Baby steps

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PLB
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Baby steps

Unread postby PLB » Thu Nov 20, 2014 6:19 am

This has been on my mind for some time now and now that my rut vacation is over I figured it's time to talk baby steps. The growth of this site since 2010 has been amazing. So many new members joining every day. However I am seeing a lot of hunters that are new to the sport young and older wanting to just dive in head first to this type of hunting. This type of hunting is hard work and challenging and humbling. You will not see many deer at all. It takes confirmation from scouting and confidence in your spot to be able to have the mindset that at any given time that buck could step out and you will kill him. Also I think you have to be mobile and have many many areas picked out where bucks are bedding. You can't Beast hunt one small property and expect success. The biggest thing I think that people forget are mature bucks are a completely different animal than does and small bucks. They are solitary docile loaners. They don't hang with those deer. So you won't see hardly any deer in this style of hunting if you are all in. There is nothing wrong with starting out killing does and small bucks and hunting different styles and doing what works for you and slowly adding bits and pieces of this hunting style to your ! Baby steps!! I still love seeing deer and hunting the rut and changing it up some. I'm not going to sit here and say I 100% Beast hunt all the time for mature bucks because I don't. Dan has been doing this for decades and is kind enough to take years off our learning curve for this style of hunting. But I'm years into it and still inching my way closer each season trial and error learning as I go. Don't dive right in expecting immediate payout because you will be humbled beyond belief. Big bucks are going to win most of the time. Also I see a lot of people join the forum and rush away to order a LW and sticks only to find out it's not their cup of tea. Try someone else's setup or if you are happy and comfortable using your climber go for it! Just move around and be more mobile for starters. Don't think because Dan and other members have this type of setup it's the only one that will work. Take bits and pieces of information on this site and adapt them a little bit at a time to what works for your style of hunting. Baby steps! Slow but sure. Kill deer! Get some kills under your belt. Most of all have fun doing it!!

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Re: Baby steps

Unread postby Wlog » Thu Nov 20, 2014 6:35 am

Spot on. Nice write up. I stumbled into this site a couple years ago after reading an article about a buck Dan killed. I was at the point where I was proficient at seeing and killing deer but was missing that last piece of the puzzle... How do I figure out where these bucks are bedding and spending their time.
Needless to say my mind was blown when I found the beast and dans video's. I'm progressing but not any kind of expert. Trial and error and learning from your mistakes is the biggest part of the progression towards being successful on big bucks. Also keeping realistic expectations for the size and age class of buck you can take where you hunt.

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Re: Baby steps

Unread postby Jackson Marsh » Thu Nov 20, 2014 6:35 am

Good post PLB!

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Re: Baby steps

Unread postby JROD157 » Thu Nov 20, 2014 6:45 am

I was thinking the same thing. Small parcels exposed to this style regularly would not be conducive for what is being promoted. None of our situations are identical, but picking up bits and pieces can help tremendously. Personally, this forum has motivated me to expand my boundaries so I can be more aggressive. After the guns have been hung up I may start knocking on doors to ask for just one or two hunts to go in beast mode.
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Re: Baby steps

Unread postby headgear » Thu Nov 20, 2014 7:04 am

Good post PLB! Take it slow, adapt to your area and most of all be patient if things don't work out. You need to be learning and gaining intel along the way, its a lot of trial and error and messing up but if you learn from it the bucks will start to fall.
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Re: Baby steps

Unread postby Thermals » Thu Nov 20, 2014 7:16 am

Great post PLB
This is my first season beast style am been learning some on the way every hunt. I got me a lw for thi style of hunting as I think overal it makes things better. I have Had lw before but thi was before the stealth strips came around and boy they make a huge difference. I went to a saddle and really like it. But I pretty much only use the lw now. I went I into I this knowing my chances were low at getting a buck this way but it's not over yet. I have one for sure setup that worked and I missed him on the shot. But going forward as said go slow and pay attention to everything and find more beds to Hunt is my biggest problem.

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Re: Baby steps

Unread postby superseal » Thu Nov 20, 2014 7:31 am

PLB, very good post. At this point Beast style may not be the best option for most of my properties.....but I'm working towards using it when possible.

IMO...The best part about learning about this style was finding out about this website. The shared info on here is like no other. Some of the other sites are just pictures and ego's....I didn't learn very much. Whether you are an expert or novice on this site everyone is willing to share their best info. It's amazing what i've learned from here in 1 year.

Thanks to Dan and the rest of you guys for sharing.
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Re: Baby steps

Unread postby Stanley » Thu Nov 20, 2014 7:43 am

Great post PLB. You don't have to start Beast style hunting to learn a ton of stuff that can help you on any style of hunting. I have done less and less hunting with a stand on my back since I joined the Beast. The sands of time will do this to you. That doesn't mean I can't learn some things that will help me in other aspects of the hunt. I know others have learned plenty on the Beast. It is hard to believe sometimes, there is a no nonsense hunting site.
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: Baby steps

Unread postby justin84 » Thu Nov 20, 2014 7:49 am

Very good post, dude! I just joined the site in October, and have learned a ton, but I could see how it could become overwhelming. I hunt mostly public land way up north, and it's humbling enough without having to learn a whole new strategy, having to learn how to hang a new stand, etc. It's hard to take it slow because we only have so much time to do it, but I'm trying hard to pick one thing to focus on and improve. This year, it is scouting and locating beds. Never even considered this before I started reading here. Hopefully these gradual improvements will put some antlers on my side of the garage, to keep all of my dad's company. I have some catching up to do, but I really only realized that after reading more here.
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Re: Baby steps

Unread postby whitetailassasin » Thu Nov 20, 2014 8:08 am

I agree that beast style hunting can be very challenging, and expectations for someone who thinks it's will be the cure all, going to be tough sledding. But I think jumping right in is how we learn the most. Trial and error. Yes you will need many spots, will need to know you area, te list goes on and on. But if your serious about hunting mature deer, you need to do what it takes to get the job done. I understand what your saying PLB and you have my total respect for what your trying to say. I'm just playing devils advocate here, because my opinion is a bit different towards this(respectfully). For me there is no going 80% it's 110 or nothing. I think with the wealth of knowledge and advice from this site, that success will most certainly come. But it's harder than it looks and sounds. You will not be a pro from the word go, but I think it's the most effective way to see, kill, and learn about big deer. I learn more by applying what I've learned in the field, and seeing it for myself. If you follow all the steps from a-z I think even the newbie becomes a dangerous adversary to the almighty buck.

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Re: Baby steps

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Thu Nov 20, 2014 9:10 am

PLB is 100% correct folks. For me personally, I just take bits and pieces of information and tactics mentioned here and apply them to my own style of hunting. I don't try to mimic everything that some of the hardcore beast hunters on here do on their hunts. Thats just unrealistic with how I hunt and what I do works for me. I take only bits and pieces. Every forest and marsh has it's own situation that you have to learn to adapt to and work around. Pressure, property size, time available to to hunt, the amount of deer in the area, fresh sign are just a few examples you should consider. Thinking outside the box is the key. Some guys starting out with beast style hunting get lucky, some really struggle with it. Be patient, have fun, and learn...
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Re: Baby steps

Unread postby dan » Thu Nov 20, 2014 9:20 am

Great post PLB 8-)
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Re: Baby steps

Unread postby exojam » Thu Nov 20, 2014 9:53 am

PLB,

I am glad you wrote this as the other night I was thinking of a response to a thread I was reading (forget which one). I basically look at it as right now I am still trying to add numbers where some of you guys are doing physics. There is nothing I can do about that since at one time you guys started out with basic math also. I try to take what is discussed here and put that to use in just getting to be able to see deer as there is no way I am going after “one buck”. I need experience in finding sign, bedding, finding out what their food source is and killing from the ground and for me that is going to be does and younger bucks for a while.

And to be very honest I will never be a beast hunter for reasons most of you are aware of but that is fine with me, as long as I see some type of progress as the seasons go by.

But on a side note, sometimes it is/can be hard to watch the bucks falling by everyone except me :doh:
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Re: Baby steps

Unread postby PK_ » Thu Nov 20, 2014 9:54 am

This is a great thread.

I have said this before and will say it again. If you are new to this style of hunting do not get overwhelmed with thinking you need to be right over a pre scouted bed each hunt.

Here are a few strategies I adopted after learning info from this site and the DVDs:

1) Very simple, very effective. Play (or even better CHEAT) the wind. Hunt only fresh sets preferably over fresh sign. Be silent while entering/setting your setup. Hunt thick cover.

2) While applying the strategy of #1, setup over a known or suspected bedding area for an afternoon hunt. Hunt it again the following morning. After your morning hunt, dive right in there and find out what is what. Move to next bedding area and repeat.

3) Late season gun. Still hunt through known or suspected bedding. If you slooooow down, keep the wind in your favor you will be surprised what you can pull off and how exciting this type if hunting is. Not to mention the invaluable intel you will gain.

By trying #2 and 3 you will quickly learn a lot of new areas. Not only will you be in the game for good buck encounters but you will also be finding the real in season hideouts and setting yourself up for success for years to come.

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Re: Baby steps

Unread postby exojam » Thu Nov 20, 2014 10:06 am

Forgot to add to my first post, I think there should be some sort JV section :D Now I know this is “The Hunting Beast” where a style of hunting is being discussed and folks try to emulate it but in all honesty how can anyone start there?

What about the folks that have not seen deer in years or less than they can count on their hands? Some may say watch the DVD’s (which I have a few times), but how does someone start from scratch when no one is around to guide them? I could walk out in the forest and pass 5 things that someone else s notices as deer presence. Unfortunately I am one who needs to “see and do” for most to sink in. How does someone find tracks in the NE where we get 5 plus inches of leafs fall every year and have pretty much no agriculture? This is the stuff that is still not clicking with me yet.


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