What part of the hunting process are you least confident in?

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Ridgerunner7
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What part of the hunting process are you least confident in?

Unread postby Ridgerunner7 » Fri Jul 27, 2018 1:34 am

What aspect of the hunting process do you feel least confident in?
1. Scouting: Finding areas that have potential.
2. Picking the right spot (best kill location)
3. The shot (archery)
4. Tracking


I know guys that get several chances at big bucks every year but almost never get the kill. Other guys hunt many many days through out the season but rarely get any mature buck encounters. Some shoot bucks but have a poor recovery rate (tracking skills). Some just seem lost when trying to scout and don't seem to have any confidence in finding the right area. What is your area you feel least confident in.

For me it's tracking a shot deer. I don't lose deer often but I'm not the best tracker. I'm getting better though. I'm red green color blind and have a difficult time spotting blood. I'm learning to find other clues/sign to help guide my way in between obvious blood sign.


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Tim H
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Re: What part of the hunting process are you least confident in?

Unread postby Tim H » Fri Jul 27, 2018 1:57 am

This is a really great topic to talk about and explore. Out of the 4 you mentioned I am least confident about picking the right spot or kill location. I have very little experience with mature bucks so this one is definitely lacking. With all that I've learned since joining the beast about thermals and using the wind, there are a lot of times I'm most likely setup wrong.

Last season I almost had a shot on a buck I would have been tickled pink to shoot. What happened is he came down behind me dogging a doe and fawn that didn't want anything to do with him. I snort wheezed him to get his attention. He snort wheezed back at me and started looking for the buck. When I got his attention he came around and ended up circling down wind of me. The wind wasn't steady but he was down wind. When he came down my trail I'm like this is it, he's gonna step in my lane. Well he was 20 yards and stopped behind a tree. He didn't spook or get nervous. He just stopped. Originally I had thought he stopped because he didn't see the buck he was looking for. Now I know that he winded me. He stopped behind the tree and caught my wind scent. He knew it wasn't right and eventually walked off.

A lot of the times in the bigwoods it's tough because you aren't 100% certain where a deer are going to bust out of. So understanding the wind has always been tricky for me. Probably a lot harder for me than it should be.
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Re: What part of the hunting process are you least confident in?

Unread postby tbunao » Fri Jul 27, 2018 2:07 am

Picking the right spot (kill location) with out a doubt for me.
I have seen at least 2 of my target bucks every season for the past 3 years. Sometimes the spots have me catching a glimpse and others it’s a matter of yards. Often I catch myself saying, “yup I knew I should of gone to that tree” and others I just chalk it up to deer just doing deer things.

With very limited time to hunt this upcoming season I am taking on the “either I kill him or I get busted” mentality. Hopefully that’s the aggressive move I need.
Last edited by tbunao on Fri Jul 27, 2018 2:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What part of the hunting process are you least confident in?

Unread postby Primetime41 » Fri Jul 27, 2018 2:13 am

A toss up between the shot and tracking for me, but I think those go hand-in-hand. Last season, for example, I released 5 arrows at mature bucks. Finally killed a 2 year old with arrow number 6. That buck only went about 40 yards, but blood was hard to come by and after spending several days tracking a buck a few days earlier, I got frustrated pretty quickly while tracking.

I'm decent at the archery range. But I only started hunting seriously 6 years ago, and I think I just lack the experience that comes with years of deer encounters. I'm just trying to stay positive about it and continually improve.
Last edited by Primetime41 on Fri Jul 27, 2018 2:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What part of the hunting process are you least confident in?

Unread postby Hawthorne » Fri Jul 27, 2018 2:16 am

2 for me.. I have no problems locating them, how I go about hunting him has me brainstorming. I only have to be right on that once or twice a year tho.I shoot all year so I’m pretty confident in the that. I have tracked deer with family and friends and they’re not good at it. I’m usually the one finding the blood then going to the animal
Last edited by Hawthorne on Fri Jul 27, 2018 2:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What part of the hunting process are you least confident in?

Unread postby Primetime41 » Fri Jul 27, 2018 2:18 am

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Re: What part of the hunting process are you least confident in?

Unread postby RidgeGhost » Fri Jul 27, 2018 2:21 am

I'd say picking the kill location for me. And I think that boils down to having the confidence to know you are picking the right tree. Of course, you almost HAVE to know where the bed is to be super confident in your kill tree if you're bed hunting, so maybe a blend of 1 and 2. Cant emphasize the importance of quality scouting enough. I anticipate that I will become more confident in time.
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Re: What part of the hunting process are you least confident in?

Unread postby mheichelbech » Fri Jul 27, 2018 2:43 am

Mine is not on here....finding a mature buck or bucks.

After that would be picking the spot or tree to post in.
"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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Re: What part of the hunting process are you least confident in?

Unread postby ScottSpitzley » Fri Jul 27, 2018 2:45 am

Picking the correct kill spot for sure.

Finding the correct tree is probably the most difficult step once joining the beast and hunting "beast style". Everyone is able to find the beds for the most part, but finding the best time and location to "hunt" them, in my opinion, is key. It's going to take a lot of trial and error and as confident as I want to be with it, I know it will take time to master.

If anyone has an issue with Step 1, Step 2 will also be an issue being that you need to know the area to be able to pick the right spot. That's if we are talking mature bucks that is.
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Re: What part of the hunting process are you least confident in?

Unread postby oldrank » Fri Jul 27, 2018 3:18 am

If I had to pick from the 4, I would say picking the best kill location. I feel I am improving.

My biggest personal struggle is the inner battle of navigating new areas. I will scout something that looks great but if I have to do creative navigation to get to it I convince myself not to hunt it. I really have to battle my inner self to overcome this. The last few years I have been better. I still need to improve.
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Re: What part of the hunting process are you least confident in?

Unread postby Ridgerunner7 » Fri Jul 27, 2018 3:30 am

tbunao wrote:Picking the right spot (kill location) with out a doubt for me.
I have seen at least 2 of my target bucks every season for the past 3 years. Sometimes the spots have me catching a glimpse and others it’s a matter of yards. Often I catch myself saying, “yup I knew I should of gone to that tree” and others I just chalk it up to deer just doing deer things.

With very limited time to hunt this upcoming season I am taking on the “either I kill him or I get busted” mentality. Hopefully that’s the aggressive move I need.

Often I catch myself saying, “yup I knew I should of gone to that tree” --tbunao

It sounds like you're developing your instinct. You had a thought that the "other" tree was better. Those close calls teach us the fine little details, the small things that end up factoring in success vs failure. It's hard to trust that gut instinct sometimes. I don't even question it anymore. When I get those feelings I go for it and don't over analyze. Sometimes I'm right and sometimes I'm wrong but It feels like my judgement is always improving.
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Re: What part of the hunting process are you least confident in?

Unread postby Kraftd » Fri Jul 27, 2018 3:36 am

For me scouting without a doubt. On properties I know well from years of hunting, I have had no issues with 2-4, but getting to know new, primarily pressured public, properties that well has been an uphill battle. Late winter and spring have been very busy work periods for me, so I always feel behind the scouting 8 ball. My success on pieces I know does make me feel confident I can/will/could figure it out with the proper amount of time, but having trouble getting all the way there. Very low mature buck numbers n he public I hunt dosn't help, but that's an excuse I try not to give myself.

My plan this year is to focus on only two properties and make all of my public hunts there instead of branching out, and in-season scout unless I am on bona-fide big buck sign. Too often in the past I've thrown educated sits at spots that just look right or that had sign the year before and I have not confirmed currently have sign. The water levels in the marshes I hunt have been like a yo-yo the last few falls, so spots that had great sign he previous year that may have been very wet, are now high and dry, super accessible, and full of people sign. At the moment it's shaping up to be dry early fall around here, so will try to react better to that.
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Re: What part of the hunting process are you least confident in?

Unread postby PAbowhunter » Fri Jul 27, 2018 3:39 am

:?: I would say for me 1 and 2, and they work together imo. The hardest part is picking the correct tree. I always second guess myself. But if you are set up wrong you may have messed your chances before they got going and ever got a look. There fore never knowing if you were in the right spot to begin with.(#1) I find the beds, sign, hunt them with right conditions but sometimes I just never know.
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Re: What part of the hunting process are you least confident in?

Unread postby <DK> » Fri Jul 27, 2018 3:42 am

Primetime41 wrote:A toss up between the shot and tracking for me, but I think those go hand-in-hand. Last season, for example, I released 5 arrows at mature bucks. Finally killed a 2 year old with arrow number 6. That buck only went about 40 yards, but blood was hard to come by and after spending several days tracking a buck a few days earlier, I got frustrated pretty quickly while tracking.

I'm decent at the archery range. But I only started hunting seriously 6 years ago, and I think I just lack the experience that comes with years of deer encounters. I'm just trying to stay positive about it and continually improve.


Been there... Your are getting great chances tho PT so keep doing what youre doing! I try to be sure have confidence in my equipment, practice drawing in the stand when I get set and draw on random animals I dont plan to shoot. Helped me a bit, still working things out. Tracking has been a tough road but helping track other peoples deer has helped me. One thing that helped me was sitting down and taking a break when things arent going well. Gotta have a good mindset! Too many times I and others get frustrated and give up. It gets frustrating searching the ground and a guy starts second guessing things. While I take a break Ill pull out the map and start looking for all the possible beds, transition lines, crossing points and possible water sources the deer could go by. If the trail goes cold then Ill start checking those. Many times iv replayed trails at night looking at a map only to find spots I should have checked. Also research trailing and listening to some podcasts about it helped me. Your exp w lost deer will help you in the future and dont forget how tough of an animal they are.
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Re: What part of the hunting process are you least confident in?

Unread postby headgear » Fri Jul 27, 2018 3:44 am

Tracking for me, have some mild color blindness and reds/browns blend in together. I actually do better at night because the light shining off the blood gives a little glare so that is a small positive. Was tracking a buck with the kid the last couple years and he is ten years old and miles better than me at tracking already. :lol:

Another positive to this is I haven't lost a deer in ten+ years because I make extra sure I make a quality shot.

I guess another weekness is I am very good at everything else but maybe not elite at any of it but working to up my game every year. 8-)


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