Those of you that read my posts probably realize that I have some unortodox hunting methods. I'm not afraid to try different things. Some work some don't. Tell me some of your methods that aren't mainstream that have worked for you.

Magic,

I hunt public land in MN too. I hunted the Twin Cities, Perham, Detrait Lakes, Staples, Longville, Walker, Bemidji, Ely and Redwood Falls areas on mostly public land in the last couple years. We do many different things during bow, muzzleloader, and rifle seasons. Some of the different things we do include:

Eliminating scent trails in unwanted spots by using scent rags tied to rocks that we place by throwing or shooting them out with a wrist rockets.

Walking to sound like we are not a human as best we can. When 2 people walk in line to a hunting areathe back person times the front persons steps so they don't step at the same time.

Always be in the stand when other people are walking back for lunch.

Sneaking upwind into areas where we know larger bucks are hidingbut won't come out and use mouth vocalization to get them moving.

Riding mountain bikes to the stand. Deer don't hear the steady noise of the wheels like they do footsteps.

Floating small rivers with a bowhunter in the front of the canoe.

Taking boats in to stand sites when possible.

We come up with other strange ideas every year usually after examining arial photos and drinking a few beers. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't but at least we are trying new ideas.

Not that this is an unheard of technique, but I think sometimes it can be an overlooked one. My hunting parter, (my dad) and I often hunt together, and it is usually just the two of us. Many times we will be hunting in a variety of places that we may only hunt a few times per season, and are not afraid of "messing up the woods" like we would be on a piece of private ground that needs to remain intact throughout repeated trips. If stand sightings are slow, or if it is the last day of the hunt, we often put on a drive. I think most hunters, when thinking of a drive, envision armies of orangemen roaming the woods whistling to each other making lines and pushing herds in front of them. Our approach is necessarily much smaller. First, we try to pick out areas that we know deer are likely feeding or bedding in, but that we are unable to successfully infiltrate with a treestand because of bumping deer out on approach. Then, we will try to pick an escape route or funnel where they are likely to head to. One of us carefully slips into a tree within range of these funnels, and then the other one works the cover as slowly and quietly as possible. Of course, this tactic is much easier when gun-hunting, as the problem of alert deer is a non-issue. However, we have successfully used it bowhunting as well. The slowly and quietly as possible approach often causes the deer to get up and "sneak out" so to speak, without them turning on the white flags and afterburners, resulting in them wandering through the escape funnel at a leisurely pace while occasionally glancing at their backtrail rather than being on red-alert. It is also satisfying when one of us can help the other take a deer that they would not have otherwise gotten. We just call them little "pushes." Nothing groundbreaking, but it has put deer on the ground for us on trips that we otherwise would have been unsuccessful on.

Jon

Used tampons.

'Nuff said.

(Not for me, I just like stirring the pot.)

the highlighted items are things I have done as well.
great ideas, thanks for sharing that info.

Has anyone ever made a drive to yourself? A deer bumped from a bedding area will often return within 3 hours or so. You can stroll into a bedding area and scare deer out then sit tight and wait for their return. It might sound odd but it does work!

Yes and it does work very well I honestly dont think its really unorthadox just sleepy.

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I find this MUCH more interesting than all the "Mature bucks WILL do this" and "Mature bucks WILL always do that" threads.

Very informative.

Listen up, because this works ...... run to your stand ....if you can .. it goes along with the "not sounding like a human" catagory ..... if you haven't tried it, and you can do it without killing yourself in the dark, try it