• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Season ended, list your failed gears/methods/etc that you would not use again! And what do you plan to do differently next year

Fail: One sticking and carrying a separate platform, not for me.

Off/Next season: snag a foot loop for 2TC, obtain EWO Flat UP for one stick.

That's about it gear wise. Maybe another pack of cutthroat heads for both wheel bow and trad.
 
I’ll probably tinker with arrow setup some more. I’ve used GrizzlyStik Maasai 200g single bevels the past two seasons but both instances blood trail has been non-existent with good textbook hits. Luckily the deer dropped within sight or sound both times.

I’m also going to be dabbling with stands. I picked up a .5 as well as a .75 and am already working on getting those systems dialed in.
 
Modded my mission platform into a one stick mission. Picked up a windwalker and made some mods to it for use as a hybrid setup mostly for all day hangs. Going to continue to refine a 2tc system that works for me. The mission was the only piece of gear that I felt could be better. Gear wise everything else was already pretty dialed in.
 
I didn't hunt at all, lots of excuses but no good reason.

Scouting I have to find more places to hunt!
Very happy with my gear still playing with climbers. I am locked in with an Open Shot seat, love it.
other than that just practice, practice, practice!
 
My one stick setup is pretty much dialed in.

I'm struggling to find sticks/method to pair with my .5 when using it. I can use it one sticking, shikars or WE steps but not 100% sold, frankly bc I can't find a good packing method. Maybe I need go with the lwcg doubles or compacts
 
I bought some high to mid level hiking boots in a rush (Lowas) and they are very nice but too narrow and I sprained my big toe wearing them. I was partially wooed by the name and promised durability and bought a boot I would never have bought, based on fit, if it was a cheaper brand. Lesson learned.

This season, I replaced all my synthetic base layers and liner socks with synthetic versions with odor control. I don't like merino much and bought my previous regular synth layers without considering that they hold odor. I don't think my olds ones stink, I just hadn't taken seriously the silver treatments before when I should have I think.

Other than that, my system is pretty dialed in and I didn't have anything break or not work well.
 
I'm not a fairy duster. I wanna say that first and foremost.

I shot and killed 9 deer this year between gun and bow and 1 during an out of state hunt. I shot it with a very high quality expandable out of a 76 lb, 29' draw bow. I hit it right in the scapula at 30 yards. TAW was 490 grains. Good FOC at 17ish%.

3 drips of blood. No deer. Miles of tracking. Utter heart break. I will NEVER shoot another expandable at anything other than a turkey. I am utterly positive I'd have gotten a pass through with a fixed blade head.
 
This year I’m going to use simple products, or simple to me anyways. Last few seasons I’ve got caught up in products. 2 seasons ago I only 1 sticked and was very successful and good at it. This year I switched to a different one stick and didn’t like it at all. Even tried one sticking with a separate platform and hated it more. Moved to modded primal steps for climbing and ROS. They worked great but even though I feel I’ve mastered the knot involved it still was quiet a process to get in a tree.

this year I’m going back to my original one stick (hawk with hsp) if I saddle hunt. I just picked up a Millenium M7 and after playing with it in the yard it’s awesome. Only got better when I modded it with a batwing and versa button. For climbing I’ve never found anything as good for the money as using cut down helium sticks. Already purchased and modded. Now to practice, practice, practice.
 
Most of my changes happened last season. There are a few this season but it’s more fine tuning and up grading. I use 4 sticks w/a 2 step aider on the first step. Upgraded from 4 Skeletors to 4 Gen3 One Sticks( saving 4 lbs). I also carry my sticks in now with the weight savings with a small shoulder rope strap. Makes maneuvering much easier, especially through thick cover.
I rappel down for safety. I never get any higher than 20ft so I cut 10ft off my rappel rope (didn’t need the access). Changed from an average pack to a Eberlestock X2 (Carries all the stuff I need with extra room and the load, being a frame pack, is much more comfortable). I use a Predator platform, but for comfort, I use 3 squirrel steps on a separate strap placed just below my standoff( in the 12-3-9 position from my platform placement)so when I’m sitting my knees aren’t up against the tree and for 99% maneuverability around the tree (especially larger diameter trees).
I stopped using the dynaglide to retrieve my rappel rope. I use 6mm sterling accessory rope (easier on the hands) also doubles as an extra pull up rope.
The minimalist thing really only happens when it’s hot weather and/or I’m hunting close to vehicle. (Plus I have boat and a E-bike I use for long treks or difficult access)
And Yes I hunt 99% public land!
 
Last edited:
Made switch from 9mm canyon rope, modified Hawk one stick and EDP platform to 8mm rope, RDA one stick, JRB cinch method and removable whoopie bridge. So far really liking this set up after just a few practice climbs. Been resisting trying the Madrock but may give it a whirl as well in off season. It'll be easy to re-sell if I don't like it.
 
I don't see any changes coming in the gear department. I went 2TC this past season and can't see going back to any other climbing method (excluding bolts on private).

The main thing I need to change is get back to basics and scout, scout, scout. I'm already working hard on that one. Another thing I plan to do is just have fun hunting deer, in addition to pursuing big bucks.
 
NMSbowhunter said:
I don't see any changes coming in the gear department. I went 2TC this past season and can't see going back to any other climbing method (excluding bolts on private).

The main thing I need to change is get back to basics and scout, scout, scout. I'm already working hard on that one. Another thing I plan to do is just have fun hunting deer, in addition to pursuing big bucks.
Click to expand...
That is the biggest thing for me is changing the terrain type I hunt. Not exclusively but a good bit. Gonna be a lot of hiking involved in sorting out some new areas.
 
SaddleUpPartner! said:
Mine is more bow related. Moving away from light fast arrows to heavier arrows. Shot a buck quartering to me last season, never recovered it. I think it was one lung liver. Thought maybe it was my mech broadheads not deploying, may have just been me not shooting in the right spot. Either way I’m moving to fixed blades and if I’m going to fixed blades I’m going to do it right. Did a deep dive into my bow setup, arrow weight, arrow length, FOC, all that stuff. I never used to tune my arrows or anything, after further review my arrows were flying tail high and to the right. Hopefully losing that deer will make me a better hunter with a better set up.
Click to expand...
Not to be that guy...but the only thing that failed in that was your lack of tune and your shot selection. Those are both things you can fix without actually changing anything in your setup. Had you had heavier arrows and a fixed broadhead, you still would not have recovered that deer.
 
Gear is pretty much dialed... I would like to tinker with 2TC a bit more, before I fully shelf it. I REALLY want to try the Sladder, but... I do want new dump pouches and I want to try the new K4 frame/pack system even though my MR Sawtooth 45 worked awesome.

I do need to dedicate more time to scouting this year for bow season, I found a few spots during rifle season that definitely need to be scouted! My time in the off-season seems to be directly related to consistent success during the season. I spent way less time in the woods last summer than ever before (2 young kids, wife, work, life, etc.)... I also want to focus filling the freezer first, before becoming selective, because that came back to bite me.
 
Fail- hawk helium minis. The weight, not sticking to the tree as well as I wanted, bent standoffs and steps.
-Bow limb delamination, I had my 11-year-old G5 quest hammer delaminate on me and had to buy a new bow mid-season.

I also failed myself for about 2 weeks, I hunted within the same 100-yard radius until I stopped seeing deer. moved to another spot I had scouted and missed a nice buck first sit. I do the scouting and know the spots but get sucked into the seeing a nice buck mentality and eventually all sightings taper off.
 
Tknapp said:
Fail- hawk helium minis. The weight, not sticking to the tree as well as I wanted, bent standoffs and steps.
-Bow limb delamination, I had my 11-year-old G5 quest hammer delaminate on me and had to buy a new bow mid-season.

I also failed myself for about 2 weeks, I hunted within the same 100-yard radius until I stopped seeing deer. moved to another spot I had scouted and missed a nice buck first sit. I do the scouting and know the spots but get sucked into the seeing a nice buck mentality and eventually all sightings taper off.
Click to expand...

Do you ever keep your bows for very long in a hot location like a car in the summer? That can cause delams.
 
7mmremmag said:
Finish the house renovations so I can spend my normal amount of time in the stand. My brain works better if I get to hang from a tree more than once a week.
Click to expand...
^ This 100%!

Other than that, lose about 15 pounds so my knees don't hate me as much. This was my second full season one sticking with the 12 EWO + straight Scout and I have absolutely no reason to change next year. it's perfect for me. The only thing I did differently this year was to not automatically climb up 20-30 ft. I just climbed until I had the best cover. And for Tennessee river bottoms 90% of the time that was only 8-10 ft off the ground. So my set ups became ultra fast. And then if I decided on a late move, I could get down in 3 minutes and be up another tree in another 5 minutes. It just made me that much more mobile.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top