stash59 wrote:When we first join the Beast. I think we often get hung up on finding beds. They're often easier to find in spring. Combine that with the notion that, pre-Beast, we were taught to find last season's rut signs in spring also. To effectively use rut tactics. I believe we fall into that trap, that we've already learned everything we need to know to go make a kill come fall. Then just make a guess where to go, which bed/s to set up on. During the season.
Reading through the Beast Q&A threads that lockdown organized. Really drove home the point that integral to all of these bed hunting tactics. Or even other tactics. Is adding, "in season" scouting, to the mix. Between Dan, the many other elite Beasts, The Hunting Public crew, even the recent Barry Wensel YouTube video posted on The Push. Each and everyone of these consistent big buck killers mentioned how important "in season" scouting in some form. Is to their successes.
Us newbies often wonder/worry that we'll mess things up. Burn the bridge without even seeing anything. Because we get too close or leave our human odor around. But isn't that part of the learning process. Granted pushing too close to a bed to place our stand. We'll bust out a buck, but we'll often at least get eyes on it. Pushing too close while scouting in season, may also kick them out. Or alter travel movements. But without knowledge that we did bump them. So it may be tougher to learn. But learning what we can get away with while "in season" scouting. Will eventually lead to more mature buck encounters.
We all want success, and as soon as possible. But we need to gain experience. And gaining experience takes time. So, we need to be patient, looking at the big picture. The mistakes we make now will teach us what we need to know. To have successes for "seasons" to come. Not just this particular hunt!
Awesome write up and very informative. I love the wealth of knowledge on this site. So to elaborate on this topic a little more I have a question. So when we combine in season scouting with our spring scouting I guess it would be common sense to not trot through the beds we found in the spring to see if their using it. So on a few pieces of land I hunt I know where they like to rub and can tell by the height when a big guy is there. Usually these rubs are 50-200 yds from the beds. Sometimes in the fields I can cut a track in some wet soil, these tracks are generally 200 yds from bedding. Also I know of several primary scrape locations. They are concistant year after year. When you talk on in season scouting would doing a speed tour of such locations for fresh sign dictate hunting a bed found in the spring with the correct wind? Or are you guys using the terrain and walking till you find the sign? When you do come across the sign if walking to find it do you set up right on it? Thanks