Opening your mind....

[dan]

I see a lot of guys who just repeat what they read or hear... I always listen for good ideas or advice, but take it with a grain of salt till I see it with my own eyes... I think there is a lot of false info about deer out there that is regarded as fact...
Anywho, the point of this post is to get you thinking about some of the times people think hunting is bad... I don't believe there is such a thing as a bad day to hunt...
Some people say you should not even bother to hunt out if it hot out... Yet, I have done real well on hot days by hunting near water or in cool areas... Just had to change up the game plan.
Some say windy days suck, better to stay home... I have noticed that deer don't seem to move as much in heavy wind, but they still move. I target bedding areas that I normally could not get close enough to because of sound or movement... Leaves don't crunch in the rain, and you get a free hunt cause it washes your scent away...
The main point is that if you open your mind, there is a particular advantage to every day you face. To be the best you can be, you need to figure out what that advantage is...

[evangorp]

I have opened my mind when it comes to looking at prospective hunting ground. There are a lot of pieces I am looking at that 9 out of 10 hunters would look at me like I am nuts for even considering hunting the ground. The one thing I have overcome is the facts don't lie, if the sign is there, that means deer have to either be there or be close. By reading magazines and watching TV shows you get this false perception of what exactly you should be hunting and when. When in reality if all the ingredients exist, then any property regardless of size and cover has the potential to hold a mature buck. This has probably been the biggest eye opener to me over the past few months. Just because there are lots of trucks parked on the side of the road doesn't mean it is the place you should be hunting.

[magicman54494]

One man's disadvantage can be anothers advantage.
I was hunting northern Minn. on a day so windy that I was careful where I parked my truck because trees were blowing over. I took advantage by heading to the thickest stuff I could find and still hunted. I shot my buck at close range that day. The rest of the group I was with went on a nature hike in the boundry waters because it was too windy to stand hunt.

[Dewey]

I totally agree Dan. I am one of those guys that is out there hunting when others say it is not a good day due to weather conditions or other factors. I totally hate hunting pressure and do whatever it takes to avoid it and if this means hunting on bad weather days I am all over that.

I have had some of my most memorable hunts on days when others have been at home afraid of the weather. I don't look at it the way most do and actually think it is an advantage to hunt that way when hunting pressure is way down and a deer's senses are reduced.

I enjoy trying new things to be succesful and it keeps things interesting because you are always learning something. Nothing is worse than getting stuck in the same old rut and expecting different results. We need to keep our minds open.

Great topic.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[headgear]

Good stuff Dan.

Many have mentioned this one here before but the more I scout the more I find myself in areas with little to no trees to setup in. A lot of times I end up 5-6 feet off the ground or hunting from the ground to hunt the best areas I find, I might even try and stalk some beds this year, on a nice windy day of course.

[dan]

Good stuff Dan.

Many have mentioned this one here before but the more I scout the more I find myself in areas with little to no trees to setup in. A lot of times I end up 5-6 feet off the ground or hunting from the ground to hunt the best areas I find, I might even try and stalk some beds this year, on a nice windy day of course.

I have found that looking back, a lot of my big buck encounters are in spots where most guys wouldn't hunt...

[dirt nap giver]

Great topic! I have noticed that other hunters tend to talk smack when others are successful in killing mature bucks. I am to the point in my hunting career where I have nothing more to prove and i don't publicize the deer I shoot. The one thing every one of them seem to have in common is that they are "fair weather" hunters. They don't seem to understand the rut they are in and that they too could see greater success if they chose to open their mind rather than restricting it. As far as the hunting shows and magazines go, I may read an article or 2 a year, but a lot of it goes in one ear and out the other. I have even quit coming to this site because I have posted replies and some have chosen to say that I am full of #*^T, I have seen things with my own eyes, and that is my truth. After not logging in for almost a year, I have realized that this site still has some valuable insight, I just won't express all my perspectives, because others find it hard to swallow. What my eyes have seen, and the sign I see is what I CHOOSE to focus on. When it comes to what others say/publicize I may hear it from time to time, and yeah i may or may not listen to it, but i have a brain of my own and I am perfectly capable of using it. Rain, wind, heat, hunting pressure or anything else mother nature throws my way isn't going to stop me from hunting, i have enough to overcome with career and family duties, if I waited for the right weather to, I surely wouldn't kill what I kill.
If you wanna kill em, ya gotta live with em!

[whitetail007]

Good stuff Dan.

Many have mentioned this one here before but the more I scout the more I find myself in areas with little to no trees to setup in. A lot of times I end up 5-6 feet off the ground or hunting from the ground to hunt the best areas I find, I might even try and stalk some beds this year, on a nice windy day of course.

I have found that looking back, a lot of my big buck encounters are in spots where most guys wouldn't hunt...

great topic, this is the reason i went to hunting the ground alot, guys just wont hunt an area if there are no trees to hang a stand. they avoid these treeless areas like the plague and deer know it. the more pressure from tree hunters the better these areas get. and the best part is i know i have the spot all to myself. some of the weird things i have tried that worked people would laugh at, fake christmas tree as a blind, hunting in a 6' deep ditch shooting up at deer, laying on my back in a crp field cover with weeds and sitting up to shoot. you have to do whatever to get the job done sometimes.

[headgear]

I have found that looking back, a lot of my big buck encounters are in spots where most guys wouldn't hunt...

When looking at a new piece of land I basically ask myself where is a place no one would even attempt to hunt? I would say 75% of the time I find mature buck sign and beds in those areas.

[Southern Man]

The main point is that if you open your mind, there is a particular advantage to every day you face. To be the best you can be, you need to figure out what that advantage is...

I agree. There are advantages to all things. It may not be what I consider the "perfect day" but there are advantages none the less. That's a positive attitude.

[muddy]

Great topic! I have noticed that other hunters tend to talk smack when others are successful in killing mature bucks. I am to the point in my hunting career where I have nothing more to prove and i don't publicize the deer I shoot. The one thing every one of them seem to have in common is that they are "fair weather" hunters. They don't seem to understand the rut they are in and that they too could see greater success if they chose to open their mind rather than restricting it. As far as the hunting shows and magazines go, I may read an article or 2 a year, but a lot of it goes in one ear and out the other. I have even quit coming to this site because I have posted replies and some have chosen to say that I am full of #*^T, I have seen things with my own eyes, and that is my truth. After not logging in for almost a year, I have realized that this site still has some valuable insight, I just won't express all my perspectives, because others find it hard to swallow. What my eyes have seen, and the sign I see is what I CHOOSE to focus on. When it comes to what others say/publicize I may hear it from time to time, and yeah i may or may not listen to it, but i have a brain of my own and I am perfectly capable of using it. Rain, wind, heat, hunting pressure or anything else mother nature throws my way isn't going to stop me from hunting, i have enough to overcome with career and family duties, if I waited for the right weather to, I surely wouldn't kill what I kill.
If you wanna kill em, ya gotta live with em!

I'm interested in hearing you elaborate a bit

[ Post made via Android ]

[oneflag]

Great topic!
I realized as a young man I could not always fish and hunt on the so called best days. Sure some days your quarry is more active. Fact is fish and game are always out there somewhere. I ride dual sport motorcycles a lot. You can’t always ride on the best days. This is what I tell myself all the time; there is no such thing as bad weather-only inadequate clothing!

[PLB]

Great topic! I have noticed that other hunters tend to talk smack when others are successful in killing mature bucks. I am to the point in my hunting career where I have nothing more to prove and i don't publicize the deer I shoot. The one thing every one of them seem to have in common is that they are "fair weather" hunters. They don't seem to understand the rut they are in and that they too could see greater success if they chose to open their mind rather than restricting it. As far as the hunting shows and magazines go, I may read an article or 2 a year, but a lot of it goes in one ear and out the other. I have even quit coming to this site because I have posted replies and some have chosen to say that I am full of #*^T, I have seen things with my own eyes, and that is my truth. After not logging in for almost a year, I have realized that this site still has some valuable insight, I just won't express all my perspectives, because others find it hard to swallow. What my eyes have seen, and the sign I see is what I CHOOSE to focus on. When it comes to what others say/publicize I may hear it from time to time, and yeah i may or may not listen to it, but i have a brain of my own and I am perfectly capable of using it. Rain, wind, heat, hunting pressure or anything else mother nature throws my way isn't going to stop me from hunting, i have enough to overcome with career and family duties, if I waited for the right weather to, I surely wouldn't kill what I kill.
If you wanna kill em, ya gotta live with em!

I'm interested in hearing you elaborate a bit
Me too!! Time for another Beast profile thread I think!!
[ Post made via Android ]

[PLB]

It's funny but I find myself gravitating more towards those hard to reach spots with junk trees! I could never do that before with my climber. These are the areas where the SLOBS hang and spend the majority of their time. Hunting mobile has really opened my eyes to the big picture

[headgear]

I'm interested in hearing you elaborate a bit

Also interested dirt nap giver, this seems like the perfect thread to share what you know.