How do you make judgements on deer movement?

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mheichelbech
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How do you make judgements on deer movement?

Unread postby mheichelbech » Thu Nov 16, 2017 2:54 am

I think one of the hardest things for newer hunters to do is make judgements or identify what deer are doing or how they are moving based on sign and what they observe.

For the experienced guys here, how do you do that? Is every buck movement done with a purpose that is something a hunter can figure out and set up on?

Does one observation tell you much or does it take multiple observations? This can be next to impossible for some as they simply aren’t able to observe a buck (if at all) enough to figure anything out. Many times there isn’t even enough observable buck sign to make any determination...especially if it has been dry out.

What about does? I know a lot more about what they do because I see them a lot more and can line up what they do with what I’ve read here or other places but still often have trouble discerning why they are doing what they are doing.

It seems to me this is the biggest obstacle to hunter success and maybe it simply is not something everyone can do?? After all, not everyone was able to put together the different things I️t too to discover electricity!


"One of the chief attractions of the life of the wilderness is its rugged and stalwart democracy; there every man stands for what he actually is and can show himself to be." — Theodore Roosevelt, 1893
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oldrank
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Re: How do you make judgements on deer movement?

Unread postby oldrank » Thu Nov 16, 2017 1:08 pm

For me I have a good knowledge base built because of the numerous years I have hunted the same area.

I know all of the main deer travel routes. The woods is basically broke up like roads. There are a couple main highway deer trails n alot of side road deer trails. This was one of the first things I learned years ago.

When I joined The Beast I started breaking down bedding. Within a couple years I had scouted just about every bedding area in the public land area.

Then I began putting 2 and 2 together. All the rub lines I was finding years ago starting making sense. Scrape lines the same. They all point you to the bucks bedding. So with years of knowledge of rub lines n scrape lines I started figuring out bucks travel routes.

Everywhere a buck goes he leaves sign. It isn't always rubs n scrapes but tracks also. So that is what I look for. I link it to what should be happening at that time of the year.

I feel that bucks run mini patterns. These patterns might be 3 days to a week and that's it. Early on is food based. It may be acorns it may be clover, beans ect ect. They will be hot for a short period of time. A oak tree is only gonna drop for a bit and then all the woodland creatures will gobble them up. Find the next hot oak. What I look for is the closest, safest route out of bedding to food.

Mini pattern 2 is prerut. Bucks are really gonna start leaving sign. This is when I focus on looking for rubs n scrapes n tracks close to bedding. I am still lining these to bedding and hunting transition lines on bedding areas.

When rut hits I move off of bedding a little. I know bucks are cruising or running does. I then focus on all the scrapes big time to show me his rut circuit. I know this time has come when I start seeing scrapes everywhere. Once I see them running certain routes. I know the trail systems well enough to jump on a spot where I can intersect 4 or 5 trails. It's then only a matter of time till a buck comes through.

If I have sign of big track, or a visual of a big buck or a big rub I'm hunting it. I get better every year at it. I dig n dig through info on here and am always waiting for a tip or clue that pertains to my area. I am very far from being on the level of alot of guys on here. I do however hunt some very pressured public land. I'm always fine tuning my system.
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Boogieman1
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Re: How do you make judgements on deer movement?

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Thu Nov 16, 2017 1:59 pm

I think what I really struggled with when I started out was I didn't see anything at all. It's hard to learn if u r not seeing squat in my opinion. I reached a lot of the right places for a lot of the wrong reasons further setting me back. What I primarily do now is through trial and error have found the best spot for a specific area. Each stand has a specific time when it has the best odds. Sure some stands have a chance to provide a shot all year, but I bet my best pair of cold weather boots it has a small window when it really is poppin, I try to time that with my first time sit. Then I'm always observant if I see a mature buck do something once he's got my wheels turning, he does the same thing twice its a habit and the following year I'm gonna be there for the first time he does it.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
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Re: How do you make judgements on deer movement?

Unread postby oldrank » Thu Nov 16, 2017 2:14 pm

Boogieman1 wrote:Each stand has a specific time when it has the best odds.



Exactly. That was what I was trying to say. You may only have that buck using that area for a very small window. It's better to not hunt it and wait for the perfect time. That data is only gathered by observation. If a buck has a favorite oak tree right off a bedding point n you see him there but don't kill him. You better bet that oak tree is getting my attention. It might not produce next year and that buck may be dead but the next time it produces I am hunting it during that same time slot I seen the buck yrs ago. If I see rubs n buck sign n tracks in the general area, odds are I will see that buck on my first sit.
mheichelbech
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Re: How do you make judgements on deer movement?

Unread postby mheichelbech » Thu Nov 16, 2017 10:29 pm

All great points! In my experience, I️ think you guys keyed in something which is:

1). Observation is key and

2). Oftentimes that observation ends up being best suited for used the following season. Most successful hunters i read about keep logs and follow them closely for next season.

Doesn’t mean the intel can’t be put to good use this season but if your not successful, it definitely helps for next season.
"One of the chief attractions of the life of the wilderness is its rugged and stalwart democracy; there every man stands for what he actually is and can show himself to be." — Theodore Roosevelt, 1893


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