Adapting to hunting pressure

[Ryanbaker]

Hi everyone I hope your season is going well. I live in western pa . This year I have been hunting some land closer to my home. This week is inline season and the hunting pressure is high. I have had a hard time getting on deer due to the pressure. I have found a lot of beds in the hills. Many of these spots I thought would not get pressure have been hit hard. I need to adapt to the pressure. I was thinking about walking some transition lines to some marshes/swamp and trying to cut some tracks. Does anyone else have any suggestions?

[Randyflash]

I’m hunting public land in MI and can feel your pain... best suggestion I have is find water, swamps, rivers or other terrain that is difficult to access and go there... you will still likely have other hunters but the numbers will significantly be reduced. Other thoughts are creative access... canoes/kayaks or asking permission to access that piece of public by crossing someone’s property. Best of luck.

[Ryanbaker]

Thanks. I was thinking of hunting those areas. I just have to get creative.

[DaveT1963]

Hi everyone I hope your season is going well. I live in western pa . This year I have been hunting some land closer to my home. This week is inline season and the hunting pressure is high. I have had a hard time getting on deer due to the pressure. I have found a lot of beds in the hills. Many of these spots I thought would not get pressure have been hit hard. I need to adapt to the pressure. I was thinking about walking some transition lines to some marshes/swamp and trying to cut some tracks. Does anyone else have any suggestions?

I think most educated hunters try to avoid other humans by adapting to it. Where I failed so often was to take in to adapt to the pressure I create (first time sit thing) so I also now pay a lot of attention to what I am doing/causing. So I may not hunt a tree or area but 1 - 3 times and then stay out so I don't ruin it for future years. This also forces me to pick the very best location and try to think when and where will be the very best time to kill a buck there - I used to never think that thoroughly through a spot. But for public land I think we have to really think about it and realize not all the pressure is coming from other hunters - as soon as I start putting my boots in there it is creating pressure.

The plus side is that most hunters are far easier to pattern then deer will ever be.

[MikeK]

I can't imagine anywhere that has higher hunting pressure than what we have in NJ. But deer are deer no matter where you are. I think you're on the right track by heading to the swamps/ marshes, don't forget the small overlooked areas close to houses if it's legal. Here in Jersey the deer have moved out of the woods and into the developments, they adapt or die.