I have an interesting scenario. There is a woods I hunt that is FLOODED with human traffic. It is peppered with trespassers and also with people allowed to be in there. Well, I scouted it today for the first time since early September. The last two years there have been some crazy rubs that were chest level. Well, against the odds I killed a 138" 9pt that netted 128" last year. I only hunted it once although I had scouted it some. I really thought I had taken the buck that had been making the rubs. Well, that buck is on my wall and thee are similar rubs in there again? Hmmm. . .
This year is no different than any other year. I scouted it today on the quad and found someone has a climber on a tree in front of one of my stands on a field edge. Another guy put up a buddy stand with an umbrella over it. Trail camera pictures tell me this occurred two days ago. Lovely right? Coincidentely, the same guy was trying to get me to give him permission over the summer to some of the places I hunt. So what does he do? He gets permission on a property and proceeds to hang a stand on the neighboring property. Dumbass doesn't even know he is off the property or he knows and doesn't care. Pisses me off. So he and his 8yr old son, and 5 other people now have permission to hunt a 10acre chunk of woods which has NO good access without busting the does out of their bedding areas. Top it off even more with the fact I run into another neighbor in there riding her horse today. Did I mention the neighbor kids like to sneak in there to their makeshift teepee and smoke pot and play paintball?
Now, in my logical mind I should just write it off for the year and hunt two other properties I have. Afterall, I don't have any trail cam pics of big bucks, just some nice rubs. In fact the trail camera doesn't even show much doe activity going on. 300pics since early September when I hung it in a high travel route. In my competitive mind though, there is something in me that wants to go in there and tag another slammer! Maybe I am just a glutton?
Here is the plan. I think I am going to slide into the opposite end of the woods. This woods is bigger than 10acres, but the seven people have permission on the west end which is only about 10ac. My thoughts are to hang a stand on the east end of the property which is conveniently located by the corn and make it happen! I can slide out onto the NE end of this woods with any southern wind and hunt it hard. I have another spot on the SE corner of the woods I can hunt on an N wind. I found nice travel routes like cow paths on the east end of the woods. I also know of several runways the bucks have used as rublines through this woods in the past. My thoughts are to catch the bucks skirting these guys or catch them heading back to bed from the corn.
Thoughts? Am I just being foolish? Wasting my time? Or is it just my competitive nature that is getting the best of me wanting to out hunt these fools?
Here is my other option: My foreman has been striking out finding properties to hunt. I am thinking I can get him permission, set him up on the deer and I would be just as happy to see him execute my plan as if I were to execute my plan myself.
This year is no different than any other year. I scouted it today on the quad and found someone has a climber on a tree in front of one of my stands on a field edge. Another guy put up a buddy stand with an umbrella over it. Trail camera pictures tell me this occurred two days ago. Lovely right? Coincidentely, the same guy was trying to get me to give him permission over the summer to some of the places I hunt. So what does he do? He gets permission on a property and proceeds to hang a stand on the neighboring property. Dumbass doesn't even know he is off the property or he knows and doesn't care. Pisses me off. So he and his 8yr old son, and 5 other people now have permission to hunt a 10acre chunk of woods which has NO good access without busting the does out of their bedding areas. Top it off even more with the fact I run into another neighbor in there riding her horse today. Did I mention the neighbor kids like to sneak in there to their makeshift teepee and smoke pot and play paintball?
Now, in my logical mind I should just write it off for the year and hunt two other properties I have. Afterall, I don't have any trail cam pics of big bucks, just some nice rubs. In fact the trail camera doesn't even show much doe activity going on. 300pics since early September when I hung it in a high travel route. In my competitive mind though, there is something in me that wants to go in there and tag another slammer! Maybe I am just a glutton?
Here is the plan. I think I am going to slide into the opposite end of the woods. This woods is bigger than 10acres, but the seven people have permission on the west end which is only about 10ac. My thoughts are to hang a stand on the east end of the property which is conveniently located by the corn and make it happen! I can slide out onto the NE end of this woods with any southern wind and hunt it hard. I have another spot on the SE corner of the woods I can hunt on an N wind. I found nice travel routes like cow paths on the east end of the woods. I also know of several runways the bucks have used as rublines through this woods in the past. My thoughts are to catch the bucks skirting these guys or catch them heading back to bed from the corn.
Thoughts? Am I just being foolish? Wasting my time? Or is it just my competitive nature that is getting the best of me wanting to out hunt these fools?
Here is my other option: My foreman has been striking out finding properties to hunt. I am thinking I can get him permission, set him up on the deer and I would be just as happy to see him execute my plan as if I were to execute my plan myself.
