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Things you've learned (no gear allowed)

I really can’t add anything to what NutterBuster said in his first post. It’s SPOT on. Deer are really pretty simple to hunt. I will add that stealth has contributed to most of my bucks on the wall. I’ve learned over the years when I need to slow down and really take my time. And by time I mean it. It can take me over an hour to cover the last 150 yards. My goal is to make no noise. That’s almost impossible to do but it’s what I strive for. Several of the bucks I have killed I have snuck in less than 60 yards from their bed and I could have never done it without going slow and quiet. When you combine knowledge of a big bucks habits, patience, stealth and the ability to shoot under pressure, you won’t have any problem filling your tags no matter what gear you use


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Trail cameras are good for telling you when there is activity in an area, not for showing you a picture of every deer that is in the area.

Older bucks are often camera shy.

Young deer are sometimes easy to kill. Old deer are mostly not so easy.

Sent from up in a tree
 
Reading sign in different areas looks different, if it looks good at the time(for the area), hunt it, stop walking past it.

Even if the hunt doesn't end on a kill, you should've already learned something.

Correctly executed observation sits are as valuable, or more valuable, then a killing hunt
 
Dont hunt a spot unless the sign is so good you cant walk away.

It's ok to hunt a spot more than once, and if you're lucky or the deer are lucky, more than twice.

Dont leave deer to find deer

Believe. Confidence in your setup is everything.

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Relocating for work 3 weeks before the season opener sucks!!!!

I did get somewhat proficient at going in blind though. Saw one of the biggest bucks I have ever seen. I actually saw a lot of bucks but not many does....odd.

I also learned I am not as flexible or limber as I once was. Man getting old and out of shape sucks....
 
That entering during gray light is sometimes much better than pre dawn! It can be useful to stalk in quietly and see where your going and what is around you. Up till this year I’ve never tried it, actually even opting to not hunt if I woke up late. Big mistake, gray light rocks!!!!
 
Practice practice practice.
Safety safety safety.
Patience patience patience.
Bad shots result from no following those in my experience.
Give that deer 30 more seconds to get closer or be turned the right way.
That way you can make that better shot. Do it safety. If you can't. Don't try. It's not worth it.
And Patience. Did I mention patience?
Its my weakness. I still get super excited.
 
I don't get to scout due to work being gone 2/3 of the time. I hunt new and unfamiliar places on almost every hunt.
I try to do a little research on the internet before going and try to scout transition lines or water edges,rivers,swamps,creeks ECT.
I put my saddle on and start walking looking for sign when I find something I like I climb a tree and stay till I'm bored or just think that a little farther will be a little better.
I very seldom sit the same tree twice it has to look really good for me to sit after I've walked around and trashed the place. I try to play the wind but most of the time it will switch or swirl and blow me out. But 50% of the time the deer I'm looking for come from the direction I'm not looking at.
So what I'm trying to say is you don't have to scout or run cameras if it's not possible and with me it's not.
The closest I hunt to home is 2 hours the farthest 15.
Like Nutter said try to hunt the rut look for transition zones and food and sign.
Scrapes in the open were probably not made in the daytime. If you find a rub line try to follow it back to the thickest part of the property your hunting.
And last of all hunt till black ass dark the last minute you can see is usually when Mr Big is moving.

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Take the first good shot presented that you know you can make a clean kill, don’t wait for perfect.

Food/cover/water, hunting pressure, climate, deer density etc. vary so much from region to region it negates so called expert advice. Sure, deer are deer but your experience based on the above variables can vary significantly.


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The first hunt in a tree is often the best hunt from that tree. Wait for the best wind to hunt each spot for the first time of the season.

A day in the woods is better than a day at the office, unless you decide it wasn't. Learn to make better decisions.

If you let them go, they will grow. Unless someone else shoots them. Hopefully it's a trophy to that hunter and they decide to shoot bigger next time, or decide to hunt somewhere else next year!

Sent from up in a tree
 
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Especially if you are less experienced, really limit your max range. The woods are different from the target in the yard. When shooting downward pivot at your waist to keep your T form, if you just drop your front arm, your shot mechanics are now toast. Don’t shoot center of mass, focus on a specific point, slow your shot down and run your process, don’t let adrenaline wreck your opportunity. Range Fairy has some interesting visuals for how far forward you can shoot and still hit ribs. Of course range time + experience helps you to become automatic.

Guys have told me “once I’m in a tree it’s too late for the milkweed to matter”... not true, over time you learn a ton about how scent travels. I’ve been surprised on calmer days how much very small terrain elevation changes will suck air in the evenings. I’ve also seen milkweed drop 90’ off a very steep valley floating at 4’ off the ground the whole time right to the river bottoms while the prevailing wind should have taken it away from the valley towards the flat Ag fields opposite direction.

Edit: with my toe over the line on the gear rule... foot antiperspirant cream works.
 
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weekender21 said:
Food/cover/water, hunting pressure, climate, deer density etc. vary so much from region to region it negates so called expert advice. Sure, deer are deer but your experience based on the above variables can vary significantly.
Click to expand...
X2. John Eberhart, Dan Infalt, and Warren Womack are 3 phenomenal, but very different hunters. They have different methods because they are hunting very different areas. They may not share all of the same tactics, but they share a level of drive and determination that lets them outperform most other hunters.

I'll get specific about habitats. In my area, 2 things dictate deer movement more than anything else, even hunting pressure. High water and acorns. When the local hudrograph reads between 4 and 6ft, and the acorns are dropping, it pays to stop what you're doing and cruise the woods for a feed tree. The swamps are flooded ar that point, and deer will bed close to hot trees. It can be almost easy to get on deer in this condition. Pay attention, and you'll find the perfect storm for your area.
 
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