Am I doing something wrong?

[Marvin M.]

I read posts (and stories in magazines) all the time where guys talk about all the deer that they see from their stands.  Sometimes that number is twenty or more.  And I admit that I'm not out there as much as most of these people are, but either I'm doing something wrong or there just aren't that many deer where I hunt.

My best day hunting I had eleven deer sightings.  It was during the rut and at least three of those sightings was the same deer (an odd shaped antler distinguished him).

I've killed a grand total of six deer (all bow) and one of those was with a recurve.  Last year I saw deer every time I was out, but never took a shot.  I let a button buck walk that I felt like I could have killed, and got busted by a six-pointer before he moved out of the brush.  I don't push it on taking shots, but wonder if I am not seeing as many deer as I should.

I practice scent control and hunt from a climbing tree stand most of the time.  I've killed one deer from the ground and allowed a stupid six-pointer to walk that was too dumb to shoot (a gun hunter shot him two days later).

I know that there are less deer here than other places, but am I missing something?

Opening day here, I had a doe pass my stand twice and was not aware of my presence.  I even had a shot op. when she squatted to pee less than twenty yards from my stand, but didn't feel good about it.

I haven't taken a shot at a deer since 2004 (my only recurve kill), and just can't figure out what I'm doing wrong, if anything.  Don't get me wrong.  I know that you shouldn't expect to kill something every time you are out and that is not that important to me, but I would like to see more deer and have the confidence that I am doing something right?

What say you gang?  Is it just sighting/opportunity envy, or am I messing up?

Thanks for the input.

[ishiwannabe]

We need to know more....where are you setting up? Funnels...food sources...etc. What type of scent control do you practice?
Are you sneaking in to your stand locations mindful of the wind, bedding areas and the like, or do you just take a straight line of travel?
Do you hunt the stands according to the prevailing wind? These are just a few things I consider before hanging a stand, or approaching a stand. Analyze every thing you do, and its consequences...when you are done, do it again. Then ask yourself what you can do to impact the deer the least. Walk in at oh dark thirty? Go a mile out of the way to use the wind? Etc etc.
Hope this helps.

[Mr.Magoo]

Sounds like your "problem" is you're not taking shots.  You can't let deer walk by, not take shots and then wonder why you haven't shot more deer ...

[Marvin M.]

I'm not worrying about the shots.  Just why aren't I seeing more deer.

Jamie,

Current set up is on a ridge that is a travel corridor.  Oaks on both sides and an old logging road running down the peak.  Bedding area at the foot of the spine.  Setting up in a walnut with a cedar screening the uphill approach.  I'm just off on the downwind side of the peak and have a view of the ridge and a grown up power line intersection.  Lots of trails on both sides of the ridge and the only pond on the property is again, at the foot of the ridge in the grown up bedding area.  prevailing wind is acoss the ridge top from left to right.  

I usually see deer there but one or two is all I normally see.

The farm is relatively cleared of underbrush, but there is a lot of traffic across it.  Lots of deer are killed there during gun season so I know they are in there, I just don't see them.  Again, I'm in thicker stuff and the guys who gun hunt it set up on the field edges.

There is a bruiser buck in there that I have seen once (out of season and long distance), that is eluding everyone (even the gun hunters).

I know I should be hunting food sources now, but the Oaks that I have located have no acorns on the ground.  I can't see evidence that deer are picking them up either and don't see any on the trees.

Scent control for me is wash myself and clothing in unscented soap.  Spray down with scent elimination spray before entering woods.  Rubber boots into the stand and sometimes I even step in a cow pie to further muddle things.  I also rub down with cedar branches frequently (lots of them on the farm) and don't touch anything I can keep from.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Killing isn't important.  I just want to see more deer.

[BobW]

It because the stories are all LIES!!!!!!  

[Orion]

Move around a little, I mean your stand.  In most areas, particularly if there are a lot of deer, they'll have your stand made in a day or two, particularly if you use it frequently.  They'll first scent check, and if you're there, they'll just change direction and/or walk around you out of sight.  I usually have a half-dozen to 10 stand locations.  Which I use depends on the wind, but I try to give any location I use at least a two or three day rest between sits.  Good luck.

[Jason Lester]

Ok one thought. I used a climbing stand (still do at times.) but Until I ironed out a few things I found it to be a bit noisy to climb a tree. Especialy at close to sun up. Deer are smart and if they hear something odd like that they will stay away from that area. One solution is to go in realy early to climb so they will forget about it. Another thing I did was cover most or all of my stand with camo duct tape. So if you accedentaly hit it there isn't a metalic noise.

The other biggest hint I know is to hunt funnels. My primary hunting area is a wooded creek line sourounded by open feilds. The deer travel mostly down in the low area near the creek. I have one spot that deer travel almost every day. From food to bedding areas. Its thick an protected but in a few places there are great hunting spots.

I mainly hunt on the ground now. I see a few less deer but its more exciting to be on the ground for me. I think your numbers of sightings aren't bad. I think you'll learn where to be and look as you go. Bowhunting is a learning deal (forever I believe.)

BTW BobW probably has the answer really. LOL

[Marvin M.]

I only get out every couple of weeks.  I don't think they have time to pattern me.  The one deer that was there didn't have a clue I was watching her.  I feel like I'm doing that right.

Maybe it is just the property I am on.  I've got permission to hunt a new place.  I'm going to see what I can come up with there.  It's not hunted at all for archery now, so I will be the only one on it.  Maybe new property will get me more focused.

[Talondale]

It depends if they are there in that many numbers or not.  I've hunted a property and seen few deer and then moved to another property within a few miles of the first and had deer running me over.  It just may be there aren't that many deer and you are seeing a good percentage of them.  Does the area have lots of sign? heavy over-browsing? bare edges on crop fields?

[StanM]

If there are a lot of deer in your area there will evidence of a lot of deer in your area, though you may not always see them.  I hunt blacktails, not whitetails and until I bought a trail cam I didn't know how many deer were in the area I hunted.  They were almost completely nocturnal, pre-rut, bedded in stuff so thick that it was very difficult if not impossible to stalk without getting busted.  I knew there were deer in the area because there was sign of deer in the area, but I sure didn't see that many of them.  If you've got the dough, a trail cam is pretty fun.

Also, don't be fooled by TV shows.  I think it seems like they are always seeing game, but remember that they are often times hunting unpressured animals and that they have days and days of time afield to make up a 30 minute show.  We don't get to see the hours TV hunters spend on stand without sightings.

Stan

[Marvin M.]

I can't be the only one that has thought this.  I admit I can't spend two or three weeks a year hunting, so I don't have the "exposure" that others have, and maybe that is the extent of my problem.  I try to be methodical and think things through.  This stand site is the best one that I have on that farm and I do consistently see deer from there, but not in the numbers that I hear people talking about.

I just want to learn.  Can I do something different that will improve my chances?

[DeerSpotter]

I have been hunting state land, and in three years I have seen 5 deer, that's right 5, state land where I've been hunting, is really pressured and they really go nocturnal early.

This year I've moved 20 mi. north, and I hunt 50 mi. north of that.  I went out one time.  To unknown area (state land) and I saw one deer, to me that's a blessing, because I never saw anything until two weeks into the season last year.  If I hunt the way I did last year, I will see even more deer this yr.

Last year I was just hunting areas they had more people than deer.  Not anymore.  I'm being picky.

And if I don't get a deer this year it's OK.  Yes I will be disappointed, but I haven't gotten a deer in two years in hunting in this state.  My own fault, not hunting the right areas.

BrokenArrow 1

[vermonster13]

Are there folks hunting near you who claim to see a lot more deer or are you just basing this on videos?

11 deer can make a good season up here a lot of years.

[Marvin M.]

Talondale,

There is sign, but the place isn't eat up with sign.  The next farm over is overgrown and there is more sign there, but I don't have permission to hunt it.

From what I can read and see, I'm doing the right things, but I don't get the sightings that some people talk about.

Opening day when I saw three deer was a very good day for me.  Shoot, if I just see one I consider it a good day.  Having one close enough to shoot (let alone taking a shot) is an exceptional day.

I don't have anyone to hunt with me, other than some of the gun hunters who are trying to get me to take up a gun, so I hunt alone.  I can't talk them into getting down their compounds and going with me.  The prevailing attitude is something like "What for?  I can kill all I want when gun season opens!".  So I hunt alone and am learning on my own.

Sometimes you need some validation that you are doing the right things.

[Marvin M.]

Vermonster,

The gun hunters talk about seeing a lot, but they set up on the field edges so they can see 200+ yards.  I don't bother setting up there because I want at least the appearance of actual hunting istead of viewing.  

I won't take a shot out of my comfort range, so I try to set up so I can see deer in that comfort range.

Three deer sighted is my best day on that farm.  The eleven deer day was on another farm that I hunted for five years until the owner sold it.  Took me a while to figure out the deer there.

[ishiwannabe]

Sounds like it is time to go for a walk and check things out a bit. The trails you are on may be "old", from another time of year, different food source.
If you can, try to find some aerial photos, or sat. images of your hunting property. Then take the time to really study it. Then go for your walk.
If the deer are not around, look at the photo and try to figureout the best places to look. Then look.
I have hunted the land around here since I was old enough to, and it never really amounted to much. I checked aerials about seven years ago, and get my deer almost every year now. It all clicked when I looked at the pics and thought it out.
Sounds like everything else is golden. Maybe it will take a while before that stand turns hot?
Another thing I like to do around "thick stuff". I walk the edge of it, looking for trails into or out of it. Then I back track those trails to find out where they lead, and look for ambush spots along the way.
Hope you get one.

[vermonster13]

Find the bedding areas, feeding areas and funnels. Pre-rut can be frustrating and a lot of doe/fawn action with maybe some young bucks unless it is a real unpressured area. Otherwise you probably will only see the big numbers in staging areas around the feeding areas and in the feeding areas that congregate the deer. Even then most big bucks will be seen just before dark if at all.

[Marvin M.]

Jamie,

I'll revisit that.  I've looked at them before and got some general ideas.  I'll go back and try it again.

I might even post it here and ask for comments.

[ishiwannabe]

What about your walk into the stand? Might be worth looking into a quieter downwind route...

[Marty]

Ever consider Barry Wensel's Bootcamp? Seriously, it is a great learning tool. Don't know how much longer he'll be doing them, so I'd give him a call.