Looking Good for 2017

[makeithappen]

I haven't been on a lease since the early '80's with my Dad, and from that experience, it's a miracle I didn't lose all interest in deer hunting.

The playing field may be starting out level, but NOW is the time for you to tilt it in your favor by scouting. It should be your goal to "know" the deer in the area you intend to hunt, and by mid September have a "target" buck picked out (or that would be my plan of attack).

Exactly. I've spread out my cameras around the property and plan to stay mobile using my climber and clearing stands during the season if I need to. I don't plan to stay complacent during the year like I did on pubic land, trying to keep my footprint small.

 

[dennishoddy]

I haven't been on a lease since the early '80's with my Dad, and from that experience, it's a miracle I didn't lose all interest in deer hunting.

The playing field may be starting out level, but NOW is the time for you to tilt it in your favor by scouting. It should be your goal to "know" the deer in the area you intend to hunt, and by mid September have a "target" buck picked out (or that would be my plan of attack).

Yes! ^^^^ get out there now and get some camera's out. Most people don't scout until a week before season. Find the hot spot on the property, and then, mention to the group, that you would like to divide it up into parcels.
Whats going to happen if you don't, is you might like to sit in the stand until noon, or all day while another person on the lease sits for an hour after sunup, and then starts walking the entire property trying to spook one up, meanwhile ruining your hunting by pushing the deer around, breaking their habits.
The lease we had was also a working cattle ranch with ranch roads running through. We even agreed that you couldn't take a shortcut through somebody's parcel to get to yours. You had to walk in and out on the main ranch road to your stand.

 

[makeithappen]

I've been scouting as much as I can since we got the lease at the end of May. It's tough country and cattle make following "game" trails useless most of the time, which I relied upon heavily in previous forms of scouting, so I'm having to rely on terrain, gut and luck. We'll see....

I'm hoping to get 3-4 stands setup this weekend with the remainder in early August. I'm only going down there about once every 3 weeks to not over check my cams, or wear my wife out on being gone all day...until hunting season.

 

[makeithappen]

Well, cameras were checked. I'm a bit shocked. Reckon my scouting isn't too far off base.

Only picture of this guy and even with the blur, he'll be a good one.

This guy hung out in front of the camera for about 20 minutes. Not sure why the pics are pink during the day....night shots are fine.

And not 3 hours before I checked the camera, this fella. Still some growing left to do, too!

 

[retrieverman]

They are all nice, but that last one is going to be a giant!!!

 

[makeithappen]

I couldn't be more excited! I just have to figure out where and how to hunt the pink camera. It's a nasty spot that I have to walk bent over on deer trails for 200 yards to get to and it's only 10 yards X 10 yards of an opening

 

[Coach_1]

Those are some great deer!

 

[CBarCRanch]

PM sent. We might be on the same group lease. Small world

 

[retrieverman]

I couldn't be more excited! I just have to figure out where and how to hunt the pink camera. It's a nasty spot that I have to walk bent over on deer trails for 200 yards to get to and it's only 10 yards X 10 yards of an opening

If killing a big buck was easy, every deer hunter would have a 170 class on the wall.

 

[makeithappen]

If killing a big buck was easy, every deer hunter would have a 170 class on the wall.

Ha ha ha no doubt