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What could you be doing that your not doing?

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BSK

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I suspect most of us know of things we could do to improve our hunting success, but just aren't willing to do for whatever reason. So what could you personally do to improve your hunting success? Why don't you do those things?

I could stop hunting from pre-season positioned ladder stands and go back to climbing stands. Being mobile and not over-hunting areas would certainly improve my success rate. However, as I get older, I don't feel safe in climbing stands and I really hate climbing with them every time I hunt. In addition, I'm getting lazy in my hunting as I get older.

I could hunt longer. I used to hunt until 10:30 or 11:00 AM on morning hunts, and during the rut, i did see some shooter bucks chasing does as late as 10:30 or 11:00. But as I've turned to hunting more just for the enjoyment, once I'm tired of sitting on stand, I get down. And that may be as early as 9:00 or 9:30.

I could hunt more. In the last few years, I've only hunted on 14-16 calendar days, and then primarily during the peak local rut month of November. I just find my interest waning once the rut is over.
 
I'm the same way. 14-16 days is probably around where I am at as well.

One thing I could do more of but other things get in the way is just getting in the woods more - scouting. I havent had the luxary of having a stable hunting property - so I am often left learning the property every other season. Getting out more in the preseason (and post season if I get access that soon) would be huge for me. But kids, job, etc get my focus more.

Also I really want to learn to identify types of trees but rarely plan out time to commit to it. If I was truly committed I would put more time / focus into it.
 
On the 120 acre private property I hunt, I could spend some money and do some clearing out and trail cutting. Along with block off some entrances that tresspassers like to use. There are good deer there, but it's so thick it's dang near impossible.

$ is pretty much all that's stopping me at this point. As long as my friends family doesn't sell it (veeeeery unlikely), we'll do these things one of these days in the coming years...
 
I could do alot better on bigger deer by hunting the thousands of acres of private land that I have permission to hunt, but I dont because I get so much more enjoyment out of hunting my own two small tracts and not having to deal with all the idiocy that runs amuck in hunters around here.
 
I'm cutting some timber this summer...some to create thickets, some to make open ground for openings(food plots, and down the road, could be future home sites when I sell)
this part of the land didn't have openings, kinda balance's the land out.

And BSK, I agree no way I'm dong a climber, I got ladders, couple of shooting houses, popup blinds, and climbs sticks/lock ons

I've read the Lakowski's new book, as in most hunting/management books you find a lot of older info, but I have found a few things that will have me changing what I do

Good Question BSK
 
I could put up another loc-on or two, and maybe another ladder stand or two as well. Heck, I think I will. ;) Lots of good points guys, as I'm getting on up there as well, the climbers are out for me at this point. I really enjoy getting into the woods and to my tree, then quietly climbing into the stand and waiting for it all to begin. :)
 
The list of things I could do is too long! The reason I dont do them is usually because of time and money.

Hunting the Western Highland Rim I only hunt out of tree stands about half the time. Thats the one thing I like about the hills.
 
Let me add another, I could go back to being a fanatic about scent reduction. I've mellowed out (read: gotten lazy) of late and I'm not using my whole system anymore. And I firmly believe that is hurting my success. But again, I'm getting lazy in my hunting...
 
I could reduce my hunting in early season. Sometimes I hunt so hard early season that by the time the 1st weekend of gun is over I am ready to hang it up.
 
muddyboots said:
The best one i could do would be to get access to some better property. I jsut cant find the right circumstances.
Click to expand...
Same here!! Along with going back to spending the time it takes scouting! I simply dont have the time to scout like I once did, 2 boys will spread you thin but they will only grow up once!!!
 
I COULD start hunting different spots on my 400 acres where I just don't "think" the deer hang out or use as a travel route.

I COULD scout more after the season ends; but coaching a living hour half away makes that difficult.
 
I have gotten extremely lazy in my hunting. It is almost a sin to have an open invitation to hunt some of the places in IL,IA, MO, O and NE not to mention Manitoba and not even consider going. One exception is MB. I am thinking about going up there for a couple weeks early this year. Other than that, I'll just schlep out to the backyard and kill a doe.

I'm out of wall space and can't afford a taxidermist anyway. But the bottom line is, I just don't care about hunting big bucks anymore. I hunt a little for meat and more often than not, just to get out in the woods. I just bought six new arrows and six broadheads and I don't expect to have to buy anymore the rest of my life.
 
I could be doing the things I should be doing like staining the deck, sealing the driveway, pressure washing the house etc....

But instead I'm spraying fields, bush hogging, discing, planting, cutting down trees, watering trees, putting out mineral licks/cameras /scouting all just to get a crack at a mature buck....I know I have a problem I've come to terms with knowing that I'm a junky!
 

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