Putting everything together...
- ScottSpitzley
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Putting everything together...
I tend to take all of the information that is discussed on here or just in general that peaks my interest, and see if it's something that will work in helping my odds at being successful consistently after putting it all together. Some people are different obviously, as I think everyone should have their own style of hunting. For example, one of you may believe you need to wait until the perfect weather and wind conditions when going in the for the kill as the other solely pays attention to just the wind direction, either way, you do what you think works best for YOUR style and helps you succeed.
I want to hear one or two things that you have learned from here, or anywhere else, that you put into perspective when going after whitetail that you believe increases your odds and explain why you think it works and/or give an example. Other members on here can then evaluate that idea or tactic if they don't already and see if they can't put it on their list of musts to do, and see if it can make them more confident or consistent.
If you were to give a tip or tactic that you have learned and use on here or anywhere for that matter when hunting and/or scouting, what would it be?
I will start.
1. Being mobile - From this site, I have learned to be more mobile. I am a firm believer and know from first hand that first times sits catch the buck off guard and represents myself with more opportunities. Previous years when hunting out of state, for example, my best chances at a mature buck have been on the 1st or 2nd day. Did I capitalize on it? No, I passed them up thinking there would be bigger in the area only to not get my chance the rest of the time down there. It only makes sense that being mobile catches them off guard and others people success on this site finally helped me realize that.
2. Scent control - I have always done something to help control my scent whether that be showers, spray, washing my gear. As I do not think that anything the industry comes out with will ever beat a deer's nose 100%, I do, however, believe that it does help. Do I still pay attention to the wind direction and thermals? Of course I do. But I do believe if that target buck were to end up getting downwind of you when you were least expecting it at 45 yards and catches your scent when you do the appropriate steps, it may just give myself the chance that they think I am a little farther away than I really am, not blowing them out.
Your turn.
I want to hear one or two things that you have learned from here, or anywhere else, that you put into perspective when going after whitetail that you believe increases your odds and explain why you think it works and/or give an example. Other members on here can then evaluate that idea or tactic if they don't already and see if they can't put it on their list of musts to do, and see if it can make them more confident or consistent.
If you were to give a tip or tactic that you have learned and use on here or anywhere for that matter when hunting and/or scouting, what would it be?
I will start.
1. Being mobile - From this site, I have learned to be more mobile. I am a firm believer and know from first hand that first times sits catch the buck off guard and represents myself with more opportunities. Previous years when hunting out of state, for example, my best chances at a mature buck have been on the 1st or 2nd day. Did I capitalize on it? No, I passed them up thinking there would be bigger in the area only to not get my chance the rest of the time down there. It only makes sense that being mobile catches them off guard and others people success on this site finally helped me realize that.
2. Scent control - I have always done something to help control my scent whether that be showers, spray, washing my gear. As I do not think that anything the industry comes out with will ever beat a deer's nose 100%, I do, however, believe that it does help. Do I still pay attention to the wind direction and thermals? Of course I do. But I do believe if that target buck were to end up getting downwind of you when you were least expecting it at 45 yards and catches your scent when you do the appropriate steps, it may just give myself the chance that they think I am a little farther away than I really am, not blowing them out.
Your turn.
- wolverinebuckman
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Re: Putting everything together...
Scouting transitions had been huge for me this year. I had never seen a buck bed prior to this. Now i have located several, as well as found many three finger tracks. Before, i pretty much wandered aimlessly around the open timber "scouting".
And that leads to another thing i have picked up, and that is finding more pinpoint locations to scout based on aerial photos. This has been very beneficial, cutting out so much unnecessary ground to cover.
And that leads to another thing i have picked up, and that is finding more pinpoint locations to scout based on aerial photos. This has been very beneficial, cutting out so much unnecessary ground to cover.
Bummer of a birthmark, Hal.
- Hawthorne
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Re: Putting everything together...
Being aggressive. Trust what you see and make a move. My biggest came last year doing this after seeing movement that morning. And had it happen 2 other times I almost got him. Another time I kicked a buck across the marsh. Went to the transition on the other side and almost got him.
Thermals. Some of my spots I used to hunt just didn’t work. I learned about them on here. Where I hunt rolling farm land. Air movement and wind eddies also I learned thru tossing milkweed.
Thermals. Some of my spots I used to hunt just didn’t work. I learned about them on here. Where I hunt rolling farm land. Air movement and wind eddies also I learned thru tossing milkweed.
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Re: Putting everything together...
The biggest thing I've learned is probably the most obvious. Wind based bedding. I spent 18 years hunting with no idea how or why they bedded the way they do. Learning that here changed everything.
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Re: Putting everything together...
I have listened to Dan say this on several podcasts and I really struggled with it till last year but that is “Hunt hot sign when it is hot”. Had my best public land hunt last year sitting on a super fresh primary scrape area right outside of bedding. It make me put more of an emphasis on in-season scouting and walking till you find that truly hot sign.
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Re: Putting everything together...
Finding the correct access route to the stand and taking the time to approach and set up quitely. Instead of trying to let the woods settle down after I let every critter within 200 yds know I am there.
- oldrank
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Re: Putting everything together...
The buck is not leaving his home range. If you are hunting one particular buck you can put the pressure on to kill him. I believe the key is to be ahead of him. Many years past I chased sign. That lead me to develop a pattern on what the bucks will do. By hunting certain spots in a certain order I can push the buck into that pattern. I have to be the first hunter to hit the sign. When he switches I move with him. He is not a step ahead of me but instead falling into a trap.
- Corsair7
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Re: Putting everything together...
1. Wind/Thermal/Scent - Growing up it didn't matter the wind, we were going out anyway. Either it was a good wind, or a bad, we'd hunt. Yes, I paid attention to wind but honestly didn't give much thought. Didn't really use mainstream scent control stuff either. But now thinking back on it, the spots I hunted thermals probably took my scent straight into the drainage ditch. Maybe if deer blew more often I'd realize my scent was screwing my hunts up. But very few deer would wind me. One of the biggest things I gained from this site is Milkweed, understanding where your scent is going and only hunt a spot on the right wind/conditions.
2. Pressure - Never really put it together but I always had the feeling that you can ruin an area by spending to much time in it. Being the number of sits, walking through the area daily, small game hunting, any pressure is all pressure to deer. When I watched Farm Bedding DVD and learning from this site so many things clicked, pressure was one of them. Spent most of my time hunting on farms. But I think over pressuring an area was a huge negative impact. One of the farms I hunted, we over pressured by hunting every weekend during archery. Also during pheasant season we hunted prime bedding areas, now I realize that after I better understand bedding and what to look for. Another farm I hunt, dad, uncle and myself hunted every weekend and my uncle would practically go out every day. I now realize I should have been spending my time in the surrounding public. But always was told growing up it was too pressured and a waste of time. I'll be spending less sits in an area and hunting more areas this fall that I've scouted post 2017 season.
2. Pressure - Never really put it together but I always had the feeling that you can ruin an area by spending to much time in it. Being the number of sits, walking through the area daily, small game hunting, any pressure is all pressure to deer. When I watched Farm Bedding DVD and learning from this site so many things clicked, pressure was one of them. Spent most of my time hunting on farms. But I think over pressuring an area was a huge negative impact. One of the farms I hunted, we over pressured by hunting every weekend during archery. Also during pheasant season we hunted prime bedding areas, now I realize that after I better understand bedding and what to look for. Another farm I hunt, dad, uncle and myself hunted every weekend and my uncle would practically go out every day. I now realize I should have been spending my time in the surrounding public. But always was told growing up it was too pressured and a waste of time. I'll be spending less sits in an area and hunting more areas this fall that I've scouted post 2017 season.
- Killtree
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Re: Putting everything together...
2 things I tell people.
Be within 100 yards of a bucks bed.
If you are in the middle of lockdown and the deer are not moving, go to the deer.
Be within 100 yards of a bucks bed.
If you are in the middle of lockdown and the deer are not moving, go to the deer.
- Boogieman1
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Re: Putting everything together...
The 2 biggest game changers for me are as followed:
1.) spend more time looking for good deer then you do hunting them. The number 1 way I know to increase ones odds of tagging a mature buck is hunting a property that has a lot of them. If a 1000 acre property holds one buck you would tag your odds go way down vs 150 acre patch that gets action from 5 or 6. I spend the bulk of my time looking for timber that holds good numbers of good bucks.
2.) Timing is everything! If your first time sit is your best chance then what happens if you are to early or possibly to late? To kill a good buck only 2 things are required, that's you to be there and the buck to be there also. I often give up on hunting an area one year to learn there patterns and hunt it the next. IMO these 2 things are the most important whe it comes to consistency. Everything else is just cosmetic and doesn't increase your odds one bit. If u don't know how to stack the odds and put a buck u want in front of u your pattern of Cammo, choice of stand, weight of gear, time scouting, rubber boots, scent control etc... Won't do you one bit of good to get a buck on your wall.
1.) spend more time looking for good deer then you do hunting them. The number 1 way I know to increase ones odds of tagging a mature buck is hunting a property that has a lot of them. If a 1000 acre property holds one buck you would tag your odds go way down vs 150 acre patch that gets action from 5 or 6. I spend the bulk of my time looking for timber that holds good numbers of good bucks.
2.) Timing is everything! If your first time sit is your best chance then what happens if you are to early or possibly to late? To kill a good buck only 2 things are required, that's you to be there and the buck to be there also. I often give up on hunting an area one year to learn there patterns and hunt it the next. IMO these 2 things are the most important whe it comes to consistency. Everything else is just cosmetic and doesn't increase your odds one bit. If u don't know how to stack the odds and put a buck u want in front of u your pattern of Cammo, choice of stand, weight of gear, time scouting, rubber boots, scent control etc... Won't do you one bit of good to get a buck on your wall.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
-John Wayne-
-John Wayne-
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Re: Putting everything together...
As far as something simple and easy to remember it would be “Eastbound and down”. Typically in VA we see westerly winds and thermals fall in the evening. If you can position yourself and your access east and lower from the trail/sign and bedding you are hunting in the evening, then that’s a big step toward an effective stand.
Next thing would be getting away from stands you just hunt because those are your “spots”. First sit success, hunting fresh sign, and hunting places that haven’t been pressured. All that goes back to hunting a ton of different spots. We either have stands hung, climber trees prepped, or places scouted for about 60 stands before Sept 1. Some we may never hunt that year if the sign or food source isn’t there, and at the most we might sit a stand 5-6 times. Don’t be afraid to bounce around and try new spots that you’ve done your homework on and don’t be afraid to leave a property alone for a week even if you think there’s a big one on it in a given year.
Next thing would be getting away from stands you just hunt because those are your “spots”. First sit success, hunting fresh sign, and hunting places that haven’t been pressured. All that goes back to hunting a ton of different spots. We either have stands hung, climber trees prepped, or places scouted for about 60 stands before Sept 1. Some we may never hunt that year if the sign or food source isn’t there, and at the most we might sit a stand 5-6 times. Don’t be afraid to bounce around and try new spots that you’ve done your homework on and don’t be afraid to leave a property alone for a week even if you think there’s a big one on it in a given year.
- Rob loper
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Re: Putting everything together...
More time scouting and what and where to scout
Very small bedding areas with alot of beds
Points and bowls and fingers. seem to relate in all bedding terrains
Wind thermals and how these great animals use highlands, lowlands and water (terrain) to almost make bedding bulletproof.
Very small bedding areas with alot of beds
Points and bowls and fingers. seem to relate in all bedding terrains
Wind thermals and how these great animals use highlands, lowlands and water (terrain) to almost make bedding bulletproof.
- Ack
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Re: Putting everything together...
1. In Season Scouting....you need to be on fresh sign as it's made, not chasing it. Trust your scouting to know where bucks will be and when they will be there.
2. Overlooked spots....Don't be afraid to sit in areas where others don't think of going....the results might surprise you.
2. Overlooked spots....Don't be afraid to sit in areas where others don't think of going....the results might surprise you.
- elk yinzer
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Re: Putting everything together...
1) Wind based bedding/thermals. Grew up hunting bedding areas, but never put the wind factor into it. Learning the "why".
2) Mobile hang on hunting. I was always very mobile and content with the climber, but struggled in some areas with tree selection, especially out of state in Ohio. Never could imagine before one could climb quietly up the tree in one trip with sticks and hang a stand safely. Learned some techniques here, went down a wormhole into saddle hunting too, really refined my setup, and now the climber mostly collects dust.
3) Bonus - swamp hunting. Never hunted deer in a swamp in my life, never really wanted to. We don't even have many around here. The thought of them is still slightly miserable but if I should ever go to the flatlands where there are more, I at least have some baseline knowledge.
2) Mobile hang on hunting. I was always very mobile and content with the climber, but struggled in some areas with tree selection, especially out of state in Ohio. Never could imagine before one could climb quietly up the tree in one trip with sticks and hang a stand safely. Learned some techniques here, went down a wormhole into saddle hunting too, really refined my setup, and now the climber mostly collects dust.
3) Bonus - swamp hunting. Never hunted deer in a swamp in my life, never really wanted to. We don't even have many around here. The thought of them is still slightly miserable but if I should ever go to the flatlands where there are more, I at least have some baseline knowledge.
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- Scratchman
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Re: Putting everything together...
1. Deer are unpredictable, but they are predictable in the way that they are unpredictable.
2. It's easy to overlook overlooked spots. Even when you're looking for them.
2. It's easy to overlook overlooked spots. Even when you're looking for them.
"I could eat shlapjacks every day of the weeksh, eh." Jimmer Nagamanee from Menominee
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