Hunter tactics - against the other guy...

[Scot]

I typically just move on. If someone else is in an area I also am in or want to be in even if the guy is a great hunter the area is probably getting to much pressure. I move on.

[phade]

Bow season is nuts as far as competition here in wNY. My wildlife unit has little to no public land. There is some about 40 minutes away and that leaves me with little chance to hunt it due to cost of gas and time. So, I try to do what I can with the mediocre private ground nearby that I can hunt.

Still, as bad as bow season is....gun is worse. It's darn near a free-for-all. I rarely take days off work for gun season. Opener is on the weekend, so I hunt those two first days as more of "going through the motions". In years past, I've had drives pushed through private ground...which is annoying in the least, because these lots are small acreage and I get hamstrung because deer simply won't return during that weekend...they're pushed to larger private parcels where the owner is strict on trespassing and is a low-pressure hunter. Once that initial push moves them there...my private ground is done.

I got the wise idea one day, to borrow all of the "second" cars in my immediate family for opening day. Starting at about 4 a.m. Me and my bud would take the vehicles to the hunting spot and park it clearly in front of the woodlots. At one point we had five trucks there on opening morning and there were just two of us hunting the lots (which totaled about 25 acres of woods in a 109 acre parcel...the remainder in ag fields that were harvested). It worked for the weekend...no more drives opening day. Now, as soon as Monday hit...and the trucks were gone...the woods were pushed. But, at least it bought me two days of OK hunting.

This year, I'm heading to a new opening day spot, even if it is slightly smaller. At least I have control over it to kick people out and sic the game warden on them.

[headgear]

I am basically willing to go where others aren't so that keeps me away from other hunters 75% of the time.

However there are times when I get surprised and find a stand in a spot I want to hunt, when that happens I usually just move on to the next spot. I use to get mad when I found a stand in a great spot but now I realize they are probably doing me a favor as I don't burn up a hunt in a spot that probably gets hunted the wrong way and likely gets way over pressured.

There are occasions where I do hunt these spots as a lot of hunters around here don't bother to hunt early season so I sometimes sneak in and setup near their stands in hopes of connecting before the stand sees any pressure.

[Stanley]

Interesting thread Ed.

[JJWI]

Bow season is nuts as far as competition here in wNY. My wildlife unit has little to no public land. There is some about 40 minutes away and that leaves me with little chance to hunt it due to cost of gas and time. So, I try to do what I can with the mediocre private ground nearby that I can hunt.

Still, as bad as bow season is....gun is worse. It's darn near a free-for-all. I rarely take days off work for gun season. Opener is on the weekend, so I hunt those two first days as more of "going through the motions". In years past, I've had drives pushed through private ground...which is annoying in the least, because these lots are small acreage and I get hamstrung because deer simply won't return during that weekend...they're pushed to larger private parcels where the owner is strict on trespassing and is a low-pressure hunter. Once that initial push moves them there...my private ground is done.

I got the wise idea one day, to borrow all of the "second" cars in my immediate family for opening day. Starting at about 4 a.m. Me and my bud would take the vehicles to the hunting spot and park it clearly in front of the woodlots. At one point we had five trucks there on opening morning and there were just two of us hunting the lots (which totaled about 25 acres of woods in a 109 acre parcel...the remainder in ag fields that were harvested). It worked for the weekend...no more drives opening day. Now, as soon as Monday hit...and the trucks were gone...the woods were pushed. But, at least it bought me two days of OK hunting.

You would be surprised how deer outsmart drives! I have learned from hunting these hard pushed areas not to give up on them after the drivers come through. Especially if the drivers woop and make noise to keep everyone in line. I have seen this first hand and it is pretty amazing! The deer keys in to one person making noise, they will stay in front of that one person just out of side and once they have a little cover, they will shift off to the side and let that person walk by. I seen a young buck years ago stay in front of a young kid that had a nylon hunting suit. All that deer keyed in on was the noise of those pants were making as he walked. That deer bedded down 10 yards from that kid. A big group by us is very successful at driving these crp fields. What they do is line up the drivers and pass a playing card from person to person to keep everyone tight, want to guess were the majority of the deer are shot? Behind them! If you have good nasty cover and are finding good buck beds in these areas, I would still key in on them after the orange army has gone through.

This year, I'm heading to a new opening day spot, even if it is slightly smaller. At least I have control over it to kick people out and sic the game warden on them.

[jlh42581]

One time this buck I was hunting on public just went insane and tore up all kinds of trees. I thought I had a bright idea and put a fake rub in a very highly visable area and it got overrun with people. I kid you not I came by there the first day of rifle season and there were 25 cars parked in the area I did it.

[JJWI]

You would be surprised how deer outsmart drives! I have learned from hunting these hard pushed areas not to give up on them after the drivers come through. Especially if the drivers woop and make noise to keep everyone in line. I have seen this first hand and it is pretty amazing! The deer keys in to one person making noise, they will stay in front of that one person just out of side and once they have a little cover, they will shift off to the side and let that person walk by. I seen a young buck years ago stay in front of a young kid that had a nylon hunting suit. All that deer keyed in on was the noise of those pants were making as he walked. That deer bedded down 10 yards from that kid. A big group by us is very successful at driving these crp fields. What they do is line up the drivers and pass a playing card from person to person to keep everyone tight, want to guess were the majority of the deer are shot? Behind them! If you have good nasty cover and are finding good buck beds in these areas, I would still key in on them after the orange army has gone through.
Sorry for the double post, haven't really figured out the quote thingy! lol

[Troutking]

I have 3 stand setups, all LW stands so I am just mobile. I will cut limb on a tree in the spring/summer for a climber and I will cut some small shooting lanes occasionally. Finally I use bright light tacks in my trees but I limit them to 2 tacks. Example if I am hunting a deep cut or other topography I know to approach at this cedar, shine my light find my first tack, then my second. No orange tape or anything that sticks out in daylight. I dont think a lot of people see my spots because I tend to hunt far back. My average spot is probably a mile. Downside to this is I love to shoot does so some of my closer spots I would shoot a doe but would pass if its a Tuesday night and I'm 1.5 miles back on public. Like Dan said if people know about the spots they probably aren't good to begin with.