In my quest to try and kill a mature buck in MI, I have changed gears. I have taken down all my stand on the "inner" part of our farm. I have only 3 stand up along the river. I am getting a muddy stand and stix in July. I am going peer run and gun this year. I see some advantages in hunting this way. I can hunt the "hot" food source, the hot beddng area. I can move on an all day hunt. I am pretty pumped about this method of hunting. Who else has hunted this way in the past, can you give me some tips? This is new way of hunting for me.
Hope it pays off for you this year, Gary. Keep us updated how it goes. I did more running and gunning last year than I had before. It definitely helped me learn a new hunting area better. It was also fun not to sit the same trees all the time. I can't really offer you any tips, but I'm looking forward to hearing what others have to say.
I never hunted out of fixed stands so I suppose you could say I've run & gun all these years. But since it's all I know, I'm not sure I know what to give you as far as tips go. Probably best I can do is tell you to develope a system for climbing & hanging your stand so that you can do it quickly, quietly & safely.
I would think a Hooeyman saw would be handy...seems as though everytime I'm in new spot with climber there are those couple small limbs just out of reach once I climb up that could open up a whole lot more shooting. Thus the reason I asked wife for this saw for Father's day :d
I think my biggest piece of advice would be to not run and gun too much if you don't have to. "Don't leave deer to find deer". I've been guilty of this in the past and I believe it has hurt me. Other than that, paying super close attention to your entrance and exit routes and making sure you can put your stand/sticks up quietly and safely. One product I would recommend investing in is a Pine Ridge Hook & Hoist system. It bolts onto your stand and gives you a place to store your bow rope when on the move. After fighting with tangled ropes in my pack, or forgetting them altogether, I had enough frustration and bought enough to put them on every stand I own.
I think it is all relative to how much land you have to hunt. If you are hunting 100 acres, it may be fun to use one stand and call it run and gunning, when in reality 4-5 well placed stands would cover the EXACT same areas that you can hunt while mobile. I see advantages and disadvantages to it. I don't have enough land access to justify "running and gunning" my favorite farm I hunt, I have two stands hung, it is such a narrow travel corridor, that if a deer is in the area, chances are you will likely be in range from one of these stands. If I had hundreds upon hundreds of acres to choose from (that I would legitimately hunt, not a 500 acre farm that I am only interested in hunting the back 40), I could see NEEDING to be mobile. Different strokes for different folks, people are very successful doing both.
You know you're correct, but if it takes less than mins to set up, why not. Sometimes I want to hunt an area and the wind is bad for where the stand is located. If I could hunt just the other side of the trail. In one spot I can 4 differnet winds if I am mobile. I have the saw on my list and Justin I will get what to recommended also. Tree hopper belt Hootie saw Muddy Treestand and steps Order the straps from Greywolf dude I think I am set. yep
Even on one of the small woodlots I hunt, it helps to be able to choose a tree each time I go in depending on the wind. I have one such spot that I can hunt any one of 3 trees based on the wind. Everyone's land is different, but that is what works for me.
Good deal Germ. It's my favorite (and just about only these days) way of hunting. I don't know if I have any tips.. what Justin said is a pretty good one.. "don't move away from the deer". I could help out with more specific Q's though.
Number one would be to practice setting up the stand and develope a system for packing and unpacking. It is a lot different than using a climber and if you don't have it down pat it can take a long time to set up and can be noisy. When I first started doing this with a hang on and sticks a few years ago it took me so long to set up one night that just as I finally got into my stand I spooked about a 130" 8 point that was coming in. It's also be MUCH easier (& safer) if you use a linemans rope like they show on the Muddy Video. When ever possible try to set up as many spots as possible before season (good time to practice). Also, as was mentioned above and you already plan to do, get a saw to keep with you. It's a must. Excellent point GMMAT. I have done this many times. Often I only need to move 15 yards.
Not moving away from the deer is perfect advice. I cannot remember using anyhting other than a climber in Georgia for several years now but I can give you a hundred examples of me getting tired of an area, or thinking I was not on deer only to have my uncle move to a spot 15 yards or 40 yards from my area and see 10 in a sit. That right tree could be within bow range, just be patient...you know your stuff from reading your posts. Has Mr. Mass got you to thinking outside the box...I think that is excellent if he has, game on so to speak...and that is when it really get's fun, when the deer makes you say OK OK enough of the crap let's go.
I actually started being mobile back about 30 years ago with a home made climber. Maybe it's just because I have been using a climber so long, but it seems harder dealing with the steps and hang on. If I could only have one stand though it would be the hang on and steps. Much more versital. I keep telling myself I'm going to try a sling, but have yet to do it. I have had a "Tree Suit" for about five years now and still haven't used it.
Mature bucks move very short distances during daylight... I have watched mature bucks get up from there bed two hours before dark but only move 50 to 100 yards in that 2 hour time frame while they wait for darkness. If your not hunting during the short little window of the rut, your not going to see very many "truly" mature bucks hunting in stands out in funnels or over food plots. I doubt you will see many in those spots during the rut too... The younger the deer, the more mistakes it makes. The smartest survive, or learn to be smart or die. My point is, if I sat back in predetermined stands I would put my self in a position to make it nearly impossible to kill a mature buck... Yes, in most cases I would be willing to settle for a 3 year old, and in some public areas a 2 year old... But I would still like to be in the game for the 4 year old and older bucks that secretly roam most hunting areas. Hunting them at the bedroom presents the challenge of not being detected. I pre-scout these areas in spring / winter and pick out my entry and hunting positions based on his bed position... I hunt there once. I either kill him or he is not there in most cases. Every now and then, the buck will have a new way out and I will see it move cause of how close I am. If thats the case I move and give it one more try. But thats it. Mobile, move to his secondary bedding area and start over... Mobile!
I can see that advantage of moving, but that is if you have the land to be able to move. I think that stand placement (mobile & fixed) is successful when the deer is in that spot the exact same time as you are. All the best worn trails won't produce if that deer isn't there when you are. It's all timing. I've hunted areas where there is a lot of sign of them coming thru, but when is the question. Whether its a bedding area, food plot, or whatever, you are trying to make an educated guess as to where/when that deer is going to be there when you are. I shot a 9ptr w/a gun two weeks after i missed it with a bow. Same place, almost same time. Maybe about an hr later than when I was bowhunting. I've seen deer crossing the road going towards my stand as I'm driving to go hunting. It's just timing.
