I got a sweet farm to hunt in upstate western NY. it's 400 acres and lays at the bottom of a 2000 acre state forest which is on a very very large hill adjacent to the farm. The farm has a perfect view of the state lands south face. Has anyone used a spotter to locate deer from a separate local than the shooter and to what degree of success? Seems to me this would be highly productive but perhaps frowned on .... input would be appreciated. gun)
spotting from separate location
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yobuck
Well-Known Member
Shurly your joking right? My advice would be keep quiet about your new found location. Otherwise you will have lots of company there. lol
Whats the sun situation? Meaning are you looking toward it in the morning, or in the
afternoon? Or is it at such an angle that you could glass all day? As for getting a
reaction about what you do, what else is new? You can get that for the way you comb
your hair also assuming you have any. Fact is its a legal and very popular way to hunt. If your interested, you can pm me and ill help you get started on what you need
by way of equiptment to get a jump start on doing it. And im not at all interested
in knowing where it is.
Whats the sun situation? Meaning are you looking toward it in the morning, or in the
afternoon? Or is it at such an angle that you could glass all day? As for getting a
reaction about what you do, what else is new? You can get that for the way you comb
your hair also assuming you have any. Fact is its a legal and very popular way to hunt. If your interested, you can pm me and ill help you get started on what you need
by way of equiptment to get a jump start on doing it. And im not at all interested
in knowing where it is.
Yobuck, Thanks. I live in NC but NY is my old stomping ground. I get to hunt this farm only because i have always respected the rules iv become a bit of of kiss *** to the farmer but more importantly he sees I hunt it for real. Unlike some of the other schwags that in the past refused to listen and respect the dream hunting op. There are farm hands that hunt so they have first dibs on spots, I always check with them after asking for my annual permission to see whats up and to reassure them that I won't be interfering with whatever they got going on. Works like a charm. Amazing what a lil respect will get ya in the woods. these guys give it all up they hunt archery while things are calm and direct me to the bucks. My idea came to me when I was sitting with a blanket of snow on the south side of the sl my line of sight is always all day so im seeing blaze on the hill and seeing the deer run away plain as day. I figure it could be a 2 way line of sight for me and a buddy. i watch for him he watch for me. Iv been on the hillside and found a couple dif spots i had a field of view for the farm. I have a spotting scope and a 300 win mag for LD but generally have a shotgun with slugs sighted at about 100yd's with 3 in mags. farmer has always told me to let the bullets fly on the hillfor the first week of gun then the deer flood his land but hunker up for a week. I thought I ask the farmer if I could bring in a spotter. Just out of respect I din't wanna spoil my rep. Don't wanna fall in the schwag category Any advise ya got would be great along with anyone else I take what i need and think might work for me and this new strategy. Thanks again!
HARPERC
Well-Known Member
I'm missing what advantage lies in someone spotting deer that can't be seen from the shooters position.
How do you communicate with that other location? Some states prohibit using radio's and such to locate game and "walk" someone into position.
Like I started with maybe I don't understand what the underlying question is.
How do you communicate with that other location? Some states prohibit using radio's and such to locate game and "walk" someone into position.
Like I started with maybe I don't understand what the underlying question is.
I think the advantage is not in know whats in the ares but more whats not. Of coarse the other advantage is putting the meat in the freezer faster. 2000 acres is a lot of ground to cover with little or no insight on whats ahead of the shooter. gullies and hills make it tough to see very far ahead. I think another advantage is spotting other hunters. Like i stated I see deer run from the hunters and Iv seen the deer run from the drives. I think there are several advantages to having eyes from afar when it comes to hunting pressured land. I was hoping having eyes on the hill might help me place myself in a ambush position since the farm is only 400 acres I could split it into 1/4's and still hunt my way to a hot zone.
yobuck
Well-Known Member
Forget the idea of having a buddy on one hill communicating with you on another.
As has been mentioned, it could even be illegal to do especially using radios. Have
your buddy sit with you on the private land and glass the hillside on the public land.
Then shoot from where you sit while glassing. The 300 win mag with a good scope
set up properly would be all you need for gun. A buddy system with a shooter and a
buddy acting as a spotter is actually the proper/best way to go about it. Remember
we crawl before we walk, so keep that in mind as for the initial distances you attempt
shooting.
edit/ land having lots of hunters isnt the best choice for long range hunting.
Especially where organized driving is taking place. It would be better to wait
till later in the season when the hunter numbers are down before initiating
the method i spoke of. Group hunting with organized drives takes alot of effort
by those involved. They deserve whatever rewards come their way. Hunters sitting
on another hillside picking off deer theve driven out is and should be frowned upon
to say the least.
As has been mentioned, it could even be illegal to do especially using radios. Have
your buddy sit with you on the private land and glass the hillside on the public land.
Then shoot from where you sit while glassing. The 300 win mag with a good scope
set up properly would be all you need for gun. A buddy system with a shooter and a
buddy acting as a spotter is actually the proper/best way to go about it. Remember
we crawl before we walk, so keep that in mind as for the initial distances you attempt
shooting.
edit/ land having lots of hunters isnt the best choice for long range hunting.
Especially where organized driving is taking place. It would be better to wait
till later in the season when the hunter numbers are down before initiating
the method i spoke of. Group hunting with organized drives takes alot of effort
by those involved. They deserve whatever rewards come their way. Hunters sitting
on another hillside picking off deer theve driven out is and should be frowned upon
to say the least.
I'm pondering the strategy. might be more trouble than it's worth. I'm a dreamer and a schemer with no regard for the ways of others unless I feel it works and suits me with respect to my hunt. Love to hear advise, sometimes and most often I am familiar with what I hear but just as often I hear new ideas or ways to improve my techniques. Thanks Again
yeah i can spot myself. I really want to cut the down time by having a guy inform me of movement and I can do the same. I can't count the days Iv sat and not seen a thing all day. Just to have someone tell me a herd passed me by on the other side of the farm. We use radios all the time in the co. I hunt in for the deer drives. perfectly legal. I think it may take some trial and error but If the 2 hunters can see each other the probability of killing a deer has got to go up. I should mention I'm not hunting for trophies I hunt for the meat and to enjoy the great outdoors
yobuck
Well-Known Member
Well its a fine line we walk sometimes as to what is and isnt legal with regard to radio
use. Using them to help keep drives organised is one thing, but using them for other
purposes might be another thing. As for seeing deer, i doubt theres a method, or at least a legal one where seeing deer every day can be accomplished. It comes down to
your choice and preferance of the various methods. Or possibly what method you are
physicaly able to still do.
use. Using them to help keep drives organised is one thing, but using them for other
purposes might be another thing. As for seeing deer, i doubt theres a method, or at least a legal one where seeing deer every day can be accomplished. It comes down to
your choice and preferance of the various methods. Or possibly what method you are
physicaly able to still do.
HARPERC
Well-Known Member
It could work. Question becomes will it improve your odds day to to day? Second question for me is, as this is a LRH site, how far are you shooting, how far roughly are you comfortable shooting?
My preference would be to have shooter and spotter together, it splits the responsibilities, and facilitates communication.
2000 acres isn't a lot of ground, drives, and converging on one locale after another when someone spots a deer, is the kind of pressure that causes deer to relocate. Or puts you in the position of shooting an already spooked animal. It also spreads human scent from more than one point.
I have zero experience in your area. Just thinking out loud.
I do have a late season whitetail tag, it's after the regular season closes, takes advantage of the rut, and no one else in the woods. My plan is overwatch on one of the three best crossings (weather dependent), range to 600 yards, and if they cross elsewhere, it's just part of the game. Good Luck.
My preference would be to have shooter and spotter together, it splits the responsibilities, and facilitates communication.
2000 acres isn't a lot of ground, drives, and converging on one locale after another when someone spots a deer, is the kind of pressure that causes deer to relocate. Or puts you in the position of shooting an already spooked animal. It also spreads human scent from more than one point.
I have zero experience in your area. Just thinking out loud.
I do have a late season whitetail tag, it's after the regular season closes, takes advantage of the rut, and no one else in the woods. My plan is overwatch on one of the three best crossings (weather dependent), range to 600 yards, and if they cross elsewhere, it's just part of the game. Good Luck.
Thanks im just kicking the idea around like i said in my introduction for the thread this might be frowned upon not that i care im just looking to up my odds by have a dude know where i am and telling me if im wasting time or should move remember im useing a shotgun most days and my shots are not what you would consider a long shot. The language i would use with my dpotter im sure would be considered amature but the method is purly to save time i live in nc so i can only hunt the prop for one week
yobuck
Well-Known Member
What elk hunters do in western states works for them in the western states
due to the type of terrain and vastness of the areas.
The same tactics used successfully there, wont work in the east nearly as well, if at all. There are lots of good places to hunt long range in the eastern states. And it
appears from what youve said youve found one. You will not however be able to
combine several methods of hunting with any degree of success. Your either going
to set up and glass, or hunt by the traditional eastern methods. Space and type of terrain dictate that, not hunter preferrence.
due to the type of terrain and vastness of the areas.
The same tactics used successfully there, wont work in the east nearly as well, if at all. There are lots of good places to hunt long range in the eastern states. And it
appears from what youve said youve found one. You will not however be able to
combine several methods of hunting with any degree of success. Your either going
to set up and glass, or hunt by the traditional eastern methods. Space and type of terrain dictate that, not hunter preferrence.
I watched this very thing happen a week ago, I'll keep my thoughts to myself.
I had a similar situation as yours a few years back. I say similar because I don't have a clue about the actual lay of the land or farm. For opening weekend I was invited by a friend to hunt a smallish farm that was almost at the bottom of a valley/bowl and surrounded by public land on the high ground around it. I was told that I could shoot to 800 yards in the back pasture and there were deer everywhere. I got there two days early to scout and let things calm down, and to hang out with my buddy who used to be in the same military unit. The terrain and vegetation really wasn't right for an 800 yard field of view but if I sat on a knoll in the middle I had pretty much a 400x400ish view. However, while I was scouting all the terrain around on the public high ground I found a spot I could view the entire pasture. So that's where I set up, and made a good range card/sketch. It was a good distance from where the deer would come to the field and across a valley so I also did a good bit of shooting to map everything out. Opening morning I sat in my hidesite on public land and shot my buck on a main trailhead coming onto the private land.
Could be an option for you, and if you have a buddy/spotter then he never has to step onto the private farm.
