Tactics for going in blind

[greenhorndave]

This is something I still struggle with.
Most areas I hunt have very little sign outside of bedding areas. It can be very hard knowing where too stop and I often go too far in.

I’ve done this too.

See good sign but didn’t scream GREAT sign so go past it, only to have action behind me. I gotta treat those like scout, scout, hunt places and ease in if it’s a brand new place. It’s not always “where are they bedding?” but “where are they going and why?”

I can think of one time in particular last season in the early season where I was in what I found to be an escape route because some small-game guys bumped deer out of the bedding area I was targeting. I was past a spot where I saw decent sign and considered setting up, but kept pushing to where I wanted to go from cyber scouting instead of letting the sign dictate. 15 minutes later had a buck grunting right where I was going to set up.

Learning to trust my gut is an important thing too. Sometimes I can overthink myself.

[Boogieman1]

Enjoyed this thread Mainly cause it exactly what I’m doing this season for 4 days on some strange public. Although I’m gonna spend 2 days walking it next week I refer to blind by no history or no pics to tell me the caliber of bucks. Honestly if I get a crack at anything decent for me I’m prob gonna let it rip and feel pretty dang good about it. Again won’t be hurt if I don’t succeed, I know my strengths. Which is basically hardheaded and refuse to lose. But that takes me a lot of time.

It’s also my opinion we all have different strengths and weaknesses. What works great for some fails miserably with others. Case and point my biggest asset is patience. I can sit day after day with no activity and not get discouraged, it’s just a matter of time. You take a guy with no patience he will fail miserably doing that. But some have the ability to always move and stay in the action and that’s a gift I don’t have.

My tactic for going in public blind was picking an area that has features I’m familiar with. I’m also not the best bed hunter but during the rut I have a pretty good nack for thinking what a older buck would do, where the doe’s are gonna be and find something to swing things in my favor if he decides to move.

Different animal on light private. I went completely blind last season to a friends lease. All I did was ask where is the thickest, nastiest stuff, that nobody goes cause they can’t see. I tagged out within a hour an half of the first morning. Killed the biggest buck ever taken off the place with a recurve hunting 5’ off the ground in a lone wolf hang on. That’s how legends are made

[backstraps]

Enjoyed this thread Mainly cause it exactly what I’m doing this season for 4 days on some strange public.:

I thought you might like this thread.
Wishing you all the fun you can handle on your trip Boogieman

[Coalcracker]

For some of us we become engrained with the way we hunt. Growing up hunting deer on the ridges of Pa with a rifle in hand taught me to hunt pressure. It was up early, hiking far and sitting until the sun set. I was taught terrain features deer use to escape. I was also taught any buck was a good buck, if you didn't kill him the next guy did. Mature bucks were a dream and only the "lucky" ones got them. My bow hunting was self taught and hunting pressure was always the #1 factor I considered.

The benefit to growing up with a strong emphasis and understanding on how to hunt pressure is I don't have the slightest concern with going in blind long before the sun rises. It doesn't always work out to my benefit but in many cases it does and why I continue using the approach. What I do is, after spending time on stand I immediately start scouting that chosen area and work toward another chosen area. If the sign found while walking in the dark or while on stand is good where I'm at maybe I spend the entire day in that area or even in that stand. I suppose the blind in the dark approach is higher risk but its my way to jump start my scouting on what is usually a limited schedule.