Getting excited yet?

[Huntingtony]

I've been checking this forum every day for the last month, I hope you all are getting as excited as I've been! I'm patiently waiting to get off this boat I'm on (work), and get into the woods! My goals this year are taking my off season research and practice and putting it to work to fill a tag! My fiance hopefully has her first deer calling her name out there, she definitely deserves it! In the name of rallying some good conversation,  what are your guys goals? Are you trying new spots or the tried and true? Anything you learned waiting all year that your going to put to work? What are your goals?

[viva_che1363]

This year the goal is to just get out and spend more time in the woods. Try to hunt where the deer are rather than where I want them to be. Go slow, be patient and hopefully get my buck or a doe. It'll be my first year hunting Idaho, so exploring new areas. Maybe find a reliable hunting partner. If successful get my son involved with butchering, processing, teaching him where meat comes from, respect for the animal and the woods.

[crankin04]

I've been checking this forum every day as well, almost like an addiction!  This will be my wife's first year hunting for mule deer over here in central wa where we live, so that's clearly goal number one and is double excitement for me  Goal two is to explore new areas and hopefully get a bigger buck than last years.

[Wetwoodshunter]

I'm going to Montana in November and hunt here with a rifle. My goals are getting a whitetail buck in Montana or if the elk are around hunting those instead. But a whitetail will complete my deer slam.

I will also be out a few times for blacktail and will be trying to shoot a mature blacktail.

I have already done the archery season so far this year and have a freezer full of elk so the pressure to get the first animal i see low, but that demokn in my head likes to tell me to shoot.

[JakeLand]

Yep I'm excited! But I'll be jacked the last couple days of this month 

[runamuk]

I started hunting in 2009 I hunted hard until 2012 when life slowed me down to only a couple days a season. And then 2 seasons I was sidelined. I am still hopeful some day I might kill something I want to eat. I have 4 days off this season in all new land and no idea what I am doing.  Praying maybe once in my life luck will happen to me.

[jagermiester]

I sooooo love this time of year. Spent the weekend scouting and preparing for next week. I'm taking the 14th to the 22nd off and I am bringing my 12 year old and 14 year old boys with me this year. My 12 year old's first year and he has a doe tag. My goal is to get him his first deer and my older boy his first buck. We will fish and we may shoot some birds. We got into some huns this weekend. My goal is to create memories that will last a lifetime. Good luck to all be safe and hunt hard. Oh yeah lead em if their running.

[jennabug]

Yes!
This week I'm going with a friend on her first turkey hunt through the WDFW mentored hunt program. Very exciting.
I'm going for my first deer this year. Funny thing is that I don't recall ever trying venison. When I was considering deer hunting this year, I was overwhelmed by the list of things to learn before the hunt (and not having a mentor)... from preparations to meat processing. I decided I wanted to do semi-guided for at least this first hunt to get my feet wet.
My main goal is learning this year, but I'm hoping to harvest a deer.

[rickomatic]

Always get excited this time of year. Son and I are headed off this Friday for our annual Winthrop area hunt. I've been doing it since 1973, and have been going with him since he was about 8 (he's 34 now). I'm getting to that age where I tend to head to the "old man" spots. The legs and knees are feeling the decades now and can't put in the miles, and elevations they once did. But, nonetheless, I'll be out there, pushing my limits, and eating Ibuprofin when I get back to camp. LOL. We've graduated from tenting it to my son's luxurious trailer and a camp with a satellite dish for football.  . It will be great to see old hunting buddies, and campmates, and get into God's country once again, watching the sun come up over the mountain to warm the cold body, hear the birds waking up, the chipmunks scurrying about and hopefully see a deer or two. Man, I do so love this time of year. Thank you Lord, for another year.

[MrSmallington]

My goal is to not get shot at by dumb blind road hunters... oh yea and take my first black tail. good luck to all!

[fishnfur]

Always get excited this time of year. Son and I are headed off this Friday for our annual Winthrop area hunt. I've been doing it since 1973, and have been going with him since he was about 8 (he's 34 now). I'm getting to that age where I tend to head to the "old man" spots. The legs and knees are feeling the decades now and can't put in the miles, and elevations they once did. But, nonetheless, I'll be out there, pushing my limits, and eating Ibuprofin when I get back to camp. LOL. We've graduated from tenting it to my son's luxurious trailer and a camp with a satellite dish for football.  . It will be great to see old hunting buddies, and campmates, and get into God's country once again, watching the sun come up over the mountain to warm the cold body, hear the birds waking up, the chipmunks scurrying about and hopefully see a deer or two. Man, I do so love this time of year. Thank you Lord, for another year.

That sounds like fun to me.  I've got those old man legs too.

[hawgwild]

You know it!

First year hunting solo, first year hunting whitetail, and first time in a new area.  I can't stop thinking about it!  I got a second deer tag for the area I'm hunting so I just vastly increased my chances.

[Turner89]

Yes, I can't wait. I hope this feeling never fades. October is my favorite month.
My goal might be far fetched. I shot my buck on opening day last year. While helping my son get his buck around the 28th, we saw a monster buck. We had about a 5 minute stare down at about 100yards through my binos.
I saw him again on Halloween. I went up where I had seen him a few days earlier. I wanted to experiment rattling, and grunting. I got in there grunted one time real light. Instantly I heard something in the brush. Then this stud came out onto the little overgrown road with his head down to the ground coming right to me. He finally saw me at about 20-25 feet away. We stood there staring at each other again. This time no binos were needed. The whole time there was another buck back in the brush where he had just came from tearing up a tree.
 I have had 3 cameras up there most the summer, but never got a pic. I know he made it through modern, not sure about late archery/ muzzy.
 I'm guessing he scores in the 140's.

 He is my goal

[fishnfur]

Yes, I can't wait. I hope this feeling never fades. October is my favorite month.
My goal might be far fetched. I shot my buck on opening day last year. While helping my son get his buck around the 28th, we saw a monster buck. We had about a 5 minute stare down at about 100yards through my binos.
I saw him again on Halloween. I went up where I had seen him a few days earlier. I wanted to experiment rattling, and grunting. I got in there grunted one time real light. Instantly I heard something in the brush. Then this stud came out onto the little overgrown road with his head down to the ground coming right to me. He finally saw me at about 20-25 feet away. We stood there staring at each other again. This time no binos were needed. The whole time there was another buck back in the brush where he had just came from tearing up a tree.
 I have had 3 cameras up there most the summer, but never got a pic. I know he made it through modern, not sure about late archery/ muzzy.
 I'm guessing he scores in the 140's.

 He is my goal

Sounds like he doesn't spend his summers there.  I'm thinking you might want to to pass on smaller early season bucks and when the time is right, make sure your first attempt at this big buck is 100 percent perfect - get it right the first time.  Good luck!  I'm looking forward to pics!

[Turner89]

If he's alive still, he's there. Just not in front of my cameras. I kind of messed up on my camera location. All most all the picks were does. Didn't have the cams where the bucks hang, and I only checked them once, that being when i pulled them  last weekend, so wasn't able to correct the location.

[fishnfur]

Even if he's not alive, there's probably another great buck there that took his place.

[Huntingtony]

Sounds awesome! You guys sound like you all have your sights set on having fun! Looks like for me I'll miss early season this year but we can always go explore late season whitetail, it will be a blast for me atleast lol. Good luck and I look forward to some pictures!

[Stumps]

Looking to break my losing streak this year. After 9 successful years in a row taking Blacktail bucks I have come up short the last 3 years. 9 years in a row was a great feeling, but I am starting a new 10+ year streak this year!

[Huntingtony]

Looking to break my losing streak this year. After 9 successful years in a row taking Blacktail bucks I have come up short the last 3 years. 9 years in a row was a great feeling, but I am starting a new 10+ year streak this year!

I had a 0 year recently that broke a 6 year streak, it's almost better that way you never have to wonder when the luck will run out, you're already out haha.

[Stein]

Duck opener Sat, youth doe hunt Sunday, back for a couple days, then off again to set up elk camp, hunt a 2nd deer tag then the bull tag opener.  I'm jacked.

[fishnfur]

I think I'm going to skip the opener.  I haven't seen a deer in three weeks, not to mention an elk.  I'm doubting Saturday will be the day they suddenly decide to get up and play.  I think I'll sleep in, go to kid's soccer matches, catch the Cougars on the tube. 

Maybe I'll hunt Monday when the cease-fire is in effect.   

[PastorJoel]

On Friday the 20th I will complete a difficult master's degree program that I have been laboring through for 4 years.  I will be graduating with honors and it will be a major educational milestone.

With that said, all I can think about right now is deer season.   

[Turner89]

That's awesome joel both , the degree, and the desire to hunt.

[jagermiester]

Mission accomplished.
Now my tag goes into the sock drawer and we fish and bird hunt. And more memory making.