Hunting fresh sign...Advice on approach?

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megavites
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Hunting fresh sign...Advice on approach?

Unread postby megavites » Fri Apr 05, 2019 3:15 am

Hunting fresh sign

so I’m trying to put some pieces of the puzzle together…transitioning from an ambush hunter to a more mobile/sign hunter.
My question is…without a few seasons “history” of an area of interest…how do you decide, when scouting for fresh sign and a stand on your back, when to pick a tree rather than push in any further?
Is it based on previous Spring scouting?
For example…I have 37 spots to look at this Spring. I’ve located/logged rubs and doe bedding and suspected buck “areas”. Do most hunt these high value areas, observe and scout after hunt to read sign and then decide to move on?
I guess my concern is finding hot sign and not knowing that I pushed too close.


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Re: Hunting fresh sign...Advice on approach?

Unread postby dan » Fri Apr 05, 2019 4:15 am

megavites wrote:Hunting fresh sign

so I’m trying to put some pieces of the puzzle together…transitioning from an ambush hunter to a more mobile/sign hunter.
My question is…without a few seasons “history” of an area of interest…how do you decide, when scouting for fresh sign and a stand on your back, when to pick a tree rather than push in any further?
Is it based on previous Spring scouting?
For example…I have 37 spots to look at this Spring. I’ve located/logged rubs and doe bedding and suspected buck “areas”. Do most hunt these high value areas, observe and scout after hunt to read sign and then decide to move on?
I guess my concern is finding hot sign and not knowing that I pushed too close.

either find the bedding, or guess on where the bedding is. Set up and give it a hunt. Sure, your going to fail a lot. The more you do it though, the more you will succeed, and the better you will get. There are no short cuts. Takes time and work.
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Re: Hunting fresh sign...Advice on approach?

Unread postby megavites » Fri Apr 05, 2019 4:44 am

Thanks Dan
I guess I'm walking the line btwn being too conservative vs being more aggressive and knowing when to use each tactic. The more I ask questions on here and watch your DVD's, the more the curtain pulls back just a little bit more. One puzzle piece at a time.
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Re: Hunting fresh sign...Advice on approach?

Unread postby 218er » Fri Apr 05, 2019 2:11 pm

I’d say error on the side of being to aggressive. Even if you jump them out of their bed at least you know exactly where their at. If you set up to far back and they don’t reach you by dark you basically burned the spot anyways. They’ll know that you were there which may result in them changing their routine or patterns.
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Re: Hunting fresh sign...Advice on approach?

Unread postby PK_ » Fri Apr 05, 2019 2:54 pm

What type of terrain?

Hills are easy to push the envelope too close and blow it. Swamps and marshes it’s easy to setup on the sign along the exterior transition when in reality those bucks are likely bedded in the interior.
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Re: Hunting fresh sign...Advice on approach?

Unread postby hoyt31786 » Fri Apr 05, 2019 10:51 pm

Great well thought question ive always wondered how beasts approach this as well! I agree if your already in the area get as close as possible to the suspected bedding and give it a sit. I like to hunt the mornings sometimes then get down midday scout with stand on my back to suspected bedding areas and set up on the best looking one sign wise. Sometimes i may have to hit 3 or 4 before i feel like setting up i guess for me i rely on my gut and if i feel like there should be a buck in the area!
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Re: Hunting fresh sign...Advice on approach?

Unread postby megavites » Sat Apr 06, 2019 6:02 am

PK_ wrote:What type of terrain?

Hills are easy to push the envelope too close and blow it. Swamps and marshes it’s easy to setup on the sign along the exterior transition when in reality those bucks are likely bedded in the interior.

mainly farmland w/200ft elev change to creek bottoms. Here's two examples. This creek north spot I can come in via dashed arrow and slip off to the right near tracks symbol. Sign shows bucks cruising thru making rubs. Other stds in the area to the West.
Image
Creek South is more difficult. Access is top left, w/rubs early in walk in. Moving further its doe trails and doe bedding w/some buck sign. Setup would be near top left, as walking in on predominant wind would blow to bedding. A kayak assault from the South is a possibility.
Image
For both of these areas, the Public huntable area is along the creek only. The farm fields are private.
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Re: Hunting fresh sign...Advice on approach?

Unread postby G-Patt » Sat Apr 06, 2019 7:44 am

megavites wrote:Hunting fresh sign

so I’m trying to put some pieces of the puzzle together…transitioning from an ambush hunter to a more mobile/sign hunter.
My question is…without a few seasons “history” of an area of interest…how do you decide, when scouting for fresh sign and a stand on your back, when to pick a tree rather than push in any further?
Is it based on previous Spring scouting?
For example…I have 37 spots to look at this Spring. I’ve located/logged rubs and doe bedding and suspected buck “areas”. Do most hunt these high value areas, observe and scout after hunt to read sign and then decide to move on?
I guess my concern is finding hot sign and not knowing that I pushed too close.


One thing you could do is select a couple spots you don't mind fouling up while pushing the limits. Once you located the sign, push in as hard as you can on those 2 spots. That will give you a baseline of how far you can go on the other 35 spots. All spots will be different, but at least you're gaining knowledge on your limits and what factors are blowing out the deer. You're better knowing versus not knowing.

Ambush and mobile hunting are not mutually exclusive. You should think about being both a mobile and ambush hunter. After you find the sign, think about where to ambush the deer when they come through that area. That part will teach you about wind direction, where you left scent getting to that spot and how the terrain is funneling the deer in that specific location. Next thing to do is pick that ground spot or tree that works to your advantage.

What has worked for me in the past is 1) scouting for sign, 2) planning a low-impact access route to that location, and 3) picking an ambush spot that works to my advantage. All 3 must be present before I consider it a hunt-worthy spot. If I can only get 1 or 2 of the 3, forget it. It has to be the trifecta of sign, access and ambush. The hard part is discerning the quality of that hunt-worthy spot. I'll rate spots on a 1-5 system with 5 being a primo spot for a certain wind directions and past experience with that spot. Your personal rating system takes experience and personal preference to figure out. For example, I'd rather have great access, average sign and average ambush versus great sign, average access and average ambush. You have to work out what's best for you. Good luck! I hope you have success next season.
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Re: Hunting fresh sign...Advice on approach?

Unread postby Redman232 » Sat Apr 06, 2019 7:56 am

In the aerials you provided, I'd find the bedding now (which it looks like you have) and use the creek to look for your fresh sign in season. Find big tracks crossing the creek and then relate those to bedding up the ridge system. Setup between the two to intercept him in the evening. Just make sure your afternoon thermals aren't going up to him and the late evening thermals are pooling in a spot he can get to before you shoot him. Creek access is what jumps out to me as the safest way to scout a skinny ridge like that in the season without blowing it out. Unless you went in on an east wind and approached from the high side.
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Re: Hunting fresh sign...Advice on approach?

Unread postby Evanszach7 » Sat Apr 06, 2019 10:59 pm

You’ve got to have a still hunter’s mindset. Slow, methodical, and really observant. Dan is spot on, that if you’re not blowing a few deer out you’re not being aggressive enough. It takes screwing up to find the balance.

With the pics you posted, narrow down the bedding and pick the best tree for each location. Outside of the rut, I don’t think you can get in and out of there more than twice in a season and expect to kill a mature buck. Kayak route might give you an extra sit.
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Re: Hunting fresh sign...Advice on approach?

Unread postby tgreeno » Sun Apr 07, 2019 1:12 am

Is there a spot you can do an observation sit in, or is it all too thick. I think observation sits can bring alot of intel in areas new to you. If the terrain dictates. I also think a kayak access could be a better way to go on that creek spot. Leave minimal ground scent, and paddle upwind. Check those creek crossing trails, for big tracks coming or going into bedding.
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Re: Hunting fresh sign...Advice on approach?

Unread postby Hatchetman » Mon Apr 08, 2019 12:00 am

If you are new to a spot and unsure how much pressure it gets I would by all means throw at least one observation sit at it.

Remember, if pressured, that big buck may only make it 30yds or less from his bed in shooting light.
Or, he could be a Lee & Tiffany Buck, and be making his way out to those fields 2 hrs before dark... Probably NOT... But, the point I'm trying to make is, most times there is a direct correlation between pressure and pre-dusk movement.
For me, I've had bucks pop out out of unexpected areas within a bedding area many times so
I like to play things a little more conservative and not be over confident and risk pushing them out, especially because a lot of the public spots I hunt don't have the greatest bedding to start with and the private does so i take that into consideration.
If the spot you are talking about has lots of good bedding (many many spots to cover) or is in another state with limited time to hunt, then I would probably be much more aggressive.
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Re: Hunting fresh sign...Advice on approach?

Unread postby fishlips » Mon Apr 08, 2019 2:16 am

If i have learned anything is that starting out its easy to be too conservative. I've has better luck pushing the envelope than sitting back. It's frustrating busting deer out but that just means the next time you hunt it you have even better Intel on the spot.


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