How do you hunt in rifle season?

[keepthefevercalls]

It wont be long until rifle season kicks in and nearly 1 million hunters hit the PA woods. How do you deal with this and use it to your advantage to put meat in the freezer and antlers on the wall?

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[dagger]

I try to get as far away from the orange army as possible, as far as where exactly i sit totally depends on the situation at hand.

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[Crazinamatese]

When I was into gun season back in the day I always like setting up top of a wide draw or anywhere I can watch thick hill sides.

[mauser06]

I'm no big buck slayer. But I employ all of those methods lol. Plus still hunting and tracking..


Depends on the situation...the location..the weather. Typically after the first day and the 2 Saturdays I have trouble finding any motivation to be in the woods early...very few hunters out and the deer are holed up like rabbits for a few days.


Pressure in PA isn't what it used to be. I remember when I was 12 and the news had a full segment on the first day and truly over a million hunters headed out...now I believe it's less than 750k. Still a lot of pressure depending where you hunt no doubt about that...



More and more I'm getting away from the small drives...we kill some bucks doing it...no doubt about it...there's a few of us that work really well together...I've done real well with just 2 of us...1 man pushes or still hunting 100-200yds apart..

I like hunting with others...but more and more finding myself alone...I like the one on one aspect...

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[Bucky]

Hope and Pray



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[Ol'DanBoone]

DA THICK SHTUFFFFF!

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[BigHunt]

Leeward ridges......as thick as possible

[wmihunter]

I hunts day or two and call it good. bowhunting is my passion

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[Horizontal Hunter]

DA THICK SHTUFFFFF!

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This. Think escape routes. Get in early and let them push the deer to you.

bob

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[justin84]

Leeward ridges......as thick as possible

In Steve Heiting's book, Hunting Northwoods Bucks, he talks about hunting ridges overlooking thick stuff like cedar or spruce (I think he called them dark areas). I'm trying to find some places like this on the map in my area for opening weekend.

[C r o w]

First day and the first Saturday sitting completely still is a must in my opinion. After about 10am people get impatient and start walking around, putting on drives, etc. I used to be a diehard rifle hunter but after this archery season and being 20 years old, I've learned a lot. I'm not looking forward to rifle season for the first time in 8 years.

Not to mention I shot a 9 point with my bow, so I'm limited to the second week of doe, and only doe for me.

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[Bowhunting Brian]

From the bar stool of course.

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[john1984]

I don't gun hunt anymore but when I did it was mostly on small private parcels of farmland. Treestands and some drives. But the last 3 years my Dad comes over from MN for a few days and he lets me play guide. I just post him up in several spots on a huge public property, then I will walk around quite a ways to try and push something toward him. Its worked for does but not on any bucks so far, I'm hoping next week we can change that.

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[BigHunt]

Leeward ridges......as thick as possible

In Steve Heiting's book, Hunting Northwoods Bucks, he talks about hunting ridges overlooking thick stuff like cedar or spruce (I think he called them dark areas). I'm trying to find some places like this on the map in my area for opening weekend.

Has any logging taken place? If so seek out those areas. Sun has access to the open area and makes it grow thick and sometimes if your lucky aspen will grow wich is very thick. My grandfathers land was logged off 4 years ago...I was worried at first but it's been getting nothing but better every year!! The bedding areas have tripled

[Hawthorne]

I've pretty much gave up gun hunting in Michigan. The last one I shot with a gun was 15 years ago. I tracked him down in the wind and snow and shot him in his bed. A 4.5 year old buck had him aged. Tracking would be my preferred method if I went back. I'd have to travel to the UP tho. Private pieces are small and a ton of hunters on public in southern mi not good for tracking IMO.

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