Always be ready and alert. Deer don’t watch the moon calendar.
Going in blind (to a new spot), especially in the dark, can be hectic and stressful. Feeling the time constraints of breaking daylight, planning a clean entry route, staying quiet but trying to hurry, and finding the hottest sign can sometimes lead you to frustration and mental exhaustion. In these instances, I found myself just feeling “forced” to pick a tree in a generally “ok” looking area. This happened to me more than once, but the first time this season, despite feeling dissatisfied, I had an OLD non typical come straight to me from a bedding area not 15 minutes after I set up. Moral: don’t despair and don’t lose confidence. Hunting public land is challenging. Embrace and enjoy it. Sometimes it works out even when you don’t expect it to.
Don’t overthink it. Pinch points, funnels, trail crossings, rublines, bedding areas, etc. Adjust stand locations appropriately within the season (food source, cover, cruising locations, etc.). You won’t always see deer, but your odds are generally better in these spots when you consider the seasonal changes in deer behavior.
Don’t under-think it. Watch the wind. Map scout. Fresh sign doesn’t necessarily mean daylight activity.
Don’t over-expect. Not every property has the potential to produce 200” deer, or even 140” deer for that matter. Not every deer heard has an age structure with mature bucks in the herd due to hunting pressure or other factors.
Don’t get caught in the social media “keeping up with the Jones’s.” Don’t compare and compete against anyone but you and the animals you are targeting. Nothing else matters. Enjoy hunting for what it is—in it’s purest form.
By pass the big headed, chest beating temptations to brag when you succeed. Everyone knows that with every success, there are a number of variables outside of your control. So you can’t take absolute credit for any victory...there’s always that element of just being in the right place at the right time. Despite the best planned strategies, a wild deer is a free roaming organism capable of making snap decisions at any moments notice that can lead to it doing the opposite of what even the most polished, experienced hunters would expect. Stay humble. Respect your quarry. Respect your fellow hunters.
Respect the non hunters. Yes, even the “anti’s.” Cover your deer up in public and don’t be distasteful in your interactions with them. Not everyone wants to see a bloody deer with its tongue hanging out. We are the face of hunting . Let’s represent our sport with dignity and integrity.
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