No Excuses!

[xcaliber]

This thread is for the hunters that fill their tags year, after year. Not talking about trophy hunting, just freezer filling hunters that put in the time practicing with their gear, scouting, and preparing for the inevitable shot that they know will come. There are many hunters that venture out to hunt with archery equipment and don't fill their tags for one reason, or another. Many hunt Public Land, and just don't get a break. They scout, practice, honor the deer's nose, play the wind, etc. For some reason, they just don't connect. It takes so many factors to line up to fill the deer tags, and often it really comes down to just not getting the shot. We all know the guy with the lucky horse shoe in their pocket, but no excuses! We all hunt hard, put the hours in at the range, tweak the gear, watch our scent, the wind etc. But, what else does it take? Many of us get the pleasure, and opportunity to hunt private land, we don't have to deal with the stumbling dummy that can't find their stand in the dark, lost their way back to the parking lot, etc. So, let's add some tips to deal with the circumstances that might arise where we have little, or no control. Let's arm our brothers to insure their success, no excuses!
Let's talk about hunting edges, swamps, thickets. Let's talk about other hunters movements, access points, deer movement. Let's talk about being mobile, versatile, open minded. Let's talk about gear that tips the advantages. Let's talk about odds! If for no other reason than just telling your stories, let's help these folks. If you take one tip from us, that helps stack the deck!
Good Luck this fall!

[xcaliber]

One tip from me, I hunt an area of public land that borders a swamp. It is in the north west corner of the property, but hard to reach. It is about a .9 mile hike in, and between two marshes. Their are a lot of duck hunters west of this strip, and you can hear them shooting all day long. You might get some rain from them as well. Good news is that deer migrate there later in the season from pressure, so the old timers start visiting this place early on just out of instinct. We hunt the narrow strips leading back there early on, and usually fill a few doe tags, and an occasional nice buck. When we drag our deer out, we always go out the hard way, and tell the boys in the parking lot some BS story of where we got the deer. Crowd Control!

[munch]

dan i see lots of fellows that could walk choose to drive their truck or quad to within a 100 yards of where they will hunt. i myself dont care if i have to walk a half mile then cross a stream and gully .i figure if i,m going to spend the whole day in the bush im going all the way. ps i thinks ive poked 3 deer now using this strategy lol

[8ptbuk]

Here's a lesson I've learned , poor or mediocre hunters with great location's to hunt kill bigger bucks than great hunters in poor locations ! Its all about location ! In other words the real hunt starts way before the first shot is fired !

[xcaliber]

So true! Deer do prefer their travel patterns, and will travel them if not disturbed. That is a rare thing on Public Land once the season starts. When i had the family farm to hunt, there was really only one concern, don't bump the deer on the way in. We knew the patterns, and just had to make sure we got set early enough to beat them.

[Riflemanz]

Location, 18' high stands with rifle rests, clean scent free clothes,time to hunt a lot!

[dutchhunter]

the biggest thing is you have to hunt were the deer are .not just were thy my pass thru but right were thy want to be .get between the bedding and feeding areas .deer will leave tracks all over hells half acer but thy may only travel by every two weeks .be on the feed and close to the bed and you will see deer .shooting them is another job .but if you see them at least you got a chance at a shot D

[Waif]

Don,t get hung up over night time sign.
If deer feel pressured be where they want to be.
I ran the woods hard for decades before losing a leg.
Now instead of hunting like a coyote I hunt like a blue heron. Staying within range of where deer want to be when shooting lite exists during travel times takes more home work but better ambushing has been the result as well as some surprises in age of deer and buck sightings.
Homework is constant as deer change routes
and I prefer to catch them on the in betweens rather than be in bedding or feed areas . Feed early season a routine a while so hey hunt it if deer are in it before dark but around here they wait till dark or are still approaching after being hunted, so it's waiting for them when and where they want to be during daylight enough once they are on their feet in the afternoon or late to bed in the fog or a fast lighting overcast, or an agreeable doe some morning....

[buzrdluck]

lowest topography, water, food, cover= deer...they take lowest route (ie. ditch in middle of a field). if there is water and food, find the lowest point of travel between the two and you should at least see deer. once you see them then you know where to set up next time. ALWAYS remember the wind and use it to your advantage. one other point, be aware of any shadow or silhouette caused by the sun when it rises,,,, deer know what the area usually looks like...they dont usually see a tumor on the side of that tree.... i never have figured out how long to boil horns so i could eat them...

[884savage]

Deer and Deer Hunting magazine had an article in it this month about how we make the same mistakes again and again and again. Then we make excuses for why we have to. I think the number one mistake/excuse used is either over hunting a stand or hunting it on the wrong wind and trying to proclaim our scent control system is flawless. It isn't. It won't ever be. The whitetail nose will win every time. It seems the number one and number two excuses for over hunting a stand or hunting it on the wrong wind are, "I only have one day to hunt this week, so I'm gonna hunt my best stand regardless of the wind." Or, "This is the only farm I've got, and I only have 1 or 2 stands, so I have to over hunt them." I've never paid a penny for a lease, and I have access to over 2000 acres of private ground on 7 different farms. If you want more places to hunt, you have to knock on lots of doors, make lots of friends, and don't take a bunch of drunk fools with you to those farms once you've gained access. It takes years to gain a place and seconds to lose it. As far as time goes, nobodies making more of it, but that's still no excuse for hunting a wrong wind. You're better off to stay home or hunt a far lesser stand if the wind is right than to screw one up hunting it wrong. Next is access to the stand. Having a stand that you can access without getting busted ever is a thing of beauty. Use creeks, ditches, and any form of cover possible to enter a stand undetected. Certainly don't cross a field. That goes for after the hunt as well. It's better to have a friend drive out to you in his truck and clear the field that way than for you to bust them all walking away. Third, redirect deer where you want them. If deer are crossing a fence somewhere you don't want them to, block that route, and make it convenient for them to cross where you want them to. Tie two strands together and watch what happens on a fencerow. Deer quickly find the low impact crossing point and use it. Fourth, provide food. There are so many products out there these days like throw and grow that grow virtually anywhere that planting a small wooded food plot might be just what you need. Fifth, what was stated above about location is spot on. If you're 500 acres with no deer, you're wasting your time. I had the blessing to hunt Iowa private ground one time. In 3 days I saw 500 deer. It was nuts. Nothing at all like southern Indiana. Sixth and last, remember that 95% of other hunters are either inexperienced, lazy, or just plain careless. They will provide you shot opportunities if you let them. If you're on public ground, watch what deer do when spooked. They will do it again. Get ahead of them, and wait for other hunters to spook them to you. Walk that extra mile or 2. I really like what was stated above about going out of your way with a dead deer to prevent others from invading your area. You've worked your tail off to go the extra mile to tag a nice buck, don't blow it for next year by telling some slob how you did it. After 30 years of hunting, I've made every mistake I've mentioned numerous times, and I still make the excuses too. I ask forgiveness every week for it.

[xcaliber]

Amen. We all get skunked once in a while, and more often than not when hunting whitetails. I love using the climbing stand for just that reason, over hunting a spot!

[cevans]

We got a lot more deer in southern Indiana this year this being the 5-6th yr after that bad case of EHD that slammed us then. I am seeing a lot of nice bucks up to huge 12' pointer less than 400 yrds from my house. I have yet to hang a stand tho and in no big hurry as things will change a bit as they cut crops and fall changes their playing around and still a lot of scouting to do..going at the crack of dawn in the foggy morning as its going to be nice and cool and foggy and can slip and slid and scout up and down these wooded hills. All my stands are hanging on trees near the house airing out and ready to go tho. When it rains later this week..I will be out in it,,hanging one or two for sure using the rain to cover my scent.

[Fullquiver]

Don't get tied to one stand. Practice shooting with both hands so you can shoot as well with either. Always watch the wind... use other hunters to your advantage.. Real life practice, shooting in low light not off from your bench but out of your treestand. Missing or getting a bad hit should almost never happen... If you sit in a stand and watch the deer travel 50 yards beyond your comfort zone don't complain MOVE...

Do not hunt trees I have seen good locations that guys would not hunt because they could not find a tree to hunt out of, try the ground. It can and is done all of the time. Hunt away from bait, bait can work but at times it is a handicap. Watch where the deer travel, it might sound ridiculous but many guys won't hunt fresh sign, as they are stuck in their own pattern. I always hunt sign.

[R.J.]

My # 1 tip is enjoy the hunt !

Filling tags is not a priority anymore ( been there / done that ) ... enjoying the outdoors and the hunt is most important for me at this stage of my life .

I found this "5 stages" article years ago and found it very interesting because I believe most of us experience many of , or all of the stages listed below .

FIVE STAGES OF A HUNTER

Hunters change through the years. Factors used to determine
"successful hunting" change as well for each hunter. A hunter's age,
role models, and his years of hunting experience affect his ideas of
"success."

Many hunters may fit into one of the following five groups. In
1975-1980, groups of over 1,000 hunters in Wisconsin were studied,
surveyed, and written about by Professors Robert Jackson and Robert
Norton, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. The results of their
studies form a widely accepted theory of hunter behavior and
development. Where are you now? Where would you like to be?

SHOOTER STAGE

The hunter talks about satisfaction with hunting being closely tied to
being able to "get shooting." Often the beginning duck hunter will
relate he had an excellent day if he got in a lot of shooting. The
beginning deer hunter will talk about the number of shooting
opportunities. Missing game means little to hunters in this phase. A
beginning hunter wants to pull the trigger and test the capability of
his firearm. A hunter in this stage may be a dangerous hunting
partner.

LIMITING OUT STAGE

A hunter still talks about satisfaction gained from shooting. But what
seems more important is measuring success through the killing of game
and the number of birds or animals shot. Limiting out, or filling a
tag, is the absolute measure. Do not let your desire to limit out be
stronger than the need for safe behavior at all times.

TROPHY STAGE

Satisfaction is described in terms of selectivity of game. A duck
hunter might take only greenheads. A deer hunter looks for one special
deer. A hunter might travel far to find a real trophy animal. Shooting
opportunity and skills become less important.

METHOD STAGE

This hunter has all the special equipment. Hunting has become one of
the most important things in his life. Satisfaction comes from the
method that enables the hunter to take game. Taking game is important,
but second to how it is taken. This hunter will study long and hard
how best to pick a blind site, lay out decoys, and call in
waterfowl. A deer hunter will go one on one with a white-tailed deer,
studying sign, tracking, and the life habits of the deer. Often, the
hunter will handicap himself by hunting only with black powder
firearms or bow and arrow. Bagging game, or limiting, still is
understood as being a necessary part of the hunt during this phase.

SPORTSMAN STAGE

As a hunter ages and after many years of hunting, he "mellows out."
Satisfaction now can be found in the total hunting experience. Being
in the field, enjoying the company of friends and family, and seeing
nature outweigh the need for taking game.

Not all hunters go through all the stages, or go through them in that
particular order. It is also possible for hunters who pursue several
species of game to be in different stages with regard to each
species. Some hunters feel that role models of good sportsmen,
training, or reading books or magazines helped them pass more quickly
through some stages.

[xcaliber]

Very good post! Hunting, and killing are two different things. The hunt ends after the kill is recovered. I enjoy the hunt more than kill in some ways, and try hard to keep them separate. If you equate hunting with killing as a measure of success, you will not enjoy hunting to the fullest extent.
Thanks for the reality statement. No better words to be spoken.