Where does a non-beast hunter hunt?

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ol_ben
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Where does a non-beast hunter hunt?

Unread postby ol_ben » Thu Jul 20, 2017 3:45 am

One thing I've heard Dan and other folks here say over and over is that you can rule out the majority of a piece of land based on where other hunters are likely to be and focus on that last 5-10% of the property. I imagine for an experience hunter you'd use a combination of personal blunders pre-beast and observation of other hunters to determine what that looks like.

I myself, though, have only hunted two seasons now, both of which were sitting on private property during firearm season in stands/blinds that have been there for years. As a result, I have almost no basis on which to break down a map and go "a normal guy would probably try to go here". I'd love to get some input from guys with experience on how to think like a non-beast hunter.


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Re: Where does a non-beast hunter hunt?

Unread postby bigwoodshuntn » Thu Jul 20, 2017 3:55 am

Depends on your type of woods. Some examples of areas I typically avoid due to the assumption of someone else being there would be:

Field edges on public. It's easy access and every Joe Schmo on tv hunts a field edge so people think that's what you need to do.

Main logging roads you can easily drive a truck/car down. Basically 80yards off of that in all directions will usually see more pressure than I care to be apart of.

Basically if it is easy to get to it is probably hunted on public. But the flip side of that coin of it is a stupid little thicket 50 yards off the highway that every one else walks past that can be money also.
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justdirtyfun
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Re: Where does a non-beast hunter hunt?

Unread postby justdirtyfun » Thu Jul 20, 2017 4:03 am

Field edges close to parking.

On any trail leaving parking. Further away is more work so fewer hunters.

Near super obvious sign, regardless if it happened during daylight or not.

Path of least resistance. Walking around a Ridge point versus up the hill then down the other side.

Guys who gun hunt normally mess up the wind direction and where deer movement will come from.
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flinginairos
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Re: Where does a non-beast hunter hunt?

Unread postby flinginairos » Thu Jul 20, 2017 4:11 am

In my areas it's the field edges and big "pretty" timber up on the ridge tops where all the night sign is. It's funny you can drop off the side of the ridge into cover and see deer all day long and talk to the guy that was sitting on top and he didn't see a thing :lol: There was a guy after the buck I killed last year and had pics of him in the middle of the night in the field. Guess where he hunted....in the field. I killed that buck almost a mile from his spot.
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Re: Where does a non-beast hunter hunt?

Unread postby Jeff G » Thu Jul 20, 2017 4:47 am

If you have to cross water/swamp/marsh. You will eliminate most other hunters.
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Re: Where does a non-beast hunter hunt?

Unread postby nor' easter » Thu Jul 20, 2017 5:04 am

I have only just started to dive into beast style hunting so it's not hard to remember how I used to hunt. During October bow season I would almost always be on the edge of a small field, on another remote food source such as an apple tree, persimmon tree, edge of a beech ridge, etc. I would also set up on scrapes or rubs on an obvious deer trail leading to and from a food source. During rifle season, which is the entire month of November here, I would be on the edge of a dirt road or an old grown in logging road hoping to catch something crossing. Also on a stream or heavy ditch crossing, or on the edge of thick cover hoping to catch a deer escaping other hunter pressure. Even back then I tried to get away from other hunters and push back into less hunted territory. Most of my buddies rifle hunt and won't venture further than 300 yards from the truck. They like to walk out at dusk so they can make it to the truck before dark.
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Re: Where does a non-beast hunter hunt?

Unread postby tgreeno » Thu Jul 20, 2017 5:15 am

justdirtyfun wrote:Field edges close to parking.

On any trail leaving parking. Further away is more work so fewer hunters.

Near super obvious sign, regardless if it happened during daylight or not.

Path of least resistance. Walking around a Ridge point versus up the hill then down the other side.

Guys who gun hunt normally mess up the wind direction and where deer movement will come from.


I agree...this is where many hunters hunt!
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Re: Where does a non-beast hunter hunt?

Unread postby Brickhouse » Thu Jul 20, 2017 6:30 am

nor' easter wrote: Most of my buddies rifle hunt and won't venture further than 300 yards from the truck. They like to walk out at dusk so they can make it to the truck before dark.


Agreed! I see this often. I decided to bring a buddy with me to check out a piece of public this spring and we got a couple hundred yards from the truck and he said there was no way he would ever hunt there because it was too far and too hard. That's when I told him we still had 3/4 of a mile to get back to the spot I wanted to look at :lol:
Most guys don't want to go far from the truck. Around me it's tough because most pieces of public are up to 1 mile across, so it doesn't take much walking to get to the center. Just have to find the overlooked areas.
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Re: Where does a non-beast hunter hunt?

Unread postby ol_ben » Thu Jul 20, 2017 7:16 am

Thanks for the great replies so far!

I want to add a little bit more of a point to my question: I'm especially curious on features you all are using to eliminate areas on the map before you ever go scouting (though on the ground scouting tips are also welcome).

One point I'm especially interested in is how to reconcile "guys rarely get more than 300 yds from the truck" and "big bucks will often bed overlooking where the hunters park". I guess maybe it's a matter of looking specifically for places that are both near the parking lot AND likely to have cover/line of sight to it.
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Re: Where does a non-beast hunter hunt?

Unread postby Killemquietly » Thu Jul 20, 2017 7:42 am

ol_ben wrote:Thanks for the great replies so far!

I want to add a little bit more of a point to my question: I'm especially curious on features you all are using to eliminate areas on the map before you ever go scouting (though on the ground scouting tips are also welcome).

One point I'm especially interested in is how to reconcile "guys rarely get more than 300 yds from the truck" and "big bucks will often bed overlooking where the hunters park". I guess maybe it's a matter of looking specifically for places that are both near the parking lot AND likely to have cover/line of sight to it.


one really good strategy and you have to have a willing accomplice is to hunt off the roads that have no shoulder and are 1+ mile from nearest parking. I know it's a pain in the but to try and get someone to go along with this and drop you off at 3 am. My wife certainly won't. I've resorted to throwing a mountain bike in the back of my truck, dropping off my stand and sticks in the bushes next the where I want to be, then Parking where everyone else does and hoofing it on the bike to get to my stand and stuff before any headlights come down the road. It is amazing what is bedded within a 100 yards of the road where nobody goes. Those deer can literally watch all the traffic come in and leave.
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Re: Where does a non-beast hunter hunt?

Unread postby tgreeno » Thu Jul 20, 2017 7:56 am

Killemquietly wrote:
one really good strategy and you have to have a willing accomplice is to hunt off the roads that have no shoulder and are 1+ mile from nearest parking. I know it's a pain in the but to try and get someone to go along with this and drop you off at 3 am. My wife certainly won't. I've resorted to throwing a mountain bike in the back of my truck, dropping off my stand and sticks in the bushes next the where I want to be, then Parking where everyone else does and hoofing it on the bike to get to my stand and stuff before any headlights come down the road. It is amazing what is bedded within a 100 yards of the road where nobody goes. Those deer can literally watch all the traffic come in and leave.


I also will park on the opposite side of the road, and a little ways down, if there is a shoulder. Sometimes my brother in law drops me off. We sometimes hunt together. but rarely on the exact same property.
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Re: Where does a non-beast hunter hunt?

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Thu Jul 20, 2017 12:17 pm

You said u hunt private, so I'm guessing u atleast know where every stand on that property is. Where I hunt it's land of tower blinds and corn feeders. So knowing what the people are doing on surrounding properties really helps especially on small acreage. This is where flying a drone over shines. I mark all surrounding properties stands, access areas and anything else I find interesting on the aerial and set my stands according.
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Re: Where does a non-beast hunter hunt?

Unread postby rempse2 » Thu Jul 20, 2017 12:46 pm

I found as a novice i was always looking for places where I had a good view to see something and get a shot. Us humans are visually orientated we want to be able to see what is going on around us, where as the deer don't want to be seen and don't need to see what is going on around them, in most cases their nose & ears will tell them all they need to know about their surroundings. As I work on become a Beast I'm focusing on spots with limited viability with thick cover in relation to terrain and edge.
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Re: Where does a non-beast hunter hunt?

Unread postby northeast beast » Thu Jul 20, 2017 1:06 pm

Around me it's tough because most pieces of public are up to 1 mile across, so it doesn't take much walking to get to the center. Just have to find the overlooked areas.[/quote]

This is the same situation I am in...1 mile in any direction you hit a road...but 4,000 acres of land to hunt...there must be some good spots that are overlooked...I'm struggling findin those places myself.....any suggestions on that
Last edited by northeast beast on Thu Jul 20, 2017 1:09 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Where does a non-beast hunter hunt?

Unread postby northeast beast » Thu Jul 20, 2017 1:08 pm

Brickhouse wrote:
nor' easter wrote: Most of my buddies rifle hunt and won't venture further than 300 yards from the truck. They like to walk out at dusk so they can make it to the truck before dark.


Around me it's tough because most pieces of public are up to 1 mile across, so it doesn't take much walking to get to the center. Just have to find the overlooked areas.


This is the same situation I am in...1 mile in any direction you hit a road...but 4,000 acres of land to hunt...there must be some good spots that are overlooked...I'm struggling findin those places myself.....any suggestions on that


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