Need better stratagy for Wilderness Whitetail

[sam700]

I’ve done most of my deer hunting on private farmland and have been successful nearly every year. For the last few years, I’ve started hunting some public land. In order to get away from other hunters, I’ve been hunting some wilderness areas and camping with a group of two or three friends for a few days at least a 4 or 5 hour walk from any road. Unfortunately I was not successful this year or last year. I know the deer population is not as high in large forested areas like this which is a factor, but these trips have averaged 4 days and I’ve only seen two deer in the two years I’ve been hunting these areas.

I’d like to continue hunting wilderness areas because I enjoy combining deer hunting with camping and backpacking. On the other hand, I’m pretty sure I won’t shoot anything if I don’t change my strategy for next year. Any tips from someone who is used to hunting large areas of old growth forest would be much appreciated. I generally hunt in the extreme northern portion of Wisconsin or Michigan’s upper peninsula.

I did do some scouting of the area this year two weeks before the hunt. My strategy was to hunt the area near a river where there was a seemingly well used trail leading from a bedding area. There were lots of tracks, but no deer. Same thing last year. Any tips that would help me maximize my chances of success would be helpful. Any good books on the subject would also be helpful.

 

[Reyn]

Best advice i can give is sit on the stand as long as you can. If you saw tracks then they are there its just determining when they pass through. If you can handle dawn til dusk then i would do it. If i didnt see anything after a couple days id try a different spot.

How did your buddies do,see?

Its harder for me to narrow down dear in an open forrest compared to fields and thickets. The ones i have seen were just passing through eating acorns, not on a definitive trail.

 

[dakotasin]

what worked for me...
first develop the strategy. i hate stand hunting. i find it incredibly boring and restrictive. i love spot-and-stalk hunting as i find it challenging, and intensely exciting. unfortunately, spot-and-stalk is tough to do in dense forests. so, the natural progression for me was to still-hunt 80% of the time, spot-and-stalk 20% of the time. it worked for me - i kill mature bucks on public forested lands 100% of the time - an area that runs under a 30% success rate.

once i figured out a method of hunting that made sense, i learned everything i could about it from books and forums, and then over several hunting seasons tweaked the methods a little to fit my hunting style, and come up w/ a winning formula. also, be realistic about your expectations vs what the area can produce.

without getting too lengthy here, get good glass. a solid set of 8x or 10x binoculars really and truly does help. be prepared to pay dearly for them, too... and learn how to really use them (so many hunters do not know how to glass). look at everything, move slowly... if it kinda-sorta appears out of place, it probably is a deer. use your ears... i find as many deer by listening for 'em as i do by seeing them. bucks grunting as they walk up a trail, beating on a tree w/ their antlers, fighting, etc...

check out other hunting-related forums. you'll be surprised at how well techniques from other areas can increase your success rate at home.

last... listen to other hunters. a lot of what they're saying is just bragging, but you will also pick up tidbits of hard-earned wisdom in their tales. ask them where they got it, how did they see it, etc...

 

[asknight]

How far were you hunting from the camp you and your friends setup out in the middle of nowhere? I'm leaning towards the notion that by going out and setting up camp in the middle of nowhere, you spooked them a bit, then began hunting for them before they'd settled back in to your constant presence in the woods. Whenever there is a shock to their habitat of that nature, they'll go nocturnal or out of the immediate area, and quickly!

 

[cracked butt]

I’ve done most of my deer hunting on private farmland and have been successful nearly every year. For the last few years, I’ve started hunting some public land.

Been there, done that. The hunting in northern wisconsin is vastly different than hunting farmlands. The deer are there plenty, but they aren't as easily seen in dense forest as they ar ein cut corn fields.

I’d like to continue hunting wilderness areas because I enjoy combining deer hunting with camping and backpacking. On the other hand, I’m pretty sure I won’t shoot anything if I don’t change my strategy for next year. Any tips from someone who is used to hunting large areas of old growth forest would be much appreciated. I generally hunt in the extreme northern portion of Wisconsin or Michigan’s upper peninsula.

I did do some scouting of the area this year two weeks before the hunt. My strategy was to hunt the area near a river where there was a seemingly well used trail leading from a bedding area. There were lots of tracks, but no deer. Same thing last year. Any tips that would help me maximize my chances of success would be helpful. Any good books on the subject would also be helpful.

Sounds like you hunt on the same river that I do, I can see Michigan from my stand.

You sound like you have the right idea, deer aren't too much different than people- they get up in the morning, get a drink of water and look for something to eat. Look for terrain that funnels deer to the river- between two hills or bluffs, well used trails, or better yet, any small creek that runs to the river.

You'll want to set up your stand or blind at least 1/2 mile from your camp if you want to see any deer. I mention 'stand' because I use a climber, but that will be too heavy for backpacking. My next favorite 'stand' is finding a fallen log near the top of a hillside overlooking a valley or sitting on the ground in a similar spot- by on the ground, I mean litterally butt on the ground.. I don't like sitting on top of hills because you'll be silhouetted against the sky, whne you find a location, carefully clear away all of the leaves and twigs that can make noise. The deer can't easily see you even if you are in a full blaze orange suit as long as you sit motionless- getting comfortable is very important for this. If I can get comfortable enough that I could sleep in the position, its just about perfect because that's nearly what I do. I typically get very comfortable, close my eyes and listen. I kind of go into a state where I'm not awake and not quite asleep- I can hear what's around me but I don't fidget or need to move. I've actually had deer walk right by me close enough to poke with a long stick that never saw me until I moved. Sit tight for hours and just listen and watch. When going to your stand, get there as early and as quietly as possible, the deer will be active before dawn, and leave as quietly as possible.

 

[sam700]

Sounds like we may have been hunting a bit close to camp. According to the GPS, we were 0.26 miles from camp. I'm guessing in an area where the deer aren't too used to seeing people, it dosn't take much to spook them. My buddy only saw one deer as well. I would imagine something to cover my scent might help as well in addition to camping a bit further from where we will hunt. I've never used it before because I never saw the need, but then again, I've always hunted farmland till the last couple years.

Keep the suggestions coming!!

 

[target1911]

I am reading a book called Moon-Phase Deer Hunting by Jeff Murray. It is just FULL of info about how they react/move with the moon-phases. I would check it out.

Good Luck

 

[asknight]

I can now recommend Dead Down Wind. I've never endorsed that scent cover crap, but Dead Down Wind works... so I can't call that product the same as I have others in the past. A friend of mine demonstrated it to me as I was cursing myself for spilling gas on my hands as I was topping off my ATV before a hunt.

I couldn't smell ANY hint of gas after a couple of minutes, and I took a nice buck at 30 yards with the wind to his advantage.

 

[qajaq59]

My only suggestion would be to find an area out there where the trees have recently been knocked down by a storm, or a fire. They might come in there to feed on the new browse that they can easily reach?

 

[chemist308]

Homework! It's not just for kids. Do your homework. Find them in the summer. Watch them in the summer. Find their trails, find their water holes and sleeping spots. It requires more time than most folks have, including myself this year...