My "unorthodox hunting" theory

[BigAl]

I dont get in a hurry to choose a stand on our place. I even had some success over the years by choosing a theory you taught me, where I looked for areas on the map where no one else hunted and chose those places. Lately, things have changed. Some of the guys run a lot of cell cams and you can tell where they big bucks are being photographed by where they're hunting based on pics they've got. But I agree, as I've gotten older, I read and pay less attention. But I still enjoy being out there.

 

[Rockhound]

This is a second theory I'm working on. I'm definitely the one on the property all year round. I'm working food plots, checking stands, doing habitat work, working the cameras, etc. Is it possible to condition deer to your personal scent? I'm beginning to believe it is. Years ago, I used to be very anal about scent when checking cameras. Cameras only go where I can drive an ATV right to them. I used to even wear a plastic rainsuit driving to the cameras in case any branch/brush/grass rubbed against me on the drive in. I would wear surgical gloves when touching the camera. But since this idea of conditioning deer to my scent has popped into my head, the only scent control I use is driving my ATV to the camera. In fact, now I'll linger around the camera, sitting on my ATV and enjoying the outdoors. I'll hit my vape and watch how the terrain is influencing wind movement at ground level (a vape cloud stays together and can be visually followed for well over 100 yards). I touch the camera with my bare hands, and I've watch deer on camera sniffing and even licking the camera. They definitely know my personal scent. I no longer take any scent precautions when simply working on the property, doing habitat work etc.

And I tell you what, I rarely get busted by deer anymore. I get busted at a FAR lower rate than the other hunters.

This is absolutely the issue. I will stand by it 100%

 

[BSK]

This is absolutely the issue. I will stand by it 100%

It could be as simple as that. Do deer scent me on stand? Sure. Do they EVER bolt and run anymore. Nope. They get nervous and sometimes back their way out of the situation, but blow and bolt? Nope.

 

[fairchaser]

Is it unselfish if you are trying to curry God's blessing by going last? Maybe? Statistically you may not have enough data. You have a 1 in 10 chance of killing a mature buck. You might go ten years before killing another. It could shake out that way. But I like the idea of choosing last because it makes me feel good, period. I'm blessed by simply being alive and belonging to Jesus.

 

[Bushape]

I've searched through the data and just can't find the pattern.


Most were killed in the first 5 days of MZ season, but several on the 2nd weekend of MZ.


Almost exclusive to ladder stands (except this year's buck) and most often the first time the stand was hunted that year.

Not really relevant to this post but when does the rut hit for you guys? I know you've posted before the area in which you hunt but I was curious if this deer are cruising or dogging does??

 

[BSK]

Not really relevant to this post but when does the rut hit for you guys? I know you've posted before the area in which you hunt but I was curious if this deer are cruising or dogging does??

Most of those Top 10 kills were bucks cruising. This year's buck, he followed an unreceptive doe into a food plot just at total dark.

Our breeding normally peaks about Nov. 10-20. However, this year it seems to be about a week late due to drought and lack of acorns.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

Never thought about it. Maybe I need to hunt some more obscure spots off the beaten path.

That's what I'm thinking. I suspect I'm not alone in this, but there are several spots I know of, maybe places I pass through during turkey season or for some other reason, where I think "I might ought to try this out during deer season." But I have several "good" stand locations already, and when fall rolls around I usually just go to one of them. Part lazy and part confidence in the already "tried and true" stands I suppose. But maybe I'm doing it wrong.

 

[Stlbaseball1]

There may be something to that, but this year was the year that I finally had to concede something is up and this is a pattern. It's opening day. So pressure is just being applied for the first time that day. Although we don't do a lot of food plot hunting, we have condos over food plots for rainy day hunting. It's going to rain hard so we all choose a condo stand. I purposefully choose the condo over the food plot the buck everyone is chasing has NEVER been photographed in. I want others to have the best chance at him. Yet on the food plot he's never been photographed in, here he is and I kill him. WTF?

Give and ye shall receive!

 

[KTS]

Come on and admit it BSK, you are just a natural born big buck killer!

 

[JCDEERMAN]

However, this year it seems to be about a week late due to drought and lack of acorns.

Same.

 

[recurve60#]

There may be something to that, but this year was the year that I finally had to concede something is up and this is a pattern. It's opening day. So pressure is just being applied for the first time that day. Although we don't do a lot of food plot hunting, we have condos over food plots for rainy day hunting. It's going to rain hard so we all choose a condo stand. I purposefully choose the condo over the food plot the buck everyone is chasing has NEVER been photographed in. I want others to have the best chance at him. Yet on the food plot he's never been photographed in, here he is and I kill him. WTF?

Maybe he's in that plot often,but the camera happens to miss him.

 

[BSK]

Come on and admit it BSK, you are just a natural born big buck killer!

Don't I wish! I think my local older bucks are just REALLY dumb. That's the only way I could kill them. Honestly, I'm one of the laziest hunters you've ever seen. Back when I was serious and hardcore, I never had this kind of success.

 

[BSK]

Maybe he's in that plot often,but the camera happens to miss him.

Doubtful. That buck was a scraping machine. I would catch him at scrapes 5-8 times a night. The camera in that plot shoots across a big traditional scrape and out into the plot. If he came through that plot, he wouldn't have missed the opportunity to work the scrape. I really think he just followed the doe he was after wherever she went, and that evening, she went to that plot, him in tow.