Hunting: Before the shot

[BJung]

How do you hunters prepare for your hunt? The closest I can compare hunting to is fishing. Too often, stories talk about the shot and show the game. There's a certain time and place to go. To make it simpler, can you mention where you hunt and bullet points of your hunt?

I'll start. First, I look at a topo map and research any information I can find. I've met hunters that scout but I don't have time, If so, I would guess that I'm looking at the terrain, shrubbery, trails, water and foot source. I then park close to where I will hunt and hike in. If there's a road, great. In the open, I feel like I'm hunting with clown shoes. I don't understand how you guys walk up to your game. For me, my hope is to see them at a distance and plan a stalk and close the distance as best I can. From experience I learned to hide if I planned to ambush a buck; having been see by the does.

Details would help. Thanks

[FITASC]

A lot depends on WHERE you're hunting. When I lived out West, scouting, even a little, was necessary as game moved - a lot of weather changed drastically. The best maps showed jeep trails, springs seeps, as well as all of the other topo data. Lots of spotting, lots of waiting. Sometimes, I would round the curve on a mountain dirt road and stumble onto a nice herd close; other times nothing.

[jmr40]

Around home I hunt a lot of public land and have hunted the same spots for 40+ years. Not a lot of need for scouting.

Two years ago I drove to Colorado to elk hunt. My wife and I have traveled to, and through Colorado multiple times but during summer camping/hiking/ vacation trips. I had seen lots of the state passing through and one area checked off a lot of boxes for potential.

But I also did a lot of online research. Colorado posts data about the number of hunters and success rates in all of their game management units. Looking over that data 2 units started looking good. Driving from GA one of the units was nearly a full days driving closer so it was chosen.

Then I started scouting using Google Earth. By the time I got there everything looked familiar. I arrived 2 days before the season started and did some scouting during those days. I met a Forest Service Ranger who also provided good information that proved to be accurate.

Even after I started hunting I used Google Earth at night to pinpoint good looking locations and to plan out the best routes to get there. When you move the cursor over the screen on Google Earth the GPS coordinates for where the pointer is located are displayed. I could then enter those coordinates into my GPS to make it possible to find that spot the next morning in the dark.

I was not successful. The paved road near where I hunted ran east to west and I could hunt anywhere south of the road for probably 50 miles. There were 3 roads headed south into the National Forest. When I met the Ranger we were on the eastern most road. He advised me that all of the elk were to the west, but would be migrating east any day.

With that info I concentrated on the western most road. After hunting there for 3 days and seeing nothing I moved to the middle road. Elk sign was everywhere. It looked like a barnyard. Couldn't put your food down in places and not step in elk poop. I hunted that area hard for the rest of my time, but while sign was plentiful I killed nothing.

I had hunted too far west initially and was behind the herd as they moved east. By the time I figured that out the head had migrated out of the areas where I could hunt into another management unit. Mostly onto private property where I couldn't hunt.

Had I hunted just one drainage farther east initially I'd have at least seen lots of elk and had a chance. But overall I was pleased with the hunt and how I scouted the area.

[big al hunter]

In the open, I feel like I'm hunting with clown shoes. I don't understand how you guys walk up to your game.

In the open areas I don't walk in. I sit at a vantage point and spot them from afar. Plan a stalk, then attempt it. The only area that you will walk up on game is in forest and heavy brush. But you have to be patient and slow. Animals can hear your footsteps in brush and debris on the forest floor. If you march in like your in the army and have to be a mile farther in the next 20 minutes the animals know your human. If you go slow, and make as little noise as possible, keep the wind in your face, and look carefully before every step, it makes you sound like a deer. They only move fast when they are scared.

You can fool a deer's eyes, you can trick there ears, but you will not get past there nose. Even the best scent control clothing and spray will leave a bit of odor leaking when you are walking around. Make sure the wind is not blowing towards the animal if you know they are there. If you haven't spotted the game and are just sneaking in for a look, keep the wind blowing on your face. I use a powder in a bottle wind checker or a cigarette lighter to see the wind direction. Sometimes every few minutes if I am stalking an animal I already spotted.

[Double Naught Spy]

If you march in like your in the army and have to be a mile farther in the next 20 minutes the animals know your human. If you go slow, and make as little noise as possible, keep the wind in your face, and look carefully before every step, it makes you sound like a deer. They only move fast when they are scared.

I don't know that they know that you are human or not, but they react different to footsteps that sound like an animal coming in with a purpose versus an animal moving in calmly or foraging as it walks. I have seen deer (bucks and does) spook and run when a buck comes barreling in, or a hog, but remain in place when the same animals come in slowly, though the deer usually leave when they realize a hog has entered the clearing.

[BJung]

This helps. To stalk, I'll act like a nature photographer and take my time than be on some mission to get from point A to B. A vantage point helps but I've been in a forest once and there were so many trees I'd have to just walk and hope to run into something. Would you treat one forested area different than another? If it's brush like mesquite in the West, what chance is there of getting anything in there? Go in with a handgun? I can't even make out anything that's hiding in there. A lot of public land where I live has brush. Lands with trees are privately owned. I'm learning that even you seasoned hunters leave empty handed. The reward is using using your skills to come out with the best outcome. What do you do to not waste your time? I have gone hunting where I "had" to return with something. Then I was disappointed for returning empty handed for spending the time and money. So, I've been to places where there is an open valley. Closing in on the game would be hard. There's not enough cover and I feel like I need a 7 mag even after I came as close as possible. Then, there are places with broken trees and some gullies and brush. That's great. Last, steep ravines and brush and some trees. I can't see in cover like that. How do you handle this situation?

[BJung]

I assume that when you are walking and hunting, you change your direction according to the wind. How about a random breeze where the wind is slight and seems to be coming from more than one direction?

[big al hunter]

I assume that when you are walking and hunting, you change your direction according to the wind

I tend to walk on game trails. I keep the wind generally hitting my face. Sometimes it comes from a little bit to the left or right. If I suspect that an area has game then I will adjust how I enter based on the wind. But staying on a game trail helps me be quiet. As long as the wind isn't blowing to the animals it's okay. The hazard with moving cross wind is that it will shift and your scent will go to the animals. Sometimes that is a risk worth takin. I'm learning that even you seasoned hunters leave empty handed. The reward is using using your skills to come out with the best outcome. What do you do to not waste your timeg.

I'm learning that even you seasoned hunters leave empty handed. The reward is using using your skills to come out with the best outcome. What do you do to not waste your time

In my state the average success rate is low. Maybe an animal every 4-6 years on average for hunters statewide. Some hunters do better, some worse. The best reward is just being out in nature, even better when I can share it with friends and family. To not waste time I walk slowly so I don't miss anything or get too tired to go all day. Even if I don't see anything, I don't feel like I wasted my time. Sitting at home during hunting season is the only wasted time. Can't kill anything from the couch. At least out there I have a chance.

[bamaranger]

Light and variable winds are the plague for deer hunters. A whitetails first defense, and what the hunter must defeat, is their nose. One of the older big names in deer hunting once stated "deer are the wind" and it's the truth. Despite claims of "scent free", deer can and will smell you, sometimes at considerable distance (1/4mi or more). The only way to effectively and consistently beat a deer' nose it to be downwind. If you cannot get and stay "downwind" of deer, you are beat. If the wind drives your scent into bedding areas in the evening, or ahead of you while waiting for them to return to cover in the AM, you're beat. On variable wind days, with no rut, I may not hunt, but relegate those days to scouting or chores. If I had to hunt in those conditions due to schedule and obligations, I'd be at a vantage point with a rifle.

[BJung]

I like looking at topo maps to learn more abut the terrain. For example, I years ago, I went to the Civic Center to look at the County maps to see who owned what, where. I found pockets of BLM land surrounded by private land and even one with an immaculate campsite and an easement road to get to it. On other maps I found the roads so I could hike through washouts that lead to them. The roads appeared unused and it bordered BLM and private land.

I haven't hunted much but want to. I've just started to get my gear together and go again. The best time to go based on my limited experience is to go pig hunting ( year round ) just before or after a storm. If there's a storm during the hunt, the better. What fool will hunt in a storm. And, I'd expect the game would think the same.

Years ago a friend of mines invited me to hunt private land with him. A storm was expected soon and it happened to storm when we hunted. Because of the rain, both his scope and his son's scope fogged up and they didn't have open sights. I happened to be playing with an Arisaka that year and knew the rifle, so I took that with it's open sights. I was lucky. Everything was wet so there was no sounds of crackling leaves or excess noise because of the rain. The wind was blowing into us too. In the distance we spotted small cows coming down a ridge toward us. But, those were pigs! Unfortunately, my time ran out and I had to return to the vehicle. Given the conditions, I had a good chance of bagging a pig. So, if to answer your question, to hunt (pig), I'd go when they don't expect me to be there and they won't notice me.

I tried bow hunting and had a chance of harvesting a buck. I was practicing with my bow for months. It was before general hunting season so the deer didn't expect me. I just sat on the trail with my brother waiting for the buck to come out of the trail head. But, I didn't think about the does spotting us so I lost that one. We should have hid.

[Scorch]

It may sound old school, but I always hunt into the wind and try to stay in the shadows as I do. Sitting and glassing has given me more animals than all the running around I see people doing. And I use the solunar tables. Hunt between water and food, hunt over trails into bedding areas. Still hunt when animals are bedded, sit and ambush when they are moving. It's all pretty simple.

[stinkeypete]

Depends on what we are hunting and terrain and how we are hunting.

1. Scout. It’s not yet pheasant season but me and dog started walking the woods, fields and marshes we hunt. Water level seems down about six inches from last year which means a lot of squishy marsh is dry and we can hunt there before a good hard freeze makes it all accessible.


2. Fire roads and trails... you can bust your butt trying to follow deer paths through the thick woods trying to get where the birds are (and I’ve done it) but birds like food, sunshine, and an edge they can fly away from... so I’ve had best luck sticking to tractor trails and fire roads that skirt good habitat and then I let the dog work. Dog’s nose works best when we stroll to upwind habitat.

On a recent trip up north, we kicked up many ruffed grouse along state hiking trails that cut through lighter areas of pines. It wasn’t a hunting trip but next year it just might be... Northern Minnesota is beautiful this time of year for those of us that prefer weather in the 50 degree range.

3. Scouting by not moving around. My area is hilly small patches and strings of woods cut up with corn, soybeans and unfarmable low lands. My plan for hunting deer and turkey is to be settled in to the woods before dawn on a trail the critters use to quietly escape from the hunters that show up late and unknowingly are driving all the animals right to me.

Finding those spots is found by looking at terrain, sign, and then sitting peacefully in the woods weeks before opening day just watching the animals. It’s peaceful and interesting, sometimes exciting what wanders by when you’re quiet as a mouse and still as pond water for a couple hours.

4. Firearms are by this time old friends so I have not shot any clay birds this summer. .22s are all sighted in within an inch at 50 yards and meh, I am not going deer hunting this year, most likely. My Blackhawk is sighted in for very light target loads but there are 100 hunting rounds in the can... it would take 20 minutes to verify point of aim.

I greatly admire the skill, energy, fitness and strength of the young fellas around me. Us old guys stick to the fire roads and wide trails.. it’s just blind dumb luck we have game by the time we meet back at the car or cabin. (That’s what us old codgers tell the younger fellas. The younger fellas... they are out in the woods acting as “beaters” for us old guys keeping our feet dry and listening quietly to what comes our way.)

[jrothWA]

Scoting help, but there time when you need to get in the field and scout on the fly.
I hunter a island in Lake Michigan that othrer than the Michigan gazette mapbook and the USGs topo knew nothingabout.
WHen out for four day and spend the remainder of the first day back-packing to a open area above the foot traffic.
Spend the evening overlooking the open space to see if any trails were active.
Second day was drizzly so I work the reee kines around the open area and fond some old logging trials that were still open or growing thickes and had deer track galore.
Third day followed moretrails and settled on a stand and waited, buck came by at a fastwalk and went to fire and my scope showed meextra thick brush and couldn'tget a
shot off.
Followed the fresh track and came uo on a watering hole and waiyed till dark.

[FITASC]

Another thing - if you're coming from low elevations to high elevations, get yourself in super shape and then arrive a few days before you're scheduled to start to you can get acclimated to the elevation without getting sick.

[The Happy kaboomer]

Most of my deer stands are within 5 mi. of my house. So I slip on my camo. Grab my rifle and a cup of ice tea. And 10 min.or so I'm sitting in one of my stands. BTW I hunt in tee shirt, shorts and tennis shoes till cold weather. Already killed an 8 pt. In a few minutes I will be in a comfy stand watching the landscape.

[std7mag]

I start my scouting in spring turkey season.
I'm stuck for now hunting on game lands.
Game cameras go up beginning of July.
When walking in the woods when the leaves fall, i pop a turkey call in my mouth and will cluck on that every now and again.
I have hiked 4+miles to try to get away from other people, with mixed success.