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Becoming a better hunter......

THA4

THA4

A Few Steps Ahead Of You
Jonny and I have been having this conversation.

i know there are changes we could make to better ourselves as bow hunters. but we still feel like we are forgetting things that might make us more effective at the moment of truth...

so ill ask you guys, what are things YOU could do, or are planning to put into practice this season??? Mistakes you have made and learned from....etc

(and no, shaving my mono brow isnt an improvement in skill im willing to make!!!!!)

Seriously.....
based on your experinecs how do we/you become better hunters???? specific examples please..... /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Take your time during the shot and follow through. I've rushed my shot before, and emidately looked up at the deer after hitting the release. This makes for a poor shot, and I have lost deer before that should be chip shots.
 
I know for a fact I have over hunted stands in the past.

This year my main plan is to keep things fresh and not let

any deer pattern me. I'm going to bounce around the timber

like a pinball. I just put stickers all over my huge aerial

map marking stand locations to help with stand selection for

any given wind direction. First time in the stand kills big bucks!
 
I'll just second some of Ghost ideas.
Hunting less but smarter, if conditions aren't ideal for a stand
I'd rather stay home than take a chance.No matter how careful you are, the best chance for killing a mature buck is the first time in the stand.
Never have been one for gimmicks, clean clothes and play the wind.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">First time in the stand kills big bucks! </div></div>

This is one of the most important things I have learned. I will not go to a high potential stand sight until all conditions are right to give me the absolute best chance on that day.I rarely hit a stand more than once in the same year. There are exceptions to every rule, but I feel your chances of killing a mature buck decrease greatly every time you sit in the same stand.
 
Daytime!!!! I usually hunt for a while and then get out and then go back in later! This year I am going to stay put for longer periods of time! I used to hunt around my work schedule. So Somedays, i knew I was messing up areas by leaving early. This year, I am not going to do that!

Secondly entrance and exit routes! I have spent hours on aerials finding sneaky ways in and out of the stand.. For years I have just walked the same ole trail! Not a problem for waxing does, but I am focusing this year more on killing a nice deer verse killing multiple deer!
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Ghost</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
I know for a fact I have over hunted stands in the past.

This year my main plan is to keep things fresh and not let

any deer pattern me. I'm going to bounce around the timber

like a pinball. I just put stickers all over my huge aerial

map marking stand locations to help with stand selection for

any given wind direction. First time in the stand kills big bucks!

</div></div>
Me too
 
Definitley gonna do some longer sits too.
Tried it out once last year and I had my most action mid day during the rut. Lesson learned!
 
My goal is to not over hunt a stand and to do my best to only hunt my best stand when conditions are perfect.. but what if you have a stand witha high volume of activity in every direction.. how do you decide what is a good wind and a bad wind? from my best stand i have deer moving through all around me, I'm in a very very small piece of timber so my stand options are limited. I'm in the middle of a funnel.. so i sit and wonder what wind do I want?
 
I have the same thing. I have a stand for a south wind and one for a north wind on my land. Only 40 acres. Try to switch back and forth but not that many options for small pieces of acreage.Think I read an article in Deer and D hunting about using the same stand if it was a good one and the wind was right, and the time was hot, stick to it, so you never know. May have been just some way to print a different article, cause most say overhunting is the worst thing to do.
 
This year I have the opportunity to do a lot more hunting, so I believe my results will be better because of it.

Althought I do agree overhunting a stand can be disastrous, I think its only in the early season where deer still have their guards up. I'd say early November if deer are walking in a given area all the time that it is important to be there as much as possible to wait out that big buck. That's just from my experience. I wouldn't overhunt a stand any other time of the year.
 
Saving my best spots for the time of year when deer movement is at a maximum.

Taking a lunch and staying all day.
 
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