New Whitetail Hunter Questions - how best to use your time?

[euclid]

This is a basic question and will surely bring a range of responses. I'm sorry to have to ask as the information is all over the forum, but in this case it has been tough to filter through it all to figure out the best approach.

My hunting partner and I, both with no prior experience, have been trying to hunt whitetail this fall. We have general tags, and have been spending time in 330 and 314. We differ on what we think is the right approach and the best use of our time (not as much as we'd like) so thought I'd post it here as we're fast running out of season.

We didn't do very much research in the summer/early fall, and so have a sense of where there is activity, but far from knowing where there is consistent or daily activity. One of us is pulling for a 'sit all day in one spot' approach, while the other thinks we should be covering more ground, more actively.

My question is this: What would you suggest as an approach, given we probably only have a few more days out? Go for a sit and wait approach with what we think is a likely spot with activity, or a more active approach, and if so, how best to cover a decent amount of territory without crashing around like complete idiots?

Thanks in advance for what is surely a stupid 'How do i whitetail?' question..

[Slicktricker]

Find a cut line with fresh tracks and sit and rattle and call the 🦌 will come

[Hawkhills]

Originally Posted by euclid

This is a basic question and will surely bring a range of responses. I'm sorry to have to ask as the information is all over the forum, but in this case it has been tough to filter through it all to figure out the best approach.

My hunting partner and I, both with no prior experience, have been trying to hunt whitetail this fall. We have general tags, and have been spending time in 330 and 314. We differ on what we think is the right approach and the best use of our time (not as much as we'd like) so thought I'd post it here as we're fast running out of season.

We didn't do very much research in the summer/early fall, and so have a sense of where there is activity, but far from knowing where there is consistent or daily activity. One of us is pulling for a 'sit all day in one spot' approach, while the other thinks we should be covering more ground, more actively.

My question is this: What would you suggest as an approach, given we probably only have a few more days out? Go for a sit and wait approach with what we think is a likely spot with activity, or a more active approach, and if so, how best to cover a decent amount of territory without crashing around like complete idiots?

Thanks in advance for what is surely a stupid 'How do i whitetail?' question..

Now is the time to be out hunting deer.The rut is on, deer activities are near there peak.Get out there and enjoy.

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[Z7Extreme]

I would think the best answer is to split up and hunt your own ways. See who shoots one first. Could be a little competition. Could be fun.

[3blade]

Find the sign. Get the wind right. Sit still and be quiet. Shoot deer.

The how and where is up to you. On crown land I walk until I find lots of sign, usually that means about 3 days of 5-10 miles a day. When I say lots, I mean feeding craters and piles of deer crap every 15 feet and tracks everywhere. Then slow right down, look at a map to figure out where they are coming and going and where to sit, and use the binos every 3rd step. Pay attention to the wind at all times.

I killed a deer on Sunday using this exact strategy. 1st day - one set of tracks, that led me to an idea of what they might be relating to. Second day - different terrain, two spotted but no shot. 3rd day - found the X, deer down in a couple hours.

Did the same thing last year, and the year before. It works but most guys give up cause they can't cover miles and/or keep their head in the game for days when not seeing deer.

[35 whelen]

Originally Posted by Slicktricker

Find a cut line with fresh tracks and sit and rattle and call the 🦌 will come

Yep

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[GrandSlam]

Originally Posted by Slicktricker

Find a cut line with fresh tracks and sit and rattle and call the 🦌 will come

What are some good calls? I picked up the Primos can, but wonder if the grunt calls are worth trying.

[wildwoods]

Originally Posted by GrandSlam

What are some good calls? I picked up the Primos can, but wonder if the grunt calls are worth trying.

All you need is the basic primos grunt tube. In my opinion it's the most effective call out there. Rattling does work well too.

To the OP. I've hunted white tails for a while now. Although I'm no expert (far from it) I've been privileged to be able to hunt a high volume area and learn from observation. I have found that sitting and watching deer behaviour from a standstill is a great way to learn the tricks of the trade. Still hunting (moving slowly with the wind and binos at hand) will become easier once you learn how a deer acts/thinks. That comes from observation. In this snow it won't be hard to find a well traveled area- perhaps a cutline or cut block. Find that and sit 100 yards or more downwind. You might see 10 deer, you might see nothing. Patience is your friend. I wouldn't be moving around too much if I were you at this stage. Sit, wait, shoot deer.
And no, this is not a dumb question you've asked. I have a lot of respect for people who want to get better. It's certainly a higher level of question than simply asking for an exact location. Good on you. Lots of good advise in this thread.

[gs100bert]

As I get older I walk less and sit more . I see more deer shoot more deer than when I was younger .

[Rockman]

Thanks for all the good advice. It's very helpful for us who are learning!

[The Fisherman Guy]

Best advice for new hunters:

-Don't hunt where you think looks good, hunt where the deer are.
-Always know the wind, and approach from or sit downwind.
-Stay off your phone, and stay awake.
-Split up, avoid walking together. Double: sound, scent, and visual movement.
-Don't over call. Unless you've seen an experienced hunter call and rattle, and seen it work - you're better off being quiet.
-Slow down when walking. Don't start sweating. Avoid walking in other tracks, as it is louder than walking through fresh snow.
-Lastly, setup on sign. Fresh deer sign.

As was mentioned above, split up and hunt your own ways. Being new hunters, be sure of your target, and what's behind it. The guy walking should wear some blaze orange - take it from a guy who's been shot at by poachers.

Did I mention - watch the wind!

[bekks]

I'm in the same boat as the OP. First year hunting semi-seriously; no pre-season scouting; do I walk or sit question.
I've gotten out quite a few Saturdays and have found an area with a lot of traffic. I'm finding around 8 beds a day and lots of tracks, but few animals (finally saw my first buck last weekend that I spooked from his bed, he slowly moved off, but it was through trees and I couldn't get a shot on him, and then he was gone).
My concern was that I've been tracking up the area too much. Do the deer relax after a week of inactivity and am I safe to keep going back to the same place once a week?

[Pasc43]

I think its a combination of both. You are unlikely to sneak up on a WT walking around but a WT is unlikely to walk by you if your sitting in a crappy area. So you must combine the two, walk around until you see good sign or even bump a deer, then you will know where to sit. Good time right now with snow on the ground so even if you have to burn a couple days walking around it will make the sitting and waiting part much more productive.

[euclid]

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. This was far more than I was expecting --- and thanks Wildwoods for validating me!

All of this is great, and I appreciate everyone sharing their approach. So many good suggestions in here..