best tips for going in blind

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BA-IV
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Re: best tips for going in blind

Unread postby BA-IV » Sat Aug 19, 2017 2:16 pm

This is usually the problem I run into when hunting blind 90% of the time, and feel like I'm louder then a herd of elephants when I'm trying to pick my way through it.


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Re: best tips for going in blind

Unread postby cdeam » Mon Aug 21, 2017 10:57 am

I've had mixed results going in blind. When i first started hunting big woods hill country with a mobile set up, I would hunt areas that looked 'deery'. As I noticed how deer used the terrain I keyed in on how to set up for shots. I hunted mobile on public 3 seasons before I shot a deer. Those were tough years. It was hard to keep confidence and push through. If I had the shared knowledge of the generous members of the beast, I'm certain it would have shortened the learning curve.

All that is to say you are already ahead of the game my friend. Enjoy the hunt!
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Divergent
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Re: best tips for going in blind

Unread postby Divergent » Mon Aug 21, 2017 6:14 pm

If you're hunting hill country...grab a topo and focus on secondary points where topo lines show sudden steep change in elevation. Then grab an aerial and focus on transition from thick cover to open cover. Then compare topo and aerial spots you marked. Hunt the spots that have both. Good luck
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Re: best tips for going in blind

Unread postby wkpjs » Tue Aug 22, 2017 5:08 am

Divergent wrote:If you're hunting hill country...grab a topo and focus on secondary points where topo lines show sudden steep change in elevation. Then grab an aerial and focus on transition from thick cover to open cover. Then compare topo and aerial spots you marked. Hunt the spots that have both. Good luck

How do you define secondary points?
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Divergent
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Re: best tips for going in blind

Unread postby Divergent » Tue Aug 22, 2017 7:38 am

They're also referred to as spurs if that helps. They're the small side hills off the main ridge. Usually they're short. Some might not even show up well on a topo.
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Bio1
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Re: best tips for going in blind

Unread postby Bio1 » Sat Jul 20, 2019 4:54 pm

Fun thread. I do a ton of “blind” hunting and am very successful in doing it. I put quotes around blind because if you are good at reading maps and aerials you already know what the area looks like before you get there! I pick my terrain traps, figure the wind I need to hunt it, figure a low impact entry route and then wait for that wind. I slip in mid day and try to get right on top of the point I picked to hunt. I want to be as close to that point as possible because I picked the location for a reason and expect it to be good! I’ll climb as close to the spot as I can and will hunt til dark and come back in the morn to hunt it again if the wind is supposed to hold - that way I get a morning and evening hunt in case it is better on one or the other. By coming in midday I’m not stumbling around in the dark and can pick the best set up visually.

If it is in season I am going to hunt that spot because if I visit it I consider it a hunt because I have left scent, etc. no matter how careful I am. If I don’t hunt it I just gave up that element of surprise! At any rate, if I find myself hunting a new area or need to switch things up a bit this is a great way to learn a new area. I have killed some dandy bucks going in “blind” and a ton of does over the years.

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Horizontal Hunter
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Re: best tips for going in blind

Unread postby Horizontal Hunter » Sun Jul 21, 2019 4:09 am

Divergent wrote:If you're hunting hill country...grab a topo and focus on secondary points where topo lines show sudden steep change in elevation. Then grab an aerial and focus on transition from thick cover to open cover. Then compare topo and aerial spots you marked. Hunt the spots that have both. Good luck



Divergent wrote:They're also referred to as spurs if that helps. They're the small side hills off the main ridge. Usually they're short. Some might not even show up well on a topo.


This

I’m a ground hunter so on evening hunts I push all the way out on the edge of the bench or spur so that the falling thermals pull my scent down.

I also set up above but you have to be much more careful with your scent and thermals. I rarely set up above going in blind.

Bob
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funderburk
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Re: best tips for going in blind

Unread postby funderburk » Mon Jul 29, 2019 10:49 pm

Lockdown wrote:Ok so this is not meant to come off as sarcastic OR negative ;) My biggest tip for going in blind is to not go in blind!!

Going in blind can be tough even for a veteran bed hunter. The terrain you are in will be a big factor on how easy it is. I have not had much luck with it, due to the fact that most areas I want to be in are way too thick. To the point I can't even really hunt. I see pics on the Beast all the time of guys' sets in the Live From the Field threads and to me they look relatively open, but they consider them thick :think: so the terrain you're hunting matters a lot.

For myself, I'd rather go in and get intel now and get a couple spots ready. Yes its late in the year and it will effect those bedding areas, but there is still time for them to settle back down. The weekend warrior type hunters will be out full force scouting and setting stands anyway.

Especially if you're not holding out strictly for a 3.5 year old or better, or even if you are... I wouldn't sit around the next few weekends. Go in ONE TIME, pick your tree and access, and don't come back until you hunt. I'm sure some guys will disagree but that's what I would do.

Here's some food for thought. Last year I did a "Where's the buck" thread on a riverbottom property that I scouted, and the #1 spot that most people picked (including myself) ended up being junk because it lacked cover. It was an oxbow and looked thick on the aerial but it wasn't.


Every bit of this. Couldn’t agree more.
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Dpierce72
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Re: best tips for going in blind

Unread postby Dpierce72 » Tue Jul 30, 2019 12:34 am

Most of the time if I choose a 'going in blind' hunt, it's an area I've cyber scouted the heck of and I'm ready to try and put a sit in the area. I ALWAYS choose afternoon hunts for this. If you truly are 'going in blind', I'd avoid going in before daylight. If you are hunting a full day and are going got hunt in the morning, might consider waiting until grey light to walk in. Nothing is easy in the dark, especially if you aren't sure where you're going.
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Re: best tips for going in blind

Unread postby G-Patt » Wed Jul 31, 2019 4:24 am

I think the best advice I heard was on a recent podcast (can't remember which one) where the guest speaker was a guy who hunted "blind" all of the time. He recommended that if you have only one day to throw at a "blind" hunt, you'd want to do some cyber-scouting to identify areas for a morning observational sit(s). These areas were mostly creek bottoms because you can sometimes see quite a way, or some high ground with a good view. He described a process to where he picked apart a certain "deery" area for a few morning observational sits and come up with an evening strategy to capitalize on what he learned that morning. This is not ground-breaking advice, but it seems like a better idea to what I was doing before which was identify a pinch or a funnel close to likely bedding and hope something comes my way. I mean, that worked too, but I'm going to give this method a shot this season.
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