The Hunting Beast

KLEMZ wrote:Dan, would you call that an "overlooked" spot? Basically, a scraggly clump of scrub trees where you set up right off the cornfield. The dogwood bedding spot was only 55-60 yards from the stand tree. I could see a large area of upland woods further east that probably attracts the majority of the hunters?
Also, his bed was on the very edge of the dogwood clump so I would have thought it would be an easterly wind bed, yet you hunted it with a south west wind (as far as I can tell). How did you know he used this bed on that wind? Is this an any wind bed?
Thanks.

That would not be an overlooked spot... Thats a classic "right where I would expect it spot"
The woods does attract hunters... Most buck beds within cover in the marsh are any wind direction.

You said there were other beds along the cattail/dogwood transition. I was wondering why you picked to hunt that particular bed.... did it have the best tree for a stand available? most buck sign? could you tell that bed had been used the most?

This was the primary bed... There was another pretty well used bed in the same area a little farther out but the trail ended up at the same staging area, and the same tree would of been used. For the sake of confusion, I did not feel the need to show other beds. The bed the buck was in, was used more, had a perfect position to detect danger, had a rub right in the bed and a scrape within feet. I was confidant that it would most likely bed there.

dan wrote:

You said there were other beds along the cattail/dogwood transition. I was wondering why you picked to hunt that particular bed.... did it have the best tree for a stand available? most buck sign? could you tell that bed had been used the most?

This was the primary bed... There was another pretty well used bed in the same area a little farther out but the trail ended up at the same staging area, and the same tree would of been used. For the sake of confusion, I did not feel the need to show other beds. The bed the buck was in, was used more, had a perfect position to detect danger, had a rub right in the bed and a scrape within feet. I was confidant that it would most likely bed there.

sounds good Dan, I figured your answer would sound something like that. Just wanted to make sure I was on the same page.

Great video Dan, I just can't believe you can get in a tree with the buck right there! You just got me pumped!

Awesome video Dan! Very impressed. Sat down and watched it with the ol' ladys 6 year old boy and he said to tell you not to worry you'll get him next time.

dan wrote:
I did not notice till editing the show, but at the shot you can see something that looks black fly thru the viewing screen... I am guessing it could of been a fletching? but not sure...

looks like a piece of your string silencer......but it could have been something off your jacket, or something that hitched a ride on your walk in.

Love the part when he stands right up!! Very neat.

Did you put the camera on him the moment you saw him bedded and let it run till he stood up and you took the shot. Or did you shut it off until you thought he was aobut to stand up and then hit record again?

Every time I set up close over a bed I tend to make at least one noise that is kind of loud that worries me all night weather a deer heard it. SOmetimes I break a stick too loud or I make a soft clank on my treestand. Dan, does this happen to you and then you worry that the setup is blown. And do you remember if you made any sounds like this that worried you while setting up on this buck or the other big buck you shot this year?

PredatorTC wrote:Love the part when he stands right up!! Very neat.

Did you put the camera on him the moment you saw him bedded and let it run till he stood up and you took the shot. Or did you shut it off until you thought he was aobut to stand up and then hit record again?

The camera was in record fixed on the bed almost the whole time I was in the tree... I did turn it of record for a little while ( about 5 or 10 minutes )

How long were you on post before he got up?

PredatorTC wrote:Every time I set up close over a bed I tend to make at least one noise that is kind of loud that worries me all night weather a deer heard it. SOmetimes I break a stick too loud or I make a soft clank on my treestand. Dan, does this happen to you and then you worry that the setup is blown. And do you remember if you made any sounds like this that worried you while setting up on this buck or the other big buck you shot this year?

Usually, I am pretty quiet. I have made noise though and still had deer get up close later on... The main thing is, try not to make any noise but, if you make a noise don't panic. Stop what your doing and stay still for several minutes. Let the buck calm down and forget about it... Think of the times your in a tree hunting and you hear a branch break in the direction your expecting danger. You think its a deer and you lock your vision on the area looking for any movement and you listen intently for anymore sound. If nothing happens in 4 or 5 minutes you kind of dismiss it as a squirell or whatever and just forget about it... I think deer likely do the same thing when they hear a noise.

Zap wrote:How long were you on post before he got up?

About 1 1/2 hours.

dan wrote:That would not be an overlooked spot... Thats a classic "right where I would expect it spot"

I am surprised by this answer. I believe you just cleared up a misconception I have about hunting public land. I just always assumed I needed to go remote to have a chance on public. On this set up you probably walked 75 yards through cover to reach your tree. I just thought such an easy to get to spot would have other public land hunters there also.
The lesson here is if the buck sign is present, and the people sign is absent, it is worth hunting....no matter how close it is to an access point.

The lesson here is if the buck sign is present, and the people sign is absent, it is worth hunting....no matter how close it is to an access point.

There is more pressure on the other end of the marsh... But I have seen another guy set up real close to where I was at. But he would of scared everything away setting up and probably did not know it.

Great job on the hunt. Excellant video.

Out of curiosity, and to keep from making the same mistake, what were the reasons for "more pressure" at the other end of the marsh? Any ideas? I mean, what would draw hunterrs to the other end of the marsh as opposed to where the buck actually was?