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How many sits before giving up on an area?

C

casts_by_fly

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2022
Messages
239
Location
NJ
Hi All,

I’m curious for all of you how many sits you’ll give an area that looks like it should be great but just isn’t producing.

For more detail, Feb 2022 I did some after season scouting on some areas that would be too thick to scout the rest of the year. I found two spots with promise that had trails a plenty, fresh poop, a few buck rubs (one giant one), etc. One I’ve seen deer about every other sit and killed one last year. Should have killed one this year but don’t have a clean lane. Great spot.

I’m currently sitting in the other. First sit last year I shot a nice doe at the end of September. I thought I was in the money. I’ve sat it a half dozen times since then and not a peep. I’ve sat sunrise to mid day, mid day to sunset, early season, late season, and all points and winds in between. There is sign around (fresh tracks and scat) and the trails are clearly being used.

The area is bounded by a swamp on one side and pinched by a big fenced yard on another. It’s pretty thick at ground level with saplings, briars, and various bushes. It’s decent browse and there is water nearby (we haven’t had rain for ages it seems). I’d think the deer would be down in here to bed and browse and the sign suggests they are sometimes. However, I’m not sure it’s worth spending any more of my time here.

How about you guys? How long before you give up on a spot?

Rick
 
They could be off at a hot feed tree or other preferred food source and be bedding nearby to it. Maybe they are near an isolated water source and are bedding up nearby. Also, could someone else be hunting the spot when you are not around and over pressuring it?

If you are finding fresh sign they are in there at some time of day or night. Could they be observing you park and walk toward the spot and they are slipping out the back?
 
NMSbowhunter said:
They could be off at a hot feed tree or other preferred food source and be bedding nearby to it. Maybe they are near an isolated water source and are bedding up nearby. Also, could someone else be hunting the spot when you are not around and over pressuring it?

If you are finding fresh sign they are in there at some time of day or night. Could they be observing you park and walk toward the spot and they are slipping out the back?
Click to expand...

there is some hunting pressure here but not much. One guy has a stand over a block or corn but I haven’t seen his truck for weeks now. I suspect the doe I shot there last year was coming off his corn pile now knowing where it is and where she came from.

no chance they see me coming in, it’s too thick. They might hear me though when I sneak deeper in. Definitely not when I hunt the trees closer to the truck.

I suspect it’s food source. There are a couple corn piles 400-600 yards away on another property that I think might be pulling them for now. Early season they are on browse and nuts so they stay low. The nuts are long gone and the high quality browse is gone so corn is the next best. Either way, no need for me to hunt it anymore this season.
 
Yes, corn certainly changes the equation. If you have other areas, you can concentrate on it might be better to spend your time there. If it is a thick spot that holds does you might want to check it out during the rut and see if there are bucks in there.
 
Sounds like you might have a situational spot. So youve gotta figure out what situations bring the deer to that spot.
 
NMSbowhunter said:
Yes, corn certainly changes the equation. If you have other areas, you can concentrate on it might be better to spend your time there. If it is a thick spot that holds does you might want to check it out during the rut and see if there are bucks in there.
Click to expand...
We are past peak rut now. I thought it might be a good rut cruising spot with all of the thickness around for bedding, but nothing in rut season. I think sniperbbb might be right that it’s a situational spot. I think I hit it just right the first time and it’s not a mid season spot (unless I want to put down corn).
 
The waypoints in my honeyholes look like absolute chaos. And I know every little nook of those hard earned spots. It's all trial and error. I'm of the opinion that you can't playbook these animals and it's not for lack of trying on my part.

Timescale is important though.

Day by day, sign is hot until it isn't. Hunt it, but not too much. That's the rub.

Week by week, month by month, deer are deer. They aren't tied to places like we are. Here today, gone tomorrow, back next week. Or next year. They don't have banks and employers, they live where the living is good. And human predators are going to send them along fast.

Year by year, man how things change. We hold onto places, but the habitat changes much faster than our memories and biases.
 
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elk yinzer said:
The waypoints in my honeyholes look like absolute chaos. And I know every little nook of those hard earned spots. It's all trial and error. I'm of the opinion that you can't playbook these animals and it's not for lack of trying on my part.

Timescale is important though.

Day by day, sign is hot until it isn't. Hunt it, but not too much. That's the rub.

Week by week, month by month, deer are deer. They aren't tied to places like we are. Here today, gone tomorrow, back next week. Or next year. They don't have banks and employers, they live where the living is good. And human predators are going to send them along fast.

Year by year, man how things change. We hold onto places, but the habitat changes much faster than our memories and biases.
Click to expand...
I feel every letter of this response in my soul.
 
elk yinzer said:
The waypoints in my honeyholes look like absolute chaos. And I know every little nook of those hard earned spots. It's all trial and error. I'm of the opinion that you can't playbook these animals and it's not for lack of trying on my part.

Timescale is important though.

Day by day, sign is hot until it isn't. Hunt it, but not too much. That's the rub.

Week by week, month by month, deer are deer. They aren't tied to places like we are. Here today, gone tomorrow, back next week. Or next year. They don't have banks and employers, they live where the living is good. And human predators are going to send them along fast.

Year by year, man how things change. We hold onto places, but the habitat changes much faster than our memories and biases.
Click to expand...
Well said! I've been a lot happier hunter and human since I realized that I truly can't control anything and just go with the flow and hunt the deer as they are where they are right now. I've been more successful too. That's why I have embraced truly mobile hunting.
 
I’ve stopped using cameras except for these situations. Leave a few (non-cell) cameras on the strongest sign, let them soak a week or 2. if they’re only passing through at night, you might want to move on.
 
“Year by year, man how things change. We hold onto places, but the habitat changes much faster than our memories and biases”

Heart emoji that one.
Most public is consistently maddening.


The StickBoys are a podcast/ traditional bow hunting group that a few members here suggested;
They will reinforce a message similar to; try to see the woods as they are; not as you wish ( hope) them to be.

I can see the sign, but we can’t see all the other pieces; the pressure when we weren’t there, the undisturbed bedding on surrounding private, the new bait , the “ my spot” year round stand since u scouted in the off season.
I have a few spots like your piece where you have to work it, but it feels like deer hunting and it’s nice not have to worry as much about your kills getting on to posted.
I discuss this quite a bit with some local buddies.
Look for hunter sign- flagging , trail cams, stands and shooting lanes, move on if you aren’t seeing deer around these

Also im a hack and missed a deer this week.

Head over to WHW , piled high , or 4 day to kill threads for some good pieces of info.

You are asking the right questions.
 
casts_by_fly said:
We are past peak rut now. I thought it might be a good rut cruising spot with all of the thickness around for bedding, but nothing in rut season. I think sniperbbb might be right that it’s a situational spot. I think I hit it just right the first time and it’s not a mid season spot (unless I want to put down corn).
Click to expand...
Sometimes you just get lucky. Early success can somewhat blind us to what was going on. Sounds like you've got past that.
 
If I'm not seeing deer on stand, I scout with wind to facw til I see or jump deer and hunt immediately or very shortly. Deering seeing or hearing you isn't a huge deal in my experience.
 
i need multiple sits in what should be a prime spot during prime weather before i'll make a determination

i'd say at least 3 times i have to be at a place that on that day i should at least be seeing does and little bucks....and nothing....then i'll give up

when that happens, it's almost always other hunters or coyotes

i have one area that is beautiful and has some sign, but i've hunted the WMA 10 times and saw maybe 3 does total

but walking out at night, the entire 3,000 acre valley is just filled with howling coyotes, i've even found them dead and saw 2 coyotes walking around in daylight on the same day
 
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