• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Deep South early season

mschultz373 said:
How about scent control and the heat in FL?

I have bumped deer scouting on really hot afternoons - like 95-100F… so I would have guessed hunting during those temps, while miserable, might be doable

You can always come hunt SE LA!
Click to expand...
I look at the predominant winds and hope for the best. Being so close to 2 major body's of water (Atlantic ocean and largest river in our state) it's a crap shoot. They swirl every sit hahahahah. Woods that are say 10- 15 miles from the ocean u can count on the west wind in the am and it'll turn east as the day warms then it'll rain.....it's cool seeing the evaporation cycle play out and I get to cool off in the rain...hahahaha
 
NMSbowhunter said:
How close to you live to Georgia? If you are reasonably close it might pay to buy an out of state license and hunt up there where I (assume?) there are fewer regs like quotas...
Click to expand...
That is my 2 hunting buddies idea this year also......we'll see how that plays out..it's expensive to hunt outta state, I looked
 
Weldabeast said:
That is my 2 hunting buddies idea this year also......we'll see how that plays out..it's expensive to hunt outta state, I looked
Click to expand...
Maybe if it works out for them this season you can get in on the action next year and maybe the three of you can split some costs.
 
I'm real close to the fla/ga line....prior to these jokers trying to convince me to go up there, g2 was the only 1 trying to convince me to hunt ga. I don't think that's gonna happen anymore hahaha

NMSbowhunter said:
Maybe if it works out for them this season you can get in on the action next year and maybe the three of you can split some costs.
Click to expand...

Ga starts earlier and my bro on the board already with a upper case 11 pointer and I'm jelly
 
mschultz373 said:
I have bumped deer scouting on really hot afternoons - like 95-100F… so I would have guessed hunting during those temps, while miserable, might be doable

You can always come hunt SE LA!
Click to expand...

I bumped a few deer that were out and about while scouting yesterday afternoon, mid 90's high humidity and sweating my tail off. Couldn't see them through the Palmetto jungle but sounded like they may have been decent sized animals.
 
When you guys do find these hot feed trees, about how long will they stay hot? Typically? Like if I scouted this weekend, how likely would they still be hot in two weeks for opener?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
mschultz373 said:
When you guys do find these hot feed trees, about how long will they stay hot? Typically? Like if I scouted this weekend, how likely would they still be hot in two weeks for opener?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Walk, walk, walk, find hot tree, hunt. Kill deer. Repeat. Don’t stop walking till you find the tree. You’ll know it. And if you find it and leave to come back two weeks later you’re doing it wrong.
 
I’m chomping at the bit by the time October 1 rolls around, so I intentionally pace myself early season (not hunting every available moment) so I’m not burnt out by prime time (mid December). I tend to hunt more afternoons, but that’s just due to my schedule. I prefer to set up on trails between feed sources and bedding areas.
Main thing I do is pace myself walking to the stand so I’m not absolutely drenched when I get there, cool down in the stand before putting on my top SL layer, and NEVER forget a Thermacell!! Seriously…I’d attempt to shoot my compound without a release before I’d try to sit for 4 hours in South LA during October with no mosquito abatement!!!
 
I guess I do it wrong. I don’t pre season scout. I tried it early in life. I look at terrain features, water nearby, I walk there, I look for a hot tree hang and hunt. Mark the tree to know where to look next year.
A hot tree in Oct 1 don’t mean crap on Oct 20th. IMHO.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
mschultz373 said:
When you guys do find these hot feed trees, about how long will they stay hot? Typically? Like if I scouted this weekend, how likely would they still be hot in two weeks for opener?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
I wait until a few days prior to season to scout for the first hot tree. I want to line something up for opening day that will still be hot. Anything you find 2 weeks out is unlikely to last until the opener. Some trees are hot for a week or two at most, some seem like they only last a couple of days. Each tree is a law unto itself.
 
kyler1945 said:
This is why I say you need piles of time to hunt public land when it’s hot and be successful.

Your odds of lucking into a deer with a bow in the southeast when it’s 90* plus outside are way lower. Why? Food is spread out and deer move around less during the day.

Unless you know what you’re doing, you need a lot of time to dial it in.

You can of course ignore these ground truths, but they’re still there.

If someone tells you they’re successful early season in south Louisiana, ask them to shadow them for the entire month of October. My guess is you’ll be taking a lot of time off work, and cashing in all your yard passes with the wife.
Click to expand...
As someone who does best from Oct1-thanksgiving in Louisiana yes 100%, my best years were the ones where I wasn’t working from Sep-Jan. But then again my most successful day ever is opening day overall there’s never a more specific day that I have the most kill ratio. And also they haven’t been hunted since the previous Jan or Feb. I simply see more deer in October than any other month consistently.
 
The_Fit_Ness_Monster said:
As someone who does best from Oct1-thanksgiving in Louisiana yes 100%, my best years were the ones where I wasn’t working from Sep-Jan. But then again my most successful day ever is opening day overall there’s never a more specific day that I have the most kill ratio. And also they haven’t been hunted since the previous Jan or Feb. I simply see more deer in October than any other month consistently.
Click to expand...
I agree. I love early season in spite of the heat and bugs. I basically have the woods to myself, the deer are slightly less freaked out and jumpy. By mid November other people are out and about, gun season has begun, and the few deer we have are in the witness protection program living under assumed names in Albuquerque.
 
This is the first October in years I'm (hopefully) going to be able to get in the woods more. Looking forward to hopefully seeing some less pressured deer. Normally it's after Thanksgiving before I can get out more regularly.
 
The weather definitely has to be right. I hunt more in the rain than when it’s dry. But, I also hunt a food source. If it’s over 85 I won’t hunt. I’ll hunt tomorrow am, because it going to be 63 degrees here in GA with a high of 73. I didn’t hunt last week because we weren’t see low temps below 70, and highs in the mid 80’s. I’ll be hunting most of the week next week, because we will have mild weather.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Get a therma cell for mosquitoes. Big bucks move best when thermals are transitioning or winds shifting throughout the day.

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk
 
I hunt in middle Tennessee so not quite as deep as your south but it's still pretty hot on the late September opener. I always hunt early season mostly just to stack a few does in the freezer. I only hunt evenings. When its this hot out, seems like the deer get back to their beds before sunrise. I do try stay out of my best spots during the early season though to give me a better shot at decent bucks.
 
I’m a little different I hunt private in Louisiana despite it being private it receives heavy pressure. Im not far from the Capitol City. It’s a quick drive from a population hub. I’m sure you know the area I’m talking about. I’m the only person in a saddle or tree during bow season

October is usually the best month of hunting for me. I mainly hunt evenings.

I like make the majority of the trek in gym shorts and t shirt. Strip down. ( I’m sure if anyone saw they would be confused and concerned) Wipe down. Get suited up. Spray down and SLOWLY slip into my spot. I use scent boot powder and deodorant (especially in the swamp area you will create). I also use a drag rag. I want to try the conquest ever calm this season.

I can be a little neurotic about scent control. Big Eberhart guy.

Hydration - I’m trying a small bladder instead of a Nalgene. The Nalgene can be loud and I have dropped them from a tree. I always add some kind of electrolyte to it.

Bugs- I am pretty covered up. I grew up duck hunting in SW LA so I’m used to those hot early morning buzzing teal hunts.

Biggest thing at least for me is to pace yourself! Hunt hard and smart those first couple of weeks of October. Then ease off until mid to late December.

I’ll take off for the LSU Vs. Auburn game. Hopefully I can get the buck I started chasing last season by then. Otherwise I’ll be glued to my phone waiting for trail cam pictures. #GeauxTigers


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top