Sunday morning and the birds are waking up. The family is still in the sack, and my coffee is about to be in my hand. What an incredible 4 days of prep work in the woods with lots of great video footage. The wheels of success are turning and many plans are really taking shape. It looks like four properties will get my attention this fall.

In this post I want to cover a little property savvy. This is to buy some time so you guys can answer the quiz questions from my last post. Why is it important to have multiple properties to hunt? And why is 4 the magic number? One word says it all….Diversity!

Let’s work it backwards. Property number 4 is a spare in case I lose one of the other 3. This property ideally can be hunted on any day of the season and has all the components of all the other properties combined. This is a bread and butter property and is to be the most secure as far as not having a chance of losing access or permission. Its sole function is to prevent hunting lock down.

Property number 3 is my “microwave” property. It must be close to home or work. Its entire working function is quick hunts with very little time involved. Let’s say I only have 2 hours of daylight left. I pull what I call the quick hit. Over the years I have killed several super bucks on these quick hit setups. Generally speaking, stands are already hung. 20 minute max entry including driving to be ready to pull it off. This maximizes time and utilizes the solar movement force. This stand or series of stands must be able to be hunted during all wind conditions, and its sole purpose is to be able to hunt on a night, or morning with only an hour and a half in your pocket to spend.

You are there at prime time only, so percentages are good for action soon after arrival, and pressured big bucks are conditioned to this time frame, being nocturnal by nature. So on a day that has you running behind on everything and you don’t have time to shower, etc, instead of becoming a boob in front of the tube, you’re Elmer Fudd out tracking a stud.

Property number 2 is my dark period property. This property is anything but convenient but can be very user friendly. This properties function is to produce a shot at my target bucks of the year. All four properties may have stands locations to accommodate the dark period, so it is not to say that I will be glued to this one in particular, but this property has stands set for all-day hunts over doe families and travel routes and the daytime safety zone for bucks. Travel time is of no concern, and I am planning on uninterrupted pursuit on this property during all three dark periods. This is my meat and potatoes property, my kill celebration meal.

Property number 1 is my gun season property. This property’s entire purpose is to take advantage of high hunting pressure. I already know where I will be with my bow during gun season. All my properties may have a location to accommodate this purpose, but this property is a high percentage gun-season location and plays into the hand of the wise hunter.

The key component at this location is pressure working for you, not against you. The other key component is disruption. This property must be able to be accessed without running deer to other hunters, and recovery with this in mind as well. With guns everywhere, what a bummer it would be to spook a 3 year investment to a guy a mile away in a shack that only hunts a few days per year. I want them to move the bucks to me and I don’t want to return the favor. This is my pressure cooker spot and it puts a lid on locked-up bucks that are stubbornly nocturnal, and where movement is confined to a very small safe place.

Property savvy is an overlooked tactic. Being prepared has tons of value in it. It is very important to the serious trophy hunter. It only takes 7 seconds to draw anchor, settle in and shoot, whether you have been there 5 minutes or all day, not being prepared with options of where to hunt has often cost me big time. Flooding, drought, leased land lost, property changing hands, development you name it. Knowing where you will be prepping your properties to the different waves of hunting season according to all the variables is a key to yearly success.

From the forces of nature, to the mindset of men we must be two steps ahead of the game or we will end up on the losing end everytime. Are you totally prepared for hunting season this Fall? Property savvy can make you or break you.

Daily prayer – Lord please help me to acknowledge you in all my ways so you will make my path straight. Give me the wisdom to seek you and your kingdom first so all things good may be added to my life. I thank you for another day, put a person in need in my path so I may help them as you have helped me. I am here to serve you Lord in any way you ask. Amen