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Should new and inexperienced hunters sit out the early season and wait for the rut?

HuumanCreed

HuumanCreed

Well-Known Member
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Joined
Aug 21, 2020
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2,671
Location
Westminster Maryland
Follow up on a thread recently about taking time off from hunting. Wife and I had a talk. She said she really need my help this season. With a new born and trying to get the kids back into pre-COVID routine, she would appreciate if we spend more time together doing stuff with the kids on the weekends. That after the holidays, maybe I can get more time, but this holiday season is really important to her. At first we talked about maybe 1-2 days a month, but after getting a few advices from the more experienced guys in here and my general area. I'm thinking about counter offering her with 3-4 days during the estimated rut only with possibly more time after Christmas, it might give me the best chance to use my time wisely. This is based on what I read, what people have told me, and Google.

If I go out, I'm going to be sitting all day. From what I understand, morning sits are ineffective during the early season. The rut give you the max chance to succeed. So should I focus my effort during the rut?
 
How far away is your hunting spot? If it’s nearby, I’d suggest shooting for 8-10 morning or evening sits rather than 3-4 all day sits. Spread them out between opening day and late November, and plan to skip December hunting. Only go on days when the weather seems right (temps dropping or just ahead of a storm front + wind direction you like), and skip the low probability days. If you really want to reduce your number of “wasted” days in the tree, deploy trail cameras and pattern the deer in your area—that helps tremendously.
That said, if I had to pick a 10-day window with my highest odds of success, I’m going Nov. 5-14, which coincides with the rut in my area (Middle TN).
 
deer density
Daytime deer movement
Hunter density

In that order, the most important factors to getting deer under you. The rut and weather both impact daytime deer movement, as does hunter density.

I don’t know where you live or hunt. But number one you can cross off if you aren’t flexible on where you hunt. Bucks are generally on their feet a lot more during the rut. But so are hunters. If you have good intel on travel corridors that bucks use during rut, that’s probably your best odds. If you have no clue, I’d rather hunt early season cool fronts when no one is in the woods and you’re able to pattern deer.

probably need a lot more information to give any sort of good advice.
 
kyler1945 said:
deer density
Daytime deer movement
Hunter density

In that order, the most important factors to getting deer under you. The rut and weather both impact daytime deer movement, as does hunter density.

I don’t know where you live or hunt. But number one you can cross off if you aren’t flexible on where you hunt. Bucks are generally on their feet a lot more during the rut. But so are hunters. If you have good intel on travel corridors that bucks use during rut, that’s probably your best odds. If you have no clue, I’d rather hunt early season cool fronts when no one is in the woods and you’re able to pattern deer.

probably need a lot more information to give any sort of good advice.
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Good point, not all area are equal and everyone will tackle it differently.

I'm in Maryland, we don't have a lot of pressure from what I understand. Going to focus on a public land watershed area this year due to it not requiring reservation. Previous years, I hunt on public lands that limits how many hunters are allow per day on a specific area. I felt that it would reduce running into people. But it also limited me due to the good locations being reserved real fast.

1626780278861.png
 
Family is always first, and congrats on the newborn!

If she needs you this year to be there, then be there. I would pre-select dates that you want to hunt and make the compromise with her of what you want to do. But as others said, we don't have the information on where you hunt and what you're after. If you're inexperienced, I'd say just killing a deer would be an accomplishment. If you start off chasing the largest whitetail in the woods you're probably not going to have much to show for it.
 
Second that, congrats on the new baby. When both my kids were born I scaled back my hunting a lot but got it back later. Helping the wife makes you a good husband. My thought is since you have limited days concentrate on the rut and pattern the deer. Run some cams and get some data and focus on those areas where you know the deer are moving. Can’t shoot deer if you aren’t seeing deer. That pic you posted shows lots of fingers, travel corridors and funnels so get you some intel
 
I would agree with the comments above, taking care of family is the first priority but if you are close enough for short trips to the woods, you could start doing some short sits in the mornings or short scouting trips in the mornings, to learn the ground and hunt when you find some smoking hot spots while still being home for the majority of the day. Save the all day hunts for the rut.
 
HuumanCreed said:
Follow up on a thread recently about taking time off from hunting. Wife and I had a talk. She said she really need my help this season. With a new born and trying to get the kids back into pre-COVID routine, she would appreciate if we spend more time together doing stuff with the kids on the weekends. That after the holidays, maybe I can get more time, but this holiday season is really important to her. At first we talked about maybe 1-2 days a month, but after getting a few advices from the more experienced guys in here and my general area. I'm thinking about counter offering her with 3-4 days during the estimated rut only with possibly more time after Christmas, it might give me the best chance to use my time wisely. This is based on what I read, what people have told me, and Google.

If I go out, I'm going to be sitting all day. From what I understand, morning sits are ineffective during the early season. The rut give you the max chance to succeed. So should I focus my effort during the rut?
Click to expand...
If momma ain’t happy ain’t nobody happy! In my experience, you see more day movement from deer early in archery before they feel the pressure and also during the rut when they care less about self- preservation and start caring more about repopulating. Our rut just happens to be during our archery season! Lol but if I were you, save your couple all day sits for the rut, and compromise for a few 3 hours evening sits during early season.
 
Just to add on to what’s been stated… try to find some spots really close to home. Might take a lot of knocking on doors and maybe some favors but having a few small spots within 5-10 minutes of my house paid off big. Then take random opportunities to scout when you can. I keep hiking boots and long pants in my car so if some how some way I end up with a spare free hour or two I can either knock on doors or scout. Take advantage of the time you do have.
 
So congrats first off on the new addition & to sitting down with your wife & managing expectations!!! As for your counter with a few all day sits, I’d gladly take 5-6 mornings evenings over 3 all day sits. You can stack the odds in your favor making moves & playing weather. There is a season for everything & this spot your in juggling hunting vs family time will be waaay different 10-12 years from now. Enjoy where your at hunt smarter not harder. When we get together I’ll help you pick that map apart & have a plan a & b for each of those sits based time of season. Btw my biggest buck in Maryland was taken from a long walk on that map! ( from a spot where you’re gonna see dozens of hikers/walkers from your stand)
 
1st things 1st...
Set some realistic goals for yourself and that will help define how much time (and what part of the season) you'll need to concentrate.
If your goal is to only shoot 5 year-old P&Y bucks then there better be a reasonable number of those deer even present in the area, and waiting for the rut may be the best tactic. Very early in the season can be effective in killing mature bucks while they are still in their dependable summer patterns, but it takes a very low disturbance hunting style.

But if your goal is to just put some meat in the freezer...doe or immature bucks, then there isn't really a good reason to wait for the rut.

And the property you hunt will dictate when it is best hunted. Are you hunting food patterns or travel routes. What kind of food? If it's all white oaks, the acorns may be burned out before the rut starts heating up. The deer might have vacated to another food source on the neighbors place.
If the property tends to be most utilized for travel routes during the phase of the rut when bucks are seeking and putting on big miles daily, then the early season might not be very productive. I know some places like that. You'd swear that there isn't a deer using certain corridors. But when the rut kicks in, these corridors become connectors for major travel routes.

IMO, you get more bang for the time invested when you hunt the rut. The day has already been designated as a "hunt day", and you'll have a reasonable chance to shoot bucks from dawn to dusk.
But in the early season, it's basically an evening affair. You can kill deer during early morning but it's much better during late day. Meanwhile, there's a good 5 or 6 hours of mid day that are not usually very productive, which is a good time to tend to honey-do lists. But going in and out of stands twice (morning and evening) is more disturbance.

So, what are your goals?
 
I'm in the same boat....the difference being I already have my hunting days dictated by the state with a quota for certain days that I can't control. @bowhuntr09 knows what's up....I do all the things she wants done without question and give her time away from the little 1....I will get the older kids over at the grandparents or friends for a sleep over. Dark to dark and be prepared to abort and head home if u get the call......
IMO if u have limited time u shouldn't sit it out at all. Go every chance u get. The deer are out there all day long and u have just as much of a chance of seeing 1 as u have of not seeing 1.

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Find what works for you. In my case also, morning hunts definitely use up less wife capital. I'm quietly out the door while everyone is asleep and back in time to make everyone a late breakfast. Evening hunts throw a wrench into the dinner/bedtime routine.

I am very fortunate my wife is so tolerant of my hunting. She is amazing about it, but it still starts to cause friction toward the end of the rut and into rifle season.

I've found as far as general efficiency, you're on the right track focusing on the rut. If you can hunt unpressured deer and tie one to a food plot, early season can be a dang near guarantee, but a lot of us don't have access to that type of hunting or frankly prefer something a little less predictable.

If you have the flexibility also, let weather dictate when you get out and hunt the backside of cold fronts. Save the t-shirt weather for hanging out with the family.

Morning hunts can be very effective early in the season, despite what you will read otherwise. Focus on getting tight to where they bed and you may be surprised how effective October mornings can be. If nothing else it's a good way to get in and scout doe groups you'll want to hunt around in November.
 
You know what, that's something I didnt considered. Just hunting in the morning on some days. That would definitely be less noticeable compared to all day sits.

elk yinzer said:
Find what works for you. In my case also, morning hunts definitely use up less wife capital. I'm quietly out the door while everyone is asleep and back in time to make everyone a late breakfast. Evening hunts throw a wrench into the dinner/bedtime routine.

I am very fortunate my wife is so tolerant of my hunting. She is amazing about it, but it still starts to cause friction toward the end of the rut and into rifle season.

I've found as far as general efficiency, you're on the right track focusing on the rut. If you can hunt unpressured deer and tie one to a food plot, early season can be a dang near guarantee, but a lot of us don't have access to that type of hunting or frankly prefer something a little less predictable.

If you have the flexibility also, let weather dictate when you get out and hunt the backside of cold fronts. Save the t-shirt weather for hanging out with the family.

Morning hunts can be very effective early in the season, despite what you will read otherwise. Focus on getting tight to where they bed and you may be surprised how effective October mornings can be. If nothing else it's a good way to get in and scout doe groups you'll want to hunt around in November.
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