Prep Now for Better Mobile Hunting
By Mark Melotik
Many larger public-land tracts hold the kind of isolated habitat big bucks crave, but to access some of them there’s a catch. Yes, you can hunt anywhere you’d like within those boundaries, but you’ve got to pack in all your gear — and have it out by nightfall of that same day.
As a youngster in Wisconsin, I once thought those regulations too restrictive. But these days, I con-sider such laws an advantage. It’s because I’ve adapted both my hunting techniques, and gear, to help me out-maneuver the less-motivated competition.
Staying ultra-mobile lets me hunt a wide variety of potential hotspots in a relative short period of time. Today, I’m just as comfortable hunting huge new tracts of public land as long-familiar private tracts. I owe it all to a simple system that allows me to pack in and find and hunt the hottest sign the very same day. If you don’t have the right gear, now is the time to add it, and get comfortable using it, before fall seasons arrive.
Digital Mapping
All your hunts should start with detailed maps, and today’s hunt-focused apps (I use HuntStand) allow you to access any of them quickly and easily on your phone. But even before I use the app to start zeroing in on deer hotspots, I use the maps to pattern other hunters. I start by considering pub-lic-access roads. Typically I’m looking for large unbroken chunks of woods at least 1.5 miles from the nearest road, and 2 or more is ideal. The reality is most bowhunters won’t trek that far in and out each day.
The Right Spot
Most of my public-land hunting occurs on huge stretches of county and national forest — bigwoods tracts that can have precious little variation in elevation or general terrain. Good topo/terrain maps let you dissect this sea of sameness by showing subtle and obvious clues to whitetail hotspots. The banks of waterways, especially large rivers and creeks, are obvious game highways. Less-obvious spots in-clude islands in large swamps, and funnels created by thick swamp edges.
Light Is Right
The lightest gear will help you move faster, go farther and find more hot sign. The biggest challenge is your stand system — tapping a balance of weight, comfort and setup ease. I use both saddle sys-tems and ultra-compact hang-ons such as the Lone Wolf Custom Gear .5 Hang-on. I’ll pair either with a set of ultra-compact, ultralight climbing sticks and a specialized treestand pack (I like the Sitka Car-go Box) that allows for maximum comfort while packing in deep.
The Right Boots
Over the years, I’ve worn out several pairs of hip boots while using them exclusively for public-land bowhunting. They help me cross rivers and streams, and wade through marshes and sloughs to access areas few others consider. When temperatures are severe, I stow my hippers or waders once water is crossed, and change into insulated boots packed over my shoulders.
Be Ready To Roam
In my late teens, I hung out with a whitetail guru who offered some advice I’ve never forgotten: Scout two days for every day you hunt. Roaming the woods in a more or less continual search for the hot-test sign takes high energy and serious motivation, and you won’t tap into either if you’re out of shape. These days my love for mobile hunting keeps me in the gym virtually year-round, and my whitetail hunting has seen the benefits.