Are You Willing To LEARN???

[T.R. Michels]

I was thinking about this - this morning in the shower:

The way many hunters "learn" hunting techniques - in this day and ages - is from hunting videos, TV shows, articles and seminars, and sometimes in talk forums. And the people doing the writing or speaking - are often considered "experts" - because they have killed one or more fairly good sized bucks - and received some "notoriety" for it as a result of their big buck kills.

But, many of these people hunt in conditions and/or places - that are not accessible to the average hunter, or hunt areas known to have several big bucks on them (places that my or may not charge the "average Joe" hunter.

IF (big if) they hunt under those conditions, does that make them "experts" on how, when, where and why to  "hunt" the areas, and the deer, under the conditions - that average Joe's hunt??? 

Do they really have the experience to suggest productive "how-to" deer hunting techniques, tactics and tips???

Personally knowing many of the "been around for a while" TV personalities, writers, speakers and video personalities - I can definitively say that some of them can offer suggestions that  will help the average Joe hunter, and some of them are not offering good suggestions for the average Joe hunter, who often hunts on "limited size private land" or public land - who does not have access or the money to hunt the areas many "deer personalities" hunt.

Hopefully I, because, I have hunted several years on public land, because I have been an outfitter and guided other hunters for several years, and because I have researched deer for 10 years - on areas that would be available to the average Joe hunter, can provide some information that will help you understand deer biology and behavior better, so you understand why deer move where and when they are most active, and provide you with some tactics, techniques and tips that will allow you to become more productive hunters …

This is what I try to do for you guys on the talk forums, and what I try to do in my books, articles and seminars. I want to try and help you become more productive hunters…

With that in mind - I need to ask you some questions:

1. When you hunt, do you go out to simply locate a good place to hunt any deer, to hunt bucks, or to hunt bucks with large racks?

2. When you hunt, do you go out to hunt a "particular" buck you may have seen during your scouting sessions. 

3. Do you scout, and what do you look for when you scout?


God bless,

T.R.

[deadeye]

1. I usually try to find the spot (on my property) where the most deer can be observed.
2. Sometimes, however, more often than not I see bucks that were never seen before.
3. Yes, I look for recient deer sign.  Tracks in mud, scrapes, rubs and well used trails.

[schwinger]

1 - We have hunted the same section of public land for about 15 yrs now so we know the area pretty well. I usually just set up in one of a few spots that hold sign every year. I always hope to see a buck but not specifically in the woods for a buck.

2 - I have never gone in the woods looking for a particular deer.

3 - yes but not nearly enough. I usually scout around the friday before opener looking for sign before placing my stand. Look for beds, scrapes, rubs, trails. In some of the areas we hunt it has been beneficial to look for turned over leaves where the deer are forageing for acorns.

[HUNTER2]

I have stands set up all over my property. I hunt the wind and food areas and hope for a little luck. When the rut comes I just try to go where the does are. The bucks will follow.

[Go Big Red!]

1.  I will hunt any deer of any size.

2.  See #1.

3.  I don't have a chance to scout in the fall.  Family, my children, work, and duck hunting take precedence in that order.

[kingfisher1]

1. I will shoot any deer regardless of rack or lack thereof (meat hunter)
2. If I see a decent buck, I will take it, otherwise, see above
3. I scout everytime I'm on my property, and after 20 years of family ownership, There isn't anywhere the deer hide that I don't know about.

[BiggA]

1. Any deer but slowly starting to pass more on small deer now that I bow hunt
2. No
3.The property I hunt is too small for scouting. I intend to branch out a little on public land this year and will look for intersecting trails to set up on.

[22lex]

1. Depending on the time I have available and the permission I have acquired, I believe I hunt mostly does early season with the hopes of not encroaching on the bucks territory before rut starts.
2. This is another "grey area" question for me personally, 'cause the time factor hasn't been there lately, but in years past I have dedicated scouting for "particular" bucks and have hunted them religiously with the chance of even catching a glimpse of them.
3. I try to scout year 'round. When I am out in the field I usually look for the common sign we all see such as tracks, scat, beds, etc...what I do notice though, is the early spring buds deer are browsing on, secondary trails bucks are using that are consistently downwind of bedding areas, downed trees that bucks use as cover when hiding, the way a squirrel/turkey/crow/coyote acts when a deer is in the area, etc...

[dakids]

Before I step foot into an area that I intend to hunt I will first scout it on the internet with google earth, forestry maps, and plat books.  After I find a few good looking spots (bottle necks, distance from the nearest road, recent logging activity)  I will then scout the area on foot.  While I'm scouting I will mark everything with the GPS(beds, trails, rubs, scrapes, and All existing tree stands).  When I get home I will then put these spots on the map so I will get the big picture. 

I have hunted certain bucks in the past.  It is very hard to pattern some of the bigest bucks without tipping them off.  I mainly pattern the hunters around me.  Find there stands, figure out their entry route and use them to push the deer to me.  This has worked pretty well on opening weekend.  After a couple of days the deer will slowly get back to their normal travel patterns.  Find the does and the bucks will follow.   

[mathews4ever]

1. any deer, they all taste just great
2. nope, too lazy
3. yes and I llok for everything. I'm like grisom on CSI .  But really I look for trails, rubs, scraps, tracks, hair(tells you where they cross fences and push through brush), and any form of mast(hard or soft).

[T.R. Michels]

Here is they way I go about guiding for trophy class whitetails.

Because:

1. I am always looking - not just for any deer - and not just for bucks - BUT, for bucks that will score above 140, and above 170 if possible (in that area) -

2. as a result of reading the research papers of several top biologists, and the experience of my own 10 year research project into the biology and behavior of deer - I have a fairly good understanding of how they will react to the weather each day, and what activities they will exhibit during the different phases of the rut -

3. I understand the whitetails in most areas have traditional home ranges every year, with a "daytime core area" where they spend the majority of the day, and that bucks in particular, have preferred "very lightly used trails" (because there is generally only one buck using the trail, none direction, one tine per day),that they use as they leave their core areas in the evening to go out and feed or look for does, and often another "lightly used trail" they use as they go back intro their core area in the morning -AND that bucks often leave evidence of where they travel - by leaving rubs and scrapes (which is why we call it a "rub route"; and that these buck trails or rub routes often parallel the more heavily used doe trails, but may be up the hill, down the hill or in heavier cover, and that these buck trails can often be found near food sources -

4. I know that the terrain and type of habitat the deer are in often governs where they have their daytime core areas, bedding sites, travel routes and trails, and where they feed and water -

5. I realize that the hunting pressure - and type of habitat (particularly food sources) on adjacent properties - often governs when and where deer may enter or leave the property I hunt

6. I realize that the weather each day - governs to a great extent how active deer will be that day, and when and where they will be thaqt day

7. I realize that by glassing the property, from one or more areas where I can watch the enitre property to actually see deer, from high spots or roads and open areas - and by actually "field scouting" the property to look for deer sign and determine where the travel corridors, trails, buck trails, rubs, scrapes, core areas, bedding sites and food and water sources are -

I realize - I just can't gain enough information about a piece of property -from an aerial photo and a topo map - to determine the best places to hunt for deer, none the less a particular large racked buck.

So - my answer is - I would not hunt it - without doing some glassing and/or field scouting - first. And at least taking into scout where the preferred food sources are that day, which phase of the rut the deer are in, and the weather conditions that day.

Because of the way I hunt, and with my personal understanding of deer behavior - It is kind of and unfair scenario (trick question) for me - because I know weather is a big factor in when and where deer move - no matter where I hunt - I want to take into account the habitat and the wind, also the rut phase the deer are in, the amount of hunting pressure there might be in the surrounding areas, which might affect "where and when" the deer come onto the property I am on, ande Anything else that may affect deer activity that day.

I've not had a situation where I could not scout (at least a bit - say "all day" before the hunt). BUT, going in basically blind - I'd choose a site - depending on what the weather was doing the day of the hunt.

I'd go to low-lying, protected or wooded areas if the wind was above 10-15 mph - and I'd set up closer to where I think downwind-bedding areas are (the downwind side of the hill). If there was medium to heavy precipitation - I'd look to hunt near areas with overhead cover, and expect the deer not to move too far.

If it was hot I'd expect the deer to be in or near the heaviest overhead vegetation (for shade, and possibly in areas where the wind might cool them off in the shade, or in or near water (the lake or swamp if there is one). I'd also expect them to move during the cooler part of the day, with them (and me) playing the wind and thermals for morning and evening hunts.



My plans depend on how much time I have to glass, field stalk, and the sign I see - both before the hunt, and while I'm hunting - and my plans and hunting locations may change based on what occurs each day, and what I find, or see each day.

First thing I would do is, pick as many spots (up high - like I do elk hunting) as needed - to see as much of the property as I could, and glass it both sunset an sunrise - several days (or weekends) just prior to peak breeding in that area - then I'd narrow down my field scouting to the areas where I saw the biggest buck. Or - if no buck shows - possibly where I saw the most amount of doe activity, or I might just go with my "gut".

Next I'd try to hunt the week of peak scraping, or the week before peak breeding - when the bucks are still fairly predictable as they go about making and checking scrapes .

If there is forge (in the form of agricultural crops or other food sources) in the area, and depending on which way the wind in that area is blowing, and If I could scout the area around the property, and knowing that older bucks like to bed down on the downwind side of hills (during the day), I'd look for a rub route leading up onto any thick cover (especially wooded ridges), I'd look for a buck core area on the downwind side of those ridges, and if a stand site was close to the core area (but not in it) I'd setup there in the evening to see if the buck walks along it's rub route and get a shot at it.

That is just my initial way of choosing a spot, if it doesn't work, I do more field scouting (actually looking for sign).  Although I rely to a great deal on the type of habitat and the topography - to tell me where the deer may be - I also rely to a great extent on glassing, and a ton of field scouting - to locate prime travel routes, rub routes, scrapes, and daytime core areas (especially those of bucks).

If I can't scout at all before the hunt, I rely much more on my general knowledge of deer core areas, bedding sites and travel routes, and combine it with the use of a topo and an aerial - then choose a spot. If I don't get anything the first day, I quit hunting about 10 -12, and "still hunt/stalk" the property to look for sign - until about three hours before sunset. If I see something while "still hunting" - fine - if not I choose the best location based on what I've seen that day while scouting.

I also want to know what type of forage is available to the deer - in the nearby area.; such as agricultural fields, and were they cut/harvested lately - i.e., if there is an alfalfa field; is it still growing up, or has it been cut and baled within the last week; or has it been cut, baled and has started to grow back - with new, lush, tasty, green growth in it? It makes a difference where I may setup.


God bless,

T.R.

[T.R. Michels]

While we are at the shows, many of us seminar speakers, writers, authors, TV personalities, outfitters and other exhibitors - not only see each other at the show daily, but we often see each other at several shows each year. And we often end up having breakfast, dinner, and generally hanging out with each other.
 
I like to think of us as "modern day gypsies" traveling the country from show to show, peddling our wares, and trying to make a living. After a while - we become a big "family", especially after 12 years of doing it, seeing the same guys over and over again.
 
My daughter Tawnya has been doing this since she was about 7 years old, and she is 22 now. She has met so many of these poeple, and been around such a long time, and has such a good personality, that many of the people have "adopted" her.
 
And, because of her personality, and they like her so much, she has become the "designated" person to pick on, 'cause she knows that they are kidding, and that she can handle anything they throw at her.
 
Anyhow - I've not been on the show circuit in two years, due to health problems, so I don't know some of the new "hunting personalities".
 
BUT, which hunting personalities (speakers, authors, writers, professional hunters, pro-staffers, TV guys) do you like???
 


God bless and good hunting,



T.R.

[stevejedlenski]

 i like bill jordan because he seems like he is a very reserved person. you dont see him too much on tv anymore but ive allways liked his shows and they seem more realistic. those people like jeff foxworthy that just show up on the hunting show scene as celebrities and kill huge bucks on private ranches consistently and pass up trophy after trophy just dosnt do it for me. i remember watching hunting on tv when i was little and seeing does and little 8 pointers being taken. now you rarely ever see a buck on tv under 150".

i also like jim shockey because he has records in every north american big game animal along with some world records. i believe all with a muzzleloader as well. and watching him on tv hunting with his dad and those 300lb+ canadian bucks is just cool

[boogityn]

      I Believe Jim Shockey is the most extreme hunter on tv. And he does shoot everything with a smoke pole. When I went to a muzzle loader for hunting, it has made my hunts so much more enjoyable. Thats all i use anymore, besides my bow of course. It really dosent bother me not to use a scope on my smoke pole.