How many of you have gone out to the woods or field with no idea of what to expect? Last year I didn't hang a single camera and discovered on my own that I had some of the biggest bucks on property that I've ever encounter in the 6 + years I've hunted it. Last year was just like the 1st year I hunted it. we had the signs and no cameras to know what we were going to see. My hunting partner and I had lots of encounters that year. after we started clearing lanes and hanging cameras we stopped having the encounters as much. Last year we just left it along until we hunted it. we went out based on the years priors successes and set up. I had to move mid morning due to the neighbor ruining my spot with talking to his buddies. I moved slowly to my "O' Faithful stand. right behind it was a large buck. I was shaking so much I could get my range finder to work and then I decided to wait and see if he walked out on the trail. long story short he knew I was standing there and just took off after forever. The next weekend (Shotgun season) I sat in O' Faithful and shot my biggest buck to date at noon. So far this year, I've only been to the woods 4 times. the 1st was late Sept to hang 2 camera in the rain, the next was with my son to check cameras. no sign of deer on cameras around the O'Faithful. the 3rd and 4th were to hunt and feed the mosquitoes. I found scrapes and rubs on my 4th hunt and haven't been back since. that was October 14th. Tomorrow I'm heading out for the 5th time. I've been thinking about setting up on the scrapes and rubs. this area I almost always kick up deer during the day. I've even see bucks fighting here a couple of years back. it's easy access and it like 75 to 90 yard south of 2 man. I think the wind will work out well for this spot. it's suppose to be a south wind, and I expect the deer to come from the east and west. my other option is to hunt blindly. head deep into my woods with a flashlight and try to scout at 4 AM. What are you thoughts on this. I expect it's a bit ridiculous and I would most likely do more damage then good for wanting to set up and hunt that morning. Has anyone else done this and had success?
Man I can barley find it to my most used stand some mornings, I can't imagine you'd be able to find much useful sign bumping around the woods with a flashlight shining every direction looking for sign. Just my. 02 though
I would not recommend the 4am strategy of scouting. I agree that it's hard enough when you know where you are going let alone to go at it blindly at 4am with a flashlight.
yeah. I figured as much. I still think next weekend is when things get really heated up. Perhaps I figure out a game plan for next weekend. Hopefully, I'll be golfing instead of hunting because I tag out tomorrow
All the time bro, just today, new spot, never hunted it, hard to scout because there really is no topo's of the area and google maps just show thick woods, found a good spot and made my way over to a thick brush line that runs parrarel to pines, looks liked a trail deer would use, sure enough 5 minutes later out walked a buck! Screw the blind, stalk on foot, mix in some still hunting and you'll be good to go, you'll see way more deer hunting on foot.
