Advice on Hypothetical

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Buckfever
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Advice on Hypothetical

Unread postby Buckfever » Thu Jun 09, 2011 10:10 am

I am drawing on a hunt here locally. The parcel based on the aerial surverys is the primary doe bedding area. There have been mature bucks seen going through the parcel during the rut. The parcel is off limits, except scouting is allowed 1 week prior to the hunt, which includes, putting up your sets. The hunt starts on November 1st. Preference points for the followiing year are given for doe kills, only. If I draw it I will be the only hunter.

I think with 3 sets I can cover everything.

In broad terms tell me your approach to this hunt.


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Re: Advice on Hypothetical

Unread postby dan » Thu Jun 09, 2011 10:44 am

I would try to study the area by map / topo... And not use the scouting week unless the deer are accustomed to people where you are going to hunt. I would go in about a 1/2 hour after daylight and try to hit the funnels without walking up or down them but rather hit the buck funnels crosswise and try to set up before you cross the trail to get as little human scent intrusion as possible. The trouble with shooting does will be that most of the active does will have bucks in tow.
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Re: Advice on Hypothetical

Unread postby Buckfever » Thu Jun 09, 2011 11:21 am

Okay so let's see if we can build a consensus on points as we go along. Do we agree, no doe hunting during the rut? I should add I have 2 months and I've never had a problem taking numbers in December. Or any other thoughts regarding the doe and the preference points?

What about Dan's assertion to not use the scouting week for setting up. What if I go in on Sunday 10/23 make all three sets and not hunt the parcel until 11/5. One intrusion and stay out for 2 weeks. Or do we prefer, no scent what so ever, virgin sits? Does the no scent outweigh, the benefit of having the set in place?
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Re: Advice on Hypothetical

Unread postby foltzy » Thu Jun 09, 2011 12:40 pm

I would say hold off on the does untill late season. They make nice decoys during the rut.

as far as scouting, i would stay out of there untill your ready to kill one. if you go in there two weeks ahead of season your going to give any shooter bucks the upper hand, unless you happen to catch a non local crusin.

I have my best luck going in blind, finding the right sign and setting up
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Re: Advice on Hypothetical

Unread postby dan » Thu Jun 09, 2011 1:22 pm

Do we agree, no doe hunting during the rut?

Depends... If you can find a doe that is not towing bucks, and its your last sit in that spot, and it won't run somewhere you intend to hunt later.

Does the no scent outweigh, the benefit of having the set in place?
Yes. Scout the day you hunt.
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Re: Advice on Hypothetical

Unread postby Buckfever » Thu Jun 09, 2011 2:58 pm

I think that one of the biggest problems here is that I do not know if it is a mature buck bedding area. I think that if I knew that it wasn't and was only doe bedding I would make the sets early, even if I rile up the doe a bit I'm not worried about that. With that much focused density, the bucks are going to cruise there for sure. The problem is that if this is such a substantial pressure retreat, I'm inclined to think that a mature buck finds solace here as well. And if that's the case, I definitely don't want to put a scent imprint down so close to the hunt, in his core.

I don't have a problem going in and up, I just so much prefer to already at least have the sets picked out, so I can be stealth about it.
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Re: Advice on Hypothetical

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Thu Jun 09, 2011 3:39 pm

Why not make the best educated guesses you can based off topos/aerials and prior knowledge of the area, scout those on the day of the hunt and set up? It'd be ideal if we could all have pre-hung stands and just climb up and kill deer...I've slowly learned the hard way that is unsuccessful....


How big is this place anyhow? Have you ever been out there before? Could you get out there now as a "dog walker" or something like that to get a look around?
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Re: Advice on Hypothetical

Unread postby muddy » Thu Jun 09, 2011 3:45 pm

I have no problem greasing does during the rut. 2 years ago I smoked a hot doe and every buck in the area walked right under me and up to her dead body to sniff her. If one had been huge, I'd have been done. The flip side is that the only reason I snuffed her was because I had EASY access to get her out with minimal harm to the hunting in the area.

I'd get a set of Lone Wolf sticks and stand and be ready for the time to hunt. I wouldn't waste my time going in and setting up stands and cutting lanes and potentially screwing stuff up. Look at your aerials and locate your best options for funnels, personally I think those will treat you better than trying to blindly find buck beds, but that's just my opinion.

Now, if you get to the time of scouting and there's a rainy day in that window, I would consider getting in there and hanging something simply because the rain will allow you a "free day" in those areas.
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Re: Advice on Hypothetical

Unread postby Buckfever » Thu Jun 09, 2011 3:54 pm

BackWoodsHunter wrote:Why not make the best educated guesses you can based off topos/aerials and prior knowledge of the area, scout those on the day of the hunt and set up? It'd be ideal if we could all have pre-hung stands and just climb up and kill deer...I've slowly learned the hard way that is unsuccessful....


How big is this place anyhow? Have you ever been out there before? Could you get out there now as a "dog walker" or something like that to get a look around?


It's only 67 acres. The aerials and topos make it very obvious where the sets need to be within 50 yards or so. No one is allowed access at all on this parcel. I've hunted in the general area before and it is a very educated herd, perhaps the most educated herd I've seen. So I agree with the others on a mature buck you're not getting away with a scent imprint unless the sets are made months ahead of time.

If I draw I will try to get permission to just walk it once early, don't know if I'll get it.
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Re: Advice on Hypothetical

Unread postby Buckfever » Thu Jun 09, 2011 3:57 pm

muddy wrote:I'd get a set of Lone Wolf sticks


30 enough? Cuz then i'm good. :D
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Re: Advice on Hypothetical

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Thu Jun 09, 2011 4:05 pm

30 won't even get one stick :shock: the investment is worth it though!

Good luck I have permission on 2 suburban farms one is 80 acres the other is 73 and they are definitely harder to hunt than you would think....the one farm had trespassers using it for 10+ years so the permanent stands became part of the trees as the trees grew around them the deer were less leery but still nervous around them. I'd stay mobile...good luck!
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Re: Advice on Hypothetical

Unread postby Buckfever » Thu Jun 09, 2011 4:42 pm

BackWoodsHunter wrote:30 won't even get one stick :shock: the investment is worth it though!

Good luck I have permission on 2 suburban farms one is 80 acres the other is 73 and they are definitely harder to hunt than you would think....the one farm had trespassers using it for 10+ years so the permanent stands became part of the trees as the trees grew around them the deer were less leery but still nervous around them. I'd stay mobile...good luck!


Yeah that would be 30 sticks. LOL

Interesting point about the poaching. I over looked that.
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Re: Advice on Hypothetical

Unread postby dan » Thu Jun 09, 2011 9:33 pm

One thing I think people miss on with the rut is thinking because an area is a cruising spot in a funnel that its different bucks cruising thru each day... This might be somewhat correct, but I have noticed that every sit in a funnel consecitivly results in fewer deer seen on average, especially mature bucks. 1st day in is the best 80 to 90% of the time. So the set up, unless its on a rain day as Muddy pointed out is a day burning the area. And if you do it two weeks in advance, your scent will be there for a week to be discovered before you ever have a chance to hunt... If I abso.lutly had to prescout, and had that time frame, I would scout the evening before the hunt or the rain day.
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Re: Advice on Hypothetical

Unread postby headgear » Fri Jun 10, 2011 2:34 am

If possible I like the rainy day scouting idea otherwise I think the going in blind approach and doing a little scouting on your way in to a clean set will be your best chance.
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Re: Advice on Hypothetical

Unread postby Buckfever » Fri Jun 10, 2011 4:04 am

dan wrote:One thing I think people miss on with the rut is thinking because an area is a cruising spot in a funnel that its different bucks cruising thru each day... This might be somewhat correct, but I have noticed that every sit in a funnel consecitivly results in fewer deer seen on average, especially mature bucks. 1st day in is the best 80 to 90% of the time. So the set up, unless its on a rain day as Muddy pointed out is a day burning the area. And if you do it two weeks in advance, your scent will be there for a week to be discovered before you ever have a chance to hunt... If I abso.lutly had to prescout, and had that time frame, I would scout the evening before the hunt or the rain day.


This is what I find too. I think that once the scent footprint is there the spot burns out in the short run whether you hunt it or not. That's why given the limited time we have for the rut I tend to hunt a set on 2-3 days in a row if the wind permits and I'm typically done with that set for the year.

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