Transition from sightings to hunts

[Horn]

So I've been scouting for a year now, mi public.( First year, pretty sure that's widely known but I'll mention it) I see, or hear/blown at at worst, deer nearly everytime out for the last, eh 2 months or so+. I'm in it for meat. Does, bucks if it's there, doesn't matter.

How do I transition from scout/ sightings to setting up? I keep track of sign/sightings on onX but it's getting to be a mess at this point. I'm not going to cut it at spot and stalk , at this point anyway. I have several spots but I'm too inexperienced to dial into bow range. Any and all suggestions welcome. TIA, very much appreciated

 

[NMSbowhunter]

Ok, so if you are seeing or hearing deer every time you go out you are in good shape. The acorns should be dropping in Michigan at this point. My advice is to walk into the wind along a creek system until you find hot deer feeding sign. Hot deer feeding sign will look like disturbed leaves, cut acorn caps, and fresh deer poop, tracks, etc. You may even bump deer out from under a tree. That's OK. When you find this, don't overthink things. You are there. Find a good tree to climb where you can get shots to the primary tree and ease out. Come back in about 2:30 or 3 PM and climb. Shoot the first deer that comes in and gives you a decent shot. If nothing comes in PM, wait until about 7 AM the next morning and ease back in. They will probably come in about 10 to 11 AM. Sit until noon unless you kill one. Good luck and post some pictures.

 

[Exhumis]

So it sounds like you’ve done the scouting. Flip the switch in your head and head out with a mind to hunt instead of scout. You know where the deer are, go there and set up. What @NMSbowhunter said. Set up on sign you see/find or where you’ve found sign previously. You have that crossing/funnel/bench/saddle marked in ONX, set up and get comfy. Don’t doubt yourself. You’ve done the work it’s time to get paid.

 

[Hunter260]

Hey man I get it. I’ve killed probably 30-35 deer with my bow and I just now feel like I’m starting to be able to consistently find deer when I go onto a new place. Here’s my tips for finding some deer when you go out prettt consistently.

1. Use maps, but don’t over use maps. Don’t get hung up looking for saddles, and funnels, and military ridges, and pinch points, and bedding areas, and staging areas, and transition zones, and all that other gobbledegook. Look on the map for the prettiest green field there is, then walk to the corner of it. Most likely in the woodline there’s a trail there and most likely a few does come out of there every night right at dark to feed. Walk in there and see for yourself.

2. quantity is way more important than quality when scouting. You need to scout as many different places as you possibly can. There’s nothing cooler than packing in 4 miles through a swamp with a mobile system and getting in your setup at 4am and sitting for 16 hours straight to shoot a giant buck at last light then packing it out all night. If you want to hate bowhunting, try to do that your first year. If you want to love bowhunting, go to the closest piece of public land to your house and whack 12 does off of a field edge that’s 200 yards from the truck. Yea it’s not very youtube worthy, but I do not drag does very far. Or small bucks. One time I went in 3.75 miles one way and passed what would have been the biggest buck I had ever killed at that point because the pack out was so daunting that I had convinced myself it was only worth doing for a new state record. That’s just pointless to do to yourself when you’re literally attempting to kill the most bountiful large game animal in this hemisphere.

3. Don’t become a hunter, become a killer. When I was growing up I was so into deer hunting. It was all I could think about, but I sucked at it. Like could not find a deer if I wanted to. My dad, grandpa and uncles all had 2-3 big bucks a piece mounted and I thought they were going to get a call from the outdoor channel any moment to get a show offer. Turns out looking back, they’re pretty casual and it’s not very difficult to kill 3 big bucks in 30-40 years of trying. One time we went over to a family friends house who was a big time bowhunter, (and eventually taught me most of what I know about deer movement) and let me tell you now I was absolutely astounded at the number of antlers on the wall of his garage. Easily 100-150 racks, not a single one over about 100” gross score. Bucks that people would laugh at if you posted them on your Facebook page. Dozens of spikes, fork horns, 3 points and who even knows how many does the guy has killed. In his house though, he had 10-15 absolute giants shoulder mounted. All this to say, that guy was a killer. He had the experience to be able to consistently find and KILL deer, because he had done it. Not because he had watched YouTube videos about how to do it. I recommend that everyone new to bowhunting kill the first 20 legal animals that step out in front of you.

 

[Horn]

Thanks for the advice guys! I am on the 20 first legal deer plan The plan when I decided to hunt last summer was to take this past year to scout and practice so I was ready this year. I've covered miles, have several spots picked out and have shot myself silly practicing with my bow!