# Who Plans/Who Just Wings it?



## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Archery hunting to me has always been a calculated, planed, well oiled machine. Everything for the hunt is carefully gone over and put together to ensure success. I mean everything, right down to the last little detail! Some of my friends, and siblings, just wait till the last minute, throw all their sh*t into the truck and head out. Drives me nuts, but hey, to each their own I guess...

What say you? Are you a last minute wing-it type guy, or do you take anal retentiveness to a whole new level?


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

Tex I am so bad that I plan time in for making the plan. Moon phases, distance, travel time, meals, strategy, back up plan, emergencies, clothing, trail routes, sun up, sun down, review of the notes from previous years........planning is half of the fun.


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## jahan (Sep 7, 2007)

I am in between. As far as gear, where I am going and what not, I have that well planned out, but the details of each day I kind of go with the flow based off what I am seeing. I don't get to spend enough time in the field in the off-season to have animal patterned well so in that sense I am winging it, I usually just go to areas I know animals are and give it hell.


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## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

For a general season hunt I would say I am in the middle as well. I make sure my equipment is good and tuned up and do some scouting to have an opening day strategy but after the fist day it is usually one big audible. 

For a LE hunt I am must more of a planner.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

****Don't forget to put your license in your wallet!****

I'm not too concerned about the size of the antlers so I don't scout for one second. I get a deer almost every year where I hunt and it's usually nothing impressive. I shoot all summer long. My hunting gear is in a box and ready to go already. I'll put my camping gear together for two days before leaving. We camp all the time anyway so that's just kind of routine.


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## UtahMountainMan (Jul 20, 2010)

When it comes to preparing the gear, the bow, location, etc., I am VERY obsessive and spend hours and hours and hours getting all the planning done. I am going over game plans for morning vs afternoon vs evening months in advance. I pack my stuff up about 2 weeks ahead of time. 

If it is a general season archery deer hunt, which is my most common hunt, I scout the area but due to pressure from campers/atvers etc, I dont even attempt to pattern a specific buck. I try to find where the deer are comfortable feeding and hanging out. 

I have a New Mexico LE archery elk tag this year and so I have been even more crazy about that one (Sep 11 to Sep 18).

But I have a couple other close friends I usually hunt with and if I didnt tell them that opening day was the next day they wouldnt know. It bugs the heck out of me.

I had to just force my buddy yesterday to take his bow in to get it restrung because his strings are one pull away from snapping they are so bad. He hasnt shot all year and I doubt he will shoot until fri evening aug 17th.

That bugs me too, lol.


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## Markthehunter88 (Nov 5, 2010)

UtahMountainMan said:


> When it comes to preparing the gear, the bow, location, etc., I am VERY obsessive and spend hours and hours and hours getting all the planning done. I am going over game plans for morning vs afternoon vs evening months in advance. I pack my stuff up about 2 weeks ahead of time.
> 
> If it is a general season archery deer hunt, which is my most common hunt, I scout the area but due to pressure from campers/atvers etc, I dont even attempt to pattern a specific buck. I try to find where the deer are comfortable feeding and hanging out.
> 
> ...


You better not be talking about me Earl! hahaha 8) .... I cant wait!!! I have a few salt licks up this year and have been scouting about 5 times in total. Still doesnt seem like enough. First goal is to harvest a "good" 3 point (or bigger) buck... then onto the elk. Scouting has been different this year with the usual hunting spot having been burnt to the ground.


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## duckhunter1096 (Sep 25, 2007)

Can we re-phrase this? 

How many of you actually get out of your chairs and do the scouting, and how many of you put a camera up and bait them in with a mineral block... and call that scouting?


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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

duckhunter1096 said:


> Can we re-phrase this?
> 
> How many of you actually get out of your chairs and do the scouting, and how many of you put a camera up and bait them in with a mineral block... and call that scouting?


I get out with my binos and boots and hoof it all over the mountain looking for animals. When I find a good area with a lot of animals, trails, and/or sign, I also am not opposed to putting in a salt block and camera so I can get a really good look at what the deer look like, as well as what times they are traveling down the trails.

Once the cameras are placed, I'm back to the binos looking, patterning, and finding new areas with animals. To re-phrase it the way you do implies that there's no work or method/planning involved in the trail cam method. I view it as another way to enhance my scouting, as well as it gives me a little bonus every time I get to see what was there when I check the cameras.


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## Markthehunter88 (Nov 5, 2010)

duckhunter1096 said:


> Can we re-phrase this?
> 
> How many of you actually get out of your chairs and do the scouting, and how many of you put a camera up and bait them in with a mineral block... and call that scouting?


SCOUTING- The action of gathering information about enemy forces or an area.


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## skeet4l (Sep 11, 2007)

I've been schemeing for months, gear is ready, cams are up and the block is on the ground. Good thing my wife is such a good sport. BTW, check out the garage sale in the TP, I've been planning so long it's time to get rid of some overstock.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

wing it. 

Usually have several bucks located in different locations but have driven to the trail head on opening morning and seen loads of trucks in the area I did want to hunt and said screw it. Ill just go to the parking lot with the least vehicles and hunt. 

I have my bow tuned and sighted in well in advance. My back pack is always packed with my tag, knife, binos, range finder, water bottle and "WIPES." Been on too many trips out with one sock or sleeve missing to forget the wipes. Ill pick up some crap at 7-11 to munch on through out the day but thats it. I like to go as lite as possible.


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## polarbear (Aug 1, 2011)

I put in a lot of work for the hunt itself...maps, shooting, tuning, sighting, scouting. Heck I already started packing my gear and backup gear. But when it comes to food and camping, I throw in a hammock and swing by the grocery store on the way to the woods and grab enough junk food to hopefully keep me alive for awhile.


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

I love everything that goes into preparing for a hunt--especially map research and sharpening knives. I try to be flexible once I'm out in the field, though it really bothers me when something or someone screws up my plans.


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## shaun larsen (Aug 5, 2011)

i plan on wingin it 

generally i plan it out as much as i can. i know where the deer are going to be and where they are headed to bed down. i really dont "hunt" opening weekend due to the fact everyone and their dog is running around the hills chasing deer with no clue as to what they are doing. if i stumble across a deer the first weekend, i'll shoot it. but i dont really start to HUNT until around the middle of the first week.

the guys that kill me are the one who run into an archery store at 5 p.m. the night before the opener, wanting to buy a new bow, arrows and get completely set up. its really interesting to watch these people get mad over them having to wait 2 hours to get to them. they "dont have time to wait, the hunt starts tomorrow. they need a bow NOW". i seriously watched a guy attempt to sight his bow in, in the headlights of his ATV opening morning last year. the really crappy part was by noon that day, he'd killed a damnn nice deer! all luck... but it happens. its usually the guys who are the least prepared that luck into the big ones or atleast get an opportunity.


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## Finnegan (Sep 7, 2007)

Eagle scout here..."Be Prepared!" I'm not anal retentive, but I value my independence and love a good adventure. Being prepared is key to both. Besides, I'd rather be the guy who can give help than the guy who's looking for it. I've learned this from many mis-adventures in the past. :lol:


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## Caddis-n-Cutts (Sep 28, 2007)

Finnegan said:


> Eagle scout here..."Be Prepared!" I'm not anal retentive, but I value my independence and love a good adventure. Being prepared is key to both. Besides, I'd rather be the guy who can give help than the guy who's looking for it. I've learned this from many mis-adventures in the past. :lol:


+++1

My buddies all make fun of me for all the "crap" I bring hunting/camping with me....Well that was until I saved one of my friends life from drowning in the Green River (Middle of February) and guess who the only one was that had extra clothes in his backpack. 8)


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

I like to have plans.Where to camp,when is every one coming up and how long they are staying.Been shooting sent April. Dont do as much scouting as I would like to. Im all ready packed for the hunt. just need to load up the truck now.


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## RoosterKiller (May 27, 2011)

I plan to be successful.


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

I don't think I'm ever prepared like I'd hope to be but at least this year I'll be carrying a bow while in the field. I haven't even taken my bow out with me the last 4 years even though I had a tag(ded. hunter). This year I've practiced out to 30 yards, so we'll see what happens.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

shaun larsen said:


> i seriously watched a guy attempt to sight his bow in, in the headlights of his ATV opening morning last year. the really crappy part was by noon that day, he'd killed a damnn nice deer! all luck... but it happens. its usually the guys who are the least prepared that luck into the big ones or atleast get an opportunity.


I am glad you liked my deer; the key is to have good bulbs to make this work. :mrgreen: That is classic.
I am a little crazy organized on several things, but have learned that my best system is to simply keep it all together, all of the archery stuff in the archery tote along with all of my other stuff in the backpack, binos always in the truck and license always in my wallet, as long as I remember my pants I am set. 
I too, can't believe how some wing it (in general, not necessarily hunting), like a trip planned for literally 6 months with raft and campsite reserved in January and brother decides to show up at site at midnight and invite his buddy's whole family and just mention that the day of. Not that it is a huge deal, but the fact that he didn't reserve a site or raft at all and there is not room in either for them, I just roll with it, but wonder how none of this was thought of in January, February, March, April, May, June or until July 16th... It is just a personality thing that is not going to change, so no point making a big deal about it, I just chuckle and then figure out how all 14 people will fit on our 8 man raft. :lol:


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## Duckholla (Sep 24, 2007)

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." -I believe to be true 100% when it comes to hunting. Why? Simple, you may have a plan, but the animals don't always read the script. I also believe that chance favors the prepared man. Being lucky in the field is nothing short of preparation meeting opportunity That said, I am pretty obsessive compulsive about some things, but I can say that I have "winged it" before. There is an element of spontanuity that sometimes makes that type of hunting an entertaining challenge! Once, I drove several hours to bowhunt for deer. When I woke up opening morning, I realized I had left my quiver at home. THAT was an interesting hunt. I was limited to one arrow, per day, and the broadband was in a plastic case, in my pocket. I did shoot a small buck that year, but not before I had to put my arrow back together and make a perfect shot. That was a memorable hunt...


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## elkfromabove (Apr 20, 2008)

Over the years, I've pretty much collected the basic equipment and put it into a back pack and a belt pack. Plus I have a list that I check the week before, just to make sure. But as far as the actual hunt goes, I just like to play it day by day because there are too many variables (weather, crowds, health, road conditions, schedule, etc.) to make long term plans. Besides, winging it seems to make it more fun to me and allows more of my instincts to take over. (FWIW, that's why I dislike the 30 unit system. I'm now restricted to only one of the five units that converge here in Cedar City/Enoch. Fortunately, SR 14 up Cedar Canyon is now open, but it still sucks with slow zones and one lane traffic in 3 places!)


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## klbzdad (Apr 3, 2012)

Caddis-n-Cutts said:


> Finnegan said:
> 
> 
> > Eagle scout here..."Be Prepared!" I'm not anal retentive, but I value my independence and love a good adventure. Being prepared is key to both. Besides, I'd rather be the guy who can give help than the guy who's looking for it. I've learned this from many mis-adventures in the past. :lol:
> ...


+10000

Same here! If I don't have it in my pack, its in my MMP (Mobile Man Palace) and while I have a few totes with gimmick equipment for hunting and camping equipment that would turn anyone's head, somehow....it eventually is needed by someone.



duckhunter1096 said:


> Can we re-phrase this?
> 
> How many of you actually get out of your chairs and do the scouting, and how many of you put a camera up and bait them in with a mineral block... and call that scouting?


I used 12 total cameras this year (I have four times that many of them) and my SCOUTING included more time in the field than most because of where I live. Would you like a camera? I'm on record right here that I will send you one of my setups if you're willing to give it a try and actually use it next year. A good one, with my system for securing it to the tree. Maybe if you try it, you'll see what the FUN is all about with them.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

elkfromabove said:


> Over the years, I've pretty much collected the basic equipment and put it into a back pack and a belt pack. Plus I have a list that I check the week before, just to make sure. But as far as the actual hunt goes, I just like to play it day by day because there are too many variables (weather, crowds, health, road conditions, schedule, etc.) to make long term plans. Besides, winging it seems to make it more fun to me and allows more of my instincts to take over..................................quote]
> 
> +1


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## 90redryder (Oct 10, 2011)

You can only plan to a certain extent and then it just takes the fun out of it. I do plenty of scouting to decide a general area that I will hunt, and I make sure I bring all the necessary gear and food. But when it comes time to hunt I think its foolish to plan every single detail. There are so many variables that go into it that make it foolish to pick your exact coordinates for opening morning. Once I know the general habits of the animals ( where they drink, wallow and bed down) I go day by day making decisions on the fly because thats what hunting is all about. Do you think mountain lion tries to plan its hunts? HELL NO. A predator knows its terrain and certain features such as watering holes and then makes decisions on the move based on what its prey is doing, therefore I do the same.


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