What is your year as a hunting beast

[62kodiak]

This is my first year as a beast and I would really like to know how you veterans break down your year. This site and Dan's awesome DVDs have been extremly helpful but I would love to here how you guys get from January 1st to buck on the ground. What are you doing when there is a lot of snow on the ground, when it is wicked hot in the summer and then what are you guys doing preseason(say from Aug 1st-Opener).

Obviously you could probably write a book about this very subject, but a simple overview would make me happy. I have to many books to read write now anyways.

[JoeRE]

Really I think Dans videos do a good job of showing most of the things that should to be focused on over the course of a year. When I think of Beast style hunting I don't think of just bed hunting...its good old fashioned hard earned success based on a lot of pre-season effort and finding whatever tactic seems to be most effective at any given time and getting it done. Thats pretty self explanatory. You want a huge leg up on the competition take two weeks off for spring scouting and scout a few thousand acres - public, private, whatever you have access to hunt.

When there is snow on the ground this time of year I like to follow deer around to see how they move, particularly a big clodhopper buck track if I can find it. Keep in mind deer might be in different spots come fall given different food sources but just tracking them teaches you a lot on how they move across the land. I am heading out right now to do that today.

One thing I couldn't stress enough is, it is what you put into it. Consistent success is a lot of effort, thought, and time commitment. Just get out there and try to learn something about deer whenever you can.

[Southern Man]

Really I think Dans videos do a good job of showing most of the things that should to be focused on over the course of a year.

One thing I couldn't stress enough is, it is what you put into it. Consistent success is a lot of effort, thought, and time commitment. Just get out there and try to learn something about deer whenever you can.

I agree.

I'm not a veteran beast hunter (still learning) but I scout a bunch in the winter / spring. For the last couple of years I look for beds, but that isn't enough for me, I want to know more, the why's and hows. I like to know a property really well. I track the does, people, and any sign I can find. I try to put together a plan for the up coming season. We don't have much snow down here so I can usually start scouting right after the season ends and keep on scouting until late April, early May. I try to spend a lot of time in the woods during that time. Deer here don't yard up and are generally in the same areas as they are in fall. The food sources are what changes.

During the summer the woods here gets really thick. Ticks and snakes are all over the place and with the angry oven heat from the southern sun blazin in the sky, it's a really miserable time to be in the woods lookin around. So, I grill, work in the yard, take a few weekend trips with my wife, and what ever else I can get into. Meaning, if I can get it done in the winter and spring, there's no need to do anything in the summer. Oh I do run a few cameras all summer for enjoyment and will take a ride to glass ag fields in the evenings but for the most part, I have my scouting done.

Years ago when late August early September rolled around, I'd be in the woods again lookin for those first rubs, scouting for sign. I would walk a property to death thinkin I was scouting to lay out a plan to hunt, but I don't do that anymore, I hunt. I did the scouting and have plans laid on how I'm going to go about it. That's not to say I won't scout if I need to and I keep my eyes open while in the woods in case something unexpected pops up. How much fall scouting I do depends on what property I'm hunting.

Last year taught me a good lesson. We scouted the fire out of a remote section of public land in February & March. The area has very low deer numbers (for around here) We came up with a plan to hunt it, and stayed away until the time came when we thought it would be best. 3 of us went in and had multiple opportunities opportunities on some good bucks. All from the spring / winter scouting.

[uzi]

I'm new to the beast myself but I will say after watching Dan's videos my confidence soared in hill country. It's like I had the puzzle 3/4 together and the rest I just needed to hear someone say "This is why bucks do this". Since 2008 my sighting and kills of big bucks has improved each year. Here is a quick breakdown of my year on the private I hunt.

Jan/Feb- Predator control-Snaring coyotes is my focus- They get a lot of fawns in the spring of the year! I do a little shed hunting and scouting too.

March/April- Scout, Scout, Scout- Adjust stand placement if needed, trim shooting lanes, shed hunting.

May/June- Food plots and run cameras, this is for inventory, not hunting over. Still scouting some.

July/August- Shining, Glassing from a distance and run cameras (very low impact to hunting areas)

September- December- Hunt as much as possible.

[oldrank]

I watched Dans marsh bucks video in 2008. It changed my whole mind set and I beast hunted that year and had good success getting on bucks but didn't seal the deal. I had a handful of opportunities and missed what would have been my biggest buck after my cam hit my treestand. Since then I moved 4 times, lost my brother and my father to cancer and MS and my hours switched at work so my hunting time went down dramatically. I still killed some decent bucks but I was going to my goto spots. 2 years ago I hunted 5 days total on the public land and killed 2 bucks and a doe in a 10 day stretch. This year I am getting back into the game. Everything has settled down and Im ready to get serious again and cant wait. I want to kill monster bucks. I am going to kill monster bucks. I feel it is my destiny.

[62kodiak]

Thank you for the great responses guys. It looks like I have everything I need and now I just have to do my part(the hard part). I was just doing what I do. I am a text book over-thinker and that leads to me always feeling like I am missing a piece of the puzzle, even when I have everything I need.