sureshot
The Hunt Never Ends....
This is a short article I wrote on my website, TrophyPursuit.com. I think it's an interesting topic, and would love to hear your thoughts.
“The more the merrier.” Although this saying rings true in many parts of one’s life, when it comes to bow hunting (for 95+%of bow hunters in Iowa) I feel like it’s far from the best mindset for one to have. There are obviously several factors that can influence ones decision ‘to hunt or not to hunt,’ but when does quantity (# of days in the stand) start to hinder the quality of ones sits?
Back in my earlier days of bow hunting, I would be in the stand every free chance I had. Here in Iowa, the season opens October 1st and ends January 10th (except for a few weeks during firearms season). I had the mindset that quantity was more important than quality. My trail cameras were capturing photos of big bucks, and I was biting at the bit to start hunting them as soon as the season opened. Little did I realize was that most of these whitetails were nocturnal and only moving under the cover of darkness. All I was doing was making them realize that they were being hunted. No matter how hard you hunt, you won’t kill a buck if he’s not moving in the daylight, and I soon realized that I was burning out my stands before ‘the hunting got good.’
You can't kill them if they aren't moving during daylight
Now, although the season opens October 1st, I hardly step foot in the woods before October 25th. I feel that QUALITY strongly outweighs QUANTITY, and that hunting unsuspecting whitetails that are naturally moving more during daylight hours is my best bet in filling a tag. As the rut approaches, mature bucks, especially unpressured mature bucks, will naturally begin to turn into ‘daywalkers,’ and will become susceptible to being caught off guard by a stealthy and smart bow hunter.
There are, however, exceptions to the rule. Those who have access to 1000’s of acres, therefore being able to jump around and keep pressure low, don’t have to worry as much about pressuring the bucks too much that they are hunting. Also, the ‘October 25th’ rule that I use doesn’t always ring true. If a buck shows up on my trail cameras that is moving during daylight (in early October), or a front is pushing through that I feel may get a big buck up and on his feet, I may decide to ‘put my cards all in’ and move in for the kill. This, although more times than not hasn't worked, can pay off big.
So, take a look at your hunting situation. What has or hasn’t worked for you? When have you killed most of your whitetails? When do the mature bucks begin to move during the daylight on the farms you hunt? Are you putting too much emphasis on quantity, and not enough on quality? Too each their own, but for me, I’ve noticed my success rate skyrocket when I’ve held back, and moved in for the kill when the time was right.
“The more the merrier.” Although this saying rings true in many parts of one’s life, when it comes to bow hunting (for 95+%of bow hunters in Iowa) I feel like it’s far from the best mindset for one to have. There are obviously several factors that can influence ones decision ‘to hunt or not to hunt,’ but when does quantity (# of days in the stand) start to hinder the quality of ones sits?
Back in my earlier days of bow hunting, I would be in the stand every free chance I had. Here in Iowa, the season opens October 1st and ends January 10th (except for a few weeks during firearms season). I had the mindset that quantity was more important than quality. My trail cameras were capturing photos of big bucks, and I was biting at the bit to start hunting them as soon as the season opened. Little did I realize was that most of these whitetails were nocturnal and only moving under the cover of darkness. All I was doing was making them realize that they were being hunted. No matter how hard you hunt, you won’t kill a buck if he’s not moving in the daylight, and I soon realized that I was burning out my stands before ‘the hunting got good.’
You can't kill them if they aren't moving during daylight
Now, although the season opens October 1st, I hardly step foot in the woods before October 25th. I feel that QUALITY strongly outweighs QUANTITY, and that hunting unsuspecting whitetails that are naturally moving more during daylight hours is my best bet in filling a tag. As the rut approaches, mature bucks, especially unpressured mature bucks, will naturally begin to turn into ‘daywalkers,’ and will become susceptible to being caught off guard by a stealthy and smart bow hunter.
There are, however, exceptions to the rule. Those who have access to 1000’s of acres, therefore being able to jump around and keep pressure low, don’t have to worry as much about pressuring the bucks too much that they are hunting. Also, the ‘October 25th’ rule that I use doesn’t always ring true. If a buck shows up on my trail cameras that is moving during daylight (in early October), or a front is pushing through that I feel may get a big buck up and on his feet, I may decide to ‘put my cards all in’ and move in for the kill. This, although more times than not hasn't worked, can pay off big.
So, take a look at your hunting situation. What has or hasn’t worked for you? When have you killed most of your whitetails? When do the mature bucks begin to move during the daylight on the farms you hunt? Are you putting too much emphasis on quantity, and not enough on quality? Too each their own, but for me, I’ve noticed my success rate skyrocket when I’ve held back, and moved in for the kill when the time was right.
Last edited:
