2015 Deer Season Expectations And Change

As I sit here thinking about my 2015 archery season. I cant help but think about what I can do to make myself a better hunter. I have reached a point in my hunting where I have set myself to higher standard. What can I do to reach my goals?? Also what have I done to get where I am at? Some say it’s luck, but is it? I know deep inside luck plays a major roll , but so dose self discipline and motivation. I myself 90% of the time hunt public land while bow hunting here in Iowa. What helps myself the most is topo maps. It helps me learn the terrain . Also I do a lot of my scouting in the end of February and March. I will throw a back pack on with a change of clothes matches and water . For myself I prefer to hunt an scout the big river bluffs of north east Iowa. Its truly where im at piece and it is part of me. You can say its who I am its in my blood. You may ask why would he scout this time of year. Its simple those hidden trail are more noticeable , the rubs are there an maybe a shed or two. Another major reason is im not disrupting the woods for the up coming fall nor am I disrupting someone else’s hunt. As a public land hunter I personally like to hunt those hard to get to places. Im looking for those old logging roads, major pinch points such as 2 ridges coming together. or that secluded small patch of open field that’s 3 ridges away from the nearest parking lot. I get asked a lot “Tony who’s land are you hunting” when there looking at my walls in my house. I just smile and say “yours and mine”. Yes its nice to get on a piece of private land here. But to be where no one else goes and harvest animal is truly the most gratifying in the world to me. So now it comes to this, which no doubt is every hunters dream. I have taken numerous Pope and young deer with my bow on state land, I want to take a Boone and Crockett on state land. So my work starts now, I truly think to be mentally prepared is the most important thing. I have scheduled my time off for 2015 which will be the 18th of October until the 24th of November . I joined a health club which I started last week to start getting in physical shape. My scouting will start soon. I cant be more excited for this upcoming year. I know this may sound ridiculous and or ignorant to some. But its something I truly want to do. So as my journey starts now for the next archery season. What are your goals and expectations for 2015?

A few of my bucks.

Good post Tony. I live in Northeast Iowa and have deer hunted for a long time but I am going to start bowhunting this year. I don’t have any private land lined up but I am working on it. Problem is that it seems like accessible private land is hunted just as hard as public land. So I’ll probably be hunting public land as well. My goal for my first bow season is to shoot a mature buck. I’ll probably try and harvest a doe or two for meat but my goal is a mature buck… doesn’t have to be a booner. Hopefully I can work up to that level someday

I observed hunting pressure this year around the area and it was interesting how intense it was for awhile during the rut. Bowhunting has really exploded. I guess I’m jumping on the bandwagon so to speak but I’ve wanted to start for years but didn’t have the right opportunity. I think this year its finally going to happen.

Tony, no doubt you have a great system and I think your goals are very reasonable. The vast majority of my deer hunting has evolved into private land, of which some parcels are busier than most public. I really think the biggest challenge to hunting public land is expecting the unexpected. 80 acres that I had previously owned bordered to 60 acres of public land. After I got over all my frustrations of people trespassing, walking around during peak times, small game hunters stalking squirrels…..I finally opened my eyes (more like my ears) and learned how to use these situations to my advantage.

Between trapping, maintenance on my farm, and other projects I tend to spend more time in the woods than most people. The trails that you describe as being more visible is a huge network to understand. For those that can “see” the network, will gain a huge advantage on harvesting targeted bucks. Those boys don’t get old by accident and they have that sense to be able to elude most hunters. I truly believe that once a hunter can visualize the escape routes and secondary trails, he/she can more accurately pinpoint where the mature deer will travel.

Another observation that I made with my farm is the change of trails. There is a main highway system that connects all the primary features and locations. These trails have remained pretty consistent over the last 20+ years. But I do take notice to the less traveled trails that tend to change every couple years. The highway type trails seem to carry a lot of doe/yearling traffic. But the secondary lighter traveled trails tend to be the bucks. Especially when they have been spooked by others activities in the area.

Good luck in 2015!

Good topic to start the new year, I know that this last year I put a considerable more amount of time into my offseason preparation. I am fortunate enough to have some good friends that I trade information and hunts with that they are doing the work in there backyard, while I am doing the work in mine. I think that I plan to spend a considerable more amount of time in the field with offseason scouting. We pick up antlers here around March and really hit our cameras hard around the end of July establishing what is available for deer. I plan to spend more time in a few actually small tracts of land around late august hoping to pattern a few deer that I believe are gonna still be in these areas. My goal is hopefully to get a good buck on the ground in the first few weeks of the season. I have harvested all my deer in November and December and next year would like to get one down in September or October. I was just out this past week hunting pheasants and saw a couple muleys that I am hoping add a few inches come next fall. Appreciate the process Gentlemen – QB

I don’t hunt anymore but that doesn’t stop me from being out daily playing that same game. After gun season, I take a day pack, snow shoes and the pup to walk the back country here in w/wisc. Some days depending on the weather we’ll spend several hours checking trails, feeding/bedding areas and the hide outs of some of the big boys. I find it totally amazing how these critters can play hide and seek with us. One old guy in particular has figured out to more or less hide in plain sight. He’s got some cedar trees in open fields that cover the ground around and he’ll get back in under and lay down. I’ve gotten within 20 yds of his spot before he’s headed out. Tue, he decided he didn’t care for the pup in his territory and put the bums’ rush on her. We probably won’t be seeing much of him anymore this season. He’s shed one side and it seems that usually sends them back to the posted grounds and State Park for the rest of the season- – -jerr

i am hoping to get my bow hunting career going this upcomming season. I am hoping to get a few tree stands, a few cameras and also find some off the beaten paths places to hunt. I am trying to gather everything i possibably can about how to be a better archery hunter. I am just hoping to take a deer with my bow, I don’t care if it is a doe or a buck. not looking for a wall hanger yet, wanna get better and learn more. so I am hoping that through the off season here more people who do bow hunt will chime in and share some tid bits about things that they look for or that they like to do to help thier season to insure even just seeing a wall hanger.

My other goal is to get in contact with someone to head west and take an elk, probably be more of a guided hunt than going out and hunting by myself, but that is ok, I am wanna make that connection with a good guide.

shane

Tony. 1st off congrats on your wall.! That is very impressive. I haven’t ever seen where even talked about gun hunting and your passion for the bow. Those heads must have all been taken via bow.?— Now your quest for a BC Buck. With your passion dedication and your hunting skills plus hard work. And your time frame and where you are hunting and of course a little Luck. That BC Buck will be your wall at some point in time. Maybe this coming year maybe not. But it will happen sooner or later. …rrr

Ps I only wish I was your age again so I could still hunt that hard again.
Get-rrr-Done.

Thanks Randy, I have been blessed and very fortunate to take some nice animals. To me its mind over matter and discipline . I truly live to bow hunt and be in the woods it’s my passion.

I am now down 22 lbs since I started this post . Feeling great spent all day Saturday shed hunting .

My 2015 goal is to really take the time this year to write down deer movement in the log iv started.

I recently moved to Maryland a few years ago from NY. Its been a big change in the style I hunt. I went from hunting huge wooded track to small urban spots that are only a 2-3 acres to hunt but back up to larger wooded lots that are off limits to hunting. My overall goal is to try to better pattern the bucks I’m seeing.