Mock hunt?

I was curious how many out there go on mock hunts, hunts where you go through all of the regular motions of a normal hunt, but you have no intention of killing a deer? I've done this a few times after killing a buck. Just to see what happens.

 

I get pretty lazy after I punch my tag....my routine is early season doe in September and then buck chase after that. 2 deer from me and 1 from my wife during rifle can hold us over....with all that being said No, I've never gone out just to go through the motions lol.

 

I spend lots of time in the woods.

Can't say that I have ever gone out "play hunting" before.

 

I'm referring to having already killed a buck, and you have a doe tag/tags to make you able to kill one, but don't really intend on it. Just kind of getting out there.

 

Once I fill my tags, the only hunting that I do is after the season I go back out there to see what has survived.

 

That's what I do with my trail cams. I bring them out during gun season, them put them back to see what's still around afterwards.

 

As I said previously, I spend a lot of time in the woods but I don't go and sit in a tree or in any of my stands. When I'm cutting firewood, I somehow find myself checking on a certain patch of woods where there just "might" have been some activity. I leave cameras up late into the winter. I just walk in the woods and enjoy being there.

 

During gun season I hunt with family and we're all pretty close to each other. I'm the only one that bow hunts so I go into my stand with the intention of not shooting anything with the hopes it'll walk near them. I know I'll have plenty of time later to shoot something and I've killed many more deer than any of them. Now if something 140+ inches walks by I would probably shoot but that is very very rare where I hunt maybe once every 10 years someone in our group has one of those encounters. I haven't done what you have said bow hunting but I could definitely see myself doing it someday. I simply love sitting in a tree watching what happens out there.

 

My son does it all the time in the backyard


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I've done this with a camera after season is over and my stands are still up. Also gives you a good chance to "play" just to see what you can get away with in a risk free way.

 

Usually after season or I fill my tags I only have a few months to get stuff done around the house before spring trout and turkey season.

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thought about it a few times then something comes up. good question asked though.

 

I leave cameras up year round, and get in the woods most days but have only gone out with bad intentions.

 

I'm going to sit this evening, just to see what's out there. I still have 2 doe tags, so there's my "excuse", but I won't kill anything.

 

Yes I have done this. I will be doing this during gun season. Mostly going to keep trespassers off the property.

 

Im not sure I've ever "mock hunted" before but there are plenty of times I climb into a stand with no intentions of killing a deer. I do this as often as possible prior to season with a camera (especially if it is a new stand location). The only real reason I bring my gun/bow on these scouting trips is for the occasion that a hog decides to show up.