Conserving your energy and killing a good buck?

[Buckfever]

I need to limit my hunting because my work load is so heavy. So I give myself 9-12 afternoon rut hunts and then I hunt the late season after Christmas because I can carve out 40 acre pieces on the public that won't have a human footprint the whole time. I think when you're time is that limited I think it's pretty easy too just focus on buck hunting and optimizing your buck hunting opportunity.

[Czabs]

This thread will def make me think twice about hunting so much early in the year. Mornings I should say. I havent cut the lawn, or changed my oil, insulated the windows, winterized the boatetx. Etc......Now its prime time and it needs to be done. :(

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[JoeRE]

Yea I have to agree the reason bowhunting is even more enjoyable for me now than it was 10 years ago is because I hunt LESS now and as a result cherish the moments I am out there more. I used to hunt every day of the season and by this time of year I was really burnt out, hunting spots for the 3rd, 4th time, seeing less than I should be.

Now I just get out every few days on average - try to be a lot smarter about where and when. I have better success now and enjoy it more.

[Southern Man]

I've always been amazed at how wore out you can get just sitting on a stand. I didn't really think of the changes I've made as ways to conserve energy for the season but it has done just that. I used to think it was a numbers game. The more you were out there, the better your chances would be at killing the buck you were after. I don't think that's necessarily so. I know you can't kill them from the couch, but hunting with a well thought out plan or plans, and eliminating all the wasted hunts (just to be hunting) actually improved my success and helped me be a bit more focused.

Probably the best thing I have done is stop worrying about killin a deer. Don't get me wrong, I mean to kill every time I go. But if I don't, so be it. There will be another day. The pressure or stress we put on ourselves is exhausting. Following a plan, being focused, and enjoying the time in the woods gives me the drive to see the season thru and at the end of it, if I'm unsuccessful, I'm not tired, and hate to see it close.

[woody-san]

I took yesterday off to spend time with the family. Went out to eat. Vacation will get here soon enough . Sometimes if I feel burned out, I'll take a morning off or evening. A Still hunt / scouting mission instead of sitting in the stand helps too. I think you have to be mentally ready to get out everyday ,morning and evening and still make it fun. Pace yourself.

x2 on the still hunting/scouting missions. I'll spend some mornings still hunting until 9 or 10 and then scout for a couple hours. I've been out hunting/scouting about 10 times this deer season, but I've only been up in the stand 3 times. Big change from season's past when going into the woods always meant being in the stand for 3-6 hours.

[dan]

bump

[ihookem]

I used to hunt every chance I got. It was always way up north, 540 mi. round trip almost every weekend when I lived in Sussex, Wis. I didn't know it but I had my stands burned out before November rolled around. Then I started to notice I was wasting my weekends, 540 mi. on the truck, $50 in gas , dog tired come Monday morning just to tell everyone at work and home..,,, no I didn't see a deer again this weekend. . . .. . . just to go up on Friday night to do it all over again. Now, I hunt 10 Mi. from home, and I dont burn out stands cause I have way more time to scout , , , , and find way more spots, , and hunt them when I feel the conditions are right for the stand and weather is right for a hunt. I don't bother hunting on a 70 degree sunny and calm day in mid October anymore. If it is cloudy, cold and damp, good chance I will be out there on a stand that is right for the wind direction instead of going to one of two stands like I used to . I still hunt up north, but only a few times per bow season , gun and muzzy cause I have the place to myself. And honestly, because I couldn't care much if I shoot a doe, or a buck , hunting is very enjoyable. As long as I dont wound a deer, I hardly even care anymore. I love being in the woods weather I am hunting or scouting, hardly makes any difference.,, but I do want to shoot a big old north woods bruiser way back on some public land someday. If not, oh well.

[sunset samurai]

I firmly believe in the smarter not harder philosophy, as a younger man I used to be in the " its deer season, I have to go" in doing such I burned out alot of good areas from simply over hunting and/or hunting wro.g conditions. Now I hunt when conditions induce confidence, Im more successful and enjoy it now more than ever before.

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[Gibby]

Great Topic, Hunting smarter not harder will certainly conserve energy and hopefully put a good buck on the ground too

[semperfidelis]

I've always been amazed at how wore out you can get just sitting on a stand. I didn't really think of the changes I've made as ways to conserve energy for the season but it has done just that. I used to think it was a numbers game. The more you were out there, the better your chances would be at killing the buck you were after. I don't think that's necessarily so. I know you can't kill them from the couch, but hunting with a well thought out plan or plans, and eliminating all the wasted hunts (just to be hunting) actually improved my success and helped me be a bit more focused.

Probably the best thing I have done is stop worrying about killin a deer. Don't get me wrong, I mean to kill every time I go. But if I don't, so be it. There will be another day. The pressure or stress we put on ourselves is exhausting. Following a plan, being focused, and enjoying the time in the woods gives me the drive to see the season thru and at the end of it, if I'm unsuccessful, I'm not tired, and hate to see it close.

Well said!

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[DaveT1963]

Years ago, I quit hunting early morning outside of the pre-rut/Rut. It saves some time and energy for the better days of the year.

I am in the opposite camp. I love morning hunts and I have killed most of my better bucks in early morning. It frequently is hot here with most days reaching 70-80 degrees all through Oct/Nov with an occasional 90+ day. The bucks, especially larger bucks, just don't like to get on their feet much until dark.

I have caught way too many old bucks getting back home just a tad late to not hunt mornings. It does require a good entry route and getting there early. I am usually in my saddle waiting for daylight at least 1 - 1/2 hours before pink light. I usually hunt all day as well. Most days will find me going out of my way to get into an area undetected and this means I am usually walking in with hip waders and right down the middle of streams with blow downs and all. I give myself plenty of time to get there well before daylight.

True their are some sets that you just cannot get into.... and some areas of the country evenings are better (open farm land with scattered cover comes to mind)..... but with morning, and arriving way early those are few and far between. Our bucks definitely have different day/night bedding areas so I seldom bust deer getting in 2 hours before pink light. Also, I cannot tell you how many bucks I have pin pointed due to being in my saddle 2 hours before daylight. A lot of larger bucks come through 15 mins or so before legal shooting - at least I get a chance to know they are there and hoe they are approaching their beds - if I waited to evening - I would loose all this Intel.

Can't image not hunting mornings - but then again I ascribe to the theory more time in woods = more opportunities.