1. Do you camp in the area you'll be hunting or stay at a motel? - If you do camp, explain your camping set up. Truck, Tent, Tarp? - If you stay at a motel, how far are you willing to travel between motel and hunting spot? 2. How many spots do you try to have in the area you'll be hunting? 3. Do you rely solely on gps or do you print maps out of all the areas you will be hunting? - If you use maps, where do you get them from? 4. What does your diet look like on an extended out of state hunt? Fast food or premade meals? 5. Do you use a couple of days to scout, or go right in to hunt? 6. What kind of gear will you be bringing on these hunts? Number of stands, cameras, etc. That's all for now, but I'm sure I will have more. You're welcome to throw in a question as well.
It also depends for out of state. if youre hunting private access, your just in luck to camp there but it also depends if the landowners okay, public land it varies if the area has a camp site by it. if they do that's a money savor, But it also leads to a safety issue. because hunter harassment can be an issue on public land. most likely other folks that camp there are nice. but you just don't want to deal with those kind of folks that are gonna get you out mentally or physically. Anyways but if they don't then id say a motel if youre a couple states away from home. if youre next by id go there once a week just to save$$
First off great questions. 1) I have done just about everything, truck camping, camping , motels and even rented a small lake house for couple weeks. There is really no best and the all have there ups and downs. I think truck camping is about the most convenient( well except for a house or cabin) just lock it up and leave. If your staying more then an hour drive it will get very tedious if you hunting any number of days. 2) if you can have a couple spot in the area your ahead of the game, at the very least have two ways to access an area. Also have another area lined up in case of unforeseen circumstances, even if it's a couple hours away. 3) all my mapping is now done on apps on my phone and iPads. OnX maps ect ect 4) I don't eat fast food unless I am traveling and there really isn't any other options. I bring a cooler with food I can grab easy on the road. For meals if I am camping I keep it simple. Cold cuts, pre made meals ect ect, you aren't packing in so you don't have any weight restrictions. I can pack enough food in a 45qt cooler for easy 7 days of hunting. I bring a 110 or 105qt cooler for water and drinks that gets used to meat transport on the way home. 5) I generally don't scout except while I am hunting. I will pin areas that look promising on my maps and head right to them and confirm or discard them. I may take an observation stand for a morning or afternoon. 6) this is going to tough. I bring a lot, if I am not packing in ..well then what I don't need can stay in the truck. Here is what I bring at a minimum for stands. three hang ons, one being the primary stand I use to run and gun. I bring enough sticks for three sets( that's 9 muddy 32" modified sticks, and two 20 muddy sticks that get taken down and out each time ) I also bring a climber as well. This will be how I typically start a hunt. Late morning I go in and scout a spot that I plan to hunt the following morning. I will hang a stand for the hunt the following morning hunt . I then go look at my afternoon location and hang a stand and hunt till dark. At that point depending on..well everything. Then I either leave the set up or take it out with me. Now I have two stand options for the morning, or I can hang my third set in the morning if I need to. ( I don't like hanging stands in the morning then hunting , just me). This continues through the entire hunt... I don't normally bring cams on a hunt, I rather go with my my guts and direct observations. Just a couple other thoughts. Go bold or go home. Be aggressive. Your there for a few days and you need things to come together for like 60 seconds with the right buck. You don't need to keep an area productive for an entire season. Hunt, stay in the stand as much as you can. If a stand is hot stick with it till you kill or it goes dead. Don't argue with the deer. If you have a spot that looks great because of ..whatever and your not seeing action then move. Don't waste days sitting in empty woods because they look good to you. Lastly be positive and be tenacious, don't give up. To many guys get soft on DYI hunts, they start thinking of the long ride home, things that need doing, family waiting ect ect. Get all that out of your mind and focus on on being successful. The best advise I can give you is to hunt as hard the last 5 minutes as you did the first five minutes.
