Toughest part about becoming a beast hunter

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J Gilbert
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Toughest part about becoming a beast hunter

Unread postby J Gilbert » Thu May 17, 2018 4:16 am

Little bored at work and thought I'd pose a question that's been on my mind since I really started following along here- what's been the hardest part for you in moving towards beast-style hunting?


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Re: Toughest part about becoming a beast hunter

Unread postby Wlog » Thu May 17, 2018 4:44 am

Staying with it and not drifting back into old habits.
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Re: Toughest part about becoming a beast hunter

Unread postby elk yinzer » Thu May 17, 2018 4:44 am

The mental game is toughest to me. Breaking old habits. Having confidence in a new mental approach. Having scouted dozens of areas I often struggle to choose which one gives me the best chance.

Also beast hunting is not as conducive to hunting at the family camp where I grew up hunting, although I still make it a point to get there a few times a season. A good break for some more laid back hunting approaches.
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Re: Toughest part about becoming a beast hunter

Unread postby Jhand » Thu May 17, 2018 4:48 am

Probably the hardest thing for me once I found beds was learning on which ones to focus on and which ones to ignore. Around my area you will find beds all over so narrowing down areas that would hold a mature buck is the key. Then hunting them when they are using that bed is the next step. This is something I'm just now starting to get the grasp of and I still have a lot to learn. I think this is my 4th season coming up using beast tatics
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Re: Toughest part about becoming a beast hunter

Unread postby tgreeno » Thu May 17, 2018 4:51 am

burkhart wrote:Acceptance of how hard one must work to continually be successful


Burk took the words right out of my mouth.

Guys on here aren't "Beasts" because they hunt great properties. They are "Beasts" because they work harder, go deeper, push more and have more mental toughness than others could even imagine! And wouldn't have it any other way.

Be prepared to put in the effort & time. Because it takes alot!
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Re: Toughest part about becoming a beast hunter

Unread postby tbunao » Thu May 17, 2018 4:57 am

Knowing that you are going to see less deer than ever if you are in the right areas. The past 2 years every mature buck seen from the stand was the only deer on that sit. Every time I see other deer I never see a shooter. It can make it difficult mentally at first. Mental toughness coupled with confidence goes far with this style.
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Re: Toughest part about becoming a beast hunter

Unread postby Dewey » Thu May 17, 2018 5:18 am

Keeping yourself focussed. You can never let your mind wander and need to be doing nothing but staying on top of what sign is telling you and putting all the puzzle pieces together. The best Beast hunters have a knack for using their brain more than anything to be successful and it’s got nothing to do with being smart. It’s how you apply experiences you learned over the years and then applying common sense. Some guys rely only on luck and that rarely works out. If you don’t have a great predatory mind and an excellent work ethic this type of hunting will be very difficult and to be honest nothing but full of frustration. Let’s face it this style is not for everyone. Above all you have to be hunting land where the size of buck your after exists. You can do everything right but if the bucks are just not there you just set yourself up for failure before you even start.
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Re: Toughest part about becoming a beast hunter

Unread postby jmaas07 » Thu May 17, 2018 5:24 am

It’s one thing to read this stuff and know it “by the book”, it takes time to actually see stuff in person scouting and hunting to know what is really going on. So I’d say the hardest thing for someone new would be staying dedicated. Read through as much stuff on here as possible, get out and do a lot of scouting/Hunting applying what you read, be perceptive and learn as you go, it doesn’t happen over night
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Re: Toughest part about becoming a beast hunter

Unread postby jhpa » Thu May 17, 2018 5:25 am

Still in the early stages, but my toughest obstacle has been locating GOOD beds and deciding how/when to hunt or observe them.

I find a decent amount of bedding in the hills, but deer densities in the areas I hunt are low and bedding areas are plentiful. I see plenty of deer sign (droppings, browse, etc) but very little obvious "a big buck lives here" sign. Very few rubs anywhere and mostly dry, rocky ground that doesn't yield tracks. Thus, I find myself spending a lot of time at every potential good bed and really tearing it apart to decide if it is a foolproof location where an old brute would spend his days. Only time and sits will tell if I'm right.
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Re: Toughest part about becoming a beast hunter

Unread postby Lockdown » Thu May 17, 2018 5:47 am

Wlog wrote:Staying with it and not drifting back into old habits.



This and deciphering buck bedding from GREAT buck bedding.
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Re: Toughest part about becoming a beast hunter

Unread postby Jonny » Thu May 17, 2018 5:53 am

Mental toughness. Don't have that, and you will struggle. Just like in any aspect of life.

Because really, how often do things go according to plan? I know in the last week the list of things that went according to plan is significantly shorter than things that went wrong for me. I bet most people are the same way, and hunting is no different.

You can find the best spots on a piece of land. But if you aren't mentally tough, that great spot doesn't matter. Are you tough enough to hunt through closing time after taking a chin deep marsh dunk in freezing water? Tough enough to make a shot through a softball size hole in the brush on a buck of a lifetime? Tough enough to get back out there the next day when your great spot didn't produce?

I am great at planning things out for how I expect and want them to go. I want to be great at getting it done when they don't go as expected, because that is exactly what I expect to happen to me.
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Re: Toughest part about becoming a beast hunter

Unread postby Rob loper » Thu May 17, 2018 9:35 am

i think the toughest part is failure and keeping you confidence
we are all gonna fail but as said before by everyone we need to support each other share our stories be a FAMILY . not just a forum A FAMILY and learn from each other and we will all learn from each others failures and successes and how to avoid certain things and make sure everyone is doing certain things i hope that makes sense lol
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Re: Toughest part about becoming a beast hunter

Unread postby matt1336 » Thu May 17, 2018 1:15 pm

The hardest part for me is finding the time to Scout
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Re: Toughest part about becoming a beast hunter

Unread postby Hawthorne » Thu May 17, 2018 1:30 pm

I remember my first year lugging a stand and sticks for every hunt was cumbersome. I always had pre sets before. Now it’s just second nature. Another thing when I started hitting the big public swamps it seemed intimidating and physically it was tough. Now carrying a stand and sticks and my bow thru it is second nature. Would never go back to my old ways. If someone sticks to this style of hunting eventually they’ll be killing the best bucks in the area.
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Re: Toughest part about becoming a beast hunter

Unread postby oldrank » Thu May 17, 2018 1:44 pm

The hardest part is dedicating the time. It takes time to learn and streamline the tactics. It takes time to hunt. It takes time to scout. After years you have layers of knowledge built. It doesn't happen over night. You may see results instantly but to get to a point of consistent success and confidence you have to put in alot of hours.


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