Picking your positions or "Hide"

[Nicholas]

When you find a good hide how do you guys get there on the big day without spooking the game. I try to sneek to my hide before daylight but have spooked the game on several different occasions, (I think my flashlight gave me away).

What time of day is best to occupy your hide, I noticed during the day the deer are usually bedded down?

I am going to do some major scouting this year.

If you scouted your hide well, you should have a good idea where the deer ( animals ) will be.. I go in very early to my morning hides I will be settled in at least an hour before light. I use a RED lens on all my flash lights. This I have found to not spook as much game. In my afternoon hides I will "still hunt" to them just to be sure....

[Nicholas]

The Red flashlight sounds great.

My hunting spot is three hours away so I haven't gotten much scouting in in the past.

I hunt in the desert, very flat with lots of sagebrush. There are a lot of raveans (spelling?) that the deer hide in.

I am somewhat new to hunting (last two years are my first) so this tread is very informative for me. I am going to try to find a high spot to make a hide, which will likely just be a small hill. There are a few good really good high spots but they are on private property. [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

The best thing about my area though is it's easy to drag game out because it's flat.

[littletoes]

Well, i don't pick a spot for its ease for me, but if it works out, all the better! I try and get to a favorite spot very,very early. If you scout sufficiently then the patterns of local animals will be your ultimate goal. Try and think like an escaped "convict". There are "day" trails and "night" trails. Large older bucks that have surrvived a few years know all the tricks of survival. They will travel earlier, and later. Watch for heavily used trails in your area. Also watch for areas that funnel the animals through a "gap" or such other natural features. Somtimes your best spot might just be out in the open where you can watch all the good trails. Somewhere the deer just wont notice you. Don't wait for just a few weeks before hunting season to do scouting, then you might alert the animals of your presence at a crucial time. If you find such a spot, don't move around a lot, just watch whats going on around you. Its said that for every buck that a hunter sees, there are 4 that he doesn't see. the nice thing about scouting, you don't have to wear hunter orange, easier to blend in. littletoes.

[Nicholas]

Thanks for the great info. By the way what does "still hunt" mean???

[littletoes]

Walking very,very,very slow. hell, even slower than that! Take a step, look around for about 3min., take another step, get it?

[Nodak7mm]

Definatley a question you will get many varying opinions, but basically it is the art of observing far more than moving and blending into the landscape. Your terrain will dictate your movement. An example of my style would be when in thick timber I'll get in an hr or so before light and sit tight for an hour or so after first lite just observing and enjoying. Pick my next vantage point, work towards it at a rate of about 2-3 steps, hang/hunker for appx 5 minutes while looking and listening and repeat till I get where I am going. There are scenarios where at the above speed I am moving too fast and others where I can move swiftly to my next vantage point. I gues you can compare it to trying to stalk a critter you expect to be there, but am unsure where it is while expecting it to be watching for you.

I hope this makes sense to you.. Good luck and I wish you the best.

Nodak7mm [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Ric, great idea for a thread.....

[ 05-29-2002: Message edited by: Nodak7mm ]