Look into the rearview mirror, analyze the past few months, and grow from it.
Deer hunting is a year-round endeavor. You can only fill tags between opening and closing days, of course, but the entire work spans 12 months. There is always something to be done. As they say, if you aren’t getting better, you’re getting worse. The same holds true for hunters.
Part of the process includes reflection, evaluation, and personal growth. The perfect time to do this? Right after deer season ends. Here are five steps to remember.
Step No. 1: Reflect on Observations
A lot happens during the span of deer season. Some of it happened early on, while a good bit might have transpired toward the tail end. Regardless, most of it is still fresh in our minds, making now the perfect time to regurgitate all of it.
In doing this, one thing to do is to make observations — good and bad. Come at it with complete open-mindedness. Leave that pride at the door, as those with a lot of it rarely grow.
Once you’re in that good state of mind, think about each trip afield. Make notes about each one. Write down what happened. Then, observe and reflect.
There are other things to do as well, such as studying trail camera photos, post-season scouting, and more. All of these should relinquish results that culminate into a cohesive off-season work plan.
Step No. 2: Think About Missed Opportunities
Some of those notes will rehash negative encounters. That’s good. Think about those. Burn them into your brain. While some improve with success, most of us learn best through our failures.
It doesn’t have to be painful, of course. Merely think about what happened, and if it was a negative encounter, determine why it happened. Think about how you could have prevented it.
For the good? Reinforce it. Recall what worked, and keep doing it. Deer hunting is shades of gray. What might work for me, may not work for you and your situation, and vice versa. That’s why it’s so important to take in as much information as you can, learn from your failures, and remember every detail that led up to your successes.
Step No. 3: Consider Alternate Outcomes
Not happy with how the season went? That’s OK. Those who stay hungry, stay ready for whatever comes next. And if things didn’t end the way you wanted them to, imagine where you want to be this coming year, and then figure out exactly what needs to be done in order to bring it to fruition.
Step No. 4: Determine Off-Season Tasks
Regardless of whether you had a successful year or not, there’s much to be done during the off-season; scouting every inch of hunting properties, finding buck beds, pinpointing food sources, locating water sources, mapping travel routes, hunting sheds, hanging treestands, cutting shooting lanes, making property improvements, running trail cameras, maintaining gear. There’s so much to be done.
That said, it’s all in an effort to maximize your success come fall. None of this is done without purpose. It’s all with specific target bucks in mind, or at the very least anticipation of future movements based on historical knowledge, existing sign, and gut feelings.
Step No. 5: Get It Done
All things considered, with the exception of seasonal jobs — such as well-timed food plots, glassing velvet, etc. — don’t wait to do something that can be done now. Get as much work done during the immediate post-season so that it doesn’t have to be completed later in the year.
We have much to do, but we want to limit the volume of pressure we apply to the areas we hunt. Truth be told, that deer doesn’t know the difference between the hunter who’s merely hanging a stand and the one who’s moving in to kill him. Remain poised, even during the off-season. Stay off whitetails’ radars.
Now, get it done.
Article by Josh Honeycutt
