Stick-to-it-ness

So you’ve done what you can. You’ve put a couple small food plots in, you’ve hung your stands months ago, planned your entrance routes and have refused to hunt your stands unless timing and wind is right…but nothing to show for it.

                If you’re like me you’ve been there. All your offseason hard work and you have nothing to show for it. Shoot even the dumb neighbor who does nothing except sets on a tree stump has shot a good buck…pure frustration is all you feel and to be honest you’re justified in feeling that way.

                So what should you do? You basically have two choices. You can either abandon your hunting reason (hope for luck like neighbor-stump-sitter) or you can keep on keepin’ on. If you are okay with taking a yearling buck, by all means go ahead and hunt however you want; despite your hunting sense telling you otherwise. However, if you still want to increase the chance of taking a solid whitetail buck stick-to-it!

                To be honest this is exactly what separates a guy who hunts and a hunter. A true hunter is going to stick to his knowledge; he’s going to play the wind the best he can, use proper scent tactics and position themselves where smart hunters would. He’s not going to settle for less than his minimum no matter how long it takes, even if it means waiting another year.

                Real life example of this would come straight out of my 2008 season. At this point I’d already went one season with no buck and was ready to start a new in 2008. That year I saw more bucks in one season than I believe I ever have to date…but never a shooter I was willing to take. Saw over 12 different deer with 6 points or more, but none fit my 8 point/wide as their ears minimum; I had to watch buck after buck walk away. I refused to lower my standards just to justify the urge to touch antlers, knowing full well I’d regret it mere days later (did that once and hated it).

                It all paid off though as the following season after going 2 seasons with no buck I downed my largest buck to date on October 1, 2009; mere 2 ½ hours into my time in the stand that year.

                So the next time your debating whether to shoot that 5-pointer walking towards you because you’re getting sick of going home empty…remember your minimum and the fact that it only takes a couple minutes and one deer to change your hunting season! Keep on keepin’ on guys, good luck!

                If you happen to bag a deer be sure to email them to me and I’ll post them!