Deer Hunting: How Do You Do It

[batten_down]

A couple different threads had me wondering how you guys spend your time in the woods deer hunting. I'm a public land hunter, I've never once sat in a shooting house over looking a manicured food plot. And out walks a deer you have three years worth of pics. I don't know that feeling. With public land, I'm normally in my climber. I'd say over the course of the season, I'm about 80% in one of my summits, or I just stay on the ground and use terrain to my advantage. Or try to.

How about you guys? You have a couple different styles, or stick to the same type setups?

 

[Apostolic Outdoors]

I chose portable, but hunt from the ground quite a bit too. More in a tree though.

70% saddle
20% ground
10% lock on
Ish…….

 

[Madbowh]

Most times I'm in my climber if not I'm still hunting/scouting/ ground shooting.

I just love the climbers they're easy, comfortable, portable been using one for 20 years.

Now elk hunting in always on the ground

 

[JCDEERMAN]

70% lock-ons
30% saddle or climber

 

[Dennis]

Last year, with the exception of swingset/porch, all of the above,

My preference is hiding in a deadfall. But I'll get up in the air if my visibility is too restricted by sitting in the ground. On public land I stay on the ground.

 

[44 mag]

I voted stay on the ground but that could be in a ground blind or just sitting next to a tree. I don't have any shooting houses yet but I will.

 

[bloodtrailing]

I mainly hunt manicured food plots in a climate controlled shooting house. I survey the deer, sometimes watch football on my phone, until one of my hitlist bucks shows up.

 

[Gravey]

I voted fixed tree stand as most spots are ladder stands although we do have a couple shooting houses. Bought a saddle setup that I have plans of trying out at some point.

 

[Omega]

The past 15 years or so it has been one elevated shoot house or another, but I started out in CO, where you have to just walk around looking for them, then it was a lock-on for a bit when I was stationed at Ft Bragg. When I broke my ankle on a jump in GA, I switched to a climber, but after getting here and hunting Campbell for a few, I bought land and went with shooting houses.

 

[beefydeer]

Climbing stand 99% of the time. If I hunt 30 days, I hunt 30 different spots. I couldn't stand to go in and hunt the same spot day after day

 

[BSK]

Ladder stands 95% of the time. I have shooting houses over food plots, but leave those for the rainy/windy days.

 

[Spurhunter]

I've never once sat in a shooting house over looking a manicured food plot. And out walks a deer you have three years worth of pics. I don't know that feeling.

I don't know that feeling and I do hunt over food plots some. These guys that catalog their deer and age them and see them year after year is all foreign to me. I've had my lease 6 or 7 years now and I don't think I've ever had a buck on camera 2 years in a row that I knew was the same deer.

 

[Ski]

Pretty much all the above for me. I chose fixed hang on because that's probably where I hunt mostly, but it's very close to ground hunting and mobile hang on & climber hunting. I sit in a ground level shooting house sometimes, but there's no plot in front of it. I plant plots every year but almost never hunt them. Hunting a plot kills it and defeats the purpose in my experience, so I don't hunt them. If I had a playset to hunt from I would. I'm all inclusive. Hunting is hunting and i'll do whatever gives best odds be it bow, gun, stand, ground, etc.

 

[30-06 type of guy]

I hunt public so bow season I'm in a climber. When rifle season hits I'm a ground guy 90% of the time.

 

[Shanman]

Saddle

 

[Wrangler95]

In a ladder most all time!!

 

[deerhunter10]

Ladder or hang on 98 percent of the time. Shooting house, climber, have a quick set up hang on setup or ground other 2 percent. I wish killing them was as easy as you make it sound.. you along with others have repeatedly said that other people not to be named put in a ton of work, so do all those people with shooting houses and foodplots, or however they hunt Just because it's different work doesn't mean it's not work. That's not to mention working your ass of to afford land.

 

[batten_down]

Ladder or hang on 98 percent of the time. Shooting house, climber, have a quick set up hang on setup or ground other 2 percent. I wish killing them was as easy as you make it sound.. you along with others have repeatedly said that other people not to be named put in a ton of work, so do all those people with shooting houses and foodplots, or however they hunt Just because it's different work doesn't mean it's not work. That's not to mention working your ass of to afford land.

I think you have me mistaken. I'm not knocking any styles of hunting. I'm for more freedoms. More opportunities.

The goal is to have my own land with a shooting house one day. And food plots and cameras. I love that stuff. Just not where I'm at right now. I acknowledge and appreciate the work that goes into being a responsible steward of the land.

 

[killingtime 41]

I use climber 25 percent of the time. And portable lock on probably 35 percent. And a good out stool and walk and sit. 40 percent. Some years a little different each way.

 

[killingtime 41]

I'd prefer the porch swing option you got up there.