Time to Get Serious!
Posted By
Myndi Clements
at
10/11/2010 12:00:00 AM
I have spent quite a bit of energy trying to pattern bucks in past years only to find that their fall patterns are way different from their summer patterns. In fact, in many cases, they don't even live in the same area. They have a fall range and a summer range and those ranges may not overlap. For this reason, I am now slower to get my trail cameras out. I want to make sure the bucks are settled into their fall ranges before I get too bent on patterning them. I am sure that has happened by now. I finally got my cameras in place late last week. Now I can't wait to pull the cards in a few days to see what is walking in front of them.
What I find over the next two weeks will help determine my strategy when I start seriously hunting. Some people may think that all I do is hunt, but unfortunately, that is not the case. I don't make a living by hunting; I make a living by taking photos, writing articles and to a lesser extent, by working with the team to produce web shows and some television. So there is always a lot to do around here just to keep the lights on. For that reason, I have to pick my hunting days carefully.
When a cold front comes through in October things can be good, so I will do my best to be out there the day after that event. Otherwise, my target start date is October 25. Over the years that date stands out as the best time to begin my serious campaign. Leading up to that, I work hard to clear my schedule of work and also to find a pattern on at least a few bucks that I can hunt when the time comes.
When I pull the cards I will be looking for big bucks, of course, but just as importantly, I will be looking for bucks that seem to be killable. In other words, bucks that are active - showing up often in front of the camera - and ideally during daylight. When I see regular daylight activity, it is time to go after that particular buck in the best stand locations (the ones that set up well for entry and exit and the day's wind) I can find in his general area.
So that is the plan. I have taken the all-important first step and now it is just a matter of checking the cards and seeing what is out there. I'll move the cameras every week, or so, until I have covered the better areas of the farm. I will show you what I find either in the shows or on this blog. Things are starting to get serious now. The best days are right around the corner.
What I find over the next two weeks will help determine my strategy when I start seriously hunting. Some people may think that all I do is hunt, but unfortunately, that is not the case. I don't make a living by hunting; I make a living by taking photos, writing articles and to a lesser extent, by working with the team to produce web shows and some television. So there is always a lot to do around here just to keep the lights on. For that reason, I have to pick my hunting days carefully.
When a cold front comes through in October things can be good, so I will do my best to be out there the day after that event. Otherwise, my target start date is October 25. Over the years that date stands out as the best time to begin my serious campaign. Leading up to that, I work hard to clear my schedule of work and also to find a pattern on at least a few bucks that I can hunt when the time comes.When I pull the cards I will be looking for big bucks, of course, but just as importantly, I will be looking for bucks that seem to be killable. In other words, bucks that are active - showing up often in front of the camera - and ideally during daylight. When I see regular daylight activity, it is time to go after that particular buck in the best stand locations (the ones that set up well for entry and exit and the day's wind) I can find in his general area.
So that is the plan. I have taken the all-important first step and now it is just a matter of checking the cards and seeing what is out there. I'll move the cameras every week, or so, until I have covered the better areas of the farm. I will show you what I find either in the shows or on this blog. Things are starting to get serious now. The best days are right around the corner.
