@@NeffTattoodeer can SEE your camera, they avoid it and only show up when it’s dark, they’re too stupid to know what it is, but it isn’t natural to them
@@NeffTattoohow do you feel like there unfair i use them and not once has a camera ever got me a deer all the camera does is show me what deer i have on the property and let me know if predators are getting to thick in the area a camera has never helped anyone get a deer it’s luck and being in the stand
Me too! I’ve had an awful season in terms of harvest. Haven’t taken one yet, but I’ve seen two and shot at one, and this is my first year using crossbow.
I stopped using cameras back in 2020 during Covid. I scouted the woods and read the sign. I had the best season ever and the most fun ever. I encourage everyone to give up the cameras and keep the woods sacred.
I use cameras just for the fun, in fact I have 3 that never leave the area…I squirrel hunt and find my locations for years now..killed more bucks hunting places I never would have hunted because camera didn’t get a pic of them when they walked just far enough away from getting a pic..I hunt on sign and food in the mountains cause deer just wonder and don’t do patterns like the farm country..I have pics of bucks on cam once a week here and days later on the opposite mountain.I figure the circle I call it they run and pick a bench or trail I think they travel to complete the route..never lets me down and got the racks and 5 top 20 state records in my state in 10 years alone that I have scored for the heck of it while getting mounted..
Amen! The best parts of hunting are the connection with nature, our forefathers, the escape from everyday life, and the mysterious element of the unknown bucks that lurk in the woods! Learning to let go and just enjoy the journey is truly the best thing. We love to honor our family heritage and tradition by hunting the old school way. Good luck to everyone out there watching this and reading this comment! Go have fun and enjoy the opportunities that present themselves.
Great video. I really enjoyed it. I hunt the way my Grandpa taught me with the same tradition for my entire life. No cameras, no feeding, no scent killing stuff. When hunting becomes a job the fun is taken out of it. Thank you for the great content.
I use a game camera because I like knowing what’s out there because it’s cool to watch the deer go about their lives for an entire year before I actually get a chance to get one. I understand what you’re saying though about all the extra stuff making it like a job, but I just enjoy watching them all the time. I get excited every time I get a notification from my camera.
One thing you're overlooking is that there were way fewer guys in the woods back then, and way more habitat. My local area has been reduced by half due to development
This was my first season hunting no cameras, no crazy tik tok recommendations, ignored all the crazy topics on wind moon what ever. i only did two things watch the does near water and go sit 2 nights a week and Saturday mornings and I'm now tagged out until January very blesses and I'm having a great time
That's the exact reason i still hunt/ track.... Don't own a signal cam. And live for the public land shuffle.... Thanks for talking the truth brother, some "Deer hunters" are still alive and well here in Michigan.
This video is what I have been needing to hear. I have been overthinking hunting too much. I asked myself this exact question this week. I believe next season I am pulling all cameras and just Hunt.
Love it, that's all I do. No cameras, find trails. Just spend time in woods, go hike. Learn land nav, with compass and pace count, use a gps as a back up
It’s overwhelming, all this new tech and studies about deer patterns, vision, wind scent, camo, thermals, rut, moon, temp … i just decided to go in the woods and enjoy the opportunity, and allow myself to make mistakes and learn from them.
@RockyTopSplash speak for yourself! Some of us don't eat meat from a store!...alot of folks still only eat what they harvest...I guess your not a farmer either so you probably have no clue how to grow a tomato own your own!
@DirtNapFairy listen!...no fat dude is going to tell me what my mind set is..this pot belly brush poper couldn't make it to my stand with out having a hart attack..that poison he eats from Hardys shows!
Bow hunted all october and saw nada. First week of November it was like a lightswitch came on. But the 15 or so hunts i didnt see anything made that first couple days of good hunting even better
I learn my deer woods during Spring Gobbler. Late morning 1030 walking logging roads and creek bottoms. The sign and tracks are there. Also late season Flintlock after Christmas here in Pennsylvania tells the story. Nothing beats boots on the ground.
yeah man, 100%. I decided to not run any cameras this year for this reason. I found myself last season not going out because the wind predictions were iffy etc. It really does take a lot of the excitement out of it. My best hunting memories were just going out and having something show up. I've had a a lot of house problems come up this season but really looking forward to hunting late season bow in michigan
I’m 68, I walk slow, I have heart issues so I don’t go very far, very fast… but I’m able to walk um up. I hunt public land almost exclusively. I think I see them 1st or sooner, and I don’t make a lot of noise. Last year I went back to a long bow. I guess they don’t see me as much of a threat, until…
I always get crap, because I hunt simple the way my grandfather taught me growing up. I always have a wonderful time, and when Hod wills it I have a successful hunt. I always get meat in the freezer, and most of all it makes me appreciate the time I had with my family on the farm. I like the mystery of what is going to come my way.
As one of those old grandpas, actually a great grandpa, I can tell you we actually "hunted". Growing up on a poor, country dirt farm surrounded by many acres of woods, both our and several neighbors, we grew up hunting and fishing for food. While most of our early years of hunting was small game with only rare game management areas having deer, we honed our skills in finding game, tracking and learning how to be extra patient and quiet in our movements. Once deer became more widespread, it was a rather easy transition in locating and hunting deer. Squirrel hunting while sitting and stalking would place us on a lot of deer signs and numerous sightings of deer that informed us of were they were for the new bow seasons and then the gun seasons. Similar sightings would occur during swamp land duck hunting, as we would often see really nice bucks from our blinds and boats or while exploring new spots searching for ducks. That led to some really big buck kills that most people would never see due to the deep areas they lived in.
Grandpap grabbed a bunch of buddies, lined up along a patch of brush or woods, threw some 00 Buck in the 12 gauge and they pushed that patch. As soon they jumped a buck they unloaded.
Wow, who doesn't Hunt like this??? Almost 30 yrs of deer hunting and I still just love watching the deer. Deer season is the time to get in the woods and relax. Take a good book , a good lunch some coffee and relax. That's how it's always been.... 🤷
I am a trophy hunter until first light... I have harvested deer and elk 99% the first day & within 90 minutes of loading my rifle. I have taught my children how to hunt & why the animals do what they do. Im sure it helps my kids that i am a retired professional trapper, when i watch & listen to them , they were paying attention to details of what they had heard..
I'm a late beginner and also like to help friends who are new to hunting. Very fortunate to have an amazing group of friends hunt every year in a remote area of a very beautiful northern state forest. A couple of years ago it was a friend's first time hunting, ever. He didn't even have camo, wore a skiing suit to stay warm. Borrowed a friend's rifle. Shot a buck on his very first day, just sitting on a hill in the woods. He seems to get a deer at every hunt, gets ducks every time we go for waterfowl. I've only ever harvested one deer, back at home, even though I've been going a few years. But every time I'm in the woods, especially in a real forest, it's fun, no matter the outcome. I drive almost a thousand miles one way for that, and pay almost two hundred bucks in nonresident tags for the experience. Oh, and we tend to all bring back meat because we share everything. I can't help being a gear geek, it's just in my nature, however mostly in guns. I definitely always tend towards low-tech in almost everything else, especially the process itself. I'll look at a map at home, just to figure out the spots I want to try, but in the woods I want to look around, smell the air, listen to the sounds and absorb it all. Slow down. Get away from gadgetry. Being freshly outfitted from a sportsman warehouse makes you look conspicuous. An old man in worn clothes with his dad's Marlin 336, such as I met in those northern woods - you can't buy that setup, nor would you want to. You have to live it. Maybe I will some day.
That I know of my Dad didn't really worry about wind direction. I have no clue how many quality bucks he killed in our area of north Mississippi from 125" to around 180"
This is the first year I really hunted. I made a racket getting into the woods setting up a stand I hadn't used before. Forgot my release and had to go back to the truck and climb back in. No more than 5 min later I had a big 6 and a doe walk by. The only thing I look for is acorns, water, and some tracks 🤷 figure if there's food, water, and sign they'll come by eventually.
Well done bro. I've been trying to find a way to put that into words and you nailed it. I hunt miles of public land in oklahoma once deer season ends my squirrel and post season scouting trip begins!
I tried the new ways and came up empty for years. Then I learned from a couple old timers. Now I sit against oak trees in flannel with no scent blocker. Just face the wind and sit still where the sign is right. I have tagged my buck early two years now. I am no expert but the old ways are carfree and effective. Cameras tell you were a deer was. Good knowledge of the woods tells you where they will be.
This is probably the biggest misnomer in the outdoor world. I think we all love nostalgia so much, that we just feel this is true. My experience has always been the opposite. If you hunt public land, you know that the old timers are usually the worst hunters you will meet out in the woods. Don’t know what they are doing, stuck in their ways, and have some of the worst hunting etiquette you will ever see because it’s what they’ve always done. Just because there have been good hunters in the past, definitely does not mean it’s anywhere near a majority.
Never been a big equipment guy and I don't think I will unless I hit the lotto. Family heirloom .243 from the early 1900's, a nike hoodie, and sitting in an old blind or stalking is good for me.
I’ve got a 139, 148 and a 167 on my wall and I never hunted any of them with cameras. I hunt from the ground and love to go sit in the woods. Never killed one looking at my phone. I’m hunting a good area this year and don’t have any idea what’s there. Can’t wait to find out!! I’ll tell you though it’s hard to let that three year old 120 walk when you don’t have his daddy on camera but I’ve finally came around to it. To each his own.
I would say it's because the older generation has more access to farms and farm fields. Most of the older generation shot big deer in fields, the newer generation has to drive 2 hours, walk 3 miles into the woods and compete against all the difficulties of the woods. Most big deer are seen and killed in fields or field edges. The farms are disappearing and so are the access to great field hunting opportunities.
Granddaddy didn’t use tide pods with UV brighteners in them… there’s some preparation for sure and the amount of credit you give the deer should be in direct correlation with how high the hunting pressure in your area is. Your chances of big boy walking out definitely increase if you’ve taken the correct measures to mitigate smell and visibility, everything else is self explanatory.
Heck I just got a new piece of private land to hunt, I scouted it last week, didn't put up any cameras or anything just found a spot that looked like deer would travel. First day hunting I had 20 deer come in between 5 and dark
We’ve had a deer camp in our family since 1977. When I first started going there as a new hunter in 2005, there wasn’t a rack on the wall over 120”. Since then, we’ve added more than 20 bucks over 120 to the wall, including a dozen over 140. I myself have 8 or 9 of them. There were more deer back in the day, but there are certainly much better buck now, and it’s still incredibly easy to harvest a doe.
I hunt like this, my dad got me 13 acres 30 years ago, I walk and look for signs. Sometimes I just go sit to see what’s there. I have had turkeys walk within arm’s reach. Just sit and watch and listen, the woods teaches.
Absolutely agree, I'm not a super successful hunter but I get a buck every year. And ind just love hiking into a new area I find on google earth, in the dark and, seeing that area for the first time as the sun comes up.
My grandfather in his 70s spotted deer way better than I ever could and probably still can at 92. Which I think may be due to a slight difference in how we see specific colors, especially in the dappled light in the woods. He is also way better at moving slowly and deliberately.
Finally a man have the courage to speak the truth..lazy people want to make it easy using all kind of devices.other are just marketing.have to be done natural like back in the old days .like Grandpas do .
Fellas, thank y’all for this video. I’m old school but I find myself lately trying new tactics and worrying about too much instead of hunting and enjoying the outdoors like I used to. Not sure where y’all stand religiously but God gave us dominion over the all the animals and I think giving them too much respect doesn’t work, they are smart animals that are survivalists but we are the apex predator and the top of the food chain
My family has hunted the same property for 75 years, my method of finding where to sit is find where the old timers built permanent stands and sit there. If they are going to carry all that lumber out there it must be worth it
Relearned this gun season...1) have a trusty weapon you are confident in and can shoot , 2)set up in a decent spot and be patient, 3) read and learn to read sign. No snow in Mn for the second straight year. Way too much stuff going on( tech and doo-dads) and hunting is supposed to be fun anda fair fight...👍
That's how I was taught to hunt, and that's why I tag out every year. 3 deer in archery, 2 doe, and a nice buck this year. I still can't figure out bear hunting, but I'm trying.
I guess location is a huge factor. Where I hunt, there are no trees and nothing grows above waist high. That, and you’re hunting thousands of acres. You have to out miles on your boots to find deer.
💯 Alot of people are in it for all the wrong reasons these day..Leave those cell cameras at home and get out there and scout and hunt like the old days. A 130 that you actually hunted without bait feels better than a 180 that you killed over a corn pile.
My grandfather went in the woods no tree stand no hanging ropes nothing.wearing bright red flannel and a 12ga single shot he would pick a tree sit down and hunt.that was for deer,squirrel, rabbit what ever he seen.most of all I do not remember him coming home empty handed that often.
Over the last few years I have used SD card cameras in the woods and treated them as gathering historical data for future hunts in the area rather than influencing my hunts for that moment. Last year, I tried cell cameras at my stand sites and was the most unhappy I have ever been deer hunting. I wouldn't go out if I wasn't seeing a target buck for a few days or I would be in one stand and get an alert where I'd see him at another stand and second guess myself while I was hunting. I spent very little time with boots on the ground exploring and gathering data in person. In the past, I had been reading books written by the Wenzel brothers and took that knowledge into the woods scouting in and out of season frequently to find quality spots. I'm definitely no big name trophy hunter but I killed 4 bucks in 5 years over 120" with one at 141" that way and was much happier overall. This year, I just used the cell cameras on the perimeter of the property for security. Its October 29 and the boys are moving and I'm exited to see what might come through my funnel stands and give me an opportunity.
Why were our grandpa's so successful? ... lower total population, means less people hunting, which means less deer being killed. Less people hunting back then means less hunting pressure. More people hunting now means more hunting pressure. Now generations of deer have learn human hunting tactics, so they adapt and evolve, becoming harder to hunt. The land was less developed back then, so the deer didn't feel pressure on all sides. I hunt large area of public land in ontario, Canada and from my family's hunt camp experience there are way more hunters now than back in the day, and recently a public atv trail went through the area and hunting has gotten way harder since that trail. When I granddad got our family hunt camp, there was one road in and big buck everywhere, now there are roads and trails to every lake, pond, lookout, etc., and hunters everywhere accessing everywhere on atvs. Just my opinion.
These are just excuses. Our grandparents also had 1/4 of the deer in the woods to hunt. The deer population is massive compared to then. They would sit for days and not even see a deer.
I feel the same way with livescope in the fishing world I still do it the old way 2d no spot lock and a lot of memory that the god lord gave me And I’m ok with what I catch
Too many ppl nowadays pay for guided hunts, pay someone to sight in their firearms, pay to hunt fenced in private property with built-in tree stands and or ground blinds with deer feeds, trail cams yr around, 2000$ rifles with 1000$ scopes, 500+$ handheld GPS tracking & navigation gear, expensive camo clothes ect ect. My pops and gpa used to go out in jeans, normal everyday shirt, boots and a camo hat. Old marlin 30-30 with irons and a small pack with smokes, snacks, a water canteen, a small bottle of vanilla extract, medical wrap, 1 pocket knife and a set with 1 skinning and gutting knife. I learned very early on that you don't need a truck full of expensive gear and that you learn the most when you are by yourself spot and stalking out in the boonies
I'm not down with food plots or trail cameras. Whatever happened to woodsmanship? Filled my shotgun tag today at 5 yards ( I like it up close and personal
They were connected with nature not the internet. They hunted, not just deer. They hunted everything, from roots to bucks. Just like first nation tribes did.
In Maine, if you shoot a deer over 200lbs, you get a patch commemorating you now being in this group. My granddad had 3 patchies euro mounted on his porch and every single one of them was him walking in on some old logging trail, then catching a track and tracking that deer in through the brush to find out what in the hell that deer was up to. If you went with him, you might leave the truck at 6am and get back to it at 4pm, but you covered a lot of miles and often times you ended up on a hot trail. I think you can use modern tools to plot a course or to get a rough idea as to what your plan is for an area, but I think much like chess or poker, some people just have a higher natural aptitude and a mind that takes well to utilizing those tools. Combine that with a lot of resources and you get the Mark Kenyons and Tony Petersons of the world.
Most of the hype is to sell more things you don't need to be a successful hunter. The only add-on that I have is a folding chair. At 70 years of age, it's nice to sit down.
Good stuff, ive been huntin since i was a kid, we didnt have much growin up. We kept it simple and cheap, didnt use any kind of scent away stuff or fancy camo if any. Hell ive probably only hunted in a tree stand 3 to 5 times my entire life. I have about 3 spots that i dont even think about it, i know if i get out either an hour before daylight or an hour before dark, theyre comin. Ive only ever had 1 mabey 2 trail cams ever at one time and theyre old school. Gotta go get the card out, take it home, see what ya got, then takem back lol. Personally i love it, keeps me sane and i kill deer every year. I normally just sit beside a tree, on the ground or in a cheap foldin chair, mabey have a little brush blind i built 3 or 4 weeks before season comes in. Or like the one i have at the house i just took 3 free wood pallets i got, hit em with a little spray paint and brushed it into a hillside. It just makes me laugh when i hear all the shit people are doin just to try to kill deer and the money they spend on it. To me it takes away the main reason i hunt to begin with, to save money and put meat in the freezer. Ive had some years ive put up over 200 or 270 pounds of meat for about 40 orrrrr 42 bucks lol. 30 bucks in corn, mabey 10 bucks in ammo dependin how many deer i shot. Say a buck 50 to 2 bucks a round.
They were successfull because they found the sign they wanted..They knew what the deer were eating and when they eat it..they hunted the wind and sit on the ground..fastest and quietest way to hunt is walk in and sit down and don't move...
Our grandfathers had better access, more permissions, less regulations. Other than that, there is definitely some over-complications involved in it today.
My grandpa didn't hunt. He was a good man, but not a hunter. His dad left him when he was young and I suppose that's probably where the break in the chain happened. I'm picking it up now at 30, and I intend to pass it on to my children.
I'm a firm believer that sitting on the ground in a 'stupid 'spot, with a slight hangover will always make the most successful deer hunts. Bonus points if you forget your gloves, drag rope, or hunting knife.
that's what i do!! i dont use cameras. i just like to go out and hunt. worst day in the woods is better then the best day at work.
I feel like cameras are an unfair advantage. Part of the fun is not knowing every deer in the woods.
@@NeffTattoodeer can SEE your camera, they avoid it and only show up when it’s dark, they’re too stupid to know what it is, but it isn’t natural to them
Unless you work in the woods
@@NeffTattoohow do you feel like there unfair i use them and not once has a camera ever got me a deer all the camera does is show me what deer i have on the property and let me know if predators are getting to thick in the area a camera has never helped anyone get a deer it’s luck and being in the stand
This clip literally just snapped me out of it. I was starting to get too crazy overthinking everything. Glad I saw this
Me too! I’ve had an awful season in terms of harvest. Haven’t taken one yet, but I’ve seen two and shot at one, and this is my first year using crossbow.
My dad always used to talk about how he’d see 40 -50 deer a day. We went to the same places when I was old enough and were lucky to see two. Ohio here
I stopped using cameras back in 2020 during Covid. I scouted the woods and read the sign. I had the best season ever and the most fun ever. I encourage everyone to give up the cameras and keep the woods sacred.
I use cameras just for the fun, in fact I have 3 that never leave the area…I squirrel hunt and find my locations for years now..killed more bucks hunting places I never would have hunted because camera didn’t get a pic of them when they walked just far enough away from getting a pic..I hunt on sign and food in the mountains cause deer just wonder and don’t do patterns like the farm country..I have pics of bucks on cam once a week here and days later on the opposite mountain.I figure the circle I call it they run and pick a bench or trail I think they travel to complete the route..never lets me down and got the racks and 5 top 20 state records in my state in 10 years alone that I have scored for the heck of it while getting mounted..
Amen! The best parts of hunting are the connection with nature, our forefathers, the escape from everyday life, and the mysterious element of the unknown bucks that lurk in the woods! Learning to let go and just enjoy the journey is truly the best thing. We love to honor our family heritage and tradition by hunting the old school way. Good luck to everyone out there watching this and reading this comment! Go have fun and enjoy the opportunities that present themselves.
I'm 66 years old, he is a 💯% right. That is how I've always hunted. God Bless and be safe.
Jordan Jones is spot on! We need more woodsmanship and to just deer hunt!
This dude is a effin breath of fresh air.
I bet you’d take a deep Whif of his fart
Great video. I really enjoyed it. I hunt the way my Grandpa taught me with the same tradition for my entire life. No cameras, no feeding, no scent killing stuff. When hunting becomes a job the fun is taken out of it. Thank you for the great content.
I use a game camera because I like knowing what’s out there because it’s cool to watch the deer go about their lives for an entire year before I actually get a chance to get one. I understand what you’re saying though about all the extra stuff making it like a job, but I just enjoy watching them all the time. I get excited every time I get a notification from my camera.
One thing you're overlooking is that there were way fewer guys in the woods back then, and way more habitat. My local area has been reduced by half due to development
This was my first season hunting no cameras, no crazy tik tok recommendations, ignored all the crazy topics on wind moon what ever. i only did two things watch the does near water and go sit 2 nights a week and Saturday mornings and I'm now tagged out until January very blesses and I'm having a great time
I stopped using cameras back in 2020. I’ve had more fun and shot bigger bucks since I stopped using them and started being a better woodsman.
What does watching does near water mean?
It’s funny, most of my deer spots have been discovered when I was out hunting for other game. Great advice here.
That's the exact reason i still hunt/ track.... Don't own a signal cam. And live for the public land shuffle.... Thanks for talking the truth brother, some "Deer hunters" are still alive and well here in Michigan.
I don’t see a camera as a hunting tool for bagging game, just as an aide to gauging the numbers and variety of critters in the area.
This video is what I have been needing to hear. I have been overthinking hunting too much. I asked myself this exact question this week. I believe next season I am pulling all cameras and just Hunt.
Love it, that's all I do. No cameras, find trails. Just spend time in woods, go hike. Learn land nav, with compass and pace count, use a gps as a back up
I hate cameras except AFTER the kill or catch
Im trying all this
Amen to that. I dont do a darn bit of scouting. I just go out and go with my gut whatever feels right and i go with it. Right place at the right time.
It’s overwhelming, all this new tech and studies about deer patterns, vision, wind scent, camo, thermals, rut, moon, temp … i just decided to go in the woods and enjoy the opportunity, and allow myself to make mistakes and learn from them.
The anticipation is what makes a hunt great. If you just go hunt, you never know what might show up. It's like the night before Christmas every day
The real answer. They were hunting for food.. we stop at Hardee's on the way to the stand.
I still hunt for food..I absolutely love the old way and i will never change from it
@@GeorgeFred-g3m yea.. but your mindset is NOT.. I HAVE TO HAVE THIS DEER!! Your next meal can come from 10,000 places
@RockyTopSplash speak for yourself! Some of us don't eat meat from a store!...alot of folks still only eat what they harvest...I guess your not a farmer either so you probably have no clue how to grow a tomato own your own!
@@GeorgeFred-g3mGeorgie you’re on UA-cam pipe down
@DirtNapFairy listen!...no fat dude is going to tell me what my mind set is..this pot belly brush poper couldn't make it to my stand with out having a hart attack..that poison he eats from Hardys shows!
Bow hunted all october and saw nada. First week of November it was like a lightswitch came on. But the 15 or so hunts i didnt see anything made that first couple days of good hunting even better
I learn my deer woods during Spring Gobbler. Late morning 1030 walking logging roads and creek bottoms. The sign and tracks are there. Also late season Flintlock after Christmas here in Pennsylvania tells the story. Nothing beats boots on the ground.
yeah man, 100%. I decided to not run any cameras this year for this reason. I found myself last season not going out because the wind predictions were iffy etc. It really does take a lot of the excitement out of it. My best hunting memories were just going out and having something show up. I've had a a lot of house problems come up this season but really looking forward to hunting late season bow in michigan
I’m 68, I walk slow, I have heart issues so I don’t go very far, very fast… but I’m able to walk um up. I hunt public land almost exclusively. I think I see them 1st or sooner, and I don’t make a lot of noise. Last year I went back to a long bow. I guess they don’t see me as much of a threat, until…
COOL
I've heard this before, instead of hiking 10 miles in a day, hike 1 mile very slowly and you'll be more successful
I always get crap, because I hunt simple the way my grandfather taught me growing up. I always have a wonderful time, and when Hod wills it I have a successful hunt. I always get meat in the freezer, and most of all it makes me appreciate the time I had with my family on the farm. I like the mystery of what is going to come my way.
As one of those old grandpas, actually a great grandpa, I can tell you we actually "hunted". Growing up on a poor, country dirt farm surrounded by many acres of woods, both our and several neighbors, we grew up hunting and fishing for food. While most of our early years of hunting was small game with only rare game management areas having deer, we honed our skills in finding game, tracking and learning how to be extra patient and quiet in our movements.
Once deer became more widespread, it was a rather easy transition in locating and hunting deer. Squirrel hunting while sitting and stalking would place us on a lot of deer signs and numerous sightings of deer that informed us of were they were for the new bow seasons and then the gun seasons. Similar sightings would occur during swamp land duck hunting, as we would often see really nice bucks from our blinds and boats or while exploring new spots searching for ducks. That led to some really big buck kills that most people would never see due to the deep areas they lived in.
I hunt in NW Montana and it would be awesome to have this kind of knowledge of the land/animals in the area.
With that being said scout and walk your area and your all good for the season
Grandpap grabbed a bunch of buddies, lined up along a patch of brush or woods, threw some 00 Buck in the 12 gauge and they pushed that patch. As soon they jumped a buck they unloaded.
Wow, who doesn't Hunt like this??? Almost 30 yrs of deer hunting and I still just love watching the deer. Deer season is the time to get in the woods and relax. Take a good book , a good lunch some coffee and relax. That's how it's always been.... 🤷
I am a trophy hunter until first light... I have harvested deer and elk 99% the first day & within 90 minutes of loading my rifle. I have taught my children how to hunt & why the animals do what they do. Im sure it helps my kids that i am a retired professional trapper, when i watch & listen to them , they were paying attention to details of what they had heard..
I'm a late beginner and also like to help friends who are new to hunting. Very fortunate to have an amazing group of friends hunt every year in a remote area of a very beautiful northern state forest. A couple of years ago it was a friend's first time hunting, ever. He didn't even have camo, wore a skiing suit to stay warm. Borrowed a friend's rifle. Shot a buck on his very first day, just sitting on a hill in the woods. He seems to get a deer at every hunt, gets ducks every time we go for waterfowl. I've only ever harvested one deer, back at home, even though I've been going a few years. But every time I'm in the woods, especially in a real forest, it's fun, no matter the outcome. I drive almost a thousand miles one way for that, and pay almost two hundred bucks in nonresident tags for the experience. Oh, and we tend to all bring back meat because we share everything.
I can't help being a gear geek, it's just in my nature, however mostly in guns. I definitely always tend towards low-tech in almost everything else, especially the process itself. I'll look at a map at home, just to figure out the spots I want to try, but in the woods I want to look around, smell the air, listen to the sounds and absorb it all. Slow down. Get away from gadgetry. Being freshly outfitted from a sportsman warehouse makes you look conspicuous. An old man in worn clothes with his dad's Marlin 336, such as I met in those northern woods - you can't buy that setup, nor would you want to. You have to live it. Maybe I will some day.
That I know of my Dad didn't really worry about wind direction. I have no clue how many quality bucks he killed in our area of north Mississippi from 125" to around 180"
This is the first year I really hunted. I made a racket getting into the woods setting up a stand I hadn't used before. Forgot my release and had to go back to the truck and climb back in. No more than 5 min later I had a big 6 and a doe walk by. The only thing I look for is acorns, water, and some tracks 🤷 figure if there's food, water, and sign they'll come by eventually.
Well done bro. I've been trying to find a way to put that into words and you nailed it. I hunt miles of public land in oklahoma once deer season ends my squirrel and post season scouting trip begins!
I tried the new ways and came up empty for years. Then I learned from a couple old timers. Now I sit against oak trees in flannel with no scent blocker. Just face the wind and sit still where the sign is right. I have tagged my buck early two years now. I am no expert but the old ways are carfree and effective. Cameras tell you were a deer was. Good knowledge of the woods tells you where they will be.
Thank you for saying what I've been saying for years!
This is probably the biggest misnomer in the outdoor world. I think we all love nostalgia so much, that we just feel this is true. My experience has always been the opposite. If you hunt public land, you know that the old timers are usually the worst hunters you will meet out in the woods. Don’t know what they are doing, stuck in their ways, and have some of the worst hunting etiquette you will ever see because it’s what they’ve always done. Just because there have been good hunters in the past, definitely does not mean it’s anywhere near a majority.
Even Iron sights are underrated .
I am new to hunting so I’ve been watching all the videos I can to learn
Never been a big equipment guy and I don't think I will unless I hit the lotto. Family heirloom .243 from the early 1900's, a nike hoodie, and sitting in an old blind or stalking is good for me.
I’ve got a 139, 148 and a 167 on my wall and I never hunted any of them with cameras. I hunt from the ground and love to go sit in the woods. Never killed one looking at my phone. I’m hunting a good area this year and don’t have any idea what’s there. Can’t wait to find out!! I’ll tell you though it’s hard to let that three year old 120 walk when you don’t have his daddy on camera but I’ve finally came around to it. To each his own.
I would say it's because the older generation has more access to farms and farm fields. Most of the older generation shot big deer in fields, the newer generation has to drive 2 hours, walk 3 miles into the woods and compete against all the difficulties of the woods. Most big deer are seen and killed in fields or field edges. The farms are disappearing and so are the access to great field hunting opportunities.
Granddaddy didn’t use tide pods with UV brighteners in them… there’s some preparation for sure and the amount of credit you give the deer should be in direct correlation with how high the hunting pressure in your area is. Your chances of big boy walking out definitely increase if you’ve taken the correct measures to mitigate smell and visibility, everything else is self explanatory.
Heck I just got a new piece of private land to hunt, I scouted it last week, didn't put up any cameras or anything just found a spot that looked like deer would travel. First day hunting I had 20 deer come in between 5 and dark
We’ve had a deer camp in our family since 1977. When I first started going there as a new hunter in 2005, there wasn’t a rack on the wall over 120”. Since then, we’ve added more than 20 bucks over 120 to the wall, including a dozen over 140. I myself have 8 or 9 of them. There were more deer back in the day, but there are certainly much better buck now, and it’s still incredibly easy to harvest a doe.
I hunt like this, my dad got me 13 acres 30 years ago, I walk and look for signs. Sometimes I just go sit to see what’s there. I have had turkeys walk within arm’s reach. Just sit and watch and listen, the woods teaches.
Amen brother 🙏! I don't run trail cam's. I have killed 2 nice 8 point's in the last 4 years. I do things the old way.
Absolutely agree, I'm not a super successful hunter but I get a buck every year. And ind just love hiking into a new area I find on google earth, in the dark and, seeing that area for the first time as the sun comes up.
Definitely take into account the number of hunters now compared to then, and the number of deer compared to now and then
My grandfather in his 70s spotted deer way better than I ever could and probably still can at 92. Which I think may be due to a slight difference in how we see specific colors, especially in the dappled light in the woods. He is also way better at moving slowly and deliberately.
Poor folks done learned so much they afraid to just go get em
I needed to hear this.
Thank you
Finally a man have the courage to speak the truth..lazy people want to make it easy using all kind of devices.other are just marketing.have to be done natural like back in the old days .like Grandpas do .
Fellas, thank y’all for this video. I’m old school but I find myself lately trying new tactics and worrying about too much instead of hunting and enjoying the outdoors like I used to. Not sure where y’all stand religiously but God gave us dominion over the all the animals and I think giving them too much respect doesn’t work, they are smart animals that are survivalists but we are the apex predator and the top of the food chain
My family has hunted the same property for 75 years, my method of finding where to sit is find where the old timers built permanent stands and sit there. If they are going to carry all that lumber out there it must be worth it
Relearned this gun season...1) have a trusty weapon you are confident in and can shoot , 2)set up in a decent spot and be patient, 3) read and learn to read sign. No snow in Mn for the second straight year. Way too much stuff going on( tech and doo-dads) and hunting is supposed to be fun anda fair fight...👍
Thank you❤
That's how I was taught to hunt, and that's why I tag out every year. 3 deer in archery, 2 doe, and a nice buck this year. I still can't figure out bear hunting, but I'm trying.
They went deer hunting. ! (Good Stuff)
This video is the TRUTH. Gotta get off the phone, and get out in the field.
Where you guys out of? Great GON shirt by the way This is the first clip I've seen of your show. Very nice indeed. Thanks for sharing.
spot on !! thanks great job !!
More people=more hunters
More hunters = less deer
Simple math
Stop worrying about wind ? 💨 lol don’t listen to that folks . Ignore the wind and you’re not going to shoot many deer
Awesome video
That’s deer hunting!
It was fun when it was us young guys learning and maybe someone got one now it’s all trail cams and all best land is leased by a guide
I guess location is a huge factor. Where I hunt, there are no trees and nothing grows above waist high. That, and you’re hunting thousands of acres. You have to out miles on your boots to find deer.
Nailed it 💯 percent!
There were more deer in my neck of the woods way back then. Now we've got way more people than deer in the woods.
It was fun when it was young guys just glad to get out now it’s who has the most money
💯 Alot of people are in it for all the wrong reasons these day..Leave those cell cameras at home and get out there and scout and hunt like the old days. A 130 that you actually hunted without bait feels better than a 180 that you killed over a corn pile.
My grandfather went in the woods no tree stand no hanging ropes nothing.wearing bright red flannel and a 12ga single shot he would pick a tree sit down and hunt.that was for deer,squirrel, rabbit what ever he seen.most of all I do not remember him coming home empty handed that often.
Over the last few years I have used SD card cameras in the woods and treated them as gathering historical data for future hunts in the area rather than influencing my hunts for that moment. Last year, I tried cell cameras at my stand sites and was the most unhappy I have ever been deer hunting. I wouldn't go out if I wasn't seeing a target buck for a few days or I would be in one stand and get an alert where I'd see him at another stand and second guess myself while I was hunting. I spent very little time with boots on the ground exploring and gathering data in person. In the past, I had been reading books written by the Wenzel brothers and took that knowledge into the woods scouting in and out of season frequently to find quality spots. I'm definitely no big name trophy hunter but I killed 4 bucks in 5 years over 120" with one at 141" that way and was much happier overall. This year, I just used the cell cameras on the perimeter of the property for security. Its October 29 and the boys are moving and I'm exited to see what might come through my funnel stands and give me an opportunity.
Why were our grandpa's so successful? ... lower total population, means less people hunting, which means less deer being killed. Less people hunting back then means less hunting pressure. More people hunting now means more hunting pressure. Now generations of deer have learn human hunting tactics, so they adapt and evolve, becoming harder to hunt. The land was less developed back then, so the deer didn't feel pressure on all sides.
I hunt large area of public land in ontario, Canada and from my family's hunt camp experience there are way more hunters now than back in the day, and recently a public atv trail went through the area and hunting has gotten way harder since that trail. When I granddad got our family hunt camp, there was one road in and big buck everywhere, now there are roads and trails to every lake, pond, lookout, etc., and hunters everywhere accessing everywhere on atvs.
Just my opinion.
These are just excuses. Our grandparents also had 1/4 of the deer in the woods to hunt. The deer population is massive compared to then. They would sit for days and not even see a deer.
Well said
I feel the same way with livescope in the fishing world
I still do it the old way 2d no spot lock and a lot of memory that the god lord gave me
And I’m ok with what I catch
3:21 as someone who’s never killed a deer I gotta say this comment resonates with me
I never use cameras I like the surprise aspect of hunting why would u want to know whats around ur spot it just takes the excitement away
Too many ppl nowadays pay for guided hunts, pay someone to sight in their firearms, pay to hunt fenced in private property with built-in tree stands and or ground blinds with deer feeds, trail cams yr around, 2000$ rifles with 1000$ scopes, 500+$ handheld GPS tracking & navigation gear, expensive camo clothes ect ect. My pops and gpa used to go out in jeans, normal everyday shirt, boots and a camo hat. Old marlin 30-30 with irons and a small pack with smokes, snacks, a water canteen, a small bottle of vanilla extract, medical wrap, 1 pocket knife and a set with 1 skinning and gutting knife. I learned very early on that you don't need a truck full of expensive gear and that you learn the most when you are by yourself spot and stalking out in the boonies
I'm not down with food plots or trail cameras. Whatever happened to woodsmanship? Filled my shotgun tag today at 5 yards ( I like it up close and personal
My kind of hunter.
They were connected with nature not the internet. They hunted, not just deer. They hunted everything, from roots to bucks. Just like first nation tribes did.
In Maine, if you shoot a deer over 200lbs, you get a patch commemorating you now being in this group. My granddad had 3 patchies euro mounted on his porch and every single one of them was him walking in on some old logging trail, then catching a track and tracking that deer in through the brush to find out what in the hell that deer was up to. If you went with him, you might leave the truck at 6am and get back to it at 4pm, but you covered a lot of miles and often times you ended up on a hot trail.
I think you can use modern tools to plot a course or to get a rough idea as to what your plan is for an area, but I think much like chess or poker, some people just have a higher natural aptitude and a mind that takes well to utilizing those tools. Combine that with a lot of resources and you get the Mark Kenyons and Tony Petersons of the world.
People finding excuses for their failures....some times things just don't work out...mgo out and enjoy the outdoors...that's what it's all about.
Internet and cell service never works in the mountains in my area...so it has never been a part of my hunting arsenal
Grandpa also had way more deer out there! haha
Most of the hype is to sell more things you don't need to be a successful hunter. The only add-on that I have is a folding chair. At 70 years of age, it's nice to sit down.
Good stuff, ive been huntin since i was a kid, we didnt have much growin up. We kept it simple and cheap, didnt use any kind of scent away stuff or fancy camo if any. Hell ive probably only hunted in a tree stand 3 to 5 times my entire life. I have about 3 spots that i dont even think about it, i know if i get out either an hour before daylight or an hour before dark, theyre comin. Ive only ever had 1 mabey 2 trail cams ever at one time and theyre old school. Gotta go get the card out, take it home, see what ya got, then takem back lol. Personally i love it, keeps me sane and i kill deer every year. I normally just sit beside a tree, on the ground or in a cheap foldin chair, mabey have a little brush blind i built 3 or 4 weeks before season comes in. Or like the one i have at the house i just took 3 free wood pallets i got, hit em with a little spray paint and brushed it into a hillside. It just makes me laugh when i hear all the shit people are doin just to try to kill deer and the money they spend on it. To me it takes away the main reason i hunt to begin with, to save money and put meat in the freezer. Ive had some years ive put up over 200 or 270 pounds of meat for about 40 orrrrr 42 bucks lol. 30 bucks in corn, mabey 10 bucks in ammo dependin how many deer i shot. Say a buck 50 to 2 bucks a round.
Grand dad sat on the ground or on a log and killed his deer
Ive got multiple stands on 3 different properties and I ground hunt more than anything else. 😂 thats when I have the most fun.
there were waaaay less hunters and waaaaay more deer back then.
They also had less restrictions…
Yes🤓.. heard a shout out to Maine..it sucks here lol 😂
🤣
They were successfull because they found the sign they wanted..They knew what the deer were eating and when they eat it..they hunted the wind and sit on the ground..fastest and quietest way to hunt is walk in and sit down and don't move...
More logging less homes built more acres of good timber cuts less predators. But yes i do agree they also went deer hunting well said guys
Our grandfathers had better access, more permissions, less regulations. Other than that, there is definitely some over-complications involved in it today.
Fewer deer though too
100% correct forget the high-tech BS and just go hunting and have fun.
My grandpa didn't hunt. He was a good man, but not a hunter. His dad left him when he was young and I suppose that's probably where the break in the chain happened. I'm picking it up now at 30, and I intend to pass it on to my children.
The worst thing that ever happened to deer hunting was game cameras.
I'm a firm believer that sitting on the ground in a 'stupid 'spot, with a slight hangover will always make the most successful deer hunts. Bonus points if you forget your gloves, drag rope,
or hunting knife.