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2011 Season Goals

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
Along with a checklist a month out I am thinking about some goals for this season. I pretty much have had some in my head since last year, but would like to hear some of yours as well.

1) Be safe. Thank the Lord. Same as every year.

2) Harvest more does.

3) Naturally a goal to tag a bigger buck every year. Still plenty do-able for me. Once you get to JD's level I think this would be extremely difficult.

4) I want and need to focus on stand and property rotation more this year. I don't feel I over hunted any properties last year, but there is one property I felt I should have spaced out my hunts a bit more or at least the location I was hunting on this property. I think stand rotation is a goal which I need every year.

5) I would love a muzzle loader deer tagged. I have a shotgun buck (2008), an archery buck (2010 and antlerless 2009), and one with a handgun in 2009 (Smith and Wesson 44mag). I would love to put a notch on my muzzle loader.

6) I would like to work Hank more and hopefully help some people recovery deer which they might not have otherwise. If nothing else, maybe help them to find their deer quicker before it spoils or the coyotes get to it.

7) Another goal I want to implement annually is more hunting with my kids. I don't force them, but I want to make these opportunities available to them in the event they want to go out.

8) In conjunction with my "more doe harvests" goal, I would like to start donating to our local FHFH chapter. We definitely need to thin some does, and there are certainly people in need.

9) I have hit one and not recovered it, but I have yet to kill a coyote. Would love to have a coyote hide tanned.

I am sure there are more, but let's hear some of yours!
 

Dannmann801

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,640
191
Springboro
Good idea Phil - I need to go back and review last year's goals and redefine for this season.
Gettting a notch on the muzzy is certainly on there, as well as whackin my first yote.
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
Great thread.

First and foremost, I would like to kill a deer with my bow. This will be my second season. I had one missed shot last year, and two other times that I probably should have drawn.

2nd - improve my shooting. I was talking to Milo about this last night, I've got a burn desire to be the absolute best shot that I can be. On my average days, I am putting arrows into a vitals target at 30 yards. I want to consistently improve my shooting to an undefined point of marksmanship. I'm still having a ton of fun with it, so it wont be "I've got to shoot quarters at xx yards." I just want to keep learning about the principles of archery and how I can improve as a shot and thus as a hunter. A big subpoint in this group will be finding a new spot to shoot once I relocate.

3rd - I'd like to better my time on the stand. Not waste it being distracted, but truly value each chance to sit in the woods and be closer to God, and to become a better hunter. There's a ton to learn, I know that much. Each trip is a learning experience. For me, that's going to look like avoiding the temptation to hunt all over creation, but instead focus on hunting a single spot intelligently. I guess making that one spot my main spot, and then hunting other spots under different conditions.

Finally, I want to hunting the opening morning of gun season. I haven't in three years, and I'd like to this year. (Bad news is that'd mean that I hadn't filled a tag with my bow in the previous 13 days of the season I was able to hunt!). For me that will mean having other circumstances aligned and working my tail off to get ahead and not slack off, so that I'm in a position to stretch my vacation through opening day. We'll see.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Great goals and aspirations fellas!

My goals are to simply hunt hard and to have fun. There is a lot more to it than that, but if I’m sure to do those two things, then all the others items on my list will fall in to place…
 

rgecko23

*Supporting Member*
7,466
0
Massillon, Ohio
My first goal this year is to get my first buck.......and for it to be on film is going to be amazing!

2nd is to just lay out some doe this year, last year I didn;t shoot one deer in hopes of shooting a buck. That will never happen again

I am going to put more emphasis on my new property instead of where I used to hunt. I had it to hunt in plenty of time last year and just blew it off, now with the cam pics I have been getting it looks to be the best spot I have.

I want to get alot of footage, I want to work on my filming a ton, so any chance I get to be behind the camera I am going to take it. I really needto step that game up alot.

dial in my bow as usual and really get it shooting well. It shoots good now, just not where I want it to be. especially since it seems these blazers i have on it now are really effecting my flight for some reason or another.
 

Fluteman

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,094
146
Southeast Ohio
My goals for this year are to get Kate on her first deer ever and to trust my gut when it comes to making a decision making. I screwed myself several times last year by trying to overthink things. I don't have a buck over 120" under my belt despite over 15 years of hunting, and sometimes I let that prohibit me from doing what I know I need to do. This year has to be a game changer for me, or I may have some serious bow-soul searching to do.
 

Mike

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,840
223
Up Nort
My goal is to kill deerz and eat them up.

Also, to get my older son involved as much as possible. I want to take the little guy out too, but in a blind.
 

rgecko23

*Supporting Member*
7,466
0
Massillon, Ohio
My goals for this year are to get Kate on her first deer ever and to trust my gut when it comes to making a decision making. I screwed myself several times last year by trying to overthink things. I don't have a buck over 120" under my belt despite over 15 years of hunting, and sometimes I let that prohibit me from doing what I know I need to do. This year has to be a game changer for me, or I may have some serious bow-soul searching to do.


and use that fancy new camera as much as possible!!
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
I am here to tell you guys, I am rooting for you. I would love to see Greg and Wayne with some backstrap eating grins on their faces while holding up some dandy antlers this year! You guys definitely deserve your time in the spotlight! Hardcore hunters with a passion make me feel like the luckiest son of a gun ever. Truth of the matter is, there is always some luck involved. My opinion anyway.

Huck- Great goals. Gotta be tough to set goals with limited time in the field and with bouncing all over the place. I think you have some obtainable goals which are excellent goals as well! I really liked "I want to consistently improve my shooting to an undefined point of marksmanship." I am with you. Doubt I ever take a 50yd shot, but I want to be comfortable out to 50,60,70. Heck, I never shot a deer over 35yds away anyhow and that includes shotgun and handgun deer. lol

Good luck to all, and let's hear some more goals. Don't have to be lofty, just goals.
 

Buckmaster

Senior Member
14,362
191
Portage
My goals this year are simple.

1. Have fun and be safe.
2. Treat my family and friends to lots of fun hunts at Piney Fork Hollow.
3. Put one of the above people on a Booner with success.
4. Harvest a button buck on the ground with my recurve.
5. Take both my kids out on a couple hunts each.
6. Look forward to enjoying a muzzleloader snow hunt in January.
 

Fluteman

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,094
146
Southeast Ohio
I am here to tell you guys, I am rooting for you. I would love to see Greg and Wayne with some backstrap eating grins on their faces while holding up some dandy antlers this year! You guys definitely deserve your time in the spotlight! Hardcore hunters with a passion make me feel like the luckiest son of a gun ever. Truth of the matter is, there is always some luck involved. My opinion anyway.

I can attest to the "luck" thing. I have the knowledge to find good deer and put myself in a position to have a chance every year, I just don't have the luck to close the deal. It has happened to me year in and year out, ever since I started deer hunting. I'm sure there are several people out there that probably think I am a lying SOB when it comes to telling deer stories, and that is fine, I have nothing to prove, but I can promise, every one of my "close calls" is true.

I hope everyone can reach their goals for the year and have a good, safe season. I know I can't wait!
 
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My main goal is to alternate stands more this season. The property I hunt is only 10 acres and is very long and very narrow and I hunt it 2-4 days a week if wind conditions allow. Only 330 foot wide at the widest point. This property is best hunted with a due west wind. I have placed a couple new stands this year. One can be hunted with a SW wind the other still requires a W wind. I have three archery box style stands on this small property which means all are in close proximity of each other. My biggest issue is having to pass by my first two stands to reach my stand that is furthest to the west near the back of my property. So for me the goal to alternate stands has other implications that I'll have to deal with.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
I can attest to the "luck" thing. I have the knowledge to find good deer and put myself in a position to have a chance every year, I just don't have the luck to close the deal. It has happened to me year in and year out, ever since I started deer hunting. I'm sure there are several people out there that probably think I am a lying SOB when it comes to telling deer stories, and that is fine, I have nothing to prove, but I can promise, every one of my "close calls" is true.

I hope everyone can reach their goals for the year and have a good, safe season. I know I can't wait!

Oh I believe ya buddy.... I know all too well....
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
I can attest to the "luck" thing. I have the knowledge to find good deer and put myself in a position to have a chance every year, I just don't have the luck to close the deal. It has happened to me year in and year out, ever since I started deer hunting. I'm sure there are several people out there that probably think I am a lying SOB when it comes to telling deer stories, and that is fine, I have nothing to prove, but I can promise, every one of my "close calls" is true.

I hope everyone can reach their goals for the year and have a good, safe season. I know I can't wait!

If I know of anyone with a "should, coulda, woulda" wall that is more impressive than mine, it would be Greg! I was there for two of them, one of them falls on me and used up bad luck from both of us; the other one was the craziest damn thing I have ever seen. Speaking of which, I'd love to see that video again! Just a crazy ass mishap if I have ever seen one. No one around knows your trials better than I do and I can promise you, no one wants to see you tag a slunger worse than me. Outside of you and the family that is!!! I just hope I get to be there for the recovery!!!
 

dante322

*Supporting Member*
5,506
157
Crawford county
I have a few goals....


1) To help redcloud drag one out

2) To kill multiple deer, so far I've got one per season.

3) To put my first buck on the ground

4) To see my daughter get one.

5) The last on kinda goes with the multiple deer goal, I have room in the freezer for 2, (chelsea says if she gets one she want to turn the whole thing into jerkey) If I achieve that I would also like to get a third one to donate.
 

RedCloud

Super Moderator
Super Mod
17,381
193
North Central Ohio
Goals

1) Get use to the new gear I purchased for this seasons hunting adventures (getting out and shooting daily now after dropping kids off at school )
2) Get multiple deer (Usually only get one per year because I'm usually sick of the phone calls while in my stand asking when I will be home lol )
3) Find the bucks I have on cam lol
4) get multiple mineral sites going

This list could keep going forever lol.
 

Schu72

Well-Known Member
3,864
113
Streetsboro
Have fun.
Get my son in front of his first deer.
Take a buck over 130 with my bow.
Extend the steak of 17 consecutive taking a deer.
Fill the fridge full of smokey stix.