A Few Lessons Learned

Each year I keep a log of the time I spend in the woods. I'm keeping track of the deer I see, the conditions I saw them in, moon phases, etc.

Well I've just started compiling the information into a database of sorts and I'm already seeing some interesting trends that I thought I'd share.

1. I spent an average of 3.8 hours on stand each time that I hunted. From October 30-Nov. 28 that number increased to 4.9 hours per outing. That's due largely to the fact that I started building in all-day sits during the peak of the rut.

2. I have a couple different types of treestands. Now here's something very interesting -- I averaged nearly two hours more per outing when I was hunting out of one of my favorite lock-on stands made by Family Tradition Treestands (www.familytraditiontreestands.com). These stands are pretty sweet and the fact they're made near my hometown doesn't hurt. But I feel safe in these stands (believe it or not, I'm not a big fan of heights) and they're super-comfortable. I hadn't even realized it but I spent more time in the woods when I sat in those stands -- a testament to the fact that you stay out longer when you're comfortable.

3. I saw the majority of mature bucks on days when there was an East wind -- I'm still trying to figure out why that might be but my theory is that the bucks in my area may have actually adapted to hunters using the prevailing West winds to their advantage when setting stands. East winds are unusual. It's just a theory of course.

4. I saw three times as many bucks during the first 10 days of October as I saw the remaining 21 days of the month. Who says bucks don't respond to hunting pressure.

5. And, try as I might, I couldn't find a way to make those notes say that I had indeed smacked a giant in Iowa. It still says I blew it.

Tony Hansen, Michigan Man