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Coming season goals

2Sloe

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Feb 2, 2021
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These are all great. Here are mine:

  1. Set up on the correct side of the tree for crissakes.
  2. Harvest a deer with my bow from the saddle while having guessed the correct side of the tree.
  3. Enjoy the real saddlehunter effect: seeing more deer. Damn that's cool.
Hey wait a minute, I didn’t think there was a wrong side of the tree when in a saddle. Supposed to be able to shoot 360, so it looks like you already got 1.5 of your 3!
 

Mitchellfarmer1982

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Dec 31, 2018
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Arkansas
Hey wait a minute, I didn’t think there was a wrong side of the tree when in a saddle. Supposed to be able to shoot 360, so it looks like you already got 1.5 of your 3!
I shot a buck out of a tree this past season where I tethered the tree was about 2 to 2 1/2 in diameter and my feet were about 7 ft from the ground. I could only shoot about 45 degrees bc the rest was limbs. In big timber I'm open all around but I hunt alot of new growth and picking the right side matters
 
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zolson

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Jan 21, 2020
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Hey wait a minute, I didn’t think there was a wrong side of the tree when in a saddle. Supposed to be able to shoot 360, so it looks like you already got 1.5 of your 3!

Yeah, I'm going to add a ROS to make that easier this year. I couldn't ninja enough from my solo scout alone. But, I still would like to use the tree instead of getting caught by surprise. It was like they could sense where the weak side was :tearsofjoy:
 
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philsanchez76

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May 20, 2019
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TN
Yeah, I'm going to add a ROS to make that easier this year. I couldn't ninja enough from my solo scout alone. But, I still would like to use the tree instead of getting caught by surprise. It was like they could sense where the weak side was :tearsofjoy:
This is totally true. They use some kind of Jedi mind trick.
 

woodsdog2

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SH Member
Jun 28, 2019
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I’ve always made my goals bare bones

1. Kill deers with bow and gun (Usually call it quits at 4 or 5)
2. Eat deers
3.Take someone hunting who normally wouldn’t go

I usually hold at for a “racked buck” and prefer full sized deer but come post center fire season it’s tag filling time as my household love venison
Your plural of "deers" instead of "deer" is great. I always pick on my wife as she says it the same way, I saw some "deers" today on my way to work instead of "deer," as I would normally say it. She also does it with the word "hair." "Did you get your hairs cut today" I always pick on her but she always maintains it. Her Uncle was a lifelong English teacher and sure enough, the plural for "deers" is just as correct as saying "deer." Keep that up, I like it!!
 

BTaylor

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Oct 23, 2019
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Put a wood arrow through an elk, deer, hog, skwerl, rabbit, duck and goose. Possums, coon, and dillers better keep a wide birth too just not going after them specifically. Same goes for coyotes and Robert the cat. If elk works out, I will prolly try for a bear from a saddle huntin over the carcass if time permits.
 
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HuumanCreed

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Aug 21, 2020
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Westminster Maryland
1- First kill with saddle and bow. Since I plan to do this exclusively next season, its either go or no go.
2- Go back to same spot that I went opening day last year and harvest the spike that I grunted in 4 times and let go 4 times because I was buck chasing. He's basically an old friend at this point.
3- Go ultra light at 10lbs or under (this include 1stick and bow), then 20lbs which includes larger platform and 3-4 sticks. Decide myself if the extra weight really matters.

Bonus- buck.
 

Fl Canopy Stalker

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Feb 4, 2021
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Put a wood arrow through an elk, deer, hog, skwerl, rabbit, duck and goose. Possums, coon, and dillers better keep a wide birth too just not going after them specifically. Same goes for coyotes and Robert the cat. If elk works out, I will prolly try for a bear from a saddle huntin over the carcass if time permits.
Wood arrows huh? Those are hefty goals! I like it
 

Fl Canopy Stalker

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Feb 4, 2021
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1- First kill with saddle and bow. Since I plan to do this exclusively next season, its either go or no go.
2- Go back to same spot that I went opening day last year and harvest the spike that I grunted in 4 times and let go 4 times because I was buck chasing. He's basically an old friend at this point.
3- Go ultra light at 10lbs or under (this include 1stick and bow), then 20lbs which includes larger platform and 3-4 sticks. Decide myself if the extra weight really matters.

Bonus- buck.
I have went in with 11 lbs (using rope to climb, my saddle, 5 squirrel steps as a platform, my hoyt, 2 arrows, and a grunter) it came in at 11 lbs and 3oz. It was fine. Definitely not uncomfortable.

Went in with the same set up plus an extra arrow, a small platform and a thermocell, weighed about 16 and 5oz, and honestly did not notice a difference in weight. Took a couple extra seconds (like 15) to hang the platform with the squirrel steps hung 2” above it. I was super comfy for 7 hours and didn’t even notice a real difference when carrying it.

I understand the idea of not carrying around 15lbs or more of stand weight on top over everything else you take into the woods, but I cannot understand this ultra light craze ( I chalk it up to a super marketing technique) especially if it sacrifices some of your comfort or safety. Sure an extra 10-15 lbs is noticeable but if an extra 3 lbs in a backpack or strapped to your saddle, is the make it or break it for you, then you are probably physically compromised to the point that you should not be hunting from an elevated position to begin with. Will everyone agree with my thoughts? Probably not! But I doubt anyone can show me evidence to the contrary.
 

HuumanCreed

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Aug 21, 2020
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Westminster Maryland
I have went in with 11 lbs (using rope to climb, my saddle, 5 squirrel steps as a platform, my hoyt, 2 arrows, and a grunter) it came in at 11 lbs and 3oz. It was fine. Definitely not uncomfortable.

Went in with the same set up plus an extra arrow, a small platform and a thermocell, weighed about 16 and 5oz, and honestly did not notice a difference in weight. Took a couple extra seconds (like 15) to hang the platform with the squirrel steps hung 2” above it. I was super comfy for 7 hours and didn’t even notice a real difference when carrying it.

I understand the idea of not carrying around 15lbs or more of stand weight on top over everything else you take into the woods, but I cannot understand this ultra light craze ( I chalk it up to a super marketing technique) especially if it sacrifices some of your comfort or safety. Sure an extra 10-15 lbs is noticeable but if an extra 3 lbs in a backpack or strapped to your saddle, is the make it or break it for you, then you are probably physically compromised to the point that you should not be hunting from an elevated position to begin with. Will everyone agree with my thoughts? Probably not! But I doubt anyone can show me evidence to the contrary.

I agreed with you 100%. I went deep down the ultra light (2TC....NEVER AGAIN) before I realizes that its more about me if I feel the need to shave off 5-10lbs of gears. Plus its all day hunts only, not like I'm spending the night and setting up camp.
 
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Gator

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May 20, 2019
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Virginia
Doing my first out of state DYI whitetail hunt (Fort Knox KY) so just hope to enjoy the week, enjoy the new territory and have some fun! Then do all my normal things here in Virginia wrapped around the out of state hunt.
 

2Sloe

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Feb 2, 2021
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Possums, coon, and dillers better keep a wide birth too just not going after them specifically.
I shot a Diller one time because he was making so much noise I couldn’t hear myself think. That was a mistake. Sounded like he was tearing down the woods flopping around, trashed my arrow too. I leave them alone now.
 
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ssramage

Active Member
Apr 26, 2020
191
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Saint Simons Island, GA
My goals for the 2021 whitetail season are:

- Kill the buck that I "missed" (skimmed shoulders) last year at my home in Southeast GA. I've got pics of a buck just starting to form antlers that has a scar on his back. Pretty sure it's him. This will be my 3rd year after him and he was at least 5 years old when I first started chasing him.
- Kill a buck in Ohio early season. This will be my first midwest trip and I have high hopes based on the crew I'll be hunting with.
-Put my son on another deer or 3 this season on my lease in GA. He killed his first last year at 7 years old.
- Hopefully work in a public land rut hunt on some public land back home in GA.
- Get my brother in law his first deer. He's been hunting with me for 4 or so years and we haven't pulled it off yet. He got the bug last year and even bought his own rifle.
 
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bigmike23

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Jan 29, 2020
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NE PA
Mature PA public buck. Killed 2 very nice 8 pters the last two years on pressure public which I'm very proud of. But I want to shoot for something big this year. And I have monsters on the land I hunt so I consider myself lucky
 
May 26, 2021
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Virginia
I am fortunate, here in VA, we have a good amount of public land and I have access to quite a bit of private that I lease as well. My main goals this year are to learn this new land I have gotten access to, which just so happens to be in a urban archery zone, so I can fill a doe tag pretty early. Aside from that, its the same as every year, spend as much time in the woods as possible.