Intresting thread. It's funny how areas differ.

a) My primary honey hole is an open field near thick cover and behind some crop fields. Have seen many nice bucks in the open fields..just like on TV

b) had good success rattling in bucks in PA during 1st week of November. No Shooters (for me) but a one pretty nice 6 point that came in on a string and wouldn't leave. Silly buck, my cousin capped him in rifle season. SO much for letting him grow up.


What doesn't work for me...hmmm well in my primary spot mentioned above, hunting weekends sucks, cuz it's kinda a hotspot in suburbia and on the weekends there is too much activity (people) in the surrounding areas.

I see lots of deer in open fields including big bucks and last time I checked there were no eight foot fences on the property.

I have never had much success rattling in Southeastern MN.

I have my best luck hunting a spot that is slightly residential. When I move out to less populated hunting ground, I see less.

Hunting on weekends for me is not good idea. During the week however, its pick and choose. Now if I could get one of the big boys to come by.[:@]

I've been trying to fill my tag from my cubical for two years now. Have seen a thing...................

This work anywhere else?

Funny you should mention that...

never works for me either

Blind calling has proven to be a joke where I'm at...

Don't forget the NEW NO. 2 WORLD RECORD NON-TYPICAL killed in MO was taken bedded down in the middle of soy field on private farm property. No fence, no nothing... On one of my hunting sites (I love saying that! I just acquired a second...) I saw bucks crossing an open soy field for the 2 weeks of the rut...

Around here in central IL its hard to pattern feeding areas since nearly every square mile is either corn or beans and the woods are filled with acorns.

rattling, and deer drives.

Decoys! I am running an O'fer with a doe decoy, but almost always see something when the decoy isn't out.

Rattling is a joke where I hunt. There are about 50 does for every buck so why would they want to fight for one?? Plus most rattling gear sounds like two P+Y bruisers banging heads..........if anything it would make a "normal" buck NOT want to come over because he might get his butt kicked.

Scouting public lands can sometimes prove EXTREMELY frustrating. Nothing pisses me off more then scouting an area all year and then finding 10 other guys there for the season opener [:@]

Even worse is when idiots are sighting in there guns or riding ATV's all over the place in spots you have scouted...........I hate feeling like I wasted my time but there is no way to know for sure so I just keep scouting and hoping.