Choosing where to hunt what would you do if you have limited time

[Hunter007]

I hunt 2 main areas usully one is 45 min away and the other is 3 1/2   / 4  hours away.  The 

45 min area gets hit hard by hunting pressure but I  have a dmp for it 

The 3 1/2  hour area has much less hunting pressure  and a much better chance of getting a buck .

What would you guys choose if it was you and you had limited time to hunt and had to be back home that night ?

Would you take the 3 1/2 hour drive back and fourth for a better chance at a big buck .

Or play it safe and go local 45 min away and boom your hunting .

[turkeyfeathers]

Are you trophy hunting for a buck or filling the freezer ?  Gut says stay local.  3.5 hours is a journey  And pressure of the local spot could put some deer in front of you  My .02

[NFA-ADK]

Depends on the class of buck.  I would not drive the extra distance for a 2  year old but if the bucks are in the 3 year old plus range I am driving  the extra distance especially if it has a larger amount of them. 

[Jdubs]

Try to fill the dmp nearby and go hunt the big buck spot on best weather conditions when you're not rushed for time.

[TreeGuy]

Seems like your answering your own question.... Take the drive ! I have a place that's about an hour away, and I agonize the ride, especially when I hunt there all day. 4am wake-up and 7pm return home. Kicks my butt and I won't get but an hour with the kids before bedtime. I can say this though, you can't kill em on the couch. Even at your close spot, second rut could be kicking in the next week or so and may draw a big boy out from hiding. If you go off terrain I'd go to your place that's a more of a funnel,or one you know that's a travel route to food. It's about that time for the winter gorge to begin. Either way, get out there ! Good luck on your choice !

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[The_Real_TCIII]

My typical drive is 90 minutes and its tough especially on the way home. IMO a 3.5 hour drive after hunting all day is a bad idea. If you choose that route be safe, get off the road if you feel tired

[vizslas]

with the fresh scrapes I saw this morning and going over deer kills last year and camera action from last month i would say its here. dont drive that you will just be rushing yourself thus increasing your percentages for an accident. Be safe be wise stay close to home, if you do see a doe their is the chance she could be hot and have a buck with her. increase your chances stay local, bucks may be wandering. Of course this weather will keep the does  on the slow roll. Its a crap shoot sometimes. I myself used to drive an hour to hunt and low and behold one year took a nice 8 point , hunting last forty minutes. two days later it worked again last day of muzzleloader , took a nice doe. Hope this helps in your confusion.

 

[cdbing]

I enjoy time on stand far more than time behind the wheel.  I used to mix in a few trips to Putnam which is 1.5 to 2 hours from me with the local spots, but that made for a long day and I saw fewer deer...sure they were typically bigger bodied and the woods were more open.  Now I almost exclusively hunt local and spend more time on stand and see more deer.   Getting them in range, well that's a different story, but I just like time in the woods.

[genesee_mohican]

I would hunt the closer spot, maybe the pressure died down this week and the deer will be there. And I'd start to look, scout or do some looking at good places to hunt that are closer for next year.

 I'm sure lucky, I can walk out my backdoor to a stand 100 steps behind my house and have the chance at a mature buck.

 

Edited December 1, 2017 by genesee_mohican
correct my spelling

[Hunter007]

1 hour ago, NFA-ADK said:

Depends on the class of buck.  I would not drive the extra distance for a 2  year old but if the bucks are in the 3 year old plus range I am driving  the extra distance especially if it has a larger amount of them. 

Well let me put it to you this way  my cousins also hunt the 3 hour away spot which for them is more like 4 or 5 hour drive .

Over any other place we know because it is the only place we know that we or are friends ever get  your typical looking 6 and 8 pointers .

They will not even bother with the closer area . But they. Usually stay up there overnight at least .

I don't think I will be able to do that this year . 

 maybe I will try doing the 3 hour commute once at least see how I feel maybe  get lucky on the first day up there .

 

Edited December 1, 2017 by Storm914

[JRod 8G8H]

I think you wont see too many mature bucks making mistakes right now as they're likely walking circles in the thickest cover imaginable until nighttime.  Go hunt the close spot.  Hunting pressure and pushers moving deer might displace some younger deer and doe groups to you if you're looking for meat.  Late season and late rut and cold weather will get older bucks back out into the shooting lanes

[DirtTime]

6 hours ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

My typical drive is 90 minutes and its tough especially on the way home. IMO a 3.5 hour drive after hunting all day is a bad idea. If you choose that route be safe, get off the road if you feel tired

+1 on what TCIII said. The private land I hunt used to be about 45minutes to an hour, depending on which place I stopped at to get mt drive up coffee. Even after only hunting until noon or a bit later, it was rough driving home.

Now, that land is close to an hour and a half drive, and the only two times we got up there last season the fiancée only made it a few hours in the cold. So even heading home around 10:00AM both of us had a hard time staying awake.

 

I would hunt the closer area, pressure should be letting of a bit now in most areas. 

[GreeneHunter]

Bucks and Does generally taste the same .... 45 Minutes with a DMP !

[Hunter007]

1 hour ago, ....rob said:

+1 on what TCIII said. The private land I hunt used to be about 45minutes to an hour, depending on which place I stopped at to get mt drive up coffee. Even after only hunting until noon or a bit later, it was rough driving home.

Now, that land is close to an hour and a half drive, and the only two times we got up there last season the fiancée only made it a few hours in the cold. So even heading home around 10:00AM both of us had a hard time staying awake.

 

I would hunt the closer area, pressure should be letting of a bit now in most areas. 

Yea you are  probably right the farthest I have tried to drive back from a  hunting spot same day  was a  2 hour drive each way  years ago and it would really take a toll on you . 

 

 

[Hunter007]

[Hunter007]

Well took the close spot saw some fresh tracks in the mud but that is about it .

Heard 3, 1 after the other  gun shots in the  valley this morning  there .

I think the guy missed sounded like .

Will see what happens tomorrow  

[Hunter007]

Still great to get out there again