Burned Out!!! Tips?

[Jwiggins762]

Best advice I can give you is start walking. You ain’t gonna Learn squat sitting in a tree. Unless you are in a jam up spot, you’ll be hanging with the squirrels. Wear out some boot leather. Find feed trees, trails, rubs, bedding areas, jump deer, walk downwind, screw it all up. Don’t stop until the sign takes your breath away. Like @WHW says, ‘hunt sign that MAKES you climb a tree’ - how do you recognize it? Well, you gotta see a lot to know the difference. You already know what good sign doesn’t look like to this point. Go out and bump some deer man. Be too aggressive, move too much.

People may disagree, and it violates the deer hunter code of sit food or travel corridors and wait for deer that know you and every other hunter in the woods are there. They ain’t comin.

I was hardheaded about it. I finally committed to not climbing a tree unless I was supremely confident deer would be coming by, and if they didn’t, it would be a surprise. I suspect I now spend 80+% of my time in the field walking. Maybe even more. I see deer almost every hunt. Why? Not because I’m a great hunter or I’m in area with heavy deer density. It’s because I don’t hunt unless I know I’ll see deer.

Seems silly, or obvious. But most folks are not aggressive enough, either scouting or setting up. It’s just deer. They don’t bite. And if you ain’t seeing deer now, what’s worse - not seeing deer in a tree, or seeing deer running away as you’re walking by? At least with one of these options, you break the monotony/learn something/see a deer.

You are right on that, i have been listening and taking mr. Womacks advice. I should hav3 said hunts and not sits, I've bumped more deer than ive seen. Bumped at least 4 today, only two were together. I take notes as soon as i do and learn. I know its a learning process, just got to keep at it.

 

[michigandrake]

I hear you on public land burnout. Most of my favorite stands on public land are not easy to access and the season takes its toll on me too. It can be hard to stay motivated. I used to hunt every chance available, no matter the conditions. I have learned to pace myself early in the year. Wait for the right weather and if that means skipping a few deer hunts, no problem ...... you can always fish Staying fresh and ready for the rut is a little easier for me with a few less hunts under my belt and a few more steelhead in the cooler.

 

[blatallic]

This is what I needed to read today. Been hunting all season... Haven't harvest because I've been wanting to do it with a bow. I've learned a lot this year. My dad hunts from a blind overlooking a feeder... Has harvest and tells me I'm complicating it. But I feel that's too easy and not as enjoyable. Love sitting in a saddle.

 

[Weldabeast]

I'm jealous of people who have public land open all the time were they can just go hunt whenever they want to..... I have to depend on a lottery system or drive 2-3 hours until deer seasons over..... Small game season has no quota and that's when i get to hunt hard...... For hogs

 

[IkemanTX]

Finding the sign is something im still learning, im starting to think i need to stick with one area and learn it and quit jumping around.

BINGO!

Jumping from property to property will slow down your learning curve pretty drastically at the beginning.

If you can find a single property to focus on, that has decent deer numbers, and enough acres to get sits on numerous winds... I would do use 80% of my efforts there until you get a feel for it.
It is just a totally different animal hunting without plots, corn, or pre-set trees.

 

[IkemanTX]

Man I can tell you keeps the “veterans” going. They keep seeing deer. They may not get a shot but they are regularly seeking deer. Again they may not be seeing them on every hunt but even if you see deer every other sit that’s going to keep you coming back.

This is my first year to have seen deer every single sit I’ve been out on and I can’t imagine getting burned out right not. Believe me in past years I got plenty burned out. Each year keeps getting better because I keep learning how better to find and pattern deer.


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I’m beginning to be the opposite.
I don’t want to “see deer” I want to kill mature bucks. Often times that means the only deer I have a chance of seeing is a single buck.... but if he shows, it’s the one I want to shoot!

 

[MNpublic]

I'm jealous of people who have public land open all the time were they can just go hunt whenever they want to..... I have to depend on a lottery system or drive 2-3 hours until deer seasons over..... Small game season has no quota and that's when i get to hunt hard...... For hogs

Hopefully I dont offend by saying this, but reading your post makes me remember how lucky I am to be in a state with public everywhere. When I start whining about smaller parcels or other hunters "screwing up" my hunt, I should just be thankful I can be out there 20 sits.

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[shwacker]

What kind of sign are you hunting? What type of terrain and habitat and what state and level of pressure are you dealing with?


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[Aeds151]

I’m beginning to be the opposite.
I don’t want to “see deer” I want to kill mature bucks. Often times that means the only deer I have a chance of seeing is a single buck.... but if he shows, it’s the one I want to shoot!

Unfortunately I am in the same zone. I have passed several small does this year and some spikes. I told myself when I started that I wouldnt worry about horns or bucks but it has happened and I am blessed to live near 500000 acres of bow land open archery sept-feb. I feel this is my worst season so far. I have seen about 6” of antler. I do about 3 dark to dark hunts a week. I honestly dont know what is keeping me going back for more other than pure addiction. Hang in there, its bound to happen at some point.


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[Exiled in MD]

Do 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!

 

[HokeyMike]

I'm in similar boat. All the above is good advice.
Check out The Hunting Public on youtube. that is all they do is hunt public land. The give very good tips on using computer to scout using topo maps.

I've gotten into the habit of listening to their podcast on the way to work.

Good video is Dan Infalt - Hunting Hill Country https://www.amazon.com/Hill-Country-Bucks-Blood-Brothers/dp/B002E6SNU2

Bowhunting Pressured Whitetails: Expert Techniques for Taking Big, Wary Bucks
by John Eberhart: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0811728196/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_dut0DbSS7RQ49

Be prepared to go where others will not go; either because it is a long walk, or it is hard to get to.

I'm not killing monster bucks; but I've reach the point in the last two years of at least harvesting one or two for the freezer each year. Which was my goal. My goal next year is Doe for the freezer and nice buck to mount on the wall. My plan for the rest of the season is take my recurve and go scout while hunting squirrels. When scouting using a GPS or phone app onxhunt or huntstand to make notes of any sign you see.

 

[deerhuntinsunof]

Check out videos from dan infalt they have improved my public land game a 1000%

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[gould.robert.t]

I know it doesn’t help you in the current season; however, putting more time into post season scouting changed things for me. Really grind it out to find high percentage destination locations and create a hunting plan (early, mid, and pre, and rut spots). This includes documenting back-up spots if your plan A fails. Post season scouting needs to include finding where other hunters were in your area and noting this.

I would also try to move away from big timber and look for areas of 80% agricultural, even if this means a longer car ride to get there.

Don’t hunt a spot just because it is comfortable and seems right. Make sure the right sign is there and that there is adequate security cover.

Different entry and exit routes change be a game changer. These should be figured out during your post season scouting and spring tree prep. Smaller flashlights and timing as to not spook deer are often overlooked details that make a difference. Adopt the idea that the hunt isn’t over until you are back to the vehicle. This means exiting the stand in a way to not spook deer.

I wasn’t a believer in scent control until I decided to commit fully to using full scent control regime. I even quit smoking to do so. This means activated carbon clothing, drop-down face mask, washed backpack, rubber boots, etc. Without question I’ve seen more deer and I haven’t been blown on. I’m convert and it’s not hard to do. However, if you are going to do it, it is an all or nothing process. I tried to cut corners, but you can’t.
It’s possible to do it affordably too, if you are on a limited budget like me.

If you don’t want to do scent control, then stock up on milkweed and hunt the wind. You can be successful this way too, but I find it limiting for me because I may only get to hunt 5 days a season.

Best of luck,

Rob Gould






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[Alan zanona]

I know it doesn’t help you in the current season; however, putting more time into post season scouting changed things for me. Really grind it out to find high percentage destination locations and create a hunting plan (early, mid, and pre, and rut spots). This includes documenting back-up spots if your plan A fails. Post season scouting needs to include finding where other hunters were in your area and noting this.

I would also try to move away from big timber and look for areas of 80% agricultural, even if this means a longer car ride to get there.

Don’t hunt a spot just because it is comfortable and seems right. Make sure the right sign is there and that there is adequate security cover.

Different entry and exit routes change be a game changer. These should be figured out during your post season scouting and spring tree prep. Smaller flashlights and timing as to not spook deer are often overlooked details that make a difference. Adopt the idea that the hunt isn’t over until you are back to the vehicle. This means exiting the stand in a way to not spook deer.

I wasn’t a believer in scent control until I decided to commit fully to using full scent control regime. I even quit smoking to do so. This means activated carbon clothing, drop-down face mask, washed backpack, rubber boots, etc. Without question I’ve seen more deer and I haven’t been blown on. I’m convert and it’s not hard to do. However, if you are going to do it, it is an all or nothing process. I tried to cut corners, but you can’t.
It’s possible to do it affordably too, if you are on a limited budget like me.

If you don’t want to do scent control, then stock up on milkweed and hunt the wind. You can be successful this way too, but I find it limiting for me because I may only get to hunt 5 days a season.

Best of luck,

Rob Gould






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[Alan zanona]

Still looking for first deer after 4 years. This season I have been out 6 times and for the first time have seen both bucks and doe every time. No good shots but I have been stalking and finding new info on every hunt. Feel good this will be the first season with a deer.

 

[dalton916]

@kyler1945 advice is really good, but......an honest assessment is in order here. I’m not saying this to be rude or condescending, but I don’t think from what I’ve read that your skill set is ready for that. Rather than frustrate yourself by covering a humongous amount of ground, use the ground you already hunt and are seeing deer on to learn.

You’re bumping deer, find their beds and figure out why they are bedded there. Figure out where they came from and where they planned to go. Note the wind. On morning hunts when you see deer try and do the same after you climb down. Where were they coming from? Where did they go? Why? What sign did you find along those travel directions? Remember what you learn or, better yet, keep a journal and take notes.

Learn the terrain of the land you hunt so the little things you learn along the way can spark a memory of a similar area/layout to go check out. Also, a big part of learning the land you’re hunting on is learning what the wind does on this land. Look at the wind forecast from somewhere like weather underground then carry milkweed and see what your area is doing to that wind. Remember this or make notes. Heck, throw milkweed while you’re scouting and watch what the wind does.

Scouting. The time from the end of your season until leaf out is when you need to be out there every minute you can spare. There’s no leaves to limit sight distance and the trails are as beat down as they will ever be. Take a GPS or phone app that allows you to record tracks and store waypoints. Run a track over every trail you find. Store rubs, beds and scrapes. Keep adding to this database and it will pay off big time in the future for you.

Lastly, don’t over sell your knowledge to yourself and at the same time don’t bother comparing yourself to others, be it TV folks, YouTube folks or even local folks and friends. Don’t worry about them, just do what you can do to make yourself a more knowledgeable woodsman and hunter. Do that and you’ll be leaps and bounds ahead of these other guys.

Lastly, I want to say again....keep a journal.

 

[ImThere]

Best advice I can give you is start walking. You ain’t gonna Learn squat sitting in a tree. Unless you are in a jam up spot, you’ll be hanging with the squirrels. Wear out some boot leather. Find feed trees, trails, rubs, bedding areas, jump deer, walk downwind, screw it all up. Don’t stop until the sign takes your breath away. Like @WHW says, ‘hunt sign that MAKES you climb a tree’ - how do you recognize it? Well, you gotta see a lot to know the difference. You already know what good sign doesn’t look like to this point. Go out and bump some deer man. Be too aggressive, move too much.

People may disagree, and it violates the deer hunter code of sit food or travel corridors and wait for deer that know you and every other hunter in the woods are there. They ain’t comin.

I was hardheaded about it. I finally committed to not climbing a tree unless I was supremely confident deer would be coming by, and if they didn’t, it would be a surprise. I suspect I now spend 80+% of my time in the field walking. Maybe even more. I see deer almost every hunt. Why? Not because I’m a great hunter or I’m in area with heavy deer density. It’s because I don’t hunt unless I know I’ll see deer.

Seems silly, or obvious. But most folks are not aggressive enough, either scouting or setting up. It’s just deer. They don’t bite. And if you ain’t seeing deer now, what’s worse - not seeing deer in a tree, or seeing deer running away as you’re walking by? At least with one of these options, you break the monotony/learn something/see a deer.

I agree and if you bump a deer and it don’t exactly know what bumped them climb a tree I find they will come investigate once they calm down and out 90 percent of the time.
When you see a deer figure out why you seen it? Write down all data you can gather about the encounter and then try to replicate the experience


See you in a tree, Ricky

 

[kyler1945]

@kyler1945 advice is really good, but......an honest assessment is in order here. I’m not saying this to be rude or condescending, but I don’t think from what I’ve read that your skill set is ready for that. Rather than frustrate yourself by covering a humongous amount of ground, use the ground you already hunt and are seeing deer on to learn.

You’re bumping deer, find their beds and figure out why they are bedded there. Figure out where they came from and where they planned to go. Note the wind. On morning hunts when you see deer try and do the same after you climb down. Where were they coming from? Where did they go? Why? What sign did you find along those travel directions? Remember what you learn or, better yet, keep a journal and take notes.

Learn the terrain of the land you hunt so the little things you learn along the way can spark a memory of a similar area/layout to go check out. Also, a big part of learning the land you’re hunting on is learning what the wind does on this land. Look at the wind forecast from somewhere like weather underground then carry milkweed and see what your area is doing to that wind. Remember this or make notes. Heck, throw milkweed while you’re scouting and watch what the wind does.

Scouting. The time from the end of your season until leaf out is when you need to be out there every minute you can spare. There’s no leaves to limit sight distance and the trails are as beat down as they will ever be. Take a GPS or phone app that allows you to record tracks and store waypoints. Run a track over every trail you find. Store rubs, beds and scrapes. Keep adding to this database and it will pay off big time in the future for you.

Lastly, don’t over sell your knowledge to yourself and at the same time don’t bother comparing yourself to others, be it TV folks, YouTube folks or even local folks and friends. Don’t worry about them, just do what you can do to make yourself a more knowledgeable woodsman and hunter. Do that and you’ll be leaps and bounds ahead of these other guys.

Lastly, I want to say again....keep a journal.

I think it wasn't just lack of success, but fun too. Hence my call to go make an adventure, and not worry about a setup, or wind, or pressure. Just go find deer. Cover ground. Find a meth lab in the woods. Pick some mushrooms. Find a shed. Just whatever you do, don't climb a tree, unless you know without a doubt you're gonna kill a deer. Otherwise, you'll fall right back in your rut. I'm all for analyzing the maps, and the trails, and the ground to death. Hell, I'm guilty of spending way too much time doing it. But honestly, just clearing your mind and going enjoy nature for a day or 5 is in order. Go squirrel hunting! That stuff is thoroughly enjoyable! and they eat the same stuff as deer man - free knowledge!

Here's another weird thing I've noticed, and I'm sure busy folks can relate - It usually takes about 50-60 hours in the woods every season for me to start getting "in tune" with nature. My first few hunts and days in the woods seem to be full of static and misinformation. It all starts coming back to me as the season wears on, and my guesses at what to do start to become more reliable. But all that knowledge and experience was gotten by walking and screwing up.

 

[Jay_Disarray]

I was getting burnt out this year, I was thinking "man hunting is just another thing I kinda suck at". I had rifle hunted the last few years and only got one. I was actually lowering my bow one night on a property I had hunted a few times but never had any luck, and wham. I see 5 deer walking my way. One came in close enough to allow me to harvest her for my first bow/saddle kill.

Keep at it and even if you dont see anything, try to learn at least one new thing each hunt.

 

[solo_archer]

This is my 5th season hunting public land and I just started seeing deer this season, still haven't harvested a deer myself.

You gotta grind with it, it's rough but will be worth it. Like others here have already said, doing some walking on the land you're on is a great idea. I don't know how much time you have to hunt, but if you can do an early morning sit and then a bit of scouting in the middle of the day when most people have left already, you may come across something you haven't seen before. Best case, you kick up a deer and take note of where it goes then post up and see if any other deer show up where you just kicked that one up.

If you're using something like onX maps, you can then start leaving waypoints where you see signs and where you kick up deer and you may start noticing some patterns. This is what helped me this season, so hopefully, it helps you out too.