Because I have more land to hunt than I know what to do with, I think it is taking it's toll on my success with mature bucks...That is, I never or rarely hunt the same stand or even property more than one day in a row..I usually hop from one peice to another trying to hunt a fresh stand every time...I will hunt a stand 2 days in a row if I didn't spook anything and I have seen what I think is a good buck on stand..Right now, I have a peice that I saw a great buck on 2 saturdays ago, I have not been back since...he came within 60 yds and I would say he was in the 115' -120" range...and my dumb ass hasn't been back...I did scout it again and found even more big buck sign, yet I have not hunted it...Out of the 5 different properties I have, I have seen 3 shooters on 3 different peices...trying to hunt them all is probably not the way to go....what advice do you have for me??
Go back to that Saturday stand, its been two weeks. Sometimes we outsmart ourselves..........hence my thread about being a dumb*** this morning.
If it wasn't for hoping around.. I'd be less a successful hunter. I hunt an average of.. like 7 separate pieces of ground every year.. and often times more like 9.. I'm always in a new tree.. adapting with the day.. the timing of the year.. morning and evening.. etc.. Probably sat at least 30-35 different trees this year.. and I don't hunt as much as many on here. The fact I sat the same tree for 2 days in a row when I took my 2 bucks last week was a complete fluke. It was just a HOT stand.. so I couldn't leave it without one more sit before I left out of town. HOT sign is hot NOW. No reason to look for more sometimes. Right time. Right buck. I believe in it.
Landon, if you are having success in seeing and getting close to those older bucks using your current methods, keep at it! I have faith in you.
Thanks Brett....I hope it pays off...the thing is, I enjoy the success of seeing them, but it's time to kill them, they are there and so am I, I just need to get closer, it always seems to be within 50 or so yards, but that makes the difference in killing them and just seeing them.. Jeff, all I can say is...RESPECT son!! getting them that close is dangerous, but damn you're good! Cougar, I know all too well!! Duke, Im with ya, I just wanted to hear it from some the guys taht are doing the same way as me...so I can assume that Im doing the right thing as far moving around, just need to fine tune it?
I hunt a 45,000 acre tract of land Landon. I hop around here and there all the time. I love trying to figure out where the deer are located just by a dang topo map, taking into accout the wind, and from thinking about what type of pressure I think the deer are receiving in order to make my decision. Some places I have never hunted at all. I just roll in and set up. This year has really made me realize what type of hunter I enjoy being in the woods. I am more mobile than ever before, taking risks in new spots, and not having any regrets at all after a hunt.
I do not necessarily "hop" around on purpose. I pick what I believe to be the best setup for that day and it's conditions coupled with what time of year it is. I do not leave a property just to leave it, when I leave one it is because I feel there is a better setup to match the time of year and conditions some place else.
Well said Brett...I need to get back to thinking less and just hunting what feels right to me...When I was 18 yrs old I decided to go sit in the woods with my shotgun on Nov 16th Friday evening...I sat where two types of timber came together...at 5:15 pm I shot the second largest buck of my life...a 15 pt non typical with double droptines....I have him mounted on my wall and look at him from time to time....my point? I need to remember what I did at 18 yrs old more often and just go with my instincts here he is !!
I move around alot. I would get lazy and sloppy (not to mentioned bored to tears) if I hunted the same spot day in and out. But it's well thought out, (or I try and make it that way), I admit the more I learn, the more I have to learn. I hunt many different lands and many different types of lands, Agriculture, Big woods, Small woods, hilly, flat, swampy...etc. I move on when I feel i have too, when I want too..and sometimes I play hunches. I have a lot of fun and see a few deer too.
Me and cfdjay talked about this the other day when we took his deer to get processed. He asked me what property i "could" get for me and him to hunt next year, and as we drove along i pointed out all the farms. Thousands of acres. That being said, ive only hunted on 200 acres this year, with my/uncles farm bringing up the bulk at 100 acres. Why? because i know the land the best, and i dont have to deal with ANY other hunters. That will probably change next year though.
The staying on 200 acres part. Like i said, i have permission for thousands, and im going to start utilizing it next year. My 100 exclusive can only take so much pressure, plus my family will have 3 bowhunters in the tree next year plus a few of my buddies who we hunt with. Time to "spread out" more. With school this year, i didnt have much time to scout new properties. Next year should be different.
Nothing in that and I agree...I just didn't understand the statement make deer hunt you. I thought maybe you had some secret use of tinks 69 and a vanilla cologne.
Interesting topic. I dont' know where I stand on it now lol. I guess I've always been a move around kind of guy. Usually the same piece of land (my main land) but I have over 30 setups on 500 acres and a climber. Sometimes I'm hunting a same general area, but just a different tree. I don't really like leaving the piece of property itself and heading down the road somewhere else. If I'm not around there (somewhere) I feel like I'm either missing something or not learning something about my herd that day. I probably screw myself sometimes by being on it too much throughout the year. I do jump to different properties here and there but to be honest I don't really like it. I feel like I don't know anything about where I'm hunting. Almost feels like I'm a visitor in someones house lol. P.S. The buck I killed...I not only hunted the same land but same bedding area for a week. I was sitting there thinking the gig was up and I messed this place up good and DOINK!
