I usually land on the conservative side. I think it has, for me, more to do with the property I currently hunt and who else hunts it.

I would be much more aggressive if I had a better spot to work with.

I have hunted in the past......as my grounds dictated. I described my hunting style (there) as "opportunist". I agressively hunted does until the time when the bucks started seeking them......THEN I became the aggressor for "a" particular buck......when i knew he was working a particular area. I did it in '06 and '07....and got THE buck I was targeting.

I'm a firm believer in getting your ass in the woods when you know the one you're after is frequenting a particular spot. That's why I've never taken vacation at a certain time. When I know he's "there"....I've taken time off to be "there". It's worked in each of the last two seasons. I don't toot my own buck horn very often.....but there was some skill involved in taking them both. It was probably all mental and tactical....but I knew what I had to do. You have to be there to kill them......when they are there.

This year......I'm going more aggressive. I do this fully knowing that I'll see less deer....and maybe won't even take a buck, this fall. I need to learn where they are on the new land. I'll have some fruitless and "seemingly" fruitless sits this fall because of this approach. I'm fine with that. Scouting from stand isn't a bad thing......but scouting from stand for a buck will see me having fewer "deer" sightings than ever before. Again....I'm OK with that.

Long-time listener, first time caller here, Mr. Obvious. Fruitless, because of aggression? Hmmm, that could be called "hunting", for anyone, on any given day? Wow, Mr. Obvious, I never made the connection. You really are a lifesaver, Mr. Obvious.

"Fruitless" becusee an area that gives all appearances as being a good buck travel route may very well be a good doe travel route.....or not a deertravel route, altogether. You don't know until you go there.

When you go to pick fruit and don't find any....you go "fruitless". Did you learn something, though (in hunting speak)? Sure.

I think anyone "trying" to look at what I said, objectively, could do so.

Sleepy. I get in my stand with high hopes. I watch the sun come up, critters wake up, etc. About an hour later, when no deer have shown up....I'm sound alseep!!

You and me both buddy. And who thought we'd have the same style with such different weapons

The greatest rule of hunting. Right time.. right buck. I'm amazed how simple this rule is and how little it is understood.

Kudos to you Jeff. Learning this much earlier in your own career as I did not.[&:] I suck.

I hunt very different places. When im bowhunting on small lots, im very conservative. I get to my stand that i have scouted and thats where i hold up. I make adjustments to my stand as conditions call. Out on the farm im a bit more aggressive, but im still fairly conservative. I have gotten lucky feeding of others aggression. When guys on neighboring farms or others i hunt with get ancy and start moving in on deer they know are holding up in certain area, i just sit and wait. Gotten a couple good deer that were pushed to me. The places i hunt i have had good success holding still and putting less scent on the ground. If i want to hunt a new area i either take a climber or a set a stand then come back a few days later. Not big on stalking or still hunting - seems to cause more damage on places i have hunted.

By using the word "aggressive" what are you referring to? Sitting for long periods of time, chasing the deer through the woods, jumping on top of deer from your stand,taking shots at 70yrds, quitting your job to hunt?What aspect of your deerhunting isaggressive?

When I think of the word "aggressive" as it pertains to hunting, I picture someone who does one or more of the following things:

1. Use deer calls like rattling horns more frequently. Ie: Rattle or call every 10-15 minutes until something happens.
2. Same as #1 but from the ground. Call, wait about 15 minutes. If nothing happens, move to a new spot and try again.
3. Stalk through the woods instead of sit in a stand.
4. Find a ridge. Glass for game. If found, move in on them.

I'm sure these techniques are very effective in certain areas. Where I hunt, none of these works real well. Not enough acreage to still hunt for one thing. The best option for me is to get to my stand as unobtrusive as possible and put in the time there. I tend to be very passive in the stand. A lot of calling never seems to do anything for me.