how far into the woods?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - how far into the woods?

Posted: 10/22/2014 4:42:41 PM EDT

How far do you walk into the woods to hunt? I walk about a half mile. When i tried deer hunting back in the 90's i would walk a full mile from the access lot. On this state land that i am hunting there are places where you would have to walk 2-3 miles to get to without trespassing on private land. I get the impression that alot of guysonly walk 100 yds from a road and hunt.

Posted: 10/22/2014 5:58:53 PM EDT

[#1]

About 200 ft. from my house.

That's the great thing about living in the woods on your own land. The bad is driving 12 miles to the nearest store to buy anything.

Posted: 10/22/2014 7:38:09 PM EDT

[#2]

I would walk about as far as I could drag a deer. 100 ft seems about right.

Posted: 10/22/2014 8:01:04 PM EDT

[#3]

I have several different locations. Stands varies from 500 yard walk to half a mile. Generally speaking the shorter the walk the less likely you are to sweat and produce more odor for the deer to pick up on.

Posted: 10/22/2014 8:13:36 PM EDT

[#4]

The last two I got I didn't even put on slippers.

Posted: 10/22/2014 8:18:32 PM EDT

[#5]

It would depend on what you are hunting for.

Meat, walk as far as you feel.

Mature bucks, get off the beaten path as far as you can.

Posted: 10/22/2014 8:26:58 PM EDT

[#6]

Depends on which way the wind is blowing. I'll either go to a different stand or come in from a different location. Generally as close as 50 yards to a half mile.

Posted: 10/22/2014 11:17:56 PM EDT

[#7]

Quote History

Quoted:
It would depend on what you are hunting for.

Meat, walk as far as you feel.

Mature bucks, get off the beaten path as far as you can.

View Quote

This right here

Posted: 10/23/2014 3:48:59 PM EDT

[#8]

Quote History

Quoted:
About 200 ft. from my house.

That's the great thing about living in the woods on your own land. The bad is driving 12 miles to the nearest store to buy anything.

View Quote

A problem Id love to have!

Posted: 10/24/2014 12:23:40 AM EDT

[#9]

One of my best stands is 32 yards from a 2 lane road. I could literally order a pizza from the stand.

But, it's the only brushy funnel between a creek bottom and woods, and invariably large bucks will cruise right through there during rut.

Posted: 10/26/2014 12:33:04 AM EDT

[#10]

This week we got lucky and were able to hunt a patch of woods basically in the middle of a growing development. Deer regularly cross through, I got a buck yesterday and today!

In the past I've walked over 2 miles, which is kind of a lot in this area. There were no vehicles allowed. Dragging the deer/pigs out was a chore.

I'm looking into the nearby WMA's, I am planning on walking as far as I can to get away from the most used areas. Not sure how that will be, I need to do some scouting. Probably won't actually get to hunt there till next year.

Posted: 10/27/2014 8:58:35 AM EDT

[#11]

I go about 40a yards. I have a place to hunt that funnels the deer. They come up from either side of me and cross in front. I jave two hills that form the funnel to work as backstops. Sometimes I will turn and take them as they cross the field behind me. Last year I shot two does in the field who were both kind enough to run far enough and each drop along the road. I just had to drive the truck up and load them in. The hills in the funnel are great as I just drag the deer down hill.

Posted: 10/27/2014 2:09:59 PM EDT

[#12]

Get a croaker/burlap sack. Put five 25 pounds bags of sand from the big box store in it. Tie a rope to it and drag it in the woods. That will tell you how far you want to walk in.
Walking in is not the problem. Dragging the deer out can be a bitch.

Posted: 10/28/2014 5:58:54 AM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
Get a croaker/burlap sack. Put five 25 pounds bags of sand from the big box store in it. Tie a rope to it and drag it in the woods. That will tell you how far you want to walk in.
Walking in is not the problem. Dragging the deer out can be a bitch.

View Quote

LOL, sound advice!!

If you guys can't use an atv to get your deer out, get one of the roller carts to pull them out on. Sure beats dragging them.

If you have a buddy to help you drag, use a pole and carry them out indian style....also beats dragging by a long shot!!!!

Posted: 10/28/2014 9:53:38 AM EDT

[#14]

Elk hunting we generally walk 5 - 6 miles a day.

Antelope hunting varies. I could walk out of the truck 30' and shoot one or I can walk a mile or less.

Deer hunting just depends on where we go. If we hunt the lake we take about a 30 minute boat ride. I generally hunt about a mile from where we tie the boat up. One guy only goes about 200 yards from the boat. I have other spots around that area that can take 3 - 4 miles to get to depending on how many hunters are actually in there.

A private farm I have permission to hunt I only have to walk about 500 yards from the truck and I'm in a real good spot.

A local public WMA I hunt I generally walk a little over 2 miles to hunt away from the crowds. I've dragged one 6 point out of that hole and decided it would have to be a bruiser and come out in pieces from now on. No more long drags.

Posted: 10/28/2014 12:09:45 PM EDT

[#15]

From the cabin door I walk 200 yards.

Posted: 10/28/2014 2:23:36 PM EDT

[#16]

Went to my usual spot opening day, had 3/4 section of State owned bottom land to myself. It only took 5 miles of walking back and forth in 20' high willows, 6ft high greasewood, and crossing small creeks to find and shoot a whitetail doe at sunset.

Posted: 10/28/2014 3:42:42 PM EDT

[#17]

In Ohio, I hunt less than 300 yes from the truck. When I hunt PA state land, 2 of my spots are 1/4-1/2 mile in. Another spot where. I killed my first, then biggest buck a few years later, is easily a mile in.

You have to look at a map. I walked over a mile to a spot only to find out someone parked on the backside and walked 1/10 of the distance I did, to get to the same spot.

Posted: 11/17/2014 7:37:19 PM EDT

[#18]

I've shot numerous mature bucks within 100 yards of roads with compound bows or crossbows. The one I got Saturday was 125 yards from my house. I could hear my wife's voice as she called the dogs in after letting them out in the yard. I remember when I was a youth my dad knew a guy with a small airfield and a small plane. He would go up when the snow was on and spot monster bucks and they'd get together a group of guys and drive out and put on bowhunting drives for them. Many of the deer were close to houses, one huge buck was in the weeds 40 yards from a group of kids sledding down a hill. One guy got run over by a large buck when he chose to sit on the deer trail, but that's another story. Deer know where people don't matter.

Posted: 11/17/2014 7:56:08 PM EDT

[#19]

no farther than I wanna drag a bruits. .5 mile or so.

I got a bit deeper last Monday and it was pretty damn sporty getting out of the swamp in the dark. Lights don't go but just so far before they hit brush and such.

Posted: 11/17/2014 8:06:05 PM EDT

[#20]

I walk about 1/2 mile. Good news is that is through a corn field and I could drive my truck to within a few dozen yards of any deer I potentially kill. Farthest I've had to drag one was probably 50 yds.

Posted: 11/17/2014 8:24:23 PM EDT

[#21]

I've got 3 stands set up that aren't 100 yards from my camper.

Just got back from a public land hunt and I sat approximately 75 yards from the road and saw deer. Shot one under my stand at 20 feet.

Man a .270 at 20ft seems to just make them flip over.

Biggest buck I ever shot was at the end of a dirt road from a box blind. Drove within 20 yards of him to load him. I hate dragging deer.

I have hiked so far back I had to pass on deer because I just couldn't drag them out that far. Longest drag I did was almost 2 miles and I won't be doing that ever again.

Posted: 11/19/2014 9:06:06 AM EDT

[#22]

As far as I need to, depends on the property.

Posted: 11/19/2014 10:58:51 AM EDT

[#23]

We've shot lots right of the porch. Inevitably when 4 guys gear up ride out on quads to cover "the north 40" which is a haul away with a half mile hike they say all the deer were in the backyard at 8:30. I have learned (the hard way) that as soon as I walk out of the house switch i to "hunt mode". I had a shot Monday at a buck that was no more than 75 yards from a pretty well traveled road. Denze thicket, creek bottoms briar patches and scrub brush (all typically border roadways) are prime hiding areas. In places TOO close to the road we do organized drives to push holed up deer. One such drive a few years ago resulted in 22 deer running out from "the thick stuff"

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - how far into the woods?

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