2024 2025 Goals thread

[hickslawns]

I'm slow starting this one this year. Been so busy I just forgot about it.

My goals: stuff a deer in the freezer. Enjoy the hunt. Thank God for my blessings in the woods. Remain safe throughout the season. Make quick, clean, and ethical shots when presented the opportunity.

I think I'm over the buck hunting goals portion of my hunting career. I've been blessed. If I happen across a buck I want to kill, I'm sure I'll put in the effort.

 

[giles]

I need a break. So that is number one goal for me. Enjoy my time in the field and carry out less mental load every trip.

Second goal is I want a new personal best. I honestly don't even know what the inches are on my best. 140?

Third, I gotta get Levi a buck this year.

Fourth, I am ready to fill the freezer this year. My new diet requires alot of red meat.

 

[Chancegriffis]

New hunting goal never set for me this year. Shoot 8 different types of duck in the same year. Really going to get after waterfowl this year. Also want to kill my pb hog on public which I think will be interesting. 264 on the hoof is what I have to beat.

 

[Smawgunner2]

I didn’t take one last year. I was kinda burnt out so this year I’m pretty excited. Not for the largest buck but just to get out and fill my freezer. Couple new sites I’m in that I think are more productive so my strategy has shifted slightly. But meat in the freezer is goal #1.

 

[Dustinb80]

I want meat in the freezer.

 

[GoetsTalon]

Back to having fun. Not hunting out of a blind this year. A nice little six pointer that I can load by myself would be fine with me.

 

[Bowhunter57]

I'd like to kill everything with my recurve, this year. I'll be doing my best to leave the Elite Ritual at home.
However, during any of the gun seasons, I have to get a kill with my new Marlin 1894, in 44 Mag.
I'm looking forward to enjoying my new climbing system of all ropes and a platform with my Cruzr tree saddle. I've been climbing trees in the neighbor's yard for practice, so that I'm not fiddling around with a bunch of new items, when I could be in the tree and hunting. So far, it's been a lot of fun.

 

[Wiley E Coyote]

I bought a boat in August so for the first time in my life I'm looking forward to some fall crappie fishing which is really weird for me! I'm m looking at a really great fall on the water and in the woods! Another bonus my 9 year old has her first hunting license this year and thinks a Excalibur micro is the coolest thing ever. "I can put me down a deer with this" her exact words should be a great fall! Good hunting y'all!

 

[ThatBuckeyeGuy]

My main goal is to take my boy out a few times since he's getting more interested in it . As far as goals for my personal season I plan on sticking to what I told myself all summer , it's not worth it this year. The last few years have put a sour taste in my mouth. I've been lucky and harvested some nice ones the last couple years and I'm grateful for that but the ride wasn't worth it. Lots of lost ends and bad memories. I haven't picked up my bow or xbow a single time since last season. Maybe things will change as it gets cooler and i get a hair up my ass but for now I'm still disgusted with it to be honest. If so this will be the first time in 20 years that I won't participate in deer season , oddly I'm OK with that as of right now. I hope to put my son on one though that's for sure!! Until then I'll follow along and root you guys on!

 

[WoodCoDep]

I have a couple goals this year but they should be attainable lol..I switched over to traditional at the end of last year. My buck standards aren't changing so I'm hoping for at least a 140 or better or 5+ year old with the longbow. My goal will be back burner too trying to get my oldest on a bigger buck and/or couple does. Maybe getting my 10yr old on her first as well. I'm already having way more fun shooting traditional so I have rekindled the excitement for this season.

 

[GoetsTalon]

I'm still using my recurve. It's the one that's horizontal on a stock with a trigger though lol. Getting out of the blind will be nice. Back to eye to eye with them and being able to move around to different spots will be nice. Got a nice corn field running along the crp so that's exciting!

 

[giles]

I need a break. So that is number one goal for me. Enjoy my time in the field and carry out less mental load every trip.

Second goal is I want a new personal best. I honestly don't even know what the inches are on my best. 140?

Third, I gotta get Levi a buck this year.

Fourth, I am ready to fill the freezer this year. My new diet requires alot of red meat.

Breaks have been had.

PB didn't happen but I wouldn't trade the buck I killed for a b&c buck.

Levi got his first buck.

I need to buy another freezer this weekend.






How are the rest of you doing?

 

[Johnny44]

Kill a deer with my son in tow. Hopefully tomorrow or Sunday. I have already killed 2 this year so I just need something without horns to step out this weekend while he is with me. He has been a trooper this year and had some long sits, but not seeing a deer and dad not taking one in front of him is getting old for him.

 

[LonewolfNopack]

This may get some hate, but honestly my goal for deer hunting anymore is to put myself in a position to kill a mature buck (4+ yo) each year. This wasn't always my primary goal but it's what it has turned into. I enjoy beef more then deer, and have zero interest in killing does, but I do each year as I'm required to where I hunt on a couple places. But I don't deer hunt to fill the freezer. I also don't need to kill a buck just to say I killed a buck. If I can't kill something that's bigger then what I already have, I have zero issues eating a buck tag. I can't really say deer hunting is my favorite outdoor activity, it's pretty low on the list. My time is extremely limited for extra curricular activities so I must pick and choose. I'd rather be fishing then freezing my ass off in a stand. So I can't say my goal for deer hunting is to just enjoy my time. I know that all kind of sounds negative but deer hunting has changed and so have I. So to be brutally honest my main goal for deer hunting each year is to take the most mature buck using the properties that I hunt, and if I hit that goal I know it because my desire to sit in a stand once it happens is slim to none. Maybe one day once my boy is old enough to hunt my goal will shift to him if he so desires, but this is where it's at now. I enjoy the challenge and thrills of hunting mature bucks. I also respect that this may not be the goal of others as well.

 

[Johnny44]

This may get some hate, but honestly my goal for deer hunting anymore is to put myself in a position to kill a mature buck (4+ yo) each year. This wasn't always my primary goal but it's what it has turned into. I enjoy beef more then deer, and have zero interest in killing does, but I do each year as I'm required to where I hunt on a couple places. But I don't deer hunt to fill the freezer. I also don't need to kill a buck just to say I killed a buck. If I can't kill something that's bigger then what I already have, I have zero issues eating a buck tag. I can't really say deer hunting is my favorite outdoor activity, it's pretty low on the list. My time is extremely limited for extra curricular activities so I must pick and choose. I'd rather be fishing then freezing my ass off in a stand. So I can't say my goal for deer hunting is to just enjoy my time. I know that all kind of sounds negative but deer hunting has changed and so have I. So to be brutally honest my main goal for deer hunting each year is to take the most mature buck using the properties that I hunt, and if I hit that goal I know it because my desire to sit in a stand once it happens is slim to none. Maybe one day once my boy is old enough to hunt my goal will shift to him if he so desires, but this is where it's at now. I enjoy the challenge and thrills of hunting mature bucks. I also respect that this may not be the goal of others as well.

I don't think there is anything wrong with this. Honest, genuine and very well explained.

 

[Trueroots]

This may get some hate, but honestly my goal for deer hunting anymore is to put myself in a position to kill a mature buck (4+ yo) each year. This wasn't always my primary goal but it's what it has turned into. I enjoy beef more then deer, and have zero interest in killing does, but I do each year as I'm required to where I hunt on a couple places. But I don't deer hunt to fill the freezer. I also don't need to kill a buck just to say I killed a buck. If I can't kill something that's bigger then what I already have, I have zero issues eating a buck tag. I can't really say deer hunting is my favorite outdoor activity, it's pretty low on the list. My time is extremely limited for extra curricular activities so I must pick and choose. I'd rather be fishing then freezing my ass off in a stand. So I can't say my goal for deer hunting is to just enjoy my time. I know that all kind of sounds negative but deer hunting has changed and so have I. So to be brutally honest my main goal for deer hunting each year is to take the most mature buck using the properties that I hunt, and if I hit that goal I know it because my desire to sit in a stand once it happens is slim to none. Maybe one day once my boy is old enough to hunt my goal will shift to him if he so desires, but this is where it's at now. I enjoy the challenge and thrills of hunting mature bucks. I also respect that this may not be the goal of others as well.

This is exactly my mindset also and has been for the last 5 years. Well stated!