Who here hunts for bucks not knowing what is out and about in the areas they hunt? I mean not actually seeing the bucks they hunt in daytime hours? I would say that all but one buck that I have killed over the years, I have not seen before the season....and it was luck I saw him on a field one night, then two nights. I then killed the small 7 point the first week of season 200 yards from the field, as he was transitioning in to feed.

I hunt on a public military base and we cannot hang trail cams, and on many occasions cannot scout certain areas in the off-season because they are closed down due to military training. I have to learn new areas each year and their basic patterns just to keep up with the deer and rapidly changing hunting areas. Alot of these trail cam threads have me thinking that I am at a severe disadvantage not knowing which bucks frequent what areas on the grounds I hunt. Does anyone else hunt "naked"?

I do quite often...I just grab my climber and start walking until I see something I like.

Solo...although it can feel like a "needle in a haystack" feeling for me as I walk onto a new area, I get used to it becuase it is such a common experience. I kill deer every year on spots I found just that day, out in the middle of the woods. But I get to thinking how hard it can be really, and it just boggles my mind. I bet it feels good to scout a piece of property just knowing noone is gonna mess up your hunting area and that you can target bucks you see....ahhh the life!

I really enjoy the 'primitive man' feel I get while hunting naked

I mainly have to hunt public land that is assaulted on a regular basis by the local knucklehead road hunters so scouting won't help much and cameras are definately out of the question if you want them to be there when you come back. I just grab my ground blind and go!

I own my own property but it's a good 2.5-3hr drive so I really don't get to the cabin until bow season starts.Usually the 1st couple weekends I don't shoot--I just like to watch to see whats around.When I do go to the cabin during the summer,I stay out of the woods.I'm a firm believer in low-impact in my hunting area

I honestly don't have a clue on whats running out and about on the land I hunt. I may know of a few decent bucks here and there through out the years but not to often do I know exactly what I've got running around in my woods. I don't think hardly anyone knows exactly what they have for big boys in there woods. There are many big mature 4.5+ bucks that none of us will ever see on camera's, hunting, scouting, etc.

The bucks around here dont ever show up in fields or anyhing during daylght.

Well since I hunt on new spot(s) not only on a yearly basis but also on a weekly basis during the season too I am always hunting "naked" as you put it VS.

Doesn't bother me at all.

Are there hardships to it.. yes. But I think that even having a place your not "naked" with has hardships too. Mostly mental (which can really hurt a hunter).. but hardships none the less.

On certain spots that I have that get hunted fairly hard I like to have the trail cams out so I have a barometer of the kind of deer that are there that made it through from the previous years. Other spots I know there will be some 3.5 year olds around so those are the ones I'm after with a bow. So those spots I'll go naked as you put it since I know what I can expect.