austin1990 wrote:Boogieman1 wrote:I let the deer tell me when I need to hunt. I don't storm the gates just because it's opening day. The only thing that pic tells me is that guy is hunting a completely diff set of conditions or the season hasn't opened yet. Hunt anyway u see fit makes no diff to me if I'm not hardcore enough to sit out in 100 degree heat and watch squirrels and yearlings. Look forward to seeing your early season monster in the kill zone.
Season opened September 22nd that year, I was at work sadly when that was taken
It is private land and I'm the only bow hunter around so I get about a month to myself before others start hunting it. That bachelor group of bucks would hit that plot at all hours of the day, most active was surprisingly in the morning and mid day but it did get some afternoon action. My thinking on that was in the morning they'd eat a bite and get a drink at the only water around before going to bed, mid day it was hot so they came for a drink and snack. They could bed within 20 yards of it if they wanted and watch it from the hill above, makes the entry very critical. I never seen that big 10 point or the big 6 while hunting, but passed up the others. I did kill a few hogs there that season and one of my nephews killed a big 10 there I'd never had on camera.
Be interesting if u knew the moon time of that pic. Be willing to almost bet it was during a full moon. I've seen bucks due samiliar but in my case they were always bedded watching the area all day which made getting within bow range of it pretty tough. Looks like I also hunt a different kind of landscape and compete against diff elements.
For one dove season is big business here so by opener there's no open areas that haven't been hammered by shotguns for over a month. Acorns are everywhere here and start raining shortly after the opener switching the whitetails menu. More often than not they just don't move, they don't have to. They can eat all they want laying down if they wanted. Another prob is air currents. With a full canopy your scent just pulls and circles down in the low spots. When the bucks do move they stick to these low spots both because the air current and because all the acorns rolling down hillside get caught here.
I have been around horses, livestock dogs etc... All my life. And every one of them will eat about 1/5 less during the hot months. The heat curbs there appetite and I suspect deer are no different. So while yes deer might not realize it's hot outside cause they never had a/c might be true. But there stomach knows it's hot out and they consume way less calories.
That said I still give it my best when I feel theres something to capitalize on reguardless of heat. But I don't wanna go burning out spots just to say I went hunting.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
-John Wayne-