Moderate season for me and I am getting older and slowing down. I quit
using climbing tree stands a few years ago and only hunt from ground or
platforms on public land.
I've got three in the freezer, no bucks, one from crossbow and two from
shotgun. Probably took out three more, the one that ran into my car,
could have been salvaged, two with crossbow, one a clear gut shot that
could not be followed up and other with arrow in one lung. Tracked that
one for over two hours until dark with help of a fellow hunter. Saw
arrow in lung, bubbles in blood, and even a little piece of lung.
Most frustrating was buck that I could not get a shot at and set up a
couple of days later with a scent line to get him closer. It worked and
I got him within 25 yards of my muzzle loader but I was facing in the
opposite direction and he saw me first. Then there was the buck that I
had at 10 yards broadside in my crossbow sights but could not shoot
because he was only a fork horn and area of PA I was in required at
least 3 points on one side.
Still have a month left but that is doe only in PA and maybe a day or
two of shotgun in DE park.
Maybe not a lot of meat, but a lot of experiences. One of the most
interesting was seeing my first three wild turkeys in Delaware and they
were all jakes.