Aggressive Mobility
As I settled into one of my favorite stands to hunt during the rut, I couldn't help but be extremely optimistic about the day ahead. This location was a great spot to intercept deer as they made their way back from the picked cornfields a couple hundred yards away, and bucks frequently cruised through here going to and from bedding areas. Shortly after daylight, a doe with a fawn, along with a 1year buck, came by just as expected. As they passed by and continued into the hardwoods I was intently watching their back trail hoping for a mature buck to be following along.
Suddenly I heard a bunch of racket coming from the timber a hundred yards to my north. A doe being chased by a couple young bucks and one huge shooter were running around throughout the timber and made their way back into a thick bedding area. A minute later another nice buck followed their same path and I knew it was time to make a move.
Within 2 minutes I was packed up and had my Lone Wolf on my back ready to move into the timber where there was an obvious hot doe along with a couple great bucks to pursue. The area I wanted to relocate to was five or six hundred yards back into the timber along some trails that connected two different bedding areas inside the large oak flat. I was extremely confident that if I sat out the morning in this spot I would certainly fill my tag.
After getting resettled into the new location, it wasn't 10 minutes until I had a 100" eight point make his way past me going into the bedding area where the hot doe was located. Shortly thereafter, the same buck back trailed past me going to the area he just came from. Over the next 2 hours I saw six different bucks within 60 yards of my location going to and from the bedding areas in the timber. I knew it was just a matter of time.
Just when it seemed like things were slowing down, a couple a minutes before noon I caught a glimpse of movement coming towards me from the thicket. Nose to the ground and on a fast pace, a beautiful buck was 10 yards from me within what felt like seconds. A bleat from my mouth to get him to stop was all it took to finish off a great day during the November rut.
The ability to be mobile along with knowing when it's time to get aggressive can pay big rewards. At times, such as the presence of a hot doe nearby, can be a great time to get aggressive. Why sit in an area when you just watched all the action occur on the other side of the property? During the rut there is nothing to lose and a lot to gain. The deer are so worked up over breeding that if in fact you bump a deer or two when you are relocating it is usually not a big deal.
I use a Lone Wolf Assault tree stand and climbing sticks which allows me to be extremely mobile. The stand and sticks together don't weigh more than 14 pounds and with a little practice you can get to a new spot and be set up within 10 minutes. The quietness of the Lone Wolf gear is extremely important too. You can take down the stand and sticks and literally not make a sound. It also helps to have your gear very organized inside a pack and in your jacket. You don't want to waste time fumbling around trying to find a pull up rope or anything else for that matter.
One more important factor is to always be smart and think things through before you make a move. Taking into consideration where you need to go, what the wind is doing and how close you think you should get to the activity should be well thought out. Get a quick game plan together before you tear down your current set up because you want to spend as little time as possible on the ground.
Knowing your property and how the deer utilize it is very important to be successful. During preseason scouting, take note of spots that might be worth setting up on when it is time to get aggressive. If you are hunting new ground, carry an aerial photo with you to help you make your next move.
Every bow hunter should have a light weight compact portable tree stand in their hunting arsenal. Practice using your equipment in the off season until you are comfortable setting it up and taking it down quietly and quickly. Get yourself an easy to use safety harness
Suddenly I heard a bunch of racket coming from the timber a hundred yards to my north. A doe being chased by a couple young bucks and one huge shooter were running around throughout the timber and made their way back into a thick bedding area. A minute later another nice buck followed their same path and I knew it was time to make a move.
Within 2 minutes I was packed up and had my Lone Wolf on my back ready to move into the timber where there was an obvious hot doe along with a couple great bucks to pursue. The area I wanted to relocate to was five or six hundred yards back into the timber along some trails that connected two different bedding areas inside the large oak flat. I was extremely confident that if I sat out the morning in this spot I would certainly fill my tag.
After getting resettled into the new location, it wasn't 10 minutes until I had a 100" eight point make his way past me going into the bedding area where the hot doe was located. Shortly thereafter, the same buck back trailed past me going to the area he just came from. Over the next 2 hours I saw six different bucks within 60 yards of my location going to and from the bedding areas in the timber. I knew it was just a matter of time.
Just when it seemed like things were slowing down, a couple a minutes before noon I caught a glimpse of movement coming towards me from the thicket. Nose to the ground and on a fast pace, a beautiful buck was 10 yards from me within what felt like seconds. A bleat from my mouth to get him to stop was all it took to finish off a great day during the November rut.
The ability to be mobile along with knowing when it's time to get aggressive can pay big rewards. At times, such as the presence of a hot doe nearby, can be a great time to get aggressive. Why sit in an area when you just watched all the action occur on the other side of the property? During the rut there is nothing to lose and a lot to gain. The deer are so worked up over breeding that if in fact you bump a deer or two when you are relocating it is usually not a big deal.
I use a Lone Wolf Assault tree stand and climbing sticks which allows me to be extremely mobile. The stand and sticks together don't weigh more than 14 pounds and with a little practice you can get to a new spot and be set up within 10 minutes. The quietness of the Lone Wolf gear is extremely important too. You can take down the stand and sticks and literally not make a sound. It also helps to have your gear very organized inside a pack and in your jacket. You don't want to waste time fumbling around trying to find a pull up rope or anything else for that matter.
One more important factor is to always be smart and think things through before you make a move. Taking into consideration where you need to go, what the wind is doing and how close you think you should get to the activity should be well thought out. Get a quick game plan together before you tear down your current set up because you want to spend as little time as possible on the ground.
Knowing your property and how the deer utilize it is very important to be successful. During preseason scouting, take note of spots that might be worth setting up on when it is time to get aggressive. If you are hunting new ground, carry an aerial photo with you to help you make your next move.
Every bow hunter should have a light weight compact portable tree stand in their hunting arsenal. Practice using your equipment in the off season until you are comfortable setting it up and taking it down quietly and quickly. Get yourself an easy to use safety harness
