Find small honey holes where pressure is light from public it doesn’t need to be big pieces at all I think I proved that to @TreeCreep and @Patriot this year I have had a lot of encounters seeing deer and screwing up plenty as well. I have and still do drive around and look for access points that are public accessible even though they might be in people backyards I have scouted many places over the years but I still go to my small areas because I know the deer are there just got to hit the right time and things will fall into places. In the off season check out the golf courses and old cemetery’s ask for permission if needed I have done that. The best place I ever had was in a sub division that bordered a golf course which I was the only one allowed to hunt the back side of the golf course. It would be nothing to see up to 20 to 30 deer a day in there and I was only a 5 minute walk from my stand if I choose to hunt the stand and if I heard a dog barking then within 5 minutes there would be several deer under my tree every time unfortunately I lost access to it because a old friend decided to argue with a neighbor and I know how to get in there still from another access point but to far of a walk to get in there now and of course they built new houses on one side but I know even if I go back in there I could find the deer. So instead of hunting multiple areas focus on 2 areas and really really learn the area for a season or two. It will pay off in the long run
What I learn is super fresh sign is not always a guarantee but I keep in mind where that location is and figure out where there coming from like when @TreeCreep and I was tracking his deer we came across a fresh scrape that was minutes old as the urine was still in a puddle in top of the scrape not time to absorb into the ground yet. We possibly just missed him within minutes But Eric set up near there a few days later and shot a nice buck possibly going to it. So if you find a fresh spot you feel strongly about set up on it and hunt it a few hunts. You never know. I will admit NH is very hard to hunt not like some states where the deer density is thicker and more deer in the state. You can’t kill a deer if your not out there so even if no deer is seen where you set up look for trails as your in your saddle or stand and start playing chess with them sooner or later it will pay off and I stress learn the areas you hunt even if a season or two goes by without killing a deer. It will pay off specially now with rut going on those crazy horn dogs have 1 thing on their mind as many of us guys do. They will make a mistake as we do but got to be out there. I fully do not expect every time I go out to see a deer but to learn why I didn’t see one and I learned this year that the higher I’m in a tree I’m seeing deer versus traditional stand height up to 20 ft. I’m now at 35 ft in average and seeing more out in distance and seeing where their coming and going from and while I like cameras they are not always helpful as I know many of you have huge bucks on your cameras. Ever notice that it’s 90% at night. So figure out what direction their coming From and going to and vice or versa and do not be picky it’s not the time to be picky. Kill the first available legal deer then you can be choosey after as I’m not one of those guys who walks in the woods and drop a huge buck I wasn’t born with a golden horse shoe up my ass. I have to work for it like the next guy. So good luck to all my fella NH hunters. Just simple things you need to do and you will be successful!
Thank you, more coming! Sounds good let me know!
