Post-Thansgiving pressure..

[turkeyfeathers]

Yesterday I checked 2 cams with only 3 days since the last check. Not much happening. especially with a couple of target bucks. Not much pressure on my side of the mountain but after opening day of gun I see fewer and fewer deer. I'm sure some of this is due to the rut slowing down as well.

[46rkl]

One of the things that makes my hunting more difficult is having a neighbor with about 100 acres that boards horses. Although the barns and pastures take up only about 20 of those acres, the rest is off limits. I understand her being concerned for the safety of the horses with some of the "hunters" I have encountered around here but I can't even get permission to walk the land without a gun to push some deer out. 

On a typical evening you can easily spot 25-30 deer in her pasture. She complains that the deer are ruining her pasture but still, no hunting. Not even bow.  

Whatayagonnado, ya know?

Hunt hard, smart and safe. Enjoy every moment you get to spend in the woods and be grateful for the successes that come your way. 

Still plenty of time to git 'er done here in 8H. I believe that ML ends on the 19th. 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

20 minutes ago, Core said:

But take that day you didn't catch a fish and repeat it for another ten days straight. I've now gone out 16 consecutive times, with about 26 hours total travel time (driving, walking) and no shot opportunity. I'm wondering at what point I'm allowed to consider it burning hours. 20 consecutive? 100? I have sat at multiple locations on multiple properties, I have tried still hunting, etc. It's weird because much of this is at the same public land that was hopping with deer last year. I've come upon scat so fresh it was almost steaming, gone through an area that the night before was trampled to death with deer including rubs and scrapes. I've only even managed to scare two deer while tramping through bedding areas (with bow, they ran off). It's possible I stink to heavens of wolf pee. It would explain it!

Hunting isn't always about what I kill, but at some point it has to be about that; it is called hunting after all, not hiking. And this year has been a lot of the latter.

I'll keep at it through this season on the public land anyway. Luck can change in an instant and I still look forward to getting out there (I think this is how people feel when they are losing money at a casino but keep thinking their luck will change--same psychology, but this one is arguably far healthier and only costs gas! :D).

Have you tried a shower?  Just kidding. Trying to lighten it up. I've been in ruts to where it seems nothing works. One of the areas I hunt is one of the states population issue areas from last year. we have a fist full of permits and can't seem to scrounge up a doe to save our lives in that area. lots of small bucks but no flat tops. 

[chas0218]

57 minutes ago, Core said:

But take that day you didn't catch a fish and repeat it for another ten days straight. I've now gone out 16 consecutive times, with about 26 hours total travel time (driving, walking) and no shot opportunity. I'm wondering at what point I'm allowed to consider it burning hours. 20 consecutive? 100? I have sat at multiple locations on multiple properties, I have tried still hunting, etc. It's weird because much of this is at the same public land that was hopping with deer last year. I've come upon scat so fresh it was almost steaming, gone through an area that the night before was trampled to death with deer including rubs and scrapes. I've only even managed to scare two deer while tramping through bedding areas (with bow, they ran off). It's possible I stink to heavens of wolf pee. It would explain it!

Hunting isn't always about what I kill, but at some point it has to be about that; it is called hunting after all, not hiking. And this year has been a lot of the latter.

I'll keep at it through this season on the public land anyway. Luck can change in an instant and I still look forward to getting out there (I think this is how people feel when they are losing money at a casino but keep thinking their luck will change--same psychology, but this one is arguably far healthier and only costs gas! :D).

I know where you are coming from, the few times I have decided to hunt public land I have not been able to find areas that people haven't stomped through, Even when I go deep into the woods I still find where people have been either trash or many sets of foot prints.

Edited November 29, 2016 by chas0218

[LET EM GROW]

23 hours ago, 46rkl said:

One of the things that makes my hunting more difficult is having a neighbor with about 100 acres that boards horses. Although the barns and pastures take up only about 20 of those acres, the rest is off limits. I understand her being concerned for the safety of the horses with some of the "hunters" I have encountered around here but I can't even get permission to walk the land without a gun to push some deer out. 

On a typical evening you can easily spot 25-30 deer in her pasture. She complains that the deer are ruining her pasture but still, no hunting. Not even bow.  

Whatayagonnado, ya know?

Hunt hard, smart and safe. Enjoy every moment you get to spend in the woods and be grateful for the successes that come your way. 

Still plenty of time to git 'er done here in 8H. I believe that ML ends on the 19th. 

I have the same issue with one of my properties. The lady that boarders us, is one of them theres "anti-hunters" and lets just say its thick. So we wait on the edges with the right winds.