a 120” and 145” buck on the wall and try and help them manage the herd with no small bucks being shot but he tells me if I would be happy with it shoot it. I hate to say it but it’s gotta be 120”+ for me to be happy now. It’s almost like I have to compete with them and myself cause of what I’ve previously killed. I never used to be this way. I have always been a one and done guy, but my buddies will tag out (3 deer) on the lease or other properties and it makes me feel like I need to also. 5yrs ago I would have shot one and been done but now it’s keep going. It’s like all I do now is hunt.

I’ll preface this by saying I like your presence here on THR, so don’t take this post as trolling or just being a jerk please.

Sounds like you’re awfully worried about what others think of you. As with most things, nobody cares in the slightest what you shoot but you.

If you want to keep disappointing yourself then I recommend worrying over things you really can’t control like the weight of the deer that walks in front of your stand. If you want to actually enjoy yourself then you should quit obsessing over it or quit hunting.

I used to run competitively and fell into this trap. I wanted to do the most miles and the fastest paces to show everybody I was such a great runner. Quite immature of me really. Because I wasn’t really enjoying running but just the accolades that come with being perceived to be fast, and because I wasn’t actually getting quality training w/ proper recovery, I raced like trash. Had to really leave my ego at the door and say to heck with em to enjoy my sport again.

You just can’t get hung up on what other people think about you. That’s weak and for the weak minded.
 
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What's the price of satisfaction, being out in nature, and providing your own food?

You took a coyote earlier this season. I've never seen one while out hunting.

I have 2 grandchildren who want to start hurting, one is too young yet, but the older one should be able to at least hunt during junior deer season. She is 16 this month. I told her the first step is a hunters safety class, continued shooting to increase skill with the rifle, another rifle. Time out in the woods to learn hunting skills. I'm not sure how many deer I'll get in the next couple of years while I train her.

I think my time to mentor has arrived. That is the satisfaction of for me the next couple years, then I'll do it again with the younger one.
 
Sounds like you’re awfully worried about what others think of you. As with most things, nobody cares in the slightest what you shoot but you.



You just can’t get hung up on what other people think about you. That’s weak and for the weak minded.

^^^This.

What I see in the OP is what is see many times around here. Pressure folks put on themselves to prove themselves to their peers. For some, it's hard to go into work after opening weekend if they don't have tag filled. Some have to always have the biggest buck or the biggest story. If one gets away, it's because of the gun, the ammo or the neighbor. They try so hard to make something happen, that they screw things up. This is why folks get into fights over deer. This is why folks trespass and why folks break/bend the regulations.......all for a damn deer. Pressure to put something on the ground also lends itself to folks taking hasty and low percentage shots. While I still get excited for deer season, I don't get stressed anymore. Ain't worth it. I have come to realize how blessed I am, just to be able to hunt, and feel privileged to have access to great hunting areas that provide me with the opportunity to hunt. It doesn't bother me when there are others on the same patch f public land. It doesn't bother me when the neighbor shoots the big guy I was after. I feel I was successful just to have the big boy within 35 yards of me. I don't feel I have to come home with something to justify the monies I spend on hunting. 'Ell, I'll never recover what I spend on food plot seed, but instead, feel I owe it to the deer. The OP states he has a great place to hunt thanks to his buddy, with opportunities for great bucks. Not everyone has that. I suggest if the OP doesn't see and appreciate what he has in front of him, he needs to change his priorities or find another hobby.

Peer pressure can be a very positive or very negative thing. What one has to do is to not bend to it and to do what is right for them. Some folks just drip with luck when it comes to hunting. Every year I hear a story of someone sleeping in because of a rough night, walking in to stand late and stumbling upon a good buck that stands there and lets the surprised hunter shoot it. Sometimes life just ain't fair. To some figuring out what the deer are going to do just comes natural. No different than math or computers. I have had to work hard my whole life to be successful at deer hunting, mainly because for so many years I has only public land to hunt. But, come turkey season and I have a hard time doing anything wrong. Calling comes naturally without much practice and for some reason I know where they are going to be and why. It also helps have access to where the birds are at. Every time I go hunting, I find myself being thankful I'm able to get out one more time. I know that at some point this time may be my last. In the end, it ain't about how big the deer is.
 
I then second guess shooting momma doe because what if she’s producing twin bucks yearly?

Interesting theory. With that logic all it would take to produce many bucks would be to never shoot does. How has that worked out for you year after year?

Then those twin bucks are going to be in the same rat race as every other deer born that year.

Unless you know that doe is genetically gifted to produce big bucks there is no harm in taking her. Especially since you get 3 does a year. The population would seem healthy enough that taking a few does won’t impact the buck population.
 
I started hunting in 1972 and for the most of it I’ve been a solo hunter, I knew guys who hunted in groups and the purpose of the hunt was comradery

I hunt for the challenge the experience and for refuge from the daily grind of modern life.

The need for success has ebb and flowed over the years depending on the game or time to hunt but I can’t ever remember feeling overwhelmed if I did it wouldn’t be the refuge anymore it would just become part of the daily grind.
 
Coupla things here. Not everybody has the access to a parcel that will produce multiple trophy bucks every year, so waiting for a 165 incher is probably futile where most folks hunt. Comes down to knowing what your area is capable of. If one is fishing a pond where the biggest bass is 2#, thinking you are going to catch a 7 pounder is foolish. The OP states he already has two bucks on the wall that are bigger than the majority of hunters in the country will ever shoot. Again, be thankful. As for the others that claim to waiting for a big buck and then tag out on lesser animals, it happens all the time. Folks expectations wain after opening morning sometimes and again, the pressure to shoot something to impress one's peers instead of going home empty handed rears it's head. It took me a long time to give up my rifle and just use handguns for my primary weapon during gun season. It had to do with the thought of that monster of a lifetime standing broadside just out of range. I finally realized that knowing i could have had that buck with a rifle, makes the hunt a success. Maybe my peers don't see it that way, but again, who cares.
 
^^^This.

What I see in the OP is what is see many times around here. Pressure folks put on themselves to prove themselves to their peers. For some, it's hard to go into work after opening weekend if they don't have tag filled. Some have to always have the biggest buck or the biggest story. If one gets away, it's because of the gun, the ammo or the neighbor. They try so hard to make something happen, that they screw things up. This is why folks get into fights over deer. This is why folks trespass and why folks break/bend the regulations.......all for a damn deer. Pressure to put something on the ground also lends itself to folks taking hasty and low percentage shots. While I still get excited for deer season, I don't get stressed anymore. Ain't worth it. I have come to realize how blessed I am, just to be able to hunt, and feel privileged to have access to great hunting areas that provide me with the opportunity to hunt. It doesn't bother me when there are others on the same patch f public land. It doesn't bother me when the neighbor shoots the big guy I was after. I feel I was successful just to have the big boy within 35 yards of me. I don't feel I have to come home with something to justify the monies I spend on hunting. 'Ell, I'll never recover what I spend on food plot seed, but instead, feel I owe it to the deer. The OP states he has a great place to hunt thanks to his buddy, with opportunities for great bucks. Not everyone has that. I suggest if the OP doesn't see and appreciate what he has in front of him, he needs to change his priorities or find another hobby.

Peer pressure can be a very positive or very negative thing. What one has to do is to not bend to it and to do what is right for them. Some folks just drip with luck when it comes to hunting. Every year I hear a story of someone sleeping in because of a rough night, walking in to stand late and stumbling upon a good buck that stands there and lets the surprised hunter shoot it. Sometimes life just ain't fair. To some figuring out what the deer are going to do just comes natural. No different than math or computers. I have had to work hard my whole life to be successful at deer hunting, mainly because for so many years I has only public land to hunt. But, come turkey season and I have a hard time doing anything wrong. Calling comes naturally without much practice and for some reason I know where they are going to be and why. It also helps have access to where the birds are at. Every time I go hunting, I find myself being thankful I'm able to get out one more time. I know that at some point this time may be my last. In the end, it ain't about how big the deer is.

See every time someone says something it brings another issue I see with myself to light. Its starting to drive me crazy when I see a truck at one of the farms I have permission for. Mostly because those farms are affiliated with a hunt club, in which I am not part of but still have permission to hunt the farms. I would say 95% of these guys never get a slip signed or ask and I have been told by countless farmers they don't care nor have the time to enforce it. I knock on doors around May/June, dress nice, bring them an apple pie, offer to help, shoot woodchucks that are eating beans and then come rut or gun season they decide they are going to hunt there because its on the roster. I run cameras and try and pattern the deer because they are small woodlots surrounded by large fields and I don't want to waste time sitting one 10 acre woodlot when they are actually across the road in another. It actually gives me some slight anxiety when I see someone else hunting there. I used to be happy and grateful when someone bagged a deer on one of the farms I hunt and now I get irritated. Maybe its because I didn't hunt at all last year, so now I feel I have to catch up? If I see a gut pile or stand that just appears its irritating. I don't want to be this way.
 
It's not a contest.
You wont kill a big buck if you fill your tags with small ones.
You may not kill a deer at all if you're too choosey.

It Sure IS a Contest...

BUT...only with yourself.

You're really "wrapped around the axle" with these other guys' opinions as a bunch of the other folks have observed.

I've been hunting for more than 40 years. You mentioned all the gear and gadgets. A lot of hard earned ca$h has gone into that stuff, but still...you don't think you're a successful hunter, and you're sure you're not in the eyes of your compadres. That's part of the problem.

One secret of hunting is..., "The Magic is not in The Wand; the Magic is in The Wizard." (Jim Funk 1988)

I don't use store bought cover scent, nor scent block (I use plain lye soap and then expose external clothing to hickory smoke) I wear wool clothing and leather boots or in weather above 50 degrees, I wear moccasins so I can creep when I need to move. I don't hunt from a tree because as a Hunter Safety Instructor and Hunting Mentor I found that 95% of the hunting accidents in my state were from guys falling out of tree stands. :confused: So Dave don't climb no trees ;) I use a single shot rifle with open, iron sights most of the time [a flintlock], I get my deer in close like at 50 yards or less, and ALL of my deer have been taken with that rifle. IF I go out where there is a huge field, I will take a bolt action Mauser with a scope, or a single shot Handi-Rifle with a scope, but so far that's been while I was mentoring another hunter. (Never bagged a deer with either) So stop worrying about equipment, and start worrying about YOU.

Another secret is..., the KISS principle..."Keep it Simple Son".

Back waaay off the gadgets, and get into self improvement. How good are you at getting deer in close (when not in a tree), or better, how close can you get to bedded deer? HOW good are your tracking skills. I think you mentioned you lost some deer? Do you need some marksmanship work? Have you tried a range where you get up in a "stand" and shoot the arrow at a target below? Did you lose the deer, or was it that you couldn't find it. OH and don't assume that the guys with which you hunt are any better at it simply because they are older or have been doing it longer, or claim to have gotten more deer. There's another old saying around here..."Early to bed and early to rise; hunt all day and tell big lies". You can substitute "hunt" with "fish" it's the same thing. The deer or fish always get bigger with the story telling. Ignore that. So work on you being a better shot with a gun or bow, a better stalker, and a better tracker. It's a contest only with yourself, remember that.

My personal third "secret" that applies to me only,....I approach hunting with a little spirituality.
(Spoiler Alert...non-believers stop here to avoid possibly being offended...adding such a mindset is purely a personal choice and does not mean that those choosing not to adopt such thinking are in any way bad)

I want to SEE game, and other critters. To personally experience something in the woods that I've not in the past. I don't need to fill a tag, etc. IF God (or The Great Spirit, Gitche Manitou, Karma, whatever you prefer) puts a deer in front of me, then THAT is the dear I am meant to harvest, and for which I'm to be thankful. Doe..., or buck with a few points...I never "wait" to get something bigger. . If I don't get a deer, I'm still thankful..., I was out in the woods, and that is a gift. If I see an eagle, or a chipmunk runs up and sits on the toes of my boot and eats a seed, or a hen turkey wings in and scares the crap out of me (I'm not used to seeing them in flight - big wingspan)...it's all much more than I had before I went into the woods.

And the deer are NOT automatically harvested. Sometimes, I'm "tested" to see if I'm greedy. A bad or iffy shot...pass on that. The small yearling is safe. A lone doe with the small faun, likely a late birth, I don't shoot. There are plenty of fat doe without youngsters. It's unlikely that I will shoot the very large buck, since he's the patriarch and he likes to keep his large family in an area where I hunt, and does a good job making more deer. God bless him. Now his younger of his offspring with say, four points..., if God puts one of them in front of me, yes I harvest that one.

You can't eat horns, and unless you killed that huge buck with the huge rack by dropping on it from above with a stone knife..., the rack or mounted head on the wall likely doesn't prove manhood, only skill, and sometimes not even that. ;) So ignore them.

Last secret.....Try to reset what you're doing, and work on your skills and your experience...., and leave others to their own path.


LD
 
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I made mention this property is a whitetail mecca. It kind of is. A lot more doe than bucks and no one has taken a giant for 2-3yrs. Someone usually shoots a 120'' a year but nothing over 150'' in 2yrs. I am fine with shooting doe because 20 doe in one sit is a lot for one property. I really cant explain why any of this bothers me, but it does. Bow season I passed a big body 6pt and while checking an Ohio whitetail Facebook page I noticed a kill with woods in the background that I would put $100 on was the property I passed that deer on and it was the same deer. Several years ago he would have gotten it.
 
The worst thing you can do is hunt for the wrong reasons and that's exactly what you're doing. Life is short. Hunt how YOU want. Hunt when YOU want. Hunt for what YOU want. If donning a loin cloth and chasing does with a stone tipped spear is what makes you happy, that's exactly what you should do. All else is just background noise.

Every animal you take should be a trophy. Buck, doe, elk, Cape buffalo, rabbit, squirrel or skunk. A trophy for a life well lived. Piss on all the rest but especially the opinions of strangers.
 
Hunt for yourself.

This is the ticket.

You need to figure out what will make YOU happy and then do that. Hunting is an individual thing at its core so this needs to be addressed before anything. Not what your buddies think, not what this forum thinks, what YOU think. That needs to be sorted and addressed firstly.

It sounds like maybe you are putting more pressure on yourself to adhere to standards that the others aren't really putting on you. If they are sincere about saying "shoot what you want" then figure out what that is and just relax. Let it be fun.

Your goals can and probably will change from year to year, and over the years. There are times to hold out for a big buck, there are times to wax a doe and go home. There is freedom in letting deer walk, there is freedom in holding out for just the right buck and going home empty is OK, there is freedom in shooting a doe first afternoon and going home with the meat you need. As long as it's done on your terms and is congruent with the lease.

Getting hung up about what the others think is going to cause you grief. If it's you putting this on yourself, well that's an easy fix. If it really is them, that's tougher. "Find somewhere else to hunt" is fine advice for public land but with a lease that has to be tough. So you may have to find a balance. Taking a guy or two you trust aside and asking honestly about group expectations may also be worthwhile. If you are going to hunt with others, being on the same page is very important. I've hunted with guys where we couldn't get on the same page and it's just miserable. It sucks the fun right out of it. That's a reality and it's not always as simple as "screw the others." Especially when dealing with private property and leases etc. However if that is the problem, you will be happier when you find a group to be congruent with so taking steps to eventually make that happen may be the way to go as well.
 
It Sure IS a Contest...

BUT...only with yourself.

You're really "wrapped around the axle" with these other guys' opinions as a bunch of the other folks have observed.

I've been hunting for more than 40 years. You mentioned all the gear and gadgets. A lot of hard earned ca$h has gone into that stuff, but still...you don't think you're a successful hunter, and you're sure you're not in the eyes of your compadres. That's part of the problem.

One secret of hunting is..., "The Magic is not in The Wand; the Magic is in The Wizard." (Jim Funk 1988)

I don't use store bought cover scent, nor scent block (I use plain lye soap and then expose external clothing to hickory smoke) I wear wool clothing and leather boots or in weather above 50 degrees, I wear moccasins so I can creep when I need to move. I don't hunt from a tree because as a Hunter Safety Instructor and Hunting Mentor I found that 95% of the hunting accidents in my state were from guys falling out of tree stands. :confused: So Dave don't climb no trees ;) I use a single shot rifle with open, iron sights most of the time [a flintlock], I get my deer in close like at 50 yards or less, and ALL of my deer have been taken with that rifle. IF I go out where there is a huge field, I will take a bolt action Mauser with a scope, or a single shot Handi-Rifle with a scope, but so far that's been while I was mentoring another hunter. (Never bagged a deer with either) So stop worrying about equipment, and start worrying about YOU.

Another secret is..., the KISS principle..."Keep it Simple Son".

Back waaay off the gadgets, and get into self improvement. How good are you at getting deer in close (when not in a tree), or better, how close can you get to bedded deer? HOW good are your tracking skills. I think you mentioned you lost some deer? Do you need some marksmanship work? Have you tried a range where you get up in a "stand" and shoot the arrow at a target below? Did you lose the deer, or was it that you couldn't find it. OH and don't assume that the guys with which you hunt are any better at it simply because they are older or have been doing it longer, or claim to have gotten more deer. There's another old saying around here..."Early to bed and early to rise; hunt all day and tell big lies". You can substitute "hunt" with "fish" it's the same thing. The deer or fish always get bigger with the story telling. Ignore that. So work on you being a better shot with a gun or bow, a better stalker, and a better tracker. It's a contest only with yourself, remember that.

My personal third "secret" that applies to me only,....I approach hunting with a little spirituality.
(Spoiler Alert...non-believers stop here to avoid possibly being offended...adding such a mindset is purely a personal choice and does not mean that those choosing not to adopt such thinking are in any way bad)

I want to SEE game, and other critters. To personally experience something in the woods that I've not in the past. I don't need to fill a tag, etc. IF God (or The Great Spirit, Gitche Manitou, Karma, whatever you prefer) puts a deer in front of me, then THAT is the dear I am meant to harvest, and for which I'm to be thankful. Doe..., or buck with a few points...I never "wait" to get something bigger. . If I don't get a deer, I'm still thankful..., I was out in the woods, and that is a gift. If I see an eagle, or a chipmunk runs up and sits on the toes of my boot and eats a seed, or a hen turkey wings in and scares the crap out of me (I'm not used to seeing them in flight - big wingspan)...it's all much more than I had before I went into the woods.

And the deer are NOT automatically harvested. Sometimes, I'm "tested" to see if I'm greedy. A bad or iffy shot...pass on that. The small yearling is safe. A lone doe with the small faun, likely a late birth, I don't shoot. There are plenty of fat doe without youngsters. It's unlikely that I will shoot the very large buck, since he's the patriarch and he likes to keep his large family in an area where I hunt, and does a good job making more deer. God bless him. Now his younger of his offspring with say, four points..., if God puts one of them in front of me, yes I harvest that one.

You can't eat horns, and unless you killed that huge buck with the huge rack by dropping on it from above with a stone knife..., the rack or mounted head on the wall likely doesn't prove manhood, only skill, and sometimes not even that. ;) So ignore them.

Last secret.....Try to reset what you're doing, and work on your skills and your experience...., and leave others to their own path.


LD
Dave,

The first buck I ever got a shot at I must have hit low cause there was white hair and he ran onto private from public and I was told no tracking. That was around 2005/2006. The next one was 5yrs ago I shot that buck with a bow, he ran 40yards and dropped. We walked up to him and he jumped up and ran to the neighbors. I went back the next day and found blood on the beans and followed it to where he hit the woods and lost it. I had never tracked a deer alone so this was an experience. I hit a creek that was kind of deep and looked around and nothing. They found him a week later 40yards over the creek. 2016 I shot a doe at 12yards or so from a stand and when the crossbow went off she ducked. We brought in a dog and after several hundred yards we never found her. The dog tracked to a back road and we are pretty sure she made it across the road. A few weeks later I shot a doe with a rifle and she dropped. I had a family friend help me field dress it because I had never done it before. January 2017 I went out for muzzle loader and shot the 120'' buck. No blood, no hair so I called my buddy. He said start following tracks in the snow and we found him 60yards away. Fall 2017 I shot a big 150lbs doe, 12pt 140'' or so and another doe with a muzzle loader. The 150lbs doe I decided to track myself and started to early and bumped her but I tracked her 100yards and found her. The buck and other doe dropped. The doe I shot the other day didn't bleed for the first 20yards or so and when I couldn't find blood I about had a panic attack. I stopped and collected my thoughts and started at the place she was standing and started walking. I found turned over leaves and then blood with white puss. Again panic attack! I walked a little more and got on a pretty good blood trail and my confidence went up. I followed blood over the hill and found her in some thick stuff a rabbit wouldn't even go into. They often give me a hard time because I wont take anything but a broadside shot after losing the buck to a quarter away shot. I passed a 130-140'' 8pt during October because I didn't feel comfortable taking the quartering away shot. I think my shooting is pretty decent because I can hit a woodchuck at 300yards, coyote was taken almost at 100yards, big buck was taken at 100yards, and saturdays doe was 70yards.
 
This is the ticket.

You need to figure out what will make YOU happy and then do that. Hunting is an individual thing at its core so this needs to be addressed before anything. Not what your buddies think, not what this forum thinks, what YOU think. That needs to be sorted and addressed firstly.

It sounds like maybe you are putting more pressure on yourself to adhere to standards that the others aren't really putting on you. If they are sincere about saying "shoot what you want" then figure out what that is and just relax. Let it be fun.

Your goals can and probably will change from year to year, and over the years. There are times to hold out for a big buck, there are times to wax a doe and go home. There is freedom in letting deer walk, there is freedom in holding out for just the right buck and going home empty is OK, there is freedom in shooting a doe first afternoon and going home with the meat you need. As long as it's done on your terms and is congruent with the lease.

Getting hung up about what the others think is going to cause you grief. If it's you putting this on yourself, well that's an easy fix. If it really is them, that's tougher. "Find somewhere else to hunt" is fine advice for public land but with a lease that has to be tough. So you may have to find a balance. Taking a guy or two you trust aside and asking honestly about group expectations may also be worthwhile. If you are going to hunt with others, being on the same page is very important. I've hunted with guys where we couldn't get on the same page and it's just miserable. It sucks the fun right out of it. That's a reality and it's not always as simple as "screw the others." Especially when dealing with private property and leases etc. However if that is the problem, you will be happier when you find a group to be congruent with so taking steps to eventually make that happen may be the way to go as well.
I am a guest on my buddies lease (landowner approves it) and both he and his buddy say shoot what makes me happy. When i dropped that 12pt 2yrs ago I thought for sure they would be pissed. I have never seen two guys so happy in my life. They said they have big bucks and get more enjoyment from me getting one than them. I do think they are sincere in me shooting whatever I want, but when they say they passed a certain buck, or do with triplets it makes me wonder should I do the same or shoot what I would have shot if I wasn't with them?
 
Just like ask ten people a question and you get ten different answers.
Ask ten different people why they like deer hunting and you get ten different answers.

It is different for every person out there.
People have different levals of expectations and value their interest of hunting at many different levals.

For me deer hunting is very relaxing and I get to forget about the every day routine of life. I take Three & a half weeks off of work & fly across the country to visit my family, have Thanksgiving with them and spend every day in the woods. I hunt new areas as well as spots that I have sat at for close to fifty years.
It gives me many hours to reflect upon old hunts with old friends and mentors from yesteryear. If I get a deer that's great, if I don't get a deer that is great too, but I was there. Thanking I still have my health and mental facilities and income to carry out these hunting trips.
I have never been a high score antler guy, if by chance I ever get one that would be great, but the little spike that I shot gave me the same feeling of accomplishment, meat in the freezer plus a few hundred dollars towards christmas gifts because I don't have to pay a taxidermist to mount a deer head. Plus the meat in my humble oppinion will be better eating.

20191124_080735.jpg

I will take this small set of antlers and make up a little plaque with the pictures of the deer I shot this year, mount these small antlers on it with the rifle cases that I reloaded that I shot these deer with and hang it in my reloading room so I can look at it and relive every one of these hunts over & over for years to come.
This about sums up my bond with the hunting world.

If competing with the guys you hunt with is your drive, maybe it is time to sit down and rethink the main reason you started hunting in the first place.
 
learn to process yur own deer. its not very hard and the equipment is cheap.
I'll second that, and add that with proper attachments, my wife's large Kitchen Aid mixer doubles as a meat grinder and sausage stuffer. I don't know how many mule deer and antelope (pronghorns) that mixer has seen in the 30 years or so we've had it, but it's a lot.
The only thing is, large Kitchen Aid mixers aren't cheap, not even at Costco. But if you could see me, you could tell that my wife is probably a great cook, and she uses her large Kitchen Aid mixer for more than just making burger out of deer neck meat.:D
 
I'll second that, and add that with proper attachments, my wife's large Kitchen Aid mixer doubles as a meat grinder and sausage stuffer. I don't know how many mule deer and antelope (pronghorns) that mixer has seen in the 30 years or so we've had it, but it's a lot.
The only thing is, large Kitchen Aid mixers aren't cheap, not even at Costco. But if you could see me, you could tell that my wife is probably a great cook, and she uses her large Kitchen Aid mixer for more than just making burger out of deer neck meat.:D
I have been debating on it. I stay so busy with work, school, and life I don't have time. The GF just purchased the grinder for her kitchen aid mixer last week. I guess I could do as others do and quarter and cut it up a little each night, but I rent and no where to do it. I could do it at the GF house cause she has a garage, but the ceiling is dry walled so cant hang anything. I will probably get one of those tripod stands to hang it though.
 
We rent to, no where to hang a deer. I've gotten very good deboneing deer on my truck tailgate. I bebone all in can outside and put the meat in large food grade plastic bin. this only takes about 15 minutes plus time to get the hide off. Then I can just fit in the fridge then I cut up the different meat groups the next day or so.
 
I have been debating on it. I stay so busy with work, school, and life I don't have time. The GF just purchased the grinder for her kitchen aid mixer last week. I guess I could do as others do and quarter and cut it up a little each night, but I rent and no where to do it. I could do it at the GF house cause she has a garage, but the ceiling is dry walled so cant hang anything. I will probably get one of those tripod stands to hang it though.

Yeah it’s not too bad to quarter it on the ground if you have to and doesn’t take too long. I’d just lay out a clean tarp. That’s what I did this year except I had it hanging on a loader tractor. Deboning and packaging takes awhile for me. I packaged all the portions I want to grind in freezer paper and I’ll probably grind them as I go.
 
So here is what’s been bothering me. Last week there was 3 of us hunting the lease and one guy says he passed a doe cause she had triplets with her. They haven’t been seeing the amount of deer as usual so they were going to relax on 3 guys shooting 2 doe a piece and sometimes 3. Moments later I had a monster doe come out with twin buttons. I text the other guys I had twin buttons and a big doe at 40yards and was told don’t shoot the buttons. I then second guess shooting momma doe because what if she’s producing twin bucks yearly? EHD killed a lot of bucks in our area 2yrs ago so big bucks are slim. I also had a hard time with shooting the momma doe cause of the little ones hanging with her. The next day one of the guys tagged out with 3 doe for the season and the next day another guy shot a button and another guy shot a 4pt. I was then asked why am I passing all these deer? I said well I figured let them grow up a little bit so you guys have more big doe and more babies and more bucks or bigger bucks. After gun week all my spots are trash and I figured if I want venison I need to shoot something. I also felt like because everyone else had something I needed to shoot something. I’m happy with the doe I got and not really sure why I thought I should have waited for bigger. It really does bother me. Last night I was told about an 8pt who’s limping chasing a doe the last few nights. I asked how big of an 8 cause there is a 130-140” 8pt everyone has been trying to get. He said 100” max. First thought was pass that buck cause they passed it several times. Last year I would have shot that deer, shook like a leaf and been happy. I never used to be this way where I would pass deer. I’m trying to not tick off my buddies by shooting something they don’t want shot even though they say shoot what makes me happy. People always ask me if I’ve shot a big buck yet or show me their bucks. Again 2yrs ago I wouldn’t care. I guess cost of tags, etc are getting to me. I said to myself last night he wants more doe killed now it’s gotta be a 150lbs doe for me to use a $32 tag and 75 butcher fee. I never used to be this way.

It's natural to be considerate of your hunting party, especially if you're hunting on another person's land. But try not to over think things. If they tell you to shoot what makes you happy, then take them at face value. As far as you deciding what kind of deer will make you happy, that's your call. Be decisive and live with it and don't look back. Like Loonwulf said, don't dishonor the animal by having regrets.

Don't forget to have fun. Clear your mind and live in the moment. You owe it to yourself.
 
Slow down...,

If you're bumping deer then you're not waiting long enough, especially with a bow shot, after the deer is struck.

Give the deer ten minutes minimum. Before you track. Gun or Bow, 10 minutes. Don't count the time it takes to dismount from a stand either, and actually use your watch or a timer on your phone and do the full time. 20 minutes is even better. It's tough to do, but do it anyway. If you took out it's lungs, then it will be right where it lay down or piled up, if you track in after two minutes or after 20 minutes.

Sometimes when the deer lies down quickly, it's weight slows down the blood loss in the internal wounds. Especially if the arrow stayed in the animal, the arrow shaft can actually help slow the blood loss IF for some reason you didn't get quite the damage you thought you would, the time interval allows for blood loss to do the job. ;) IF after that 20 minutes if you're still encountering deer on a regular basis that can and do flee...you're not placing the shot in a good spot. In the past 20 years I've only "bumped" one deer that I shot. I'm not necessarily any better a shot than the next guy...,

I've helped track about a dozen deer over the years for other folks. Mostly those weren't bumped, they were simply good at hiding while they passed, and my friends were simply walking near to them but not seeing them.

I reload the flintlock, set it next to me, then check my watch and start the time. Then I fill my pipe, and smoke it. It takes about 20 minutes for me to finish my field pipe. Yes my heart is racing, and I'm all keyed up! I need to calm down, and reduce my heart rate if I'm to hear well when I creep up on the deer that I just shot. I check the time, and if good, I go and find the deer, and as I said, I creep when doing so.. In the meantime as I wait, I also pay attention as it's not uncommon among does for one to circle back to see what happened to the doe that is now missing. ;)

In the off season, read The Still Hunter by Van Dyke, as he gives good information on what is actually going on when you move through the woods and where and how whitetails detect humans, and how they slip away....

LD
 
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