10%

[dan]

10 %

When mapping new public hunting properties I like to study aerials of the property and cross off 90% or more of the property. I look for the over looked, and the hard access.

Places people rarely go... Sometimes thats areas along side the road, sometimes its thick areas without a tree for a hunter to put a stand in, and often its small secluded cover surrounded by muck and water....

I believe 95% of the biggest bucks on the land spend there daylight hours in that 5 to 10% of the land thats left after you map the property off. While others are struggling to scout the entire forest and getting distracted by night time sign, I go straight to to good stuff, and I am able to scout more properties faster.

Sure, they still need adequate cover and bedding features, but look for that within the 10%. People would be shocked if they saw some of the spots where I have killed my biggest bucks. Often, they are right alongside a road between parking lots, or on a tiny island surrounded by water.

Getting outside of the box thats telling you to look at the entire woods can be a huge stepping stone towards shooting and finding bigger bucks, sand can save you a lot of time while also making your scouting more enjoyable.

59121108_10215554492190047_3007892737010696192_o.jpg

[Trout]

I would love to see your process for doing this, Dan. Maybe not a real property you hunt, but just watch your computer screen or you sitting at a table with a map crossing stuff off, etc would be cool, probably a lot to learn from it.

[hcooper84]

I would love to see your process for doing this, Dan. Maybe not a real property you hunt, but just watch your computer screen or you sitting at a table with a map crossing stuff off, etc would be cool, probably a lot to learn from it.

[Tim H]

When scouting aerials in the back of my mind - What would Dan do?

[dan]

I would love to see your process for doing this, Dan. Maybe not a real property you hunt, but just watch your computer screen or you sitting at a table with a map crossing stuff off, etc would be cool, probably a lot to learn from it.

If I can find the time I would like to do that...

[funderburk]

I would love to see your process for doing this, Dan. Maybe not a real property you hunt, but just watch your computer screen or you sitting at a table with a map crossing stuff off, etc would be cool, probably a lot to learn from it.

If I can find the time I would like to do that...

That would be incredible!

[Hawthorne]

I’m looking for that 10-15 acre area within thousands of acres to hunt and kill a nice buck

[Wlog]

I have to admit that even though I know better and have seen for myself that what Dan is saying in this post, I still often get sucked into spending time scouting areas I know are probably not going to produce the best buck for fear of missing something.
Almost without exception if I find really thick cover with no climber type trees there is usually good buck activity in there or at the very least a pile of does.

[mheichelbech]

Just like bass fishing, 90% of the bass are in 10% of the lake.

[milkweed-militia]

I never was good with percentages!

[Huntress13]

I never was good with percentages!

Okay, do you like Star Trek?

These are the voyages of the beast hunters. Its mission: to explore strange new public lands, to seek out big bucks and new habitats. To boldly go where no man wants to go.

[<DK>]

Spend 90% of time in 10% of the woods. Love it

I love that buck in the pic, such a boss buck! I really want one w kickers and splits

[cspot]

I would love to see your process for doing this, Dan. Maybe not a real property you hunt, but just watch your computer screen or you sitting at a table with a map crossing stuff off, etc would be cool, probably a lot to learn from it.

If I can find the time I would like to do that...

I would like to see that. Especially be interesting to see if there is any differences in big woods vs farm vs marsh vs etc.

[Tufrthnails]

I would love to see your process for doing this, Dan. Maybe not a real property you hunt, but just watch your computer screen or you sitting at a table with a map crossing stuff off, etc would be cool, probably a lot to learn from it.

If I can find the time I would like to do that...

I'd like to see that also.

[mipubbucks24]

Crossing off most of the public has been a big game changer for me. Before that I would sit in spots and be so frustrated because I was not seeing any deer. I was not even in the ball game. The mature bucks were playing chess and I was playing checkers. Learning from Dan how mature bucks bed and they only move a small distance in day light, just turned the light bulb on, in my head. I could see why I had not been seeing deer on the public and I could look back at all my kills and realize that I was set up Just outside of bedding on most of them. Great thread Dan!!!