How do you choose where to hunt for the day?

[Rich M]

Wind and gut tell me where to go. If I've found a hot area, I'll be there.

Sounds like the cameras can get into someone's head. Used to be that the cams tell me when the deer are moving and what is there. NOW they also tell me what to expect next year - which is really cool.

I do get a kick out of folks posting pics of big bucks at their stand on X day when they weren't there. Or the photos of the bucks that no-one knew existed and never saw again (annual cruising). Most guys don't put the pieces together for the year to year activity. That's huge.

[Hunter74]

Wind and gut tell me where to go. If I've found a hot area, I'll be there.

Sounds like the cameras can get into someone's head. Used to be that the cams tell me when the deer are moving and what is there. NOW they also tell me what to expect next year - which is really cool.

I do get a kick out of folks posting pics of big bucks at their stand on X day when they weren't there. Or the photos of the bucks that no-one knew existed and never saw again (annual cruising). Most guys don't put the pieces together for the year to year activity. That's huge.

So with using cameras have you noticed movement to be predictable from year to year? For example bucks cruising this area this time of year, this scrape getting day time activity these couple days, bucks bedding in this area this time of year and ect?

[ Post made via Android ]

[Bonecrusher101]

I honestly flip a coin a lot. I flip a coin on those iffy mornings where I'm not 100 percent committed and confident. If it lands on the go. I'm going hunting. Then I flip it again to decide which wma I'm going to. Then I flip again to decipher which spot.

No redos! Every flip is final! Only time I go against the coin flip is a full parking lot on public. I honestly have flipped a coin all the way to where I've killed a buck.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[checkerfred]

I remember a person new to the sport talked about this same topic. He started out with just one spot and as he added spots he started second guessing his choice of where to hunt. Doubt will mess with a persons head. I should have went to the other stand. why did I come here? I wonder if any deer showed up at the other places. Doubt and second guessing will drive a person crazy.
I made it very simple on myself. I decide what stand I will hunt (for whatever reason) and I don't look back. I would say that most often it's just gut feeling. Trust yourself. In most cases you will get many chances to hunt the other spots.
This is the mental aspect of choosing.

There are many other reasons such as shifting food sources, hunter pressure, time of year - pre rut, rut, post rut, late season etc.
Also you may choose based on intel such as tracks, trail cams, glassing.

I have this problem. I often doubt my setups and either don't give them enough time or go in a spot and move when I should have stayed put. I really fight this but am getting better with it. I went in blind the other day and setup on a place that I thought would be good esp with that days wind and seen a good buck that I should have shot but passed. I even stayed put after letting him pass but never say anything else. I just gotta make myself stick it out and if it doesn't produce, then move.

[Edcyclopedia]

Rock - Paper - Scissors.
Coin toss.
Pin the tail on the map; )

[ Post made via Android ]

[Octoberjohn]

Wind direction plays a major role in picking my spots during archery season. I have also seen it mentioned here to follow your gut instinct. I agree with this 100%. Sometimes you just get that feeling that things are going to happen and I go with that a lot. One other factor I throw into all of this is at times to push the limits somewhat. I do not get the chance to hunt on a daily basis during the season. So most of the days that I can hunt are just because I actually have the time to go on that particular day. So from there I check the wind/forecast and guesstimate appropriately. On a lot of the hunts I do here at home I don't have a perfect wind so I set up in the area I want to hunt and adjust as best as I can with the set up. Most of my hunts are not with a perfect wind but if your are limited in your time in the field I don't think that its all that bad of an idea and I have had success with this.

Gun season in my area is all about hunting the pressure and is a completely different ball game.

[Dewey]

1)Wind direction-#1 deciding factor for sure
2)Hunting pressure
3)Food sources available
4)Past history for certain times of the year-some spots only good specific times of the year like early, pre rut, peak rut or late season
5)Weather conditions-on windy days I can move in tight on some bedding areas much easier than others
6)Hot sign-at any time my original plan can be altered if I find hot sign on the way in

[Rich M]

Wind and gut tell me where to go. If I've found a hot area, I'll be there.

Sounds like the cameras can get into someone's head. Used to be that the cams tell me when the deer are moving and what is there. NOW they also tell me what to expect next year - which is really cool.

I do get a kick out of folks posting pics of big bucks at their stand on X day when they weren't there. Or the photos of the bucks that no-one knew existed and never saw again (annual cruising). Most guys don't put the pieces together for the year to year activity. That's huge.

So with using cameras have you noticed movement to be predictable from year to year? For example bucks cruising this area this time of year, this scrape getting day time activity these couple days, bucks bedding in this area this time of year and ect?

[ Post made via Android ]

I hunted with a guy for 3 years and he shot mature cruising bucks on the afternoon of November 4 each year. That's as close as I have gotten to it. My skill level is just reaching the point where I can find some 2.5 yr old bucks with a sense of regularity. It is encouraging.

There are many posts and threads on here about using historical data to hunt mature bucks - the deer typically have similar patterns from year to year.

[dan]

just like a big buck has an exact reason he beds in an exact spot... There is an exact reason I choose the exact spot I hunt.