What Is Your Focus

Discuss deer hunting tactics, Deer behavior. Post your Hunting Stories, Pictures, and Questions/Answers.
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Jrichard
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What Is Your Focus

Unread postby Jrichard » Tue Aug 22, 2017 11:13 am

Okay so I have been doing A LOT of research. As I always do on the off season. But with the season approaching I have been pondering a very very sensitive subject to some. It depends who you talk too about early season as to what each individual hunter prefers to hunt. The biggest ones seem to be trails, acorns, and fields. Now take into consideration that some seasons don't start until early October and others start as early as early September. Unfortunately RI isn't open to hunting in most parts until October 1st this year. It used to be September 15th.

Anyway back on topic. I am getting my CT tags again this year so thankfully their season always starts on September 15 (for the time being right now lol.) But what would you suggest for seeing all types of deer. Whether it be does bucks, mature bucks or what not. The fields I hunt don't have much in the except the wild clover and grass lol.

So what makes you more confident in your spot. Do you target acorns, fields, trails, or even just the good old watering hole? Do you try to line them up a bit? Maybe the field to your back a few hundred yards away but you are positioned in an oak flat?

What do you prefer? What would make you feel confident you may have a shot at a decent deer? Or just at a doe to fill the freezer? Just something to think about as the hunting season approaches fast.


mauser06
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Re: What Is Your Focus

Unread postby mauser06 » Tue Aug 22, 2017 11:33 am

Many of us here focus on hunting specific buck beds that we've located a long while ago...or by hunting a spot that SHOULD be right near a buck bed we located via cyber scouting and going in with a stand on our backs.

Unless we know a shooter is hitting a early season food source regularly before dark.


Till the rut kicks off, that's how many of us hunt...and once we hunt one of those spots we rarely go back because we are right up in a deer bedroom.
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seazofcheeze
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Re: What Is Your Focus

Unread postby seazofcheeze » Tue Aug 22, 2017 1:00 pm

If you're looking for ANY deer. I would hunt white oaks producing acorns near (preferably) known or suspected bedding.
Brickhouse
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Re: What Is Your Focus

Unread postby Brickhouse » Tue Aug 22, 2017 1:53 pm

One of our best stands historically is located in between bedding and a slight ridge with oaks and hickories. Ag fields on the other side past the oaks and hickories. The deer come in from the fields in the am and work their way through right along the ridge feeding on acorns, hickory nuts, and other browse on their way back to bed. The stand is about 25 yards from the edge of a waterhole in the woods with funnels deer right past the stand. The stand has been much better for an am sit and deer movement is much more consistent. In the evening it seems the deer are a bit more spread out and come out of the bedding from several different directions.

So to answer your question, a little bit of everything at that particular spot. Most of my other spots are also based on general deer movement from bed to feed (ag, acorns, hickories, apples, etc) or vice versa.
Buckshot20
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Re: What Is Your Focus

Unread postby Buckshot20 » Tue Aug 22, 2017 2:05 pm

If you are looking for deer find a food source near known or suspected bedding. Some nice bucks slip up sometimes too. When deer get up they don't speed walk to big ag fields. They browse on their way there. A place I will be hunting opening day, the deer are bedding in a great food source. Adjacent to another food source. Specific bucks, well that's another story
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hunter_mike
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Re: What Is Your Focus

Unread postby hunter_mike » Tue Aug 22, 2017 3:42 pm

Big bucks are tough. In my area there are enough of them around but unless you have a specific reason to believe you are in a spot to kill one, you probably aren't in a spot to kill one.

Actual sightings, trail cam photos, and plenty of scouting and locating areas with big rubs and of course the bedding areas associated with all of the above really seem like the only way to kill one on purpose. Seems like the more often you use those things, the luckier you can get.

For just deer in general i think it comes down to just hunting areas you feel confident they are present in based on scouting and making a good access to that area, getting in undetected. I dont think it matters if there are fields or trails or acorns or water or whatever, i think all that matters is there is a location somewhere they are moving in daylight and you are sitting there without the deer knowing it.
“The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.”
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stash59
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Re: What Is Your Focus

Unread postby stash59 » Wed Aug 23, 2017 1:44 am

hunter_mike wrote:Big bucks are tough. In my area there are enough of them around but unless you have a specific reason to believe you are in a spot to kill one, you probably aren't in a spot to kill one.

Actual sightings, trail cam photos, and plenty of scouting and locating areas with big rubs and of course the bedding areas associated with all of the above really seem like the only way to kill one on purpose. Seems like the more often you use those things, the luckier you can get.

For just deer in general i think it comes down to just hunting areas you feel confident they are present in based on scouting and making a good access to that area, getting in undetected. I dont think it matters if there are fields or trails or acorns or water or whatever, i think all that matters is there is a location somewhere they are moving in daylight and you are sitting there without the deer knowing it.


I'll second this and add. For any deer. Use observation stands to pattern them. Along with in season scouting. Just like mature bucks. Hunt the hot sign.

Don't know if you can shine out there. Shining fields right after dark can pinpoint areas to scout. If you can't shine just driving the area right after dark can help.
Happiness is a large gutpile!!!!!!!


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