I look around more than down. While I’m looking for game I’m also looking at trees, bushes, and other things that stand out so I can remember my way out of the woods. lol
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Unknown member
Oct 29, 2020
You need to do both Steve. See everything, learn HOW to see everything, just like clean releases and using back tension....easy to preach, but...what is it really.
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Unknown member
Oct 29, 2020
It's funny how often we can share the same woods and have consistently different experiences.
I have a friend who sees deer every time we hunt together. I could lock him in the closet and go hunting all day and it's more likely that he'd see a deer than I would.
By that same token, I've lost count of the number of blood trails I've found in the woods. Usually the end of the trail is marked by a gut pile. But I have, over the years, ended up with two 8 pointers and a spike that were left undiscovered by their hunter. All during gun season.
This was my 1st bow season blood trail.
Maybe the lesson here is if I kept my eyes on the horizon more instead of on the ground trying to avoid stepping on twigs, I'd see more deer and less blood :)
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Unknown member
Oct 28, 2020
Steve, I‘ve hunted public land most of my life but never had that happen before.
I once got out in the woods before sunrise with my climber, when the sun came up there was another Hunter in a treestand no more than 30 yards away.
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Unknown member
Oct 26, 2020
... or you find somebody else's blood trail. As it was getting light enough to see last Friday, I looked down and saw a spec.
I then spent the best 3 hours of the morning tracing out at least 300 yards of a dark red and watery path with a few bits of chewed and half digested acorn scattered along the way of what I suspected was a gut shot deer. Never found a bed, or the deer, or the hunter.
Such drama unfolding and none of us; deer, hunter, or volunteer blood trailer, knew the whole story. But the woods was especially still that morning and I suspect the wood peckers and blue jays know what happened. But nobody was talking, save the raven.
I thought he'd show me the way, but when I followed him he just laughed at me and flew away over the next ridge, never to return. I went home with a heavy heart that day even though I had not even set arrow to bow.
I look around more than down. While I’m looking for game I’m also looking at trees, bushes, and other things that stand out so I can remember my way out of the woods. lol
You need to do both Steve. See everything, learn HOW to see everything, just like clean releases and using back tension....easy to preach, but...what is it really.
It's funny how often we can share the same woods and have consistently different experiences.
I have a friend who sees deer every time we hunt together. I could lock him in the closet and go hunting all day and it's more likely that he'd see a deer than I would.
By that same token, I've lost count of the number of blood trails I've found in the woods. Usually the end of the trail is marked by a gut pile. But I have, over the years, ended up with two 8 pointers and a spike that were left undiscovered by their hunter. All during gun season.
This was my 1st bow season blood trail.
Maybe the lesson here is if I kept my eyes on the horizon more instead of on the ground trying to avoid stepping on twigs, I'd see more deer and less blood :)
Steve, I‘ve hunted public land most of my life but never had that happen before.
I once got out in the woods before sunrise with my climber, when the sun came up there was another Hunter in a treestand no more than 30 yards away.
... or you find somebody else's blood trail. As it was getting light enough to see last Friday, I looked down and saw a spec.
I then spent the best 3 hours of the morning tracing out at least 300 yards of a dark red and watery path with a few bits of chewed and half digested acorn scattered along the way of what I suspected was a gut shot deer. Never found a bed, or the deer, or the hunter.
Such drama unfolding and none of us; deer, hunter, or volunteer blood trailer, knew the whole story. But the woods was especially still that morning and I suspect the wood peckers and blue jays know what happened. But nobody was talking, save the raven.
I thought he'd show me the way, but when I followed him he just laughed at me and flew away over the next ridge, never to return. I went home with a heavy heart that day even though I had not even set arrow to bow.