With season openers getting closer I thought it might be nice to see what people have planned for the early part of the season. For the purpose of this discussion lets say opening day - Oct. 20th or so. 1. What's your plan? 2. Is it different than previous seasons? Why or why not? 3. Do you hit it hard right out of the gates, or do you take it easy and safe yourself for the pre-rut/rut?
1. What's your plan? Hunt the afternoon more. It's been my biggest mistake in the past few years. I just love morning hunts so much and I like to see earth come to life. 2. Is it different than previous seasons? Why or why not? Yep, I've neglected the afternoons. 3. Do you hit it hard right out of the gates, or do you take it easy and safe yourself for the pre-rut/rut?
Opening day in eastern NC is Sept 13 and I'm going to try a different early season strategy. Based off of record recording from last year I found that the bucks that enter my fields prefer 2 specific winds. 1) E/NE wind and will enter my field on the West end. 2) S/SW wind and will enter my field from the North. 1) The plan is to see who really is the king of the woods. Me or the mature buck 2) New strategy. Instead of sitting in the field waiting for their heads to poke out just before dark. I'll meet them half way, in their staging area. Hoping to stay just South of their trail on a NE wind and just East of their trail on a SW wind. 3) I love early season hunts just as much as a cool October morning hunt. I'll hit it hard like always and continue hard throughout the season. There's no better place to be than in the woods.
1. What's your plan? Hunt trails going from bedding to food in the afternoons. We have 0 food on our property this year so it will be a lot different. 2. Is it different than previous seasons? Why or why not? Yes. I have always hunted food sources - Corn, beans, etc... This year we have 0 food on the property and will be a challenge finding how the deer are using the property consistently. 3. Do you hit it hard right out of the gates, or do you take it easy and safe yourself for the pre-rut/rut? Hunt hard right away, lighten up, and then hunt hard again.
1. What's your plan? I am wrapping up food plots on Friday. These couple of plots are planted specifically for two 4.5 year old bucks. They are small and tucked back in the woods close to their bedding areas. My wife could've killed one of the bucks early last year, so we're focusing on trying to set the stage for her to take him. 2. Is it different than in previous seasons? Why or why not? It is different this year. All stands are set up to have low key access/exits and to hunt on specific winds. This is also the first year that we will not be hunting any mornings prior to the last week of October unless the cameras tell us different. Early season is usually pretty tough here. 3. Do you hit it hard right out of the gates, or do you take it easy and save yourself for the pre-rut/rut? I will be hunting according to the winds and just what I'm seeing in general. I will hunt every chance I get, since I have stands set up for all wind directions. So I guess you could say I will hit it hard all season.
Fitz, my plan is the same as last years. Trust my trail cameras and not hunt the good stuff until the last week of October. I still do not have one shooter on film, but ended up with 7 last year and the first did not show up unitl July 28th.
1. What's your plan? Hunt public early on, which will keep pressure off my land. 2. Is it different than previous seasons? Why or why not? Yes. First year hunting public and first year that I've actually got everything done in time. Will continue playing the wind and using my mobile set up more frequently. 3. Do you hit it hard right out of the gates, or do you take it easy and safe yourself for the pre-rut/rut? I will be hunting hard, but unlike other years, I will have more options.
My plan is to hunt hard the first few weeks this year before all the average Joes hit up all the public land. I am hoping to beat the rush of hunters as I focus on my goal of getting a shot at a mature buck on public land! In years past I have hunted opening weekend and then few weekends before the rut.
ONLY hunt evenings early season.... find a acorn crop close to a target that I want to kill. Only hunt the right winds and when the deer is on his feet during daylight or close to it if I can get close enough to his bedroom. I have a bunch of new property so learning the deer patterns from observation stands will be key. Basically the same thing I do every year.
Be on the Oak ridges in October, although I'm unsure what the acorn crop will look like this year yet. when I was there a few weeks ago, I couldn't see many baby acorns, but that's not necessarily a good indicator - these are 60-80 foot tall red & white oaks so they are hard to see this time of year anyway. plus, I was hot and sweaty and ready for a dip in the creek. nothing really different... hunt when I can and enjoy the warm & green before the COLD...
1. What's your plan? To keep scouting a couple bucks on public land and try and put on one the ground early season. 2. Is it different than previous seasons? Why or why not? Yes, I've put more time into scouting this year than previous years. Along with shooting a little less (busy working) Im confident in my shooting and my BH are flying good so I'm not shooting as much as in the past. 3. Do you hit it hard right out of the gates, or do you take it easy and safe yourself for the pre-rut/rut? Im going at it right away and trying to fill tags early. If don't have to sit out in the freezing temps I'm not going to.
Well it opens here in MD on sept 5th so i plan on dropping a doe right out of the gate and then hunting over standing corn and beans just to see whats really around and not on camera and then go from there.
My plan is to hunt the acorns , beans , and my favorite acorns on the edge of bean fields . It's pretty much the same thing I do every year . We have fallen into a rut of hunting the some properties year after year so not much changes . Really need to find something new to challenge myself . I don't hit it too hard right out of the gate . The more you travel in and out of the same stands , the quicker you educate them . That and I sure don't mind having my buck tag left for the pre rut .
1. What's your plan? KILL 2. Is it different than previous seasons? Why or why not? Yes, this year the envelope will be pushed. 3. Do you hit it hard right out of the gates, or do you take it easy and save yourself for the pre-rut/rut? Ain't no body got time for that Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Hit the field edges early and save the timber for the rut! Won't even step near my best spots until they begin chasing.
Good thread Fitz 1. What's your plan? Get my does out of the way ASAP - but not where I plan to hunt mature bucks. Doe spots. Hunt zero mornings til 3-4th week in October in MI. Hunt Ohio more bc MI deer hunting is compared. 2. Is it different than previous seasons? Why or why not? Yes, last year I killed a pair of does in a decent buck spot and didnt see the mature bucks after that. First time hunting the property last year, so it was a learning experience. I did it backwards. I have Ohio property now, when last year I did not. 3. Do you hit it hard right out of the gates, or do you take it easy and safe yourself for the pre-rut/rut? With my twin infants, I will hunt much less this year. So I will be focusing on any major cold front with a significant temp drop to get in the woods.
My plan is not to hunt any mornings. .. pattern a mature buck and have him first down in my first sit. ....oh yea all on film, simple enough right?
