What is your single top hunting season goal this year? I expect updates damn it.

Nothing out west this year, I live in the midwest. My dog is in his prime. My goal is to ensure my deer hunting/meat gathering does not infringe on my upland hunting. We eat mostly game meat at home, so I want to get 2 or more deer in the freezer w/ archery and then birds birds birds. I can deer hunt within 30 minutes of home, but birds are at least a day trip but much more commonly an overnight is involved.
Update: This fall is going great. I have two whitetail does down with archery in as many sits in the stand. I will continue to bowhunt now and then, but the main grocery shopping goal is complete. Had some great ruffed grouse and woodcock hunts this fall, and been pheasant hunting once, and had success. They next few weeks I should get back out for birds, but which species is the question....
 
I didn't post my goal before the season but I did fulfil it. Ive got alot of things going on this fall and in an effort to invest in future hunting seasons and opportunities, I decided to put elk on the back burner this year and focus on my other goals. Due to that I was only able to sneek in a day and a half of elk hunting in archery season and thats all I was going to give it. Well I was fortunate enough to kill a bull during that time which really helped me focus on the other tasks at hand. Very thankful.
 
After being extra picky last year was the first time in 15 years that we did not end up with a deer or elk in the freezer so #1 goal is to actually get some venison in the freezer.

Have a few good bucks on camera on all 3 of the properties that we own, so hopefully we can get something decent while we are at it. Would be neat to get one with a crossbow and would be neat to kill an elk on our property in Colorado. Only draw tag is a New Mexico mule deer tag in a relatively decent unit so there is a good chance we could end up going from no venison last year (just pigs) to having more than we need this year.
Check off #1 goal of venison in the freezer.
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Check off #2 goal of getting one with a crossbow.
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Update: bought a ND NR archery tag so I can continue to work on the archery goal with the longer season if I can sneak away from work when I’m over there. I’ve seen deer nearly every time I’ve been out, but only the fawns give me shots 😂 Having fun with it.

Then at home, waiting for the zoo that is opening weekend of rifle to pass by so I can get to work on that lever gun goal. Excited to get started on that one.
 
After being extra picky last year was the first time in 15 years that we did not end up with a deer or elk in the freezer so #1 goal is to actually get some venison in the freezer.

Have a few good bucks on camera on all 3 of the properties that we own, so hopefully we can get something decent while we are at it. Would be neat to get one with a crossbow and would be neat to kill an elk on our property in Colorado. Only draw tag is a New Mexico mule deer tag in a relatively decent unit so there is a good chance we could end up going from no venison last year (just pigs) to having more than we need this year.
Update #2. Shot the biggest whitetail of my life. IMG_8490.jpegIMG_8460.jpegIMG_8480.jpegIMG_8427.jpeg
 
My #1 goal this season was my Alberta moose hunt. I had booked to for last year but because I didn't get a covid shot, I couldn't cross into Canada. My last two moose tags ended in tag soup. In 2020 I went on a moose/woodland caribou hunt in Newfoundland where we didn't see any caribou, and the three bull moose that I saw were wearing probably their first sent of antlers, so I passed. In 2021 I went on a moose/brown bear hunt in Alaska. I got my bear on the first day, and we didn't see any moose. On the previous hunt in that camp they only saw one bull moose, and they weren't sure if it was legal.

So last month I drove to Ft McMurray, Alberta where I met my guide, and we took ATV's into camp. I think that I was too early for the rut, and the brush was way thicker than I had expected. On the second day I took fall in the down timber and twisted my bum knee. That was 4 weeks ago, and I'm still limping on it. By the 4th day of the 7 day hunt I hadn't seen a moose, my walking ability wasn't what it should have been, and the memories of my previous years of moose tag soups, I didn't hesitate to pull the trigger on a 36" bull when he stepped into a clearing about 70 yards from me.

He wasn't as big as the two Montana Shiras moose that I shot here in Montana and have shoulder mounted in my Trophy Room, so I just mounted his antlers on a plaque which saved me a hefty taxidermy bill, but I brought 3/4 of his meat home which topped off all of the available space in my freezers.

So I acheived my goal of a Canadian moose, but with no empty freezer space, I'll probably just have tag soup with my Montana general elk and deer tags this year.

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One goal has been accomplished…get my first kill with a bow (killed a whitetail doe Saturday afternoon).

Now to fill me and my hunting partner’s deer tags next month!

Cherry on top would be killing a good whitetail buck during the rut in December.
 
Honestly, my goal is to have a chance to take a shot at a deer at this point. Heading into my fourth year of this stuff and I have yet to fire my rifle outside of the range. I really want some venison in the freezer.

Welp, I put in 4 days of hunting hiking last week, I managed to not see a single antlered deer, much less a legal buck. Pretty sure I am the worst deer hunter on the planet. Maybe next year I guess. I saw some cool stuff out there, explored some new areas and it sure beat sitting in front of a computer all week, so it was still a win.

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Welp, I put in 4 days of hunting hiking last week, I managed to not see a single antlered deer, much less a legal buck. Pretty sure I am the worst deer hunter on the planet. Maybe next year I guess. I saw some cool stuff out there, explored some new areas and it sure beat sitting in front of a computer all week, so it was still a win.

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I’m right there with you. Places we recreate all summer long and never don’t see deer. Either sex tag for my wife, no deer on the ride in or out, even in the dark so I know they’re around, none in places I’ve killed deer in the past, saw 2 deer at 1000 yards last Sunday from one of my favorite sitting places.

I dunno, maybe I’m the worlds crappiest deer finder
 
Leupold BX-4 Rangefinding Binoculars

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