Most of my hunting is done in Pennsylvania. There, you get a buck tag and, if you are lucky and time it right, a doe tag as well through a first come, first served system. This year I was able to get one because the plan in motion prior to my dad passing was to thin the doe heard.

After I finally was able to purchase the doe tag, my Uncle Dan and I set out to figure out a good weekend to go out and try to fill said tag. We decided on a weekend in mid-October when there would be no work done on the property except for minor things around the house. 

After we got there, we realized New Jersey doesn’t allow me to bring a full deer carcass back into the state to help prevent the spread of CWD. As a plan B, I went to Walmart and picked up a cooler as well as a bunch of freezer bags. 

The first afternoon, we didn’t see anything and went in for dinner at the cabin. The next morning, Dan and I went out. At just about 8 am, a couple of does came out by the water tower stand that I had set up for my father the year before. Stupid me – I didn’t range the deer and thought that I was experienced enough to just guess as to how far away I was with the velocity of the arrow. I pulled back, aimed a little higher than normal and released. The arrow went right under the doe I was aiming for, and it ran off. I got down from the stand, knowing my day was over, and started looking for blood (if any) and my arrow. It wasn’t until Spring that I was able to find it again. We went out that same night, and unfortunately had no luck then either. 

Fast forward three weeks. We were at the farm for the whole week, but this time I arrived Saturday morning while Dan wasn’t going to get there until Sunday afternoon. Mainly, I just wanted to go up and get anything I could if I was able. As many of you saw on my Instagram, the week wound up being mostly me sitting in different locations and not getting anything. I could have shot a couple of does, but I figured if there was a doe, a big buck or even a younger buck would be right there behind it, so I never shot. 

There was one encounter though, that week, that made me question myself as a bowhunter. There was a buck that we were calling Tall Tine, because his tines were just long. He was following two does and a fawn while I was in the ground blind, and I just started shaking. I’m was trying to calm myself down as this monster was walking in my direction. The does came right in front of me and he was still walking a distance behind. I went to start to pull back but, because I’m so big, the bow hit something in the blind. It spooked the does and made Tall Tine run off into the woods, almost like a mule deer. My heart sank and I was just devastated. After that encounter, I decided that I either need a bigger blind to hunt out of with a bow, or I would use a crossbow for that type of set up. 

Fast forward again to Thanksgiving weekend. It is now rifleseason. Wifey had to work and wanted to join me up at the farm for the Saturday and Sunday that we were going to rifle hunt. We didn’t get to the farm until about 10pm, and it was pitch black. After that night driving up to the farm on 80 and the back roads leading up there, I decided the truck was getting LED lights because the halogen headlights weren’t able to illuminate everything. When we got there, Dan and Viv and Dan’s wife Molly where waiting for us. Dan made me an Old Fashioned to calm my nerves after the trip up and, looking at the time which was 10:30 pm, we decided it wouldn’t be hunting if we weren’t sleep deprived.

Saturday turned into mostly an all-day sit. The girls hung out inside because it was so cold. They didn’t want to go out or do anything in town, not to mention it would have affected our hunts. I saw a couple does, but the same thought process about shooting a doe was still in my head: there had to be a big buck. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Sunday morning I packed out light, just my rifle and my Wyndscent difuser to try to attract something. Snow moved in while we sat there, and I wound up saying that was it before long.

The season was unfortunately unsuccessful. I wish I got a buck, but I was just holding out for one of the bigger ones that never came. That said, it doesn’t save me from being teased by my friends at work.

There’s always hunting season 2023…