Well if anyone would have told me back on October 1st that I'd be hunting January 1st, 2015 with a buck tag still to be filled I would have had a real hard time believing them. However, that is exactly what I found myself doing just hours ago....and just like so many other hunts this year it didn't end with a "BBD" moment.
Quite the contrary to be honest...as I climbed into the stand I could tell instantly that someone had been in my stand. I never leave the seat up....it was up. My rattling antlers are always hung and wedged a particular way as to not rattle or move in the wind....they were just dangling and opposite of normal orientation.
Yet, just another issue of not owning our own land and the landowner having the inability to say no to hunters come gun season and owning grandchildren that can't follow instructions to stay out of the woods and also out of stands not owned by them.
Long story short 2014 wasn't my friend. Despite having the most "shooter" bucks on film on all of our properties and getting the chance to hunt Kansas, 2014 didn't really pan out with the buck moments I thought it would.
Given the year I've had I'll be honest it is tough not to get frustrated and honestly at times infuriated what from missing the big ones by minutes or just hours to dealing with a frustrating landowner situation; however I can't help but realize all the things a season like this teaches a hunter and can be the most powerful tool going into the next season.
(Image from the 2012 season during a hard rain....pretty much how this season has felt in 2014)
Now granted I may still have one or two sits on stand before Sunday's sunset happens, officially closing the Indiana deer season....but I can't help but realize that this season is going to make the biggest impact on my 2015 season.
Perhaps that is what separates "us" kind of hunters. Like many of you, if not all of you, reading this I think "hunting" 24/7 and while many hunters just chalk up a season like this to bad luck and "we'll get em next time" type of attitude; as they just simply hang up their hunting gear not planning on touching it till the following fall. That's just not in our blood though, hunters like you and I don't think that way. As a matter of fact our next season is in our thoughts and minds even as we hunt our current season, and it shifts into overdrive as one season winds down and comes to a close.
That is why 2015 is going to be a HUGE year for my pops and I, in turn a huge year for Small Acre Hunting as well. Whether you are an Insider or just a visitor to the website/Facebook from time to time you can rest assured A LOT of content or thoughts will be coming your way!
Just a few snippets upcoming:
-Our Homestead property is set to be logged and go through some manipulated habitat changes unlike previouse years in an effort to re-vamp and re-energize our hunting there.
-The Riverbottom property is set to get it's first food plot installed and hopefully agreement with the landowner to have sole hunting rights to the West side of the property.
-The Swamp Property, after an entire year of frustration with how the landowner runs things will see the workings for a lease agreement which should allow us to do more and bring more knowledge and information to you as we change our entire approach to how we hunt the property now after 3 years of hunting experience there.
-Scouting of both the Riverbottom and Swamp Property are set to occur just days after our season closes in hopes of confirming some of what we suspect as we begin to set the stage for a more successful 2015.
-Trips are set to occur with Bill Vale, Jim Brauker and various other landowners and hunters which will provide both education and real-life examples of how to tackle hunting real life situations many of you like I face every year in our hunting.
Well....with that said be ready for more information about becoming an Insider here at Small Acre Hunting to fully take advantage and grasp hold of our hunting and begin to make it what it should be.
God Bless,
Ty