When going in an area you’ve never hunted...
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When going in an area you’ve never hunted...
I have a question for those of you that have gone in to hang a stand and hunt in an area you’ve never been. When looking for a stand site do you ever back track down the trail you came in on to hunt a spot that you have already passed through and left scent on? Or do you go out and get to a certain point, hang your stand and leave anything beyond it untouched?
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Re: When going in an area you’ve never hunted...
The second one, generally speaking you can't backtrack.
And watch the videos in the thread The Public Land Challenge if you want to see it in action. Those videos are priceless.
And watch the videos in the thread The Public Land Challenge if you want to see it in action. Those videos are priceless.
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Re: When going in an area you’ve never hunted...
When I've found myself in a situation where I want to set up but need to backtrack a few yards to get the tree I want to be in for cover, distance to a trail or whatever, I make sure I can shoot to where I walked so if a deer comes in an smells my ground scent I have a shot opportunity.
It takes practice to know when to set up or when to keep going. I'm still practicing.
It takes practice to know when to set up or when to keep going. I'm still practicing.
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Re: When going in an area you’ve never hunted...
Definitely don't backtrack if at all possible. And if you have to backtrack a small bit out of necessity, make sure you can shoot before they hit your trail.
If you aren't green and growing, you are ripe and rotting
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Re: When going in an area you’ve never hunted...
There are some great posts discussing scouting your way in to a spot you’ve identified on a map. If you run into good sign, forget the original plan and get in a tree. Agree with the others in backtracking. Avoid it at all costs.
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Re: When going in an area you’ve never hunted...
You can’t backtrack it can be frustrating if you go past where you should have set up.
I know I do this often and go 20-60 yards to far and jump the buck or sign ends. I learn from it and correct myself on my next hunt in that area.
I know I do this often and go 20-60 yards to far and jump the buck or sign ends. I learn from it and correct myself on my next hunt in that area.
Never give up Freedom for imagined safety.
- headgear
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Re: When going in an area you’ve never hunted...
Nelson87 wrote:When I've found myself in a situation where I want to set up but need to backtrack a few yards to get the tree I want to be in for cover, distance to a trail or whatever, I make sure I can shoot to where I walked so if a deer comes in an smells my ground scent I have a shot opportunity.
It takes practice to know when to set up or when to keep going. I'm still practicing.
Yep just a tiny bit of backtracking and I make sure I can shoot to where I was standing. If you want to loop back to a spot you walked by then do it but make sure to push in a little ways past your scent trail.
- DaveT1963
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Re: When going in an area you’ve never hunted...
Since I tend to focus on the edge - once I retrace my steps and go back to a better looking area, I then try to determine which way the deer would be bedding from and move in that direction. In other words I would try to set up as he approach the hot sign. But in reality, if I stumble across good sign scouting, I usually set up. If I passed over an area, it usually is not worth going back to -I keep moving forward until I find FRESH sign - then hunt there.
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Re: When going in an area you’ve never hunted...
headgear wrote:Nelson87 wrote:When I've found myself in a situation where I want to set up but need to backtrack a few yards to get the tree I want to be in for cover, distance to a trail or whatever, I make sure I can shoot to where I walked so if a deer comes in an smells my ground scent I have a shot opportunity.
It takes practice to know when to set up or when to keep going. I'm still practicing.
Yep just a tiny bit of backtracking and I make sure I can shoot to where I was standing. If you want to loop back to a spot you walked by then do it but make sure to push in a little ways past your scent trail.
I can think of 3 deer that paused to smell my ground scent offering a perfect shot opportunity. 1 of them would have been my best bow buck. I can still see him- nice heavy dark racked southern MO public land 8 pointer with split brows. Beautiful buck. He hit my ground scent and stopped at 12 yards to look around for several minutes before turning and easing away. He never noticed me hanging off the side of the tree. I was standing on my climbing stick and my bow was on the ground.
- ghoasthunter
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Re: When going in an area you’ve never hunted...
i make sure i can shot too where i back track. but i really try too stay off the trail if i can and observe it i even use my binoculars a lot for better inspection. if im hunting near standing water i walk in the water quietly. i will also walk down logs that deer might walk around sometimes. main reason i do this is sometimes you need too let other deer get past you. if a deer you dont want too shoot hits your scent trail or gets down wind and alerts the buck it could hang him up or change his whole plan for the day. ive lost chances at bucks over the years like this more than i like too admit. this is very critical for morning sits. if i cant get in clean too a spot i will pass it. i rather follow a big bucks tracks too a bedding early then hop off too side and glass his tracks. plus if that buck is bedding along that trail hes watching his back track and you. buy staying off too the side you could catch him before its too late. i pick my tree from a distance than slip my way in glassing every step looking for a piece of a deer in likely bedding nooks. when i setup for afternoon bed hunting im essentially tracking, reading sign, still hunting, glassing, checking wind, and making a death creep. i have killed a good handful of deer before i even pick a tree doing this and saved alot of potentially blown hunts. my glass is my number one tool and with the quality and prices available today there is no reason not too have a pair of binos. i dont have a big wallet and have no problem with a good pair of 8x vortex binos for deer hunting. i think they ran me around 138 bucks with free shipping from midway usa. i use those things from ten yards looking at a foot print out over 400 yards. how many times have you jumped a deer at forty yards had you been using glass you might have spotted that deer at 50 yards and been able to work a shot into the mix with a little wait game or final stalk on you belly.
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