How to hunt Weyco land: archery

[grundy53]

I've been hunting for 25 years, fairly successfully. There are still a lot of times every year that I question if I'm doing the right things. Or if I even know what the right things are 🤣😆

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[BULLBLASTER]

Lj do you have a trail camera?

[ljsommer]

I've been hunting for 25 years, fairly successfully. There are still a lot of times every year that I question if I'm doing the right things. Or if I even know what the right things are 🤣😆

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Hah! See that's the kind of post that makes me feel better. Thanks!

[ljsommer]

Lj do you have a trail camera?

Yup! I've got a handful. They're a lot of fun. Not sure how to best utlize them on weyco land though.

Also I want to clarify: this was never supposed to be a woe is me post. I feel fine about this taking years. I just want to double check my strategy to make sure I'm doing the right stuff.

[BULLBLASTER]

Take one of the cams and a couple buckets of apples and put it in a thick spot near where you saw that doe on the opener. Let it soak a week and go check it. Also choose an area with deer sign recently and spend lots of time there (it doesn’t have to be a big area) but spend time there sneaking around and sitting and watching and listening. Watch tracks and poop and other sign day to day, see how they are using the area.

[Rainier10]

So then yes, you are doing it correct.  I assure you it will come together.  Keep at it and I am sure in the late season driving the roads you will really start to see does in the cuts and have opportunities there.

Practice, practice, practice.  You want to have good muscle memory so when that opportunity comes up it is almost automatic to draw and shoot.  In the heat of the moment is not when you want to be mentally walking through draw, anchor, site picture, level bubble, easy squeeze.  That stuff has to just be automatic by the time you get an opportunity.

That bucket of apples and cam are a great idea.  Blacktails live and die within a 1 square mile area generally.  640 acres that is not much real estate.  Of course it so thick they can be 30 yards away and you would never see them.

[kentrek]

Trail cameras are great confidence boosters..

Never give up, embrace the struggle...you shouldnt have to hunt years to shoot a doe...its not rocket science...stay confident & positive...try an enjoy every moment..dont get desperate

[ljsommer]

Thanks for the great feedback, all! I find that the time I enjoy hunting the most is when I am in really cool territory. I bought the weyco pass hoping for larger numbers of deer and fewer numbers of hunters. We'll see how it works out!
If nothing else, this kind of hunting (driving roads) gives my disabled mom a chance to join me on a hunt, something she's wanted to do ever since I got into it, since she went with my grandpa many years when she was younger and she's eager to see this tradition rekindled in our family.

Mom in the passenger seat with her favorite Starbucks order (I know, I know) and tunes on the radio - if nothing else it'll be great family time!

[Rainier10]

Oh my goodness you are definitely doing it right having your mom along. Road hunting is great for visiting also.

[OutHouse]

So then yes, you are doing it correct.  I assure you it will come together.  Keep at it and I am sure in the late season driving the roads you will really start to see does in the cuts and have opportunities there.

Practice, practice, practice.  You want to have good muscle memory so when that opportunity comes up it is almost automatic to draw and shoot.  In the heat of the moment is not when you want to be mentally walking through draw, anchor, site picture, level bubble, easy squeeze.  That stuff has to just be automatic by the time you get an opportunity.

I second the practice and muscle memory aspect of archery. Another thing is to get used to shooting as you would appear during the season i.e. if you are wearing a pack with binoculars on you chest, wear them when you practice. How the weight of your gear and equipment affects balance might matter when you draw down on a deer. When I blind hunt I practice exclusively from a sitting position or on my knees. And get a routine for your shot that becomes automatic. For whatever reason, when I shoot from a standing position my feet come very close together. I just have better balance that way for some reason. For me its feet come together, draw, settle on target, exhale gently and shoot. For me, if I have to aim for too long its a likely miss or bad shot.

[Lumpy Taters]

Hunting in general is all about trial and error.  I have been learning for 40 years and I still struggle to get black tails.  They are an elusive breed.  Just get out there and try.  I would rather walk all day in the woods then spend one hour at my desk at work. Read, listen and watch what others do and give it a try and find out what works for you.  Mornings are for watching, mid day is for napping and afternoon is for walking.  I try to stay off the main roads on weyco land and avoid the road hunters.  I have found the most success walking the old skidder roads and cat trails. 

[ljsommer]

Hunting in general is all about trial and error.  I have been learning for 40 years and I still struggle to get black tails.  They are an elusive breed.  Just get out there and try.  I would rather walk all day in the woods then spend one hour at my desk at work. Read, listen and watch what others do and give it a try and find out what works for you.  Mornings are for watching, mid day is for napping and afternoon is for walking.  I try to stay off the main roads on weyco land and avoid the road hunters.  I have found the most success walking the old skidder roads and cat trails.

Cool thank you!

[Tinmaniac]

You may want to check the rules on who you can bring with you in a permit area.The way I read Weycos rules is your spouse or related children under the age of 18.Would be a shame to have your permit revoked.

[ljsommer]

You may want to check the rules on who you can bring with you in a permit area.The way I read Weycos rules is your spouse or related children under the age of 18.Would be a shame to have your permit revoked.

I am familiar with the rules, but frankly if they want to revoke my pass because my disabled mom who can't lift her arms past her waist is in the passenger seat, then well, I suppose that's their right to do. I just know I won't be giving them my money in the future.

It'd take a pretty heartless dude to stuff down his own logic and reason to revoke a pass in that scenario but I am 100% happy to swallow that pill if someone wants to be Mr. Authority.

[ctwiggs1]

Logging land on the wet side is irritating as hell.  You'll see beautiful animals until either the native season starts or Sept 1st, whichever happens first.  From that point on, there are so many trucks driving the over-roaded (new word, it'll be in the Oxford when I release it) areas that all the free-spirited hippy animals turn into anti-human non-socializing not-getting-out-of-bed-today Richard-heads.

If this is your first year and it's any deer... Dude, shoot the doe.  Get some meat.  Learn to break it down yourself.  Be proud of it - you did it on your own and you put meat in the freezer.  Oh and if you think you're heavily invested, wait until you start processing your own meat! 

The only thing that'll really help you is time and commitment.  Time time time.  Just keep doing it.  Sometimes people get lucky and sometimes you just have to work your butt off.  Two years ago I took my brother deer hunting for the first time in 10 years and he nailed a buck 10 minutes into a 4 day hunt.  Absolute BS luck!  I didn't kill an animal until the weekend AFTER that hunt and I do this all year long!   

Either way, don't give up.  Keep updating this thread.  Keep telling us about the failures (we all have them!).  And then bring pack some sweet pics of a dead deer and the freezer you just filled when you make it happen.

Good luck!

edit:  Just so we're on the same page -- I question my capabilities as a hunter every single hunt.  "Man that was stupid", or "Why the heck did I just do that???"  And I put a minimum of a deer a year in the freezer.  Trust me, it never stops!