An unsuccessful hunt

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stumper
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Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2016 7:40 pm

An unsuccessful hunt

#1 Post by stumper »

Let’s start this thread with a quote “if you consider an unsuccessful Hunt a waste of time then the true meaning of the Chase eludes you all together“ - Fred Bear

With that said I don’t think that the 16 hours I spent in a WMA yesterday was a waste of time. However, I also did not see a single deer, despite having seen plenty of signs of deer activity in the area during several scouting trips and seeing tons of fresh evidence of recent deer activity during the hunt. For me it seems that Louisiana is not quite “sportsman‘s paradise“ but I have faith that if I continue to do my part eventually I will be successful. Unfortunately private land is not in the cards for me, I have asked dozens of people in the Louisiana if I could have access to their land in exchange for deer meat and assistance in cleaning/maintaining the land, to no avail. So I’m public land all the way for the for the forseeable future and I’m hunting from the ground.

So I’m here to once again sit at the feet of wisdom and ask all of you who have successfully hunted public land to give me your Tips and or tricks that made the difference between you finding the deer on public land. Even seeing a deer on public land whether or not I had the opportunity to shoot would be amazing. Sure a harvest would be ideal, but just watching them would be enough.
Nothing clears a troubled mind like shooting a bow.

Carpdaddy
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Re: An unsuccessful hunt

#2 Post by Carpdaddy »

Got a text from my partner this morning from a tree. All it said was ”Empty Quiver”, I await an update but it doesn’t look good!
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Crazynate
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Joined: Tue May 23, 2017 9:54 am

Re: An unsuccessful hunt

#3 Post by Crazynate »

I hunt state land and it can be challenging. Here's a good Few things to remember. 1 if you stumbled upon what looks like a good spot and it wasn't hard to get to its not a secret. 2 hunt in the rain whenever you can. Pressured deer here in MI seem to know rain means less hunters and it's true.my best days are in the rain. 3 don't assume just because you see rubs and scrapes it doesn't mean the deer are doing them during normal light. I know lots of guys that will hunt a spot as soon as they see deer sign. Instead follow the sign to the thickest stuff you can find. This time of year deer won't go far without leaving sign all over the place. When you find these spots figure out the wind and hunt it. Also at least for me don't always hunt morning and night. I go out regularly at 930 and sit until 2. I ask other hunters and friends that hunt a lot if they're seeing deer. If they all say it's been slow morning and night I'll hunt mid day. Figure out if you are hunting a spot that has more than 2-3 other hunters in it regularly. Pressured deer act different than non pressured deer. Hunting state land is challenging but if you go in at least 500 yards from the nearest road or trail you'll have more success. I never hunt close to roads. Easy access for me means easy access for other hunters to.
Goodnight Chesty Wherever You Are.

Carpdaddy
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Re: An unsuccessful hunt

#4 Post by Carpdaddy »

Okay let me explain my off track post :oops: :lol:
I was sitting on the bench at Wally World waiting for the wifey, and I was reading quickly through the post. Then I get a text and picture from Mark. I must have been thinking out loud sitting in all the rushing going on around me. Opps.

stumper
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Re: An unsuccessful hunt

#5 Post by stumper »

I’ll admit, my first thought was ok carp thanks pal. :lol:
Nothing clears a troubled mind like shooting a bow.

stumper
Posts: 2688
Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2016 7:40 pm

Re: An unsuccessful hunt

#6 Post by stumper »

Crazynate wrote:I hunt state land and it can be challenging. Here's a good Few things to remember. 1 if you stumbled upon what looks like a good spot and it wasn't hard to get to its not a secret. 2 hunt in the rain whenever you can. Pressured deer here in MI seem to know rain means less hunters and it's true.my best days are in the rain. 3 don't assume just because you see rubs and scrapes it doesn't mean the deer are doing them during normal light. I know lots of guys that will hunt a spot as soon as they see deer sign. Instead follow the sign to the thickest stuff you can find. This time of year deer won't go far without leaving sign all over the place. When you find these spots figure out the wind and hunt it. Also at least for me don't always hunt morning and night. I go out regularly at 930 and sit until 2. I ask other hunters and friends that hunt a lot if they're seeing deer. If they all say it's been slow morning and night I'll hunt mid day. Figure out if you are hunting a spot that has more than 2-3 other hunters in it regularly. Pressured deer act different than non pressured deer. Hunting state land is challenging but if you go in at least 500 yards from the nearest road or trail you'll have more success. I never hunt close to roads. Easy access for me means easy access for other hunters to.
You know we were hiking really far back but it was still just off the trail. My friend is all for going deeper and deeper. Next time we will follow some tracks as far into the thicket as possible and set up there. Great idea Nate!! Let's hear some more!
Nothing clears a troubled mind like shooting a bow.

Crazynate
Posts: 444
Joined: Tue May 23, 2017 9:54 am

Re: An unsuccessful hunt

#7 Post by Crazynate »

Don't get me wrong man I'm not saying you have to go as far as possible I just mean get away from hunters. The section of landni hunt is hard land. Big ridges, swamps and thickets. It is NOT a very hunter friendly place. Places that are easy access or easy to get to you can bet have hunters. If you can find a good food source, water and a thicket or a place where maybe there are lots of blowdowns you'll be golden. I find BUCKS bed more on benches and ridge tops and using the thermals to smell hunters at least in the hilly part I hunt. I also notice BUCKS bedding close to food sources come November. It just seems that way from my experiences. So approach in and out is even more important.
Goodnight Chesty Wherever You Are.

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Shadowhntr
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Re: An unsuccessful hunt

#8 Post by Shadowhntr »

Good stuff guys.

Like Nate is getting at, you need to think outside the box on public ground a lot of times. The key component of his message is locating decent deer habitat, that gets low pressure from hunters. As has been said, going deep might provide that, or going into hard to traverse ground might. With me aging, it's better for me to resort to over looked spots. Sometimes they are just nooks and crannies bordering around no hunt areas that others dismiss. Sometimes it can be a place where other hunters avoid because of hiking trails, horse trails, walking paths, or other people traffic that discourages hunters who don't understand that deer adjust to that kind of surounding...and deer know those people aren't hunting them but many areas like this are bow only hunting areas. Another thing to open the eyes to, might be non classic deer habitat. Everyone looks for big nice ridges, thick brush, ag fields and other classic well known deer topography. However deer are very adaptive...and can live happily in scrub brush , grasslands, non hardwood deciduous forrest,....about anywhere they can hide. They don't need overhead canopies to survive well either. I've seen very large groups of deer in western Kansas in nothing but tiny strings of timber and expansive grasslands. Open your mind to those non classic areas and come to realize not all deer live in vast hardwoods or timber. They can thrive in almost anything and a little of nothing. Being a ground hunter, places like that will suit you, plus you won't have much competition.

It only takes a short bit of human intrusion to alert wise deer who have been hunted hard every year by the public. They play scant when that happens. Remember...anything public stands a chance of being ruined by careless hunters. Once you begin locating low pressured spots...build a repertoire of areas, as many as possible, because if you get indication the deer are spooked at a spot, you would do better to move on to other low pressured deer Instead of playing cat and mouse all season.
Learn what funnels and forces deer to choose to travel in a narrowed area that lays between where they bed and feed. The more obvious the funnel the more likely some other hunters will have it jacked up. Instead look for inconspicuous funnels that are not easy to see from satellite, or maps. These type funnels elude some of the most seasoned hunters every year, esp if the funnels are in a non classic deer habitat area.

Review my post in deer hunting tips and tactics forum titled whitetail tactics 1 and 2. The main jist of it, is keep impact low. Plan on having a shot the first time in to a set up. However it may take a season or three to really get a grip on what the deer are doing in any certain area. You are better off starting conservative and safe, watching from a distance of known low pressured deer. Once you see the movement, adjust. It may take a few adjustments to get it right. But if you charge in there and make your presents known the deer react differently and you won't see the normal movement for future hunts to be based off of using the element of surprise.
The element of surprise can never be replaced by persistence.

stumper
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Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2016 7:40 pm

Re: An unsuccessful hunt

#9 Post by stumper »

love it
Nothing clears a troubled mind like shooting a bow.

Mohawk
Posts: 403
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2016 7:24 pm

Re: An unsuccessful hunt

#10 Post by Mohawk »

This is pretty far outside of the box because it requires yet more equipment, but lots of folks already have it. I have thought of hunting public ground by way of entering and exiting by way of water via boat or canoe. Here in Kansas, most of our public ground is around lakes. I reckon if you can find a honey hole for deer that's tough to get to by driving close enough and then hiking in, then maybe the way to get there would be with watercraft. I bought a canoe at a garage sale for $45. I haven't gotten to hunt or run traps from it yet, but I think there is potential in doing it.

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