What Style Hunting situation do you choose? - Page 3

Major Dave (retired) · August 24, 2012, 12:49 PM

on land available, weather, time of day, etc.

One friend of mine has a 5,000 acre ranch near Abilene, TX, with many elevated enclosed box blinds placed 50 to 100 yards away from corn filled feeders. He insists that all of his guests stay in the blind - no roaming around. We always see deer, so it's just a matter of deciding which one you want. Stick your rifle out the window, use the window bottom frame as a rest, put the crosshairs on the vitals, squeeze off the shot.

Bang/flop.

Wait for the pickup truck to come by (about 9 am), load the carcass, drive into town to the processing plant.

Fills the freezer (limit 5, no more than 2 bucks). I get only one 2 day invite each season.

Then, there's East Texas piney woods public land. I usually hunt during the week, because I'm retired, and Tue/Wed/Thur hunts avoid the weekend crowds.

No feeders, no baiting, no permanent stands/blinds. Thick woods/understory.

I usually pack in a portable stand. Self climber for pine trees, ladder stand for oak/hardwood trees.

In the tree an hour before legal shooting time. Sit overlooking trails, feeding areas, scrapes, rubs. Grunt. Rattle. Doe bleat. If nothing shows by 9 am, I climb down, hide my stand (hoping a thief won't find it), and "sneak and peek" hunt until noon. Eat at my truck. Relocate to an undisturbed area (10,000 acres to choose from) then sneak and peak til about 3 pm, with the idea of finding game or finding a place for "the evening sit". Try to go immediately after a rain, because dry leaves underfoot makes it impossible to move quietly in the woods.

Seldom get a deer (bucks only, spike or inside spread more than 13 inches). Even so, I enjoy poking around in creek bottoms, and usually get a glimpse of a doe or two.

This year, I will be hunting a new venue - Fort Hood, TX. About the same type terrain as Abilene. I will try shotgun with rifled slug hunts because they are available 7 days a week - in areas where troop training is not going on. Rifle hunts on the fort are weekends, only, so the huge troop population will result in long waiting lists for hunt on weekends. I intend to do the retirees Tue/Wed/Thur schedule, again. I have a topo map of the fort, and I am excited at what it reveals. Several big ridges,with numerous drainages,1,000 yards long, with 100 foot elevation changes from the top of the ridge to the bottom of the drainages.

Of course there is a lot of regulations - various hoops to jump through - but I think it will be worth it. I will probably do either "sneaking and peeking" or sitting in a portable ground blind, or a combination of both. Should be interesting.

warbirdlover · August 26, 2012, 08:59 AM

Dogjaw.... that is a great camp setup! Got any "openings"?

Here is my blind...

offroadTRD · August 28, 2012, 04:24 AM

Dogs!!! Walker hounds for deer is what we use at our hunt club and it is a total blast! I have still hunted a large part of my deer hunting years and now I 100% deer hunt with hounds. Nothing is more exhilerating as having a 6-10 dog pack sight chasing a deer in the woods towards your direction. My heart literally beats out of my chest everytime. My biggest buck was taking when I was around 14 years old, still hunting in a tree stand, and I wasn't nearly as excited killing that as I am with the beautiful music from a pack of hounds on a deers' ass. I absolutely love it. Doe or buck, it doesn't matter to me since I love to eat em' anyways. Its just that there is nothing comparable to hearing those dogs since their sweet music.

August 24, 2012, 12:49 PM	#51
Major Dave (retired) Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 2008 Location: Between Dallas and Shreveport, LA Posts: 569	I deer hunt several ways, depending... on land available, weather, time of day, etc. One friend of mine has a 5,000 acre ranch near Abilene, TX, with many elevated enclosed box blinds placed 50 to 100 yards away from corn filled feeders. He insists that all of his guests stay in the blind - no roaming around. We always see deer, so it's just a matter of deciding which one you want. Stick your rifle out the window, use the window bottom frame as a rest, put the crosshairs on the vitals, squeeze off the shot. Bang/flop. Wait for the pickup truck to come by (about 9 am), load the carcass, drive into town to the processing plant. Fills the freezer (limit 5, no more than 2 bucks). I get only one 2 day invite each season. Then, there's East Texas piney woods public land. I usually hunt during the week, because I'm retired, and Tue/Wed/Thur hunts avoid the weekend crowds. No feeders, no baiting, no permanent stands/blinds. Thick woods/understory. I usually pack in a portable stand. Self climber for pine trees, ladder stand for oak/hardwood trees. In the tree an hour before legal shooting time. Sit overlooking trails, feeding areas, scrapes, rubs. Grunt. Rattle. Doe bleat. If nothing shows by 9 am, I climb down, hide my stand (hoping a thief won't find it), and "sneak and peek" hunt until noon. Eat at my truck. Relocate to an undisturbed area (10,000 acres to choose from) then sneak and peak til about 3 pm, with the idea of finding game or finding a place for "the evening sit". Try to go immediately after a rain, because dry leaves underfoot makes it impossible to move quietly in the woods. Seldom get a deer (bucks only, spike or inside spread more than 13 inches). Even so, I enjoy poking around in creek bottoms, and usually get a glimpse of a doe or two. This year, I will be hunting a new venue - Fort Hood, TX. About the same type terrain as Abilene. I will try shotgun with rifled slug hunts because they are available 7 days a week - in areas where troop training is not going on. Rifle hunts on the fort are weekends, only, so the huge troop population will result in long waiting lists for hunt on weekends. I intend to do the retirees Tue/Wed/Thur schedule, again. I have a topo map of the fort, and I am excited at what it reveals. Several big ridges,with numerous drainages,1,000 yards long, with 100 foot elevation changes from the top of the ridge to the bottom of the drainages. Of course there is a lot of regulations - various hoops to jump through - but I think it will be worth it. I will probably do either "sneaking and peeking" or sitting in a portable ground blind, or a combination of both. Should be interesting. __________________ Artillery lends dignity to what would otherwise be but a vulgar brawl. Last edited by Major Dave (retired); August 24, 2012 at 01:09 PM.

August 28, 2012, 04:24 AM	#53
offroadTRD Member Join Date: February 17, 2012 Location: Virginia Posts: 16	Dogs!!! Walker hounds for deer is what we use at our hunt club and it is a total blast! I have still hunted a large part of my deer hunting years and now I 100% deer hunt with hounds. Nothing is more exhilerating as having a 6-10 dog pack sight chasing a deer in the woods towards your direction. My heart literally beats out of my chest everytime. My biggest buck was taking when I was around 14 years old, still hunting in a tree stand, and I wasn't nearly as excited killing that as I am with the beautiful music from a pack of hounds on a deers' ass. I absolutely love it. Doe or buck, it doesn't matter to me since I love to eat em' anyways. Its just that there is nothing comparable to hearing those dogs since their sweet music.