It's the final countdown.....

[JHbowhunter]

 

 

It's been a long, challenging and yet very enjoyable bow season.  I knew after my 2019 dream season, 2020 was sure to be a "let down" but honestly it wasn't. Took a decent buck 11/13 with the best brow tines of any buck for me,  and the two largest does I have ever taken.  Freezer is full.   Passed up on some real nice bucks - played cat and mouse all winter bow with one I was ready to draw on week before Halloween when he was on a doe, but he never came out of the brush (Glad I didn't).   Got him in range a few weeks back, but decided he was my best hope for next season and although he would have made P&Y, never even picked up the bow and just trying to get him through to next fall. 

Amidst the challenge of Covid, and the challenge of bowhunting - my career decided to toss me a major curveball.  My boss reached out to me late September and said my job was transferring to Jacksonville, Fl - the question was would I go with it at basically half the pay and demotion from VP to AVP...  The answer was immediate - "THANKS BUT NO THANKS".    My last day would be 11/30 - taking a decent severance package and figured I would just take some time off and contemplate what was next.  Do I really want to keep doing IT project management? Figured "ok but not likely to land something anytime soon" but I sort of "fell up" and got a job as a contractor for a major Financial Services company starting 12/1 - not even a day on unemployment.   It got better - they are converting me to full-time TOMORROW and I am now in a better place than I was with last job - again "falling up".   I was about to have to start paying for medical insurance March 1st, but not now. 

Very thankful all that worked out - hunting was very much secondary....

Last hunt this afternoon, 12 minutes from home before it closes - been seeing a ridiculous amount of deer  last two sits  and keep passing up a 100" 8pt.  There are 4 mature bucks that are nocturnal only, but did have close call with one at dark.  Hoping this approaching storm has those big boys moving early to get on the feed. 

GOOD LUCK TO ALL HEADING OUT TODAY!!!

Edited January 31, 2021 by JHbowhunter

[hammer4reel]

still few weeks left in my zones .

bunch of ok bucks still holding .

‘but seems someone on neighboring property must have set up pretty close to me .

‘my sanctuary has been untouched for 3 weeks , and oddly the deer that you could set your watch by for 4 months are very sporadic .

want to shoot one more deer with my Recurve , so will give it a go before the storm today .

.

[Greybeard]

Good luck guys!   Going to try to get out and do some shed hunting before they get buried

[bushden]

57 minutes ago, JHbowhunter said:

GOOD LUCK TO ALL HEADING OUT TODAY!!!

Same to you, I may go out one more time later in the week once roads are clear just to get out in the snow a little with the ATV.

[Lunatic]

Good luck on the new job I am sure you will do well. I changed my job 3 times since college and although it was always stressful the change always improved my situation and made me better. 
My season was great because I had all the time in the world to hunt and I did. I killed a piebald doe and three bucks with two going on my wall. One of them is the oldest deer I ever killed.
 Goose season was fantastic and little more deer and predator hunting is still ahead of me. How did I have all this time? Like you I had something weird brewing for the last two years with my job situation. Although I was and still am not feeling it financially, after being the top guy for 16 years with one company the unknown that is still to come was heavy on my mind. Hunting helped immensely so lived in the woods.  My next chapter is still not clear to me but last year with all that happened to us gave me a new outlook on life. I am in peace now. I no longer want to do what I did for the last 30 years.  Sure I will be working in the same industry but I am no longer willing to wear 7 hats. It was once  exciding to me being in charge or involved in everything. The energy was incredible, the pay was great, I loved it, but I will never do this again. I will be one title guy and I am willing to take cut in pay. Last year showed me it is time for me to slow down. Do less but better with much less stress and more times for myself. The irony is I found my way thanks to the virus. 

[Tuck]

Hope to get out today ahead of the storm as well.  I am also approaching a crossroads in my future.  I "can" retire in June 2022 with 25 years of teaching, but will only be 53 and take a small hit on the pension.  Teaching is certainly not the same as when I started..................Pay is good, benefits are great, but It isn't the same to me.  I am certainly not afraid of work and have all intentions of a second career, but not sure in what or where????  Will be interesting to see what happens.....

[roy381]

Last sit this afternoon in zone 18. Wish we had one more week with the snow that's going to be on the ground. 

best of luck to all going out!

[BowhunterNJ]

Good luck out there.  Snow coming down now!

[Bucksnbows]

Good luck Jack!   it's starting to flurry good here, so heads up!  

[LPJR]

6 hours ago, JHbowhunter said:

 

 

It's been a long, challenging and yet very enjoyable bow season.  I knew after my 2019 dream season, 2020 was sure to be a "let down" but honestly it wasn't. Took a decent buck 11/13 with the best brow tines of any buck for me,  and the two largest does I have ever taken.  Freezer is full.   Passed up on some real nice bucks - played cat and mouse all winter bow with one I was ready to draw on week before Halloween when he was on a doe, but he never came out of the brush (Glad I didn't).   Got him in range a few weeks back, but decided he was my best hope for next season and although he would have made P&Y, never even picked up the bow and just trying to get him through to next fall. 

Amidst the challenge of Covid, and the challenge of bowhunting - my career decided to toss me a major curveball.  My boss reached out to me late September and said my job was transferring to Jacksonville, Fl - the question was would I go with it at basically half the pay and demotion from VP to AVP...  The answer was immediate - "THANKS BUT NO THANKS".    My last day would be 11/30 - taking a decent severance package and figured I would just take some time off and contemplate what was next.  Do I really want to keep doing IT project management? Figured "ok but not likely to land something anytime soon" but I sort of "fell up" and got a job as a contractor for a major Financial Services company starting 12/1 - not even a day on unemployment.   It got better - they are converting me to full-time TOMORROW and I am now in a better place than I was with last job - again "falling up".   I was about to have to start paying for medical insurance March 1st, but not now. 

Very thankful all that worked out - hunting was very much secondary....

Last hunt this afternoon, 12 minutes from home before it closes - been seeing a ridiculous amount of deer  last two sits  and keep passing up a 100" 8pt.  There are 4 mature bucks that are nocturnal only, but did have close call with one at dark.  Hoping this approaching storm has those big boys moving early to get on the feed. 

GOOD LUCK TO ALL HEADING OUT TODAY!!!

GL Jacko. 

Funny. I saw Nick running out of Walmart about an hour ago- with no less than 10 Air Horns he just bought.....

I asked where he was going, he said, "Don't worry about it!" and ran to his truck.........

[Mountain Goat]

5 hours ago, Tuck said:

Hope to get out today ahead of the storm as well.  I am also approaching a crossroads in my future.  I "can" retire in June 2022 with 25 years of teaching, but will only be 53 and take a small hit on the pension.  Teaching is certainly not the same as when I started..................Pay is good, benefits are great, but It isn't the same to me.  I am certainly not afraid of work and have all intentions of a second career, but not sure in what or where????  Will be interesting to see what happens.....

What do you teach? In Nj? I am in education in Pa.  I have about 3.5 years to get to 25 and I am 56.   If I stay healthy cashing in my sick time which gives me health care then part time job around hunting season. Looking forward to it! 

[Greybeard]

Found no sheds.  Still have a couple inches of snow on the ground covering them, but found a good area where I counted over 3 dozen beds, trails, and crap all over.  Will have to go back there again when the snow is all gone, which just started up here a few minutes ago.  Good luck to you all going out tonight!

[_X7]

Good luck on the new job, Jack.

[JHbowhunter]

The deer are starting to surround me. Saw about 20 4:10 pm two small bucks coming - then something spooked them all. Coyote I think. Now they coming back 

[JHbowhunter]

That’s a wrap! No deer harmed. Till next season.