How far do you need to go to avoid most other hunters?

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Trailcamaddict
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How far do you need to go to avoid most other hunters?

Unread postby Trailcamaddict » Sat Jan 18, 2014 7:47 am

BEAST tactics entail simply finding were others don't go, this can mean hunting overlooked areas or places others are just too lazy to walk to.

I usually try to get away from other hunters by lacing up and walking more than others are willing to. This usually puts me out from parking areas at least 3/4 of a mile sometimes more. I was wondering how far many of you have to walk to get away from the average Joe?

The close but out of the "norm" spots are saved for after work hunts when I only have a short time to hunt.


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Re: How far do you need to go to avoid most other hunters?

Unread postby hunter_mike » Sat Jan 18, 2014 7:58 am

It usaully has more to do with what types of obstacles are in the way rather than how far. Wet ground is usually good.

Where I bear hunted it is thousands and thousands of acres of public land however there are logging roads everywhere so even if ur off the main road it still seems very tough to get away from people since its easy walking for miles.
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Re: How far do you need to go to avoid most other hunters?

Unread postby oldrank » Sat Jan 18, 2014 8:16 am

Most avg weekend warriors go less then a few hundred yrds.... but some will still follow human trails pretty deep.... once you r off a main human trail n deep ur usually good... of course there r road spots that dont get hunted much if u can put the pieces together

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Re: How far do you need to go to avoid most other hunters?

Unread postby JoeRE » Sat Jan 18, 2014 9:24 am

I have learned that distance isn't always that important. Sometimes you can find good spots 100, 200 yards from where joe blow hunts every weekend all season long. I used to think I needed half a mile from access to get mostly by myself but around here that just means you are half a mile closer to other people's access points.

In bluff country, you can get away from competition with some good elevation change - that means you have to be willing to do some climbing though. Few guys are willing to climb a 2-300' bluff - or go down it and have to come back up. I have seen lots of guys walk half a mile on flat land but be unwilling to go 300 yards to get up a good 300' bluff which any elk hunter will tell you is nothing. Don't forget plain and simple overlooked spots. I have some good spots in little corners of public that are not hard to get to.
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Re: How far do you need to go to avoid most other hunters?

Unread postby DEERSLAYER » Sat Jan 18, 2014 9:31 am

If your talking about actual walking (not where people are using boats or kayaks) then a half mile thins out most hunters and 3/4 mile will weed out almost all hunters unless it's easy walking. Easy walking may mean a mile plus, but I think it depends on where your at. Some area's draw the type of hunter that likes to get away from people and experience a wilderness hunt. They tend to go deeper. In areas where there is easy access and people are used to not having to walk far you may find that a 1/2 mile into a mucky swamp or marsh thins them all out. The harder the walking the shorter distance you usually have to cover to get away from people. Also, when people do occasionally show up deep in they are often either lost or so worn out that they don't want to come back.

Another thing to look for are barriers like an area where a tornado went through and left such a mess it's almost impossible to walk through or a small stream that requires waders to cross. This will deter a lot of guys. Of course there is the occasional over looked easy access spot too.
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Re: How far do you need to go to avoid most other hunters?

Unread postby UntouchableNess » Sat Jan 18, 2014 9:57 am

On public one year, I thought why walk all the way to the back with everybody else. I'm going to stay within a couple hundred yards of the parking lot. I shot a buck early that morning, MUCH shorter drag. :lol:

So I let everybody walk as far as they could from the vehicles and I got lucky.
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Re: How far do you need to go to avoid most other hunters?

Unread postby Czabs » Sat Jan 18, 2014 10:01 am

I think it matters what you have to go through to get there not necessarily how far you go.

Creeks or rivers are good but lots of people will build bridges to get across. Wet cattails most people won't walk through because its a pain. As in wet I mean water over your boots. I find most people will stay on dry ground, especially in the early season. Really thick willows/cattails and undergrowth like that most people won't walk through in the early season. I have been in stuff where you literally have no sight, just walking looking at your gps, getting slapped in the face by branches and spider webs. Thats super fun at night.

I think hitting spots early is key because that is the time when most won't venture, too hot for them, its not the rut, bugs, everything is super thick, etc.

It seems people will travel far to get into spots during the rut though. I never really have been anywhere without people sign.

I have spots from 50 yards off the road to 2-3 miles.
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Re: How far do you need to go to avoid most other hunters?

Unread postby headgear » Sat Jan 18, 2014 10:11 am

Most of the "hard core" guys around me will go a half to 3/4 mile, every now and then someone will surprise me and show up way back in one of my spots but its rare. Mile is pretty much puts me on my own. Like mentioned above its sometimes better to have obstacles in their way, a little wet stuff can go a long long way to stopping other hunters in their tracks.
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Re: How far do you need to go to avoid most other hunters?

Unread postby keb » Sat Jan 18, 2014 11:02 am

It is a hard variable to gauge, could be 500 yards could be 3 miles is my farthest trek, had to walk around a bunch of private ground to get to a mile spot as a crow flies. Just be in good enough shape to do what others won't.

The difficulty of the trek is what is most important.

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Re: How far do you need to go to avoid most other hunters?

Unread postby cbigbear » Sat Jan 18, 2014 11:23 am

Around here if they have logging rds guys will walk up to 2 miles, which is about is far as you can go before getting closer to another main rd. However, the rarely venture 500 yds off the logging rd.

I find it easy to walk away from deer hunters, but you just can't beat the squirrel hunters. Seems like them dudes will walk 6 miles, swim 2 creek, & crawl thru briar patches to get at a tree rat!!!!

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Re: How far do you need to go to avoid most other hunters?

Unread postby Bigb » Sat Jan 18, 2014 11:34 am

I have buddies that think hunting the stand rather than the wind. They'll take a stand that was hot with a different wind and hunt that. I try and use that to my advantage and hunt a stand that the wind is in my favor and deer will go by to avoid other areas.

There is a big public spot in Northern Illinois that has a variety of flat terrain. There are areas with mature trees that most hunters stick to and have decent luck. There is a huge area of scrubby trees, none big enough to put a hang on stand (Max tree is 20 feet maybe). He picked up one of those portable ladder stand that folds up and uses that on one of the shorter trees. The trees are very scrubby to he has plenty of cover. He believes he sees more deer than anyone else because he figures away to hunt an area where no one else can with success (ground binds would stick out too much) It made complete sense to me. Most people walk/bike in a mile but he just goes to another area and walks in a few hundred yards to spots. He just thought outside the box. He sneaks in with his stand as quick as he can and comes out after dark so no one picks up on his tactic.
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Re: How far do you need to go to avoid most other hunters?

Unread postby fishlips » Sat Jan 18, 2014 1:43 pm

Like others have said, depends on terrain and the path. Walked back two miles one year for gun opener and got blasted by flashlights three different times. Biggest problem was that I walked a trail 95% of the way. Now I hunt closer to the parking lot, but am in a cedar swamp that requires going through blowdowns and thick stuff. Have seen one hunter in my three years hunting that area.
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Re: How far do you need to go to avoid most other hunters?

Unread postby PK_ » Sat Jan 18, 2014 3:15 pm

Anything less than a mile I consider a short walk.

Crossing knee deep or less of water I consider an easy walk.

I walked 2.5 miles (GPS'd) crossing 3 cypress bottoms in 2008, opening day of ML and I had 4 other hunters in trees within eyesight…

You have to be about as crafty as an old buck to avoid hunters down here. Simply walking ain't gonna cut it.
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Re: How far do you need to go to avoid most other hunters?

Unread postby Zap » Sat Jan 18, 2014 3:40 pm

My knees hurt just thinking about how far I need to go to be alone on public...... :lol:
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Re: How far do you need to go to avoid most other hunters?

Unread postby PLB » Sat Jan 18, 2014 4:50 pm

A mile walk to my best public spot. Many hunters in the North are deathly afraid of Bears and Wolves and like to be in sight of their vehicle...:lol: Early season with all the foliage not many people bowhunt by me. Might run into Bears eating their corn.. :lol: No one hunts mornings by us. Woods to myself anywhere in the mornings. If I walk a mile gun season I'm good to go as far as not seeing any hunters.

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