What was your biggest AH HA hunting moment?

[hunter_mike]

The marsh bucks video blew my mind and I instantly knew those tactics discussed were the key I had been searching for.

[Stanley]

When I killed my first big buck. No tree stand just sitting on a limb. Used a big hay rope to climb up into the tree. That sold me for life.

[Dewey]

When I killed my first big buck. No tree stand just sitting on a limb. Used a big hay rope to climb up into the tree. That sold me for life.

You sound like Tarzan.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Wlog]

I had gotten to a point where my hunting routine was getting stale. I remember commenting to a friend one day that I wished I could figure out exactly where a buck was bedding. I was hunting with the typical magazine article tactics. I knew I was missing something. Soon after I came to the realization I needed to find where a bucks bed was I read about Dan and the Rome pond buck. A simple google search after that lead me here and I bought the marsh bucks dvd.

That video really hit home with me. It teaches you the beast principles we always talk about on this site but also that a regular guy can do this without owning land or huge leases. Anybody that is willing to put in the work and time can shoot good deer as long as they keep an open mind and are perceptive enough to put the puzzle pieces together. I've always really enjoyed scouting but now my scouting missions are with a purpose.

If I hadn't read that magazine article I would still be seeing bucks by accident not on purpose. I'd still be searching for a hunting club with better land or some new call or other high priced pixie dust.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[JoeRE]

In 2006 for the first time I killed a nice buck in his bedroom outside the rut. Before that I hunted deer, hoping for a big buck. After that, I hunted big bucks.

I tend not to have many ah-ha moments, typically things take a steady push for me to succeed, but that was one of them.

[wmahunter]

Still waiting for my AH HA moment in FL. I kill deer every year, but the bucks seriously elude me pretty much. I hunt exclusively with a climber on Public land. Probably would do better if I could get access to scout in off season, but most are closed to vehicle traffic in the off season and once archery season opens the trucks flood in and anything I have seen within a few miles of the entrance are long gone or completely nocturnal. Which is the main reason I came here. I was watching some youtube vids of one of the members here using some pretty aggressive tactics. I am working some of them into the game trying to find that swamp donkey that I know is hiding in these woods.

Scout using a mountain bike during the off season in the swamp.

[wmahunter]

Sounds like I need to get his marsh vid. I wonder how well the tactic would work in Florida swamps. Dan if you ever want to come give FL swamps a try I got a spare room and would love to tag along with a Pro! I wish I could fast forward about 5 years Florida just implemented a 3 points on one side from bucks this season. if archery season is any indicator bucks taken are less then half down to a quarter of what was taken in some places over the last 5 years on public land.

Marsh vid is definitely worth it.

[Whitetailhunter63]

My biggest ah ha moment was when i found this site. I quickly learned that everything my buddy was teaching me was wrong, very wrong. Next year i plan on doing all beast style hunts on public land.

[9pt]

Ah-Ha: a deer that is nocturnal all the time can grow old no matter how much hunting pressure there is. This gave me hope and convid nice that there could be some good bucks in Southern Michigan.

Ah-Ha: a buck may not actually be nocturnal, he most likely is almost nocturnal but move perhaps 100 yards or so before last light.

AH-Ha: my first winter of post season scouting marshes and seeing it all there just as described in the Beast.

Ah-ha: deploying beast tactics up north for fire arm opener to get away from all the usual ground blind spots where we rarely saw bucks.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[whitetailassasin]

2008 I shot a year and a half old 8, and I knew I shouldn't have. I had never shot a mature deer up until that point. Only 2.5 and under. I wanted more. I knew if I kept tagging them I'd never have a big one. That was the defining moment that lead me to change everything. My scouting/wind/learned behavior/food sources...I went all in. I was told it isn't possible in Michigan and that I was overboard. Good thing I didn't listen. Several mature bucks later, a true hunter was born.

[ Post made via iPhone ]