Going In Blind Kinda Sucks

[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.

[backstraps]

I can understand what you are feeling, BUT it will get better, and its not supposed to be easy. BEAST style hunting is hard and takes dedication

[dan]

I had a hunt like that a few days ago... Except I posted over a water hole / observation spot rather than go home...

[Singing Bridge]

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.

I can relate, what most hunters consider to be thick I call a "clearing." Pick out your spot just like you did and be confident of potential buck movement based on your intel. You are going to make some noise, just go slow and do your best. Get in early to give the deer a chance to forget about your intrusion. If it is really that thick try to get up above if possible... things look a lot different 20 feet up a tree. Keep plugging away, mistakes are a part of the process.

[Country]

Thanks for the responses. I had several things going against me on this one.
1. Lack of confidence my intel was actually correct.
2. Wind direction wasn't what I wanted once I got to the location.
3. Noisy entrance.
4. Late entrance.
5. Attempted to look for fresh sign, but other than some tracks in muck (didn't think this was a definite "fresh sign" sign), I didn't see much.

My list of excuses could go on and on, but I think the "mistakes are part of the process" comment says it all. I wish this mobile setup was lighter.

[BigHunt]

I like adventures

[Country]

I think I'm going to try another adventure this afternoon.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Edcyclopedia]

IMO its one of the funnest / exciting hunts going...

Typically I like to be set up approximately 2.5 hours prior to closing time.
So if I give myself +4 hours so I can prepare a location and opt to hunt that day or a few weeks later; worse case it's the following year & its semi-prepped.

Its all about time on a property and takes a good 2-3 years to start being real productive after understanding the deer movement. I call it building blocks!

If you're not seeing much to impress yourself then do a complete scout and forget the hunt.

You can accumulate valuable intel and specific gps features making a map of another potentially productive area for a new day...

[ Post made via Android ]

[Stanley]

We have all gone through what we think is a wasted hunt. I think there are always positives to even what we think is a bust. I would never just go home. You could have found a tree, set the stand up and did an observation hunt. This would have let you practice putting the stand up and taking it down. You could have seen what if anything was moving in the area.

You have to pay your dues nothing is just handed to us. The guys that are killing nice bucks consistently have paid their dues. You have to be proficient in the set up and tear down of a mobile set up. No way to get proficient with out practice. I find nothing more fulfilling than setting up in a tree cooling off after a long hard trek to the hunting site.

All the things you listed are in your control. Analyze each of these things and see what you could have done differently. No one said it would be easy. You now fully understand that. Not meaning to bust your chops, just trying to point you in the right direction.

[Country]

We have all gone through what we think is a wasted hunt. I think there are always positives to even what we think is a bust. I would never just go home. You could have found a tree, set the stand up and did an observation hunt. This would have let you practice putting the stand up and taking it down. You could have seen what if anything was moving in the area.

You have to pay your dues nothing is just handed to us. The guys that are killing nice bucks consistently have paid their dues. You have to be proficient in the set up and tear down of a mobile set up. No way to get proficient with out practice. I find nothing more fulfilling than setting up in a tree cooling off after a long hard trek to the hunting site.

All the things you listed are in your control. Analyze each of these things and see what you could have done differently. No one said it would be easy. You now fully understand that. [glow=red]Not meaning to bust your chops[/glow], just trying to point you in the right direction.

Haha, no offense taken. I appreciate your advice. I definitely need practice with my setup that's for sure. Part of me has a fear of going through all the hard work of hiking and setting up and not seeing a thing, to be honest...especially when I feel like I got out too late. Part of it is probably the lack of confidence in my setup location. I still don't always have that belief that I'm setup on a big buck. Experience is worth a ton in this game, I think.

[christian1]

In the same boat this year. I have less time to hunt this year so the old saying that time heals all wounds has helped. If I were pounding like this everyday I would probably be much more frustrated

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[justdirtyfun]

I feel for you. I will be going through this process also. I think using a GPS to take you to exactly what you want is great. In the past I could look at a map and when I was navigating to a point I would get turned in different directions or think I was traveling the best way etc etc. We will find big bucks if we put in the time and effort....I think !

[ Post made via Android ]

[headgear]

Sounds like you found a super thick area with potential bedding and tracks in the mud, I would have setup and hunted. Even if you don't have great shooting you never know what might show up. We've all had things go wrong, more so on blind hunts but if things go bad you just have to pick up the pieces and make something of it. Sometimes I scout, other times an observation stand or just hunt it because you never know. Have to admit that I have turned back a few times after getting frustrated or running out of time after things go bust but I will always try and do a quick sit on the ground or still hunt my way back to the truck. The one big thing you learned today was how important scouting is, after a few blind hunts that go bad and blowing a few bucks out of their beds because you didn't know where they were you learn real quick to scout hard and focus on the details.

[Thermals]

We have all gone through what we think is a wasted hunt. I think there are always positives to even what we think is a bust. I would never just go home. You could have found a tree, set the stand up and did an observation hunt. This would have let you practice putting the stand up and taking it down. You could have seen what if anything was moving in the area.

You have to pay your dues nothing is just handed to us. The guys that are killing nice bucks consistently have paid their dues. You have to be proficient in the set up and tear down of a mobile set up. No way to get proficient with out practice. I find nothing more fulfilling than setting up in a tree cooling off after a long hard trek to the hunting site.

All the things you listed are in your control. Analyze each of these things and see what you could have done differently. No one said it would be easy. You now fully understand that. Not meaning to bust your chops, just trying to point you in the right direction.

Well said Stanley I will use that info for myself as well

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Southern Man]

Lots of good stuff said here.

I have several blind hunts picked out this year and I pretty much expect most of them to be like yours. I'm actually lookin forward to it. There's no better way to learn than just doin it. Don't beat yourself up about it, get up and go again. That's the best part for me.