Suggestions

[MnHunter]

Hi there,

Bowhunting started this weekend here in MN and I had an opportunity to get out yesterday. I am new to bowhunting - Yesterday was my first time ever in the woods with a bow and I took it old school... I am a poor 25 year old who graduated college and am trying to pay my school loans off so I don't have access to the latest and greatest equipment. I am using a 6 year old hand me down Bear Instinct and do not have a tree stand. The wind was right for this particular spot yesterday so I decided to sit behind some cover on a log. I ended up seeing a yearling spike but that was it.

Now my question... I pulled the card from my camera that is in the SE corner of the property and was extremely surprised. I have had that camera in the same spot for the last month and a half and have gotten a few pictures here and there with one shooter buck. When I got home and checked the camera... there was over 300 pictures of deer over a 2 week period with numerous shooter bucks and many more with potential.

How do I move forward with this?? I do not want to over hunt that spot and have not found exactly where they are coming from... I'm sorry for such a general question but just looking for anything that might help me in taking my first deer with a bow!

Again... The camera is set up on the SE corner of the property but I dont believe they are coming from the west woods. A lot of pictures look like they are coming from the bean field on the east which i cannot hunt.

[Stanley]

Is that a tree line or fence line next to the corn? Is north up? Can you tell us what the colors all represent? This would include the circles? You have permission to hunt what? Thanks

[Black Squirrel]

Also, What time were the pictures taken?

[goldtip5575]

What time are you getting pictures of the bucks ??Which direction are they going on the pics. That would be key in figuring where they are coming from or going to.

[MnHunter]

Is that a tree line or fence line next to the corn? Is north up? Can you tell us what the colors all represent? This would include the circles? You have permission to hunt what? Thanks

It is a thin tree line, and yes the top of the map is north.

The white box is what I have access to hunt, the red boxes indicate that nothing is planted, and the red circles are beds that I found earlier this summer.

What time are you getting pictures of the bucks ??Which direction are they going on the pics. That would be key in figuring where they are coming from or going to.

They have been at all times - The bigger deer show up from 8:00PM through the entire night and they look as if they are traveling from the east toward the west.

Also, What time were the pictures taken?

All times - I placed some apples in front of the camera about 2 weeks ago and they seemed to attract every deer in the area. I wont be putting anymore out considering it is in season now but I had deer in that corner all throughout the day. The few shooters showed up earliest at night around 8PM and there were a few that stuck around until 6:45AM.

At one time I had a picture with roughly 8 deer on it... And the area in front of the camera is not planted. I'm not sure why they were there at one time. I have numerous sequences of bucks sparring against each other as well.


Sorry for the lack of information in original post.

[Stanley]

I like the area next to the corn that I circled. The blue lines indicate travel routes I suspect the bucks will take. I also like the other area I circled also having blue lines run through it. When that corn is still in the field that spot looks ripe for the picking to me. I wish you had a tree stand.

[binney59]

Have you scouted the south clump of woods? Any beds in that area? Also, what is to the West of the property in red? I am liking the far southwest corner that extends into the strip of woods. Also, what is the line that is about 1/3 of the way down? If it is a creek or drainage it might be very conducive for building a ground blind of sorts.

[matt1336]

You have a really good start and there are some solid suggestions here. My only suggestion without knowing your total hunting background (just that you're new to bow hunting) would be to not get to caught up in the size of the deer you're targeting. Just shoot deer for the first few years. To limit your self to mature deer when you first start is setting yourself up for failure. A mature buck is not an easy target.....my nick name is caption obvious :). For a beginner bow hunter to limit himself to mature animals is a tough task. So, with land owners permission shoot whatever you can.

This is my advice to every beginner because I wish someone would've given me this same advice when I started....after I graduated from school, with crappy equipment, just like you. Have fun!

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[goldtip5575]

If you can and without disturbing the bedding go old school and pound some boards in a tree.

[Dor]

IF you are in SE MN I will give you a decent treestand. Send me a PM.

[phade]

What is the predominant wind direction?

Also, the area that is not planted...what is in it now? Has it grown up into grass that could hold deer?

If so, another route to add to Stanley's map is the corn-line on the other side. Mature bucks don't want to be in the open, but if that unplanted field has grown up to thigh high...that eastern corn line can also be a travel path.

Lots of options there, that's for sure.

[MnHunter]

What is the predominant wind direction?

Also, the area that is not planted...what is in it now? Has it grown up into grass that could hold deer?

If so, another route to add to Stanley's map is the corn-line on the other side. Mature bucks don't want to be in the open, but if that unplanted field has grown up to thigh high...that eastern corn line can also be a travel path.

Lots of options there, that's for sure.

The unplanted area is strictly dirt that has been tilled over - No cover.

Have you scouted the south clump of woods? Any beds in that area? Also, what is to the West of the property in red? I am liking the far southwest corner that extends into the strip of woods. Also, what is the line that is about 1/3 of the way down? If it is a creek or drainage it might be very conducive for building a ground blind of sorts.

I did scout the south woods a bit and jumped a smaller buck in some native grasses on the edge of the corn field earlier this summer. I also found some beds in tall grass in the middle of the woods, but it looked like doe bedding as they were clumped together, etc.

The line is a creek, but it is dried up because we have had 0 rain. I've been thinking about setting up along there somewhere because I know the deer will be using that to travel.

Thank you for all of the suggestions and I will be sure to look into some of the help you have offered.