Well after a long season it is normal for me to look back and at first to be a little sad that another season has come and gone. After that I normally reflect on my successes which are normally very happy thoughts of time spent with family and friends both old and new. Whether it is the fond memory of my guide in South Dakota calling off the distance to my antelope and telling me where to shoot and hitting my spot dead on at 66 yards or the joy of shooting my second pig in Florida last February in front of a group of other hunters. These are things that are etched in my memory and I hope to have them for the rest of my life.
I then start to think of my failures things that happen that I hope to learn from. These are the ones that are not always so pleasant to think about, however in the long run they are the more beneficial experiences in my mind. The one that sticks out in my mind is when I missed a buck of a lifetime not once but twice. I had managed to spot and stalk a 160+ inch whitetail to about 75 yards and there was no way to close the distance any further due to the wind and the deer’s location. I sat there in freezing rain and watched as he dogged 2 hot does chasing off small bucks for 3 hours
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After my watching he got to a distance that I was confident at but not one that I would ideally like to take. Both of my shots were clean misses high even with a range finder. After further review of what happen I now know why many rangefinders have ARC technology built in as I was much higher above the deer than I felt I was.
So what are some of my take away’s from this season. First, I will be looking for a new rangefinder for next season as I do not plan on making the same mistake twice. Second and on a completely different note boots that are waterproof when you start the season can break down, leaving your feet cold and wet the day of the season. So a new pair of insulated winter boots are also on the agenda of things that need to be replaced before next season begins.
It is time however to turn my attention to shooting targets. My hunting bow will be getting hung up and the target bow will be getting the majority of my attention throughout the remainder of the winter, spring and the summer.
It was an amazing year of hunting for me traveling to two new states and harvesting game in each of those states Florida and South Dakota. I am really looking forward to what 2015 has to offer. While there will be less travel in my near future for hunting purposes there are new and exciting opportunities on the horizon that make me believe 2015 will be a year to remember!
Excellent article.