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LIVE from the Saddle 2024

HuskerInIowa said:
I go before daylight on traditional public land. I go gray light on urban hunts cause I’ve had the most success that way; theory is the deer are used to folks using the trails at that time, I try to slip into a tree then.
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This is where I've ended up on urban hunts. I'm increasingly just walking normal urban trails, normal pace like a walker/jogger, then slipping into the woods into their "bubble". The "sneakier" I act on urban lands, the less deer I see. Never thought noise could be cover, but here we are.
 
bigmike23 said:
Tough setup today. Another new spot never hunted before. It's alot thicker than OnX showed. Foliage makes matters much worse. And I should have looked at the wind speed before heading out. Feels like a tornado is nearby wind is whippin so hard. View attachment 109102
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Whoa...reminds me of Maine. I'm surprised you didn't get a moose.
 
chanson_roland said:
This is where I've ended up on urban hunts. I'm increasingly just walking normal urban trails, normal pace like a walker/jogger, then slipping into the woods into their "bubble". The "sneakier" I act on urban lands, the less deer I see. Never thought noise could be cover, but here we are.
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Where I hunt, I could drive up to my tree in one of these bad boys and deer wouldn't care. Hell, they'd probably start chasing.

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BTaylor said:
Totin a fine piece of weaponry too!! Aim small and let their air out.
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So you posted in another thread about picking a spot & I have been struggling with any real accuracy with this new found struggle……. ( I’ve been shooting at a youth soccer ball on & off for a year, with decent success) haven’t really felt confident enough to tote it much. We’ll last week right after that post I went outside & started shooting field points at a block target at 15yds & was getting great consistency by “picking a small spot” the arrow just ends up there……..
@gcterp did tell me this when we’re getting setup but all the shot process & developing form somehow made me miss that!
 
HuskerInIowa said:
I go before daylight on traditional public land. I go gray light on urban hunts cause I’ve had the most success that way; theory is the deer are used to folks using the trails at that time, I try to slip into a tree then.
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I agree. I almost exclusively wait until gray light or within a half hour of it. If I had to set up sticks each time or something I’d be trying to get in earlier, but I find that when I get in “a minimum of 60-90 minutes before daylight” as the old standby advice goes, that I’m burnt out by like 8:30 or 9 am.
chanson_roland said:
This is where I've ended up on urban hunts. I'm increasingly just walking normal urban trails, normal pace like a walker/jogger, then slipping into the woods into their "bubble". The "sneakier" I act on urban lands, the less deer I see. Never thought noise could be cover, but here we are.
Click to expand...
If you’re lucky enough to have State Parks with hunting, that’s exactly how you see lots of deer, and even big deer. They actually seem to use people traffic as cover for deer activity. Hiding in plain sight as it were. Being sneaky is more about how normal you can act until you’re in the tree. If they don’t see you climb, you can get really close without going far from the main trails.
I hunted a state park and saw about 13 does and fawns literally step ten yards off the main trail and watch a lady walk her dog under my tree, then go right back to the main trail where the acorns were falling. I could have shot any one of them but I was too dumbfounded to draw.
I even climbed a tree in that same park to find a couple of does feeding at 33 yds with no clue to my presence.
Same tree, couple days later, I go in right as gray light is brightening up and one of the biggest bucks I’ve ever seen was snorting toros from his nostrils at me. I would have gotten a chance if I’d been there maybe 5-10min earlier OR been allowed to shoot from the ground (elevated-only policy at this tract). You can see the bull smoke comin’ outta his nose in the pic. He looks like a basket rack with the lighting but he was actually a nice wide 10 or 12.IMG_8450.jpeg
 
DelaWhere_Arrow said:
I agree. I almost exclusively wait until gray light or within a half hour of it. If I had to set up sticks each time or something I’d be trying to get in earlier, but I find that when I get in “a minimum of 60-90 minutes before daylight” as the old standby advice goes, that I’m burnt out by like 8:30 or 9 am.

If you’re lucky enough to have State Parks with hunting, that’s exactly how you see lots of deer, and even big deer. They actually seem to use people traffic as cover for deer activity. Hiding in plain sight as it were. Being sneaky is more about how normal you can act until you’re in the tree. If they don’t see you climb, you can get really close without going far from the main trails.
I hunted a state park and saw about 13 does and fawns literally step ten yards off the main trail and watch a lady walk her dog under my tree, then go right back to the main trail where the acorns were falling. I could have shot any one of them but I was too dumbfounded to draw.
I even climbed a tree in that same park to find a couple of does feeding at 33 yds with no clue to my presence.
Same tree, couple days later, I go in right as gray light is brightening up and one of the biggest bucks I’ve ever seen was snorting toros from his nostrils at me. I would have gotten a chance if I’d been there maybe 5-10min earlier OR been allowed to shoot from the ground (elevated-only policy at this tract). You can see the bull smoke comin’ outta his nose in the pic. He looks like a basket rack with the lighting but he was actually a nice wide 10 or 12.View attachment 109170
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Awesome pic, and you're SO right. I find myself constantly struggling with the "Mark Drury-Bill Winke, etc" common wisdom vs. the reality when hunting urban deer that are socialized to a high level of human contact. Trying to find that line between "NorMAL HooMan" and "KILLR HOOMAN!" in the eyes of the deer.
 
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Rutman said:
Saw one doe tonight. Going up on a ridge in the morning to a saddle that leads to bedding.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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I’m set up above a saddle that connects two ridges and leads to bedding. Came in at gray light 30 and jumped a good one on top of the ridge. He’ll be back. Had 4 does come thru the saddle right after I got set up. Thought there might be some acorns up here but there’s not many if any. Gotta get in here super early next time.

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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Up this evening for a quick after work sit. Grape field convergence with cover crops planted between the grape rows. Deer feed in them all throughout the day sometimes. Not a deer seen tonight but it was a great evening to be hunting.
 

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