So much of becoming a better hunter comes with actual in the field experience. Tips and tricks from other hunters can help a lot, but it's no substitute for actual time in the hills.
Here's some of my suggestions that I think can be helpful;
1- Be where you need to be before daylight. Don't be late! Bucks, especially older bucks, feel very vulnerable during daylight hours and will head for cover as soon as it gets light. If you're hunting a particular canyon, be to your spotting location before daylight. Take advantage of every prime time minute available.
2- Invest all the possible time into the hunt that you can. Don't use excuses to go home early or hunt only 3 or 4 days when you really can find a way to hunt 6 or 7.
3- Remain mentally strong. Don't let the presence of other hunters bring you down. Don't let weather scare you off. Don't let the wife guilt you into coming home early. There are always a million excuses to give up. You've got to resist them and keep after it hard.
4- Pay attention to some of the smaller things such as deer beds, trails, rubs, tracks at water, etc. Those are the things that will be most helpful when you're hiking around during the middle of the day when most deer are bedded. If an area holds deer, you'll find beds, trails, tracks and droppings.
5- Use your optics and look everywhere. I remember a scouting trip I did with a friend. I spotted a group of bucks (12 of them) standing on an open face, in the sun even, about 500 yards from where we had camped. My buddy was down in the area near camp supposedly spotting. I could see that even the bucks could see him, as they kept looking down there. I figured he saw them. Later in the morning when I met up with my buddy, I asked him if he got a good look at the 30-inch wide 185+ buck on the open face above camp with the other 11 bucks. He said he never even looked at the hillside. He was only 500 yards from 12 bucks, but never glassed the hillside. You've got to look for deer to find them! Over time and with experience, you'll get much better at knowing where to glass to maximize your effectiveness.
I could probably go on and on for hours, but those are a few tips that might be of help. The best way to get better is with lots and lots of time doing it.
Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com
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