A Novice Beast Update: take 2

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perchsoup
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A Novice Beast Update: take 2

Unread postby perchsoup » Wed Oct 04, 2017 7:36 am

Second year of learning the ways of the beast. I really have been scouting my local hunting grounds hard for the last 15 months. I've been stock piling information and trying to learn the land better and better each time I go out. I am much more confident at this point to where I was at this time of the season last year. The guys on this site have been a tremendous help with that. Last year I shot a 2.5 year old public land buck, beast style. This year, my goal is a 3.5 year old. Life changes, in good ways, will limit my time in the woods this year but I hope my efficiency will improve with greater knowledge of the land. Before the season started, I had a thought in the back of my mind that this might be a quick season since I am so well prepared and will probably tag out early. Lol, even though I am getting closer, I still realize how far away I am and how challenging these animals are on pressured public lands. Nothing is easy, but that's what keeps me coming back.

Two sits in so far. First sit, deer were coming from the bedding area I expected, right down the trail I was expecting them too, but I was running late and they busted me as I was setting up. Sat the rest of the night getting chewed on by mosquitos. Lessons learned, don't be late and organic bug spray is a waste of money. Second sit was Sunday. Thought the wind was just off for one of my best bedding areas. No deer showed. Lessons learned, wind was off too much and they weren't bedding there. Makes sense though because the just off to much wind left them too vulnerable to bed in that spot. Sure feels great to sit in a tree again though.


perchsoup
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Re: A Novice Beast Update: take 2

Unread postby perchsoup » Wed Oct 18, 2017 4:51 am

A couple more sits in. Saw a doe Sunday night. Sat beds I’d call over looked or pressure beds but I don’t think hunting pressure has kicked up enough to make these beds hot. The fresh sign wasn’t there. Almost like no real sign at all. I hear some of you guys talk about scouting your way in. Is this kind of like intimately knowing all the bedding in the area and scouting on the way in to see which area has the hot sign coming out? I’ve categorized all my beds for when I anticipate them being the best chance of being used but I think I’m not looking at current sign enough and too heavily relying on old scouting.
adbel17
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Re: A Novice Beast Update: take 2

Unread postby adbel17 » Wed Oct 18, 2017 1:31 pm

I'm following this as I'm a novice to this style as well. Keep the updates coming!
Rich M
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Re: A Novice Beast Update: take 2

Unread postby Rich M » Thu Oct 19, 2017 1:34 am

You are progressing well. I remember your posts last year.

The whole scouting on the way in thing is looking to see what kind of deer activity in in the area - if you hit a spot with a good amount of fresh sign, set up there instead of going much further and possibly spooking them out.
d_rek
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Re: A Novice Beast Update: take 2

Unread postby d_rek » Thu Oct 19, 2017 2:40 pm

Rich M wrote:You are progressing well. I remember your posts last year.

The whole scouting on the way in thing is looking to see what kind of deer activity in in the area - if you hit a spot with a good amount of fresh sign, set up there instead of going much further and possibly spooking them out.


Oh did I learn that lesson this evening! Found great, fresh rub and a beautiful looking scrape on my walk in just before the spot I had planned to sit! I decided to go just another 20-30 yards in to the other side of the travel corridor where the sign was, thinking the deer were going to be coming from that direction. Wrong! Sat all evening not seeing anything then the SECOND my bow hits the ground after packing up a deer busted out and snorted like crazy. Didn't see what it was... but it sounded like a doe. Lesson learned... hunt the sign!
"I don't know what the f*** this is but it's weird as f*** so i'm leaving."
-The Deep
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oldrank
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Re: A Novice Beast Update: take 2

Unread postby oldrank » Thu Oct 19, 2017 3:11 pm

I relate all sign to bedding. If I find rubs in the middle of the woods I am looking for direction. If I find two or three all on the same side I ask why when n where. They will point you to what that buck is doing. I also like old rubs. It tells me what bucks in the past have done. Even though they may be long dead they still give up clues of travel.

I also pay attention to the hot food sources nearest bedding.

Relate all scrapes to bedding. The first scrape out of the bedding area is the one I pay most attention to. The others are really only sign post telling me how he is moving.

If you walk a bedding transition n find hot food. Throw a hunt at it. If you find rubs throw a hunt at it. If you find scrapes hunt it. Move slow and look ahead. I stay off the actual transition 30 yrds or so because I suspect the bucks are going to be holding tight to it. I'm looking ahead for a place to hunt. I wanna see it n be able to hang a stand in the right spot, not go too far n back track n put my scent down where I don't want it.
perchsoup
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Re: A Novice Beast Update: take 2

Unread postby perchsoup » Sun Nov 05, 2017 2:59 pm

A few more sits in. Also sat 7 1/2 hours today, no deer seen on stand. Hate to admit it, but I have not seen a deer in bow range I could’ve killed this year so far. I’m hunting all the spots I scouted with known beds. But maybe I’m not setting up close enough or I’m not moving slow enough or they’re night beds or I’m not hunting thick enough or who knows what the I’m doing wrong but it’s too early in the season to start getting discouraged. I got the next four days free to hunt. I’m going to mix it up and push my comfort zone.
mipubbucks24
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Re: A Novice Beast Update: take 2

Unread postby mipubbucks24 » Sun Nov 05, 2017 3:17 pm

This is my first year full Beast just hunting public land. I have been hunting for 20 years though and already made lots of mistakes and have killed a few decent Michigan bucks but all on private.

I also was not seeing anything on my early season public spots even though I scoured a lot this feb/March. Two things I think I am learning:

1. I am hunting too close to the beds, probably pushing deer out without even knowing it.
2. Most of the sign I found in the spring was pre-rut, seeking phase sign

My last 3 sits on public I have seen Bucks, 2 times they were 1.5, the other it was 15 minutes before legal shooting light, could not totally make out the rack, I believe it was a 1.5. I just keep bouncing from bedding spot to bedding spot, and I am getting better at it, it’s just a matter of time before something bigger comes out.
perchsoup
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Re: A Novice Beast Update: take 2

Unread postby perchsoup » Tue Nov 07, 2017 1:02 pm

Plan today was to scout until 2 and then sit for the evening. I really wanted to check out this spot I’ve been starring at on the map for months. Bring my bow because it’s the rut and you never know...Got almost there and see a spike on the bottom of the hill. He sees me and high tails it. I really slow down as I get closer to this spot now. A few minutes later I crest a hill and look to my left. Basket racked buck is looking at me! I snap my head back forward and tell myself to keep walking, maybe he won’t jet. As I walk I’m pulling out an arrow, noc it, draw, anchor, stop walking, turn and look. Where’d he go? I walked to far down the hill. Still drawn I back pedal up the hill. He’s still there. I get up the hill just enough to see his vitals. I shoot. I hear a soft thud. Find the arrow. Brown blood. Left right wasn’t too bad I thought. But it was low. 50 yards of tracking, sparse blood but bright red. Decided to back out and give it the night. We will see in the morning.
perchsoup
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Re: A Novice Beast Update: take 2

Unread postby perchsoup » Wed Nov 08, 2017 9:24 am

Looked all day with another guy. Even went back home and grabbed the dog. Stayed low and hit all the water. Not another drop of blood from where I left it. Thinking it was a really low hit and not sure it’s fatal. Still sucks though.
perchsoup
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Re: A Novice Beast Update: take 2

Unread postby perchsoup » Fri Dec 08, 2017 3:47 pm

A dozen sits or so since my last update. What I’m learning is I have to get more in the thick stuff. I hear it here all the time but just need to keep moving closer in it. Closer to the beds. Last night of rifle season I got to close in a poplar slashing that jutted out to a point with bedding and bumped one but it was a good learning experience. I’m also learning about the importance of sitting hot sign. I had some dead sits this year where I sat on bedding I found in the spring or last year. I scouted a few of these spots a day or so after the sit to look for sign and found nothing. About a month left for late bow season. Still a few hunts left in me for this season.


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