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When do you go to plan b?

I think pinch points are good in theory for y’all hunting the Midwest. Down here in the south, unless you’re in hill country, most of our public land is flat and fairly monotonous. I’ve yet to find a decent pinch or rut funnel on my local stuff. Therefore I’m pretty much forced to hunt the sign. That’s usually where the does are deciding what the hot food source is for that week or two. Hunting is so different from area to area. I think the point of this thread really way to try to help new hunters consistently get on deer in general and have encounters.
 
philsanchez76 said:
I think pinch points are good in theory for y’all hunting the Midwest. Down here in the south, unless you’re in hill country, most of our public land is flat and fairly monotonous. I’ve yet to find a decent pinch or rut funnel on my local stuff. Therefore I’m pretty much forced to hunt the sign. That’s usually where the does are deciding what the hot food source is for that week or two. Hunting is so different from area to area. I think the point of this thread really way to try to help new hunters consistently get on deer in general and have encounters.
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With terrain I include the forests, swamps, other features. Minnesota is about as flat and monotonous as they come (aside from the SE bluff country, but I don't hunt that).

The point is terrain features over sign, because hunters hunt sign, once the pressure hits, you can have more success hunting a terrain feature that concentrates deer movement. For us in MN that can be a grove of trees in a swamp, or what I like to find, a strip of land between a marsh and a river, thats a pinch point. The whole point is to use the terrain (the landscape features) to your advantage, often the sign can be misleading, especially on public.
 
WestGoesEast said:
With terrain I include the forests, swamps, other features. Minnesota is about as flat and monotonous as they come (aside from the SE bluff country, but I don't hunt that).

The point is terrain features over sign, because hunters hunt sign, once the pressure hits, you can have more success hunting a terrain feature that concentrates deer movement. For us in MN that can be a grove of trees in a swamp, or what I like to find, a strip of land between a marsh and a river, thats a pinch point. The whole point is to use the terrain (the landscape features) to your advantage, often the sign can be misleading, especially on public.
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I hear you. I am just speaking for my home state of Tennessee here which is similar to a lot of southern states. We definitely have edges and some terrain features (usually created by creeks) but the problem is there are so many edges the deer can choose from, they cease to be usable as a high odds pinch point. Our public is about 70% thicket. Problem with these is they provide bedding cover and food. to actually be able to find deer you have to either bump em or find the fresh sign. I’m not giving up on looking for similar terrain and pinch points, they just don’t seem to be as readily available here.
 
I've heard that about other states, the cover being monotonous. Does that mean you hunt longer days? In Michigan, if all I can get away for is 3-4 hours I can probably get in the woods and stumble into some deer or some sign just using terrain and edges. When it's all the same are you putting in more time, or just covering ground faster?
 
131north said:
I've heard that about other states, the cover being monotonous. Does that mean you hunt longer days? In Michigan, if all I can get away for is 3-4 hours I can probably get in the woods and stumble into some deer or some sign just using terrain and edges. When it's all the same are you putting in more time, or just covering ground faster?
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I usually hunt 3-4 hour evening sits mostly and do just like you. Go scout edges until I find fresh sign. It might be on the first edge I check or I may check 4-5 and hike all evening without seeing much to go on. But the norm is that I have at least an encounter with some deer. They just have sooo much cover, you have to find them and then re-find them, and then find them again. I think this is just part of hunting public land too.
 
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After about 6-7 tall bud lights. When you can vaguley remember riding home but you’re not sure exactly who drove. That was always the best indication for me. You have to watch the real religious ones though, for some reason they don’t like to take it. I had one girl tell me “don’t worry about it, there’s only a 30% of me getting pregnant” I drove her straight to the cvs that second and watched her swallow. She now has 2 kids and is fat as hell. You can really never be too careful, if in doubt, pay the 50 bucks. There was this girl in myrtle beach I drug home from the bar one year, she was actually pretty hot...well the next morning we went for a drive. They only had the two step plans though, I watched her swallow the first one and she would have to do the next one later, she must have taken it because I never heard from her again. I really should have bought stock in plan b in my early 20’s. Never get the two step plan unless you’re in a bind, and always, always watch her swallow it. Good luck!
 
Went out today to a piece of public I've explored a couple times and was able to get on some deer during bow season, and I figured I'd give it a try now that it's gun season.

Started off on the ground, using my saddle in between two trees. I was sitting a path the deer were using the last time I was there. Sat from 6 - 9 am and didn't see anything, then decided to go look for some fresh sign.

Found a good spot, a little marshy area with one side covered with the tickets and the other side was mostly pine and open woods. Heavily used trails all meeting up in this area, fresh and old droppings, old and recent rubs. Primo. SRT up a tree, hang for a few hours

Eventually the wind was blowing in 17-20 mile hour gusts. I didn't feel like being tethered to a falling tree, so I got down and figured the wind gave me good cover for some scouting/still hunting.

Walked around, found a pop up blind, checked out a pond, but didn't see any really fresh sign, except for that marshy area. This piece of public is split down the middle north to south with a somewhat maintained path. I had already walked the east side of the woods that morning, and the wind was blowing from the west so I headed north on the path heading in the direction of my car. I wasn't leaving, but just working the west side of the woods and I hoped i would catch a deer crossing that main path. There were several large downed trees across the path, and for each a path was made to go around them.

I was on one of these paths and decided to not follow it when it joined the main path again, instead I walked just into the tree line. After about 5 steps, I saw motion on my right. Here's a buck walking directly across the main path and heading into the woods in front of me. I sidestepped to a tree to steady against, waited for him to walk into a shooting lane, and bleated. He stopped perfect broadside. I had enough time to check the safety twice! Finally, I pulled the trigger. He takes off running to the north west.

I check where he was when I shot and cannot find blood or hair. I check I. The direction he ran for about 15 to 20 yards. Still no sign. I must have missed. Bummed, and already near the road, I started leaving and called my uncle, an avid hunter. He tells me to go check more the direction her ran, so I go back, keep going, and then there's blood!

Followed for about 65 yards and there he was, dead. He's not huge, but it was an insane moment and I'm proud. Plan C got it done and got me my first buck and second deer ever.
 
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