I am totaly bored at the moment and I thought of this in the shower.
If you had to hunt a new area that you never been to, and only had 1 day to hunt it. You have no map,no GPS,no info on the land, and no internet(for google earth), How would you hunt it.
Would you pack a stand in and hope to find a decent sign,or spot and stalk, or just sit and still hunt(blind).
What would your aproach be to a no prep hunt situation,and not hunting is not in the cards.
And the animal to hunt is the Whitetail of course.
This should be interesting.Thanks for playing Tim
I'd walk until I found a good feed tree with goo dsign. I'd rather walk 7 hours and hunt that last hour than just climb a low percentage tree.
Heh, I did it with dream results. None of which had anything to do with ANY skill by me. I got lucky!
I had two days in January to scout a farm 9 hours away. I was going to plan for next year but brought my Tip and arrows just in case. I brought a stand and steps "just in case".
I did know there was a field(thats ALL I knew), so I planned to put up a low stand early and watch, then scout. First morning put up stand at 7 am on field edge to watch for any movement, which would hopefully give me a clue to where to start scouting. Saw deer at 9 am at far edge, came down at 10 to start looking there. I didn't know the area so I wanted to stay fairly close to the field edges. On my way along the woodline, found a shed antler, thick base, not huge but thick, still blood on the base, Figured I scored big at that point.
Crossed several good trails leading into field, I was almost to the area where the deer came out. Lots of blowdowns and thick cover, very icey too.
Just as I was about 25 yards from the corner trail, I saw a doe coming to the field on this trail I was approaching. I dropped and waited for her to pass, no doe tag and NEVER expected to get a shot anyway.
Behind her however, was a very different story. My only deer taken from the ground.
So after that experience, I would plan to hunt mostly on foot. I'd bring a stand in case I found a killer spot for an afternoon sit. But slow still hunting I think it would be for me.
(http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/szdh.jpg)
Still hunt for sure.
Some of my best hunting memories were places I ran into found a spot that looked appealing and then hunting it.
I have had good luck doing this when I lived in areas with better deer. It was a fun way to hunt.
Of course your percentage goes up when you know the land. If this is a place you plan to hunt in the future, get in, hunt and learn.
I wouldn't even pack a stand...
I'd walk untill I found an old stonewall fence, Then I'd follow it untill I found an old bargate, Then I'd take a comfortable seat about 10 yards upwind!!!!! :thumbsup:
You mean you would have to hunt like we did in the 60's?? Wow that's tough.. But then you already violated that by posting on here.
Time to use the good old fashion woodsmanship... Just don't taste the smart pills.
If I were in the shower totally board, I'd be thinking of something else besides hunting!... Anyway... Just play the wind and go for a sloooooooow walk.
... mike ...
I am with Mike slow walk watching your wind.
Walk slowly facing the wind and keep all senses open and ready.
No problem and no reservations.
You mean you would have to hunt like we did in the 60's?? Wow that's tough.. But then you already violated that by posting on here.
X 2 Earl E.
And what Bjorn said...slow sneak into the wind.
If you are a competent and confident ground hunter, then the choice is rather elementary.
Still Hunt till mid afternoon. Go back to my gut instinct best spot and sit till dark.
creep and sneak for me too.
Use a ghillie and hunt from the ground. Scout till you find a place you like then just squeeze in and wait.
ChuckC
Exactly what awbowman said for me. If your hunting down south a feed tree is about as good as it gets. RC
Timely post Tim. I hope to get out for my first time next week, I have four days off and will be hunting an area I don't know on public land.
I will be hunting the ground in my Ghillie and planned to still hunt the first day, looking for good spots to sit the other days. Since they should be moving with the rut I just might get lucky. I'd be real happy to get half as lucky as Yornoc!
I would still hunt as well. Scouting the whole time of course. If I found a promising location for the evening hunt, I would make a ground blind and sit the evening.
I would just still hunt
Keep the wind blowing up your nose. Walk the draws and side hills, following deer trails. I do this until I find a nice sort of secluded spot with crossing trails, some cover, grassy, out of the wind and in the sun, and then I sit, bow ready and have a little lunch, make some tea and then perhaps take a nap.
Deer habits are governed by their stomach.
So I would try to find a good feeding spot
(alfafa,acorns, maize)
This may sound obvious but I tend to forget it at times :wavey:
And stay focused, especially when you feel like giving up.
Things can change at the very last minute !
I'd take a Summit climber with me.
Assuming the day I'm looking is also my hunting day, I'd follow some landmark (property boundary fence, creek, or crop field) slowly in while still dark. I wouldn't be expecting to get set-up to hunt until 1-4 hours after light, depending upon how lucky I am finding sign. I'd enter the propety downwind. I would be still-scouting (not really hunting) until I found a promising ambush spot for the remainder of the day.
I'd try to focus on edge and topo breaks. I'd spend more time on the perimeter of the property than the heart of it. If this was ag land I'd walk the edges of the crop fields and find sign where deer are coming in. I wouldn't be planning on hunting until evening as I'd be looking for my spot.
This is a very unlikely scenario for me. I rarely (only once in the last 15 years) accept an invitation to hunt property sight unseen.
I would definitly hunt the ground, you would have more chances to see what could bring you into deer than if you just climb a tree and wait... And if you would be abble to come back to the area, you would know it better by walking it than siting it... If that make sens!?!?
On the ground,more difficult more satisfation!