I had high hopes for this bow season. Usually Vermont bow hunting is a tough business. Lots of time in the stand with few deer sightings and even fewer shot opportunities is the norm. This year I was hunting a new stand in an area that holds more deer in a more compact setting. Abundant signs of activity near my stand suggested this season was going to be a good one. That proved to be overly optimistic.

A view from my stand. Some more openings would be nice, but without any deer it doesn’t make a difference!

I hunted several evenings and even more mornings and never saw a deer. I spent a great deal of my time on stand worrying about how I should have cleared more brush and cut more shooting lanes and noting all the spots were I’d be able to see a deer that was in range but I’d never get a shot at it. All of that was true of course. Had a deer presented in a number of spots I’d never have a good shot. But without the deer it’s a moot point.

I won’t get out again for Vermont bow, but I still have regular season and muzzle loader to look forward to and there’s still a few more weeks of New York bow season. I’ll be heading to the Empire State on Friday to try to fill a tag or two. Details on that hunt to follow.