Going In Blind Kinda Sucks

[PK_]

I just got back from a pretty crappy attempt at a blind hunt. Everything looked pretty good on the aerials, but once I got to my location, it was so dang thick it was nearly impossible to move without making any noise. I basically ended up doing a quick scout, but was sort of discouraged so here I am, back at home. Frustrating.

You just described my entire weekend.

Going blind gets much easier in the rut.

Also, once you kill a buck going blind, it gets addicting. The anticipation of getting to and seeing the spot and setting up are almost as exciting as the anticipation of waiting for the buck to show up.

[Country]

Pretty new to this beast thing too, but I just figure every blind hunt is a great scouting mission in season. either I'm going to hit on a good spot that's worth adding to the roster or I'm going to know an area is worth checking off the list. That's how I'm figuring anyways, but my first sit this year was a mile and a half into a marsh without every hitting any good fresh sign. Set up on a good looking point at the end of the walk I wanted to make and struck out. Had a Barred Owl land in my tree when I was getting down though.

That's awesome. Owl sightings are really cool.

[Country]

I just got back from a pretty crappy attempt at a blind hunt. Everything looked pretty good on the aerials, but once I got to my location, it was so dang thick it was nearly impossible to move without making any noise. I basically ended up doing a quick scout, but was sort of discouraged so here I am, back at home. Frustrating.

You just described my entire weekend.

Going blind gets much easier in the rut.

Also, once you kill a buck going blind, it gets addicting. The anticipation of getting to and seeing the spot and setting up are almost as exciting as the anticipation of waiting for the buck to show up.

I would have to agree that seeing the spot in person that you've scouted online is really cool. I especially like getting back home and uploading my gps track onto the computer and seeing where I had been. I just finished doing that from yesterday's hunt and realized I was in a pretty cool looking spot.

[Justin85]

I feel like I'm spinning my wheels as well. Been deer hunting and killing multiple deer every year for the last fifteen. This year I moved to a new state and was busy with settling into work and working 60hr weeks when I should have been spring scouting.


Every hunt I've had has been blind. Every hunt from now on this year will be blind.


I've never hunted public until now.



That said I'm frustrated but absolutely loving it! Every frustration is now a learning experience to work off of

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[Country]

As a newer beast hunter who used to only hunt private land, I feel sorry for those hunters who hate hunting public land. I used to strongly dislike it, but now I love it. It is definitely challenging, but my drive to kill a nice buck on public land is an obsession. I can't wait til all of this hard work pays off and I can hang a huge public land slob on the wall.

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[BuckyHunter13]

I just got back from a pretty crappy attempt at a blind hunt. Everything looked pretty good on the aerials, but once I got to my location, it was so dang thick it was nearly impossible to move without making any noise. I basically ended up doing a quick scout, but was sort of discouraged so here I am, back at home. Frustrating.

You just described my entire weekend.

Going blind gets much easier in the rut.

Also, once you kill a buck going blind, it gets addicting. The anticipation of getting to and seeing the spot and setting up are almost as exciting as the anticipation of waiting for the buck to show up.

I had a very similar evening yesterday. Dropped my thermacell on the walk out, backtracked 1/3rd of a mile to look for it (mosquitos were miserable), never found it. Snuck as best I could to a spot I was aiming for, I've been in the general area 3-4 times before but never picked out a tree or anything. Made it up the 4 sticks, but I use rope with my sticks... Stand strap was 1/2" inch too short to reach around the tree. I made too much noise on the way down (out of frustration with both the mosquitos and my wasted effort). Packed it up and headed the 1.5 miles back out... I had 'cooled off' by the time I walked the next 3 miles on the road back to our place because my dad wasn't due to pick me up for 4 hours.

Bottom line... I suppose there's a lesson or two in every trip out.

[Country]

Yup, that sounds pretty miserable. Opening day I lost my quiver somewhere in the cattails. Took three trips back to find it with the GPS. I never would have found it without the GPS. It all worked out though...found the quiver and a killer buck bed to hunt.

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[SonofUlam]

I'm gonna add something that's a little off topic here. If you're just starting out hunting the beast method of killing mature bucks is probably a little over your head. Please don't take offense to that statement. Imo if you want to kill good bucks on pressured land by beast tactics you need to know deer. By that I mean you need to know when to take the shot, when not to, when to draw......and a lot of other nuances that you can typically only get by killing deer your self....not watching it on tv!
If youre just starting try to shoot whatever you can....does, fawns small bucks....whatever. This is going to help your confidence a whole lot. Plus you're going to have fun. I can't imagine beast hunting and targeting big mature bucks when I was just starting out. Some might be able to do it. But im not good enough nor is the land that Im able to hunt on. My advice here is to take small steps year by year and work up to beastly status. I fear that the beginner could get burnt out going beastly from day one. Again this is my opinion. Also don't worry about what others tell you, you should shoot. Shoot the deer that makes you happy

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Thanks for the input. I am not so worried about the beginners techniques to killing deer. I have been hunting for 20 years now, so that part isn't a huge issue. I have just gotten tired of shooting little bucks and want the challenge of a beast style hunt. Being realistic, I'm not expecting giant deer as I start hunting this way, but if I'm going to be walking through thick cattails and going in to my waist in muck, I'm definitely not shooting anything small. I did regroup and had a fun setup and sit last evening, however. Saw a turkey, racoon, geese, ducks, and a couple of does that came out just at dark. What was interesting was when I emerged from the cattails onto dry land, I had another 160 yards to my destination. As I started my approach, I had this feeling that I was in buck bedding territory. Not three steps later did I bust a deer up not more than 15 yards away. I didn't get a look at what it was, but decided given my surroundings and the fact that there was a big white oak five yards away from where the deer got up, I was going to set up right there. The wind was in my favor and I have seen bucks return in situations like this, as many of you probably have. My setup was super quiet, which I was pretty happy about. I practiced yesterday morning in my yard and figured out an easier way to do a couple of things. Anyways, fun hunt. Looking forward to going in that extra 160 yards where I was originally headed.

Sorry Joe. From your first post, I gathered that you have just started out. Beast hunting sure can humble a guy. Believe me, I know from plenty of experience. Good luck this year

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Well, I know it definitely inspired me as a new hunter- great perspective!

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