X2

also learned i need to doe hunt harder in bow season, instead of relying on the doe weekend in my AR county

I learned.....
Never again find a new lease member that at least the majority of the hunters can't personally vouch for.
That Freddy the Freeloader is also not following game laws and lease rules
That Freddy is not very bright when it comes to game cam cards and computer files while he is trying to delete pictures of his dastardly deeds
That Freddy actually taught me to hone my tracking skills and woodsmanship skills as I looked for all the places he killed deer.
That I will secure all valuables on the lease, and have 4 buddies with me when I kick Freddy off the lease.
That varmint guards are useless to raccoons
That raccoons eat more corn than deer.
That certain cows have greater fence jumping ability than other cows.
Barbed wire is not a deterrent to a hungry cow
Wood ducks like corn
Skip the morning hunt and head out when everyone else is heading in for breakfast
Always have an exit strategy in case of wildfires

New here... haven't posted anything yet so here goes,

I learned bow hunting from a ground blind is different... I am usually in a tree with bow or rifle hunting. I had forgotten how much you can't move, or how important scent and concealment play a role.

I simply turned slightly in my chair to draw. His head was down but the slight sound of the chair got him nervous. He kept and eye on me the rest of the time.

It was great, I'll be doing it more.

I learned to grease your trailer bearings on a regular basis - because they WILL catch fire, smoke and fall off on Hwy 16 near DeLeon.

I also learned that you shouldn't read the THF thread about ghosts and weird happenings in the woods. I was terrified going to my blind every morning. Dang quail made me poop my pants more than a few times.

And most importantly, after reading some of the horrific lease stories on this forum, I learned that I have a great lease, great land owner and I should be happy with my situation and NEVER assume the grass is greener on the other side - because it probably isn't.

Yes, definitely something you don't want to happen during a long drought when the grass on the side of the road is ready to ignite.

To always, always use a small flashlight when walking in the woods at night. Yet another snake encounter - copperhead this time.

I learned that:
1. Felons can and do possess firearms
2. Felons like to hunt
3. Felons hunt on the property north of mine
4. Felons do not manage a deer herd, they decimate it
5. GW's are interested to know that Felons are rifle hunting on the property north of mine.

I've learned that my daughter is a lazy hunter and demands the royal treatment.. lol.. she can sleep through the whole morning hunt and before she settles in she tells me to wake her when the deer show up?? however I do it every time and love it!!

Dan;

This past Christmas was my first hunting trip since '96 or '97. Even worse yet it was also my first trip in Texas, first time hunting feeders and blinds and probably the worst first, it was my first hunting trip with my future father-in-law.

1) First thing I learned is Murphy rides on my shoulders, and LOVES to tap me on the cheak at every given opportunity.

2) 50 rounds shot at a 25yrd indoor target over 2 quick days will NOT return your skills up to parr after taking a 10 year break from shooting.

3) When you find your Scope Leopold Scope Ring sliding at the windage adjustment on the bases, don't just slide the scope back and righten things up, replace them, they are BROKEN.

4) Don't rush sighting a rifle in, take your time and VERIFY with more than 3 rounds at 25 yrds... NO MATTER how close and intimate you think you are with a rifle...

5) I've stopped making fun of Texas White Tail Deer, South Texas Deer are as well fed as Iowa Deer. It's the West Texas Deer that I need to clarify

6) Even with a broken scope ring the rifle will get lucky now and then.

7) My biggest learning lesson was when I felt like I was 12 years old all over again taking a shot at my first deer, rushed the shot and got my ego handed to me even though the deer still dropped within 10 feet... Cleaning deer after a gut shot SUCKS

8) I also learned a new appreciation for 22-250, I never really considered it adequate for White Tail even though thousands say otherwise, but after being forced to give up the trip and go home empty or use someone elses 22-250 and salvage as much of the trip as possible. My biggest issue with 22-250 is that I always felt that they left no room for error's in aimpoint. I made a gut shot near the hip of the deer, and instead of ripping through and the deer leading me on a long tracking expedition, the bullet hit bone, tumbled forward and hit vitals anyway and the deer dropped like a rock.

I learned that the more money I spend, time I put into planning and pressure I put on myself to take a big buck the less fun I have.

Indeed!

I learned:

-That Llano County coons are in fact Ninjas and have all night to get past your defenses. Also that they will cooperate and work with hogs to get food.

-That poachers will take advantage on an unlocked gate

-That picking the right low-drama,trustworthy lease members makes all the difference

-That having a baby November 1st makes deer season real tough

-That driving 8 hours roundtrip to only hunt 8 hours is still worth it

-That it is possible to kill two small pigs with one arrow

-That using both buck tags on culls in a bad year can be just as satisfying as taking a trophy

-And finally, on behalf of a buddy, to make hay while the sun shines. Just because you see 5+ does every sit during regular season does not mean they will be around come late antlerless. He ended up with two fewer than he would have liked.

I learned I need my own section of land in Nolan or Runnels county with some mature oak stands on it. Ok I'll take half a section, ok a quarter of a section.

-I learned that you can't manage your deer herd on a 96 acre ranch when your neighbors are shooting everything that moves.

-I learned that hog hunting is almost as fun as deer hunting.

-I learned that watching a football game at the ranch with family is better than being at the stadium.

-I learned that I have the greatest wife ever that's willing to let me hunt every week and take care of our 1 year old daughter. I don't feel guilty though because in about 7 years or so, I'll be taking the daughter hunting and fishing all the time and my Wife will be able to do her thing.

-I learned that owning a small ranch doesn't guarantee better hunting. Not even close. Two years and still no shooter bucks to come out in daylight.

They will be there my friend dont worry it takes time...let the little ones go and you will get the pay off in the end...keep your place low stress and those bucks will learn to stay on the right side of the fence...neighbors are what they are

the planning and pressure and all the time its takes up is one of my fav. parts

Thanks for the confidence. I need it. We've passed up every deer we've seen for two years. The one shooter we had on camera from the offseason disappeared after the second week of November. I'm going back this weekend for the last weekend of bucks. Maybe some magic will happen. haha If not, I'll take one of the many doe we have.
I think you're right about the bucks learning to stay on our side of the fence. I've noticed that most of the deer will not cross into their property anymore.

1. That having a new baby really cuts down on hunting time.
2. That whenever the Brother-in-law breaks something at the camp house, dont expect him to fix it (or anything else for the matter)
3. Drout really sucks on a deer herd
4. That I can really count on my father in law when I need too (God Bless that man)
5. Dont expect to see deer under the feeder on opening weekend when the wind is 40mph and its 85 degrees out.
6. Gas is not cheap
7. That thanksgiving weekend is always a really good weekend to hunt.
8. That despite all the BS and arguing with said brother in law, that I am really fortunate and lucky to be able to get in the woods and do what I love and not have to pay to be on a lease..... Thanks Ya Lord!

I learned that my wife is awesome and understanding...after 9 years of dealing with hunting

I learned that taking my daughter hunting was more fun than I ever thought that it would be.

I learned that just because everyone you have talked to about the Kansas rut says it occurs on a certain week, it doesn't.

I learned that I just thought West Texas was a desert, after last year, it really was.

I learned that the condition of the deer herd and the antler size has no bearing on the cost of a lease.

I learned that hunting all day in a ladder stand will increase your chances of seeing a big deer, but will cause back pain that last much longer than a day.

If you have 95acres in duval co... its gona happen haha... but if you would like you can come put a bow stand on my 40acres and hunt here during bow season if i get to put one on yours durrin this late season...hahaha i got shut off on the first

The things I learned this season are:

~Due my due diligence when selecting a lease, and make sure I get everything in writing

~That landowners (or land renters in my case), can be some low down, coniving, sorry, lowlife, lieing SOB's

~That you never know when that buck will show up, and if your not in the blind, then you can't see anything. When I took my buck the day after Thanksgiving, I wasnt even going to hunt my blind, but since I heard one of the lease members shoot, I thought maybe all the deer would run the direction of my feeder, so I grabbed my rifle, and 30 minutes later harvested a decent buck. Go figure!

~That gun shots don't always scare all of the deer away

~That I like to hunt hogs as much as I do deer

~That although my wife wont eat deer meat, she will devour hog meat!

~That taking my 3 year old and 6 year old to the lease, and hunting is just as fun if not more fun than being by myself and taking a deer.

~That racoons get fatter from my feeder as the season goes on. I have watched the same 5 coons from before opening day to last weekend and they were sickly looking before, but are as fat as a hog now.

~That hogs can, will, and do keep the deer away, or if the deer are there, once the hogs show up, the deer run like hell.

~Again, make dang sure I do my due diligence when selecting a lease, and get it in writing!! I know said that 2 times now, but that is the most important lesson I learned this season.

I sent you a PM

i learned that even though a new lease may not be as big as the one before, if the area looks good to you, try it out if you can afford it. we did and the deer and bucks we saw and one we shot were FOR SURE worth it. A diamond in the rough i guess you could say.....cant wait for next year....and yes as some one posted earlier, barb wire will not hold out a very hungry cow, or one that can jump......

I also learned that a hog will try to "break out" his three female pigs from our hog trap by digging a trench from the outside of the trap while the females dig from the inside. Luckily my father in law and brother in law showed up just in time. Only one of the females was able to squeeze her way through the trap and under it by using this trench. We're gonna put chicken wire on the bottom of the trap probably.

Sweet! i havnt got it yet though