Favorite techniques?
 

Since it is deer season for some and getting close for others, I thought it might be good to get a post going about favorite techniques for deer hunting. Please feel free to describe, etc. Thinking this maybe a good way to share ideas, experiences and for some knowledge/ideas to others for the upcoming season.

I will start with some of mine:

Early bow to Early Pre rut - transition areas in cover from bed to food/water sources. I usually pick intersections at the start and then setup on rublines or side trails as bachelor groups disperse.

Late Pre Rut- Rut - Love to hunt close to bedrooms that feed to filter areas of food, water and rublines. Rattling in saddles, ridglines, etc close to bucks bedding areas in midday is my favorite technique and one of the most exciting to boot.

Post rut - hunt the food or transition routes to food. After rut I have had most of my success setting up in access areas to food that provide nurishment to the bucks after a long hard fight. (Particularily alfalfa up these parts)

Good luck to all have a safe and successful season:)

RE: Favorite techniques?
 

I answered a similar thread in T.R.' s forum, but I' ll share my strategies here as well.

Maine can be a real challenge to hunt, especially up north where I am. The deer population is low when compared to most places, and the deer are spread out within millions of acres of wilderness. Hunting food sources for the most part is a crap shoot because with all that woods deer just browse wherever they happen to be at the time. Even when the beechnuts are dropping it is hard to pinpoint where or when the deer will be feeding. This is perhaps why tracking has been the traditional way to hunt, and arguably the best way to take trophy bucks consistently.

The first part of my hunting strategy invloves finding an area with a good population of relatively unpressured deer. If I find such an area, and also signs of a big buck or two in the vicinity, this is a good place to hunt. I will lightly scout the area during the October grouse season to determine the main deer travel routes, and any places that a big buck might like to hide out to avoid hunting pressure.

In the early part of the firearms season, sometimes there will be no snow. Instead of tracking on bare ground (very difficult), I usually concentrate on still-hunting or sitting in a blind along the edges of thick security cover.

When the snow flies, things get interesting:D. Good tracking snow allows for - well, tracking! I won' t get into the many tricks and techniques of tracking, that would take too long, but I will share a few things that help my odds.

In the early hours before first light, I like to drive the logging roads looking for the tracks of a big buck. Usually by now I will have a certain deer in mind, and his tracks are the ones I search for, although sometimes I will run across tracks of an even bigger buck, and concentrate on him instead. When I locate fresh tracks, I either start following them at first light, or circle the perimeter of the area to determine his approximate whereabouts. If the track is smoking fresh, I will get on it, if not, I (usually) use the other method. If I find he is still within the area after checking the perimeter, I will either still-hunt or set up in a likely ambush spot.

It is important to me to stay flexible in my hunting methods, and take each situation as it comes. Calling is also an important part of my strategy, as well as scent control.

RE: Favorite techniques?
 

Sit in my stand and wait. :D

I would like to try some tracking sometime (since I live in Colorado now), but stand hunting is still the preferred method in Missouri. We all have designated stands, but after opening weekend I' m free to hunt any stand I want. So if someone says they saw a good buck, or signs indicate one is in their area, I' ll hunt that stand. Pretty simple stuff.

RE: Favorite techniques?
 

Just thought I' d bump this up.......I KNOW there are way more techniques than this!

Here' s one for all you still-hunters:
Try moving on all fours (yeah it may sound a bit weird, but hear me out). Moving slowly throught the woods this way can be a good way to trick deer. They are used to hearing/seeing humans walk through the woods on two legs. They just don' t expect to see humans crawling through the woods. It can sometimes give you a little bit of an extra edge when you know a buck' s close and you are trying to close the distance. Probably best to wear orange if you do this during firearms season (if it isn' t already required), for safety reasons.

OK, let' s hear some more! With a bit more input this could be an excellent thread[8D]