What worked?

[Boudreaux]

This year was the year of NEVER hunt the same tree twice. In years previous I might hunt the same tree 4-5 times. This year I made it a point not to, I might hunt the same spot but would be 10-15 yards away from the tree I hunted before. Can't say that it made a big difference or not. As part of this I was forced to "not hunt the perfect tree" because that would be the tree I wanted to hunt each time. So I was forced to hunt leaning trees, trees in the open, and larger trees than what I normally would have.

Thanks,
Boswell

 

[huck72412]

The rim of the quarry is 75 feet above me. It is basically a sheer wall. I am hunting the base of it. So when the wind blows from the east, it go well above my head and out to the west. I'm assuming that the deer take comfort in that " sheltering " as well. Southeast wind isn't typically as good because it blows me quartering over the river and up the bottleneck but not totally. But this wind direction has proven to be good when I'm using estrous. Make sense??

 

[woods89]

Huck, I like your attitude and feel a little bit the same. If I come across someone hunting in a spot that I've scouted I try to minimize my impact and move on to the next one. I believe that good things happen to people who are willing to go the extra mile to get along.

Somehow I believe that with most of the guys here your spot is pretty safe! Funny though!

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[redsquirrel]

Anyone is welcome Red. I don't mind anyone hunting with me. Yeah there's always plenty to be learned. When I first found the area I wouldn't hunt it without a west wind. My theory was that this wind would blow my scent toward the cliff leading up to the quarry rim. Well success was minimal at best until I discovered that when the wind hits that wall then it has to go somewhere and that somewhere was left and right. Ultimately sending quite an unmistakable signal to the deer up the bottleneck. And sending me back to the truck without a story to tell.

Very cool Huck. Thanks for sharing what you learned. I have family outside of Atlanta so I may just look you up someday

 

[huck72412]

There's plenty for everyone Mausty, lol. Hey Woods89 I've encountered so many trespassers on this property I forgot what one looks like. We don't have much public land so when you find a good hole and shoot a few good ones then unfamiliar boot tracks start appearing under your tree with frequency. But like I said, God's woods. He led me there , I trust as long as I'm willing to walk away from a Pope &Young then He will lead me to a Booner

 

[redsquirrel]

Somehow I believe that with most of the guys here your spot is pretty safe! Funny though!

Agreed, but anyone on the internet can see what is posted so you never know!

 

[huck72412]

Maybe someone who hasn't shot a biggin will go there and shoot a great one! That would be cool!!

 

[Maustypsu]

There's plenty for everyone Mausty, lol.

Heck no, you come up here. More Biggin's, private land, actual hunting temperatures and all the trees your spurs care to climb.

Man, you should have been here in the early season with those things. One long weekend in the early season at 35 feet would have gotten you atleast onto a P&Y. It just took until the foilage fell and I got up and scent free did it start coming together.

 

[Maustypsu]

Ignore the date and time. It was early October at like 4am.

But that guy could have been patterned. I was soooo close, just not high enough to see him. And so low that he saw me. I was pre-hanging sticks and not wearing scent lok when I did it. So if he came back thru, I'm sure he was very slow entering and probably saw me since I was only 18-20' up and he was suspicious of the area.

Next year that I'm on a buck like this, I will go in aggressively in the form John showed me. Then I will get up and have clear and purposeful shooting lanes.

So I can't say what worked yet. But I still have 6 weeks to find this guy slipping up in daylight. Either way, I learned a bunch that has paid off in seeing 0 deer in 5 hunts to seeing multiple deer each of the 5 or 6 hunts since then on the same property, similar areas, just hunting from properly prepared trees at the right time.

Oh... I had my mornings and evenings mixed up after the crops got cut. Scouted when they were in. The first few hunts were right after they came out and the deer completely flipped. Again, from height we could have patterned them very well in a day.

 

[huck72412]

Good Night!!!! Look at that bruiser :shock:
Mike I'm making the trip to Ohio. Just gotta line everything up during the off season and let the boss know I'll be in the trees for a few days. After speaking with you I am quite aware of the golden opportunities you have with the different parcels of land you can access. I look forward to it!!! I'll bring my spurs and you can introduce me to the Web.

 

[huck72412]

Red, where is your family near Atlanta? County? City?

 

[kenn1320]

whoa that is a big buck, hope you get on him.

Huck, I wasnt aware you had a wall above, thought it was a drop off to the quarry. A decent wind is likely lifting your scent up that wall and out over where the deer would walk. Have you tried milk weed to see whats happening?

 

[Autumnrider]

what works for me-----years of post season scouting and learning hot spots (funnels, rut trails, and doe bedding areas) while hunting these spots for many many years, I take notes and remember everything I can about each spot that I have found....after finding what works for my spots, I'll keep looking for spots and learn these new ones... when hunting public land, I try to have 6 to 10 good spots to hunt just incase someone beats me to one spot, I've got another to go to, but you had better be early if you are going to get in my spot....1hr in the stand and settled in waiting on daylight...study arial photos and look for those funnels/bottlenecks .....use others to figure out where to hunt....After post season scouting, don't return till you are ready to hunt...

One of my favorite bottlenecks-----
A tornado ripped through one of our hunting spots (public land) and timber company come in a cleaned up the mess. Well if you live where hunting deer with dogs is legal, these dog runners love cutover. I was looking at the arial picture of the area and found a strip of timber that was necked down between a lake and the cutover that the doggers love and this hour glass timber neck leads between two private lands. This cutover has a road that the doggers love to let the hounds out and push to deer toward the public road and they never let the dogs head toward this timber strip..(no way to catch dogs). I found a honey hole in this neck of timber!!!!!!! Found that the deer try to avoid the cutover and stay in the timber. This has been a great spot for years now....

May sound crazy to many but "IT WORKS FOR ME".......

 

[essdub]

Re: RE: Re: What worked?

Woods89

Those are God's woods. I wouldn't be too terribly upset. I am however envisioning myself sneaking in there on that east wind and finding a bunch of saddle brothers hanging everywhere. That is hilarious man.

OK, Red as we agreed I get the tall Oak and you get hickory. Essdub will take Huck's preset tree since he has the climbing spurs. Looks like Saturday evening is the best wind... see you guys there.

Haha. Ain't too far from home. ..

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[essdub]

Re: RE: Re: What worked?

There's plenty for everyone Mausty, lol.

Heck no, you come up here. More Biggin's, private land, actual hunting temperatures and all the trees your spurs care to climb.

Man, you should have been here in the early season with those things. One long weekend in the early season at 35 feet would have gotten you atleast onto a P&Y. It just took until the foilage fell and I got up and scent free did it start coming together.

There might be a wild deer that big in SC, but I've never seen one. We have a lot of deer, but if someone three or four counties over from you shoots a 130" , it is lauded on the radio and newspaper (do people still read those? ) .I don't know anybody in this state personally who has shot anything much over 100" this year.That's including gun hunters. I only know like two or three other guys here who bow hunt, so I've given in and occasionally gun hunt. I Don't enjoy it nearly as much.
.I have a friend whose other friend shot a beast in October, but I don't actually know that guy.

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