Went in Blind Today and Confirmed Hunting Beast Strategies!

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iplan
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Went in Blind Today and Confirmed Hunting Beast Strategies!

Unread postby iplan » Fri Oct 17, 2014 7:42 am

So, all my plans of spending the day in the stand were dashed when I realized I had left my Laser Range finder in a deer stand at a friends place... so I was running late from the start.

When when I arrived on site, my plan was to hunt a spot based on wind direction... but the wind wasn't blowing the way it was supposed to, so I had to change plans.

Based on winds coming from the southwest, I consulted my topo map of the area, found the only leeward side ridge on the property, identified where I thought the buck bed would be, planned my entrance and exit. A logging road made for easy access and I did sort of an upside down 'J" to get to the area ~ walking past the spot on the logging road and then coming up to it from the other side.

Once the 'J' was completed and I began to get close to the area, I was looking to hunt, I began to look for sign. There were plenty of acorns on the ground, and pretty soon, I came across a lot of poop. It was pretty fresh, and I could see a rub about 20 yards ahead. I remembered Dan posting up somewhere up here, "At some point, you'll learn when you can not take another step forward."

So I backed up to the nearest tree with good cover, and went to work. It was the first time this season setting up my Lone Wolf Alpha ~~~ and I clanked metal pretty bad once.

The sit was uneventful and rudely interrupted as just two hours later, I had to get down and head back home to run shuttle for my kids' practices (due to some carpooling complications).

After I got down, I figured I'd go ahead and scout the ridge line on the way back to the truck.

Stand on my back, and bow in my hand, I walked to the first rub, and noticed 2 more about 10 -20 yards up that I hadn't seen. Then about 25 yards later, I saw the buck bed! Thinking back I was set up nearly perfectly (at the same elevation on the ridge line, and just +/-50 yds from the bed.

Depending on how you define success, it could be seen as a failure, but I counted the whole trip as a "Hunting Beast Strategies Success Story" in that it affirmed every decision I made.

Here is a picture of the bed. copper/displayimage.php?pid=4484

Best,
iplan
Last edited by iplan on Fri Oct 17, 2014 8:05 am, edited 3 times in total.


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Beartown18
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Re: Went in Blind Today and Confirmed Hunting Beast Strategi

Unread postby Beartown18 » Fri Oct 17, 2014 7:46 am

8-)
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Re: Went in Blind Today and Confirmed Hunting Beast Strategi

Unread postby Stanley » Fri Oct 17, 2014 7:52 am

I can't see the image.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Went in Blind Today and Confirmed Hunting Beast Strategi

Unread postby Stanley » Fri Oct 17, 2014 7:52 am

Now I can see it.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Went in Blind Today and Confirmed Hunting Beast Strategi

Unread postby cbigbear » Fri Oct 17, 2014 8:09 am

Sweet, do you think you bumped him on your access?
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Re: Went in Blind Today and Confirmed Hunting Beast Strategi

Unread postby iplan » Fri Oct 17, 2014 8:43 am

cbigbear wrote:Sweet, do you think you bumped him on your access?


That's a great question.

and I did cross the bed up wind...... Wind direction is marked in blue....

Entry was via a logging road marked in Purple. I think it was about 100 - 150 yds up wind of the bed. I was hoping that would be enough of a barrier.

The stand location is marked in red, and the buck bed in yellow.

After considering your question, I'm considering the Green Access Route next time I have the same wind direction and the ability to do a "real" evening hunt.

Thoughts?

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Re: Went in Blind Today and Confirmed Hunting Beast Strategi

Unread postby Swampbuck » Fri Oct 17, 2014 9:13 am

Nice! I would have thought 100 yds is to close to be upwind of him but that's an interesting part that i'd like to hear from guys that would know

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Re: Went in Blind Today and Confirmed Hunting Beast Strategi

Unread postby PK_ » Fri Oct 17, 2014 9:50 am

50 yards is really close, he couldn't see you in the tree? If he smelled you and then heard the metal sound and maybe heard you pack up to get down, he would have moved off.

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Re: Went in Blind Today and Confirmed Hunting Beast Strategi

Unread postby semperfidelis » Fri Oct 17, 2014 10:10 am

Great story, even better mental attitude!

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Re: Went in Blind Today and Confirmed Hunting Beast Strategi

Unread postby backstraps » Fri Oct 17, 2014 11:50 am

Congrats on a fun hunt. Sorry the carpool didn't work out for you to stay until closing time.

Me personally though, I think with the terrain in you photos, and the wind, you may have bumped him with your wind., if not the accidental sound from the stand setup.

I think you have a couple things that are going in your favor though... Attitude, and you know the location of one of the beds now.

Do you spend any time investigating the bed, as far as looking to see what he is seeing from his bed, and determining what wind direction you feel he is bedding there? Any fresh hair in the bed, tracks etc?
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Re: Went in Blind Today and Confirmed Hunting Beast Strategi

Unread postby phishy » Fri Oct 17, 2014 1:02 pm

:D
Happiness is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it, so with that happiness is a choice one can consciously make, although often challenged by what happens to us, it is a choice nonetheless.
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Re: Went in Blind Today and Confirmed Hunting Beast Strategi

Unread postby Jackson Marsh » Fri Oct 17, 2014 2:11 pm

Cool deal!

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Re: Went in Blind Today and Confirmed Hunting Beast Strategi

Unread postby iplan » Fri Oct 17, 2014 2:46 pm

backstraps wrote:
Me personally though, I think with the terrain in you photos, and the wind, you may have bumped him with your wind., if not the accidental sound from the stand setup.

Do you spend any time investigating the bed, as far as looking to see what he is seeing from his bed, and determining what wind direction you feel he is bedding there? Any fresh hair in the bed, tracks etc?


Points noted. Another option was that he was there the whole time, and cleared town as I got down, and began to scout the ridge line back to the truck (which was movement directly towards him).....

As to the wind.... I'm not sure about the wind busting me in this situation. It's public land, and the logging road I used for access provides access to the lake so it is used a fair amount of time throughout the year. There is also very thick dense (young pine trees) between the road and the buck bed when the wind was blowing in that direction ~ so my thought for the future was that he might wait to "hear danger" before deciding to ditch the safety of his bed due to catching a little man scent walking down the road.

I seriously considered using the alternate route that I marked, and I think I will use it next time; especially ~ now that I have a pinpoint on where the bed is.

As to hair in the bed.... The hair in the bed is what caught my attention. It was everywhere! When I first saw the bed, it actually didn't occur to me that it was a bed at all. When I saw it, I thought something like, "Who would skin a deer out in the middle of the woods?" Then I realized it was loose hair.... Then I could see the divot in the ground where he has worn it down.... Then I took the picture.

I didn't get in the bed and look around, but I know that he could not have seen me as the tree in the background of the picture would have blocked his vision in the direction in which I was set up, and even without that tree being there, there is too much brush in the way to see anything. The view out of the bed is unobstructed down to the creek ~ so basically looks north/ north east I think.

Assuming the prodigious amount of hair, indicates high usage, I'm thinking it is a primary bed working for the prevailing winds around here: West & South West.


Now here's the 50 cent question assuming a favorable wind on most days, when would you set up on it again?

Tomorrow, a week, 2 weeks, Etc.
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Re: Went in Blind Today and Confirmed Hunting Beast Strategi

Unread postby iplan » Fri Oct 17, 2014 3:10 pm

I'm not sure if it makes a difference, but I was looking at my picture that showed the access route I took and the location of the buck bed. I think the picture below is actually more accurate ~~~ as the buck bed was closer to the point.... This also increases the distance between the buck bed and my path when I was directly upwind.... of course keep in mind that I had no idea where the bed would actually be ~ as I was going in blind.

copper/displayimage.php?pid=4486
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Re: Went in Blind Today and Confirmed Hunting Beast Strategi

Unread postby backstraps » Sat Oct 18, 2014 12:06 am

I think with the amount of hair in the bed...he is probably there often. You never know what bumped him...scent noise or even maybe a visual.

I would get back on him as soon as possible. Next time the wind would be right for his bed. Maybe a SW wind? Or maybe move a little and go hunt a point near this area, but for the current wind you have.

I think the closer the rut gets here chances decrease on getting him from that bed. As a hot doe make pull him away as he tries to tend to her.

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