How well are you able to shoot (how open is it) from your sets?

[Edcyclopedia]

I'm with Dewey.

Ahhh - OK for you guys I guess
Note to self, get bodyguard when traveling to Dewey land or tgreeno pastures...

[raisins]

Anytime I hunt I’m very limited with shots. That’s just the way it is and you have to deal with it by choosing trees that give you at least one good shooting lane where you expect the deer to come from.

X2

Especially when going in blind and even more so going in blind before sunrise. I have done my fair share of sweating and swearing my way up a tree in early season only to find out that I have one window to shoot out of I have to crouch down to even get a shot off.

As with everything else, you get better at selecting trees with experience and time but your best bet would be to scout for good trees to set up in well before the season begins.

This is something I always wondered too. I can’t imagine picking a tree in the pitch black and sitting up there not knowing what it will look like when the sun comes up.

It seems like a lot of guys hunt mostly evening sits, but if going in for a morning sit do you guys ever just wait until you have some daylight to pick a tree. I think this seems like a definite option too.

If prescouting trees for morning sits ahead of time, what tricks are you using to make sure no one else spots your human sign? I dont want to leave reflective tacks and I don’t really want to trust that my phone GPS will get me right back to the same tree. With as many trees as I will likely have picked out there is no way i will remember what they all look like in the dark unfortunately.

One thing that works to pick a tree and height in the dark is to go stand where you hope the deer to be and then shine up at trees with a flashlight looking for obstructing limbs, etc. and then pick the best setup. This however puts your ground scent where you hope to shoot the deer. So, that technique is a bit of catch-22. You can simulate this somewhat by walking a bit around the possible setup trees without walking directly where the deer will be, but this is not as good from the perspective of solely optimizing your stand set up. I like a powerful handheld flashlight to do this (something strong enough to run a battery down in an hour on high setting) because the smaller branches pop out more.

I find going in blind in the dark morning to be somewhat stressful and the key for me is to manage that stress.

I'm not one to wait until gray light and get setup because I always see deer at that first light.

Lastly, whether in the morning or afternoon, I've screwed up a few times trying to find the "perfect" tree as far as open shooting lanes and being able to shoot from multiple angles. I'm trying to go more for "this is the most likely shot and this is the best tree to do that shot and not get busted" and then get up the thing....instead of standing there like I'm at the produce aisle trying to find the best watermelon in a huge container of them (overthinking it and really neglecting my natural instincts). Doing this will hopefully keep me from backtracking over my ground scent because you pick the first good tree and don't try to choose only to realize you screwed up and went in too deep.

[austin1990]

I took this pic back in October in a spot I scouted my way in to hunt. I hunt this type of places a good bit, just a few holes to shoot through. I like these thicker bedding areas, especially if they have acorns falling like this one did. I was approximately 16 ft up a sweet gum tree in this pic.

Screenshot_20200106-201423_Gallery.jpg

[Tsom]

If I don't know an area too well but have a tree picked for a morning sit I'll have it marked on onx with a couple notes about the tree. And more recently they added a picture option for your waypoints so I have started taking pictures of them. At least I have an idea of what I'm looking for then instead of just bumbling around in the dark.

I just started taking pictures with mine. Hopefully that works better. If nothing else it helps me remember what that waypoint is. I am bad about marking something and then 2 months later I am trying to remember why I marked it. LOL. Especially bad during hunting season like the recent gun seasons as I will make drop waypoints sometimes where my son is sitting or where I left my sweatshirt to get it on the wayback. This results in alot of waypoints that need cleared off.

To the original topic. I actually don't like if I am wide open to shoot. IF I am then this usually means that the only tree available has little to no cover, so I have to worry about getting busted. My ideal setup is to have alot of cover to my backside and that I have at least 2 openings to my front side or strong side to shoot. Some places you only will have one though.

Haha same here with the extra waypoints! I was just deleting some yesterday to clean things up a bit. It also helps me to mark different types of waypoints with the other icons than just the x and change the color. Makes it easier to snap a screenshot for my wife and tell her I'm parked at purple and I'm at the blue dot in case of emergency.

[cspot]

If I don't know an area too well but have a tree picked for a morning sit I'll have it marked on onx with a couple notes about the tree. And more recently they added a picture option for your waypoints so I have started taking pictures of them. At least I have an idea of what I'm looking for then instead of just bumbling around in the dark.

I just started taking pictures with mine. Hopefully that works better. If nothing else it helps me remember what that waypoint is. I am bad about marking something and then 2 months later I am trying to remember why I marked it. LOL. Especially bad during hunting season like the recent gun seasons as I will make drop waypoints sometimes where my son is sitting or where I left my sweatshirt to get it on the wayback. This results in alot of waypoints that need cleared off.

To the original topic. I actually don't like if I am wide open to shoot. IF I am then this usually means that the only tree available has little to no cover, so I have to worry about getting busted. My ideal setup is to have alot of cover to my backside and that I have at least 2 openings to my front side or strong side to shoot. Some places you only will have one though.

Haha same here with the extra waypoints! I was just deleting some yesterday to clean things up a bit. It also helps me to mark different types of waypoints with the other icons than just the x and change the color. Makes it easier to snap a screenshot for my wife and tell her I'm parked at purple and I'm at the blue dot in case of emergency.

Yes I have been doing that. I also started naming them like early season stand, rut stand, late season stand or a combination. Hoping that helps me keep them straight as well.

[Twenty Up]

My most productive kill holes I can’t see further than 50-60 yards after leaf drop. I’ll hunt 1-2 Sticks high so I’m able to shoot out to 15-20 yards..

Make sure you’ve got a heavy arrow and pray you don’t clip any twigs. Heart breaks happen often in the thickets.

[crankn101]

90% of mine are WIDE open and it tends to get real tense as deer are approaching.

[Lockdown]

I’ve thrown my two cents in on this subject quite often...

Dewey, to me the pics you posted don’t look all that bad. Thick, yes fairly, but not horrible. It looks to me like you have adequate lanes to shoot and can pick spots here and there.

The first thing I noticed when I hunted WI last fall was every time I hung a set I had adequate shooting. It felt weird to be able to cover everything without trimming. I think I trimmed 2 branches in the 3 sets I hunted and one was just so I could stand on my platform without it being in the way.

This is my opinion, but in your situation Dewey (don’t take this as me singling you out... it goes for everyone) there seems to be MUCH to gain with a nipped limb here and there. It’s not only about a higher chance for success, it’s about having a clean ethical shot to start with. We can all agree we owe that to the deer. I don’t understand why anyone would want to thread the needle when trimming one finger sized limb would open things up nicely. For me the positives of discreetly trimming a couple branches far outweigh the negatives.

Here’s what I get to deal with often enough.

A 30 yard shot with a gun would be very questionable, maybe impossible. Forget about shooting a bow at pretty much any distance. There are spots on the property where you could hang a stand and have SOME shooting. But those aren’t the spots where I need to be. So thick you have to crawl at times, or put your arms over your head/face and push through. That’s what I’m used to.

[Dewey]

I’ve thrown my two cents in on this subject quite often...

Dewey, to me the pics you posted don’t look all that bad. Thick, yes fairly, but not horrible. It looks to me like you have adequate lanes to shoot and can pick spots here and there.

The first thing I noticed when I hunted WI last fall was every time I hung a set I had adequate shooting. It felt weird to be able to cover everything without trimming. I think I trimmed 2 branches in the 3 sets I hunted and one was just so I could stand on my platform without it being in the way.

This is my opinion, but in your situation Dewey (don’t take this as me singling you out... it goes for everyone) there seems to be MUCH to gain with a nipped limb here and there. It’s not only about a higher chance for success, it’s about having a clean ethical shot to start with. We can all agree we owe that to the deer. I don’t understand why anyone would want to thread the needle when trimming one finger sized limb would open things up nicely. For me the positives of discreetly trimming a couple branches far outweigh the negatives.

Here’s what I get to deal with often enough.

A 30 yard shot with a gun would be very questionable, maybe impossible. Forget about shooting a bow at pretty much any distance. There are spots on the property where you could hang a stand and have SOME shooting. But those aren’t the spots where I need to be. So thick you have to crawl at times, or put your arms over your head/face and push through. That’s what I’m used to.

Those pics I posted are far from the worst I deal with. Just recent examples to give an idea of how I pic a spot and make use of what's available. I have been there where I set up in the dark and had zero shot options. In that case your better off just moving instead of wasting a hunt. Often times a tree sometimes only 10 yards away will open up more shot opportunities. One thing I will not do is try to squeeze a shot into thick cover. That's just asking for trouble. If a branch is in the way I will not shoot. Simple as that. Most times that is fixable just by adjusting your stand up or down a few feet to clear the obstacle. It's all about knowing where the deer are coming from and planning ahead of time which shooting lane to use. It doesn't always work out as planned but helps a lot to visualize everything ahead of time so your ready when it happens. Problem is when guys have no idea where the deer are coming from so they trim everything wide open. Last thing you want to do is open it up so much that you expose yourself. I like have plenty of cover to hide me in the tree.

Some of the best cover I have had was when bear hunting with Mike Foss. These tunnels were incredible and could get away with so much in the tree because I was hidden so well. Obviously hunting over a single bait makes this so much easier but still real cool set ups.

[Pfunk]

I’ve thrown my two cents in on this subject quite often...

Dewey, to me the pics you posted don’t look all that bad. Thick, yes fairly, but not horrible. It looks to me like you have adequate lanes to shoot and can pick spots here and there.

The first thing I noticed when I hunted WI last fall was every time I hung a set I had adequate shooting. It felt weird to be able to cover everything without trimming. I think I trimmed 2 branches in the 3 sets I hunted and one was just so I could stand on my platform without it being in the way.

This is my opinion, but in your situation Dewey (don’t take this as me singling you out... it goes for everyone) there seems to be MUCH to gain with a nipped limb here and there. It’s not only about a higher chance for success, it’s about having a clean ethical shot to start with. We can all agree we owe that to the deer. I don’t understand why anyone would want to thread the needle when trimming one finger sized limb would open things up nicely. For me the positives of discreetly trimming a couple branches far outweigh the negatives.

Here’s what I get to deal with often enough.

A 30 yard shot with a gun would be very questionable, maybe impossible. Forget about shooting a bow at pretty much any distance. There are spots on the property where you could hang a stand and have SOME shooting. But those aren’t the spots where I need to be. So thick you have to crawl at times, or put your arms over your head/face and push through. That’s what I’m used to.

I honestly dont even know how you bow hunt that. That is crazy thick. I’d be searching for a trail coming in or out of that tangle so it’s definitely helpful to know guys are finding ways to make that stuff work.

I’m used to hunting a lot with my dad and one guy will be in the stand and another guy helping trim for him.

When i start doing more of these solo hang and hunt trips I can see I am just going to have to be more comfortable with less options. I did a hang and hunt last year like I had mentioned and shot a buck the first day exactly where I anticipated one coming... so I SHOULD see how it can work and be comfortable with it... it’s just gonna take some getting used to.

I’ve never missed or wounded a deer yet and i just really dont want a hard to see twig causing that. As i read and watch on the Beast, it seems a lot of opportunities arise in fading light when hunting pressured bucks in their bedding areas... which is exactly when those twigs can be problematic.

On top of that, if a guy is trying to target a whopper of a buck and it is real thick and you have one shooting lane it gets hard to gauge that bucks size before he gets in that window and you could miss your opportunity if you are trying to confirm its a shooter as it walks through a single opening.

I think this summer i will practice from an elevated shooting position in those funky body positions you might have to get into to find a sight window through smaller gaps (crouching, crouching and leaning left/right, stretched up high almost on tip toes) just to gain confidence on those shots.

[DaveT1963]

I am restricted by my gear choices to 25 and under. but truthfully, each set up is different. there are some where I could shoot 100 yards and others where a 0-10 yard shot is all I have.

[Grizzlyadam]

Sometimes I get all set up and tell myself I hope nothing comes by that I want to shoot because I have almost no shots. I am often times surprised at how opportunity presents itself though. I usually just try to position myself best I can and wait to see what happens then figure out how to make it work.

[crankn101]

The tree I killed from in 2014.

[crankn101]

I lied in the post above,, this is the view from the 2014 killing tree. About 100 yards from the tree in the pic above.

[crankn101]

IMG_3527.JPG

My killing tree from 2015. This is a pic from where the deer was walking when I shot him.