Too cautious?

[NatureBoy]

Reading Joe's story on the buck he's after got me thinking that maybe I'm being too cautious in my approach to mature buck hunting. So for you guys that scout throughout the season:

• When you come across hot sign in the right area (secluded enough for a buck to frequent during daylight hours), I understand that you should set up and hunt it ASAP? But what if the wind is wrong that day, or is going to be wrong later and you have to come back another day? Do you consider that scouting trip hunt #1? With the pressure my area gets, I usually only hunt an area 1, maybe two times a month, unless the access is perfect and leaves the area virtually virgin.
• Other guys in my area will go back into an area as long as there is good sign. I feel that even if there is good sign, a mature buck will go nocturnal with that human presence in his area. Yet some of these guys get good bucks every year. What would you do?

[NatureBoy]

BTW, in years past, I have sat over "hot sign" several times in a row. Sometimes, especially during the rut, this has paid off. Most of the times, especially outside of the rut, it has been a waste of time. I'm just wondering if I'm moving on too quickly.

[dan]

I would never set up on the wrong wind, but often I can play a bad wind and find a way to hunt a spot I have burned by walking...
As far as hunting a spot over and over... Unless I am seeing action, Im busting a move. If I am seeing a buck on a regular basis, I continue to hunt.

[headgear]

When I go into a new place to scout/hunt I try and have a plan. I might pick a transition area I want to follow or take a guess at some bedding areas and approach those areas so the wind won't mess up the hunt. Sometimes the plan works and I have setup on sign and seen bucks, other times I don't find anything or the sign takes me to a different place to hunt. I guess have some kind of plan but stay flexable.

[Stanley]

Reading Joe's story on the buck he's after got me thinking that maybe I'm being too cautious in my approach to mature buck hunting. So for you guys that scout throughout the season:

• When you come across hot sign in the right area (secluded enough for a buck to frequent during daylight hours), I understand that you should set up and hunt it ASAP? But what if the wind is wrong that day, or is going to be wrong later and you have to come back another day? Do you consider that scouting trip hunt #1? With the pressure my area gets, I usually only hunt an area 1, maybe two times a month, unless the access is perfect and leaves the area virtually virgin.
• Other guys in my area will go back into an area as long as there is good sign. I feel that even if there is good sign, a mature buck will go nocturnal with that human presence in his area. Yet some of these guys get good bucks every year. What would you do?

Basic hunting 101 never ever hunt when the wind is wrong.

[dan]

Going off of Headgears comment... When in season scouting for a hunting spot for that day, I scout a transition that puts the bedding up wind of me... That does not mean I don't occasionally get caught finding something with a bad wind, but for the most part, if the winds wrong to hunt the area that day, I am not "in season" scouting it that day...

[NatureBoy]

...in years past, I have sat over "hot sign" several times in a row. Sometimes, especially during the rut, this has paid off. Most of the times, especially outside of the rut, it has been a waste of time.[glow=red]I'm just wondering if I'm moving on too quickly.[/glow]

I appreciate you guys' comments and couldn't agree more about not hunting a wrong wind. My question though is: Am I being too cautious in my approach to hunting mature bucks, basically thinking that they are more sensitive to human invasion of their space than they in fact may be? Dan, you touched on the answer:

As far as hunting a spot over and over... Unless I am seeing action, Im busting a move. [glow=red]If I am seeing a buck on a regular basis, I continue to hunt.[/glow]

That's the answer I was looking for. Any other comments on what you guys have seen along this line? When you burn an area you might hunt by scouting it, do you consider it "burnt out" or do you keep hunting it if the sign is there?

[PLB]

Going off of Headgears comment... When in season scouting for a hunting spot for that day, I scout a transition that puts the bedding up wind of me... That does not mean I don't occasionally get caught finding something with a bad wind, but for the most part, if the winds wrong by to hunt the area that day, I am not "in season" scouting it that day...

X2....That's how I scout in season also...

[ Post made via Android ]

[NatureBoy]

Any other comments on what you guys have seen along this line? When you burn an area you might hunt by scouting it, do you consider it "burnt out" or do you keep hunting it if the sign is there?

Guess not. Thanks for your reply to my question Dan. I'm going to experiment with muddying up a few areas a little more than I normally do, hunting them as long as they have good sign and I'm seeing deer.

[dan]

Any other comments on what you guys have seen along this line? When you burn an area you might hunt by scouting it, do you consider it "burnt out" or do you keep hunting it if the sign is there?

Guess not. Thanks for your reply to my question Dan. I'm going to experiment with muddying up a few areas a little more than I normally do, hunting them as long as they have good sign and I'm seeing deer.

My comment was in relation to seeing a "shooter" not just deer, or sign. Sign can be made at night, and deer that are not shooters are like a whole different species... I believe keeping mobile will get you more opportunity than sitting a spot where you already sat.