Making it count with limited time in the woods...

I have a feeling my hunting time will be severely limited this fall due to a potential job change on the horizon. I can honestly see myself only being able to hunt on Friday afternoons for a couple of hours, then maybe a half day/full day(during rut) on Saturdays. (Dang the no Sunday hunting in VA). For those of you who have experienced a similar situation, what kind of mindframe did you have to adopt? I mean, I get amped up during the hunting season, wanting to see the fruits of all of my scouting and hard work. I bet I will hunt less than 50 hours this upcoming season if my job opportunity comes to be this summer. I have already started to scout hard this season so that I can be as efficient as possible each time I enter the woods. I will also be forced to hunt new sections of land because of my time constraints.

Thanks for any hints or suggestions from guys who have been forced to severely limit their time in the woods.

Brett

 

Sounds like you're already doing what you need to do. Be smart with the wind and keep scouting. I usually have ample time to hunt,but I've had to find new hunting spots just about every other year for the last 10yrs due to moving around. It'll get easier every year because you'll pick up a few spots worth revisiting every year. Good luck with the job and this season!

 

Hey, Brett...welcome to my world.

LOL - so does this mean you got selected?

And the frustration of hunting with me - dammit, I get one, maybe two days a week to hunt. I get in the stand and don't see a deer. Then my hunting bud texts me he got a deer.

muhahahahahahah

I am facing a career conundrum myself.

Sean

 

My most successful years have always been the years I hunted the least. I think it has a lot to do with less hunting pressure in key areas.

 

Scout. Glass. Run trail cameras.

My November buck, I hunted him twice, and, saw him, both times.

The first hunt, I couldn't get him any closer than 80yards.

The second hunt, lasted 5 minutes, and, concluded with him taking an arrow.

I shot him in a stand 200yards South of the stand I was in when I saw him, 2 days prior. The day before I shot him, my friend saw him locked down with a doe, 60yards from my stand. I walked in, the following morning, loaded up on pain-killers, expecting a long sit. I bumped him going in, and, shot him just at day break.

Observed movement, is key.

Many hunters go sit stands because the "area" looks good. I'd rather hunt a stand because the "scenario" looks good. I now predominantly(outside of the rut), base all of my stand choices on recently observed movement. This had led the the BEST season I've ever had, for seeing good bucks, from stand.

 

If ya don't have time to hunt, do you have time to scout?

 

Virginia Shadow
I had the same thing happen to me this season and I also had Will coming in for a hunt with me for 4 days. My schedule was the same as you mentioned with only weekends available. I was lucky enough to be able to get out some sits early in the season with the evenings because of the light.
What I did was use my cameras do the bulk of the work, they did all the scouting for me ,aka being times animals were coming by and use of trails to and from bedding areas to the field transitions. I hunt 5 different locations and every time I was able too ,I took in my camera and changed Sd cards for the info allotted for that camera spot.
Another thing to do is from what every body talks about the flash flashing at night from the cameras scaring away game, I stop using my cameras at the end of October so the deer that have been scared get used to the area again and are calm when they walk through. I then use all the info from my trail cameras and decide on the most used trails.
Like I said I am lucky enough to be blessed with some awesome properties and from that I use the rut as another incentive to use the most used trials from does. When Will was here we had a 4 day window and I selected 4 different stand locations and both of us were blessed with a Pope n young bucks each.
I had 7 weeks vacation and changed jobs 3 years ago and only get 2 weeks vacation now:confused. Those are slotted for me and the wife. So I do know and understand how you feel. LOL It can be done and I wish you luck and you need to believe what the trail cameras are telling you. The rut brings new bucks to different properties as they vie for breeding rights. The TC's won't help you know a buck that is new to the property that just made his 1st jaunt through, will it?? Main reason for not using them during the most productive part of the season. Just my 2 cents buddy. Good luck for the up and coming season and God Bless.
Rocky

 

I know I don't....

I have so much other crap going on, baseball, scouts, dance class etc for the kids, plus I live in a 30 year old house that needs work ALL OVER...add in my two motorcycles, my 93 Bronco, keeping the regular riding stock tuned up, oil changed, tires rotated, church, rod and gun club meetings - heck seems like there is something every day

Oh, yeah and I work like 10-12 hours a day.

some days I want to become a monk, sell everything and just go stare at water freezing like Thoreau...

so why am I wasting time sitting here?

 

Sure.

If you're hunting, you're also scouting, by what you're seeing in the woods.

When we think hunting, we're generally talking about around a 3 hours sit, in a treestand.

When I think scouting, this does NOT mean walking around the woods and farm for hours.

A simply 20minute trip to the side of the road, along one of my properties, and a spotting scope/binos, is scouting, in the form of glassing. What I learn from glassing the same field, a few times per week, is priceless, and, it takes but minutes, per evening.

Strategically placing trail cameras, and, simply taking a few minutes to run in and pull some memories cards during lunch, before work, after work, on the weekends, can offer the hunter vital information, again, taking little time, at all.

Boots-on-the-ground scouting, for me, is done in the winter, a little bit, and, in the summer months.

I may do a bit in October, as buck sign starts to become more prevalent, however, I put emphasis on trail cameras. I use scouting to show me the areas to place cameras, find bedding areas, trails, etc, etc...

After this, I focus on glassing fields, and checking the cameras. As I see good deer enter destination fields, I will then return and back track their trails. Again, I will place trail cameras with this new found knowledge.

I'm not a fan of walking around the woods, often. I'd rather use my method, and, limit the amount of time spent walking. Trail cameras, a spotting scope and binoculars are my preferred tools.

 

Thank you for your suggestions guys. I cannot really glass as there are no crop fields and the access is strictly limited to my hunting grounds during the summer. I cannot use trail cams on the military base. What I can do is scout in the off-season. And I do that non-stop from January to around March before the heat kicks in big time.

I am confident I can get on deer but as usual, I want to track down and arrow a big boy. That is much harder to do without being able to put time on the stand. One thing I am seriously contemplaying is making mock scrapes this year like Shed and Duke Michaels have done succesfully over the past couple of years. I need bucks "hunting me" at the right time.

Youngfart, thank you for your write up and suggestions, they are appreciated.

Sean. I would hunt with you any day of the week and as usual, any scouting notes I take on any area of the base I will gladly give to you on a moments notice. This year is no different and WE WILL get it done with you putting an arrow through a deer.

Ben, I have time to scout now and I will take advantage of it by putting in many hours in the woods over the next couple of months.

 

Be the deer.

Eat what he's eating. Drink what he's drinking. You don't actually have to do the deer he's doing....but, some heavy petting should put you on his level.

Seriously, though.....Don't you go to the spot - every hunt - that you MOST expect to kill a nice buck? Only exception to this might be taking some chances as the season draws to a close. You make a decision like this every morning or afternoon. "I've got this time to hunt......where's my best chance"?

So, what'll you do differently.....with less time? Nothing.

 

don't be so picky ... :D

 

So I just met a new acquaintance yesterday, nother leftenant colonel from my command - who is a bow hunter. He has some property in Mason Neck? "The deer just about line up and march past you".

We agreed to a trade, I would main line addict him to turkey hunting and he would allow me and friends to come and kill some of the parading deer.

He and one other guy hunt it, that's all the pressure it gets.

Were gonna take some wounded warriors up there also - and will need a hand. I am gonna find out when we can do some scouting there, but the best way to scout would be to hunt turkey...kill two birds with one stone, pun intended.

Sean

 

Jeff, yes that is my mentality each and every hunt....hunting where I feel I can kill a good deer each hunt, regardless of the time of year.

Sean, AWESOME on the new spot. I heard that area is filled with deer and I know you will get your shot!

Tony, not being picky, just being selective.

 

That's one solution! Get lucky is another

Honestly other than hunting smart and doing everything right you can which I am sure you already do there is not many other options.

There are a lot of right places to kill a Big Buck you just have to be there at the right time. With limited time in the woods that does put the odds against you. I've been in the same predicament in years past all you can do is hunt when you get the chance and enjoy!

Don't forget it is a Hobby!

Dan

 

I know Dan, it IS just a hobby. I am going to enjoy my time in the woods because I will be busting my rear bigtime throughout the work week come fall. I am looking forward to the next couple of years when my son tunrs 9-10 so that he can head out in the woods with me. NOW that is what I am really looking forward to these days.

One thing I must do with limited time is get more accurate with my shooting so that when the shot presents itself, I perform.

 

In 43 years of Bowhunting I have went through a lot of different phases I guess you could say. At times I became so obsessed with certain goals that Hunting became a job and Fun and enjoyment started to leave. IMO that is the worst thing that can happen to a hunter, because if the Fun completely leaves I don't think a person will continue very long.

In the last several years I have taken a much more laid back approach, even on my out of state hunting trips. When I hunt I go to enjoy the trip whether it be an afternoon, a day, or a week or 2. I have been Lucky enough to kill P&Y class animals in most of the species I have hunted, but in the end the important thing is that I have fun whether or not I put something on the wall.

I have 4 Grandsons coming up and one has already asked Grandpa to teach him to shoot this year. Good Lord willing I look forward to the next several years teaching all of them what I can about, Archery, hunting, the Outdoors, and Good Ethics. I also want them to Never lose sight of what's really important in life, God, family, and friends!

The next few years should be Fun for Grandpa!

Dan

 

Dan, good points. I am in the stage where I am working hard to achieve certain personal goals of mine. But at the same time I realize bowhunting is a hobby. It has been a big part of my life for the past ten years or so but will take a backseat to my children and their goals as they begin to seriously pursue their passions.

 

Nothing wrong with goals at all! and I wish you the best of Luck. It does sound like you enjoy what you are doing and are keeping things in perspective. That's the important thing

Dan

 

AWESOME post! ...especially the hobby part ...