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John's Journal... Entry 123, Day 5

THE KEY TO HOLIDAY BUCKS

Take Care of Your Hunting Hotspot

EDITOR'S NOTE: Christmas and New Year's Day, times for family gatherings across the nation, are also times of high hunting pressure in areas where hunting season is still in, as it is in parts of the South. There families will assemble and hunt together according to southern tradition. This week we'll take a look at what hunters need to do to have the most-productive opportunities while hunting during the holidays.

Another reason Rick Nelms consistently bags deer during the holiday season is because once he locates what he thinks is an ideal place for taking deer, he doesn't give up on that spot easily. During the holidays, most hunters won't remain in the same area more than one day if they don't see a deer But this is where Nelms' hunting pattern differs from most other hunters. "If I hunt a deer for three days in the same area and don't take it, and then I let the spot rest," Nelms says. "I stay away from that place. If I bag a buck in that region, then I'll also leave that area and allow the site to rest. But don't let a hotspot rest for too long or it may cool down and not be a good place to bag deer at all. I don't give up on a region just because I haven't taken a deer there."

Here's some examples of what to do with a hunting region once you've located it. According to Nelms: "If I hunt for three days at a site with plenty of deer sign and don't see a buck deer but do observe other deer moving through the area, then I won't give up on that place. Although I may not hunt it again for three or four days or even a week, I probably will return to hunt that same region two or three more times during the season for two or three days at a time. Then once I bag a deer, I'll generally allow an area to rest for at least two or three days and often a week before I return there to hunt again. I want the woods to have time to settle down and all of my scent to be gone. If I have spooked some deer, I don't want them to be afraid to come back into that same region. I'm convinced I'm most effective hunting a place for two or three days at a time before I give up on it, if I've invested my time researching and locating this area where deer should be, and I'm confident deer have been there.

"However, if the deer are feeding on acorns and you wait three or four weeks before you return to that region to hunt, the deer may have eaten all the acorns by that time and moved. Then you may not find the buck you are hunting for or see as many deer. Or, if hunting pressure moves into the section you're hunting, the deer in the region will leave. Don't let a prime hunting area rest too long, or the conditions may have changed. The deer may not be concentrated in that place."

To learn more about how master deer hunters bag their deer each year, go to www.nighthawkpublications.com's home page, and click on books. To order with a credit card, call (800) 627-4295. You'll find information for ordering with a check or money order at the site.

 

 

Check each day this week for more about holiday bucks...

Day 1 - Best Characteristics for a Holiday Hunting Spot
Day 2 - Finding the Right Holiday Place to Hunt
Day 3 - Making a Silent Approach
Day 4 - When and Where to Take the Shot
Day 5 - Take Care of Your Hunting Hotspot

John's Journal