Father Forkhorn

I've decided to seriously work for a big deer next year. I'm wondering about my set-up. Is there anything that I can do with my equipment that would give a significant improvement?

My hunting style has been with a rifle or a traditional muzzleloader. I'll sit, but that's always been in a brushpile or a blow down, sometimes improvised on the spot. I am in Kansas and that means open field shots as well as woods. I now have a bow and will be a newbie bowhunter

I could budget up to $400 on new equipment, but I really want to make sure that I'm getting a significant improvement for what I spend.

Here's my equipment:

Binoculars: A pair of Simmons that are clear. Probably retail for $100.

Camo: I have basic army woodland pants, a large camo shirt I pull over all of my attire, and a face mask.

Blinds, stands, etc.: I don't have anything in the way of tree stands or blinds, as I've tended to use natural cover. A time or two I've used an army shelter half tied between two trees when there wasn't much else available.

Modern Rifle--a Savage 30-06 with a Simmons 3x10 scope. The gun is plenty accurate. The scope is clear, though not exceptionally bright. Backing up the Savage is a Mosin 91-30 with iron sights. I've toyed with the notion of a marlin 336 in 30-30 for stillhunting.

Muzzeloader: A CVA Bobcat. It shoot wells. I typically still hunt with it.

Bowhunting: I'll be going with a PSE Nova I bought used last year. I do have to replace the sight


Edit: I realized that I neglected to mention that I still hunt, too.

Oldtimr

I hunted from the ground for years and was successful but Not as successful as I wanted to be. Then I started to hunt off the ground and I realized that in the past I was not seeing deer that were in range but walking by me. It sounds like you have everything you need but I recommend you get elevated, if there are no suitable trees for a ladder or hang on or home built tree stand, build an elevated stand on 4x4s or 6x6s. You see more from an elevated position.

Topgun 3006

+1 to what Oldtimr stated! Get up off the ground so you can see better and it also helps on scent control. When going to a blind, whether it's on the ground or in the air, you need to make sure to use the wind to get there so you don't stink up the ground area or downwind where you think deer will be coming from. Getting out of the area is also important for the same reason.

Father Forkhorn

Just after posting, a casual conversation yielded the same advice: get in the air.

The thing that sticks out to me is the idea of seeing more game. What it's telling me is that after tree stands, better optics might run second place as far as equipment upgrades.

GTOHunter

A tree stand is a good idea and using good scent control will better a Your odds at getting a nice Deer.Once You've Bow Hunted a while it will give a You an idea of when and where the Deer move and will make You a better Rifle/Gun Hunter!

Major Woods

Not equipment related but....
Do plenty of preseason scouting so you start the hunting season in a productive area to begin with.

olsaltydog

Are you hunting public land or private.

Private, scout in the summer, find bedding, food. Knowing the deer in your area will be the best tool in your arsenal.

Public, scout in summer, but get deeper into the woods. Most hunters stick close to their access point to within a mile or two and if deer get pressured they will move in further. I got one game-land we actually take a john boat up a creek a few miles to get at and away from everyone. Will not guarantee you a big buck but have proven to see more deer as pressure builds which more deer I feel increases your chances.

rockport

When it comes to big bucks here is something about scent that is often left out. You can't just hunt with the wind favoring where the deer are coming from. The wind also needs to favor where the deer are going. While you don't want to get winded before the deer gets to you its also important that you can let deer walk right on by as the one your after is not likely to be the first one by.

Scout terrain... the big boys often follow terrain rather than the beaten path and will also often follow terrain just down wind of the beaten path.

Patience is key. Don't settle if its not what you are looking for and don't over hunt. I kill big bucks almost exclusively in stand/areas I have left alone until the time is right. The chances are very good that if you locate a big one he will be traveling at night early on and he will have you pegged before the time is right if you hunt him to hard to early.

Elevated scouting works really well if possible. Get on a high point and watch with binos. You might just find that big boy doing something unpredictable and unexpected. Like I said they often do not follow the beaten path and can be very hard to figure out by scouting deer trails ETC.

storiale

Hey guys.. I know I'm new on this forum, but active like heck on a different one (over 2000 posts since 2003).. Just want to preface my comment.

Ok, here's my comment: If you're going to go for that big buck, its early phase, chasing phase or POST rut that you're looking at.

The reason is that the rut is very unpredictable and likely that the big buck will be bedded down with a lady. Tough to hunt the rut and as we all know, its the chasing phase that people assume is the rut, but the rut is boring with little to no deer around.

Early Season: This means a bow and arrow likely. Start scouting in May and June and find one or two bucks that you're targeting. Assume that Oct 1st - 20th is yours and the deer will be predictable (I'm from the Midwest).

Chase Phase: I take a drag rag and soak it in Tinks 69 and Code Blue doe-in-heat with hot water. Drag that rag all around the area that you are expecting your buck to be around. Put that drag rag 2 feet in the air (in a bush) so the air passes through it and carries the scent (don't put it next to a tree because the tree's trunk will block the wind from passing through/by. Your buck will come by wondering who carries that sweet scent of love... Thwack! or Bang!!

Full Moon: Hunt all day or make sure you are in your treestand from 11am - 2pm. That buck will walk around around Noon - guaranteed.

Post Rut: That bad boy (or boys) will refuel after chasing the ladies all day and night for the past 4 weeks. Spend time around the feeding areas, anything that is still standing (corn, soybean, etc)... Move that stand if you have to and you should have to... You shouldn't be hunting in the same areas in late November or early December as October 10th, for example.

I know you know all of this, likely just a reminder. Please take heed to the drag rag from October 20th- Nov 10th has worked over 75% of the time. What this means is that it may not work every day or every time you go out, but it is effective 75% of the time I put it out over a weekend or 3 day hunt. I have seen it work literally within 2 minutes, while coming back after lunch - a doe's nose buried in the drag rag, the next day a HUGE 81/2 year old 8-pointer with gray hair...it'll work over a 3 day weekend of hunting for sure.

Good Luck.

PigBrick

Definitely get off the ground when possible. With your budget, you can get a nice climber for straight trees. Or if using a climber is not your thing, you can afford a set of climbing sticks and a hang-on and still have money for a decent ladder stand. Or get two ladder stands. Multiple locations allow you to hunt according to what wind direction dictates.