Here in NC we got two weeks left in the season. December as always has been slow for me and it's been hard to get on deer. It's had me reflecting on the new tactics I have employed this year that have contributed to successful hunts during early and mid season. Here are some things I have done different that have benefitted me this year:
1. Still hunting - when conducted with patience and being constantly aware of my own movements I have got within eye sight of a good amount of deer and even got my first still hunting kill this year. Definitely a useful tool in my toolbox that I will continue to work on. After my experience with it I am never just walking through the woods. I am either still hunting, still hunting to my hunting location, or saddle hunting.
2. Hunting low - this year I did a lot of what Dan Infalt calls dating the fat chick. I hunted a lot of less than ideal trees because it was where I needed to be and that's what was there. Hunting lower, anywhere between 5-15 feet instead of 20+ definitely kept me more concealed in a lot of near bedding situations. This year I killed a buck hanging 8 feet off the ground that I wouldn't have had a shot on had I been at the normal 20 or so feet and I wouldn't have been in the right tree. Most of my hunts this year have been below 15 feet. Every situation is different and that situation will dictate how high I hunt but hunting low is never out of the question for me now.
3. Bump and dump - Anyone familiar with beast tactics knows what this is. Although it didn't result in a kill I now have seen how it works first hand. One afternoon I accidentally bumped a buck out of his bed and remembered Dan talking about this tactic. I quickly set up in a nearby tree and about an hour later he came back through but stayed out of bow range. Pretty cool to see it work though.
What tactics have you tried for the first time this year and what level of success did it bring you? What are you planning to employ?
1. Still hunting - when conducted with patience and being constantly aware of my own movements I have got within eye sight of a good amount of deer and even got my first still hunting kill this year. Definitely a useful tool in my toolbox that I will continue to work on. After my experience with it I am never just walking through the woods. I am either still hunting, still hunting to my hunting location, or saddle hunting.
2. Hunting low - this year I did a lot of what Dan Infalt calls dating the fat chick. I hunted a lot of less than ideal trees because it was where I needed to be and that's what was there. Hunting lower, anywhere between 5-15 feet instead of 20+ definitely kept me more concealed in a lot of near bedding situations. This year I killed a buck hanging 8 feet off the ground that I wouldn't have had a shot on had I been at the normal 20 or so feet and I wouldn't have been in the right tree. Most of my hunts this year have been below 15 feet. Every situation is different and that situation will dictate how high I hunt but hunting low is never out of the question for me now.
3. Bump and dump - Anyone familiar with beast tactics knows what this is. Although it didn't result in a kill I now have seen how it works first hand. One afternoon I accidentally bumped a buck out of his bed and remembered Dan talking about this tactic. I quickly set up in a nearby tree and about an hour later he came back through but stayed out of bow range. Pretty cool to see it work though.
What tactics have you tried for the first time this year and what level of success did it bring you? What are you planning to employ?