Stop Blaming the Acorns! Here’s A Field Guide to Bad Hunting Excuses

Alright, deer hunters, let’s have a real talk. Outdoor Life just put out a piece roasting the 27 worst excuses we all make when the season falls apart — and some of us may or may not have used a few of them. The idea is simple…every hunter blows chances in the woods, but you can either keep making the same excuses every November or actually learn from them and fix it. The article breaks down why each excuse is bogus — from blaming your neighbors to blaming the acorns — and gives advice for what to do instead. It’s funny because it’s true, and it might sting a little. Honestly, it’s a great read before you head back out.

A few of our favorites from the list:

• “Dang neighbors killed all the good ones” — big bucks get big by surviving; odds are he’s still alive, just tucked away with a doe
• “Nature called and ruined my hunt” — man up, poop in the leaves (bring extra TP and leave the hooded garments at home)
• “The neighbors fired up Lynyrd Skynyrd right at prime time” — it ruined one evening, not the whole season
• “I walked a whole mile into public land” — distance means nothing if you walked right through every bedding area to get there
• “I never had a good shot” — you had a good shot, you were holding out for a perfect one
• “Too many (or not enough) acorns” — deer eat lots of things; figure out what they’re actually eating
• “I hit no man’s land” — it’s a myth; low hits usually kill, high hits rarely do
• “The insurance lobby is killing all the deer” — insurance companies have zero say in deer management, full stop
• “All the bucks were locked down with does” — they don’t vanish; you just have to sit tight and catch a doe moving
• “I’m too busy to take out a new deer hunter” — flagged as the worst excuse of all, since mentoring new hunters is how the sport survives

You can check out all 27 excuses over at OutdoorLife.

So, let’s hear it…have you ever heard or used an excuse that’s not on this list? Drop it in the comments and share on Facebook so your hunting buddies can see which ones they’re guilty of….or you are guilty of!