Are you a why hunter?

[Buckmaster7600]

Are you a deer hunter that puts a lot of thought into the why deer are doing what they’re doing. 
 

A buddy of mine spends more time looking at pressures, forecasts and finding thermal hubs than he does in the woods.
 

I hardly pay attention to the wind direction other than that I just hunt. We’re both pretty successful hunters but we definitely go about it completely different ways. 

[mowin]

I just hunt. Go out check the wind and go where the wind is in my favor.  Don't really put a lot of thought into figuring how, why. 

[grampy]

3 minutes ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

Are you a deer hunter that puts a lot of thought into the why deer are doing what they’re doing. 
 

A buddy of mine spends more time looking at pressures, forecasts and finding thermal hubs than he does in the woods.
 

I hardly pay attention to the wind direction other than that I just hunt. We’re both pretty successful hunters but we definitely go about it completely different ways. 

You and I hunt entirely different. And that's cool! I admire your way.

Being mostly a ground hunter, I do decide where I'm going to set up, based on wind direction. And I try to figure out what the predominant food source the deer are feeding on. To try to hunt between food and bedding.

Other than food and wind direction, I don't really ask "why" too much. 

Unless it's "why" ain't I seeing the buck I know is in here??

[Spysar]

I just hunt when I can hunt. I do put thought into all that stuff, and come up with the best I can do. I don't skip a day cause some app says 15% Poor day, LMAO! 

Deer are individuals and can't be lumped into a whole population. Some deer are always going to do things you can't predict.

[dbHunterNY]

it could be a crap day on that rut/lunar calendar that's out every year, but if i'm out it means i have time. the luxury and nature of tracking means the wind and conditions are what they are as long as it's conducive to finding tracks. i won't not hunt because it's not ideal conditions, but i can't bum rush some spots and expect to kill a deer if something is off like the wind either. might even mean you push the deer to someone else close by. far different than big woods tracking. i'm an engineer so i have a pile of reasons why and why not a specific deer does something. i don't hunt without a plan and expectation to least be on deer unless i'm hunt scouting a new area.

[NYRturkeycall]

The most thought I put into it is looking for travel routes for funnel points. I don't really think of much why but more where will I have more success. I also practice as much scent control as possible That's not borderline insane, like certain toothpaste and mouthwash, no offense if any of you guys use that, but other than that I just hunt

[Splitear]

Most of my success can be contributed to dumb luck, though I spend a lot of time thinking about “why” I’m not seeing deer. Here is some tree stand reasoning that I have considered as an answer to the why:

1: All of the deer have already been killed by other hunters. 

2. The squirrels are running interference and informing the deer of my presence.

3. Something I did in the immediate past has caused the universe to punish me.

4. Probably the most absurd reasoning: There are deer close to me, and they will appear any minute.

 

Edited December 23, 2023 by Splitear

[The Back 40]

I definitely hunt specific locations based on the wind direction but I don't care what direction the wind is coming from. I have heard people say that an east wind, on north wind makes for more deer movement but I don't really pay much attention. I take opening week of regular season off from work every year and I will be out everyday if there isn't a family conflict. After that week I pay way more attention to the weather. I always save a few days of PTO or sick time so I can get out Just before or just after a major storm front. I will watch the barometer for big changes but that almost always coincides with storms. I would have loved to have been out a few days this week, low temps, high BP.

I hunt my own property and I know what's around here so I already know (generally) where they are feeding and bedding.

The "why" question I was asking is "why couldn't we have gotten this weather last week"

[phade]

Every deer is different with a unique disposition. No doubt.

I think there is a why to what a deer does or deer do. They may not be able to rationalize it the way we do, or be consciously aware of it, but the why drives a lot if not all of their behavior in my opinion. Even if it appears random to us. To some degree Mother Nature instills that why, random or not, to ensure species survival. Think of spawning journeys, buck dispersal, etc. 

[Stubborn1vt]

I've become more of a "why" hunter.  I focus on weather patterns, current food sources, time of year etc.  I hunt less days than I used to with greater success.  I do this because I hunt some small private pieces and the less pressure the better.  The two deer I killed this year were on first sits on those properties.  

I would probably hunt very differently if I were hunting public land or multiple states.  For now I'm just trying to put myself in a high percentage situation on the days I hunt.  Back in the day I would bow hunt on our farm every single afternoon with very little success and that was when there were way more deer.  I kind of miss those days, but I was doing more harm then good by over hunting my spots.

[yfki1983]

I wish I could be a why hunter. I live a couple of hours from where I hunt so if I have days off that I can hunt, I am in the woods regardless of conditions. 

[Swamp_bucks]

 I focus on the sign they leave more than the pressure, moon, thermal hubs, etc.  

most I do is ok scrapes is in spot a bedding spot b what’s the best wind I should hunt that works for the deer to be in that bedding area.  Most of my scouting is done by April 1, I’ll adjust as needed in season.  
 

I do try and remember ok I saw a buck here on a west wind prior to a snowstorm good chance he makes it or another system comes through within a week he will do the same.   This year in my gun spot where I’ve had a bunch of success but I finally put it together that it hunts better with a south wind of some sorts. 

[crappyice]

2 hours ago, yfki1983 said:

I wish I could be a why hunter. I live a couple of hours from where I hunt so if I have days off that I can hunt, I am in the woods regardless of conditions. 

While I mostly hunt 3S with  the bow which is my "backyard" I have a tight schedule and hunt when the schedule allows. That being said, I spend a lot of time trying to think about food(theirs, not mine!), bedding, travel patterns, hikers in the park. No  trail cams allowed and must hunt from a climber. A lot of scouting and adjusting to "live scouts"

[GreeneHunter]

I sit in the same Ladder Stand attached to the same Tree for the past 15 or so years , If I see something I kill it (hopefully) and that's the kind of Hunter I am !

[DoubleDose]

3 hours ago, Splitear said:

Most of my success can be contributed to dumb luck, though I spend a lot of time thinking about “why” I’m not seeing deer. Here is some tree stand reasoning that has I have considered as an answer to the why:

1: All of the deer have already been killed by other hunters. 

2. The squirrels are running interference and informing the deer of my presence.

3. Something I did in the immediate past has caused the universe to punish me.

4. Probably the most absurd reasoning: There are deer close to me, and they will appear any minute.

 

5. The weather is too nice, so the deer are bedded. 

6. The weather is too bad, so the deer are bedded. 

7. There is too much wind, so the deer are bedded. 

8. There is no wind, so the deer are bedded. 

9. It's too sunny, so the deer are bedded.

10. It's too cloudy, so the deer are bedded.

11. It's raining, so the deer are bedded.

12. It's snowing, so the deer are bedded.

13. The moon is [insert phase], so the deer are bedded.

14. The barometer is [insert rising or falling], so the deer are bedded.