What are you doing different this year for the deer season?

[Robhuntandfish]

  My plan is to hunt even less.  I am not planning to deer hunt til Oct 25.  Less pressure on the deer and focus on prime time on our property.  I've been hunting the early season less and less but this year really waiting.   Had 25 hunts last year as opposed to 50-60 in past years.   Adapting to the trends of our property where bucks are just not around til closer to the rut then seem to appear and hang there for a month. 

I will keep myself entertained early fall by taking up duck hunting, leaving the boat out for some fall fishing, and some late season trout.  

Also concentrating our food plots in the middle of the property to draw them in.  We had a larger one right on one of the property lines and really prefer having a cushion of land around us.  So increasing the plots right in the middle.  And expanded one that was already there.  

My buddy Corey is gunning for a wall hanger only.  He's always pretty much shot whichever deer walked out.  Last year he passed a couple of small bucks for the first time.  He's going for a $650 buck unless it gets to the end of season and take whatever to fill the freezer then.  

What's everyone else doing differently? 

Edited July 26 by Robhuntandfish

[phade]

No Missouri / Midwest for us this season. First time since 2019. Missouri Gun Opener and NY Gun Opener land on the same day this year and we also added two new properties to hunt here in NY. The overlapping opener dates makes the timing of our trip out there tough. We will head back in 2025.

We are going to use that time to learn the new ground this season for future use. Still have Ohio though. We also had a larger than normal number of good bucks make it through last season. Last time that happened we had a poor next season as we didn’t see nearly any of those bucks. Hoping that isn’t the case again this year. 

[Lawdwaz]

I have no big plans to change anything.  Lol

 Different gun for OD and hopefully using my big boy bow  instead of the chicks bow (52lbs vs 42lbs) I used last year.    😎

My shoulder feels good enough that I’ve been shooting some.

Same hunting area, no changes there   

 

[Robhuntandfish]

23 minutes ago, phade said:

No Missouri / Midwest for us this season. First time since 2019. Missouri Gun Opener and NY Gun Opener land on the same day this year and we also added two new properties to hunt here in NY. The overlapping opener dates makes the timing of our trip out there tough. We will head back in 2025.

We are going to use that time to learn the new ground this season for future use. Still have Ohio though. We also had a larger than normal number of good bucks make it through last season. Last time that happened we had a poor next season as we didn’t see nearly any of those bucks. Hoping that isn’t the case again this year. 

Being everything is closer maybe less travel and more hunting time will pay off.  Good luck on the new properties, always love figuring out new dirt. 

[Robhuntandfish]

22 minutes ago, Lawdwaz said:

I have no big plans to change anything.  Lol

 Different gun for OD and hopefully using my big boy bow  instead of the chicks bow (52lbs vs 42lbs) I used last year.    😎

My shoulder feels good enough that I’ve been shooting some.

Same hunting area, no changes there   

 

Same ol same old for 2 buck Larry.  One dead in bow, one dead in gun.  250+ inches of antler again...how boring. Lol

[Swamp_bucks]

Going back to PA this year.  I didn’t get out much and scout this winter for this coming fall so I’m way behind in scouting. 
 

I have a piece of stateland near me which is the only one I’ve hunted in the area and not killed or seen a buck.  So my goal is to attack that piece and get it completely scouted out by middle of next month to set a game plan. 

[PraiseDiana]

I finally got into reloading to try to work up a .22-250 load so I can use my Dad's old Remington 700 to take a deer this year. The first bullet I tried (Nosler e-tip 55gr) wouldn't stabilize in the 1:14" twist barrel, so I've got another batch to try this weekend with Barnes TTSX 50gr. If I can't get a decent load figured out before the season I'll stick to my trusty Savage 110 .308 with 150gr core-lokts.

Edited July 26 by PraiseDiana

[Lawdwaz]

2 hours ago, Robhuntandfish said:

Same ol same old for 2 buck Larry.  One dead in bow, one dead in gun.  250+ inches of antler again...how boring. Lol

All for the venny.   😂

[sbuff]

Seek and find rather then sit and wait . 

[corydd7]

8 minutes ago, sbuff said:

Seek and find rather then sit and wait . 

I'll second that.

[mowin]

I've got a additional 40 acres to hunt that borders the farm I already hunt.  Probably half of it is wet to swampy. Lot of deer enter the farms field from the bottom corner, so I'm looking forward to getting in there and seeing where they bed, and hopefully find a couple good setups. 

[Ncountry]

We are doing an Indiana trip this year. We will see how that goes.  This will be the 3rd year in a row we have tried a different state. Weve done Pa, and Ohio so far. Indiana this year, Kentucky next.

Also I need to get out more while hunting around home. Just slow down and relax....

[2BuckBizCT]

• CT = I plan to bowhunt the top ridge more than the one below it. In 2022 and most of 2023, I only hunted the lower one. Then I switched it up in late november last year and saw nice bucks and shot a good one. My hang-on is in the shed for off-season but i left the steps in lower spot. Not sure if I'll move them up top, or just keep hunting up top from the ground with the compound bow. I was nestled into a great blowdown perched up about 12-15' above the deer route, where I can lay my bow on a tree next to me. So, if I then go higher into a tree I may be silhouetted.
• NY = I encouraged my Dad to finally hunt a certain spot last year and he shot a nice buck with the xbow. Hoping he does the same again this year since it's not a bad walk in and he had knee replacement surgery this year. I'd love to find a 3S westchester bow spot, but haven't had any luck yet. 3N I have a few spots, and probably go swap out batteries, check pics, etc. for all the cams next week- haven't been there in months and then will stay out till 10/1
• KY = Going on my first non-northeast state hunt since 2014 in late September (3rd week of season). 40th bday present to myself since I couldn't find a WY archery elk hunt I felt fully good about. Won't be any velvet left and a bunch of bucks killed already, but that was the only week I could go. I chose September to extend my bow season since I wanted be in CT/NY for October/November. It is afternoon hunts only over food plots and staging areas for 5 days in a row (plus 2 travel days). It will kill me not to hunt mornings, but looking forward to some new scenery.

It's been a long and fantastic pool/summer season so far. A few more weeks and i'll be ready to turn the page to all-in deer hunting. As always, I saved a bunch of PTO days for hunting (especially in November).

[phade]

42 minutes ago, Ncountry said:

We are doing an Indiana trip this year. We will see how that goes.  This will be the 3rd year in a row we have tried a different state. Weve done Pa, and Ohio so far. Indiana this year, Kentucky next.

Also I need to get out more while hunting around home. Just slow down and relax....

Indiana is a big deer state for sure. It is underrated IMO when you dive into the details. I’ve seen a few slammers from the highways there. We always hit Indiana in the early AM daylight on our drive out west. We go through the “mediocre” part of the state and still see impressive deer.

[NYBowhunter]

Hunt much lesser the early season , still have quite a bit of meat left from the 4 bucks me and my son took. Maybe forgo the entire bow season and just concentrate on gun and late season ML. Try to just take 2 bucks this season, 1 each. Use the early season to enjoy other things with the family, relaxing at camp, riding the dirtbikes, ATV and UTV.  Even though I have been blessed with a bunch of beautiful deer, just don't seem so pressured to get anything.  Seems to just happen if you put in a little bit of work, time and patience.