Another theory

[Lunarday358]

As the title says this is just a theory. I read a lot about deer hunting through the entire year and love to learn as much as I can. Some of my opinions vary greatly from the accepted rules though. For one, I'd rather still hunt than hunt from a stand. Once a buck knows your stand location he can avoid it. As a still hunter you can adapt to how a deer reacts to your presence and use that to your advantage. I hear a lot of people say that once a buck has been bumped, he probably won't return. I feel the exact opposite. If he used the terrain and area to elude hunters before he can do it again and will feel more comfortable in an area he knows. As a hunter if you can figure out how he eluded you it can be used to your advantage in the future. Another thing I hear a lot is that big bucks are gone at the first sign of human presence. What if they're actually bigger risk takers than younger deer and actually allow the threat to approach and walk by instead of running and giving up their position? I've read several studies where radio collared deer have actually hunkered right down and allowed hunters to walk within yards of them and not taken off. The hunters had no clue the deer was even there. I've never killed any "trophy" deer with these methods but I have taken some deer that were trophies in my eyes. Sometimes I just like to go against the grain of commonly accepted knowledge.

[goosifer]

Interesting. What are your thoughts on how a deer travels relative to the wind? Just curious.

[grampy]

The thing with deer hunting is, there is no "right" or "wrong" way to do it, while staying within the legal guidelines, of course. Hunters find success using all sorts of different tactics and methods. And it's all good! When I was a bit younger, I did quite a bit of still hunting. And still do some now. In fact one of my biggest bucks was shot in his bed, during a snow storm in 1986, after cutting his track going into a hemlock thicket. I now try to 'predict'  why,  when, and where a buck will be at a given time, on a certain property. And slip in to wait for him, in a natural ground blind. Sometimes it even works out! Hunting should be enjoyable. So hunt they way you prefer. But always keep an open mind, for other possibilities, and be as adaptable as the deer we are hunting.

[Lunarday358]

1 hour ago, goosifer said:

Interesting. What are your thoughts on how a deer travels relative to the wind? Just curious.

I've never found any fast and hard rule, if we have a steady wind usually I'll see them walking with a cross wind or they will be angling into the wind. Often times my areas are very swirly though and I honestly can't determine how the deer are using it to their advantage. I really do need to learn more about wind currents and how they're effected by terrain.

[rob-c]

As was said there is no wrong way to deer hunt. When I hunted my cousins 100 acres we had a killing tree, we used our climbers in this tree and it was a perfect spot. It sat on a ridge with a 2 acre pine thicket behind that was a bottle neck between big woods . I shot my biggest buck to date from that spot a 120 incher.  Had two bucks easily 130 inch deer use that bottle neck never giving me a shot and I passed many smaller bucks up too . myself , son and my wife have shot numerous deer from that little patch of woods. We used the same trail and same tree over and over and it just produced deer. 

[Five Seasons]

2 hours ago, Lunarday358 said:

I've never killed any "trophy" deer with these methods but I have taken some deer that were trophies in my eyes. Sometimes I just like to go against the grain of commonly accepted knowledge.

every hunter should do what he wants and how he wants so long as it's ethical. going against the grain because it brings enjoyment to you is what hunting is all about. If a new hunter asked for my advice, the first question should always be "what are you looking to get out of hunting". Only then can you even point a hunter in one direction or the other. And from there, the hunter will make up his own mind about what he wants to do.

Don't want to wake up early? hunt afternoons. Don't let early morning alarms drive you from a sport. Just want meat in the freezer? Let me show you a field where you can hunt over some food and get a nice shot a doe etc.

[Mossberg500Guy]

On 2/28/2017 at 10:34 AM, Lunarday358 said:

I've never found any fast and hard rule, if we have a steady wind usually I'll see them walking with a cross wind or they will be angling into the wind. Often times my areas are very swirly though and I honestly can't determine how the deer are using it to their advantage. I really do need to learn more about wind currents and how they're effected by terrain.

I notice the same with steady wind the deer often travel cross wind, I've also notice deer will set them selves up in a thick area while bedding so it can pick up on a predators movement...@Lunarday358 Here's a link to a good article that touches base on wind and how terrain etc... affects it  http://bowsite.com/bowsite/features/articles/deer/breakingwind/

[goosifer]

Intense article, Mossber500Guy! My best takeaway from it was:

"Bucks that have learned to use wind often move downwind, especially at night, using their noses to protect their most vulnerable rear while relying on their eyes to protect their frontal area. With mature bucks cruising in broad daylight, those that have learned to use the wind prefer to move quartering downwind rather than with a nose wind to find ripe does. This allows them to cover much more olfactory ground while using less energy."

[wheelieman]

Im a stand hunter for archery during gun i like to walk, I think every tree in the woods can produce a good buck at some point in the season, But on every property there is 1 tree that does it every year without fail, Thats the tree i try and find, That one tree that every deer walks by every time they come through, doe or buck, Just watch the wind and i prefer to hunt nights with a bow and morning with a gun,