How many of your hunts are planned to a "T"?

I hear a lot of talk about people putting together perfect plans for each one of their hunts. Factors include the wind, time of year, specific hunting topography, etc when making a plan to hunt a specific stand site. I try to do it myself but would be lying if I told you that every single one of my hunts is planned out and executed to perfection in regards to my original plan. So what about you and your hunts, are they planned out to a T? What percentage of hunts do you have a game plan for, but not a specific stand site picked out until you just "see the tree" you want to hunt from that day?

Are you more of a guy that just wings it or are you anal in each of your setups?

 

well i have portable stands that i leave up unless i need to move it, but i don't do it durning a hunt. so most of the time it's planned out. sometimes the wind/weather makes it a poor choice to follow the plan so i go to another stand. best guess is 85% of my hunts are planned before i head out.

 

When I go to bed the night before I pick a stand site for the next morning. By the time I shower and ate breakfast I have checked the weather and talked myself in switching stands several times.

Last fall for my vacation, I planned out a very rough schedule of stand rotation if the wind was permitting and tried to stick to it. Worked out pretty nicely for me.

 

Last year (2009) I wasn't sure what to expect for bucks. In the back of my head I had hoped one specific 8 pointer from the year before (2008) made It through the winter and summer months. Sure enough on my trail cam (October 11th, 2009) there he was but Instead he blossomed Into a dandy 10 point. I made a goal to myself that this was the only buck I'm going to hunt for. I was anal with my set ups only hunting for him. I had no care In the world about any other buck. On my 1st try at hunting this buck he showed his face October 19th at 10 to 12 yards. I screwed up and hit him high. I saw him 4 more times after that just souly hunting him. I learned a ton last year hunting this buck. Every hunt for him I treated like It was my last hunt for him. I was very careful In how I hunted him compared to hunting mature bucks In previous years. From now on I will hunt a little more cautious like this.

 

I put a lot of thought into each and everyone of my sits. To be successful at bagging your intended quarry, you must be where they are during daylight hours. By analyzing what land is available to me with the time of year and current conditions I feel I can put myself in position to get what I am after.

 

I'm a wing it kind of guy. I've learned to remain flexible and adapt to the situation, location, etc. A large percentage of my hunting is done via spot and stalk. I scout the here and now.

 

I have a spot in mind that I want to hunt each time I head out. Sometimes wind direction scraps that plan & I have to pick another one.
Although this year I might go back to just hunting where I "want" to hunt rather than where I'm "allowed" to hunt. (no that doesn't mean trespassing)

 

For Whitetails in a treestand - the Wind narrows my choice down pretty quickly for me...

 

I have 5-7 spots I could sit on any given day. I choose my stand that day (or the night before) based on the wind and my time available to hunt. Pretty simple really.

 

I don't think I ever really choose...the conditions choose for me.

 

I have quite a few places to choose from so, depending on the wind and time day I will pick where I am going. Once I get there I decide which tree in the area to get in. I guess you could my planning is determining wind and time of day for the hunt.

 

I usually have a decent idea of where I want to go the night before by checking the intended wind direction on the 'net before I head to bed...

Sometimes that changes when I arrive at my farm, and I've been known to change farms altogether based on the current prevailing wind directions after I arrive.

 

Definitely not me. I try to get an idea of the general area I want to go depending on wind/weather.

But then I have to draw for a spot in the morning and hope that whoever else is hunting in the same zone isn't planning on setting up in the same spot. Early in the season this is a big issue.
Later in the season you have weird variables like dogs, joggers, people singing and dancing. And one time.. guys with industrial strength leaf blowers going through the woods. :D

 

He had a big job ahead of him, huh Chris?

Wonder if he tried to air-condition his neighborhood by leaving all his windows and doors open as well?

:D

 

The last couple of years I have been very particular about where I hunt with which wind and take all of the variables into consideration. I haven't had the best of luck. The deer I hunt just don't follow the script. They show up where their not supposed to and many times aren't paying attention to the wind.

This season I'm going back to following my gut and instincts more instead of trying to tell the deer where to show up. It has worked well before.

 

All of mine are extremely well planned for the logistics which stops anyone from getting killed up here. The hunting itself is pretty much fluid though.

 

Before the season, I make a list of all of my sets on a 3x5 notecard. I think sit down with an map and figure out what the best wind is for each spot. There are certain spots that excel early or later in the season, (pinch points, feeding, travel, bedding etc) but that is info that I have in my head. Most of my hunts are after work and usually around 2:30 I am on weather.com checking wind direction and hour to hour temperature drops. I think pull out my card and see what my options are. I have make last second decisions to hunt different stands, but they are always with in the guidelines of proper wind direction.

 

Depends on what I am hunting. With Whitetails I am almost always scripted out and most of my work is done before the season starts. With Elk I target areas because they are so vocal, a lot like my turkey hunting.. then I just work the wind to my favor once I locate the elk. Bears are very planned out if I am baiting. All the prep work is key there and playing the wind. If its a spot and stalk I target areas again and then use the wind in my favor once I find a bear I like.

 

Planned yes followed no something always changes the way it goes!!!

 

Word.

Every hunt with a purpose.