Shoot.... I'm probably the wrong 1 to ask..
My Style of Hunting By Mr. Warren Womack
For all you folks new to mobile climbing methods, or those of us that have tinkered with our system enough to be dangerous.... "Not only is it good practice but it's also a good conditioning program for climbing. I try to shoot every day and climb up to shoot and down to retrieve arrows, about...saddlehunter.com
Well...I think it a combination of my better understanding of how the animals move about using terrain features and stop stressing so much about stuff. I used to think I had to be in a tree before sunrise and had to be doing this or that.....so what if I didn't make it in time to be up in a tree before first light...the animals are out there all day long. I getting better at just rolling with the flow and mainly just started enjoying myself and stop making it into more of a job.....started relaxing and having more fun and then started seeing more animals....above all I think it just the more time spent out in the hunt woods the better u gonna get.... Emphasising less on the kill and more on the adventure has helped me kill more... hahaha that sounds stupid but it trueWhat were the things you did differently one year that was way better than the last?
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I'm going to say something very similar but a little more concisely - Put yourself out of your comfort zone.Here's another piece of advice, or information, and it isn't fully formed.
The real killers are successful for a lot of reasons. I don't think you can pinpoint which one is most important. But there is something to be said for cross training and adaptability.
One way I've gotten better at deciphering deer behavior is by traveling to hunt. Not everyone has this opportunity. But it doesn't necessarily have to be out of state. It can be a different public tract near you with different terrain, pressure, food, etc. When you stop trying to kill a deer in the moment, and begin to play the long game - this will become very valuable. Anyone can luck up and trip into an awesome spot. But deer are rats with hooves. Across subspecies, geography, terrain, food sources, exposure to hunting pressure, etc, they all share certain traits, display certain types of behavior, and fall into certain habits. These become much more obvious when you've seen them in their "different" form, and can pull the common strand from each situation.
If you're watching Infalt's "hill country bedding", and trying to apply deer bedding on leeward ridge points in a swamp in south alabama - well yeh, you're not going to have much luck connecting dots. But generally speaking, if bucks can hide in cover, with wind/noise protection from behind them, while watching where they intend to go that evening, they're gonna do it. When you run across "buck beds" in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and Missouri, you start to identify the common theme. When you can extract details like that, you can then apply the general knowledge to where ever you're hunting.
I recommend a change of scenery from where you're currently hunting. Go try to solve the puzzle from a totally different angle.
The advice to read the books and watch the videos and follow the blogs is good - but only if you understand what you're trying to pull from it. You aren't going to get a short cut. They don't exist in deer hunting. You're looking to find concepts, theory, ideas, that you can apply to your specific situation. The broader the spectrum you're learning on, the better off you are for a couple of reasons. Number one - you'll learn more stuff. Number two, you get better at learning, and fast. This is why i recommend going cover a bunch of ground. Not slow. Probably not even with a weapon in your hand, but i'll let that one slide since it is hunting season. But DON'T carry a way up a tree.
Squirrel hunting is an awesome way to scout. If you want a challenge, bring your bow to do it. But just go cover some ground. Cross train. You'll learn some adaptability in the process.
I think you can drop any of the legends in any part of the country and they'll get on deer quick, and get on big ones fairly quick too. This is due to a lot of reasons. But I can promise you, they'll all start with eliminating the crappy places to hunt as fast as possible. And they're covering ground to do that.
What state are you hunting?So season opened Oct. 15th for me, and i have around 20 sits. 0 kills and only seen 4 or 5 deer. Still learning public and its kicking my butt. Im starting to get burnt out, almost 2 years ago i made the decision to not hunt over food plots/feeders anymore. Thats also the last time I've killed a deer. Anyways what's some tips for you veteran hunters out there to not get burned out?
What state are you hunting?
If venison tasted as good as beef, im not sure i could pass them like I do. I don't see a roast walking by, so if its not big enough to mount, I have zero desire to shoot it. Real easy to get burned out when year after year ya don't see anything over 100".I think that todays antler culture contributes significantly to a lot of guys getting burned out. I consider myself a predator, and hunt like it. Season opens, I do some killing on some does, usually pretty quick. Yes, I also like killing big bucks and have killed my fair share, but I darn sure enjoy eating, and when we are getting late in season, I have no issue killing what some would consider a "small" buck. This culture of everyone thinking they should be shooting a buck based on inches of antler cracks me up. I enjoy telling people to go hunting when they are hungry, because when it is about eating, I find a whole different gear.
Venison does taste just as good as beef. 5 tags filled this year. I never feel burned out. Guess it depends on your level of dedication. Top is venison sloppy joes, next is venison chili (making another batch this week), next is venison vegetable soup, bottom is stew meat in different marinades. Sounds like you are in the antler camp. Me, I also fall into the Dang they taste good camp.If venison tasted as good as beef, im not sure i could pass them like I do. I don't see a roast walking by, so if its not big enough to mount, I have zero desire to shoot it. Real easy to get burned out when year after year ya don't see anything over 100".
I am a veteran hunter and into the triple digits on whitetail kills, am 0-31 on my hunts this year. I have saw deer only six times on 31 hunts and have had 0 chances for a shot. However during this time I have saw over 150 people. Public hunting in MA is tough considering I used to have a farm in western KY. Just keep grinding!So season opened Oct. 15th for me, and i have around 20 sits. 0 kills and only seen 4 or 5 deer. Still learning public and its kicking my butt. Im starting to get burnt out, almost 2 years ago i made the decision to not hunt over food plots/feeders anymore. Thats also the last time I've killed a deer. Anyways what's some tips for you veteran hunters out there to not get burned out?
So the grind continued well into the second half of this season for me, but it felt good, had seen 19 or 20 deer at that point, some too far to shoot, spooked a couple doing stupid things, bumped a couple getting into woods too late and rushing, but none the less, seeing deer, seemed I was in the right spots, just had not connected. Anyway, cold wet rainy day, got out of bed after a night shift and dragged myself into the woods and finally got it done. My point in sharing my story is this, two things really - One, persistence pays off, keep grinding the grind. And two, it was well worth the two and a half seasons it took me to get it done with a bow. It was a really good feeling and I don't regret the time I put into it. The take away if your feeling burnt out - the moment is that much more awesome when you do finally connect.Archery Only?
Who here exclusively hunts with a bow? What reasons do you have for staying bow only? Have you ever regretted taking your bow instead of a rifle? I am bow only by both preference and necessity. I enjoy archery as much if not more than hunting alone. I love shooting and tweaking my bows. Archery...saddlehunter.com
I committed to using a bow only last year and if it wasn't for the grocery store I would be vegetarian only haha. Turns out sitting in the corner of a big field and wacking deer on the other side with rile didn't make me much of a bow hunter.
But... I have learned more about deer (and turkey in spring) in a season and a half with no kills than I did in the last 25 years all put together with a rifle / shotgun. Its been good. And yes, sometimes a grind.
I haven’t read much of this thread
That looks AWESOME! Would you mind sharing your process? Maybe in the cooking section so we don't derail ( ) this thread? I got some canning supplies and this looks like a great idea. Lord knows I shoot enough deer and this would be a great change of pace.Venison does taste just as good as beef. 5 tags filled this year. I never feel burned out. Guess it depends on your level of dedication. Top is venison sloppy joes, next is venison chili (making another batch this week), next is venison vegetable soup, bottom is stew meat in different marinades. Sounds like you are in the antler camp. Me, I also fall into the Dang they taste good camp.View attachment 41653
I'm going to do a large batch of chili hopefully this week or early next and will post up my process for that over in the cooking section. You can also PM me, would be happy to answer any questions about what I do to pressure can my venison.That looks AWESOME! Would you mind sharing your process? Maybe in the cooking section so we don't derail ( ) this thread? I got some canning supplies and this looks like a great idea. Lord knows I shoot enough deer and this would be a great change of pace.
excellent post! I feel the same way. Living in south central Alabama, good public land is not close and I've had to rely mostly on hunting clubs. The grass is not always greener on the other side, most clubs are not quite as they seem, and they all have at least a few issues. I think you have to have the grind mentality and have the confidence to be patient and hang in theirDo you know what's refreshing about this post? Burn out happens to all of us. It's our tuition in learning how to be great hunters. Growing up my Dad would tell me the time deer would move through. And most of the time he was within a half hour. Scouting and knowing how things happen seasonally with hunter numbers like gun vs archery makes a difference. We all spend a lot of focus on deer nowadays. I think sometimes we need to reset and be thankful for the opportunity to be out there. Grab the .22 and take it for a walk one day. Get a few squirrels, make a pot pie for dinner and come up with a game plan from what you learned. Good luck!