Early Archery - Who Else Didn't Connect?

[Fishstiq]

October 1st is here, and I ain't gots no deer!

I hunted whenever I was able to get out for the early archery season (which was most weekends and several weekdays), but to no avail.  The biggest animal I saw all season was a chipmunk.  Shoot, nothing even happened that was worth posting about!

Last season I blanked also, but I hadn't really put in the time scouting and such so no surprise.  This year, I had a new-to-me area to hunt (thanks to H2OHunter ), I set out 2 cameras and had my eye on 2 nice bucks, and I had a spot all marked out.  Apparently no one notified the dang deer that I was there though, because they never came by to say hello.     So now, I'm setting my sights on the late season and looking to get a copy of the Blacktail Tactics book everyone on here talks about.  Of course, any advice or help from more experienced folks is always welcome too!!

So who's with me in the "No Early Archery Deer" club?  Come on, fess up, it will make me feel better and let the healing begin for all of us!

[BOWHUNTER45]

Never bought a tag ...1st time in 34 years  I will when late season opens 

[h20hunter]

Sorry you didn't get a chance to stick one.....maybe they were too busy flirting with my pink flamingo decoys?

[Kowsrule30]

I didn't get one for early archery deer either.... But I got a mdern tag so probably a good thing!!!      

[sirfunkeybut]

I didn't  . I could have shot at a buck, would've been my biggest mule deer yet. He was a monster 2x2 with eye gaurds, I had a few pics on the cam of him. I didn't get to hunt as much this year due to work, but he did come in one night at 30 yards but right on the other side of a tree, for a half hour he should there and then walked straight away from me.  I could've shot but didn't feel comfortable, I did shoot to where he was the next morning and probably could've conected but I just couldn't risk wounding a deer like that. But my sister has a rifle tag so I'm taking her and maybe she'll get him   

[pianoman9701]

No elk, didn't really hunt deer by themselves. Late season.

[buglebuster]

Drew a late whitetail rifle tag so didnt hunt... Filled my muzzy second deer tag this morning with my bow tho

[ELKBURGER]

I've seen better early seasons.

[Eburg fisher]

I had both deer and elk in close but just no good shots. Nice little 4x4 at 35 yards stairing at me for about 5 minutes. Then he did a quick 180 and walked directly away. Tried setting up at a different spot broadside to the trail but he never came back.  Already antsy for late season.

[et1702]

Didn't hunt deer during early archery, as I have late-season archery tag for Entiat.

But, i did shoot my cow elk opening day, plus went down to New Mex and filled my Valles Caldera elk tag too!!!  So, early season has been very successful for me.

ET

[Wildsau]

You can feel a wee bit better, Fishstiq, I went out as often as I could, and every day the last week and all I got was sore feet.  Not only did I not shoot anything, I didn't see anything bigger than a porcupine.  At first I thought he was a small blond bruin, as big as he was; but I don't know how to fix porcupines and heard they taste real nasty, so he still lives.

Tried for Elk with the same results.

Like I said, on an ealier thread, there is always late season; and, with luck, it will rain a wee bit and make walking in the woods not sound like a stampede of Bison.

[270Flat]

  I also did not connect. My first season for deer, archery at that. I have late season to look forward to. I also have a modern elk tag, that I hopefully can fill.

[Swannytheswan]

I took 2 weeks off work one for elk one for deer never saw a legal elk during legal light and then I had one shot at a muley buck and misjudged distance and shot over its back ....rough early season for me...

[sixty4nhalf]

Well it wasn't that I didn't try nor that I didn't see anything either. I would see an average of 2 deer/day, My issue was that I couldn't get close enough to even draw back. SO hopefully modern season hunters won't pan out so well so I can get another shot at some after the rut?

[earlmarne]

i connected,first year archery.i kinda wish i would have waited.i just couldnt pass it up.now i have been chasing bear n i am having no luck.cant wait for late elk

[huntindoc]

I confess, I got hungry.  Sat in a simple spot, public spot, only  had 3 nights in the stand.  Several smoothies came by every night, as well as a ferrel cat.  I missed the cat at 60 yrds by and inch!  Night 2, I shot a coyote at 51 yrds.   That was cool.   Day 3, I busted the first doe to come by.  Very clean shot, she died within 30 yrds.  One of the best tasting deer I've ever shot, and my daughter was in the tree with  me, so it was pretty cool.  I haven't shot anything with my bow in 2 yrs, and I was surprised at how gratifying it was to cleanly take this deer, even a doe.

On weird thing, when I went back the next day to get my stand, i found another ladder stand strapped to a tree with a nice little 3 point (the buck I was targeting pre -season...) dead for about 2 weeks directly under the stand.  Too old to tell for sure why, but pretty smelly and ugly.  Why under the stand?

[Russ McDonald]

Nothing for me either for early archery either but want hunting that hard due to fire dangers plus I was heading to MN to hunt whitetail.  Got the job done there with my first ever archery deer.  So now excited for late archery.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

[ldjbuff]

I got a doe on the last day of our hunt. The weather was just too hot. I will take a doe any day of the week vs tag soup though:)

[D-Rock425]

Tagged an elk but no deer honestly didn't try to hard with the multi season tag in my pocket.

[DoubleJ]

Tagged out on 2 deer but no elk.  I hate late season elk and don't even know if I'll bother going out.

[TheHunt]

I only had three days to hunt elk this year.  I am applying for a promotion at work which I can then buy a nice boat...  So if it pans out I am in the stuff.  If not well, I tried!!!   

[Fishstiq]

It sucks hearing that so many others didn't get a deer early, but at least I know I'm in good company!  I'm looking forward to late season, maybe with a little rain I'll actually be able to stalk without sounding like a train crashing through the brush. 

You can feel a wee bit better, Fishstiq, I went out as often as I could, and every day the last week and all I got was sore feet.  Not only did I not shoot anything, I didn't see anything bigger than a porcupine.  At first I thought he was a small blond bruin, as big as he was; but I don't know how to fix porcupines and heard they taste real nasty, so he still lives.

Tried for Elk with the same results.

Like I said, on an ealier thread, there is always late season; and, with luck, it will rain a wee bit and make walking in the woods not sound like a stampede of Bison.

Couldn't have said it better myself!



On a side note...

I did meet several other hunters on my way out to my spot, and every single one of them seemed really cool.  All polite, introduced themselves, and everyone let each other know general areas where they would be so no one was hunting on top of someone else.  Most made comments in conversation that showed they were responsible and ethical hunters.  It was good to see, and makes me happy to be a part of this community!

[hoyt5199]

Nothing for me either but we still have the late season. Think i may start heading to a different state to bow hunt. Archery season is just way to short its ridiculous!!

[Klyne3]

Nothing for me either. Saw a group of does in a buck only area and couldn't get a good line up on the buck that followed them. Went to my other area which is any deer and passed on 2 very small does. Early season was super busy for me with other things sonow just  passing time, hoping for rain and waiting till late season

[turkeyfeather]

My wife 

[MrsTurkeyFeather]

My wife 

You're such a brat 

[windygorge]

i hunted hard for elk.....nodda, zilch, nothin.  so until late season
i hunted deer on last weekend, eastside....nodda, zilch, nothin.  so until late season
not sure how its gonna play out for the late season.  want to hunt eastside deer really bad, and need to travel for late elk as well.  we shall see

[ouchfoss]

This was my first year at using a grind blind and still hunting and it was kinda discouraging. I went out in August and did some scouting with trail cams and found a well used trail that I got pics of 5 different bucks and three does as well as a bear using it somewhat regularly. I put a blind up and come September 1st I sat in it morning and evening on 10 different occasions and saw nothing but chipmunks and birds. I did see the bear one day though but he was 200 yards away on a hill that faces the blind. Crappy thing is one day after I had already left the blind a nice 5x5 lone bull walked in front of it and the trail cam at noon on one of the those hot 90 degree days. Kinda frustrating!