Hey guys, I need some advice from you experienced hunters. Ill list out what hunting equipment and experience I have in short and then my question.
Ive hunted 3 years now. First year I killed one 6 point on private from condo. 2nd year tried recurve on public, relized my inexperience (got discouraged). Last year I hunted public and killed 6 deer, one huge sow and a black coyote. (followed Warren Womacks formula).
I've Never killed a mature buck
I was a scout in the Army, but have never had a mentor or anyone train me to hunt. I have no friends who hunt public.
I have a Lone Wolf Assault with sticks, excalibur crossbow(Legal during bow season), Tikka .308 super lite (Hornady ELDX).
I have been watching Dan's and others videos for a while, trying to absorb it all.
I have scouted public and have several large bedding areas figured out and trees on caltopo marked to hunt ( public pressure in these areas are heavy within the first 1/2 mile). Boat access to some areas alieviates pressure and I go deeper than most and hunt in the rain alot.
I recently changed employers. I am a field engineer for a general contractor in south carolina. I work 6 days a week typically, 60hrs. I have 2 weeks vacation and I will use it all to hunt.
This year my goal is not meat, its a single glorious rack to be proud of and pop my mature buck cherry. I need advice in several areas.
How should I use my vacation time wisely? In what areas would you consentrate your scouting efforts? If I bought trail cams to maximize my efforts how should they be applied wisly on public land and secured? Would you invest in trail cams and and which ones are worth the money, would 1 4g cellular be better than 2 normal ones?
My current mind set is on scouting canoe access areas deep from roads, looking for muscadine and perssimions while marking large oaks. Marking bedding areas and using the data to hunt food sources during sept. Hunting large dropping oaks on the edge of or in doe bedding areas from oct and november.
Embarrasing as it is, I have failed to regognize scrapes, rubs and buck sign. Last year I was trying to just figure out how to kill deer. Ill use milkweed this year instead of a zipo too.
Thanks guys and constructive criticism is greatly welcomed. If I am concentrating in the wrong areas Please tell me.
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Time Managment and Supplementing Inexperience
- buttonbuck
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Re: Time Managment and Supplementing Inexperience
One thing that has helped me is spreading out my vacation time rather than using it all at once. I am able to take off a few hours in the afternoon, which has given me many more sits than a week off.
If you can work out your schedule like this, or change your hours on certain days, it will let you scout and hunt more than just being a weekend warrior. Finding sign on weekdays has helped me to start patterning deer more.
If you can work out your schedule like this, or change your hours on certain days, it will let you scout and hunt more than just being a weekend warrior. Finding sign on weekdays has helped me to start patterning deer more.
- buttonbuck
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Re: Time Managment and Supplementing Inexperience
Thanks for the advice. I was thinking of taking 4 or 3 day weekends by just taking one vacation day on a fri or mon. I've noticed that public land near me is most crowded on Sat. which is unfortunate.
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Re: Time Managment and Supplementing Inexperience
Why would you be embarrassed on sign reading? Everyone has to start somewhere, we all started the same, not knowing jack, so do not slight yourself at all.
Thanks for your service. I have no experience on the country you hunt, but one thing your doing right is killing deer. That way the time comes when you have to make the shot, on the buck you worked so hard to get, you will make the shot.
There is a lot of experience here, so I am sure you will get great advice......... Time management and to balance things out, is always a issue, that I really never had to deal with. My issues when I was younger, was wanting to hunt, too many things, and trying to fit it all in a season................... When I committed to more deer hunting, that is when I got better
good luck
Thanks for your service. I have no experience on the country you hunt, but one thing your doing right is killing deer. That way the time comes when you have to make the shot, on the buck you worked so hard to get, you will make the shot.
There is a lot of experience here, so I am sure you will get great advice......... Time management and to balance things out, is always a issue, that I really never had to deal with. My issues when I was younger, was wanting to hunt, too many things, and trying to fit it all in a season................... When I committed to more deer hunting, that is when I got better
good luck
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