I've got a monster on the farm I hunt, who's become a recluse. I know I need to get in there and do some investigating to learn more about him, but I don't want to disrupt the area too much (a tresspasser did plenty of that, already). What's your policy on scouting during the season? Timing? How close to a known/suspected bedding area? etc. . .
I certainly wouldn't go into a bedding area, or get too close to one. But I don't see anything wrong with taking a look around. If I was going to do that I would get as scent-free as possibly and walk around slowly and stealthily
Sometimes you have to do some recon in season. It can save you time and wasted trips. Take all your scent precautions. I like to slip around during bad weather(usually real high windy days)
I just did last week. but took scent precautions. definitely give it some time before you go back in to hunt, may a week?
New or unknown areas you have to scout in season sometimes. I honestly don't think it makes that big of a difference so long as you try to plan it so you can get in, get it done, and get out as quickly and efficiently as possible. Heck, I have scouted, found a spot, hung a stand, cleared shooting lanes, and killed a deer from the spot all in the same afternoon. So, GO GET HIM!!!
Yep kinda what huntinson said, We have a friend that believes in going right into the bedding area and make that big boy jump right out of is bed and then hang a stand and hunt it the next morning, He calls it bumping and dumping. You see his logic is if you walk right in there and jump him and he runs away in his mind his bed worked out perfect he either heard you saw you or smelt you and he will return to that bed. I watched him kill a 190 class doing that very thing and he captured it on film, He is the old owner of Lone Wolf Andre DeQuesto(spelling) he is one of the most unorthadox hunters I know but his tricks work and he has the proof. So don't be afraid to dive in and kill that mother!! Walt
Thanks for the input fellas Walt & Jim,I did decide to get agressive. I didn't kick him up out of his bed, but I found a regular crossing on the edge of the huge creek that borders his bedding area, complete with monster sized tracks and rubs. Will be hanging 2 stands on the trail this weekend :d
Many years ago I jumped a P&Y class 10 pointer(140-145) buck when wanting to move a stand at 11am. Almost unbelievably I bumped him again just 100 yds. away when walking out after hanging the stand. I waited a few days before hunting that stand and on the 3rd sit I had him at 20 yds. Ahem, I really messed up and completely missed! Never saw him again. But its funny that I could bump him out and he return but once he was shot at he found a better location to hide from me I believe that sometimes a deer knows the difference between being hunted and jumped by accident. By the way, I am going to be doing a little hunting/scouting on some public land Friday.
This has been a pretty helpful thread for me. I got on my east Tx hunt camp pretty late, just a month ago and haven't had time to do much scouting. I have some good ideas due to satellite photos but i'm worried about being too intrusive while on the ground. I'll follow some of these tips.
Andrea D'Aquisto has killed at least two Boone & Crockett bucks by walking into the bedroom and bumping them and hanging a stand which he hunts the next morning over the bed... I have done the same, just no Booners One thing that seems to help is bumping them in the evening so that they stay on there feet rather than go to another bedding area that they may return to the next morning. However, its better to know the land intimately and know where all the bedding areas and ambush spots are before the season so when the big one shows up you actually have a solid game plan.
I am kicking this idea around real soon. Also thinking about waiting until closer to the rut then park in this bedroom well before light. I need to put that LW stand to great use.
There are some great tips on this topic! I have never heard the theory on bumping and dumping. Very interesting. I'm hunting new property this fall and have been doing more in season scouting than normal. My rule is to always scout the land before with topo and aerial maps. Then I like to walk in a few hours before a scheduled rain. The idea behind this is that any scent I leave behind will hopefully wash away soon after I depart. In the case of a recluse, I'd say the answer is to definitely get more aggressive. How have the two stands worked out thus far Josh/OH? It sounds like a great spot to take monster. On the flip side of this question, how does everybody rate in season vs. off season scouting? When is your preferred time to scout and why?
stay out of bedding areas. It hepls alot if you can do it during a light rain to mask your sound and it gets rid of your scent to.
GMMAT, Nothing wrong with your logic either, there is no right or wrong and probelly about 1/4 of my sits are just that observation sits while moving around the farm.. Walt
I try to scout all year. I certainly try to do my pre-season scouting, and then I tend to lightly examine certain areas and adjust stand locations during the season, and then, perhaps my favorite time to scout, post-season. I like going in during Jan. and Feb.(Snow a major plus) and see whats going on.
Jeff, Walt, Let me clarify. When I say scouting during the season I meant while hunting. I think it would be ridiculous to not have bow in hand while walking around out there :d The scouting aspect comes from the fact that I felt the need to confirm what I suspected to be this monsters bedding area, but wasn't quite sure how agressive I wanted to get that early in the season. Regardless, mission accomplished, I found his bedroom . Only problem is I can't get any closer than my stand already is, and this guy doesn't leave his bedding area until after shooting light So the new ? is, try to pull off one of the agressive tactics suggested in this post, or give him a lil' time because he'll likely be moving during day light hours within the next 2 weeks(if not sooner) anyway?
This communication is awesome! Figuring out and making decisions on how to hunt your area and a specific deer is really what hunting this amazing animal is all about. Let's see, I think you've got some good information about your big deer having found his bedding area and confirming with the rubs and tracks. I also agree with our knowledgeable hunting colleagues that if you're going to move around a lot in your hunting area during the season it's best to do so during inclement weather (rain, higher winds). But it sounds like you were able to do some productive scouting without too much damage so great job with that! Because he is a big deer which tends to elevate his importance to us whitetail freaks, and because he is moving pretty much on a nocturnal pattern right now (as the big ones tend to do) I would take a deep breath and wait to hunt those bedding area stands that you put up at a time when there is a better chance that he is moving when there is adequate shooting light. As you mentioned that would be in the next couple of weeks, but I wouldn't go much earlier. These nocturnal patterns are so difficult because even if you got into your stand at 3:00 am in the morning he's going to return when it's still dark out so you'll probably hear him but you won't be able to shoot him. Then you're going to have to try to get out of there without alerting him to your presence. Same thing with an evening hunt. Everything can be perfect with the wind and your set up but if he's not moving until 7:30 pm you just can't see him! Now, I would still be hunting my butt off in the surrounding areas with stands placed in staging areas next to food plots or along field edges. This would allow you to get a "feel" for the resident deer and maybe even a shot at the big guy! When you decide that the chase phase of the pre-rut is on, let out that big breath of air and get up into those bedding area stands! You've got a great couple of weeks coming up and the anticipation (stress ) of waiting for the best time to hunt the bruiser will only make it that much better when you connect with him! Good Luck and keep us posted!
