Does This Statement Hold True?

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Is location or sign more important for you?

Poll ended at Fri Aug 05, 2016 8:34 am

Location
25
71%
Sign
10
29%
 
Total votes: 35
Jrichard
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Does This Statement Hold True?

Unread postby Jrichard » Sun Jul 31, 2016 8:34 am

I was just wondering how everyone on here felt about this statement that really hit home. But also kept me very puzzled.

In the "Mapping Trophy Bucks" the author makes a statement "I convinced myself location, not sign, was the most important factor when it came to killing deer."

Now this got me wondering. Am I going about it all wrong? I am looking for a large amount of tracks and scat. I am also looking for heavily used trails. Any hair I can find that are left behind when they pinch through fences ect. What do you guys that have more experience with these things think? If you had a FANTASTIC saddle that you found and you were on the way to hunt it and you found a ton of scat (old and new) in one area. With monster tracks, rubs, and a few scrapes in that area. But the saddle you were hunting was miles away. What would you pick? How much sign would it take for you to change your plan and climb a tree X amount of yards away from that sign versus that saddle that you know will probably produce a nice buck?

Keep in mind I am looking to harvest my first deer so if you guys could shed some light on that for me as well I would really appreciate it. What would be the best option for me? As well as for you guys that hunt bucks? Because I am sure if I fill a Doe tag or two I may want to up my game and see if I can take a decent buck.


Whitetailaddict
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Re: Does This Statement Hold True?

Unread postby Whitetailaddict » Sun Jul 31, 2016 9:01 am

I would hunt the sign if it appeared fresh. That is not saying the saddle wouldn't be good but when you find sign like you mentioned I would have a hard time not sitting there at least once. The best scenario is to walk to the spots you think are good right after season and check for sign. If you're checking these locations during season and there is fresh sign there then it is a no brainer to sit those spots. Ultimately post-season scouting can help a lot when it comes to determining if those spots you thought looked good actually are good spots and then you can use that information the following season. Good luck this season and I hope you get your first deer.
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Re: Does This Statement Hold True?

Unread postby Ghost Hunter » Sun Jul 31, 2016 9:47 am

Have not read the book. Really can not answer. But, he is talking about mapping trophy Whitetails. I would think that location first an if the location has the right layout. The sign should be there. Of course depends on pressure.
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DeerDylan
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Re: Does This Statement Hold True?

Unread postby DeerDylan » Sun Jul 31, 2016 11:58 am

I actually experienced this situation today. The lay of the land makes sense even though it's not littered with big buck sign.

One of the biggest deer I'll ever have on me was in a spot without rubs,scrapes and poop. It was a travel corridor on November 3rd 2012. If I relied soley on a ton of sign I would have never had the opportunity to miss that deer lol

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Hawthorne
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Re: Does This Statement Hold True?

Unread postby Hawthorne » Sun Jul 31, 2016 12:04 pm

I voted location or terrain. Usually a good terrain trap will have rubs in them sometimes not. I've seen nice bucks without sign also. My thinking is that mature bucks lay most of their sign at night. If I see sign close to a pre scouted buck bedding area I will set up. I'm fairly new to this style tho. Always hunted terrain in the past with thick escape cover

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PK_
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Re: Does This Statement Hold True?

Unread postby PK_ » Sun Jul 31, 2016 12:36 pm

Location.
Location.
Location.
No Shortcuts. No Excuses. No Regrets.
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Re: Does This Statement Hold True?

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Sun Jul 31, 2016 12:39 pm

Personally, when I find a LOT of sign, big buck sign in an area, I hunt it immediately. When I say a LOT, I mean 40-75 fresh rubs in a concentrated area, combined with scat and ground scrapes. Many times, those areas are staging areas coming off from a bed. Most times, when I hunt this type of sign in Oct., good things happen. The hardest part is finding that kind of sign, I don't come acrossed it often. And many times the sign tells me I am near the right "terrain".

But just because that sign is not there...it does not mean a big buck is not using an area either. Sometimes terrain, sometimes sign. Terrain is a much bigger deal to me during end of Oct into November. Bucks are traveling more...so sign may or may not be laid down yet.
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Re: Does This Statement Hold True?

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Sun Jul 31, 2016 12:49 pm

Location. I'd rather be in the game than chasing little buck sign.

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Re: Does This Statement Hold True?

Unread postby Buckshot20 » Sun Jul 31, 2016 1:24 pm

I think you have to keep everything in context. MTW is a great book but remember most of those hunts are in November. this is where your scouting pays off I believe. I would rather hunt a saddle between two known bedding areas than one that is not near any bedding. See what I mean. My best hubts and best bucks have all come from terrain features(even when I didn't realize it). But looking back they were all near bedding.

I think that's what Dan and the rest of the beasts here give all of us is the insight to recognize bedding. I still struggle nailing down bedding but all the beds I have found have focused on terrain features like everybody talks about.

With all that I think the authors standby about terrain holds true but you have to remember which features you are hunting and when. Early season I would hunt based on points and bowls that likely hold bedding and during the rut focus on pinches and funnels near bedding

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Re: Does This Statement Hold True?

Unread postby JohnFunn » Sun Jul 31, 2016 1:29 pm

Jrichard wrote:I was just wondering how everyone on here felt about this statement that really hit home. But also kept me very puzzled.

In the "Mapping Trophy Bucks" the author makes a statement "I convinced myself location, not sign, was the most important factor when it came to killing deer."

Now this got me wondering. Am I going about it all wrong? I am looking for a large amount of tracks and scat. I am also looking for heavily used trails. Any hair I can find that are left behind when they pinch through fences ect. What do you guys that have more experience with these things think? If you had a FANTASTIC saddle that you found and you were on the way to hunt it and you found a ton of scat (old and new) in one area. With monster tracks, rubs, and a few scrapes in that area. But the saddle you were hunting was miles away. What would you pick? How much sign would it take for you to change your plan and climb a tree X amount of yards away from that sign versus that saddle that you know will probably produce a nice buck?

Keep in mind I am looking to harvest my first deer so if you guys could shed some light on that for me as well I would really appreciate it. What would be the best option for me? As well as for you guys that hunt bucks? Because I am sure if I fill a Doe tag or two I may want to up my game and see if I can take a decent buck.



If your goal is to shoot a doe or even a small or decent buck, i would hunt the sign. ..with the heavy trails and "scat". ..preferably that are running to and from a food source....if you play the wind and plan your entrance well...i wouldnt think you'd have a problem getting an opportunity at a deer on a heavy trail...givin the sign is already there. Plan your entrance well though! Ask yourself if the deer could either see or smell you on the way in....for a big one...the game plan is a tad different!

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Re: Does This Statement Hold True?

Unread postby seazofcheeze » Sun Jul 31, 2016 2:15 pm

PK_ wrote:Location.
Location.
Location.


x2.

The more I hunt, the more I focus on terrain and less on sign. I certainly don't ignore sign, but I'll take a great location over great sign. Ideally though, great location with sign is the most exciting prospect.

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Re: Does This Statement Hold True?

Unread postby mheichelbech » Sun Jul 31, 2016 2:26 pm

I had a time lapse camera out in an area that had virtually no visible sign but was typical terrain as described in that book...over the course of week it showed 15-20 per day and 2 p&y bucks and one potential booner using the area regularly in daylight. Nailed an 11 point p&y out of it last year. The deer simply weren't using a specific path, they travelled in scattered manner through this area and therefore didn't make any real trails. Also, this specific area saw movement throughout the day...not just mornings and evenings.

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"One of the chief attractions of the life of the wilderness is its rugged and stalwart democracy; there every man stands for what he actually is and can show himself to be." — Theodore Roosevelt, 1893
Buckshot20
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Re: Does This Statement Hold True?

Unread postby Buckshot20 » Sun Jul 31, 2016 2:43 pm

mheichelbech wrote:I had a time lapse camera out in an area that had virtually no visible sign but was typical terrain as described in that book...over the course of week it showed 15-20 per day and 2 p&y bucks and one potential booner using the area regularly in daylight. Nailed an 11 point p&y out of it last year. The deer simply weren't using a specific path, they travelled in scattered manner through this area and therefore didn't make any real trails. Also, this specific area saw movement throughout the day...not just mornings and evenings.

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Interesting. What time of year?

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U.P. MAN
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Re: Does This Statement Hold True?

Unread postby U.P. MAN » Sun Jul 31, 2016 3:13 pm

During the rut I hunt the terrain features and fine tune to what sign is there.

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Re: Does This Statement Hold True?

Unread postby Bowhunter4life » Sun Jul 31, 2016 3:16 pm

It is all about the location!

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