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Post by Sandbur on Oct 19, 2021 8:10:44 GMT -6
I plan to start one week from today. I just put the fishing gear away.
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Post by Catscratch on Oct 19, 2021 8:45:46 GMT -6
I have not gone deer hunting yet. Shot a ton of doves and chased antelope for a couple of weekends.
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Post by smsmith on Oct 19, 2021 9:29:41 GMT -6
I haven't gone yet. Maybe tonight or tomorrow night. I think the kids will come out and hunt this weekend.
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Post by badgerfowl on Oct 19, 2021 9:37:07 GMT -6
I don't know how you can wait this long. I've been selective, 4 or 5 sits, but I have to scratch the itch sooner than mid/late October.
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Post by kooch on Oct 19, 2021 9:48:08 GMT -6
Guns, Guns, Guns.
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Post by Catscratch on Oct 19, 2021 9:52:02 GMT -6
I don't know how you can wait this long. I've been selective, 4 or 5 sits, but I have to scratch the itch sooner than mid/late October. I can ruin a spot real quick early season, plus I'm busy as hell until my coaching season ends in November. Plus, I love dove hunting to the point that I would rather spend a hot afternoon shooting boxes of shells rather than waiting on a deer.
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Post by badgerfowl on Oct 19, 2021 9:55:57 GMT -6
I don't know how you can wait this long. I've been selective, 4 or 5 sits, but I have to scratch the itch sooner than mid/late October. I can ruin a spot real quick early season, plus I'm busy as hell until my coaching season ends in November. Plus, I love dove hunting to the point that I would rather spend a hot afternoon shooting boxes of shells rather than waiting on a deer. You aren’t “normal” down there in the south. We don’t have to deal with 90 degree temps! Although we have yet to have a frost still. Friday night might finally change that though. I wasn’t going to sit much early then I got a bunch of daylight buck pics right before the season. Damn near made it happen opening night. Now I have some knowledge of setting it up for the opener next year.
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Post by smsmith on Oct 19, 2021 9:59:52 GMT -6
I've learned that if I want to shoot a mature buck, I better limit my sits.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Oct 19, 2021 10:05:59 GMT -6
I've learned that if I want to shoot a mature buck, I better limit my sits. I used to think that too, until I found out my neighbor sits in one of his 2 stands all the time and grunts and rattles even early season. Both stands are less than 20 yards off my line. He has tagged a 140 and a huge buck weighing 225 lbs field dressed the past two years. I know it could be lucky, but he hunts a lot and kills nice bucks.
I am thinking he will get my best buck again this year. Meanwhile I have been leaving the spot for the rut?
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Post by smsmith on Oct 19, 2021 10:11:54 GMT -6
I've learned that if I want to shoot a mature buck, I better limit my sits. I used to think that too, until I found out my neighbor sits in one of his 2 stands all the time and grunts and rattles even early season. Both stands are less than 20 yards off my line. He has tagged a 140 and a huge buck weighing 225 lbs field dressed the past two years. I know it could be lucky, but he hunts a lot and kills nice bucks.
I am thinking he will get my best buck again this year. Meanwhile I have been leaving the spot for the rut? Maybe that guy's a better hunter than I am. I used to bowhunt a lot. Like 3-5 nights a week from the opener on, usually 2-3 hours a sit. I shot plenty of young bucks. I also needed to get out and hunt a lot then to deal with life's stressors. I have since learned to hunt less and life has much less stress for me now. Unless I am fully prepared to deal with tracking, recovering, caping, icing, and getting the cape to the taxidermist...I don't hunt. If it isn't going to the taxidermist, I'm not shooting it.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Oct 19, 2021 10:16:16 GMT -6
I used to think that too, until I found out my neighbor sits in one of his 2 stands all the time and grunts and rattles even early season. Both stands are less than 20 yards off my line. He has tagged a 140 and a huge buck weighing 225 lbs field dressed the past two years. I know it could be lucky, but he hunts a lot and kills nice bucks.
I am thinking he will get my best buck again this year. Meanwhile I have been leaving the spot for the rut? Maybe that guy's a better hunter than I am. I used to bowhunt a lot. Like 3-5 nights a week from the opener on, usually 2-3 hours a sit. I shot plenty of young bucks. I also needed to get out and hunt a lot then to deal with life's stressors. I have since learned to hunt less and life has much less stress for me now. Unless I am fully prepared to deal with tracking, recovering, caping, icing, and getting the cape to the taxidermist...I don't hunt. If it isn't going to the taxidermist, I'm not shooting it. Your strategy makes complete sense. I can't understand why this guy is killing bucks so consistently? I just know it changed my philosophy on that property. We are going in to the best spots earlier now.
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Post by smsmith on Oct 19, 2021 10:23:39 GMT -6
Maybe that guy's a better hunter than I am. I used to bowhunt a lot. Like 3-5 nights a week from the opener on, usually 2-3 hours a sit. I shot plenty of young bucks. I also needed to get out and hunt a lot then to deal with life's stressors. I have since learned to hunt less and life has much less stress for me now. Unless I am fully prepared to deal with tracking, recovering, caping, icing, and getting the cape to the taxidermist...I don't hunt. If it isn't going to the taxidermist, I'm not shooting it. Your strategy makes complete sense. I can't understand why this guy is killing bucks so consistently? I just know it changed my philosophy on that property. We are going in to the best spots earlier now. I used to know a guy who shot a few 160s and 150s. He smoked cigs on stand and was far from a patient guy. He'd move from stand to stand oftentimes. He was hunting a beautiful funnel in a valley in Richland County, WI...that was his "secret" to success. He was in a high deer population area with plenty of nice bucks running around. He also was clearly a "lucky" hunter
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Post by badgerfowl on Oct 19, 2021 10:30:12 GMT -6
I used to think that too, until I found out my neighbor sits in one of his 2 stands all the time and grunts and rattles even early season. Both stands are less than 20 yards off my line. He has tagged a 140 and a huge buck weighing 225 lbs field dressed the past two years. I know it could be lucky, but he hunts a lot and kills nice bucks.
I am thinking he will get my best buck again this year. Meanwhile I have been leaving the spot for the rut? Maybe that guy's a better hunter than I am. I used to bowhunt a lot. Like 3-5 nights a week from the opener on, usually 2-3 hours a sit. I shot plenty of young bucks. I also needed to get out and hunt a lot then to deal with life's stressors. I have since learned to hunt less and life has much less stress for me now. Unless I am fully prepared to deal with tracking, recovering, caping, icing, and getting the cape to the taxidermist...I don't hunt. If it isn't going to the taxidermist, I'm not shooting it. I try to tell my dad that less is more but he still sits 3-5 nights a week. Then he wonder's why he's sick of sitting just when the getting is getting good. Then he'll become impatient and shoot a little one. Some people just struggle to change. Back in college, I got about 3 weekends a year to come back and hunt. Shot 2 of my biggest bucks (at the time) during those two years. I get more time now but I still try to be selective. I've averaged about 1 sit a week so far this year. Sat out a couple weekends because it was just too warm. Have chased up on Tuesday a few times.
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Post by smsmith on Oct 19, 2021 10:39:51 GMT -6
Maybe that guy's a better hunter than I am. I used to bowhunt a lot. Like 3-5 nights a week from the opener on, usually 2-3 hours a sit. I shot plenty of young bucks. I also needed to get out and hunt a lot then to deal with life's stressors. I have since learned to hunt less and life has much less stress for me now. Unless I am fully prepared to deal with tracking, recovering, caping, icing, and getting the cape to the taxidermist...I don't hunt. If it isn't going to the taxidermist, I'm not shooting it. I try to tell my dad that less is more but he still sits 3-5 nights a week. Then he wonder's why he's sick of sitting just when the getting is getting good. Then he'll become impatient and shoot a little one. Some people just struggle to change. Back in college, I got about 3 weekends a year to come back and hunt. Shot 2 of my biggest bucks (at the time) during those two years. I get more time now but I still try to be selective. I've averaged about 1 sit a week so far this year. Sat out a couple weekends because it was just too warm. Have chased up on Tuesday a few times. That also used to happen to me. I'd be getting tired of hunting by Halloween...which is about when I should have been hitting it hard. Years of hunting my and my folks' old places, as well as my current place has taught me that the odds are best in my favor from about October 25th until November 12th. I try to hit it hard during that time span. The issue here is that the orange army usually screws up at least a a few days of that time period.
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Post by badgerfowl on Oct 19, 2021 10:44:15 GMT -6
I try to tell my dad that less is more but he still sits 3-5 nights a week. Then he wonder's why he's sick of sitting just when the getting is getting good. Then he'll become impatient and shoot a little one. Some people just struggle to change. Back in college, I got about 3 weekends a year to come back and hunt. Shot 2 of my biggest bucks (at the time) during those two years. I get more time now but I still try to be selective. I've averaged about 1 sit a week so far this year. Sat out a couple weekends because it was just too warm. Have chased up on Tuesday a few times. That also used to happen to me. I'd be getting tired of hunting by Halloween...which is about when I should have been hitting it hard. Years of hunting my and my folks' old places, as well as my current place has taught me that the odds are best in my favor from about October 25th until November 12th. I try to hit it hard during that time span. The issue here is that the orange army usually screws up at least a a few days of that time period. I've shot the bigger bucks between the two of us and most have come in November. One was October 28th. These were all Juneau Co bucks except the one I tagged November 15th in 2019 at the new place. New place is a little different. I think we could shoot a decent one early. It's easier w/ little to no mosquitoes as well. I never went early much in the bottoms because I can't stand the bugs.
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