Back the way I used to do it :)

[Atchman2]

My first year deer hunting was by far my best. I'd never deer hunted before. In fact I didn't own a centerfire rifle. I started out with a bow, but quickly realized it was hard to get close to them. I just needed a little more range. :)

That was when I bought my muzzleloader. It gave me that extra 20 yards I'd been missing with my bow and I killed four deer. Since then it has been downhill. Sometimes I get two, but most of the time one or none.

The difference was that back then, people told me deer were there. I didn't do the cameras, attractants, bait, none of it. I just sat down where people told me there were deer. I think what that did was keep me from getting the deer wary by stomping all over the place and scenting it up. This year, I've already seen several in my favorite spot. However I have not walked into it at all. I have a treestand there from last year and I'm going to use it on opening day. I'm going to spray some of the de-scent stuff on my boots because I have to cross one of their trails.

Now I've got to admit looking at those camera pictures is a blast. Sometimes I enjoy it more than hunting. I've spent day after day thinking that I was making my spots better. I think I made them worse!

So this year, no cameras nothing, just a man, in a tree, with an archery product. :D

 

[megalomaniac]

Smart man...

Most don't realize just how much damage they do to their hunting spots by continuously scouting all day, running trail cameras, and just generally being intrusive right before season opens.

I run my cameras only once a month, and they are in easily accessible locations. Other than the velvet hunt, I will leave my deer unpressured until I take my 11 y/o on the juvie hunt, then leave them alone until the peak of the prerut.

Hunt smarter, not harder. Good luck in your tree this weekend!

 

[fairchaser]

The element of total surprise is a very effective weapon. I try not to even think about where I will hunt until I get there.

 

[Shanman]

Some of the best bucks we ever saw were walking in blind, in the dark, at a new property. Always thought what you guys have mentioned was the reason why. Most of these spots were not places we would have picked to hunt either, we just wanted to have a tree to be in by daylight.

 

[jlanecr500]

You aren't the only one. I've got cameras that have never had batteries in them. Deer will quickly avoid areas that you frequent.

 

[Headhunter]

never used a camera. I am not, couple stands stolen recently, only using to catch the trespassers. More than I can truly afford for the cameras, but if I catch the trespassing thieves it will be worth it.

 

[Mike Belt]

I suppose you could write volumes on dos and don'ts on deer hunting. Your mention of staying out of their territory would fill several. There are so many variables in different scenarios that it would be hard to single out a definitive one. One thing for sure is that you can tip a deer off that his area has been compromised. This would include areas he's using at the moment as well as areas he may be about to shift into during range shifting. The sure fire way to not to do this is to stay out of there completely until you're ready to hunt. The downside to this is not knowing whether a buck is even using the area or where to intercept him if he is. Running and monitoring cameras, scouting for sign, pre-hanging stands; all may benefit the hunter but may also do more to hinder the intended outcome. It's the nature of the hunter to be anxious to get into the woods after a few months of downtime and to get the new season underway. Most probably never consider the ramifications. Somehow you have to reach some sort of compromise. I love running cameras but try to set them up for activity that's to come closer to prime time hunting rather than what may be happening prior to then and I don't try to run them with any kind of frequency. For the most part, stand placement is done well prior to actual hunting allowing for a "cool down" period in the immediate area although I do reserve the right to "spot hunt hot spots". Having a history with deer movement in the area you hunt as well as knowledge of the terrain probably plays the most important role. With all things remaining the same from year to year deer basically remain loyal to traditional movement patterns. These may shift back and forth dependent upon mast production yearly but by prime hunting time (pre-rut into the first couple of weeks of the rut) they tend to level out closely resembling former years of movement.... again, if all things remain the same. If they do, the major factor in re-shifting those movements is human intrusion.

 

[gobblinfool]

I guess this is why Covert came up with a Camera that could send a picture to your cell phone, at $400 a pop!! I think what mike hit on was the fact that some places are consistently frequented by deer.....my favorite stand has a huge funnel that allows deer to move between two patches of woods without being seen. I think Ozonics plays a big role for me in that when I sit a stand their isn't residual smell left behind.

 

[Ladys man]

I'd check the straps on your stand before climbing in if it has been in the out the whole yr. good luck keeping it simple is always the best method. I think we overthink nowadays myself including

 

[Bone Collector]

I have been hunting for years. I didn't do the cameras etc. until 2013, when I bough my own property. At first I only put them out before season and pulled them around August. Then I started leaving them out year round. The first 3 years I owned my property when I did no cameras or limited the hunting was better than the last 3 where I have run cameras and checked them every other weekend or so.

In 2015 I got pics of a 14 pt buck and a nice 10 he was running with and I started running them year round. It took me 3 seasons, but the hunting has noticeably changed for the worse in those 3 years with mature deer sightings down. I decided this year I would leave the cameras, but I would not put any corn out after July. That was made easy by the velvet hunt, but I also decided I will not check the cameras unless I am in the immediate vicinity while hunting. I also have two cell cams now, so I don't have to pull the cards. I hope to see a difference in deer sightings in general and hopefully get a shot at one of my older bucks.

 

[southernhunter]

I love running cams , even could go as far as saying I like it better than hunting but I do believe its has more of a negative impact than positive for many reasons.

 

[fairchaser]

If we only knew how often we defeat ourselves deer hunting. I think a lot of learning to be successful is understanding what not to do. Less is often more. If you could know where a buck is and where he is likely to go and when and know all this without alerting the buck and can set up an ambush without the bucks knowledge then hunting would be easier. Not necessarily easy. Of course to gain all this knowledge requires some invasion into the whitetails world. This is the rub because he is so keenly aware of any intrusion and simply will hide during the day. He must be successful in this avoidance in order to live long enough to achieve trophy status. He didn't get old just being lucky as the saying goes. The more you know about his habitat and his travel patterns, the greater chance you have but it's usually the first chance so you better be right and make it count. Knowledge of a buck over several years is of great advantage because the hunter has less need to invade his home range in order to set up an ambush. Over many years a seasoned buck hunter can look at a property and the scant evidence and know when and how to kill the best buck. That's truly old school!

 

[Mr.Bro]

I am old believe me I am old. But not old school. I bought my first game camera over 15 years ago and love the thought of what may pop up on the next pull. If I had only one farm to hunt then a game cam would not be necessary. I would simply ease into my funnel and wait em out. Being blessed with several choices of where to hunt game cams are my best tool to help me choose where to hunt. If I have a large buck on one farm then I know it. Then I can give it my most attention when the time is right. The most important knowledge I get from pics? They tell me which direction the bucks are coming from thus help me know where they bed and how to make adjustments to stands. Pics also give the knowledge to know real quick if its a shooter or just another up and coming young buck. I check my cameras that are over mineral sites every 2 weeks from early July to mid September. Then I pull most and move them to field edges, previous scrapes and rubs. I like a lot of the new school stuff.
Good luck to all!