Darn beasts

[dan]

The woods by my house is getting pounded by double the amount of guys as last year. Parking lots are full, and a lot of out of state plates... Earlier this season I ran into a guy in a parking lot who told me he heard this is one of the main properties Dan Infalt hunts, and asked if I ever heard of him... I said the name sounds familiar.... Once the hunting public got on board and started really taking off, and especially with the public land challenge, public land hunting and going after the deer rather than tricking or luring them to you, really started taking off. It does make things harder, guys are hunting spots I never saw hunters before, but its all for the better in the long run, and makes our hunts more of a challenge. Its not about competing against others, its about our own personal battle with the whitetail.

Afew days ago I had a giant target buck in range and dead if I wanted him... And I did. but part of me says, then what? What do I do for the rest of the fall? It ain't about killing, its about the journey.

[Southern Man]

The woods by my house is getting pounded by double the amount of guys as last year. Parking lots are full, and a lot of out of state plates... Earlier this season I ran into a guy in a parking lot who told me he heard this is one of the main properties Dan Infalt hunts, and asked if I ever heard of him... I said the name sounds familiar....

I think I have heard of him too

We're not seeing hunters in the spots we have found but I do have a lot of people mentioning your name LOL I always tell them, Yea I've heard of him. If they're sincere about what they're doing I tell them a as much as I can about your hunting style.

[Mgaspari]

Most of them will be right back in their old habits shortly, some years my deep spots get hit and then nothing for a few years. I would actually be ok with more people hunting super deep so I can set up by the road, I am not getting any younger.

[RiverBottoms]

I think someone mentioned this in another thread not too long ago, but wait until some of the new public land hunters knock one down way out in the bush. I helped a buddy drag out a nice 3.5 /4.5 on a city hunt last Friday and it wasn't even a long drag, but it took 3 guys........

[brkissl82]

Most of them will be right back in their old habits shortly, some years my deep spots get hit and then nothing for a few years. I would actually be ok with more people hunting super deep so I can set up by the road, I am not getting any younger.

I've heard others say this as well but with every person that stops hunting this way 3 or 4 more start. It's a vicious cycle lol

[greenhorndave]

I ran into someone that I met for the first time who used the term "overlooked spots." That's a phrase used here and by THP more than anything, so they were probably someone clued into this style.

I like seeing the commitment and drive of others in the field. Makes the game more challenging because the prototypical stuff gets hit earlier and more often. I wish it was less challenging in some ways, but it's adapt or don't eat.

[stash59]

One option is to go hunt places whitetails aren't as popular. Like out west. Take hunting trips or better yet. Just move!!!

[MrT]

This is another reason why it's so important to scout.

This past weekend my dad and I were about to go in and rifle hunt an island in a swamp by the road. As we were putting on our hip boots, 2 dudes in a truck pulled up. Asked us if we were hunting in there and said they had ladder stands in there. Basically in a round about way ended up telling us they were going to hunt in there whether we went in or not, boogering up the whole island. It wasn't big enough for more than 2 people.

I ended up telling them to have it, thinking it was already boogered up with them hanging their ladder stands in there, and we bounced over to another spot I had scouted that had no recent human traffic and had fresh buck sign. Saw some deer, but no bucks.

Either way, despite those other hunters being complete turds, I was able to immediately throw an audible and bounce onto another spot. At least got to see some deer.

[Crazinamatese]

Public hill country I been hunting for nearly ten years was getting tons of pressure this last weekend. Usually there is a few others that hunted it during bow season. Found a ladder stand and a doe decoy, and an area raked out for a blind within a hundred yards from each other in a ravine. Two different hunters. I said screw it and went to the nasty public swamp and not a soul was seen all weekend in there and I seen a ton of deer. Im guessing thats what it takes to get away from the crowds. Dan and other well known beasts were right. A little bit of water will deter the average hunters. Thats where beast mode should kick in.

[stash59]

I'm betting, at least here in WI and other Great Lakes/Midwest states. The cooler weather also has something to do with the added pressure. Last few seasons, the rut has been warm. I think alot of hunters stayed home these years just cause it's tougher hunting a warm rut!!!

[Twenty Up]

Ain’t no hunters out there. Just a bunch of dudes in camo.

Hunting for them selfies

[Dewey]

I'm betting, at least here in WI and other Great Lakes/Midwest states. The cooler weather also has something to do with the added pressure. Last few seasons, the rut has been warm. I think alot of hunters stayed home these years just cause it's tougher hunting a warm rut!!!

Shockingly the cold weather has had the opposite effect around me. Since the colder weather along with snow set in last week hunting pressure has dropped drastically from the week before. I haven’t been hunting early mornings and gotten out pretty early in the evening after ground hunts so I have been able to monitor the pressure some. It’s been basically nonexistent which is very surprising for peak rut. Colder weather on the way and I expect I will be all alone the rest of this week. That’s fine by me.

[greenhorndave]

I'm betting, at least here in WI and other Great Lakes/Midwest states. The cooler weather also has something to do with the added pressure. Last few seasons, the rut has been warm. I think alot of hunters stayed home these years just cause it's tougher hunting a warm rut!!!

Shockingly the cold weather has had the opposite effect around me. Since the colder weather along with snow set in last week hunting pressure has dropped drastically from the week before. I haven’t been hunting early mornings and gotten out pretty early in the evening after ground hunts so I have been able to monitor the pressure some. It’s been basically nonexistent which is very surprising for peak rut. Colder weather on the way and I expect I will be all alone the rest of this week. That’s fine by me.

Weird. The day after the snow (Thursday?) was the busiest that parking lot had been all year and another spot had a lot of activity too by the sign put down when I went there on Friday. The cold and snow definitely brought more out in my areas.

[Boogieman1]

I haven't noticed really any increase in my public areas. I have heard state wide there's a lot more guys pounding public. Believe most of them look for areas with high volume deer populations. Lucky for me I'm in one of lowest in the state. Seems most don't have the stomach for going days on end without seeing squat. Heck, don't know if I would either if I hadn't grown up with it.

Typically i only see other cars on the weekends except a few die hard locals. The majority of these hunters I believe just like to get dressed up and say they went hunting. I don't know what tactic u would call it but they just walk the main trail loop at a pretty good pace then call it a day. Think if u can consistently kill deer that way with a bow an arrow you are a bad mamma Jamma!

[brancher147]

They must all be going to the Midwest. I haven’t seen a hunter all season-even small game.