Do you ever hit a brick wall?

[ghoasthunter]

best advice I can give is don't get frustrated if you feel you getting burn step back go out for a walk in woods instead of sitting. set a bunch of goals and do them one at a time don't try to do the impossible every time. I have some spots that have huge bucks that I don't put a lot of time in because I know its nearly impossible be it wind approach ect. I still hunt them but sometimes their is a giant a mile down the road that's in a easy spot just hunting beds can burn you out. I've killed a lot of big ones with a good strategy and timing I try to hunt with a open book and do a little of every style. one day ill be still hunting slash scouting one day I'm on the beds one day ill be hunting scrapes one day ill be tracking. take failure as success buy asking why it happened and learning from it. I miss at least one buck a year this year I missed a 140 12 point what did I do I sat down called myself a dummy and laughed about it but I also figured out why I missed. sometimes its fun to go back to old school and just have fun watching squirrels. the woods is my science project and every tiny detail is part of the puzzle deer don't just work random. everything they do is for a reason they don't think complex thoughts they go off of instincts and that dictates their movement and learned to use their senses to the fullest.

[ihookem]

I am past peak when it comes to physical ability. I can only pull back 50 lbs on my bow and if I go higher I cannot pull it back if I get stiff and cold. I can't take the cold as much anymore neither. I however hit what ya might call a brick wall a few yrs ago. It happened cause I hunted too far away, up at my cabin and that is 486 mi. round trip. At about 50 yrs old I just couldn't do it anymore, and that is also limiting from physical ability . Getting to work Monday was terrible and I would go home from work early on Mondays to recoup. To adjust I started hunting high pressured public land close to home in about 2005 or so. I did it just for weekday enjoyment to curb 486 mi. round trios to northern WIs. My success was dismal for a long time and still is dismal hunting close to home . I decided to hunt more and harder. I got a buck in Nov. 2014. That evening , A Tues. I almost didn't go, said to myself what is the use, I never even get a shot. . 1 hr later I had one. I didn't get another deer till this Nov. , a 1.5 yr old doe. No big deal for many but a tell tale sign that I can get deer, even 3 miles form my house. Had I not got this deer, I was going to start looking into Menominee Co. Mich. to hunt deer. There are a lot of deer there , but do I spend $50K on a 40 ac. add a cabin, and $ 800- 1,000 for taxes to boot just to shoot a buck and see more deer? ? ? ? Now mind you , I have been hunting near home for 15 yrs and never even saw a deer during gun season , muzzy season, or late bow down here. Dismal at best. This year i finally went for late season 4 day doe. Again, I said what for, wont see anything. .. Well, to my surprise I see a nice buck I could have shot . . . it was doe season though and then climbing down , I see two does i also could have shot. This kind of tipped the scales for me. I decided to REALLY take it seriously . Now I have 24.9 mi. scouting a chunk of public. I have found a lot of buck beds, trails and good areas so i can hunt the gun season without gun hunting a burned out bow stand cause now I have enough potential stands that should be good. I likely will never peak when it comes to learning an area. I might mature and get to know an area very well. I think Dan does this ( I am not trying to be a fanboy of Dan) but he lives close to his hunting and scouts hard. Seems like this is half the battle. No doubt most hunter are better than others cause they are familiar with a few 500 ac. parcels instead of just sitting on the same " 40 " in the same stand yr after year. I did save the best for last though. I am not a trophy hunter, or a meat hunter. I am a guy who just loves to hunt and be in the woods. I enjoy it . My recreation and therapy talking to God and praying ( no , not for a huge buck) . Just have fun, dont take it personally when you are on a dry spell . I see deer 1/4 of the times I go out but I enjoy it and dont care on bit if it's a buck or doe.

[tgreeno]

Checkerfred,
I've been hunting for 41 years. I'm here to tell you, there are many many highs & lows during a hunting season, and a hunting lifetime. Everyone goes thru it, and handles it differently. Taking a little time off, is a good way to get refocused. I have done it many times in all those years. Usually within a day or two, I'm back chomping at the bit to get at it again!

My best advice is: Learn from lows. Think of them as a growing experience as a person! Always take time to enjoy the "ride"!

[checkerfred]

I am past peak when it comes to physical ability. I can only pull back 50 lbs on my bow and if I go higher I cannot pull it back if I get stiff and cold. I can't take the cold as much anymore neither. I however hit what ya might call a brick wall a few yrs ago. It happened cause I hunted too far away, up at my cabin and that is 486 mi. round trip. At about 50 yrs old I just couldn't do it anymore, and that is also limiting from physical ability . Getting to work Monday was terrible and I would go home from work early on Mondays to recoup. To adjust I started hunting high pressured public land close to home in about 2005 or so. I did it just for weekday enjoyment to curb 486 mi. round trios to northern WIs. My success was dismal for a long time and still is dismal hunting close to home . I decided to hunt more and harder. I got a buck in Nov. 2014. That evening , A Tues. I almost didn't go, said to myself what is the use, I never even get a shot. . 1 hr later I had one. I didn't get another deer till this Nov. , a 1.5 yr old doe. No big deal for many but a tell tale sign that I can get deer, even 3 miles form my house. Had I not got this deer, I was going to start looking into Menominee Co. Mich. to hunt deer. There are a lot of deer there , but do I spend $50K on a 40 ac. add a cabin, and $ 800- 1,000 for taxes to boot just to shoot a buck and see more deer? ? ? ? Now mind you , I have been hunting near home for 15 yrs and never even saw a deer during gun season , muzzy season, or late bow down here. Dismal at best. This year i finally went for late season 4 day doe. Again, I said what for, wont see anything. .. Well, to my surprise I see a nice buck I could have shot . . . it was doe season though and then climbing down , I see two does i also could have shot. This kind of tipped the scales for me. I decided to REALLY take it seriously . Now I have 24.9 mi. scouting a chunk of public. I have found a lot of buck beds, trails and good areas so i can hunt the gun season without gun hunting a burned out bow stand cause now I have enough potential stands that should be good. I likely will never peak when it comes to learning an area. I might mature and get to know an area very well. I think Dan does this ( I am not trying to be a fanboy of Dan) but he lives close to his hunting and scouts hard. Seems like this is half the battle. No doubt most hunter are better than others cause they are familiar with a few 500 ac. parcels instead of just sitting on the same " 40 " in the same stand yr after year. I did save the best for last though. I am not a trophy hunter, or a meat hunter. I am a guy who just loves to hunt and be in the woods. I enjoy it . My recreation and therapy talking to God and praying ( no , not for a huge buck) . Just have fun, dont take it personally when you are on a dry spell . I see deer 1/4 of the times I go out but I enjoy it and dont care on bit if it's a buck or doe.

Awesome comment and you touched on a lot of what I’m feeling. Distance away can be tough. Also when I named the thread by using “peaked” I was thinking about age and physical ability. Each year gets harder on the body. Harder to deal with cold, harder physically. I’ve done lots of praying in the woods too so I hear you on that. I’ve done exactly like you too even this year. I’ve woke up in a morning and went back to sleep because I felt like what’s the use? Then ended up going in the afternoon because I felt like I missed something lol.

[checkerfred]

Checkerfred,
I've been hunting for 41 years. I'm here to tell you, there are many many highs & lows during a hunting season, and a hunting lifetime. Everyone goes thru it, and handles it differently. Taking a little time off, is a good way to get refocused. I have done it many times in all those years. Usually within a day or two, I'm back chomping at the bit to get at it again!

My best advice is: Learn from lows. Think of them as a growing experience as a person! Always take time to enjoy the "ride"!

Thanks man, it’s like that with anything, I know, but it helps to get comments from you guys and see different perspectives. It’s already helped me at least identify some problems. Part of my problem is I don’t scout enough, then I need to focus on learning some areas as much as possible. Being a good ways away from public makes it tough so I need to maximize my efforts. Definitely got some work after the season

[JakeB]

Sometimes I need a break, when I’m starting to feel like you describe an easy hunt or a hunt without much thought put into it In an easy to access spot seems to take me back and realize I hunt because it’s fun. Hunting isn’t a job. If you aren’t enjoying yourself why do it?

Also Comparing your kills to guys in the Midwest really isn’t realistic. You’re a southerner like me, we have different struggles we deal with down here and one of them is smaller deer.

Giving a doe a dirt nap will help too..

[Ghost Hunter]

Lets just say I'm on level ground now. I can still go and check areas with best of them. But, afterwards I sleep good at night.

[checkerfred]

Sometimes I need a break, when I’m starting to feel like you describe an easy hunt or a hunt without much thought put into it In an easy to access spot seems to take me back and realize I hunt because it’s fun. Hunting isn’t a job. If you aren’t enjoying yourself why do it?

Also Comparing your kills to guys in the Midwest really isn’t realistic. You’re a southerner like me, we have different struggles we deal with down here and one of them is smaller deer.

Giving a doe a dirt nap will help too..

You’re in LA...you got it even harder than me. I do have realistic expectations. I’ll bust a 100” if he comes by. I haven’t seen hardly any bucks since mid December. I think I might need to just bust the next doe like you said lol

[checkerfred]

Lets just say I'm on level ground now. I can still go and check areas with best of them. But, afterwards I sleep good at night.

Haha I feel ya. I’m only 40 now but a full days worth of hunting and scouting in the hills I feel the next day. Heck Ive hunted off the ground almost all year. I used my climber by my house the other day and my abs are sore now

[Ghost Hunter]

Lets just say I'm on level ground now. I can still go and check areas with best of them. But, afterwards I sleep good at night.

Haha I feel ya. I’m only 40 now but a full days worth of hunting and scouting in the hills I feel the next day. Heck Ive hunted off the ground almost all year. I used my climber by my house the other day and my abs are sore now

Oh just wait another 10-15 years. Me and one guys at camp dragged that buck I shot this year about a 1/4 mile. We stopped twice. I thought I was doing good. Other guy was texting an waiting on me. But, he like 27 or so.

[northeast beast]

I hit one every few seasons.

Sometimes you can break through them. Sometimes you need to readjust and change directions.

great quote pk

[magicman54494]

i aint as good as i once was but im as good once as i ever was!

[Killtree]

I can't sit in a stand if I don't have confidence in it.
If I don't have anywhere to go that I have confidence in I will scout until I find one.
I think the problem you are going through right now is you feel like you are wasting time when you sit in a stand that you have no confidence in.
Go still hunting/scouting, its a change up and fun, and you might find your next best spot while you are doing it,

[MikePerry]

You have to be able to except failure as a bowhunter, you are going to fail way more than you are going to succeed. I take every hunt as a learning experience, I expect to kill my target buck or doe if that’s what I’m after every time I walk in the woods, I’m confident every hunt because I’m there for a reason, my scouting and planning say I’m in the right spot and yet more often than not I fail, we all do, it’s the journey...if it were to easy and I killed every time I hit the woods then I would think maybe I’ve peaked, then I would not want to go anymore.

Mike

[Rob loper]

Just try to keep it fun, don't want it feeling like a job out there. Think everyone gets in a funk now and again, sometimes after I go awhile of not seeing anything, I just sit high traffic areas so I can simply see deer, recharge my batteries, regain some confidence and get back in the thick of things. Not saying u must go that route, but hitting a brick wall sometimes causes lack of confidence, and questioning ones abilities. That's not good in my opinion

That’s a big part of it. During winter I have a lot more time to hunt and probably hunt too much. I really would like to get to where I know that when I go out to hunt, I’m in a high percentage setup and not just wasting time.

I have very little private land to hunt so I hunt mostly public and the closest is an hour away. After so many times of not seeing a deer I start doubting everything. “It’s rut and I should be seeing bucks cruising”...things like that. Sometimes I just need to see some deer

I hit one every few seasons.

Sometimes you can break through them. Sometimes you need to readjust and change directions.

I think that’s what I need to do. Re adjust and re evaluate. One thing for sure though is that something has to change

Good point i totaly get you we all just need to see deer and so do we all for our confidence but im sure you already know this but when we are beast style hunting. we are after the biggest and i guess oldest most mature bucks in the woods and we all know that mature bucks are very solo like animals they go where not alot of deer and humans go (they are a different animal all together)
Like dan says in a video. Alot of big old mature bucks dont leave alot of sign. I really think this is so they dont give their hiding places or sanctuaries away even to other deer. But your hard work and patience will eventually pay off as will all of ours here
Keep your head up bro and keep tweaking the process he will step out eventually and you will say wow that was totaly worth the wait and hard work