After Work Hunts. Hurt more than good ?
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After Work Hunts. Hurt more than good ?
I work a job where alot of times I can sneak away at 3 oclock or so. After the time changes in the last week of October that means I usually only get 2-3 hours of sit time in a stand . Before the time change in October I can usually get 3+. Im busy about 50% of the weekends except my week of vacation in November. My question is , is it in my best interest to hunt the week I have off and the weekends ? Or are the weekday hunts pushing mature deer out of my area? I hunt private farm ground with generaly small tracts of timber with one other guy (who last year only sat once) and have a strict schedule on how I play the wind and enter my stands. Opinions ? ? ?
- johndeere506
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Re: After Work Hunts. Hurt more than good ?
I do this at home. If you are careful and plan well it can be minimal impact. It totally depends on layout of the land. I've built a very cool area that I can get in n out without deer knowing. Works best late season, or with a perfect access route. It def restricts you from hunting certain spots until you have more time.
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- headgear
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Re: After Work Hunts. Hurt more than good ?
If you are worried about burning out the small chunk of land you have why limit yourself to only hunting there? Find some new spots and the hunt the heck out of them, sure beats putting too much pressure on one spot or not hunting at all.
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Re: After Work Hunts. Hurt more than good ?
I am pretty sure the majority of my big bucks were shot on week days after work on 1 to 3 hour hunts.
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Re: After Work Hunts. Hurt more than good ?
I sometimes wonder if those all day hunts, hurt us, more than they help us... I mean, you are stinking up the woods all day long, but a quick little after work hunt, doesn't give as much time to carry your scent all over the woods...
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Re: After Work Hunts. Hurt more than good ?
I kind of think you have to be in the stand to kill a buck. I don't like short hunts. I kind of like to get into the stand and dry out before it's time to quit. That said I have hunted after work many times even if just for 30 minutes. I killed a buck in 1976 on a 30 minute after work hunt. I burned my vacation and it was late in the season. Back in the day I hunted every minute I could.
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: After Work Hunts. Hurt more than good ?
Interesting . I will have to keep hunting them then , I'm not limited to a small chunk of land . In fact I have 8 stands on 5 different parcels a few miles apart so I try to break up how often I'm in them . It sucks cause in hill farm country you really have to hoof it to get to a safe entry route . Some take me up to 20 minutes to walk there .
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- jmaas07
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Re: After Work Hunts. Hurt more than good ?
I hunt a lot after work, it works out well for me to take a couple hrs vacation time and leave work early for a hunt as opposed to saving a big chunk of time for a vacation. You mentioned you are taking precaution to your stand access and playing the wind, with that said, I would still mix it up and hunt other properties so you don't burn out your small piece. Hunt that property when the time is right, but I would for sure be taking advantage of after work hunts wherever that may be.
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Re: After Work Hunts. Hurt more than good ?
8 stands ain't alot... thats 8 hunts to me, I sit 8 stands in 10 days. I would get a mobile set up as well and hop around and try new spots and areas too.
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Re: After Work Hunts. Hurt more than good ?
dan wrote:8 stands ain't alot... thats 8 hunts to me, I sit 8 stands in 10 days. I would get a mobile set up as well and hop around and try new spots and areas too.
Got an XOP sticks and Stand with Molle straps on them . Was wondering Dan, do you ever sit in fencline trees ? I live in Western Iowa where alot of times there will be 10-20 trees in a fencline connecting big timbers together but over the course of a mile (1 section of land ) . I often see alot of scrapes along these trees but have hunted them in the past with very limited success. Doesn't seem like much of a pattern to the deer I see but in my mind seems like theyd be good travel corridors for the rut. Opinions ?
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Re: After Work Hunts. Hurt more than good ?
I don't think there is any wrong answer here...
As long as your playing a steady wind when you hunt your locations (steady is key).
Swirling winds certainly won't help maintain whatever integrity you can plan for on any grounds for the most part, especially for smaller parcels.
I personally can't hunt everyday, so I cross out rain and heavy wind days - just haven't had any luck.
I do like the ending of rain with drizzle though, so if I see the forecast is in tune with that variable, I will try and manage a hunt...
I have killed over half my deer in the last 20-minutes so all you need is 45-minutes sometimes, don't discount short hunts~
As long as your playing a steady wind when you hunt your locations (steady is key).
Swirling winds certainly won't help maintain whatever integrity you can plan for on any grounds for the most part, especially for smaller parcels.
I personally can't hunt everyday, so I cross out rain and heavy wind days - just haven't had any luck.
I do like the ending of rain with drizzle though, so if I see the forecast is in tune with that variable, I will try and manage a hunt...
I have killed over half my deer in the last 20-minutes so all you need is 45-minutes sometimes, don't discount short hunts~
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Re: After Work Hunts. Hurt more than good ?
I am a firm believer in hunting when you can. As Dan said grab your stand and bounce around. You never know what you will find when you bounce around.
Bob
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- jonsimoneau
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Re: After Work Hunts. Hurt more than good ?
I killed my biggest buck on a 2 hour hunt after work while hunting in my work clothes and boots. I killed another buck last season with the same scenario and only a 1 hour hunt. I was also wearing my work clothes and boots but I had a ghillie suit on over the top as I was hunting on the ground that evening.
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Re: After Work Hunts. Hurt more than good ?
Brus wrote:dan wrote:8 stands ain't alot... thats 8 hunts to me, I sit 8 stands in 10 days. I would get a mobile set up as well and hop around and try new spots and areas too.
Got an XOP sticks and Stand with Molle straps on them . Was wondering Dan, do you ever sit in fencline trees ? I live in Western Iowa where alot of times there will be 10-20 trees in a fencline connecting big timbers together but over the course of a mile (1 section of land ) . I often see alot of scrapes along these trees but have hunted them in the past with very limited success. Doesn't seem like much of a pattern to the deer I see but in my mind seems like theyd be good travel corridors for the rut. Opinions ?
I hunt spots like that in rut... If there isolated, & have good sign. Outside of the rut I stick to being close to bedding.
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