Hey, guys!! I've got a question about exit strategy. Here is a screen shot of my grandparents farm that I've been hunting since I was five. Over the past two years I've really started to understand what and why the deer are doing what they're doing. I scouted heavily after this past season was over in the snow which was very helpful. The GREEN lines represent the trails I know the deer are heavily using to come out into the fields in the evening & the BLUE line represents a logging road. The cut over on the left side of the screen has grown up into some pretty thick stuff making it impossible to travel through & the green fields shown are usually planted in beans. This is an 100 acre farm. I haven't had luck with getting out of the stand in the evenings without busting deer. Based on my stand locations, does anyone have any advice for exiting my stands in the evenings? Also, if you see anything I'm missing I'd appreciate the wisdom!! THANKS!!
I would exit by the pond. Less trails they are using as the green lines show. And the deer should be moving out of the woods to eat after dark. And to be honest. Bumping deer isn’t the worst thing in the world. I have to walk right out of the middle where I hunt and bump the same deer every time. They get use to you. In 3 years iv killed 7 deer out of my stand. But I also have my deer patterned I either leave 20 minutes before dark or 20 minutes after dark. All depends on what time they move by me.
i bet those deer use that pond to drink more than you think. it would be an excellent spot between the thick and that pond. the first thing a buck will do in the evening before he feeds is go get a drink.
Yeah! I found a ton of buck sign back there. Ive also seen a bachelor group that pops out on the other side of the pond (looking at the map, the right side of the pond) traveling down that thin strip of woods.. which kind of shocks me because that’s right in the neighbors back yard & the neighbors are pretty active. I’m sure they travel both sides of the pond though.
I have found that giant bucks will drink from the same exact spot at the watering hole each time they drink. look for big tracks that are concentrated in one spot. usually he will come in at last light. when you find that spot put a camera there. if you can pattern him at the pond you have a good chance the first couple of weeks of season. after that it will get more unpredictable. remember the hotter it is the thirstier he will be.
I'm gonna have to disagree here. How many of those 7 deer were mature (4+ years old) bucks? Bumping deer is never a good idea. Does and/fawns are bad enough, but that just doesn't work with mature bucks. They remember.
I agree with you. I rather wait 1 1/2 to two hours before walking out so I can avoid bumping anything.
It totally depends on the wind and then my hunting spot for that afternoon. There is a whole other half of this property not shown on the screenshot. Mostly feeding destinations and that patch of woods shown in the screenshot attached. I’ve got 7 different stand spots on the property. Being that most of the property is fields it’s almost impossible to get back to the house without walking near/through a field.
Sounds as if you are being smart about it. Entry and exit routes will likely have to be planned for each stand location. I have learned over the years that if I cannot figure out how to get in and out totally clean, I won't hunt that location anymore. It's not worth it. I would rather hunt mediocre sign with bulletproof access than smoking hot sign that I have to educate deer to hunt.
I would hunt the edge of the thick stuff first, then water, and fields would be my last choice as well.
Best of both worlds, when the conditions are right, I guess would be to hunt that funnel behind the pond between the thick stuff and the pond.
90% of the property is fields but I agree with you, the further I can get back in between the fields and their bed the better. However, that one spot I have marked as a stand on the bottom left is a HOT spot... it’s a natural funnel in between the field and the cut over that has a road going down it for 175 yards. Great spot to pick them off cutting across and they also love to walk down that road to the fields in the evenings.