2022 reflections

[ddd-shooter]

Well, it’s that time of the year again. I got busy at work and the weather washed me out this weekend. Season’s over.
What did you learn?
What would you do differently?
What gear worked or didn’t?
Are you setting any goals?

 

[Buckman18]

Well, it’s that time of the year again. I got busy at work and the weather washed me out this weekend. Season’s over.
What did you learn?
What would you do differently?
What gear worked or didn’t?
Are you setting any goals?

This was the first year in many years I didn’t kill a bear. I was building a spec house, and needed to get it done and sold before the housing market slowed, which prevented me from scouting effectively. My historic spots didn’t produce on the few occasions I did hunt during bow season. Just reiterated the importance of scouting. I did shoot a bear on the Cooper Creek ML hunt but I couldn’t find it after blood trailing it several hundred yards. By the time I started rifle hunting the mountains in late November, bears were denned up. At that point, though, bucks were on their feet and my daughter and I each killed very nice mountain bucks.

What would do differently? Nothing. Sometimes life happens. Next season I intend to have my scouting done.

Gear: I’m not really a ‘gear’ guy. Same old stuff for me year to year.

Goals: next year I intend to return to the bear forum with a kill.

 

[splatek]

What did you learn?

Wrapped up my fourth season having one animal away from tying my best season, by the numbers. Can’t complain about that.

What did I learn? That bears are crazy. No, seriously, this season more than the past two I’ve been chasing bears really taught me to find the food, find where the bears are, not where I wanted them to be. That meant some pretty tough hikes into some new terrain. But that also yielded some pretty good Intel.

I learned to check the zero on my rifle every season. I missed a completely white 6 point buck because of this.

I learned that having a two year old on your back changes your archery shot, not for the better. Missed a doe at twenty yards. But dang if that wasn’t exciting for both of us.

I learned two new areas of National forest.

Maybe most importantly, I learned that being about to get out to hunt with a 2 year old and a 6 month old at home is a blessing. I think that’s what I’m most thankful for about this season. I think that’s how I’m defining this season’s success. I hunted less, but with more precision.

What would you do differently?

I missed two bucks with my rifle and shot a very large bear with my bow, but was unable to find it after a buddy and I tracked it for 500+/- yards, uphill. I Really learned a lot about tracking blood that night. Checking the rifle zero is a must that my newbie self overlooked. The bow shot on the bear: I’m not sure I’d change a thing. He was coming at me fast and I’ve played it over in my head a million times. Maybe could’ve waited for him to walk past me and offer a better broadside shot. But it was a good angle shot.

The main thing I would do differently and plan to do next season is hunt more of a balance between public and private land. With the little ones at home it was easier to hunt private and be in cell service; that was beneficial when the two year old caught the flu bad and I had to run out on an incoming buck.

Also, next season I gotta make sure the GPS tracker on @Buckman18 ’s truck is working so I can find those monster mountain monarchs.

What gear worked or didn’t?

Boots, didn’t work. In everything I do from flyfishing to working out to hunting, I usually get by on a budget. My mantra is you don’t “need” the most expensive whatever to get the job done. That works out well for my cheap rifle (when it’s zeroed), my cheap and homemade bows and arrows, etc. but dang if my feet aren’t still hurting from this season because of my boot selection. Off season will probably include a purchase of some higher quality boots and insoles and socks.

What worked? Base layers. I finally figured it out a budget layering system. Turns out I only needed it for about three hunts, but it’s there if I need it. Also my pack. I bought an Amazon deal special from an Aussie company called SPIKA. It hauled everything I needed in and every animal this year. The buck I killed on Chestatee I hauled off the mountain, whole, in one piece, so my two year old could be involved in the processing. The game techs thought that was “interesting”. The pack held up beautifully. I got it for about $100 but they’re up to 250 now. I’m sure there are better, lighter, quieter packs. But this one is getting the job done.

Are you setting any goals?

Near the end of this season, I was really trying to kill one more deer. That would’ve made, by the numbers, my best deer season. But after reflection, my number one goal next season is to get a deer or bear with my two year old, he’ll be three by then, but he’s obsessed with hunting.

Also to hunt more public land.
And lastly not to miss.

 

[Professor]

Got shut out for the second consecutive season, though I did pass on a nice bear. For me I am ready to have warm feet and I’m going to spend the money to get them. I’m getting Rad vapor barrier socks and Lenz heated socks. If my feet are still cold I will buy some Baffin arctic boots.

 

[jbogg]

I had a great season. Only one Bear within bow range and it was barely legal so it got a pass. I keep having to relearn hard lessons. The coldest I was all year was opening day of bow season. I know everyone remembers the rain. I thought I had packed enough dry clothing and rain gear, but I got absolutely soaked hiking up to my spot at 3600 feet that morning. I sat in the drizzle and fog all afternoon until dark with a good stiff breeze blowing straight up the mountain. I think I shivered nonstop for five hours.

Father time is creeping up on me, so in order to take some strain off the knees and back I am going to leave the tree stand behind and descend to the ground for next bear season. I started shooting a recurve recently, and my goal is to try to get a bear with it from the ground next fall. The next few months is my favorite time for off-season scouting. Will try and lace up the boots every weekend to stay in shape, and learn some new areas.

 

[chrislibby88]

Well I did very well on the early season bear rifle hunt. Struggled for first few days finding white oaks but once I found them it was on. Got a good sow the morning I found white oaks, hunted with my wife for several days after that and we saw a smaller one and heard a few more, had a momentary shot opportunity on a very large bear but wasn’t quick enough to capitalize on it.

My luck turned sour on the December hunt. Decided to start from scratch on a new property and rode the struggle bus hard. Areas that I would have almost bet money on map scouting yielded very little buck sign. It was mostly a scouting trip. I finally hit the motherload of buck sign on the last day but just ran out of time and couldn’t go back and hunt it. Kinda checked my ego honestly, in a good way though. I came into it a bit over confident with the past 4 years of success. Got a bit humbled on my middle GA properties too. My schedule got hectic, and I ran into some unexpected heavy hunting pressure.

Can’t wait until next season.

 

[Swampdogg]

This past season was pretty good to me. I was fortunate to have plenty of time to hunt and scout throughout the year because of some work and schedule changes. I was successful and also had some failures.

I was focused on filling both of my bear tags and was able to do so , but that was not without pounding miles on the mountain and having to reset myself , listen to my guts on what to do. I try to have patience in areas I’ve been to that could definitely produce but when something on the map looks really good sometimes you have to go explore. I feel like I hunt deep enough that it doesn’t matter if I move around and still hunt my way to a new area.

I failed on recovery of my 1st mountain hog . I got busted by a bunch of them on 2 stalks then on the 3rd I’m not sure exactly what happened , the shot hit where I wanted but again they were everywhere and it was like a tornado of dust and pigs sounding of running in every direction vanished into the laurels.. my buddy says watch out for the shield on them because it can deflect when you think you have a good shot.

Later in the season I shifted to getting on deer, after the bears and hog fiasco, I was able to get a nice doe and a buck in lower country as well as getting my youngster on her own deer which was the highlight of my season.

One more mountain hunt after a good one turned into a fog fest and coming out with my 1st coyote right after I was about to start heading out. I waited a while to see if anything else would show but that’s pretty much how season ends for me unless I can get back out for small game/scouting.

Throughout season those little things taught me lessons.

Careful with packing out super heavy , I’ve done a little damage to one foot because it’s more stable coming down.
might split up the packouts trips .

Goals for this year are to
Scout new areas within new and previous spots
1 bear with the lever action
Learn more about late season bear
Find a big ole tank where I can call in someone to help .
Focus on learning more about mountain bucks
Target 1 specific mountain buck if he is still alive .
Get better at hunting hogs .