Q&A - rizzo999
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Q&A - rizzo999
1) In detail, describe your hunting style.
Eclectic, because I've had to. I am fortunate enough to have access to 4 private properties all about :30 from my house. Unfortunately, there is NO buck bedding on any of these properties and I’m not the only hunter. In fact, two of them are rectangular fields with only fence rows/trees. Third is a 10 acre marsh surrounded by hundreds of acres of crops. Fourth is a 3 acre river-bottom property. My expectations on those properties is pretty low annually! I have hunted public property both in state and out-of-state (WI, IA and MI). Now, I focus mostly on in state public ground and going to Iowa every 5-7 years!
Most of the local private property hunting I do I focus on early season food. There is one property I can hunt a buck bed located on neighboring CRP property under very specific conditions. 2018 was my first at being successful hunting this buck bed.
On the public ground I hunt I focus on buck bedding all season, but try to locate buck bedding adjacent to doe bedding during the rut. When this strategy isn’t working I rely on terrain funnels that can’t be located on online/map imagery. Personally, on foot scouting is far more important to putting tags on antlers than any other technique I’ve ever used!! For any property I hunt I am going in with my XOP/LW combo as my initial hunt out of a set-up is far more productive than any permanent stand I’ve hunted after the first hunt. If I’m returning to the property the next day I will ditch my set-up in a hidden location (had one spot in northern WI that we couldn’t locate our gear until after sunrise so use OnX or another GPS/app to mark it!) if it is legal to leave gear on that piece of property.
2) What do you feel are the biggest keys to your success?
Patience to wait to hunt a bed/trail until conditions increase my chances of catching “that” buck using it. I’ll proudly admit my % of catching mature bucks or any deer exiting some beds is really low!
Being tough on myself in a competitive manner. As Muddy said in his Q&A, “the only person I’m in competition with is myself”. I have multiple hunting buddies and family (75 yr old father), but I’m the only one who puts any time into scouting, map reading or has any “woodsmanship” skills…
I think hunting very low deer density properties with other hunters also hunting them have helped in my development. From 2002 on I have hunted CWD areas in WI and IL. I have had the opportunity to have 3 bucks test positive for CWD. Here in IL after I killed my first CWD+ buck in 2009, the DNR used sharpshooters to attempt to eradicate as many deer in that exact area in addition to very excessive amount of deer permits and seasons in those CWD counties. On 2 properties we didn’t have any deer cam pics or even tracks seen during 2010 and 2011 deer seasons!
2009
2013
2015
Another reason for any success I've had has been my OCD and creativity I got from my Dad. If I need to go thru a creek with waders to access an area that others can’t and there are none sold within the area, I’m using garbage bags on each leg. Access, to me, needs to be a serious consideration for every single hunt.
As I’ve gotten older (and busier) I really try to hunt as smart as possible. Cold fronts, wind directions that allow a nearly “bullet-proof” entry/exit and light moisture days are usually my 1A favorite days. I used to hunt any property I had access to as often as possible, but never came home with any “big” bucks. It took me a while to figure out I was educating the deer with all my intrusions checking cams, moving/hanging stands, cutting shooting lanes, etc… Now, I’m mobile and more aggressive on each hunt.
Lastly, avoiding the temptation of scrolling thru the phone while on stand. I can’t count how many bucks I missed opportunities on the first couple years I had a smart phone due to me being fully immersed on some crap on my phone! I rarely use my phone on stand now except to text arrival/leaving a stand and check the time. And the weather. And OnX. And NFL scores on a Sunday. OK, I’m still trying…
3) Which terrain types do you have available to you, which do you prefer to hunt, and why?
I hunt a variety of terrains: river-bottom, flat farmland, marsh, hilly and ravines. I used to gun hunt the big woods of northern WI, but haven’t since 2007. My favorite is probably the hilly terrain with ravines. The deer seem to become more predictable, but not easier to kill. I like to hunt the hills ‘cause there is more thermal effect in that setting than flatland. I see more daytime deer movement in the hills than what I normally hunt around home- flat farmland and river-bottom terrains. Both of those properties see hunting pressure other than deer hunting. Lots of waterfowl and some small game. The deer in the flat farmland and river-bottoms I hunt seem to be rather nocturnal often by the season opener. Of course, that is mostly due to the fact of the lack of bedding on those properties. For my public property hunts I would say the first thing I look for is thick vegetation. It seems like the majority of those thicker vegetation properties (or sections of public) are less hunted while those properties seem to hold a lot of deer, especially older bucks.
4) What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out with Beast tactics?
Patience. Don’t expect to be successful the first attempt let alone the first season! Watch Dan’s older and newer DVD’s for a huge foundation on getting started. Expect to bump deer, especially your “target” buck. Finding that “sweet spot” setting up close to bedding I am still working on and will never perfect. Often I still push the envelope to close to bedding and bump deer. It seems like I bump more “sentinel” bucks than the main target/mature buck, but he usually will leave also if the “sentinel” buck is bumped. Again patience!
5) If you have one, what is your scent control routine?
I wash my clothes in regular scent free detergent, (usually) shower with scent-free Dove soap and put my clothes on when I get out of the vehicle. I gave up on sprays, special detergents/soaps/shampoos years ago when I had 3 mature bucks within 10 yards downwind but couldn’t shoot any of them ‘cause I had yet to earn a buck. Oh and I was wearing my work scrubs from a hospital after working all day and then driving 2 hours to hunt the bow opener cause I didn’t have time to change before a last minute evening hunt when I got to the (private) property. Now, I focus my efforts on wind and thermal directions.
6) On average, how much time do you spend scouting? Include all seasons applicable: winter, spring, summer, and in-season
Online year round. While people are watching TV, I’m studying state public ground maps, Google Earth and OnX. Boots to the ground occurs once my season ends until turkey season. After that I rarely step foot on the properties any longer until I’m actually hunting them. When I’m hunting, I’m always scouting! I gave up using trail cams a couple years ago and couldn’t be happier. I know it handicaps me not knowing what size buck is roaming a property based off a pic/video, but sign doesn’t lie either. I loved getting those SD card pulls with pics of awesome bucks, but I noticed I often had one maybe two pics of truly awesome bucks and would never see them again on cam or in that area. On public ground I scout throughout my hunting. In fact, my 2018 Iowa buck came as I was slowly still hunting a suspected bedding area off of ridge on my first morning ever stepping foot on the ground. It wasn’t quite the bedding area online scouting told me, but while checking out the area I had a doe come within feet of me while I sat in a deadfall trying to determine my next move. She turned back so I cleared out some branches in the deadfall in case any bucks came along. A couple minutes later that is exactly what happened.
7) When hunting bedding areas outside of rut, how close do you typically set up?
This is an area I am constantly working on. I seem to try to set-up too close often bumping bucks before I can even set-up. Bump ‘n dump is an option, but I’ve only had success with the younger class bucks returning that same day. On the property I can hunt near my home with bedding next door I am still about 150 yards from the first bed. Some of the public land beds I have gotten within 40 yards with the right conditions (windy and/or wet conditions). More often if it is during the rut and the leaves are mostly off the trees I’m back further I’d guess over 100 yds.
8) When scouting, what amount or what kind of sign tells you a certain bedding area is worth your time?
Tracks are probably my #1 sign indicator. Coming across a large track or even better multiple large tracks on a piece of public property in an area I’m scouting/hunting gives me goosebumps. Most of my scouting is done over the winter until turkey seasons begins with my favorite being after snow melt because you can get a decent inventory of deer on a property based on the fresh tracks and the deer seasons are well over with here in the midwest. Large and high rubs are also a great indicator on most properties of the presence of a big buck LAST year. If you also locate large tracks in the area of the rubs during that spring scouting there is a good chance he or another good buck survived the winter.
9) Are trail cameras an important part of your success? If they are, please describe the when's, where's, and why's of how you use them.
Not anymore. I stopped using them the Fall of 2016. I really miss the surprise of those card pulls, but I just felt I was putting too much pressure on the little properties I hunt near home. My overall deer sightings on these properties since has increased. Not to mention the numerous cams and cards that ended up being stolen on both the public and private I was hunting at the time.
10) Name a few things you used to do in the deer woods that you rarely, if ever, do now.
Carrying every piece of hunting equipment I owned into the woods every hunt.
Use scent free sprays or cover scents.
Poop. For some reason my GI track shuts down when I’m out deer hunting these days!
Urine-based scents to drag or hang.
Wear cotton as a baselayer of any type.
Just walk to my stand without considering access.
11) Do you prefer morning hunts or evenings? Explain why. Also, is there a time frame during the season that you prefer either one?
Early season I will only hunt mornings on the 3 acre river bottom property as it lays between crops and bedding. In the first month until around Halloween I will probably only hunt 1-3 mornings if the conditions to hunt that property are feasible with my work/personal schedule. I’m 44, married 20 years with 2 kids (13 and 10) and work as an occupational therapist in a hospital in northern IL. My 13 yr old daughter has no interest in hunting, but does enjoy shooting a bow. My 10 yr old son will be hitting the woods with a gun this Fall for the first time. Not sure he’ll get the bow back at 40# by then to archery hunt though!
l hunt evenings all season. From around Halloween thru the start of the IL gun season though mornings are much more productive for me. Some bucks come back to bed later, are cruising and/or are getting out of their beds in the later morning to go scent check those access trails and doe bedding areas. I just see more bucks in the AMs during this time frame!
12) What is your favorite time of year to hunt and why? (early season, pre-rut, rut, post-rut, late season)
I’d have to say the rut here in the Midwest as the leaves fall and temps drop. On those really dry days when the leaves so dry a deer (or other human) can be heard I long distance away often before a sighting, but allows me more time to prep for a possible awkward angle shot. I also enjoy the first hunt of the year. So much preparation and anticipation finally comes to fruition.
13) If you hunt/travel out of state, what is the best advice you can give to those who are new to it?
Scout on foot if you have the opportunity. Otherwise, scout out properties online marking spots you want to check out when you do hunt that property. Do some google searches for each particular property knowing you will read both pro/con material. I have met some great hunters and received some amazing intel from online forums.
14) Is calling an important part of your whitetail tactics? Why or why not?
Situation specific for me. Grunting to the first buck I posted in this Q&A was the only reason he turned my direction at 85 yds and walked to 26. He tore up 2 bushes covering that distance after those couple grunts. Otherwise, I rarely call. I did enjoy calling does on one particular piece of public property in Oct 2014 where the doe/buck ratio was overwhelmingly does. Doing a fawn bawl call was causing does to come running into about 50-60 yds looking for the fawn. Had 5 does do this on one morning hunt, but couldn't get them closer or to angle for a shot. Each of them were, of course, on high alert so I passed each shot.
15) What is the #1 thing that you feel you need to improve on?
Increasing the odds when Beast-style bed hunting. As I wrote earlier, I have bumped too many deer, mostly bucks trying to push the envelope. Sometimes being too aggressive is causing failed hunts. I would like to be able to find that perfect distance, direction, tree, etc… every hunt.
16) What is an out of the box tactic that you use and have success with?
Being mobile. I know, I know many of the hunters on the Beast are mobile hunters. Majority of the guys I know hunt field edges during bow season and enclosed heated elevated blinds during gun season. Also, for me being mobile is still hunting areas while I’m scouting during in-season especially during the rut. I've tried "bump and dump", but haven't had success with any mature bucks.
17) What was special about your most strategic kill?
I had scouted the neighboring CRP property that the landowners didn’t hunt but had no problem with me scouting during the Spring. In fact, when I first spoke with the landowner he chuckled that I even wanted to scout that “crappy piece of ground”. The piece that the buck bedded on was about 40 acres of rectangular CRP with a finger of wet ground with dog wood surrounding it on the far end of the property. From the adjacent property I hunted there was numerous large tracks in the field that came from and led to that finger. I came across large beds located on the edge of the finger on both the SW and NE sides. I marked a couple trees on OnX and left until the day I hunted it. I watched the buck stand up from that SW bed and walk out to the field that I had access to hunt during a strong NW wind cold front within 30 yds.
18) How much emphasis do you put on cyber scouting, and what are the tell tale signs that clue you in on where to scout and hunt?
I cyber scout a ton. I try to find satellite imagery of a property that is both clear and during multiple time periods of the year to get an idea of how the property will lay out when I do set foot on it. I also like to check out surrounding landowner properties to see how their property sets up in comparison to the public. I often find that the some of the best bedding is located on the public properties I hunt. I will mark a lot of spots and find that they are not often in good locations when I am there in person!
19) We all get that feeling when we know a kill is about to happen. What is the sign that you know tips the scales in your favor and you know that buck is
going to die?
When I am fully drawn back and my sights are on the vitals of a deer. Honestly, I am very confident in most things in life which seems to help. Also, practicing a few arrows multiple days per week year-round helps keep the archery skills up. I had zero confidence with a bow until my first archery kill in 2010. Hunted 5 years unsuccessfully with a bow before that but relied on gun season to put meat in the freezer and antlers on the wall.
20) In season scouting is a hot topic. How important is it to you, and more specifically, how close is too close regarding burning bedding or compromising future hunts?
I’d say during the rut on in-state and out-of-state hunts in-season scouting is how I am getting on sign. Some properties I avoid this technique if there are numerous trucks in the lots. On the public grounds I’ve hunted the bucks move onto secondary bedding but will often return the next day or the next time the conditions make that bedding ideal. I’ve never pulled off the “bump and dump” kill on a buck that I had bumped earlier that day or the day prior.
21) Was there a turning point in your hunting style that resulted in greater success with big bucks? If so, what was it compared to what you were doing before?
It seems more like an evolution from standing on 2x4’s on the crotch of a tree with my slug gun to today. First, archery deer hunting. My passion for deer hunting and especially targeting mature bucks began after I killed my first archery buck (5 point 1.5 yr old) in Sept 2010, then a 2.5 yr old 9 point on Nov 7th followed by a 14 point buck on Nov 10th. The last two bucks were killed on public land with bow (first 3 pics at end of Q&A). I had been gun deer hunting since I was 13 in 1987, but getting up close and personal with whitetails archery hunting was more addicting.
Second, would be becoming more mobile to the point where every hunt now is mobile with setting up/breaking down my stand/sticks.
This buck was taken with a bow but I had to wear orange because it was a 2007 T-Zone or Antlerless CWD Gun hunt also.
Eclectic, because I've had to. I am fortunate enough to have access to 4 private properties all about :30 from my house. Unfortunately, there is NO buck bedding on any of these properties and I’m not the only hunter. In fact, two of them are rectangular fields with only fence rows/trees. Third is a 10 acre marsh surrounded by hundreds of acres of crops. Fourth is a 3 acre river-bottom property. My expectations on those properties is pretty low annually! I have hunted public property both in state and out-of-state (WI, IA and MI). Now, I focus mostly on in state public ground and going to Iowa every 5-7 years!
Most of the local private property hunting I do I focus on early season food. There is one property I can hunt a buck bed located on neighboring CRP property under very specific conditions. 2018 was my first at being successful hunting this buck bed.
On the public ground I hunt I focus on buck bedding all season, but try to locate buck bedding adjacent to doe bedding during the rut. When this strategy isn’t working I rely on terrain funnels that can’t be located on online/map imagery. Personally, on foot scouting is far more important to putting tags on antlers than any other technique I’ve ever used!! For any property I hunt I am going in with my XOP/LW combo as my initial hunt out of a set-up is far more productive than any permanent stand I’ve hunted after the first hunt. If I’m returning to the property the next day I will ditch my set-up in a hidden location (had one spot in northern WI that we couldn’t locate our gear until after sunrise so use OnX or another GPS/app to mark it!) if it is legal to leave gear on that piece of property.
2) What do you feel are the biggest keys to your success?
Patience to wait to hunt a bed/trail until conditions increase my chances of catching “that” buck using it. I’ll proudly admit my % of catching mature bucks or any deer exiting some beds is really low!
Being tough on myself in a competitive manner. As Muddy said in his Q&A, “the only person I’m in competition with is myself”. I have multiple hunting buddies and family (75 yr old father), but I’m the only one who puts any time into scouting, map reading or has any “woodsmanship” skills…
I think hunting very low deer density properties with other hunters also hunting them have helped in my development. From 2002 on I have hunted CWD areas in WI and IL. I have had the opportunity to have 3 bucks test positive for CWD. Here in IL after I killed my first CWD+ buck in 2009, the DNR used sharpshooters to attempt to eradicate as many deer in that exact area in addition to very excessive amount of deer permits and seasons in those CWD counties. On 2 properties we didn’t have any deer cam pics or even tracks seen during 2010 and 2011 deer seasons!
2009
2013
2015
Another reason for any success I've had has been my OCD and creativity I got from my Dad. If I need to go thru a creek with waders to access an area that others can’t and there are none sold within the area, I’m using garbage bags on each leg. Access, to me, needs to be a serious consideration for every single hunt.
As I’ve gotten older (and busier) I really try to hunt as smart as possible. Cold fronts, wind directions that allow a nearly “bullet-proof” entry/exit and light moisture days are usually my 1A favorite days. I used to hunt any property I had access to as often as possible, but never came home with any “big” bucks. It took me a while to figure out I was educating the deer with all my intrusions checking cams, moving/hanging stands, cutting shooting lanes, etc… Now, I’m mobile and more aggressive on each hunt.
Lastly, avoiding the temptation of scrolling thru the phone while on stand. I can’t count how many bucks I missed opportunities on the first couple years I had a smart phone due to me being fully immersed on some crap on my phone! I rarely use my phone on stand now except to text arrival/leaving a stand and check the time. And the weather. And OnX. And NFL scores on a Sunday. OK, I’m still trying…
3) Which terrain types do you have available to you, which do you prefer to hunt, and why?
I hunt a variety of terrains: river-bottom, flat farmland, marsh, hilly and ravines. I used to gun hunt the big woods of northern WI, but haven’t since 2007. My favorite is probably the hilly terrain with ravines. The deer seem to become more predictable, but not easier to kill. I like to hunt the hills ‘cause there is more thermal effect in that setting than flatland. I see more daytime deer movement in the hills than what I normally hunt around home- flat farmland and river-bottom terrains. Both of those properties see hunting pressure other than deer hunting. Lots of waterfowl and some small game. The deer in the flat farmland and river-bottoms I hunt seem to be rather nocturnal often by the season opener. Of course, that is mostly due to the fact of the lack of bedding on those properties. For my public property hunts I would say the first thing I look for is thick vegetation. It seems like the majority of those thicker vegetation properties (or sections of public) are less hunted while those properties seem to hold a lot of deer, especially older bucks.
4) What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out with Beast tactics?
Patience. Don’t expect to be successful the first attempt let alone the first season! Watch Dan’s older and newer DVD’s for a huge foundation on getting started. Expect to bump deer, especially your “target” buck. Finding that “sweet spot” setting up close to bedding I am still working on and will never perfect. Often I still push the envelope to close to bedding and bump deer. It seems like I bump more “sentinel” bucks than the main target/mature buck, but he usually will leave also if the “sentinel” buck is bumped. Again patience!
5) If you have one, what is your scent control routine?
I wash my clothes in regular scent free detergent, (usually) shower with scent-free Dove soap and put my clothes on when I get out of the vehicle. I gave up on sprays, special detergents/soaps/shampoos years ago when I had 3 mature bucks within 10 yards downwind but couldn’t shoot any of them ‘cause I had yet to earn a buck. Oh and I was wearing my work scrubs from a hospital after working all day and then driving 2 hours to hunt the bow opener cause I didn’t have time to change before a last minute evening hunt when I got to the (private) property. Now, I focus my efforts on wind and thermal directions.
6) On average, how much time do you spend scouting? Include all seasons applicable: winter, spring, summer, and in-season
Online year round. While people are watching TV, I’m studying state public ground maps, Google Earth and OnX. Boots to the ground occurs once my season ends until turkey season. After that I rarely step foot on the properties any longer until I’m actually hunting them. When I’m hunting, I’m always scouting! I gave up using trail cams a couple years ago and couldn’t be happier. I know it handicaps me not knowing what size buck is roaming a property based off a pic/video, but sign doesn’t lie either. I loved getting those SD card pulls with pics of awesome bucks, but I noticed I often had one maybe two pics of truly awesome bucks and would never see them again on cam or in that area. On public ground I scout throughout my hunting. In fact, my 2018 Iowa buck came as I was slowly still hunting a suspected bedding area off of ridge on my first morning ever stepping foot on the ground. It wasn’t quite the bedding area online scouting told me, but while checking out the area I had a doe come within feet of me while I sat in a deadfall trying to determine my next move. She turned back so I cleared out some branches in the deadfall in case any bucks came along. A couple minutes later that is exactly what happened.
7) When hunting bedding areas outside of rut, how close do you typically set up?
This is an area I am constantly working on. I seem to try to set-up too close often bumping bucks before I can even set-up. Bump ‘n dump is an option, but I’ve only had success with the younger class bucks returning that same day. On the property I can hunt near my home with bedding next door I am still about 150 yards from the first bed. Some of the public land beds I have gotten within 40 yards with the right conditions (windy and/or wet conditions). More often if it is during the rut and the leaves are mostly off the trees I’m back further I’d guess over 100 yds.
8) When scouting, what amount or what kind of sign tells you a certain bedding area is worth your time?
Tracks are probably my #1 sign indicator. Coming across a large track or even better multiple large tracks on a piece of public property in an area I’m scouting/hunting gives me goosebumps. Most of my scouting is done over the winter until turkey seasons begins with my favorite being after snow melt because you can get a decent inventory of deer on a property based on the fresh tracks and the deer seasons are well over with here in the midwest. Large and high rubs are also a great indicator on most properties of the presence of a big buck LAST year. If you also locate large tracks in the area of the rubs during that spring scouting there is a good chance he or another good buck survived the winter.
9) Are trail cameras an important part of your success? If they are, please describe the when's, where's, and why's of how you use them.
Not anymore. I stopped using them the Fall of 2016. I really miss the surprise of those card pulls, but I just felt I was putting too much pressure on the little properties I hunt near home. My overall deer sightings on these properties since has increased. Not to mention the numerous cams and cards that ended up being stolen on both the public and private I was hunting at the time.
10) Name a few things you used to do in the deer woods that you rarely, if ever, do now.
Carrying every piece of hunting equipment I owned into the woods every hunt.
Use scent free sprays or cover scents.
Poop. For some reason my GI track shuts down when I’m out deer hunting these days!
Urine-based scents to drag or hang.
Wear cotton as a baselayer of any type.
Just walk to my stand without considering access.
11) Do you prefer morning hunts or evenings? Explain why. Also, is there a time frame during the season that you prefer either one?
Early season I will only hunt mornings on the 3 acre river bottom property as it lays between crops and bedding. In the first month until around Halloween I will probably only hunt 1-3 mornings if the conditions to hunt that property are feasible with my work/personal schedule. I’m 44, married 20 years with 2 kids (13 and 10) and work as an occupational therapist in a hospital in northern IL. My 13 yr old daughter has no interest in hunting, but does enjoy shooting a bow. My 10 yr old son will be hitting the woods with a gun this Fall for the first time. Not sure he’ll get the bow back at 40# by then to archery hunt though!
l hunt evenings all season. From around Halloween thru the start of the IL gun season though mornings are much more productive for me. Some bucks come back to bed later, are cruising and/or are getting out of their beds in the later morning to go scent check those access trails and doe bedding areas. I just see more bucks in the AMs during this time frame!
12) What is your favorite time of year to hunt and why? (early season, pre-rut, rut, post-rut, late season)
I’d have to say the rut here in the Midwest as the leaves fall and temps drop. On those really dry days when the leaves so dry a deer (or other human) can be heard I long distance away often before a sighting, but allows me more time to prep for a possible awkward angle shot. I also enjoy the first hunt of the year. So much preparation and anticipation finally comes to fruition.
13) If you hunt/travel out of state, what is the best advice you can give to those who are new to it?
Scout on foot if you have the opportunity. Otherwise, scout out properties online marking spots you want to check out when you do hunt that property. Do some google searches for each particular property knowing you will read both pro/con material. I have met some great hunters and received some amazing intel from online forums.
14) Is calling an important part of your whitetail tactics? Why or why not?
Situation specific for me. Grunting to the first buck I posted in this Q&A was the only reason he turned my direction at 85 yds and walked to 26. He tore up 2 bushes covering that distance after those couple grunts. Otherwise, I rarely call. I did enjoy calling does on one particular piece of public property in Oct 2014 where the doe/buck ratio was overwhelmingly does. Doing a fawn bawl call was causing does to come running into about 50-60 yds looking for the fawn. Had 5 does do this on one morning hunt, but couldn't get them closer or to angle for a shot. Each of them were, of course, on high alert so I passed each shot.
15) What is the #1 thing that you feel you need to improve on?
Increasing the odds when Beast-style bed hunting. As I wrote earlier, I have bumped too many deer, mostly bucks trying to push the envelope. Sometimes being too aggressive is causing failed hunts. I would like to be able to find that perfect distance, direction, tree, etc… every hunt.
16) What is an out of the box tactic that you use and have success with?
Being mobile. I know, I know many of the hunters on the Beast are mobile hunters. Majority of the guys I know hunt field edges during bow season and enclosed heated elevated blinds during gun season. Also, for me being mobile is still hunting areas while I’m scouting during in-season especially during the rut. I've tried "bump and dump", but haven't had success with any mature bucks.
17) What was special about your most strategic kill?
I had scouted the neighboring CRP property that the landowners didn’t hunt but had no problem with me scouting during the Spring. In fact, when I first spoke with the landowner he chuckled that I even wanted to scout that “crappy piece of ground”. The piece that the buck bedded on was about 40 acres of rectangular CRP with a finger of wet ground with dog wood surrounding it on the far end of the property. From the adjacent property I hunted there was numerous large tracks in the field that came from and led to that finger. I came across large beds located on the edge of the finger on both the SW and NE sides. I marked a couple trees on OnX and left until the day I hunted it. I watched the buck stand up from that SW bed and walk out to the field that I had access to hunt during a strong NW wind cold front within 30 yds.
18) How much emphasis do you put on cyber scouting, and what are the tell tale signs that clue you in on where to scout and hunt?
I cyber scout a ton. I try to find satellite imagery of a property that is both clear and during multiple time periods of the year to get an idea of how the property will lay out when I do set foot on it. I also like to check out surrounding landowner properties to see how their property sets up in comparison to the public. I often find that the some of the best bedding is located on the public properties I hunt. I will mark a lot of spots and find that they are not often in good locations when I am there in person!
19) We all get that feeling when we know a kill is about to happen. What is the sign that you know tips the scales in your favor and you know that buck is
going to die?
When I am fully drawn back and my sights are on the vitals of a deer. Honestly, I am very confident in most things in life which seems to help. Also, practicing a few arrows multiple days per week year-round helps keep the archery skills up. I had zero confidence with a bow until my first archery kill in 2010. Hunted 5 years unsuccessfully with a bow before that but relied on gun season to put meat in the freezer and antlers on the wall.
20) In season scouting is a hot topic. How important is it to you, and more specifically, how close is too close regarding burning bedding or compromising future hunts?
I’d say during the rut on in-state and out-of-state hunts in-season scouting is how I am getting on sign. Some properties I avoid this technique if there are numerous trucks in the lots. On the public grounds I’ve hunted the bucks move onto secondary bedding but will often return the next day or the next time the conditions make that bedding ideal. I’ve never pulled off the “bump and dump” kill on a buck that I had bumped earlier that day or the day prior.
21) Was there a turning point in your hunting style that resulted in greater success with big bucks? If so, what was it compared to what you were doing before?
It seems more like an evolution from standing on 2x4’s on the crotch of a tree with my slug gun to today. First, archery deer hunting. My passion for deer hunting and especially targeting mature bucks began after I killed my first archery buck (5 point 1.5 yr old) in Sept 2010, then a 2.5 yr old 9 point on Nov 7th followed by a 14 point buck on Nov 10th. The last two bucks were killed on public land with bow (first 3 pics at end of Q&A). I had been gun deer hunting since I was 13 in 1987, but getting up close and personal with whitetails archery hunting was more addicting.
Second, would be becoming more mobile to the point where every hunt now is mobile with setting up/breaking down my stand/sticks.
This buck was taken with a bow but I had to wear orange because it was a 2007 T-Zone or Antlerless CWD Gun hunt also.
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Re: Q&A - rizzo999
Awesome Q&A rizzo999
I really enjoy reading all the replies and seeing the differences and the similarities between you buck slayers!!
I really like your comments on the area you feel you could improve on...because that certainly is something I struggle with too.
Your comments on the in season scouting is for sure something I need to re-read from all yoi guys and start putting into practice myself!
Good job! Thank you for taking the time putting that together.
Very nice collection of trophies too
I really enjoy reading all the replies and seeing the differences and the similarities between you buck slayers!!
I really like your comments on the area you feel you could improve on...because that certainly is something I struggle with too.
Your comments on the in season scouting is for sure something I need to re-read from all yoi guys and start putting into practice myself!
Good job! Thank you for taking the time putting that together.
Very nice collection of trophies too
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Re: Q&A - rizzo999
Nice read rizzo. Great buck line too! Thanks for doing this!
Bucks,ducks, turkeys,and bass!
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Re: Q&A - rizzo999
Excellent stuff. Really liked the story of the CRP buck and the makeshift blind buck. Both were heads-up thinking on your feet and being adaptable.
And HOLY MOLE is that one buck wiiiiide in the pic with you wearing glasses.
(same goes for Matt Gill’s avatar)
And HOLY MOLE is that one buck wiiiiide in the pic with you wearing glasses.
(same goes for Matt Gill’s avatar)
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Sometimes when things get tough, weird or both, you just need to remember this...
https://youtu.be/d4tSE2w53ts
Sometimes when things get tough, weird or both, you just need to remember this...
https://youtu.be/d4tSE2w53ts
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Re: Q&A - rizzo999
Really enjoyed this one Some stellar bucks on your wall for sure
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Re: Q&A - rizzo999
Excellent write up
http://www.iowawhitetail.com
Leading the way for habitat and management information
"It's a good thing you don't need commas and colons to kill deer" -seaz
Leading the way for habitat and management information
"It's a good thing you don't need commas and colons to kill deer" -seaz
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Re: Q&A - rizzo999
Sweet! Nice write up!
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Re: Q&A - rizzo999
nice job man. Enjoyed the read.
No Shortcuts. No Excuses. No Regrets.
Everybody's selling dreams. I'm too cheap to buy one.
Everybody's selling dreams. I'm too cheap to buy one.
Rich M wrote:Typically, hunting FL has been like getting a root canal
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Re: Q&A - rizzo999
I'd like to hear a little more detail about the bedding in question #17...
To make sure I've got this right, it's a low spot in the CRP. Wet in the middle with brush around the outside edge. Is the wet area marsh grass? Cattails?
I can think of a handful of spots like this, although it may not be CRP outside the bedding... I've often got crops around it. Or a mixture of vegetation typically with cattails drawing me to that location. You mentioned the SW and NE beds. What are your prevailing winds, and have you noticed tendencies as far as their choice for bedding with a specific wind? I'm interested in any details you have to share...
From my experiences, there will typically be beds all around it, and it can be a bit of a guessing game.
To make sure I've got this right, it's a low spot in the CRP. Wet in the middle with brush around the outside edge. Is the wet area marsh grass? Cattails?
I can think of a handful of spots like this, although it may not be CRP outside the bedding... I've often got crops around it. Or a mixture of vegetation typically with cattails drawing me to that location. You mentioned the SW and NE beds. What are your prevailing winds, and have you noticed tendencies as far as their choice for bedding with a specific wind? I'm interested in any details you have to share...
From my experiences, there will typically be beds all around it, and it can be a bit of a guessing game.
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Re: Q&A - rizzo999
Good read. Very interesting.
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Re: Q&A - rizzo999
Enjoyed it Rizzo!
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Re: Q&A - rizzo999
Lockdown wrote:I'd like to hear a little more detail about the bedding in question #17...
To make sure I've got this right, it's a low spot in the CRP. Wet in the middle with brush around the outside edge. Is the wet area marsh grass? Cattails?
I can think of a handful of spots like this, although it may not be CRP outside the bedding... I've often got crops around it. Or a mixture of vegetation typically with cattails drawing me to that location. You mentioned the SW and NE beds. What are your prevailing winds, and have you noticed tendencies as far as their choice for bedding with a specific wind? I'm interested in any details you have to share...
From my experiences, there will typically be beds all around it, and it can be a bit of a guessing game.
The area where I located the beds in this CRP field were at the edge of dogwood surrounding a small (~1 acre) pond that has a small creek that runs to a larger creek that runs north and south on the opposite side of the CRP field. From the trees marked on the property i have access they are around 150 yds away. One tree is perfect to observe but little chance of any shots. Other tree my vision for distance is limited but have multiple shot angles.
Prevailing winds are usually from the west. With as worn down to the ground as these beds were I have a feeling they are not as wind prevailing beds as they are beds that they're almost completely secluded from people, their #1 predator! I truly believe mature and sentinel bucks are using them year-round.
Thanks for the questions!
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