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Goals for this year

Monster Raxx

Junior Member
716
0
Minnesota
My first goal is to film my son shoot a decent buck. Hopefully this year it will be with his bow. For me I will do what I can to shoot a 4 1/2 year old on film, plus a few doe for the freezer. Cant cook Veni Bites with out venison :) I am also going to try and help a friend of mine shoot his first mature buck.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Get to the stand earlier. I noticed last year that the earlier I got to the stand the more deer I saw right at daylight. I never got to the stand with what I would consider late. I'm usually in the tree a good 30 min before shooting light. Which is about the time you can notice the horizon get a tad lighter. I want to be in the stand a good hour before sunrise next season.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
My goal every year is to harvest a mature target buck. Last year I gave my #1 target buck(Bonehead) a haircut, this year I hope to send him to the taxi....if he's still alive. Lol
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
In the past, I set pretty detailed goals and to some degree, I still do. However, I believe this year I will keep things simple and set a goal that should keep me focused most of the year. The only goal I have for this year is to hunt hard and to have fun doing so. Perhaps more important than that, I want to alleviate all the pressure I have put on myself the past 6-7 years and hunt without that giant gorilla on my back. It is time to actually enjoy a deer season for once...
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,735
274
North Carolina
Just too have fun and let the cards (deer) fall as they may..... I'm hoping a good one comes by but if not I'll watch the little ones walk on.....
 

Rutin

Senior Member
2,029
0
Ina Duck Blind
Attempt to kill two P&Y class animals on film. Realize my time afield has been shortened with the divorce and my son, so take hunting back to the basics of having fun!!
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,720
248
Ohio
Great thread! We had one last year as well and I was thinking about this subject just last week.

1) Be safe. Thank God for the opportunities to hunt and enjoy the beauty around me.
2) Put some meat in the freezer. Might need an early doe just to grind into burger this year. Momma ran thru the last batch from last year quick!
3) Get the kids out more this year.
4) Harvest a mature buck. Preferably larger than the ones on the wall. I will make an exception for unusual character or a mature animal which I feel will never get any bigger. We have one from last year which should be 7.5yrs old if still around this year. Another hunter on adjoining property has trail cam pics showing him at 6.5yrs old last season. No matter what he scores, I feel this would be a giant trophy.
5) Thin some more coyotes.
6) I will have less time to hunt this year with bringing in our nephew to live with us. I must hunt smart. Less opportunities means I must make it count.
7) Take more pictures and hopefully video a kill. I will take a dead deer over a dead deer on film any day though. lol
8) Taking a deer in two states is a goal. Two bucks would be a bonus. Limited time will make it tough. 5-6hrs travel hurts also. I guess this is why we make goals. If they were easy to accomplish we would set the bar higher.

9) This an easy goal to accomplish. I want to enjoy myself. If i make it out, thank the Lord for my time, put some meat in the freezer, and get the kids out, this will be simple to accomplish. Heck, if I make it out to hunt a little bit I am sure I will enjoy myself!
 
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Fluteman

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,094
146
Southeast Ohio
I still haven't decided how I want to approach this season yet, so I haven't set any goals for the year. I'm just looking forward to being back in a treestand in less than four months.
 

Schu72

Well-Known Member
3,864
113
Streetsboro
I'm not as goal oriented this year...
Plan to have fun and keep the boys interested.
Do a better job of field judging.
Take at least 1 deer with my bow.
Get access to at least 1 new property.
 
My goals for this year are simply to get the kids out hunting more. With the new change in law my son will be able to hunt this year, so that is one goal. My daughter is after her first antlered buck, that's another. My wife is hoping to get back into hunting as well, so that's the third. For me personally, my goal used to be to shoot a buck bigger than my biggest. Last year's buck far exceeded my expectations as far as size goes. I would say my personal goal is to shoot something over 130 as long as it's a good mature buck. Other goals my buddy and I have set are to get at least 3 food plots in. We are well on our way thanks to him as he recently went down and sprayed our selected fields and has now acquired a tractor w/ tiller.
 

Lundy

Member
1,307
127
My goals the last 10 years have not changed.

1. Just have fun and enjoy every second I can spend hunting with family and friends
2. Spend as much time out hunting as I can
3. Shoot a mature buck or no buck at all
4. Take a doe for meat during the late MZ season( See #3)
5. See # 1
 

Mike

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,840
223
Up Nort
My goal is to, as always, put meat in the freezer and to possibly get my first archery buck. I'd like to get my 10 year old on his first deer.
 

Kaiser878

Senior Member
2,633
97
ohio
Same for me as they always are. Shoot a 140+ buck and try to get the old man on a good deer. I failed at that last year...So hopefully this year I can redeem myself! As for shooting a 140+ buck, IT seems the light at the end of the tunnel is getting dim. I think this year is gonig ot be a struggle. I dont know why......But I just have that feeling.... LAst year was incredible....The year before that was a dream......Its gotta come crashing down sometime! But we will see!
 

buckbuster217

*Supporting Member*
3,136
85
Byesville, Ohio
I would have to say I am taking the same route that Jesse is taking, I want to take all the pressure off of myself and have more fun. Last couple of years I have picked out specific bucks and hunted them hard without success and it got to be very stressful, it was to the point last year that the gentleman on the next piece of property shot "my" buck during muzzleloader season and I was pissed for a week after that. I realized that hunting had turned into something like a " job " and it wasn't as much fun anymore. So this year I will hunt hard, shoot a doe for the freezer, and hunt for a mature buck, but not a specific buck, if I shoot one great! if I don't , no big deal, but my #1 goal is to have fun and start enjoying myself again
 

dante322

*Supporting Member*
5,506
157
Crawford county
My goals from last year...

1) to help redcloud track, drag and butcher a deer.
2) to shoot my first buck
3) to harvest more than one deer
4) to see one of my kids harvest one

the first goal was accomplished. He shot a tight 10 point early in the season. There wasnt much of a track job, it fell 10 feet from where he shot it. And the drag consisted of pulling the jeep up next to it and loading it. but we did get it butchered that night.
the second goal was half accomplished. I did shoot a buck, but it was not recovered. this remains a goal for this year, with the addition of a successful recovery.
The third goal could have happened but for one reason or another it didnt. If I would have recovered that buck, it would have been #2 for the year. I could have shot a big mature doe, but there was a stout 10 point 40 yards away, and I let her walk in hopes the big boy would come in. needless to say he didnt. I also had opportunities to shoot a couple small young does but was waiting for a larger more mature animal.
As for the fourth goal. I couldnt even get one of the kids to the woods last year. My sons were to busy with work, school, girlfriends, and extracurricular acctivities. And my daughter got all girly on me and was afraid she might mess up her hair or make up. This remains a goal for this year.

Goals for this year...

1) To shoot, and recover my first buck.
2) To harvest more than one deer. preferably mature animals only.
3) to get my children interested
4) to continue to improve my hunting skills
5) to make it through the whole season without getting burned out. Last year i had a time when hunting seemed more like work than fun. I intend to avoid that problem this season.
 

JOHNROHIO

Participation Trophy Winner
2,824
136
As many have said, have more fun and less like a job. I also would like to spend more time hunting with buddies than always being solo. Hopefully I can continue to keep my kids interested, I was able to get my daughter on her first deer last year. I also have applied for a deer tag in Arizona to hunt with my uncle. That has always been a dream. I think that wether I get drawn or not I'm going out to spend a week hunting something with him.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Another goal of mine is to get my daughters involved in hunting. They've both showed alittle interest last year so hopefully they will both hit the woods with me some this fall.