Knowing when to move on

[UofLbowhunter]

I hunt one public section that is 80 acres. The property has great bedding and a couple of awesome terrain features that funnel deer movement really well. However, this section went public about ten years ago and the pressure has really killed it. I seen two shooters there. One showed up at dark and the other was running away from bird hunters. Its a good spot if you want to fill a doe tag but the big bucks are on high alert all the time. I sense does and fawns really like that area and birth and raise their newborns there. One doe had four fawns there two seasons ago. But as a section for mature bucks, the last three to four season has become more challenging dialing in where they are at. It has become a one-and-done kinda place for me now the last two seasons.

that sounds like alot of my places

[Uncle Lou]

If you guys move on are you done for good, or do you check in on a spot you thought had promise in a year or so.

[Motivated]

Lockdown, I'm not qualified to give you any advice, but I don't think you were asking for advice--I think you were just asking how we make our decisions about moving on.
So this is my situation.

I have been hunting this one piece which is about 10000 Acres. In the last 6 years they've put in an additional parking lot, cut down more walking paths, expanded food plots and planted a great deal of crops. Seems like the Average Joe's getting an easier walk further into the piece. It seems more like The Average Joe's try to hunt it like they see on TV , along field edges. But all pressure seems like it gets farther back now.

I have seen the structure of the property change, and this is made me want to change as well. I've written off larger and larger sections of this property, except for a few overlooked spots. It's hard to for me to abandon this property for good because I think I'm just now really figuring out how the Bucks are surviving all the public pressure.

Aside from the infrastructure changing, I've seen the property change in terms of the vegetation growing. For example I've seen a few wind storms level some areas, in the following year new vegetation will spring up creating a thicker bedding area. I don't think vegetation changes to me cause me to abandon a property completely, but those structural changes that make it easier to pressure this property make me want to avoid a larger and larger section of this piece.

I don't know if they we'll continue in changing the structure of this piece until I'm forced to abandon it. I can see that happening to some degree. I could also see it happening so that I've got two or three key bedding areas, and once those are burned the property might be done for me for the season.

Breaking up is hard to do. I tend to be a little sentimental when it comes to my relationship with the land and the memories I've made on it. I think most people are.

I think whether or not people move on is also a function of their goals, and I continue to be just working on becoming a better hunter. I don't look for a certain score, because that for me is beyond my pay grade is a hunter. If that was different, then I'm sure I would be like some other folks and move from piece to piece until I found a deer of a certain caliber, that I would stick to that piece like glue and bounce around until I kill him.

Great topic. Sorry for the long post. I tend to use voice to text, and answering out loud helps me process it as well. This is been a question I've been thinking about for a while now.

[wmihunter]

Knowing when to move on is what delegates average hunters from good hunters. It’s a struggle-you don’t want to give up too soon but you can’t kill what’s not there. I have covered more ground the last 2 years than ever before and I got into big deer. I only wished I had moved to better areas sooner!

[Doublejake]

I Hunted PA Public Lands 18 years ago. Saw a Bear a few bucks out of range and took a Doe both trips I made their.
It was a great time. I wish I still had my 5 weeks Vac.
Currently I get 2 weeks. So I focus it all on my local area where I can monitor and get scouting in.

[Jonny]

If you guys move on are you done for good, or do you check in on a spot you thought had promise in a year or so.

Check in when I’m in the area.

I hunted a spot that is 120 acres of public with miles of managed private in every direction. Was dynamite for years and then a neighbor logged and it changed deer flow in the area. I still check the spot every now and again but it doesn’t have bedding so I don’t have much faith in it. But I’ve seen too many slammers and had some incredible encounters to ever walk away completely. In 5 seasons I missed a big 8, hit and lost another big 8, my dad shot a doe and missed a doe with the gun, and a buddy missed a solid 140 class while I had a different 140 by me.

And another buddy has pulled 2 120+ plus bucks from there as well over that span.

We hunted it very hard and still saw tons of deer. But would you ever abandon that?

I’d abandon areas if I never saw anything hunting. But if I’m successful once I’d bet on being successful again. My best gun spot was phenomenal when my dad was my age, went cold for a couple years, and has been great the last 3 I’ve hunted down there.

[greenhorndave]

That does sound like a honey hole Jonny. I can see why you’d keep tabs on that one.

For me, I just crossed a spot off my list. Scouted darn near every inch of it that showed promise. Found some proverbial overlooked spots too and while there was a ton of doe sign/beds, the rub heights left a lot to be desired. Now, I’d go back to fill a doe tag for sure. But it’s not a magnet for big bucks. Maybe 100-incher at tops.