Looking for some constructive advice please

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Adam B
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Looking for some constructive advice please

Unread postby Adam B » Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:32 pm

Ok, I’m gonna be asking some questions over the coming months that may seem awfully basic, but I’ll admit I have no idea what I’m doing here. Please don’t be negative to me. The whole reason I’m here is because I want to learn to do it the right way, and joined a while back in hopes of getting some constructive tips and criticism. I’ve mentioned in other posts that for most of the 30 years I’ve hunted we’d clear off a spot in the woods, hang a set and put a feeder and camera on it. Legal here of course. We’d pull the cards and kill the biggest ones on camera each year. 100-115” 8 and 9 pointers mostly. Finally decided this year to go mobile and hit some public also. I hunted this 40 acres of private last year with no bait and moved around some with a climber only. Most frustrating deer season I’ve ever had in my life. Saw quite a few does on the hoof, had a couple decent bucks on camera only at night. Finally a couple days before last Christmas I had to dump a bag of sugar beet crush out on the ground just to be able to kill a doe for us to eat on over the winter. I was hoping to make a lot more out of this year, but I’ve been all over this tract and found a bunch of tracks. No scrapes, no rubs and 2 little double sets of beds with a little hair in them. What I didn’t walk is some of the thickest brush I have ever seen. You can’t get through it. I’m totally at a loss, and have no idea where to go from here. Only access is from the road frontage. Also my first year in the woods with milkweed and every place I turned a piece loose it went a different direction.
Any thoughts or positive tips would be greatly appreciated!
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UncleBuck3268
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Re: Looking for some constructive advice please

Unread postby UncleBuck3268 » Mon Sep 20, 2021 4:04 pm

Don’t focus in only one place. There may be low deer density in the area or you may be getting too much scent in there. Keep focus and study all sign that you do see very closely. Ask yourself a lot of questions and try to solve them. The mobile thing doesn’t come overnight. It takes a few years, of course everybody is different.

I’d really have to point you in the direction of buying Dan’s DVDs. They are loaded with great information and will probably answer 90% of the questions you have. Then put the tactics to practice. At the end of the day it will come down to how much work you want to put into it.
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Re: Looking for some constructive advice please

Unread postby Evanszach7 » Mon Sep 20, 2021 10:04 pm

Check out the all time tactical threads. Most beds I found don't have a bunch of hair. I've kicked many deer up, went and checked the beds, no hair. Sometimes not even deer crap.
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backstraps
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Re: Looking for some constructive advice please

Unread postby backstraps » Tue Sep 21, 2021 12:17 am

Constructive advice:
I think your tracks looks to be off a little as to where I would have been searching for sign you want to find.

If you have a map that’s uncluttered with your track marks, I’d be happy to show you areas of interest

If you prefer you can send me a PM with the map of post if here and I will try and help
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<DK>
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Re: Looking for some constructive advice please

Unread postby <DK> » Tue Sep 21, 2021 12:34 am

I dont want to give wrong advice so a few questions

*What state?
*Are there big bucks in the surrounding area?
*Is there big buck sign on the property?

You took the hardest step and that is changing your mindset leaving old tactics in the rear view!
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backstraps
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Re: Looking for some constructive advice please

Unread postby backstraps » Tue Sep 21, 2021 12:53 am

<DK> wrote:I dont want to give wrong advice so a few questions

*What state?
*Are there big bucks in the surrounding area?
*Is there big buck sign on the property?

You took the hardest step and that is changing your mindset leaving old tactics in the rear view!


Absolutely agree with this!

Also what is the prevailing wind where your hunting?
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James
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Re: Looking for some constructive advice please

Unread postby James » Tue Sep 21, 2021 3:25 am

That looks like a really tough 40 to access and hunt. With a house/buildings in part of it the challenge only grows. A few thoughts from my perspective hunting hill country:

1. Do you have bigger bucks than you mentioned in the area? Are you seeing them driving around? Neighbors killing bigger ones? If no, then it sounds like you're killing the biggest ones around. It's a cliche saying but you have to be where the big bucks are and some areas just don't have them. Hunting just 40 acres makes it even tougher. If you don't have the big ones in the area the best first step might be getting all the neighbors on a deer management plan. Tough for sure, but can be done. If they are in the area and you're just not seeing them on this 40, then comes my next two suggestions:

2. Trail cameras - I know a lot of guys that get an occasional big buck at 3am and are "hunting" them the rest of the season off that one pic. When mature bucks are frequently using an area you'll get a lot of photos of them and definitely in daytime if they are close. If you want to run trail cameras I would recommend 1 cellular cam over multiple non-cellular. Go in prior to a rain and set it up at the best possible juncture. Use lithium batteries so you get the best life out of it and can avoid going back to change. 1 cell camera should be able to inventory a 40 acre parcel just fine.

3. Pressure - I wouldn't be stepping foot in that 40 acres unless it's a surgical kill mission in season. No checking cameras, no running around. Stop all the baiting which is sounds like you have. A mature buck needs to know that parcel is the safest place to spend time and free of human intrusion. I'm lucky to hunt some hill country farms similar in geography and the human pressure there is near 0% unless it is me or my hunting partner coming in on a kill mission. Hang and hunts only and keep the number of hunts to a real minimum. That is what it takes to keep mature bucks on small parcels. I would plan on half a dozen hunts max all season on a parcel that size. Maybe a couple more for all day rut sits where you only go in/out during dark.

4. Rut - That parcel looks like a great travel corridor for rut hunting. If you've kept the early season pressure to a minimum I would put a few rut hunts in that NE corner. Climb in the dark, hang your set, plan on staying all day. I believe the road to the NE is lower in elevation so a SW wind would make that ridge leeward. I'd be on that ridge for a few all day sits in the rut.

Those are my tips for improving your odds in hill country on mature bucks, especially for a smaller parcel like this. They may sound somewhat harsh but it will take a stark change in tactics to produce the results you want. Killing does for the freezer and killing mature bucks are two completely different things. You may also need to decide which is more important for you and your family.
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Grizzlyadam
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Re: Looking for some constructive advice please

Unread postby Grizzlyadam » Tue Sep 21, 2021 3:28 am

All good advice above for sure. IMO If you're not finding what you're looking for it could be that you need to look elsewhere. 40 acres is a pretty small basket to be putting all your eggs in. I find that the more options you have the better. Some places can be good certain years, or certain times of the year depending on many different factors. It could be changing food sources, pressure, etc that makes a property worth putting time in vs bailing out and moving on to the next. You are definitely on the right path by changing your mindset and being open to trying different things. It will all start to come together eventually.
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Re: Looking for some constructive advice please

Unread postby Lockdown » Tue Sep 21, 2021 4:08 am

All excellent advice so far. Make sure to keep in mind that this is a long process. No matter how bad you want to be a proficient killer, it doesn’t happen overnight. It will likely take a couple years of frustration to get a handle on what works for you and what doesn’t. Once you start gaining ground and learning, it gets a lot easier. It seems like anyone who is determined and sticks with these tactics eventually starts putting deer down. Learn from your mistakes. Embrace them. They will teach you more than anything.

How much effort does it take? Scouting twice a month starting in July isn’t going to get you much intel. Running a bunch of cams and calling it good isn’t going to give you all the answers either. It takes a combination of tactics to get everything to come full circle. I tell my local friends (who have hunted all their lives WITHOUT bait) that it takes 3-5 years to get a decent handle on things, and that’s if they put their time in.

I would also highly recommend getting Dan’s DVD’s. I would pick two that are most similar to the terrains you hunt. The content here and on YouTube is all good, but the DVD’s really break things down.
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Re: Looking for some constructive advice please

Unread postby oldrank » Tue Sep 21, 2021 4:17 am

James wrote:3. Pressure - I wouldn't be stepping foot in that 40 acres unless it's a surgical kill mission in season.



There is alot to be said of this tiny little sentence. I like that term "surgical kill mission".
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Re: Looking for some constructive advice please

Unread postby oldrank » Tue Sep 21, 2021 4:30 am

I will say one thing on baiting. Here in Michigan it was legal most of my hunting career. Do not discount its value. I wouldn't say bait all year or hunt over it everyday but you can use it as a tool if legal. Obviously Dan's bear bait buck shows us it can work. The two hottest times to kill a big buck off bait are opening day or the couple days after and late late season. Rut can pay off too as I've seen big cruising bucks hit bait, usually early November. Setup is key. You cannot be in everyday baiting and checking bait. I had a three day rule. Bait, hunt 3 days later if conditions were right. If not repeat system. Only hunt in perfect conditions. Add the beast tactic knowledge with that, wind, location, cold front days, low pressure mid week days and intimate knowledge of the area and it can payoff. Most baiters problem is they get married to the bait pile and one particular spot. In that case I promise you it's over quick.

With that being said, relying on it will stunt your deer hunting growth..
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Re: Looking for some constructive advice please

Unread postby Moose » Tue Sep 21, 2021 4:44 am

First off this is the place to be to be asking questions. The hunting beast members are full of knowledge! How often do you hunt this property? What wind? You can ruin your hunt very fast hunting on 40 acres on bad winds and if it's over hunted. Just curious on how thick the thick nasty stuff is? Do you see trails going in there? What's the food sources? That might help determine what time of year to hunt it.
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Re: Looking for some constructive advice please

Unread postby Bowhunting Brian » Tue Sep 21, 2021 5:13 am

Adam B wrote:Ok, I’m gonna be asking some questions over the coming months that may seem awfully basic, but I’ll admit I have no idea what I’m doing here. Please don’t be negative to me. The whole reason I’m here is because I want to learn to do it the right way, and joined a while back in hopes of getting some constructive tips and criticism. I’ve mentioned in other posts that for most of the 30 years I’ve hunted we’d clear off a spot in the woods, hang a set and put a feeder and camera on it. Legal here of course. We’d pull the cards and kill the biggest ones on camera each year. 100-115” 8 and 9 pointers mostly. Finally decided this year to go mobile and hit some public also. I hunted this 40 acres of private last year with no bait and moved around some with a climber only. Most frustrating deer season I’ve ever had in my life. Saw quite a few does on the hoof, had a couple decent bucks on camera only at night. Finally a couple days before last Christmas I had to dump a bag of sugar beet crush out on the ground just to be able to kill a doe for us to eat on over the winter. I was hoping to make a lot more out of this year, but I’ve been all over this tract and found a bunch of tracks. No scrapes, no rubs and 2 little double sets of beds with a little hair in them. What I didn’t walk is some of the thickest brush I have ever seen. You can’t get through it. I’m totally at a loss, and have no idea where to go from here. Only access is from the road frontage. Also my first year in the woods with milkweed and every place I turned a piece loose it went a different direction.
Any thoughts or positive tips would be greatly appreciated!

Purchase the DVD's from Dan. They are inexpensive and will help with the learning curve. Ask any of the experienced guys here. It's a good investment.
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Boogieman1
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Re: Looking for some constructive advice please

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Tue Sep 21, 2021 6:20 am

I’m a keep things very simple type guy. Is big bucks ever on that property? By big bucks I mean older bigger than what u have routinely been killing. If so and what u were doing was not working then it’s time to change it up and put a plan together. If not then don’t patch a tire that isn’t flat. Not all places harbor big old bucks. In fact more don’t than do. Can’t kill what isn’t there no matter how much you try. Personally I would verify this property has big bucks b4 I waste any of my precious time planning for something that probably isn’t even there.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
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Adam B
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Re: Looking for some constructive advice please

Unread postby Adam B » Tue Sep 21, 2021 6:27 am

UncleBuck3268 wrote:Don’t focus in only one place. There may be low deer density in the area or you may be getting too much scent in there. Keep focus and study all sign that you do see very closely. Ask yourself a lot of questions and try to solve them. The mobile thing doesn’t come overnight. It takes a few years, of course everybody is different.

I’d really have to point you in the direction of buying Dan’s DVDs. They are loaded with great information and will probably answer 90% of the questions you have. Then put the tactics to practice. At the end of the day it will come down to how much work you want to put into it.

Thank you, I plan on getting the DVD. This is the only private parcel I have access to this year. It's not somewhere I've historically baited. This will be my 2nd year hunting this place. I have several public options within short distances from my home, but have never hunted any of them to date.


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