I never thought I’d be saying this. I started keeping a journal!
At times in the past, I wondered if maybe I should keep a journal for various reasons. However, while growing up, it just seemed like something that only girls would do. Nevertheless, everything changed when I was hunting one day and drifted off into thought land.
I wasn’t having much luck that particular day. I was wondering if the weather could be why the flight was so nonexistent for the ducks I was after. That’s when it hit me! I have been hunting so many times! Why haven’t I kept track of what happens each time I go?
That was all it took. I was inspired, so I went to the store and bought a notebook, and each time I got home from a day out of hunting, I wrote a page in that journal. Oh the details that found their way into that book! Furthermore, I even remember drawing my set up with blinds and decoys after a field hunt for geese.
Unfortunately, I have lost that notebook. I’m not sure why I thought that was a good idea, because all I need to do is log this information into my phone. Then it’s saved forever. Needless to say, that is what I’ve been doing lately, and I believe it has changed everything for me. Therefore, I want to share the benefits of keeping a hunting and fishing journal and give you some ideas of what to include.
Start Journal entries with the basics
It’s important to put the obvious things into the journal first! It’s so easy to get tied up in the scientific stuff that I’m about to get to. Don’t overlook the basics. Here are a few examples.
- Date (This is huge believe it or not)
- What property are you on
- Who are you hunting with
- What species are you targeting
These basic things mean everything. Start each entry the same way with these ideas. And keep it consistent. Besides, what else do you have to do while you wait for those critters?
Become a weather man
OK, not literally. That day job is far too time consuming.
The weather is one of the most important things we need to consider as hunters or anglers. The weather can make or break a hunt. Even very unsuspecting things can alter the success of these outings. Believe it or not, barometric pressure can affect the movement of animals and even fish! Journal entries from every hunt should include the weather.
Make the next segment of the journal entry all about the weather and accordingly escribe everything.
- Wind speed
- Wind direction
- Temperature
- Clouds?
- Precipitation? How much? How Long?
- Barometric pressure? Rising? Dropping?
- Beginning of a cold front? Warm front?
Having accurate records of the weather and how it affects your hunt will be vital information in the future when you’re trying to decide what day to take PTO! Being aware of these patterns will make you a wiser hunter, thus bringing you more success.
Record the activity
This is where you can start to see how the time of year, or the weather affects your success. You can start to put two and two together. Therefore, if you sit in the tree stand all day, and yet see absolutely no deer, or you spend an entire day on the lake and yet have no fish in the cooler, the data you have collected in the past might just explain why.
When I say record activity, I’m talking about animal activity. Write down how many you saw. What were they doing? Were they traveling alone? Did you see bucks chasing does? Do the fish keep short-striking? Are fish only biting when you stopped reeling or reeling really fast?
The activity of the game you’re after is critically important if we want to link weather patterns or time of year to your overall success.
Here’s a screen shot from my hunt last weekend.
Deer Specific Journal
Keeping a hunting diary can be especially important for deer. The weather and the time of year play huge factors in how many deer you will see on a given day.
Deer movement increases when weather conditions are favorable. I have found that cold, high-pressure days are good for deer hunting. It also seems that light precipitation and cloud cover can make things better too. And believe it or not, wind helps. Don’t ask me why. I will research this further for a future post.
The weather isn’t the only thing that affects deer movement. The RUT or breeding season is obviously a factor. Right around Halloween the breeding activity in deer really ramps up, at least where I’m from in central Indiana. The first week of November is absolutely lights-out hunting!
When I’m deer hunting, I like to record the activity for deer to keep track of how deer move throughout the year. If I see a buck chasing a doe, I am going to record that. Here are a few other good things to write down. Look for signs of the rut and record everything you see.
- Bucks fighting
- Bucks chasing does
- Does acting nervous or extra playful
- Bucks making rubs or scrapes
- Which stand were you in? Give them all a name.
When next year rolls around you will be happy you took such accurate notes.
Fishing specific journal
The weather can also play a big role in how many fish end up in your live well and ultimately the skillet. Cloudy days with a good breeze seem to be the best for me on the lake. Moon phase and barometric pressure also need to be considered.
Like the breeding season for deer and turkeys, we also need to pay attention to the spawn for fishing. Each species of fish will spawn at different times of the year. When fish go into a spawning phase, the tactics to catch them change altogether. Notes in your diary will help you cast in the right spot at the right time.
A few things to consider for a diary entry.
- What lake or stream
- What time of day
- Obviously the date
- What lures were you throwing
- How many did you catch
- Depth of the bite
- Water temperature
- What was the air temperature
- Were the fish full of eggs
- Were they on nests
The list for fishing data goes on and on. Don’t keep trying to learn the fish. Take notes and learn them now!
Waterfowl Specific journal
This is one of my favorites. There’s nothing more fun than sitting in a blind with your friends and cooking breakfast as ducks roll into a marsh.
Accurate notes in a diary can help you learn the patterns of these crafty birds. Like everything else, the weather plays a huge role in how and when ducks and geese will fly. Some weather conditions may warrant you staying home altogether. Therefore, the quicker you learn these the better.
Waterfowl hunting requires the use of decoys. These decoys have to be placed strategically and the way you spread them will change with weather conditions. If there’s no wind, you will need water movement. Ducks do not like to see a group of birds sitting perfectly still in still water, thus the need to add some splashing.
If the sun is shining bright, it’s harder to hide. Ducks and geese like to land with their face in the wind. They will sit on water all day if it’s sunny. They will feed more when it’s cloudy or stormy. These are all things you learn over time, therefore keeping a diary will make you a professional much quicker.
Use Technology
Technology is your friend when keeping a hunting diary.
Find a good weather app and use it often. Take a screenshot of the weather to add to your diary notes. I recommend using the OnX Hunt app. It has satellite image where you can mark all your favorite stands and it even has the weather! Click here to see my whitetail gear post here for a bit more info about OnX.
When it comes to fishing, be sure to save enough money for a good fish finder. This can feed you information for the future. It will tell you where the fish are, what kind of structure they want to be close to, what depth they’re at, and what the water temperature is. Here’s a good one to start with. https://sovrn.co/jlbed4i Check it out!
Conclusion
I don’t think I need to go into every species of game to drive home the fact that this data is important. If there’s one piece of advice I could give to a young hunter or fisherman, it would be to keep a journal. Over time you will learn the patterns and preferences of each species and you will begin to outsmart them.
Not only this, but you will know exactly when to schedule yourself off work to go after your favorite game. With enough data, you might wake up one morning and check the weather and see that there’s no point in going. Take advantage of this time to catch up on sleep or that honey-do list while your buddies waste their time!
It’s a complex world that God has created. Figuring it out isn’t easy. Start journalling today!
Good Luck
