Hunter IQ

[Lockdown]

I’m a big MMA fan. It’s often talked about how the best fighters have a great “fight IQ”. They have great timing, they know when to back off and know when to attack with power punches or shoot for a takedown. They don’t make many mistakes, they stick to what is effective and switch things up accordingly. They’re also able to exploit the weakness in their opponent.

They’re certainly not approaching each fight the same! I think this translates to deer hunting as well.

“Hunter IQ”

The best hunters know where to find deer and when, and also WHY they’re there. They know which tactic will be best for each situation. They recognize subtleties that make some properties better than others. They know when they need to get as close as possible to a bedding area, and when hanging back a little is a better option.

There are SO MANY variables to consider when using Beast tactics and hunting bedding. Of course hot sign always plays a big part, but many times we don’t have hours to scout around and find it.

I think back to my first couple years as a Beast. My “hunter IQ” was quite low (I still have a long way to go). My first year I remember heading way to the back of a property to a beautiful looking point on opening weekend. Tyler and I put waders on and accessed through a bog in the heat and mosquitoes to keep our wind right. When we got there the sign was almost non existent and all we saw was one fawn.

Opening day this year, I killed my buck on that same property. He was a little under a half mile from that point we hunted... laying in a thicket 200 yards from the field edge. But 5 years ago there we were beating ourselves up to get to “the goods”.

The when, where, why, and how... Rolled up into one, it’s all a lot to think about. It can be applied to specific deer, and specific properties.

The best way to beat a boxer is to wrestle. The best way to beat a grappler is boxing. being one dimensional doesn’t win fights.

Do you have the right approach for your next “fight”?

[Stingray713]

Joining this forum and reading through it will lead me to the right approach faster than I would have found it otherwise.

It’s like Google for hunters.

[Country]

Sometimes I feel like Art Jimmerson and other times I feel like Anderson Silva.

[Huntress13]

Real new to beast style, but been hunting a long time. Learning about the why and the when puts puzzle pieces of understanding with the things I have observed over the years. Being able to set up on them is an entirely different thing which will take some trial and error. Probably a lot of error... All that to say that knowing and doing are different things, having the high IQ AND doing something with it is required. In other sports related terms, it's going to be a marathon, not a sprint, over many seasons.

[stash59]

It can all seem easier than it really is. We read about and watch hunts where it all came together for someone. But what we don't often see is all of the work put in before hand. How much time was spent scouting! How many years and number of experiences it took to get an idea what mature bucks do. Where and when they do it!! How to set up. Then being open minded enough when chasing a buck that doesn't follow the script, and adapt to his quirks. It's never ending.

[The_Real_Jmill]

Good post

Hunter IQ like MMA is done through repetition and many years of hard work until the pieces come together and its almost like muscle memory.

There are also times I feel when all the Hunter IQ in the world doesn't make up for sheer grit/determination and persistence.

The ability to dig deep and keep at it when things aren't going exactly to plan and not crumble mentally can separate the good from the great and keep you in the "fight".

[RookieBeast2019]

I would consider myself a Monday Morning Quarterback.

“Monday morning quarterback. The definition of a Monday morning quarterback is someone who is always criticizing and saying how he would have done something better or differently after the event has passed.”

[Tennhunter3]

I continue to learn by the tremendous amount of mistakes I make
.
I'm still not great at picking the perfect tree or entry routes.

I do agree not all properties are created equal it takes alot of boots on the ground and hunts to learn.

[oldrank]

Good post. I think of it like a video game sometimes. What is your rating? One thing I notice when hunting with new hunters is how horrible their stealth skills are. Talking loud, stumbling through the woods, crashing their weapons into trees n so on. Makes me look back at how horrible I was years ago n where I have progressed to. Some of the movements become second nature after so many years.

[jwilkstn]

Excellent post!

Like all of us, I'm very much still learning.

Many of us, perhaps most, hunt various terrains and/ cover habitats, often in different states. Facing new challenges that are outside of our norm I think is the most likely time that we actively work through all the questions that need answering in order to be successful. Conversely, I see friends and relatives that don't branch out and they get in major ruts (no pun intended) hunting the same way every year. I think constantly challenging yourself helps develop your deer IQ.