Early season. When to hunt vs wait?

[johndeere506]

Hunting buck beds or staging doesn't need to wait. Other spots should wait til prerut for better odds, especially mornings I think.
My question is, what if you see from observation, or get cam pics in early morning daylight of a good buck? It's not a pattern, just one sighting on a safe to hunt wind. What does it take to get you to go hunt the spot? How many times to see him before you hunt it? Buck beds are about 100 yards away in this particular spot. Just wondering how you decide. Has your decision Worked?

[ Post made via Android ]

[BHC]

Ya gotta hunt em
When they are there....

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Stanley]

Strike while the iron is hot.

[whitetail_addict]

Does the one daylight sighting coincide with any moon movements? I'd say one time is something to take note of. But it depends on the situation. If it's land that gets other pressure I'd probably consider taking a chance and moving in for a kill hunt. On the other hand, if it's a property only you can hunt or somewhere you don't expect to get any other pressure from others anytime soon I'd probably hold off for a bit more... you get two days in a row then you've got to jump on it immediately.

The problem with taking a chance on a single daylight picture is if it was just a fluke and he doesn't show while you're in there, chances are he's gone... at least from that bed.

[headgear]

I usually lean toward the "hunt" category, win lose or draw you can always learn something from it. However it has to be looked at on a case by case basis, sometimes it's worth a shot and other times you need to back off and wait for a better time.

[Lockdown]

[quote="headgear"]I usually lean toward the "hunt" category, win lose or draw you can always learn something from it.
I agree with headgear

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[johndeere506]

He walked past another stand this morn in daylight...
It was a bad wind for me.

We can't hunt for a few more days still...

[ Post made via Android ]

[johndeere506]

No pressure on this land, maybe 100+ acres. Hunters surround it though, and will likely be too far for him in daylight. I hope.

[ Post made via Android ]

[jarang1128]

i had videos of this guy moving through this food plot during the last week of september-20 minutes after first light (from this same camera). This is only picture i have saved on this computer at work.

my biggest regret of 2013 season was not going after him that first weekend. Had i used my head and not convinced myself that you can't hunt mornings opening weekend of bow season...well... you know what i think.





had him at 55 yards through the timber at noon on the friday before gun opener, november 15th. Never saw him again. found out after season somebody a mile away shot him and never recovered him. he's never been seen again.

[johndeere506]

Well, this great buck has showed up on three of the last 4 mornings. I even pulled cards and hung a cell cam, and he still in there, I took scent precautions. We open tomo here, but the wind is all wrong.

Do I hunt the best way I can think of for this wind? Risk blowing some deer out. Or wait til next week for a safer wind.

I know Stanley says strike while its hot, but I don't want to ruin it. I think he will stick around, I know him from last year too.The beast in me wants to go in, but wind is quite marginal, or bad.

[ Post made via Android ]

[dan]

They generally have patterns of time... I would hit it right away asap while he is moving in daylight.

[briar]

One theme of this site over and over and over is you have to hunt aggressive. Hunting for me is about using all the information you can collect then making the best choices with that information. Every deer is different and every situation is different. It sure makes me feel better going after deer aggressively than tiptoeing around and learning that somebody else was there messing up my plans anyway.

That old saying Regret what you did, not what you didn't do, is one I really try to apply when going hunting.

[johndeere506]

Thanks Dan and Briar, I trust your opinions. My biggest issue is that this is pretty unpressured private land in this direct area, and Im not sure I could pick a tree in the dark to suit this wind. It would be real iffy, and deer could get downwind of me. Im decent at setting up in daylight, havent tried dark yet...my perm stand is 50 yards away and no good for this wind. Id really hate to to mess this spot up. But, I could wait til next week south wind, and he could be back to dark movement.

I would literally be walking in to this spot w the wind to my back all the way in, my wind would blow into the swamp, but not directly at beds, only parallel trails, on swamp edge.

I considered setting a stand today, and going up real high, and hunting in the morning. I realize that violates beast code, but it sounded good in my head. I guess I could ground hunt it with the ghillie too.

3 out of 4 mornings of daylight movement doesnt help me if he or others wind me before Im in the game, right?

I dont feel comfortable posting this spot online, I wish I could. :/

[johndeere506]

I dont have an issue being aggressive getting in there early season (never have before), but its the bad wind that has me reluctant. If he walks in the swamp vs through the woods, Im toast.

[briar]

you know your spot better than anybody Johndeer!! If I am hunting mornings, which I do once a week the spots I got to are about as safe as can be. My entrance and exit are straight line cut and dry get in the wood, sit in a good wind and hope for the best. I stay away from thickets, bedding, or fields.

This Saturday our season starts and I just gotta be out. The spot I selected is in a swamp that by next Saturday (duck opener) will be useless. I walk down a cut lane and jump in the woods 75 yards and climb. If I bump deer, I bump deer, but my honey hole for evening is a little harder to get to, and about a half mile from this spot. This morning spot gives me a chance to get out, maybe a shot at a doe, and doesn't hurt any of my evening plans.

You do what you think is best!!