I've given up on hunting whitetails... several times this season. I really prefer small game. My quitting on deer usually only lasts from Saturday evening through about Thursday, then I decide to give it another try.
Not this week.
I just came from a 3-hour sit in a nice oak, where I spotted a dandy buck -- looks like a large 8-point -- about 100 yards away. On the way out at dark, having had no shots, I moseyed over to where I saw him and saw lots of scrapes; it's obvious he is very active in this spot. And there's a great tree to sit in right in the middle of it. The landowner told me tonight that he's seen this deer there regularly at the same hour of the day. If it seems worth my time, I'm going to try again on Monday and Tuesday afternoon this week.
Now... I work full-time and also am the pastor of a small church. My wife is having a difficult pregnancy and we have a 2 year-old. I just don't have the time to sharpen my skills like many of you do. I have the right gear, a good bow, and am a good shot. But deer...? I've never gone deer hunting except by myself, so am learning on my own. And on TradGang!
Those of you who are deer wise, I would like to borrow of your wisdom...
1. Is it bad to walk down a to a stand along a light deer trail? Should I walk someplace else? Due to the lay of the land, there is no way for me to approach from another direction without making a huge amount of noise.
2. Am I right in thinking that deer tend to bed down during the day in the woods, and feed in the cornfields at night? Why is this buck going the other way, then?
3. I think it would work to put some diluted doe pee in a spray bottle and spray along the trail as I walk in. Here and there. Would my own scent make this pointless?
4. I have only 1 place to hunt. 150 acres, a mile of riverfront. It's a wetland, and the deer tend to dribble all across the property rather than create main trails. The wind always blows W to E, such that I cannot get into the huntable area without my scent getting blown across where I think the deer are. Unless I canoe in from the river. This is because of the abundance of water in the hunting territory. Again, there's no way to come in from the backside without crashing through lots of brush. Once the deer smell me come in the stand, is it hopeless? And how far can I expect my scent to carry?
5. Do whitetails avoid water, or do they muck through it (1 foot deep, mucky bottom) just as happily as dry ground?
I've successfully hunted ducks, coyotes, foxes, pheasants, squirrels, ptarmigan, grouse, and rabbits. I've bow-killed a very ignorant, unlucky -- but very tasty -- button buck. But understanding the whitetail is starting to appear too time-consuming for me. Anyone want to contribute?