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Things you've learned (no gear allowed)

Be thankful for every opportunity you get to spend time in the outdoors

There is no such thing as failure in the woods if you learned something in the process.

Life is more enjoyable when you stop worrying about what the next guy thinks.

Deer live where they live for a reason.
 
Hunt where the deer are, not where they should be.

I went to a few spots that should've been deer funnels and saw absolutely nothing. Both times I drove out of the hunting area I saw deer in an open field near a parking lot. I decided to hunt near the field the following week. Killed two deer two days in a row oit of that field.
 
Going out when it's raining sideways can really get your hunting buddy a giant buck, but not you.
 
If you want to consistently kill big bucks, you've got to consistently be where big bucks want to be. I apply the same mantra to turkeys. I spent a lot of years frustrated at a lack of success because I was hunting sub par properties. I'm still not a "big buck killer" but my mentality has changed some. 80% of my hunting now is with one of my kids. I've gone back to hunting the way I did as a kid and we shoot what we want. There's nothing safe when they're with me...
 
I’ve hunted deer for several decades. Now that doesn’t mean that I’m especially good at it, nor do I think I am.

I double majored in the school of hard knocks.

All that said, there’s a few things I’ll share.

Somebody else mentioned that deer don’t read the hunting mags. I do wonder that, if - like the owl - they could read, they could make out newspaper print at 100 yds (so they say).

Well it’s true - they don’t read em - and I know because I’ve watched a doe make a scrape. No, it wasn’t a spike or a buck without horns for some reason, it was a doe that was mounted several minutes later by the buck following it. In a thicket I could not shoot through about 15 yards away. She didn’t know that was a bucks-only activity.

I also watched a buck make about 10 scrapes in a row almost right next to each other, essentially making one long, messy scrape, maybe 12-15 yards long. He did not read the articles about the proper scrape diameter and appropriate distances between scrapes for sure.

It doesn’t always happen like the books say!

Hunting the weather is probably the smartest way to hunt. Me thinks.

I’ll leave you with one tactic that has served me well. Everyone likes to hunt the rut ... to me, the few weeks before the rut seem to be the best chance to see the dominant bucks in a given hunting area, and new bucks will start showing up. They’re lookin but they haven’t been “gettin” and are very vulnerable to a little strategically-placed estrous doe pee. And the best time in those few weeks is when the temperature PLUMMETS overnight at the same time barometric pressure rises. They’re making up time lost when that front moved through and the cold keeps em moving. Hunt that entire morning watching the end of a light trail of estrous doe pee dragged towards your stand. Lay the scent line out to maximize downwind coverage but best to have your perch on a ridge point or pond or even next to a busy road, at your back. Add a little bit of the scent along the way as you drag it, makes the scent strongest closest to you. This is a way I have with good success been able to get deer to come to me. Great when you haven’t pinned down their exact whereabouts but can use terrain to your advantage.

Im new to saddle hunting and this site BTW, awesome stuff here!
 
Go in hour before daylight, if you bump something this gives it enough time to think you've passed on through.

When you're ready to come down after a mornings hunt, ALWAYS stay 30-45mins longer. Especially on public.

Before climbing, scratch the ground up with your boot, have seen alot of deer attracted to the fresh earth smell.

Never....ever....and I mean NEVER....have a box of glazed doughnuts and Mountain Dew for breakfast!!!!! Made that mistake 20yrs ago..............never again.
 
1- Multi-flora rose is the devil
2- You can’t shoot an arrow (does that count as mentioning gear?) through privet
3- If leaving in the AM, pack all my crap the night before (definitely gear)
4- Don’t forget the gate key (dang that is gear too).

Ok for real, it’s tough for me to answer this question of what I’ve learned because I’m in the process of teaching myself to hunt in probably the hardest place on earth to do so. So this is what I’ve learned:

* Deer are in the woods- but not always
* Deer are active at dawn and dusk - but not always
* Deer eat acorns- but not always
* Rut is in February- but not always
* Deer die when you shoot them- but not always
* I make waaaaay to much noise- always!
 
Things I've learned...

-scout for active sign all the time
-the other half of the ball game after shooting a deer is figuring shot placement and tracking blood. just cause you shot the deer it aint dead til you find it.
-preparation is key to success, so prep your food, gear, travel, route in the woods in advance
-figure out how you work in the woods, are you forgetful, impatient, always in a hurry, etc... if so preparation can help you overcome some of these things
-my preferable hunting spot is where there are multiple transitions coming into one. think of like 3 or 4 quadrants with all different types, example would be like thick cover, tall grass, hardwoods, pines, cattails etc.
-make sure you can ID poison sumac, ivy, and oak
-do your best to avoid ticks in the woods with permethrin
-some cameras will be stolen, it happens
-deer calls can be a game changer
-having the right gear for your hunting toolbox makes life easier in the woods. my examples would be a gear hoist for your bow and gear, platform, climbing sticks, carabiners v.s substituting it for just some paracord, top of climbing sticks, screw in steps/hangers
-have fun and be able to learn from others
 
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