What book taught you something that you would consider an ADVANCED skill???

I'm always looking for good hunting books to read over the winter but 99.9% of the time I am left disappointed at the unbelievably basic nature of a book or just a lack of content in general.

I have ZERO interest in reading about how one time a guy killed a 170" buck in a hedgerow as wide as a hamster.........those kinds of stories couldn't mean less to me. I'm looking for solid skills to apply on the go whether it be scouting new land or land you've had for decades........skills I can improve on processing what I see EVERY time I walk through the woods.

I have always had what I refer to as an "eye" for a good spot to setup. Put a summit on my back and turn me loose on new ground and I like my chances.

That's what I want to become even better at. I want to go into the woods and head to a particular stand because I think a good buck will be there..........whereas now I pretty much have a couple stands in mind and I end up playing musical chairs because I don't really have a great reason to choose one over the other.

Analyzing land, sign and having a plan and a REASON to be in a particular stand on any given day are things I would like to expand and advance my skills on.........I really have no use for books that reveal they're greatest secret as getting a tax map and driving around begging for permission or just telling stories of a buck they killed 10 years ago.

Mapping trophy whitetails is a book I feel like I pulled some useful info from. I've read numerous others (many highly recommended) and been really disappointed.

If you have any books in mind please include what you feel like it helped you with most if you can.

Thanks

 

Bowhunting Forests and Deep Woods by Greg Miller is a decent book if you're hunting big woods. I thought it was very insightful, especially since I only hunt woodlots in the midwest.

Blessings............Pastorjim

 

Mapping Trophy Whitetails by Brad Herndon. (Just saw that you mentioned that book)

Jeff Sturgis has a couple of books. The latest one dives into picking the best time to hunt a certain buck.

 

roger rothaar has some awesome books out. very good books for scrape hunting.

 

Whitetail Almanac series by Dr Ken Nordberg.

 

Penthouse Forum

 

I read that one and his rub line book............I find him pretty vague. Lots of decent general info but I don't think I've ever applied a single thing from his books effectively.

What in particular do you feel like you do better after reading that book?

 

Well as I said, I mainly hunt smaller woodlots in the midwest but I was looking to make a trip to the larger timbers of Wisconsin a few years ago. I knew that the terrain and hunting conditions would be quite different than what I was used to. I knew it would be harder to really zero in on the places I needed to be without the benefit of agricultural fields. His points in the book regarding water ways was very helpful. We didn't score on that trip but I'm sure focusing on those water ways helped us to see more deer.

Blessings............Pastorjim

 

The Benoit tracking books are really good to help you learn about big woods buck hunting in New England mountains.

"URBAN DEER COMPLEX" by AJ Derosa is a great bowhunting book as well, talking about hunting in more commercialized and developed areas

 

Mapping trophy whitetails is the only one I've read and I liked it. Need to read it again this winter.

 

I thought a lot about this topic when I wrote my book "The Freelance Bowhunter." I didn't want it to be just another book about how to hunt rubs and scrapes, understand terrain, etc. So there is a little basic info in the book about that, but it is more advanced on the aspects of hunting new areas that most people don't think about. It's more about how to stay within a budget, choose properties to hunt, options for lodging, strategies for game cameras, etc.

I think the concepts you are talking about would be hard to put in a book or even a video because these things can't really be put into concepts; they are more based on instincts and gut feelings. When you walk into the woods with a stand on your back, you come across a spot that just feels right, and after you have a lot of experience, trial and error, success and failure, your instincts get better and better. It is very hard to put that kind of thing into writing. I don't think you will find it at a high level in any book.

There are some things that must be learned by doing them and this might be one of them.

 

John Ogaz's Whitetail Intreuge. Not as much about hunting as it is about whitetail behavior but very informative. Knowing your prey inside and out can only help.

 

Winke has the book/dvd set of hunting creeks and ditches. I have it but that terrain isn't prevalent in my area.

 

None, I can't read but I watch a LOT of the outdoor channel.

 

I've tried to read numerous books. I learned not long ago that I have a retention problem with reading. I have to read things so many times that it becomes more of a pain.

 

TJ you got me crying man!!

 

Deer bowhunting forum.....Never did I think in a million years I would be writing to tell you a story.

 

Glad I could help but seriously, next time you need advice...feel free to just PM me here, I can't guarantee I'll be able to cherry pick your PM's next time over there.

 

To walk like a deer aka deer walking... "Stalking and still hunting, the ground hunters bible" by G. Fred Asbell.


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Did you read it anyways? Worth the buy? That's about all I hunt here in SW MN.