2012: My hunting year in review....

[Turkeykiller12]

Well 2012 started off with a bang. I was greatful to become a member of the spur collectors here on OG and was looking forward to a fun turkey season. Turkey season rolled around and I was blessed to have a very successful but short season. I done a good bit of fishing as summer managed to creep up on me and I was pretty unsuccessful on every fishing trip I took part in. Around early August I had my cams in the woods running,getting inventory to see what kind of deer was still around on my hunting properties and I was also practicing with my bow nearly anytime I had the chance. Well, around the late part of summer I had a conversation with a person that is over a neighboring lease and to say the least it wasn't good. I had been informed earlier in the summer that the lease had changed hands and I knew it was probably going to be trouble. These guys were totally unwilling to work out anything with me for any kind of easement to the back of some land I was leasing. I was also leasing another section of land that joined the land they were leasing. Those joining leases had the same owner so I figured a deal would be easy to work out. I had been leasing from that guy for several years and he didn't want to help any at all. To say the least this pretty much had my spirits down in the dumps and really had me pissed off pretty bad. After I somewhat settled down, bow season rolls in and I manage to miss a doe and a small 9pt. I hit a small doe one evening hunting near my house and tracked blood for a good ways but never found the deer. A few days after that muzzleloader season opened and I was unsuccessful with my muzzleloader. Gun season opened and the deer were almost non existent most of the season. Around the week before thanksgiving I made time for a quick hunt before work. I had been in the stand for about 15 minutes and had a pretty nice buck run in on me. He was in some thick stuff and I was waiting for him to make to a clearing so I could shoot. He ended up giving me what I thought was a clear shot and I missed, and I missed again and I shoot again and finally hit him...... But where? He takes off for about 10 yds and then stops and beds down. This goes on for a little while and ends up staggering off and bedding down again every 20 or 30 yds and I finally get another shot and miss again. The buck didn't even flinch! There was good blood and I had a tracking dog help us to try and find him but he had a good will to live and after almost 2 miles of tracking we lost the trail and I had to go to work. After that I had about a week off in december with the primary goal of just to kill a deer. However it wasn't to be. I managed to hunt each time I had the chance from the beginning of december until just a few days ago and never seen another deer. As a result of the landowner being unwilling to work with me and the jack leg he leased to I let the land go I was leasing from him and also let the other lease go because its almost impossible to hunt without easement to the backside. It kinda sucks leasing tracts of land so close together and have something like this happen but it'll all work out. Im down to a small tract less than 30 acres now but it's slam loaded with turkeys and thats where I killed the big bird last season. Well, I hope yalls hunting year went a little better than mine and I certainly hope my 2013 hunting season gets off to a better start than the 2012 season ended. 

[dirt road ninja]

Sorry to hear of your land troubles. I've had problems as well. The ground I've been doing most of my hunting on the past few years is owned by my inlaws. They deer hunt it, but nobody else turkey hunts. I sit with my son during deer season and he does 100% of the shooting. Over the past year my brother in law has been behaving in a manner I deem unsafe, so we hadn't been deer hunting at all. I plan on moving all my box stands as soon as the season ends. We will still bird hunt the place, but I doubt we will deer hunt it again. Hope ya pick up a few more spots. These sort of things always seem to work out for the better.

[Turkeykiller12]

Sorry to hear of your troubles. I hope you can find another place for you and your son to deer hunt on by next season. I've caught a good break on one of the leases that I let go. I got my boss hooked up with the landowner about leasing the property. My boss and brother in law leased the property and neither one turkey hunt. My boss man told me I could turkey hunt it all I wanted to since I helped them get the land. I hope it keeps on getting better.

[dirt road ninja]

Already found some deer ground, just need to set it up for youth hunting. We will be ready come November 2013.

[davisd9]

Sorry to hear that you had trouble with your lease, but glad to hear you got the good end of the deal.  Also glad to hear you got to get out and enjoy the woods!  I had a decent deer season, but nothing to brag about.  Shot two does, one for me and one for my parents. Would have loved to get another deer in the freezer but no big deal.  Our season ended January 1st but mine really ends the middle of November because my mind switches off deer and goes to turkey. 

I have had better deer seasons, but I have had much worse.  Mr. John got a nice buck that made me a bit green, but glad he got him.  I am going to make sure the turkeys make up the space that the venison left open in the freezer.    Looking forward to another great season for the team. 

I have a few things to keep me occupied until our season opens in 88 days.  Got to dial in the new 20 gauge, practice on the ole box call, and scout some private and state land. 

[Turkeykiller12]

I cleaned my deer rifle today and put all my "deer hunting" related stuff away. I got the turkey stuff out getting it ready to tinker with a little. I've got a gun in mind that I want to find for this turkey season. Maybe I'll find it soon and get to rack my brain over another turkey gun setup. Lol.