Southern Beasts Tactical Thread

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Re: Southern Beasts Tactical Thread

Unread postby HeadHunting » Wed Sep 02, 2020 11:44 am

woodwes wrote:
The thing that is frustrating about this situation is that I want to shoot some does during bow season but won't orphan spotted fawns. I get plenty of chances at does but it's often hard to pick out a dry doe.


We follow similar practices where I am at where we will not kill a doe that has spotted fawns still with her. Just one of those ethics things for us. I know a lot of people on here don't kill does at all or at least don't say much about it but we do as a management practice. Generally 30 does on the 3000 acres our club hunts.


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Re: Southern Beasts Tactical Thread

Unread postby HeadHunting » Fri Sep 18, 2020 3:46 pm

Thread bump...

How are all the Southern beasts doing?
Has anyone's season started?
Has anyone had success yet?
What differences are any of you seeing this year from years past?
Are there any tactics used this hear thus far that you feel has lent itself to sightings or success?
Has anyone had some lessons learned they would like to share?

Good Luck to All!
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Re: Southern Beasts Tactical Thread

Unread postby AlwaysWhitetail » Fri Sep 18, 2020 4:09 pm

Head hunting,
I feel really confident going into this season. Taking the beast tactics to SC, GA and Florida. Have some real good bucks on camera

Lets talk about going beast style and being mobile on a lease when all other members are not like minded individuals. Anybody else encounter this? Seems to me like i am hunting pressured public land sometimes. Thoughts?
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Re: Southern Beasts Tactical Thread

Unread postby HeadHunting » Fri Sep 18, 2020 11:08 pm

AlwaysWhitetail wrote:Head hunting,
I feel really confident going into this season. Taking the beast tactics to SC, GA and Florida. Have some real good bucks on camera

Lets talk about going beast style and being mobile on a lease when all other members are not like minded individuals. Anybody else encounter this? Seems to me like i am hunting pressured public land sometimes. Thoughts?


This is the scenario for me as well. I know that most people on here are public land hunters. The "hunting club/lease" style of hunting does not seem to be as prevalent in the North as it is in the South. Most members on here are from Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, etc., at least by the counts I saw on a voting thread on here. Now that said, there is still a ton of information on here that can be used, however there are some tactics that I find that may only be applicable to southern style hunting. A5Blaster and Tennhunter3 I feel have posted some good information about hunting in the south.

Specific to your question, I am in a club that has about 34 members. Its me and maybe 1 other guy that is a mobile hunter. I wouldn't call myself a beast hunter yet, this is my first year really diving into the forum and tactics discussed here. I went "mobile" about 3 years ago and I frame that in quotes because up to this point it has only meant that I would scout and find a new location to pre-hang a setup each year but would leave it there all year. I have had some success in just doing that so I am encouraged by the move this year to truly go mobile and setup and tear down in a hunt and add a lot more scouting to my tactics as opposed to to hunting an "area" that I thought looked good. The toughest thing that I have to encounter is the fact that I am limited within our lease because members have a 200 yard buffer zone around their assigned locations. With 34 members and the possibility of 4 locations each, this really shrinks the property. I have found some good sign so far this year though and plan to do a lot more in season scouting. I think the bedding tactics are a little different for us in the south. What we tend to find on our property, is that they bed in the thickets. Being timber management company there is new thickets every 4-5 years or so. I have focused my scouting on finding sign outside of known thickets to see if I can find anything that suggests deer movement. Tracks are near impossible to find in heavy pine needle beds. I have found cameras to have lots of negative reaction, especially with bucks because I agree with you in that even though it is labeled "private" my area hunts like heavily pressured public with all the atv's running around between hunting and going check cameras. I know for a fact I walk the most at our lease. I try to stay 1/2 mile out from any location I am hunting with an atv, depending on the location. I am usually only closer on the perimter locations and a lot of time I use a vehicle at those to cut out the atv noise. I have been researching on here trail camera tactics to pick up on tips to be much less intrusive with camera setups and hopefully be able to use it as a scouting tool as opposed to just getting pictures. There are some things I am definitely looking to try. Almost all other members save the one guy that I mentioned is a box stand/blind rotational hunter. Archery numbers have increased a good bit when the state I hunt added crossbows to the legal weapons for archery. In being honest it is what got me more involved as well. Even with that, it only meant most guys adding a ladder stand at one end of their food plots for most and a few other guys adding lock-on's that they don’t ever move. Most guys offseason preparation is solely planting food plots. Yes I am doing these things as well but with scouting I feel I am learning more about how to hunt these locations. I have found at one of my locations that I added a box blind in a large travel corridor right between two bedding areas. That box blind will be removed here shortly. Thinking back, the first year I had hunted the area with just lock-on's and harvested a 9-point buck and a doe, with a shot at another nice buck but had forgotten that my gun dropped off my atv when loading the doe up and after missing on the second buck, found my gun to be off by 7" high and left. The next year I had a bad hit (archery) on a 7-point that bled good but could never recover, even had a tracking dog come out. After that the location has gone pretty much dry and I have realized through scouting that this seems to be because of the addition of the box blind and my previous access point which was to walk up through the food plot. With the box blind out of there I have found another access route and will be able to keep my scent out of the food plot and crossing trails of deer. I lose about 30 yards of hunting the plot because it is boomerang shaped and I wont be able to see that end but that will just have to be the trade off.

This is some of the adaptation of "beast" style tactics that I am adding to my toolbox if you will. How has your experience been so far?
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Re: Southern Beasts Tactical Thread

Unread postby AlwaysWhitetail » Sat Sep 19, 2020 1:15 am

Thanks for this post Head. Seems we are in a similar situation. Although my lease is a bit different. All the guys hunt rifle rotation double ladder or box blind. I also have separated myself and strictly hunted lock on with screw in pegs, climber, or from the ground. All the stands are shared but because they are all older gentlemen nobody will sit my lock ons. Sometimes I find myself reluctant to share what I have found on camera or with sign, not because I am selfish and dont want somebody else to kill a good buck. But because I dont want them going in on any wind, hanging a double ladder, putting a feeder, and clearing shooting lanes in these overlooked spots I have found.

Outside of that. To simplify my experience thus far, the number one thing that i have found helpful is to always ask yourself WHY. Why is this rub/scrape here? Where is it leading? When was it made? Couple that with continued knowledge about how they bed and i feel like i am moving in the right direction.

The next biggest thing for me is believing in my scouting and reminding myself just because the other 15 guys arent doing what im doing doesnt make it wrong. I am not hunting all the deer, I am trying to hunt the mature deer. I dont need to see 10 young bucks and 15 doe at every sit.
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Re: Southern Beasts Tactical Thread

Unread postby Sailfish_WC » Sat Sep 19, 2020 1:52 am

PK_ wrote:Great post!
..

I like your observations about food, food is something I never really paid enough attention to and am trying to learn. Because I feel in this kind of terrain without crops, once the acorns are gone, if your can understand the next high quality food you can really up your odds if that food is concentrated and not just spread out everywhere.



Don’t hesitate to let me know when you find out what the next, high quality food source is here, and I’ll do the same. :think:
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Re: Southern Beasts Tactical Thread

Unread postby HeadHunting » Sat Sep 19, 2020 2:45 am

AlwaysWhitetail wrote: Sometimes I find myself reluctant to share what I have found on camera or with sign, not because I am selfish and dont want somebody else to kill a good buck. But because I dont want them going in on any wind, hanging a double ladder, putting a feeder, and clearing shooting lanes in these overlooked spots I have found.

Outside of that. To simplify my experience thus far, the number one thing that i have found helpful is to always ask yourself WHY. Why is this rub/scrape here? Where is it leading? When was it made? Couple that with continued knowledge about how they bed and i feel like i am moving in the right direction.

The next biggest thing for me is believing in my scouting and reminding myself just because the other 15 guys arent doing what im doing doesnt make it wrong. I am not hunting all the deer, I am trying to hunt the mature deer. I dont need to see 10 young bucks and 15 doe at every sit.



Some great points, I understand your reluctance to get people involved that will only put forth half of an effort to actually hunting the deer versus just wanting to kill a nice one. That's the situation for me as well. Some of the really younger guys I will try to help some but a lot of them go back to their Dad's with the information and either get told that I don't know what I am talking about or I find out that they went walk all through the area and blew everything out. So I am reluctant as well. Another good feature of this forum is being able to collaborate with like minded people and get some advise on the tactics that you are trying.

I agree with your asking "WHY?" tactic. I try to do the same myself. I had heard that before but was not really sure how to apply it before I have dived into the information on this forum over the past few months. I am never going to say I know everything but I feel good that I have shortened the learning curve by some of the information that I have been able to gather on here.
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Re: Southern Beasts Tactical Thread

Unread postby AlwaysWhitetail » Thu Oct 15, 2020 1:45 pm

Any updates from the Southern Beasts? Anybody gettin on em!?
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Re: Southern Beasts Tactical Thread

Unread postby fenderbender62 » Thu Oct 15, 2020 2:58 pm

I'm seeing deer every sit, which is quite a new experience for me,

opening day i missed a doe at 35 yds...shot under her

last Friday i missed a nice 8 pointer, probably 3 1/2 yr old at 30 yds...shot under him

tonight i shot a 4 pointer, quartering away at 20 yds, he only went 30 yds and piled up. and i shot an small basket 8 at 12 yds, going back in the morning to find him. high,steep shoulder hit with at least 10-12 inches of penetration. looked for 150yds with no luck, no blood, no arrow
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Re: Southern Beasts Tactical Thread

Unread postby HeadHunting » Fri Oct 16, 2020 1:42 am

AlwaysWhitetail wrote:Any updates from the Southern Beasts? Anybody gettin on em!?


Have only had a few sits so far this year, been scouting more so this year than just throwing sits in a tree. That has been one of the biggest takeaway's that I have gotten from my being on this forum and trying to improve my efforts. I am chronicling my efforts in a journal on the forum which can be found here.

viewtopic.php?f=191&t=56339

Now, in full disclosure, I am not one of the featured beast members, no one is calling me for podcasts or anything. I am not knocking those that do in any way, I think it is awesome that they share their stories and have had the success that they have had. I just want to be forward and honest, in journaling and sharing the information that I am, that I am not some renowned hunter or beast member and just another hunter that is trying to learn all I can. I am a detailed person and probably a bit lengthy in word for most people, so fair warning. The initial post on my journal is a background post so it is very lengthy for those that are not looking to read a short story. Beyond that there are some shorter project introductions and then chronicled updates as I get to get out in the woods.

Good Luck to all, let everyone know how you are doing this year
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Re: Southern Beasts Tactical Thread

Unread postby PK_ » Fri Oct 16, 2020 1:56 am

I have not been out much this year but when I have made it out it’s been pretty good in central and lower FL. Seeing a good number of bucks, good bucks and good movement.

Lots of food this year and some of the spots I hunt are in the end of their burn cycle so they are nice and thick. I am sure they will chop and burn it this season and destroy the habitat for the next 3 years. :?


I have also been trying to keep a journal thread going this year, I am always bad with keeping up with it but I know some other FL and southern guys have journals going too.
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Re: Southern Beasts Tactical Thread

Unread postby Sailfish_WC » Fri Oct 16, 2020 2:58 am

None here yet

Rifle hunt is t-giving

Then archery quota in Dec <—technically this would be my only ‘beast’ style hunt

Muzzle quota in Feb
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Re: Southern Beasts Tactical Thread

Unread postby Tribute80 » Fri Oct 16, 2020 3:54 am

Sat 2 times as a guest on a buddies quota permit. Seen a nice buck but he seen me about the same time. Killed a doe on the next sit seen a spike and some other does. It was his quota and wasn't able to go due to work. Counting down the days to a road trip.
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Re: Southern Beasts Tactical Thread

Unread postby dannyboy » Fri Oct 16, 2020 4:32 am

AlwaysWhitetail wrote:Any updates from the Southern Beasts? Anybody gettin on em!?

I'm from Alabama and our season just started today. Went this morning but it was slow. I try to look at it as a marathon, not a sprint. Down here I think you have to hunt more mornings because of the heat but even then, the warm winds swirl badly and you sweat up easily which makes it tough until the cooler , more predictable November weather gets here
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Re: Southern Beasts Tactical Thread

Unread postby A5BLASTER » Fri Oct 16, 2020 8:11 am

I have hunted each day since opening morning Oct 1st. Have seen does and a few small bucks and one of my target bucks but couldn't seal the deal due too brush being to thick to get a shot off.

We took a metric ton of tree damage from the last 2 hurricanes and some of the best bedding got destroyed from downed trees and the deer have adjusted and I been mainly throwing observation hunts at them trying to get data on where they have shifted too and why.

Killed a few hogs so far this season. That's the second bad problem this year, the hogs have moved in and straight taken over lately hundreds of acres of prime ground.

Deer sign is down to almost nothing in some of my most prime spots that I'm scrabbling to put something tighter.

May have to suck it up and just do my duty and kill a couple of hundred hogs this year and leave the deer alone for this season.


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