Hunting discipline

Discuss deer hunting tactics, Deer behavior. Post your Hunting Stories, Pictures, and Questions/Answers.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


Nepabowhunter28
Posts: 51
Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2021 12:29 pm
Status: Offline

Hunting discipline

Unread postby Nepabowhunter28 » Fri Oct 08, 2021 12:18 pm

Tonight I had the right wind to go hunt a spot that’s far back with little to no pressure. With that being said I went in with the stand on my back and bow in hand and wanted to scout my way in. I walked a few oak ridges and draws and found some fresh sign along the way. About 8-9 scrapes, some right on a main trail I branched off of so I figured that was done at night. But the other scrapes were right near thick underbrush that was rubbed up pretty good right by an old white oak loaded with acorns. There was some fresh scat here and there and the scrape seemed to be a day old. I decided to hunt beyond this sign, thinking I’d just be wasting my time setting up overtop of it. By the time (hour and a half before dark) I was at the spot way back in I wanted to hunt, the wind had shifted and I decided to turn back, the hunt was ruined. I did however get some good scouting in and find a lot of big buck sign. Can someone please tell me if I had made the wrong move not sitting on top of what I had stumbled across on the way in, or was that just good discipline? Also, I don’t have much experience with early season rubs so can someone break it down and explain why it was done, what time of day they’re usually done, and how to know when and when not to hunt over an early season scrape. Would this be a good spot to hit after a rain hits or did I bust it up from walking through there??
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.


“It’s lonely at the top, but I sure like the view.” -Charlie sheen
User avatar
Ghost Hunter
Posts: 4891
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2012 10:00 am
Location: South Arkansas
Status: Online

Re: Hunting discipline

Unread postby Ghost Hunter » Fri Oct 08, 2021 12:29 pm

Sound like you had deer around you at a reasonable distance. If you are wading through good sign to get somewhere that you do not know. You need to hunt your way in would be my thought. But, I do not know how area you are hunting looks. These kind situations you have to feel your way through. You will have a much better thought process on it next year. It is a learning process.
I'm reason they call it hunting and not shooting.
Buckslayer#13
Posts: 87
Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2021 2:41 pm
Status: Offline

Re: Hunting discipline

Unread postby Buckslayer#13 » Fri Oct 08, 2021 1:04 pm

I would have hunted there for sure with that white oak dropping. I don’t completely know your situation but the white oak plus early season scrape sounds good. I would’ve hunted it and seen what happens and move on deeper. There is a big community scrape I know of just a hundred yards off a road and I’ve hung a camera there the last 2 years and all the buck activity is at night.
“And there came a voice to him, rise Peter; kill and eat”- Acts 10:13
Elite
500 Club
Posts: 1022
Joined: Sat Jul 27, 2019 3:28 am
Status: Offline

Re: Hunting discipline

Unread postby Elite » Fri Oct 08, 2021 1:28 pm

I’ve always thought about this situation when watching THP, THB and reading your post. If it were me, my decision would’ve been based on how close my suspected bedding would be. If all this sign was 400 yards from suspected bedding, I would’ve pushed 300+ yards closer depending on how many days of the same wind and days of hunting. You’re losing cover by day this time of year so pushing closer is your better option, however.
JP BowHunter
Posts: 195
Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2021 12:28 am
Status: Offline

Re: Hunting discipline

Unread postby JP BowHunter » Sat Oct 09, 2021 1:43 am

I think we can paralyze ourselves sometimes with all of the “what if’s”. To me you just have to study what you’re seeing in the moment and do the thing that you have the most confidence in. More often than not we get it wrong, but we can use the information we gained from that wrong to hopefully get it right the next time, and it only takes getting in right once to get the job done. In your case, you had confidence in your original plan and elected to bypass the sign you were seeing, turned out that your original plan was a bust, so in the end you still have a win because you were observant enough to catch that sign on the way in, so you have actionable intel that you build a new plan around.

It’s a process. I stink at it right now, but I’m getting better all the time and most importantly… I’m having fun. Hopefully you are too. Get in there and try to solve that puzzle.
RatMe
Posts: 194
Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2017 5:51 am
Location: Maine
Status: Offline

Re: Hunting discipline

Unread postby RatMe » Sat Oct 09, 2021 2:39 am

I like this post. “Discipline” can mean different things at different times in hunting in my opinion.

Right now, for me it means sticking to the script and TRUSTING me pre season scouting, while still observing what is currently going on.

I’ve done better this year, I’m not over hunting specific locations, but last week while I looked at steaming fresh scrape a large deer blew out. 60 yards before I said to myself, “wow this is a ton of sign” and I refused to stop. That is the opposite of discipline.

These learning lessons are so much fun. Bow hunting is the best thing I’ve ever found.
User avatar
G-Patt
500 Club
Posts: 543
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2018 12:45 pm
Location: Ohio
Status: Offline

Re: Hunting discipline

Unread postby G-Patt » Sat Oct 09, 2021 2:51 am

Dropping white oaks with fresh deer poo, rubs next to security covers = a really good spot to hunt. That's a classic early season spot. I wouldn't know if what you did was "wrong" since I know nothing about the woods you're hunting, or where to expect the movement, but just that what you saw was really good sign and would be worth a sit.
On my deathbed, I will receive total consciousness. So I have that going for me, which is nice!
briar
500 Club
Posts: 1700
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 3:57 am
Status: Offline

Re: Hunting discipline

Unread postby briar » Sat Oct 09, 2021 5:07 am

Right or wrong Im not passing that up....I dont care what's ahead of me. To me that's the definition of hunting fresh sign.
User avatar
Brad
500 Club
Posts: 643
Joined: Tue May 26, 2020 2:06 pm
Status: Offline

Re: Hunting discipline

Unread postby Brad » Mon Oct 11, 2021 9:21 am

I don't think I've ever had that much fresh sign right in front of me, so I'd be awfully tempted to hunt at that sopt at that moment. Doesn't sound like you fraked out any deer, so I say just find the right time and go back in. as far as right or wrong... it's impossible for anyone to say. It's kinda like calling a play as a football coach. if it works it was a great call, and if it was a bad call... been there before. You win or you learn. There is no right or wrong.


  • Advertisement

Return to “Deer Hunting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google Adsense [Bot] and 93 guests