Jim Boyd
Senior Member
Every year, most of us assess our past season and then look forward to the next one.
We consider how our previous year went and we start (hopefully) to make plans to make the next one as good, if you judged this year a good / great year – or you start thinking about how you can make the coming year better.
Here is my question – what drives you and what changes, if any, will you make for 2018?
How far are you willing to go in your search for excellence and quality in your hunting experience?
Are you willing to potentially go a year or two without a buck, either trying to improve your herd or maybe you have not seen the one that made you let the arrow fly or pull the trigger?
We all know – many is the hunter that places buck harvest as the # 1 qualifier of a good season – and they either pout because they did not get one or they make poor choices because it is mid to late season and they have not gotten one yet.
We all know, also, that many hunters could give a rat’s butt about the antlers and taking a spike or 4 pointer is perfectly fine with them… and I hear all the debates (just noise to me) – as far as I am concerned, if you are on your land / lease and it makes you happy, I love it….
Are you willing to use does solely for meat?
Do you have food plot expansion or improvement plans?
Did you make mistakes and what steps are you gonna take to correct them?
Or… maybe the past 10 seasons have been exactly what you wanted and there is NOTHING that you would change! If so, most of us envy you! I certainly do….
I will go first – since I started this thread:
2017
Got a new crossbow – practiced a lot out to 60 yards
No bucks taken – did not even sail an arrow at one
Only harvested one doe - I misjudged and shot one smaller than I should have shot – they were all around me and I picked out what I thought was a good one and the arrow spined her and made a DRT
Saw some decent bucks in SC but no great ones and no good shots were offered within 35 yards, which is my primary comfort zone
Had a great 10 day hunt in Illinois and had plenty of 100-125” in range but no monsters got close enough (got some good I-Phone video!) and the biggest buck I saw (from the stand) was probably only 140-145
I blew the best chance I had at an estimated 140-145 – at only 25 yards… with a genuine rookie mistake (I have witnesses – the doe and fawn that were at 10 yards the other direction…. You can probably guess what the mistake was)
Saw some true monsters in the beans in Sept while scouting and saw several great ones coming and going to the farm (in darkness) during that 10 day period – 140 to estimated 170 or so
My buddy killed a Booner – at 10 yards or so!
Our SC plots came out excellent – and they should have with all of the time and money we invested
We have a zone process at our SC lease that is making us better deer managers and I am delighted with the results
My hunting buddy Keith took three great does in three days - late in the season – all with an arrow…. So, every night, it was track a deer, drag a deer etc… he was on a tear! After that, we had steaks, country music, a fire and adult beverages.
Started 2 test plots with Ladino clover
Final analysis: harvest wise, a lousy year for me.
Learning wise – I have two primary take aways: I need better stand concealment and I need better stand discipline.
2018:
Practice shooting hard – get better at yardage out to and beyond 40 yards
Many stands (SC and IL) have to be moved for better concealment
I purchased 5 new 21’ Milleniums for Illinois and I have to be much better at placing these for maximum effect
When I say I purchased them – really the group that is gonna hunt purchased them and they become fixtures at the farm…. A new concept for me. Skin in the game for everyone. Better stand availability for everyone.
Adopting VSIB (virtual sign in board) for all SC and IL farms
VSIB will start the process of data driven decisions
Adding at least 3 new acres of plot areas on the SC zone that Keith and I share
Put out 10 tons of lime
Continue testing process of the Ladino clover plots – with herbicides, fertilizer and mowing
Develop better stand discipline – time in the stand is easy for me and 12 hours goes by pretty quickly – but I got picked off way too many times in 2017 – that must come down to a much lower level and perhaps better concealment will assist with this
Have not taken a buck in two years – 2018 will make three years – I am going to stay on my disciplined plan and work to take a few more does
Continue my tradition of gifts, cards, etc for my landowners
Continue to keep my eyes open for additional Midwest farms – land there is so very hard to come by
Refine and continue to work on my device that literally makes raising a ladder stand childs play – I am dying to share this but am trying to tread lightly.
OK, so – tell all…. What would you do differently, what did you screw up, what are your plans for 2018?
My season is over – as is most of yours – so, we can’t hunt but we can talk about it!
All the best in 2018!
We consider how our previous year went and we start (hopefully) to make plans to make the next one as good, if you judged this year a good / great year – or you start thinking about how you can make the coming year better.
Here is my question – what drives you and what changes, if any, will you make for 2018?
How far are you willing to go in your search for excellence and quality in your hunting experience?
Are you willing to potentially go a year or two without a buck, either trying to improve your herd or maybe you have not seen the one that made you let the arrow fly or pull the trigger?
We all know – many is the hunter that places buck harvest as the # 1 qualifier of a good season – and they either pout because they did not get one or they make poor choices because it is mid to late season and they have not gotten one yet.
We all know, also, that many hunters could give a rat’s butt about the antlers and taking a spike or 4 pointer is perfectly fine with them… and I hear all the debates (just noise to me) – as far as I am concerned, if you are on your land / lease and it makes you happy, I love it….
Are you willing to use does solely for meat?
Do you have food plot expansion or improvement plans?
Did you make mistakes and what steps are you gonna take to correct them?
Or… maybe the past 10 seasons have been exactly what you wanted and there is NOTHING that you would change! If so, most of us envy you! I certainly do….
I will go first – since I started this thread:
2017
Got a new crossbow – practiced a lot out to 60 yards
No bucks taken – did not even sail an arrow at one
Only harvested one doe - I misjudged and shot one smaller than I should have shot – they were all around me and I picked out what I thought was a good one and the arrow spined her and made a DRT
Saw some decent bucks in SC but no great ones and no good shots were offered within 35 yards, which is my primary comfort zone
Had a great 10 day hunt in Illinois and had plenty of 100-125” in range but no monsters got close enough (got some good I-Phone video!) and the biggest buck I saw (from the stand) was probably only 140-145
I blew the best chance I had at an estimated 140-145 – at only 25 yards… with a genuine rookie mistake (I have witnesses – the doe and fawn that were at 10 yards the other direction…. You can probably guess what the mistake was)
Saw some true monsters in the beans in Sept while scouting and saw several great ones coming and going to the farm (in darkness) during that 10 day period – 140 to estimated 170 or so
My buddy killed a Booner – at 10 yards or so!
Our SC plots came out excellent – and they should have with all of the time and money we invested
We have a zone process at our SC lease that is making us better deer managers and I am delighted with the results
My hunting buddy Keith took three great does in three days - late in the season – all with an arrow…. So, every night, it was track a deer, drag a deer etc… he was on a tear! After that, we had steaks, country music, a fire and adult beverages.
Started 2 test plots with Ladino clover
Final analysis: harvest wise, a lousy year for me.
Learning wise – I have two primary take aways: I need better stand concealment and I need better stand discipline.
2018:
Practice shooting hard – get better at yardage out to and beyond 40 yards
Many stands (SC and IL) have to be moved for better concealment
I purchased 5 new 21’ Milleniums for Illinois and I have to be much better at placing these for maximum effect
When I say I purchased them – really the group that is gonna hunt purchased them and they become fixtures at the farm…. A new concept for me. Skin in the game for everyone. Better stand availability for everyone.
Adopting VSIB (virtual sign in board) for all SC and IL farms
VSIB will start the process of data driven decisions
Adding at least 3 new acres of plot areas on the SC zone that Keith and I share
Put out 10 tons of lime
Continue testing process of the Ladino clover plots – with herbicides, fertilizer and mowing
Develop better stand discipline – time in the stand is easy for me and 12 hours goes by pretty quickly – but I got picked off way too many times in 2017 – that must come down to a much lower level and perhaps better concealment will assist with this
Have not taken a buck in two years – 2018 will make three years – I am going to stay on my disciplined plan and work to take a few more does
Continue my tradition of gifts, cards, etc for my landowners
Continue to keep my eyes open for additional Midwest farms – land there is so very hard to come by
Refine and continue to work on my device that literally makes raising a ladder stand childs play – I am dying to share this but am trying to tread lightly.
OK, so – tell all…. What would you do differently, what did you screw up, what are your plans for 2018?
My season is over – as is most of yours – so, we can’t hunt but we can talk about it!
All the best in 2018!