Strategies for western mass?
Massachusetts
Hey all. I’m looking for some well thought out strategies in the bigger woods of west central/western mass. I have been bow hunting for the last 3 years with last year being the first year I saw 2 bucks and had a shot on one ( tree limbed it ). I am set up in usual places. Between bedding and feeding areas. Edges of set back fields etc. scent control is good and I just started using game cameras this year. Those things are pricey. any other advice is welcome. I listen to you guys talk about seeing does often. I don’t have that experience. I see does about as much as I see bucks which isn’t that often, sadly. I do get to sit a lot and I don’t mind going out early or staying late. Thanks. This site is valuable.
I’d say your not bad for what guys on here say about out west if you saw a couple bucks in a season. I’m assuming you have no tags. In the next few weeks find the does and stay with them. If you have to wander away from ur normal stands a climber is your friend. I personally like the back corners of fields if they are active. Hopefully you can find a bottle neck with active sign. That should be a goal for you
Thanks proline. I do have a climber and a doe tag!
seeing a couple of bucks per season in the big woods is quite good! I certainly recommend running as many cameras as you can in any place you can get permission or find sign. It is pricey, but it does help narrow down what areas to hunt.
I bought my first two this year. Seems like camera placement has a learning curve also. Only have one nighttime pic so far. Nice 6 point though.
I like to put them on active scrapes when they pop up soon. You can get some very cool videos of some big woods bucks that way.
Ditto to what Ungie said especially if a relatively new hunter. I would add, don't get too attached to one or two spots. If you are not seeing deer keep moving until you find them. They have lots of room to roam and will stay on a specific food source only so long. Consider ad-hoc ground setups as part of the mobility equation.
Tekoa
Move. Move again. Keep moving. Big woods deer rarely stay on the same pattern more than a couple days. If you are on sign from last week, they will be back, but may not be for another week or two. Stay mobile and just keep scout/hunting until you are on screaming sign (clearly fresh tracks, clearly fresh scat, fresh scrapes, maybe even bumped a deer), hunt that for a couple days and if you are not seeing deer... Onward.
Do not get married to any spot - no matter what's happened there. Always scout. Hunt a morning, dont see any deer, walk a loop on the way out to see if they are now: "over there".
I always used to get married to a spot. God forbid I actually see a deer there early, I'd sit it for ever expecting more deer... And I'd watch my friends who hunted as I described above shoot 1-2 deer a year, often 3.5-4.5+ YO bucks and wonder why my strategy wasnt working like there's. We'd chat and I'd ask if they were still hunting X stand and they'd say no, I'm over off such and such road in X town. They were not snowing me. That's how they have evolved to hunt. Hunt screaming hot sign, and if not, move.
I've been a slow adopter, but it's positively been game changing.
So, again. Scout, scout, scout. Stay mobile and ONLY hunt if you feel really good that the sign is HOT. If you dont see deer in a sit or two, move.
Western MA is a time and patience game. Some days are good followed by nothing. Find fresh sign and keep on it!
I live in and hunt big woods big woods deer are always moving you have to find the food source that they are feeding on for they will travel to find food then when the rut comes in hunt the does the bucks will come camera’s also you need to know what you have in the area you are hunting climbers are the way to go for you will be moving all the time to try and keep up then may be feeding in one spot then a mile down the rd the next this year the food source will pay off if you can find it for this year there is not much mast crop out here so if you find where they are feeding hunt it good luck
Same as above... living out here is a totally different hunting experience...We get them but more work is involed and when you think climbing higher sux...picture when downhill is even going up..... Good Luck man !
No advice from me but I did want to comment. I'm off on the other side "the east side" but the comments from the West side explain a lot of the different advice/techniques used in different parts of our state. The last area I was in is also different with lots of constrained runs through towns. It was more about access, anti's and competition. Far less big woods there and lots of edge, swamps, houses, fields, and deer per mile. 495 belt.
Now down the east end its yet another game with funky wind and more room to hunt and some interesting local challenges to work with.
I just wanted to say I appreciate the west side hunters and what their challenges are. And we should all try to keep in mind those different conditions in each area that form the hard-earned and solid advice. Hat tip to you westies!
