Deer Season: 2012

[singlestacksig]

squirrel.
go out during squirrel season and sit in the same area you plan on hunting deer..
sit all day long.. you will see things.. and if you see a squirrel you can try to get a shot..
do that a few times and you will be calmer when it is time to take a deer..

 

[NDhunter]

I pretty much never stop scouting. I run trail cams 365 days a year, though there are periods that I don't check them for several weeks at a time, like the middle of the winter or June/July. I've gone away from mineral sites, as I don't like dealing with the contaminated dirt prior to hunting seasons. Anymore I stick to giant community scrapes that deer tend to work all year, winter alfalfa supplements, high protein feed in the winter through early summer, and food plots. This year I did not do any spring food plots and am going to do fall plantings. I got caught up on extended turkey seasons in other states which was followed up by intense drought, so I didn't even bother turning the dirt.

Yesterday, I did bush hog some trails on one property. I'll hit another one in the next week. I like to keep certain trails open as the deer tend to use them as highways. Over 15 years of hunting one property in particular, you learn where the deer want to walk and bush hogging those paths just re-enforces the patterns in some areas. Other areas you just monitor known paths and keep obstacles clear or put obstacles in areas to re-direct traffic as needed.

Beyond that ... shoot the bow to keep sharp and patiently wait for October One.

I understand you surely have areas of your properties that are 'safe zones', but you don't feel that being in the woods nearly year round discourages the real beasts from setting up camp there? Mature deer around here avoid people when ever possible. If I started going into the woods weekly, or even bi-weekly, I'm scared they'd start changing patterns on me.

I shot the buck in my avatar out of a woods no one had touched foot in for over 11 months. He felt safe there, along with his harem of does. He had zero reason not to feel safe.

 

[DEC]

I understand you surely have areas of your properties that are 'safe zones', but you don't feel that being in the woods nearly year round discourages the real beasts from setting up camp there? Mature deer around here avoid people when ever possible. If I started going into the woods weekly, or even bi-weekly, I'm scared they'd start changing patterns on me..

Of course there are safe zones. But the reality is that in the small wood lots and farms up here, deer get pretty used to people, farm equipment, and other outside intrusions. You have to be smart about it. When I set and check trail cams, I always wear rubber boots for example and I try to be smart about what I touch in the area. When it comes to clearing trails, it is my tractor and bush hog, no different from what they are used to from the farmers. Farm equipment doesn't even phase the deer. You just have to use common sense really. Deer live among people. They tolerate more than we give them credit for up until hunting pressure increases.

 

[Willie]

Of course there are safe zones. But the reality is that in the small wood lots and farms up here, deer get pretty used to people, farm equipment, and other outside intrusions. You have to be smart about it. When I set and check trail cams, I always wear rubber boots for example and I try to be smart about what I touch in the area. When it comes to clearing trails, it is my tractor and bush hog, no different from what they are used to from the farmers. Farm equipment doesn't even phase the deer. You just have to use common sense really. Deer live among people. They tolerate more than we give them credit for up until hunting pressure increases.

Yep... It seems that way until....we show up with a gun or bow in our hands.. I just know they have read the season dates somewhere..

 

[DEC]

There are so many "theories" on what is right vs. wrong on how to handle your deer woods during the off season (and during seasons as well). There will be keyboard experts that will argue one way vs another until they are blue in the face.

Honestly, while I consider myself a trophy buck hunter, I don't get too caught up in it all anymore. I have my way of going about handling my hunting grounds, right, wrong, or indifferent. If I score a wall hanger ... great. If I don't ... so be it. I get pretty burnt out in the deer woods by the time the lead slinging seasons start, so if I haven't killed a good one with the bow by then, I often don't hunt too hard for one beyond that point. There are geese and ducks to hunt from that point on, which I get 10X more enjoyment out of than hanging off the side of a tree.

Point being ... we try to be "smart" when we walk into the woods at any time during the year, use our best judgement, roll the dice, and let the chips fall where they may. That is about all you can do.

 

[HICKMAN]

/side note

DEC, was that your face I saw on the cover of a magazine recently holding a pretty nice bass?

 

[DEC]

/side note

DEC, was that your face I saw on the cover of a magazine recently holding a pretty nice bass?

I doubt it, unless someone used an old photo and I didn't give them permission.

I haven't been fishing in over a year ... sadly. Life just seems to get in the way anymore. So I pick and choose what I get out there and chase. Waterfowl and turkeys seem to take up most of my "free" time anymore. That or anything that my girls want to go hunt. That still takes precedence over anything that I go after.

Self pimping to your side note ... ... You might see my ugly mug in some advertising media due out in a few months by a couple companies and it sounds like some DVD footage and possibly an interview in an upcoming Delta Waterfowl magazine.

 

[HICKMAN]

Ah, this was a copy of Indiana Fish and Game, thinking about it, don't know when it was published, as in a rack at work.

 

[DEC]

Probably wasn't me, unless they were doing an article on "how to fish like a 5 year old and catch dinks".

I joke, but there is a lot of truth to it when I say ... "I like fishing, but fishing doesn't like me". I honestly have the attention span of a 5 year old when it comes to fishing.

 

[ghitch75]

feedin' them and takin' there pic's......put a new set of sights on my 92 45 Colt...

 

[M4Madness]

Here's my ritual for the upcoming season.

July 1 -- Start daily archery practice. Also knock on a few doors the following week trying to gain new hunting spots, as I like to rest private properties I hunt in favor of others.

August 1 -- Put out trail cams baited with corn.

September 1 -- Hang a few lock-on stands in areas I hunt frequently to save me from having to pack my climbing stand as much.

September 15 -- Stop baiting cams. Wash and bag all of my hunting clothes and boots. Pack all of my gear so that I can grab it and go when the time comes.

September 30 -- Pull trail cams. I'll put them back out for a week or two in January baited with corn after season to see what survived.

October 1 -- START HUNTING EACH AND EVERY DAY UNTIL I HAVE FILLED THE TAGS I WANT TO FILL, OR SEASON ENDS -- WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.

 

[Lammchop93]

I'm gonna go out and buy a .44 magnum rifle next week for this deer season. I have also got my first bow this past spring, so I will be out Oct. first this go around!!!!

 

[gvsugod]

Seeing as how I just moved here I am looking for 2 things first:

1. Somewhere to hunt. Preferably private, the nearest huntable public land is quite a hike from my house.
2. Somewhere to start shooting my bow daily, for free.

I imagine that since I live in Indy both of these may prove a little difficult. Though I am 5 minutes from Hamilton Co. Welcome to suggestions from my Ingo friends.

 

[Whitsettd8]

I hunt a small strip of public land off The Hoosier National along Blue river. It's a pain in the ass to get into and it's an even bigger pain to drag a deer out and I think thats what keep people out. About 5 of us have hunted this strip for at least 10 years and it always produces deer. So if your looking at public land look on the outskirts that have natural barriers to help funnel deer.

 

[Water63]

I agree with DEC I manage my woods for deer putting out food plots and mowing trails. The deer get used to you being around and are not as skittish as some areas that never have intrusion. I harvested a 140" buck 20 yrds from the house with my bow acouple years ago. The resident does come to my deck and drink out of the pets water buckets. There is hunting pressure around me but the deer know that during the off season there is little threat to them so they are much more relaxed. I pretty much keep tabs on my deer year around. the big boys come and go but the resident does just hang out. My theory is keep the does around and the boys will come. I think that any deer harvested is a trophy I remember when I was a youngster there just weren't many deer around.

Good luck to all the hunters this year be safe and shoot straight.

 

[buckstopshere]

My buddy and I have an awesome new private 300 acre property to hunt in Parke county. We've got until thanksgiving day then we have to share.

Went out last weekend, followed game trails, found scat, runs and scrapes. Going back this weekend to set up trail cams, lay down some c'mere deer and clear out some trails.

Probably hang stands first weekend in September.

 

[HICKMAN]

Picked up another Trailcam, one that does time lapse to help watch an area for my son's youth hunt.

Finally got a new rangefinder. Walmart had a Bushnell ARC 1000 for a good price, then I found out Bushnell has a $50 rebate going on.

Our Walmart has stepped it up a bit this season, they are even carrying the Outdoor Edge SwingBlade knife for $50, more crossbows, arrows, broadheads and tons of deer hunting stuff.

I still need a quality pair of rubber huntin boots.

 

[M4Madness]

I still need a quality pair of rubber huntin boots.

One word -- "Muck".

 

[mr buckman]

just got the trail cams out a couple weeks ago and will be moving and preparing a few new stands here in the next couple of weeks

 

[Lammchop93]

I need to find some land to bow hunt on this year. If anyone knows someone around the Floyd/Harrison country area, please please please contact me. I'd be willing to share any meat, or a small cash payment. I'm a broke college student, so I don't have much.