Deer Hunting vs Beast Style Hunting

[PK_]

Read 'whitetails' - Robert Sheppard. Great book, lays out the basics and will get you up to speed on how to kill deer consistently.

http://www.amazon.com/Whitetails-Unprec ... whitetails

Also get dan's DVDs, Marsh and Hillcountry bucks. Though these are geared towards hunting big bucks, the principles translate to just about any deer hunting on public land.

Good luck.

[PK_]

What should I be looking for when I am scouting? Tracks, bedsand then where should I hunt when I find this sign? Sorry for the newbie question.

[ Post made via Android ]

One easy way to go about scouting is during different times of the year, walk until you kick up deer during the day. Of course you don't necessarily want to do this in an area you plan to hunt soon. Pay attention to where the deer are bedding, think about why they are bedding there and where you can cut them off between there and food sources, nearby funnels etc…

Another thing to scout for is food sources like apples, acorns etc… Figure out when those food sources get hot, some are early bow, some are late gun. This stuff takes years but the sooner you start paying attention to details the sooner the pieces of the puzzle will begin to come together.

You should also be paying attention to hunter sign. I tell you, you can have good success on public land by not paying attention to deer sign at all, just pay attention to where others are hunting and avoiding those areas. By default you will end up on some deer sooner or later.

There is no right and wrong in deer hunting. Make it up as you go and don't forget to have fun!

[JohnnieU]

Hunting in Wisconsin, By the way. I really appreciate all the help I'm getting from you more seasoned hunters. It means a lot to me.

[ Post made via Android ]

If you live in WI get to one of Dan's scouting clinics. I've been hunting close to 20 years and learned a lot in one day with Dan. Also, you'll find Beast Hunting is deer hunting, Dan is just more detailed in the way he goes about it and has spent a lot more time doing it then most of us ever will so he does much better than others would in the same situation. Dan isn't hunting a special TV property, he deals with the same problems we do and still shoots big bucks every year.

[Spysar]

If you define beast hunting as bed hunting, then beast hunting is a more advanced technique.

If you are a very beginner, you might want to start with the basics.

Find tracks, find trails, droppings....this will tell you there are deer there.

Find buck sign, scrapes and rubs.

Start small. Try and kill a doe or small buck, it's all good learning. Don't get hung up on killing the big one.

Learn the habits of the deer. Find what they're eating. Hunting food is a good start.

AND, keep it fun, and just be observant. The big ones will come eventually.

[Swampbuck]

I think its also important to keep yourself happy. If killing a doe or a small buck makes you happy then that is the whole point of it. If you are bent on killing the bigger ones then let that drive you. Keep it enjoyable!

[Mario]

I agree that spending some time on foot scouting will help out come fall, but its also important to know what to look for. Do your best at identifying bedding areas then dive in and give it a try. Your best learning tool is time spent in the field trying different things. Closely observe your surroundings entering your hunting areas and while on stand. Sometimes you are able to get into the right area, on the right wind, but the buck just wasn't bedding there that night. Don't get discourage just move on to the next area. And a good encounter without a kill is not all bad because it can validate the plan you put in place. I guess most of all make sure you enjoy the time in the outdoors!

[matt1336]

Find the deer like the other guys are saying and then shoot whatever deer comes into range and then keep filling tags. Does, bucks, fawns....whatever. Don't worry about what others say regarding what you decided to kill. It's all venison and very valuable experiences. Get some animals under your belt and you'll figure out how to seal the deal when a big guy comes in. As time goes by youll find yourself being more selective. But for now, shoot what makes you happy and don't worry what other people say....you'll be the one with the full freezer!

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Wlog]

What should I be looking for when I am scouting? Tracks, bedsand then where should I hunt when I find this sign? Sorry for the newbie question.

[ Post made via Android ]

One easy way to go about scouting is during different times of the year, walk until you kick up deer during the day. Of course you don't necessarily want to do this in an area you plan to hunt soon. Pay attention to where the deer are bedding, think about why they are bedding there and where you can cut them off between there and food sources, nearby funnels etc…

Another thing to scout for is food sources like apples, acorns etc… Figure out when those food sources get hot, some are early bow, some are late gun. This stuff takes years but the sooner you start paying attention to details the sooner the pieces of the puzzle will begin to come together.

You should also be paying attention to hunter sign. I tell you, you can have good success on public land by not paying attention to deer sign at all, just pay attention to where others are hunting and avoiding those areas. By default you will end up on some deer sooner or later.

There is no right and wrong in deer hunting. Make it up as you go and don't forget to have fun!

X2, this would be my advice for any beginning deer hunter.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[youngbuck917]

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge. I will be getting out to scout some areas that I hunt soon to look for those funnels, where they eat, bedding areas, and heavy deer trails. Much easier to see that stuff in the snow.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Lockdown]

The guys gave you lots of good advice. Scouting is crucial, read every piece of literature you can get your hands on (Wired to Hunt is a great website), and analyze everything. Every time you see a deer, ask yourself why it did what it did. Where was it bedded and why? Where is it headed and why? One common misconception of a new deer hunter is thinking that deer wander aimlessly. For the most part that is not true... everything they do is for a reason. Bowhunting takes a lot of patience and you'll have times where you're down and not seeing deer, but stick with it. Never give up! I don't know how many times I've sat on stand feeling sorry for myself or frustrated because things aren't going well, and all of a sudden here comes a deer. Your season can be made in a matter of seconds... all it takes is one. Good luck!

[mheichelbech]

All great advice here. Mine would be pay attention at all times when on stand. Good example, last weekend I saw, for the first time in the field,a buck I've been after for 3 seasons. Saw him for 5 seconds. Had I not been focused and watching, I would have missed seeing him.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Wlog]

Don't fall for gimmicks! When you read books and mags and web forums you have to sift through the info carefully. Not everyone's advice or opinion will work for you 100% of the time. Trust your instincts and go with your gut.

Stay away from gadgets and gizmo's and keep it simple!

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[justdirtyfun]

After a good rain/snow clears off old tracks is one way to scout. If they had 1 morning to leave tracks you can follow to bed. And if only 1 evening after rain the tracks will go to food.
This approach is not foolproof but is more of a general idea to explain what they might be thinking while leaving their footprints for you.
And most tracks found are nighttime activity if you are in an open/exposed location.

[Master Chief]

Here's my simple five step guide to hunting

#1 Ethics--be ethical. If you cheat for "success" you will not enjoy hunting.

#2 Have fun--hunt because you enjoy it. If you are hunting to boost your ego or for challenge as if you need to prove something to yourself and others-you're fooling yourself. Find a new hobby

#3 Location, location, location--Be in the right location. We scout for a reason. Hunting is far less based on skill than some want to believe.

#4 Dedication--Dedication dictates knowledge as you have to put in time to learn. The majority of that will come from being in the woods. What you learn by communication/research is still very very important. That can be as simple as having someone mentor you or reading tactics on "the beast"

#5 Keep an open mind--there is no formula to kill deer. Every area is different. Read a lot, but don't take everything you see on the internet to heart. It may not be true for the deer you are hunting. The open mind comes into play because you are going to have to try different ideas to see what works where.



As for what I look for when scouting-Generally speaking-the more rubs in an area the better. Good age structure and better sex ratios usually encourage rubbing. I look for rubs to find spots initially, but I don't limit myself to that. Deer are very diverse. There could be the greatest honey hole known to man and it could barely have any sign. I also like to hunt an area if I find big sheds there of course. Another thing to do is scout for hunters. Pressure plays a big role in where deer use.

[whitetail4ever]

My best advice, if you're really at the beginner phase is just time in the field in any context (scouting, hiking, deer hunting, bird hutning, small game hunting etc.), and just read, read, read.

I also find that if I pick up on a new idea or topic and I am unable to get some in the field scouting or hunting in, spend some time cyber scouting pieces you may hunt as soon as something sort of registers with you and try to apply the technique. It functions as a sort of digital practice hunt. Say you read Mapping Trophy Whitetails and the geometry of a saddle just jumps out at you. Pull up some topos and map them out right away.

As far as in the field, I end up in the field for work a lot, usually on tracts that do not allow hunting, but anytime you can study deer in the field, you will, or at least should, learn something. Follow tracks anywhere. My backyard is a 500 acre Forest Preserve that does not allow hunting. I scout and shed hunt back there as much as anywhere and have learned a ton about deer in general doing so.

[glow=red]Challenge yourself to understand why you see every deer that you do, hunting or not. If you see a deer driving home from work, take a minute and hypothesize on why it was there, what it was eating, where it beds, etc. Do the same with sign. Even if you are wrong, or have no way of confirming, it teaches your mind to think like a deer and you will get better and quicker at dissecting patterns.[/glow]

It's all a big puzzle, and the best part is you'll never fit all of the pieces together on a whole! That's what makes it so addicting.

Awesome advice!!!