How to hunt Weyco land: archery

[ljsommer]

I bought a weyco pass for Aberdeen this year and was very hopeful. Early scouting confirmed some hopes: that habitat is fantastic.

Opening weekend I glassed for 3 hours before and up to sunset: nothing.
Next morning I took a new tactic (one that had been recommended to me by multiple forums members) and drove the roads. I started at 6:30am and drive until 2:30pm. I saw one doe.

I feel like I don't know what I am doing. I must be doing something wrong. Also is it just me or is everyone just pulling does out of weyco land? what's the deal with that?

Is it dumb to be trying to hunt this place archery? is it the wrong time of year? I have no idea how to go about this. If any veteran members have the aberdeen permit, I'll pack meat if you'll take me along and teach me.

[ljsommer]

Oh also I seemed to be the only person trying for sunset deer, why is that? There were TONS of trucks all day and night hunting grouse, but all the deer pressure seemed to be morning only.

[luckyman]

Archery Blacktail takes some patience.I look for fresh sign and keep hitting those spots.I hunt early morning and late evening. I mostly wait till the rain come to hunt all day.
 If I see 5 does its a good day.
 

[Jonathan_S]

For expectation management purposes, I'd say you had a decent day. You saw deer while hunting blacktail in warm weather.

[ljsommer]

Ok so that was another question I had: if your time was limited (as most of ours is), would you wait until later in the season?

If it helps give some context, I also have the multi-season deer. So in terms of money, I am really heavily invested this year and I really want to make something happen. It'll be my first, if I do.

[fishnfur]

The first few days of the season could be a wonderful time to archery hunt BTs.  You might catch a buck still in velvet which presumably would still be relatively relaxed and diurnal vs. almost completely nocturnal once the velvet is gone.  You must get away from major roads and any hunting pressure though.  With the woods being pretty dry, it is still a pretty tough hunt this time of year. 

In my mind, Weyco land and clearcuts in general are for rifle and muzzleloaders unless you can find that trail that the deer use to access and leave the cut/reprod to feed.  In the heat, I suspect most bucks stay bedded all day, with only a moment or two of standing/peeing/quick bite of food breaking up the entire day.  The odds of finding deer moving at midday seem low.   I believe RadSav has recommended working the upper timbered edges of cuts/reprod or the two timbered sides of the cut - typically somewhere around 25 yards into the timber, working slowly into the wind and looking for bedded bucks.  It ain't easy, but it is always fun.

If you have a multiseason pass in hand and are limited on available time in the woods, waiting for the cool wet weather and the onset of the rut closing in might be a better use of your limited time.

[Martinhunter]

Ok so that was another question I had: if your time was limited (as most of ours is), would you wait until later in the season?

If it helps give some context, I also have the multi-season deer. So in terms of money, I am really heavily invested this year and I really want to make something happen. It'll be my first, if I do.

If you have the MS permit and your limited on time to be in the woods, I'd definitely use the time you have available for the last 5 days in October and the 4 day late buck season. It's 100 times better in my opinion. I was out on Saturday the 31st in that same general area and I saw one deer all day as well. I think their just going thru that transition period of summer to fall mode and only moving at night. The 1 deer I did see was at 8:00am and she was already bedded.

[chad24n]

Ok so that was another question I had: if your time was limited (as most of ours is), would you wait until later in the season?

If it helps give some context, I also have the multi-season deer. So in terms of money, I am really heavily invested this year and I really want to make something happen. It'll be my first, if I do.

If you have the MS permit and your limited on time to be in the woods, I'd definitely use the time you have available for the last 5 days in October and the 4 day late buck season. It's 100 times better in my opinion. I was out on Saturday the 31st in that same general area and I saw one deer all day as well. I think their just going thru that transition period of summer to fall mode and only moving at night. The 1 deer I did see was at 8:00am and she was already bedded.

  Last week of October, maybe first week of November if you are after a buck. They start covering considerably more ground checking on does in prep for the rut.

[ljsommer]

I am trying for my first deer so I'll take a doe (and be grateful for it). Archery is any deer, modern is any buck.

Any blacktail is a trophy blacktail to me, just trying to break the ice.

[cb1989]

I am trying for my first deer so I'll take a doe (and be grateful for it). Archery is any deer, modern is any buck.

Any blacktail is a trophy blacktail to me, just trying to break the ice.

Hey man, i lurk mostly but see you post quite a bit about asking what you're doing wrong, or why aren't you seeing/killing deer. I dont know your background, but I'm 30, and have been hunting deer for 17 seasons in different parts of the country. I'm self taught, nobody in my family hunted big game at all until I decided to start. I couldn't even begin to explain all of the things I've learned in 17 years, but there are years I still don't get a deer. So, to be a couple years in yourself and not killing deer - it's not because you're doing anything wrong - I'd say there's really nothing you could do that's "wrong" at this point besides not spending as much time as possible in the woods. All of the mistakes, all of the not seeing deer, its all a learning experience. Nothing anybody on here says is going to be near as valuable as the lessons you learn yourself.

I don't mean this in a bad way, though it may come across that way. If you need instant gratification, hunting is not for you. Lot of new guys these days want all this instant info because we live in an age where we think everything needs to happen right now. It may feel good in the moment to get your hand held, or go out with someone experienced and have them guide you into success, but long term that stuff is hollow, and means nothing. The only advice you should need has already been given on here, pick a spot that doesn't see too much pressure, that's close to home so you can hunt it a lot, get good with your weapon - like really good (that's probably #1), and just grind. Eventually you will get an opportunity. Youll either screw it up or youll cash in. Then youll do it again, and then again. Or maybe youll decide it's not for you, maybe you wont like the cold/wet/loneliness/expense/whatever. Which is fine too. Hunting is cool right now, but those fronting the movement have other motivations when they say everyone should do it. Because that's just not true. 

[kentrek]

If your after any deer then driving the roads really isnt the worst thing out there...but you need a driver and you need to be able to jump out and let the driver keep on driving away..

I feel it's been kinda slow so far this season for what ever reason so dont get too down on your self...

[fishnfur]

   I poked about a bit last weekend in an area with a lot of deer and saw no action just after first light. I decided to wait awhile before I go out for a first hunt.   No worries, once the heat lets up a bit, say a few weeks or so, the does and small bucks will be more visible in the early morning and around 11:00 - 12:00 AM period. 

If I was targeting a doe, I'd find some huntable land closer in to neighborhoods and civilization.  The deer populations are often very robust close to towns due to the lower populations of predators and all the crunchy people living close by that no longer hunt.  Good place to find relaxed deer that will just watch you as take a shot at them. 

[ljsommer]

I like to hope that my hunting progression will be something like working towards a doctorate in school: I don't mind if it takes many many years, as long as I feel like I am doing the right things to get where I am going. The biggest struggle is knowing what the right things are.
Being in the woods a lot is better than *not* being in the woods a lot, but sitting in woods that have no deer won't do you a lick of good.

You have to do the right things at the right time in the right place, and you have to do it over and over until you succeed. I just worry that I am not doing the right things.

[Rainier10]

Six years I bow hunted before I ever filled a tag.  Six years and I worked my butt off hunting early and late season.

I am just not sure this hunting thing is for you man.  You are going to have to have a bunch more patience if it is going to work for you.  It is not as simple as do A,B,C and boom Deer down.  Sometimes it happens opening day of year one and sometimes it happens on the last day of the late season of year six.

cb1989 really said a bunch of good stuff too.

I have hunted for over 20 years now.  I have a ton of private land that I own, I have feeders on it, water sources, cover and tons of deer and elk most of the year.  My kid didn't see a shooter buck on opening weekend.  There is no reason to think she wouldn't get one on opening day other than it is hunting, you don't always get one or even see one.

You should take some time and really think about if this is for you.  Like cb said, it might not be and that is okay.

Good luck, man.

[ljsommer]

Six years I bow hunted before I ever filled a tag.  Six years and I worked my butt off hunting early and late season.

I am just not sure this hunting thing is for you man.  You are going to have to have a bunch more patience if it is going to work for you.  It is not as simple as do A,B,C and boom Deer down.  Sometimes it happens opening day of year one and sometimes it happens on the last day of the late season of year six.

cb1989 really said a bunch of good stuff too.

I have hunted for over 20 years now.  I have a ton of private land that I own, I have feeders on it, water sources, cover and tons of deer and elk most of the year.  My kid didn't see a shooter buck on opening weekend.  There is no reason to think she wouldn't get one on opening day other than it is hunting, you don't always get one or even see one.

You should take some time and really think about if this is for you.  Like cb said, it might not be and that is okay.

Good luck, man.

I specifically called out a doctorate because those take, what, 8 years? If I work hard at this for 8 years multi-species and multi-season (I have multi-season deer this year) and don't get a deer, then yes. I'll quit. I've got a few years to go before it gets to that point.