Getting real close to deer?

[faustus]

Here a question for you folks that have been really close to a deer ...
And what do I mean by "close"? Let’s say within 3 yards (10 feet) on the ground
... or so close that you could nearly touch it.

I am pretty new to hunting and I was wondering how do you guys manage to get so close?
Last year I had a buck walk by me a couple times at 10 – 15 yards but it was still too dark to shoot. This year I am thinking about setting up my ambush even closer but I am afraid he will smell me.

So, what are the conditions under which you are able to get within 10 feet of a deer? Are there any patterns ... heavy wind, heavy rain ... ?

Do you stalk, do you ambush?
What do you guys do for scent control?

Any experience to share?

[getstonedprimitivebowhunt]

.... two "WORDS"  DOWNWIND and FUNNELS (any lay in the land that will funnel deer to you)  That will get you close ! I once had a doe come by a great funnel ... I was between to large rocks..I slap the doe on the .."BUTT" as it past !!! Dang doe didn't know what happen"  It was so funny...I wish it was filmed !!

[paradocs]

Dumb luck....

[getstonedprimitivebowhunt]

I have also shot deer with my selfbow that were hit with the arrow only a few yards off bow (5-7 feet) Dumb luck maybe ..maybe not !!!! I always wanted deer at close range... Anything past twenty yards doesn't much interest me much.

[buckeye_hunter]

I like to ambush hunt!

I had a big buck at about 2 yards 3 years ago and I couldn't even draw on him. He was completely rut crazed and couldn't smell me. I was hiding in the center of a cluster of 3 trees that grew in very close proximity,almost on top of each other. Anyway, I wound up too close to get a shot.

Two seasons ago, I had a nice buck bedded 10 yards from me in a thicket. I didn't even know he was there until he got up to leave. It was too late to do anything about it by the time I turned around. This was in the same spot. Both the deer and I picked our spots before sun-up so I never caught him sleeping in the thicket.

Long and short of it are; have great back cover and just enough in front to break things up!
Make sure the leaves are gone around your feet down to soft dirt for a decent diameter. Wear soft clothes(fleece/wool) that don't make noise and keep the wind in your favor! If leaning against a tree, remove any loose bark that might catch your clothing.

I would still try to keep em out at 10-12 yards. If you have the wind in your favor they can't smell you. No scent control really needed. I will step in a puddle before entering the woods, if possible, to minimize my foot scent trail on the way into the woods.  I don't mind smoke on my clothes either. It doesn't seem to matter to the deer.

Scent control is overrated on the whole(just my opinion). Have you ever seen an african hunter/tracker worry about it? They are the best there is and they don't fool with it.

I believe scent control/cover scent originated after someone saw lions rolling in zebra urine prior to stalking them. Not sure about that though.

Okay, that's my 2 cents!

[rastaman]

If you are already 10 to 15 yards away, why do you want to be any closer?  
Definitely downwind and in an ambush (nat'l or ground blind).  At 3 yards, everything is magnified.  A tiny sound you could get away with at 10 to 15 yards, you will not get away with at "touching" distance.  If there isn't at least a slight breeze, your scent will "pool" around you, and you will be busted.
Good luck with your season.  i think you already have a great set-up and wouldn't want to be any closer.  

[paradocs]

  I've laid hands on two over the years, and shot several pretty darn close; once had to dive out of the way of a doe careening towards me.  Right place, right time (or wrong, in the latter case)...nothing more magical than that.

[jhg]

I've had two deer within three feet. Once it was drizzle rain the other dry. At that range wind has no factor- its how you smell and how you act and how you look. Both times I was on the ground and not standing up. When I blinked the buck just about jumped out of his skin!! (a two yr old 3x3)

Don't smell like anything. You can't eliminate all odor but you can smell neutral. And wear clothing that blends in. I never wear camo but I do wear muted wool colors that are in the deer environment and so blend in.

I might add that when deer are at all pressured don't think that they will walk up to you and sniff. The more skittish they are the less willing they are to investigate interesting stuff(you).

These were young deer BTW. I have not had a mature buck, with a few years of hunting seasons under his belt, be so careless.

Joshua

[getstonedprimitivebowhunt]

...at any close range you need to be ready before it happens... Be ready at all times. I agree with Buckeye_Hunter !!! I don't worry about scent to much ..stay down wind.. Get clean before hunting... I also sometimes pull up a sassafas root and break in up on trail where I think the deer will come... More that once ..they stop at it. To bad for them ..They sure tasted good ... hmmmmmmm !

[getstonedprimitivebowhunt]

....this is last years (Oct 28 , 2009) Ohio deer season Buck I got with "FLINT" tipped primitive arrow. I doubled lung it at 12 yards.. Dang that was a long shot !!!

 

[John Nail]

do a search in the topics section for "Ground hunting" we've covered it a lot in the past.

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

It's a whole lot easier to let them get close than for you to get close.. As others stated hunt the wind and the funnels.

Biggest problem with letting them get "too" close is getting drawn on them. Inside of 20 yards that can be real tough.

The distractor on the off side of the trail helps a lot, just don't leave your scent on it.

[Hud]

I was sitting on a log, over a ravine and had a blacktail walk beneath me. It was within 5 ft.

Another time while hunting elk, I had a group of five elk walk past me within 5 feet. They walked past a large fir, and I was kneeling in the snow on the opposite side in white camo. My face, hands and black Super Kodiak gave me away as soon as I start to draw.

On another elk hunt, in the Blue Mtns of SE Washington, while hunting a ridge the fog came in the valley and with 30 min. it was impossible to see 10 feet. I walked into a herd of about 25 that were bedded in some firs. They exploded from their beds and several nearly ran over me. I doubt they could see any better, because they were running to small trees as they scattered.  I was literally in the middle of the herd, and did not see them. I am sure they did not see me at first, but one got my scent or saw me walk past it, and it set off a chain reaction. I remember the sound of hoofs and trees breaking.

I was hunting Mountain Goats near Monte Cristo, outside Darrington and got within 10 feet of a big billy bedded on a rock ledge above me, and around a corner of the rock wall. I was getting into position for a shot when I felt a cool breeze touch the back of my neck; the next thing that happened before I could move around the corner, I heard it jump off the ledge. I could not see the billy because of the shape of the rock wall. It was impossible to get to it from above because the rock face was close to 100 ft high.

I shot a running Whitetail in a thicket along Tucannon Creek, in the Blue Mtns, when three ran by me at under 10 feet. It was very thick, and they were running towards me and turned towards by left and I took the last one as it came through an opening or shooting lane.

There have been a few other encounters of he close kind.

[Mitch-In-NJ]

Just a fun story, but about two years ago I found a nice hole to hide in.  Right in the middle of a bunch of stickers about 5 yards off a two track with a large oak to lean against.

I have had turkeys and deer walk right past me and never see me and one day I had a doe turn off the trail and start walking right toward me.  She wasn't 5 feet from me when a bird landed on my shoulder and scared the beejeezus out of me.  I flinched and that doe seemed to leap 10 feet into the air, spin around and do a cartoon run before hitting the ground again.  Once my heart got back into my chest all I could do was laugh and go home for a change of shorts.

Sadly the farmer who owns this property bulldozed this spot in April so his grandson could go 4 wheeling.

Anyway, it's just luck, but you improve the odds greatly by scouting hard and putting yourself in a position where that might happen.

[frassettor]

Last year I notced alot of activity behind me almost near dark. So 1 night I got down early to "stalk" out to my car, after 15 minutes or so there was 2 deer that bolted. 1 deer stayed to my left and the other one to my right. I stayed put because it sounded that they werent sure what was happening. After 5 minutes or so, I heard 1 deer coming back to investgate.

I had an arrow nocked and ready with only a Willow bush in between us.either it was going to go to my left (which would have been perfect) or to my right. It eventually bounded off to the right as I tried to get an arrow on its way. That deer was literly 3 ft from me. Thank God for that bush, otherwise I might not have been able to get that close. I wasnt wearing a Ghillie aththe time. I do have one though and will hunt with it more this year. That is an unbelievable feeling to get that close.

[mrjsl]

I've had a lot of deer very close. One summer I was scouting around when I jumped a doe and she had two yearlings with her - had just lost their spots. Mama ran away, but the two young un's froze, as did I - in mid stride. One of the little deer kept trying to get me to move, but I stayed still. Eventually it came right up to me and sniffed my leg. I was downwind. Once it got a whiff of me it hauled butt.

I slept late one morning and got to my place about 7:30 - about the same time as a 6 point who made a circle around me at 2-3 yards away watching me until he got downwind and spooked.

I had a huge non typical buck - way bigger than I have ever killed come up and bed down 50 yards from my tree stand in a flooded swamp. I had the wind in my favor, and managed to get down out of my stand and crawl within 15 steps of him - needed 2 more yards to get a clean shot and he spooked cause I made noise.

The common thread is - you better have a steady wind in your favor. I never used any scent stuff. Just shower in unscented soap in the morning. However, I have been winded by deer that were 300 yards away in a strong breeze before, so I do not try to fool the nose - stay downwind. If that cannot be done, then I spend the day more or less scouting. It's not hard to get pretty close to deer, but I have not seen one get his nose fooled.

Deer are supposed to be able to smell better than dogs, and I have two coon dogs - I have seen them in action. If a deer has a better sense of smell than that, you won't fool it.

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

As far as war stories go, I was setting on a small dead fall which was just the right height that I could straddle it and lean against a second tree.
I had a young 4 point come out and walk down beside me.
I had an arrow on the string and one end of my bow setting on the ground, I had to turn the bow slowly so he would not bump into the arrow.
Shortly after than a doe came in from behind me and went the opposite way, but I already had the bow turned.

[JEFF B]

you could always do what i did once.......
fall a sleep under a tree you would be suprised at how close they  come.  

[lpcjon2]

The wind,funnels, and outside of turns in the deer trail.but first and foremost the wind.