Confidence....enough??

Discuss deer hunting tactics, Deer behavior. Post your Hunting Stories, Pictures, and Questions/Answers.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


User avatar
backstraps
Moderator
Posts: 10110
Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2012 4:44 pm
Location: Tennessee
Status: Offline

Confidence....enough??

Unread postby backstraps » Thu Aug 21, 2014 12:32 pm

I was thinking today how fast I have seen the BEAST grow over the last couple of years. There are so many hard core, very knowledgeable members here. So many topics with really good detail and explanations... pictures, drawings, maps, advice on and on and on....


With that in mind I am curious, of all the newer members, have you gained more confidence since joining up and becoming involved in The Beast Forum?

I can say I have for certain. I used to struggle going to a new piece of property and locating and descent spot to hunt. That was before I learned the basics that this website has to offer. I try to read and relate to topics and discussions here every day. I joined in the summer of 2012. Late to take full benefit of post season scouting for beds. However I did "test the waters" during the 2012 season. Jan-April of 2013 my scouting took leaps and bounds! My 2013 season was cut short due to an auto accident, but prior to the accident I had 3 separate "successful" Beast hunts that ended up in my passing of some really good deer for my area.

Fast forward to 2014 pre spring scouting, I would have to literally set down and count the buck beds I have located for this coming season. All public land. I cannot possibly have enough hunting days this season to hunt them all. I am more excited for the 2014 season to begin than I have been for a season in the past 25 years!

I hope this is a year for some bloody woods and fallen slobs! BEST of luck to all my fellow BEAST!!


Justin85
Posts: 492
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2014 12:22 pm
Location: Champlin, MN
Status: Offline

Re: Confidence....enough??

Unread postby Justin85 » Thu Aug 21, 2014 12:49 pm

Confidence gained? Yes. Enough to think I'll fill my tag this year on a mature public land deer?..... Well .......


I just learned of the beast in July. Haven't had a chance to scout as much as I'd like to have. I'm sure I'll have opportunities to fill my tag, just not certain it'll be what I want.

[ Post made via Android ] Image
cdeam
Posts: 437
Joined: Thu Jul 18, 2013 12:50 am
Status: Offline

Re: Confidence....enough??

Unread postby cdeam » Thu Aug 21, 2014 12:49 pm

Agreed. I'm a year behind you. No scouting first season, some this year. I'm ready to rock n roll. I'm looking for a 100" deer and I feel great about my chances. Without the beast I'd still be rolling the dice and hoping. Now I'm stacking the deck and knowing.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image
basspro05
500 Club
Posts: 903
Joined: Fri Nov 22, 2013 3:12 am
Status: Offline

Re: Confidence....enough??

Unread postby basspro05 » Thu Aug 21, 2014 12:51 pm

Very confident but lots left to learn

[ Post made via Android ] Image
mheichelbech
500 Club
Posts: 4188
Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2013 10:00 am
Facebook: mheichelbech@gmail.com
Location: Charlestown, IN
Status: Offline

Re: Confidence....enough??

Unread postby mheichelbech » Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:00 pm

I am much more confident. One thing being on this site has helped me do is learn to stay out of the woods where I have my target buck spotted and about not spreading my scent arojnd and not falsely thinking I can do something about it.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image
"One of the chief attractions of the life of the wilderness is its rugged and stalwart democracy; there every man stands for what he actually is and can show himself to be." — Theodore Roosevelt, 1893
62kodiak
500 Club
Posts: 779
Joined: Tue Nov 26, 2013 3:15 pm
Location: North Metro, MN
Status: Offline

Re: Confidence....enough??

Unread postby 62kodiak » Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:01 pm

I'm with the rest of these fine gentlemen. I was so down on deer hunting before I found the beast that I didn't even hunt last year because there was no point. I had not seen a single deer in the last 4 years doing what I was doing. Now with the Beast and all the great members here I feel very confident that I can fill my tag this season. I have no idea how large the deer will be, but thanks to this site I am sure I will have an opportunity or ten to draw some blood.
It's not the knowing that's difficult, but the doing.
User avatar
Jackson Marsh
Moderator
Posts: 19547
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 3:11 am
Location: SE WI
Status: Offline

Re: Confidence....enough??

Unread postby Jackson Marsh » Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:28 pm

It's not all wine and roses....even if you've done your scouting you will have ups and downs during the season. Stay positive and aggressive. For me aggressiveness breeds confidence. Remember you only have to guess right ONCE.

[ Post made via Android ] Image
62kodiak
500 Club
Posts: 779
Joined: Tue Nov 26, 2013 3:15 pm
Location: North Metro, MN
Status: Offline

Re: Confidence....enough??

Unread postby 62kodiak » Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:32 pm

Jackson Marsh wrote:Remember you only have to guess right ONCE.


I love this point. I think a lot of us forget this.
It's not the knowing that's difficult, but the doing.
User avatar
cbay
500 Club
Posts: 1196
Joined: Mon Nov 25, 2013 8:39 am
Location: Mo
Status: Offline

Re: Confidence....enough??

Unread postby cbay » Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:37 pm

backstraps wrote:
With that in mind I am curious, of all the newer members, have you gained more confidence since joining up and becoming involved in The Beast Forum?



Night and day difference in confidence. It helps tremendously to know that others are figuring out how to kill big bucks. And to have a place where they share their experiences......Wow.
Without this place there was just wasn't enough confidence to act on things without knowing it worked for others.
I also realize there will be plenty of lessons to be learned the hard way and actually look forward to figuring stuff out that can only happen from experience.
Scout.  Learn.  Hunt
User avatar
hunter_mike
Moderator
Posts: 8294
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 3:24 pm
Location: south central WI
Status: Offline

Re: Confidence....enough??

Unread postby hunter_mike » Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:48 pm

I have gained a ton of confidence in finding the places where bucks hang out. As far as killing them goes i haven't figured out near as much. Its going to be a fun season.

I was also in the boat of being down on deer hunting before i reached out and found the marsh bucks video.

[ Post made via Android ] Image
“The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.”
User avatar
seazofcheeze
500 Club
Posts: 3860
Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2013 1:13 pm
Location: Billings, MT
Status: Offline

Re: Confidence....enough??

Unread postby seazofcheeze » Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:52 pm

backstraps wrote:
With that in mind I am curious, of all the newer members, have you gained more confidence since joining up and becoming involved in The Beast Forum?


Absolutely! Last year was my first year employing the beast method, and I'd say 80-90% of my sits were mobile fresh sets. I saw waaaayy more bucks than in any other year...literally 5 to 6 times as many. I saw the biggest buck I've seen in the woods to date and I missed what would have been my best buck to date. I have really high hopes for this year. All hail the beast!
User avatar
Kraftd
500 Club
Posts: 2819
Joined: Thu Sep 26, 2013 3:44 pm
Location: NE IL
Status: Offline

Re: Confidence....enough??

Unread postby Kraftd » Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:58 pm

Found the Beast mid fall last year and even being too busy to do as much spring scouting as I would like this year, I feel immensely more prepared than last year. This goes for the private land spots I have hunted for years with decent success and the public spots I have tried in the past and plan to in the future.

I've always been a pretty serious bowhunter, and always enjoyed myself terribly, but feel like I'm in the process of becoming a serious bowhunter. In some ways, having decent to good private land to hunt most of my life has kind of held me back I think. Really excited to start the next chapter of my hunting "career".
User avatar
jonsimoneau
500 Club
Posts: 524
Joined: Fri May 20, 2011 7:30 am
Status: Offline

Re: Confidence....enough??

Unread postby jonsimoneau » Thu Aug 21, 2014 3:20 pm

This is probably one of the best sites for serious deer strategy discussion. But I have not learned that the internet, talking forums, and google maps can only take you so far. Its great to learn new ideas from other hunters, but for a bowhunter, nothing can replace time spent in the woods. Especially time spent scouting. When the new methods of scouting via computer aerial photos and trail cameras came along, I got a little lazy thinking I could kill deer without as much boot leather. I was wrong about that and I'm glad I have figured that out. I wasted a lot of time thinking I was smart enough to do it this way. It can point you in the right direction for sure, but nothing can replace actual on the ground quality time spent scouting/learning, and frankly I hope that never changes.
User avatar
Kraftd
500 Club
Posts: 2819
Joined: Thu Sep 26, 2013 3:44 pm
Location: NE IL
Status: Offline

Re: Confidence....enough??

Unread postby Kraftd » Thu Aug 21, 2014 11:16 pm

Great point. I found that when I started pouring over posts here in the early t mid season last year I did a much better job of understanding why I was seeing the deer I was seeing, and making minor adjustments on the fly than I had in season's past.

I am hoping to build on that in the field this year, and really just start to understand deer better, and this place is a wealth of knowledge in that regard.
User avatar
Jphunter
500 Club
Posts: 771
Joined: Mon Jun 23, 2014 5:04 am
Location: East Texas
Status: Offline

Re: Confidence....enough??

Unread postby Jphunter » Fri Aug 22, 2014 12:06 am

I found the beast back in January so this will be my first year hunting with the knowledge I've gained from this site. One thing that I have noticed is how much easier it is to find beds after watching dans videos and reading through posts on the beast. Some beds are bucks and some are not but it's easier to find them now.I have been fortunate to take some good bucks on public land, just not as consistently as I would like. Most of those bucks were taken by determination and many hours spent in the woods. I think the info on the beast has shown me why I killed those bucks. It has also shown me how much time I spent messing up areas that could have been good. Over all I think the beast has given me confidence in hunting more efficiently, if that makes.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image


  • Advertisement

Return to “Deer Hunting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Bing [Bot], Dewey and 60 guests