When???

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Jdw
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When???

Unread postby Jdw » Sun Feb 23, 2020 3:54 pm

I am noticing as I spend more time deer hunting that the older bucks I have encountered are in areas I have scouted and I not only know where I need to be but have a good feeling about when I need to be there to encounter the buck.
It is more than getting a good wind to hunt a certain spot. Most of my best hunts have been when I could give a good reason why the buck would be in that spot at a certain time.
Hindsight is clearer than foresight but a high percentage of encounters are when I have a gut feeling I need to hunt a spot at a specific time instead of hunting hoping something good wanders past.

I have always tried to figure out what food sources to focus on but it seems my odds go up when I have enough information through scouting to be more specific than just targeting a food source.

One example is a buck I killed this past year. I had observed some bucks in the area over the summer. They were in a CRP field with a creek bottom and points on the hills around the area.

I waited until the 2nd day of gun season to let the neighbors push the other possible bedding locations and killed the buck after he stood up in the CRP.

Do you guys have an example to share?


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VaBowKill5
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Re: When???

Unread postby VaBowKill5 » Mon Feb 24, 2020 12:13 am

I think this can be related to confidence. I think you can hunt the greatest spot in the world but if you don’t feel like there’s a buck there your not gonna hunt the same therefore you don’t go the extra mile to prevent the little mistakes that make the big difference. I’m the exact same way if I have confidence in a certain spot during a certain time of the year then I always go with my gut and it has payed off several times.
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Re: When???

Unread postby backstraps » Mon Feb 24, 2020 12:51 am

Having that gut feeling “the one your after” or “a good one will be there” is an awesome feeling to have

Your example is awesome.

My kill zone thread of the target buck I killed this year was one of those hunts. I “knew” he had ti be there. The weather conditions were perfect for him to be able to enjoy that area all day long!! Locked down with his lady.....but an accurate weather forecast allowed to to get into his area undetected within the last half hiur of daylight and take him!!!

You have to love when your gut feeling pay off. The majority of my bucks have been gut feeling prior to my sets!
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Re: When???

Unread postby Jdw » Mon Feb 24, 2020 7:25 am

backstraps wrote:Having that gut feeling “the one your after” or “a good one will be there” is an awesome feeling to have

Your example is awesome.

My kill zone thread of the target buck I killed this year was one of those hunts. I “knew” he had ti be there. The weather conditions were perfect for him to be able to enjoy that area all day long!! Locked down with his lady.....but an accurate weather forecast allowed to to get into his area undetected within the last half hiur of daylight and take him!!!

You have to love when your gut feeling pay off. The majority of my bucks have been gut feeling prior to my sets!


Your story in the kill zone is a great example. Not only did you figure out where and when but you figured out what conditions made him vulnerable and then used an aggressive approach to close the deal.
And what an awesome buck!
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Re: When???

Unread postby may21581 » Mon Feb 24, 2020 8:39 am

That gut feeling you are getting is the sign of more experience, confidence and knowledge that is leading you to believe why an animal could be in a given area at a given time.
Example: this year where I shot my gun buck It was in an out of the way place on public. Not so much as in distance but just a spot that did not have that big buck feel to it. I had scouted it earlier the previous spring based on topos and foot work and knew it was dynamite. Alot of my trailcams were also indicating movement towards this area from another buck bedding area. I needed a north west wind for it to work and benefit the bucks but they are uncommon in this area. During bow season I never got one when the conditions were right but i kept monitoring it and knew no one was going in there.
Opening day of gun season came and guess what wind i had? Yup that rare north west wind arrived along with a very nice cold front. I started out on a farm and it was a bust. I packed up and moved and was in this stand by 930. Within an hour I had a good buck on the ground. So why did this work?
I had confidence with all the local pressure the bucks would be in an area that wasnt bothered. I watched this area and knew the potential it had. I knew what I needed for it to work and I moved in on this gut feeling. All the circumstances told me what I needed to do. This little pocket of cover is about 15 acres on public. People hunt all around the area. For some reason they just like to go to the same spots and hunt the same stands where they got those summer time pictures or present time night time pictures.
"Failure is the price for entry for achieving something great"
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may21581
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Re: When???

Unread postby may21581 » Mon Feb 24, 2020 8:48 am

Jdw wrote:I am noticing as I spend more time deer hunting that the older bucks I have encountered are in areas I have scouted and I not only know where I need to be but have a good feeling about when I need to be there to encounter the buck.
It is more than getting a good wind to hunt a certain spot. Most of my best hunts have been when I could give a good reason why the buck would be in that spot at a certain time.
Hindsight is clearer than foresight but a high percentage of encounters are when I have a gut feeling I need to hunt a spot at a specific time instead of hunting hoping something good wanders past.

I have always tried to figure out what food sources to focus on but it seems my odds go up when I have enough information through scouting to be more specific than just targeting a food source.

One example is a buck I killed this past year. I had observed some bucks in the area over the summer. They were in a CRP field with a creek bottom and points on the hills around the area.

I waited until the 2nd day of gun season to let the neighbors push the other possible bedding locations and killed the buck after he stood up in the CRP.

Do you guys have an example to share?


Also something I want to mention is it sure does sound like you are connecting the dots on your hunts and tactics. Case in point you mention food sources. Where most average hunters are setting up on the best food source they have failed to consider other factors. The biggest is pressure. Now all a sudden with some pressure that #1 food source now becomes two or three or maybe none at all, at least in the daylight. By taking other factors into consideration will tell you the value of a food source or bedding location.
The same holds true for bedding. A buck will pick the last best bedding terrain if it has zero pressure compared to the best bedding terrain that has guys tromping through it setting up cams and hunting it every other day.
Connecting the dots is critical, evaluating all the details is critical. That feeling your developing is confidence!
"Failure is the price for entry for achieving something great"
Jdw
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Re: When???

Unread postby Jdw » Sun Mar 01, 2020 5:14 am

may21581 wrote:
Jdw wrote:I am noticing as I spend more time deer hunting that the older bucks I have encountered are in areas I have scouted and I not only know where I need to be but have a good feeling about when I need to be there to encounter the buck.
It is more than getting a good wind to hunt a certain spot. Most of my best hunts have been when I could give a good reason why the buck would be in that spot at a certain time.
Hindsight is clearer than foresight but a high percentage of encounters are when I have a gut feeling I need to hunt a spot at a specific time instead of hunting hoping something good wanders past.

I have always tried to figure out what food sources to focus on but it seems my odds go up when I have enough information through scouting to be more specific than just targeting a food source.

One example is a buck I killed this past year. I had observed some bucks in the area over the summer. They were in a CRP field with a creek bottom and points on the hills around the area.

I waited until the 2nd day of gun season to let the neighbors push the other possible bedding locations and killed the buck after he stood up in the CRP.

Do you guys have an example to share?


Also something I want to mention is it sure does sound like you are connecting the dots on your hunts and tactics. Case in point you mention food sources. Where most average hunters are setting up on the best food source they have failed to consider other factors. The biggest is pressure. Now all a sudden with some pressure that #1 food source now becomes two or three or maybe none at all, at least in the daylight. By taking other factors into consideration will tell you the value of a food source or bedding location.
The same holds true for bedding. A buck will pick the last best bedding terrain if it has zero pressure compared to the best bedding terrain that has guys tromping through it setting up cams and hunting it every other day.
Connecting the dots is critical, evaluating all the details is critical. That feeling your developing is confidence!


That is a great point about pressure.
In hill country I have often seen bedding pushed lower than I would expect to see it in places that have lots of human activity on the ridge tops.
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<DK>
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Re: When???

Unread postby <DK> » Wed Mar 11, 2020 5:23 am

I think we all have exp that and I cant type them all out.

It sounds like you have your timing and confidence right where it needs to be. Keep at it! Don't ease up
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Re: When???

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Wed Mar 11, 2020 12:17 pm

Most of my “When” is based on rut and local doe groups. But one of the best stands I ever had was a perimeter fence crossing boarding large private. Opening day of rifle and thanksgiving weekend, they fired up there atvs and took off in every direction. Literally would have a stampede of deer coming through that crossing.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
-John Wayne-


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