Frustration/Traveling to Hunt

[HUNTNFISHIA]

So in all reality, I am very thankful to my father in-law for allowing me to hunt his property. Don't get me wrong, I know my situation could be worse. I travel around 45 minutes to get to the property and I know there are others that travel further than that. Those that travel can probably understand my frustration when you have the weekends to hunt and the weather turns out to be close to 60 degrees with 20-30mph winds. I just completed my second 3 day weekend (Fri,Sat,Sun) and have yet to put a mature deer on the ground (doe or buck). It was warm yesterday with wind gusts up to 30mph. I didn't even hunt in the evening. I figured I would go home, re-energize the battery and look into weather conditions for the next weekend. Sure enough, low to mid 50's on Saturday and Sunday. Wednesday and Thursday are looking to be the better days to hunt with temps dropping to 27 and 23 and highs of only 40 and 44. So here I sit wondering if I should attempt an early morning hunt this week on one of those days. If I don't go this week, I will only be able to hunt this coming Saturday evening as I work in the morning and Sunday morning as we have a Thanksgiving dinner Sunday afternoon. Is it worth the gas money? Are there others in this situation? Any input is appreciated. I am curious to hear what other married individuals that travel to hunt have to say.

 

[Crab Claws 12]

Get out and hunt every chance you have, any thing can happen during the rut even if the temps are a little warm, it won't be long and the orange army will be after them!

 

[Liv4Rut]

You just need to stick it out. yesterday morning I had 6 bucks bed within 40 yards of me by 8am. I sat till about 10 and they were just starting to get up on their feet. When dragging my buck out at about 2pm there were deer everywhere in the fields, timbers etc moving. Midday is good. The deer were moving good in the evening last night as well. Also right now the bucks are locked down tight. The action will be slower but you just got to say that it can only take 30 seconds to change my luck. The day I shot mine it was literally 30 seconds from the time I seen him till the time I shot him and that was at 11:52 in the morning. Most guys were out of their tree.

Next weekend will be better as the bucks starting moving more and thanksgiving week is always killer to see some giants. goodluck and stick with it. I travel about 1 hour and 15 minutes to my spot every day.

 

[dedgeez]

It is definitely a dilemma sometimes. I live in Fayette county and hunt farms in Winneshiek, Allamkee, Clayton, and Fayette. Not only does the driving make for some seriously early mornings, but the frustration from lack of rut activity as of late is making the decision of where to go harder and harder. This past weekend I sat 2 of my absolutely best stands for S winds and had very little movement. No bucks over 4 years old and very few does on their feet during the day. Warm and windy coupled with the very bright full moon has made it difficult. I drive 45 minutes to an hour to hunt some of the properties and I'm beginning to question my sanity. I just keep telling myself that it can happen any moment. I have some true giants on camera and I know they are there, it's just a matter of being persistent and keeping after them. The one day you aren't there is the day he'll be under your stand. Definitely been a strange rut, but IMO it will get better as we go on. Be in the stand whenever you can and I doubt you'll regret it in the end. Had a beautiful 4 year old come under me at 2:45 yesterday cruising hard. This was after very little movement all day. The season will be gone before you know it and you'll be wishing you could be making that drive again. As a buddy told me yesterday through text, "just keep on keepin on" :grin:

 

[breckhawk]

I feel ya.

I work 9-5 M-F and hunt a property that is about 30 minutes north of where I live. I really can only get out there on Sat and Sun so needless to say the weekend weather has been sucking.

To compound the problem the farm to the east which was the sanctuary for all of the deer in the area is now being hunted by the farmer's son who decided to put a pop up blind right in the middle of the main bedding area.....pretty sure he drove all the deer out as I havent seen 1/4 of the deer I normally do.

Anyway I am waiting for the next big coldfront to move in and bring some snow, as you can bet I will be calling my boss and telling him I am taking the day off before the front hits so I can hunt the field edge that night. In my opinion it doesnt get any better than the night before a coldfront.

 

[SCOFFIN]

Ya, you gotta be out there as much as you can right now. The last 3 years, I've actually shot my buck the last couple days before Thanksgiving.. All have been in the mornings. Normally not a lot of movment really early, but around 9-11 seems to be when they get going that time of year for me anyway.. Just keep yourself in a tree, cuz that's where you need to be when that 30 seconds rolls around..

 

[Altiman94]

I really don't travel that far to hunt. I hunt public near my house. But, I travel deep into the public (usually) to get on the deer. It's frustrating not seeing deer some days, but I finally took a doe this weekend and started seeing deer. When I drive back home (Bremer County) I usually just make a weekend out of it and stay with my parents.

 

[flugge]

The main ground I hunt is about 3.5 hrs away, on the clear opposite side of the state....and I drive a big old truck...so fuel is terrible, and when the hunting sucks, well its still better than other things that I could be doing :way: I know I wont have a 170+ walk into my rec room when I am watching tv, so I figure its just as easy to be in the woods and daydream about him walking in at anytime..no matter what the temps, they are still on their feet

 

[gersdorf]

I drive an hour to get to my hunting ground and its a very high pressure area. I have been dealing with other hunters, trail cam thieves, farmers wanting every deer shot so they whip out the mini 14 and rattle off a few rounds at them, hot weather, lack of deer movement from reasons above, and I could go on all day. But like flugge said, you can't get them on the couch. It can be frustrating but it all can change in an instant. A few years back I hadn't seen a deer all day long and the last 15 minutes of shooting light, a P&Y buck chased a doe right under my stand and I couldn't believe how fast it happened. Was able to put a perfect shot on him and was glad I kept at it. Have to stay positive and know it only takes that one minute for things to change! Get out there when you can and eventually it will happen!:way: