Week by week breakdown of your season

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Ack
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Week by week breakdown of your season

Unread postby Ack » Fri Jul 29, 2011 9:10 pm

Say you don't have any bedded bucks located that you can hunt......perhaps it's a new area you are walking in to .....maybe hunting beds isn't your preferred method. Give me a week by week breakdown of your season and the types of areas you do, or would, hunt besides sitting close to a buck bed.


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Re: Week by week breakdown of your season

Unread postby Indianahunter » Fri Jul 29, 2011 10:17 pm

Will do and that works out pretty good because I am going to get an opportunity to hunt a couple places that I have never set foot on and it will only be at designated times. I have been studying aerials and topo data, looking for good funnels and that is about all I can do until I can get my feet on the ground.
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Re: Week by week breakdown of your season

Unread postby dan » Sun Jul 31, 2011 11:14 am

I hunt a lot of areas I have not pre-scouted. Outside of rut I guess where the buck beds should be located based on terrain or thick vegetation and other factors and set up based on that... During the pre-rut I either set up on terrain features and doe bedding for cruising bucks or I set up agian on assumed bedding areas. Late season if there is snow I check food sources and track bucks back till it looks like I am getting close to bedding and then I set up.
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Re: Week by week breakdown of your season

Unread postby PLB » Sun Jul 31, 2011 11:38 am

If its an area I have not pre scouted which is often because there are just literally hundereds of areas within 10 miles of my cabin! Early season I like to find a good mast crop or public land near crops and find a thick transition line near the food source. We prefer acorns where we hunt because of the miles and miles of Red Oak in the area. After the first couple weeks, the deer know whats up and I switch it up and try to find those out of the way spots way back in near bedding cover and water. This is usually Oct 5th-20th where I hunt. Turning this time if I miss a sit or two it aint the end of the world. I do most of my in season scouting in this time period trying to locate fresh sign of a good buck. This is usually in or very near his bedding area. Once i find some of these spots I will hunt them til the end of October. Then I switch to funnels and pinch points downwind of doe bedding areas to try to catch cruising bucks and utilize the terrain to maximize my visibility. After the gun slaughter I do not hunt again til there is snow because many of the deer I was hunting are now in someone's freezer! Once I get snow I hit the woods running again! I love scouting this time of year because they are either there or they aint! Kinda like Dan said I find what they are eating and track them back to some thick cover on a transition line and set up.
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Re: Week by week breakdown of your season

Unread postby dan » Sun Jul 31, 2011 11:44 am

Dave brings up a good point... I have had some success traveling thick transition lines and setting up where buck sign comes out. Generally this has worked best for me when acorns drop and bucks are bedding in the swamps, or cattails near the oaks. You don't know where they are bedding but you set up hoping they are bedded close. I hunt a set up like this only once and on the next day I move to a new spot scouting only the day I hunt.
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Re: Week by week breakdown of your season

Unread postby PLB » Sun Jul 31, 2011 11:51 am

dan wrote:Dave brings up a good point... I have had some success traveling thick transition lines and setting up where buck sign comes out. Generally this has worked best for me when acorns drop and bucks are bedding in the swamps, or cattails near the oaks. You don't know where they are bedding but you set up hoping they are bedded close. I hunt a set up like this only once and on the next day I move to a new spot scouting only the day I hunt.

I hunt this way often Dan! That's why I rarely sit the same tree twice during the season on public land. I'm always looking for that next hot area to set up in!
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Re: Week by week breakdown of your season

Unread postby Zap » Sun Jul 31, 2011 3:21 pm

New spots I scout ready to hunt.

I do not really change much as far as the whole week by week thing.....

I mean, sure food sources change.... as the rut nears scrape activity increases......and hot doe's change everything.
I am always looking for something that says....make a move. :D
I have found that if you can go slow and keep your eyes open you may find a really good spot.
If I do not see what I want I keep looking...if all else fails I find a good observation spot and set up.
And I have spent a whole day at a new area only to leave and go somewhere else for the next day or so...

When looking I always keep in mind that deer need food , water and security...and the mindset of hunters: big woods=big deer.
CRP fields, small patches of timber, marshy areas, areas near parking lots that offer water and good bedding, these are the spots that may be productive.
I find nothing more rewarding than going to a new area for a few days and finding a spot to set up that produces good deer activity in bow range.
For me that means a successful hunt...all the rest is gravy.
Its not easy to get on a good buck on public land, but I think that the more you keep lookin you are alot more likley to find one than if you just sit a spot for days.

Topo and aerial can usually give you a good idea of where to look, but to set up blind and waste tree time is not what I like, I want to see something that says "set up here". Early morning is a great time to be in a spot that allows a good view, you may catch a glimpse of something dumping off into a bedding area, you can also see where the does are going in so you do not bust them out when you take a look around later. That early morning sit in a place that gives a good view of the area can give you an idea of which way to look when you get down or which area not to disturb.



There are definately areas that I just go to when I do not have the time I would like to have in order to look around, but I like my tree time. :mrgreen:
So I have pre-sets for a quick hunt, alot of those are in a spot that I can observe alot of area and should see doe activity, after all a guy has to eat. :lol:

In the end we all have to find the way that works best for us and the way we enjoy to spend our time in the woods and fields.
"Forged in fire lit long ago. Stand next to me and you will never stand alone".


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