Hutning a schedule vs going when it is 'right'?

[tmarbut]

One of the things that is tough for me w/ a young family and an obsession for deer hunting is timing. I want to be in the woods when it is 'right'. I am wondering if there are factors to consider or a system that any of you use to hunt when the circumstances favor your particular hunting situations the most. I know many things are relatively predictable, such as rut timing, acorn drops, moon o/h & u/f, etc. But I am talking more about a system that throws everything together to help predict best times well ahead of time. Am I looking for something that doesn't exist? Or, rather, are these the questions that year round scouting provides the answers to?

Many thanks in advance! I hope i am not wasting anyone's time in asking this...just trying to be more efficient and effective w/ every aspect of my fractionalized time!

[Crazinamatese]

On my end, my work schedule keeps me out of the woods. I get at least 2 days out of the week to hunt. Sometimes three if production at work is doing well. I consider time of year also. Acorn drop, rut, post-rut, etc. This year, I didn't let the weather affect my decisions. Rain or shine, I went out. Gotta be in the woods as much as possible if you want to be successful. I did consider the wind on every hunt too. Some guys dive into the moon phases and weather fronts and all that. I just go out and hunt. In my area in WI, its a good idea just to be in the woods from mid-October to early November. Thats typically the best chance since its the rut. Some think that first hard frost in October gets the rut going, but I don't know. Obviously, if you put in the time scouting and knowing the deer behavior in your woods, you increase your odds significantly. Nothing is guaranteed though. Being out there regardless is the best way to learn.

[headgear]

Late oct and moon days have been very good to me, I generally plan some vacation days or afternoons off when the moon is right. (overhead or underfoot at prime time)

[Country]

From what I have been learning, the key is hunting near known buck bedding areas with winds that will have a buck actually bedding there. Once you have enough of these spots picked out, you will basically have a place to hunt on any given day with any given wind. With that said, there is no point in hunting near a particular buck bead if nobody is home. This is where shining and glassing comes in quite handy so you save your best spots for when you know Big Daddy is around.

I have a similar situation as you with limited spare time to spend in the woods. I think for guys like us, it's most important to consider buck bedding locations (known and predicted), wind direction, and fresh sign when scouting time is limited.

[backstraps]

As for "right times" I agree with headgear... I like the late Oct early Nov moon days for sure...but weather patterns is what I watch for to increase deer movement more than anything.

One thing is for sure, if you can locate enough bedding areas you should plan on hunting whatever/whenever you have time to allow for it!

I tend to like early season, and late late season personally. Bucks are more "patternable" (if that's even a word)

[wrkdvr]

I know I can't be alone on this subject, but I don't have that luxury. Sure, I'd love to have land of my own and practice QDMA, and have trail cameras out and hunt when conditions are perfect and stands when the wind is correct, but not all of us can. I hunt public, a ways from home, and a ways walk. I hunt when I can and the wind doesn't always cooperate. I make the best of what I have and the time that I am out there. I don't doubt that I'll never see the big boys, but I accept that. I can't control all of the factors. I still go, and I enjoy myself.

[Jay]

I always make sure I have vacation days for the end of October thru the middle of November.

[backstraps]

I know I can't be alone on this subject, but I don't have that luxury. Sure, I'd love to have land of my own and practice QDMA, and have trail cameras out and hunt when conditions are perfect and stands when the wind is correct, but not all of us can. I hunt public, a ways from home, and a ways walk. I hunt when I can and the wind doesn't always cooperate. I make the best of what I have and the time that I am out there. I don't doubt that I'll never see the big boys, but I accept that. I can't control all of the factors. I still go, and I enjoy myself.

Well the most important thing is to have fun! But, I also hunt hours from the house on public. Here is my way of thinking on that though. If I can find time to go and hunt a single day per year....then I will find time to scout two days per year. I do make the most of my public ground hunting.

You mentioned hunting.... "stands when the wind is correct, but not all of us can. I hunt public, a ways from home, and a ways walk. I hunt when I can and the wind doesn't always cooperate."

IMO, this is one thing that the BEAST has taught me. You CAN actually hunt public ground with a correct wind. Scout enough beds and mark areas to hunt for each wind direction, and you will have spots to hunt with the wind.

Now I say that but I also learned a valuable lesson this season, 6 hours away from my house. I was there, and the second day into the hunt the weather started acting up and for the next three days the wind was coming straight of the East. A wind that I hardly see there and I didn't not have a single stand site marked on a map to hunt. I pulled online topo maps and I was went into areas that had potential bedding areas suitable for an East wind.

I ended up seeing bucks on a couple sits, just nothing I wanted to bend the string on.

Long story short, don't let the fact your hunting area is so far away train your thoughts into thinking you have to hunt a couple areas regardless of the wind direction.
Cyber scout your areas for spots under every wind direction.

Feel free to post up some topo and /or aerials of your areas... the Beast here will help you get in the right direction

[headgear]

I know I can't be alone on this subject, but I don't have that luxury. Sure, I'd love to have land of my own and practice QDMA, and have trail cameras out and hunt when conditions are perfect and stands when the wind is correct, but not all of us can. I hunt public, a ways from home, and a ways walk. I hunt when I can and the wind doesn't always cooperate. I make the best of what I have and the time that I am out there. I don't doubt that I'll never see the big boys, but I accept that. I can't control all of the factors. I still go, and I enjoy myself.

I am pretty much going to echo what backstraps said, hunt when you can but hunt smart too. I hunt 100% public and have 3 young kids so time in the field is precious. I do my best to hunt under the most ideal situations each time in the woods but I also try and up my odds on public by hunting my best spots at the best times under the right conditions. The key like backstaps mentions is have enough spots scouted out to do it right. (might take several years of scouting) A lot of people spend time in the woods in the fall but the big difference maker is in the off season, I scout tons of public land, so much so that I have too many options when I do get free time. Have to make the best of it no matter your limitations. When the limitations become too extreme I either don't hunt prime spots or hunt somewhere close by for does or try new spots that I dont' care about messing up.

Also the OP had asked about planning ahead for that right time, not so much when to move in and strike on private land. Just about anyone with limited vacation time can and should try and plan ahead for those prime late oct and nov days. My favorite are moon days in the last week of oct or early nov, I usually split up my vacation time and take half days so I can get out early for the evening hunt. If you do a search on this site for moon days there is a ton of great info. Also depending on your state the first week or two of opening bow if ripe for the picking as well, I suck at early season public hunting but I sure give it my best shot early season.

[tmarbut]

Thanks for the thoughts. I want to be able to make the most of my time when I am in the woods!

Late oct and moon days have been very good to me, I generally plan some vacation days or afternoons off when the moon is right. (overhead or underfoot at prime time)

Great suggestions regarding timing moon days in late Oct & early Nov.
As a 'rookie' beast, I look forward to the year round process of scouting and hunting.
Learning how to hunt smarter is what I have been missing thus far.
Locating as many places to search for buck beds will be key.
I do believe my enjoyment of hunting will get that much better!

Also, just got my hands on some milkweed seeds (many thanks, backstraps!) I get it now!
I couldn't help but laugh when I saw what they looked like. The first thing I thought was that a tick was trying to swallow a feather!

[JoeRE]

One of the things that is tough for me w/ a young family and an obsession for deer hunting is timing. I want to be in the woods when it is 'right'. I am wondering if there are factors to consider or a system that any of you use to hunt when the circumstances favor your particular hunting situations the most. I know many things are relatively predictable, such as rut timing, acorn drops, moon o/h & u/f, etc. But I am talking more about a system that throws everything together to help predict best times well ahead of time. Am I looking for something that doesn't exist? Or, rather, are these the questions that year round scouting provides the answers to?

Many thanks in advance! I hope i am not wasting anyone's time in asking this...just trying to be more efficient and effective w/ every aspect of my fractionalized time!

Your problem is one I am struggling with too. I used to put great emphasis on hunting the best weather conditions and such....I have a pretty flexible schedule so that I could get out 2-3 times a week, I pick the times. Now I have a young family as well and frankly just have to be happy when I get out there. It still burns a little bit when that big cold front rolls through in early November and I cannot get out in the woods, but at the end of the day its a matter of priorities. Like it or not you have to dial down the intensity a bit and remember just to enjoy whenever you can get out. Trust me, if you don't dial down the intensity when other things in life need attention you and everyone around you probably will just end up getting stressed out and annoyed.

[gjs4]

Pattern hard and bed map and youll want the first few days off wind providing

If youre not into that- take off the friday after Halloween, then the thurs & friday of the next two weeks.....youll catch chasing and beat the weekend warriors

[wrkdvr]

Thank you for all of the advice, it is greatly appreciated. I just got on a lease, just a buddy and I. I am pretty stoked! However, how do you know what is or will be the correct winds on spots you've never sat in before? I don't know where the deer will be crossing or coming from, etc.