A new year always brings with it a mix of emotions for me. I’m saddened because it marks the final days of Georgia’s deer season, but at the same time I love the feeling of starting a new year with a clean slate — the opportunity to reboot and do things a little better than you did the previous year. And with a new year comes new goals.
So, as I sit down to set some goals for 2025, I want to issue a challenge to each of you: include the eight resolutions below in your list. These are all relatively easy to accomplish and won’t take up a ton of your time or energy. Even if you come up short, you won’t be sorry for giving them a shot.
1. Be a Mentor
We’ve all seen the statistics and heard the bad news about the declining number of hunters in the U.S. As our numbers dwindle, we become much more vulnerable to attacks on our hunting heritage, and reduced hunting license sales puts a strain on our state wildlife agencies who depend on that revenue to manage our wildlife resources.
In my mind, we all have a responsibility to help get someone new involved in the outdoors, whether it be a child, grandchild, nephew, or just a neighborhood kid. Actually, it doesn’t have to be a kid at all. Why not ask a friend, co-worker, or neighbor? Research has shown that many people are open to giving hunting a try if someone would simply ask them. So be that someone! It may just make for your most memorable hunt yet!
2. Scout More
Unless you’re hunting the same property you’ve been hunting for years, there’s probably something to be learned from off-season scouting. Winter can be a great time to get started, as much of the deer sign from the past season is extremely visible, and the details of recent hunts are still fresh on your mind. There’s no better time to take those details into account and try to fill in any missing pieces of the puzzle.
For each stand you hunted, consider which direction the deer came from and which way they headed. Using both aerial imagery and boots on the ground, see if you can figure out exactly where they were coming from and where they were headed to. What trails did they use to get from point A to point B? Did that activity continue throughout the season or did it change as the season progressed?
Spend as much time as you can in the off-season answering these questions and learning every nook and cranny of your hunting area. With each passing season, you will gain more knowledge to help you become a more successful deer hunter.
If by chance you’ve been hunting the area for years and already know everything you need to know about it, move on to the next goal!
3. Find a New Place to Hunt
Can you ever have too many places to hunt? If so, that is a problem I would love to have! If you’re not overloaded with great hunting spots, however, why not make it a goal this year to find one or two new places to hunt?
That may mean checking out a new public hunting area, looking for those hidden public opportunities, or it could be that you need to start networking and knocking on doors to access private land. No, it’s not as easy as it used to be, but there are still opportunities out there if you are willing to do the legwork.
TIP: The onX Hunt app is a great way to find both public lands and private landowners in your state, which can really speed up the process of seeking permission to hunt.
4. Get Involved with NDA
This is another opportunity to have a lasting impact. NDA is working on worthy goals, like recruiting new hunters through our Field to Fork program, improving access and habitat on 1 million acres of public hunting lands across the whitetail’s range, sharing venison with those in need, as well as supporting critical whitetail research.
But we need your help.
The simplest way to get plugged in is become an NDA member. If you’re already a member, then I would encourage you to make 2025 the year you get involved with your local NDA Branch. These Branches host annual fundraisers and then use those funds to not only help the national organization reach its goals, but also to do great work in their own community.
And lastly, if you have the means, make 2025 the year you donate to NDA. As I mentioned above, we have set some aggressive goals, and every dollar received will bring us closer to accomplishing those goals. No gift is too small. And with a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator (the highest honor), you can be assured your money is being spent responsibly.
5. Share Some Venison
This is an easy goal to accomplish, and it’s a great way to introduce friends, neighbors, or coworkers to the benefits of hunting. You never know who you may inspire to hunt, but at the very least, you’ll show them how hunting provides you and your family with a healthy source of locally grown protein. Not everyone wants or needs to be a deer hunter, but the more non-hunters we have on our side, the more easily we can protect our hunting heritage from future attacks.
6. Meet Your Deer Hunting Neighbors
We’ve all heard it so many times, it has almost become cliche: “If I don’t shoot him, the neighbors will!” But is that reality or just your perception? The only way to know for sure is to make an effort to meet and talk with them. You may be surprised to learn they have similar goals or management philosophy as you.
Or perhaps they will take an interest after hearing the things you are doing and will be open to giving QDM a try. One thing is certain — you will never know until you try.
7. Expand Your Deer Knowledge
If you’re taking the time to read this article, chances are you take your deer hunting seriously. And the best way to improve your hunting and management success is to learn as much as possible about the game you pursue and the habitat it calls home.
A great way to do this is through the assortment of courses NDA offers through its Deer Steward program. There are two main options under the Deer Steward umbrella: the certification classes and our learning Modules, and each has an online and in-person component.
By taking Deer Steward 1 (online) and Deer Steward 2 (in-person) certification classes, graduates are able to design and implement their own comprehensive property-specific white-tailed deer management plan. So, for the price of a new gun or bow, attendees in essence gain enough knowledge to become their own deer consultant.
The Deer Steward Modules include the same kind of science-based, comprehensive deer knowledge found in our full certification courses, but in smaller, customizable and logically grouped pieces. You simply can’t get this level of info anywhere else in a similar platform. We offer several of these Modules in an online learning environment, as well as the occasional in-person course.
Make this the year you take your deer and deer habitat knowledge to the next level with a Deer Steward course or Module.
8. Have Fun!
This should be the goal every time you head into the field. We should never get so wrapped up in hunting or managing white-tailed deer that it loses the fun factor. Chances are, that is one of the key reasons you started hunting in the first place. It’s a great opportunity to relax, enjoy nature, share great experiences with friends and family, and of course, put some delicious venison in the freezer!
Focus on those experiences this year and try not take things so seriously. Yes, it may be disappointing that the neighbor shot that promising 2.5-year-old you let walk all last season, but it’s not the end of the world. There will be plenty of other bucks and other hunts. Enjoy every one of them!
Regardless of what it is that you hope to accomplish this year, be sure to take some time to think it through and put it down on paper. Reflect on it often, and plan accordingly to make those goals a reality. Let’s all strive for a better 2025.