Timid or bold?

[wooly]

What kind of approach will you open the early archery season with?

Patiently sit back and wait for an opportunity at your target buck in an area you hope he eventually uses and hunt smart..., or pull out all the stops and aggressively jump all over his late summer patterns before they change?

[NFA-ADK]

IF I knew the patterns I would jump on them, I try to slow down my stalks and pay attention to every detail in the woods to give clues about habits, travel paths and food.  Then I try to make a game plan.  My scouting is usually the first few days of hunting and previous years experiences.  2-5 days depending on time allowed and hunting area available. 

 

Not the most effective way to hunt but its FUN!!!  The fact that I have NO clue what is in the area conjures up dreams of 10-14 pointers running rampant.  Ignorance can be bliss at times. 

[G-Man]

i'll be hunting summer patterns, it pays to keep an eye on the bachlore group the buck you want is with..it may keep a young dumb one around for the first few weeks now we open so early.

[chiefbkt]

I'm hoping the wind plays along and allows me to get into the ground blind where a few of the big fellas have been hanging out eating the soybeans.  If the wind isn't good for the blind, I'll be some where else waiting for a mature buck to pass through.  

[Kot2B]

In recent years I have found that the bucks change their pattern within a week of opener. So week one will be trying to see them around the stands I have been patterning them at. After that I will reassess the pattern. Usually I end up with a deer around Veteran's day and leave the cams out till close of ML. The week after thanksgiving and the first week of Dec I always get pics of big boys cruising through, only if I had the patience to wait that long.

 

[ATbuckhunter]

Probably more timid but then again im not going to start hunting till the third weekend of October anyway so I might as well start strong. 

[HUNTINGS IN MY DNA]

IF I knew the patterns I would jump on them, I try to slow down my stalks and pay attention to every detail in the woods to give clues about habits, travel paths and food. Then I try to make a game plan. My scouting is usually the first few days of hunting and previous years experiences. 2-5 days depending on time allowed and hunting area available.

Not the most effective way to hunt but its FUN!!! The fact that I have NO clue what is in the area conjures up dreams of 10-14 pointers running rampant. Ignorance can be bliss at times.

ill tell you this whoever is hunting in tree stands near by is probably scoring due to you walking around In the woods

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dbHunterNY]

all the nicer older bucks I've seen by bow season are on the move searching for that first doe in heat.  tough to really nail down a pattern at least around here.  I usually scout from a distance early even before the season starts and then move in pretty quickly but don't take a whole lot of risk in getting busted.  first does are often older ones so get busted and they and the buck both won't hold that same pattern.  so I guess both.

[A Sportsman]

Good question Wooly. The past couple of years duriing bow season I took the timid approach, staying well back off bedding areas. Trouble is all my hunting spots are public and I believe other guys were likely hunting "bold", destroying my efforts to tread lightly. The result was that I really didn't see any bucks to get excited about. This year, I'm getting more aggressive. Still Keeping my wind out of bedding areas but getting much much closer to them for morrning hunts especially.

Also, I got a spot where for the past 3 years I've been noticing deer constantly using an area behind some houses. Prior til now I couldn't set up properly without being closer than 500 feet. So I left it alone. This year I will be in there as soon as the wind and my schedule allows. I already prepped a tree for climber. Could fill a wheel barrow with all the droppings around the stand. Hopefully it pans out, with my luck there are 3 other hunters who are also excited about keying in on exact same spot.

[bkln]

First week or so definitely summer patterns, then I will scout some more and go after them before they go totally nuts.... I will use more mid-day time than before, I have noticed that the beginning of the bow season they are still reckless, I plan to use that to my advantage....

[wooly]

I usually get a little crazy right out of the gate in hopes of luck playing a bigger role with the early season patterns.

I guess my reasoning being that I live in a really deer rich area, where sightings and opportunities seem to increase as the season wears on, plus there is quite a bit of hunting pressure from my neighbors who also kill a lot of deer, so your first crack at a good one may be your last.

 

Usually after the first week or so, the excitement of being on stand again has worn off and my approach is more laid back and less aggressive or intrusive.

 

I wasn't looking for any right or wrong answers with this post.

I think it I intended it more to find out what risks you guys were willing to take to determine just how important the kill really is at the end of the day, and who's more interested in having a good time!

There's more than one way to kill a buck, and it's pretty rewarding when it happens according to plan no matter what approach you take.

The best hunts IMO are when the two worlds collide!

 

Good luck this fall everyone, stay safe, and enjoy your hunts!

[philoshop]

I tread pretty lightly the first part of the season. Even more so now with the extra two weeks.

I have six stand sites on three properties, so I'd rather not burn anything out before the rut gets into full swing.

 

If the itch gets to be unbearable, I'll still-hunt/scout the edge of a standing cornfield or other thick area away from my stand locations. I've come face-to-face with some real bruisers like that over the years, but I've never been able to get off a shot. This year I'll probably take the camera on these recon missions. Surest way I know of to get a great 'shot' opportunity is to leave the killing gear at home. lol

[crappyice]

Wait...you guys have strategies? I just get in my tree/any tree and sit with a HUGE smile on my face that I am back in the woods!!! Maybe that's why I harvest so few deer!