THE most critical time of hunting

[Legolas]

Some of you are just excellent at this. It is what you do to get to full draw on a whitetail without getting made. I have lost a shot because I had my legs crossed or was out of position to get into position.
I try to stand when the hour is critical like right before sundown, but I can't stand all day.

What is your system to get that shot off undetected?

[Cyclic-Rivers]

For starters, I don't cross my legs lol.

My trick is to see them first.  I may move my head more often than I should but seems to work pretty well.

They may slip in undetected form time to time but, in these cases, I always have my bow in a spot where I can get it without much movement. Sometimes it works other times i get busted.

[ChuckC]

Move slow, as soon as I can after seeing the deer.  I like to stand the last hour, and i like to hold my bow the last half hour.  

Actually, I hold my bow a lot, not liking to hang it and have to reach for it.  Maybe that right there is the biggest aid.  I already have it in hand with arrow on the string.  I either have it across my knees or, usually, I have a small 6" square piece of carpet on the stand that I set the lower tip onto and hold it upright against my leg.  

I try to position the stand so that I can shoot from a sitting position without moving at all (but I like to stand). Umm don't cross legs.

I also think that, by "aiming" at a target just past the deer (which direction depends on righie or leftie shooter) so that the raised bow arm covers some of the draw movement, although some will point out that moving the arm straight back reveals less visible movement.
ChuckC

[Orion]

Yep.  Seeing them first goes a long way to getting off a good shot.  I also hold my bow most of the time, either horizontally across my lap, or vertically between my legs, with an arrow nocked and held in place with an arrow holder.  

My bow hand is always on the grip area, though sometimes the bow is under a muff I wear.  Just a simple matter to slip the bow hand out, grab the bow, draw and shoot.

I prefer sitting to shoot.  No extra movement, and no extra human parts (like legs) to start shaking.  Also, by staying sitting, I don't increase the angle of the shot, making for a slightly larger "kill" area.

I try to position my stands where the critter needs to walk by some obstruction.  I draw when its head goes behind it.  If not, I wait until it turns its head the other way.  On occasion, I need to let it walk slightly past me before I draw.  And, on a number of occasions, I just don't get the shot.  That's hunting.

[Bill Turner]

I do most of my shooting from a sitting position(ladder stand, tri-pod, ground blind)which limits movement for sure. I keep my bow arm ready, arrow on string, and held in position to draw with limited movement. I will normally rest the lower bow tip on my boot or stand for support in a position which will allow access to my shooting lanes with a minimum of movement. Last but not least I do not over trim my shooting lanes. I try to leave enough cover to hide any movement as I prepare to shoot. Good luck and shoot straight.  

[D.J. Carr]

I stand as soon as I see or even think I see a deer, but I do it slowly.

I stand the last and first 45-60 mins of daylight

I often have my bow on my lap when I am sitting, it actually gently lays across my climber almost perfect.  This way bow is in hand, I can shoot sitting if necessary, and its already in hand when I stand.

I take a few deep breathes. LOL

[johnnyk71]

like others have said, i shoot from a seated position as often as i can. i keep my bow across my lap, with an arrow nocked. i also mostly use the old Fred Bear push-pull draw when drawing on an animal, because it allows for the least amount of non-straight-ahead movement.

i also anticipate every single deer i shoot at to drop, at least a little, at the sound of the shot. let's face it, they ALL do where i hunt.

one day i'd like to hunt a huge buck like the ones i see on t.v., that has never seen a human in all 5 1/2 years of its life, and doesn't even flinch as the arrow blasts through it. unfortunately, until then i'm stuck with these deer that were imported from Afghanistan! they're all gonna front load those legs and drop some. i aim low, and it works.

[wingnut]

I always am in a position to shoot.  If seated I shoot seated and if standing I shoot standing.  If the position I'm in does not allow the shot on this deer I wait until it does.

My bow is always in my left hand and ready to slowly move into a shooting position.

It's worked for me for a long time.

Mike

[Archie]

In spite of the fact that I'm a strong candidate for the world's worst deer hunter, I'll chime in...

I like to hunt on the ground, and usually sit on a small folding stool.  I try to keep my bow standing vertically with an arrow on the string, so I can make the least amount of movement necessary if a surprise critter shows up.  I've been busted a few times trying to get my bow from horizontal to vertical.

[Orion]

Hey JohnnyK, those 5 1/2-year-old deer you see on TV have probably seen people almost every every day of their lives, at feeding time, for example, or when they're being evaluated over bait or in food plots from 4-wheelers or box blinds.  Since people have never bothered them before, I'm sure the deer figure why move?      

[Charlie3]

I hold my bow with an arrow on the nock at all times. This is not comfortable, but I got some added willpower from getting caught with my drawers down too many times. Start off trying to hold it for an hour. Then add 30 min, ect. I usually do nto sit in one spot more than 3 1/2 hours, doubt I could hold it together much longer than that.

[Bud B.]

Bow in shooting hand with arrow nocked. Shoot sitting or standing. Wait until they're looking away if at all possible.

I set my stand up so I can shoot the most likely spot they'll appear so I can stay seated. I only stand up of possible or to de-numb my butt.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Wow! I guess I'm just lucky I kill anything       I hang my bow as soon as I get in the stand with an arrow on it and ready, I move around often stretching maybe eating a apple. I'm often texting my Tradgang buddy's and giving them updates on how many deer and turkeys have gone by or I'm seeing. If it's really slow I will read a book and often have my legs crossed, lol hasn't cost me any deer that I can remember.

I really don't care about camo but I have some really nice and comfortable stuff so I bounce around what I wear. I had 13 deer and 6 turkeys walk by the other night at 15yds and closer and didn't have a bit of camo or head net on covered in bug spray. Took picks and video and sent it to a couple Tradgang buds.

I rely on my eyes and ears to let me know when deer are coming,  have I been snuck up on before? Sure I have and it won't be the last time. Rarely and I mean rarely have I not been able to move slowly and grab my bow or camera and still get the shot if I wanted to. I had plenty of tradgangers hunt with me that can back me up on the way we hunt and still kill plenty of big bucks and we do not hunt over feeders or corn piles.

Tracy

[reddogge]

If in a tree stand I stand most of the time. I sit when tired. I feel I have more mobility this way to shift right and left.

On the ground I sit most of the time and stand to relieve my legs.

[johnnyk71]

Originally posted by Orion:
Hey JohnnyK, those 5 1/2-year-old deer you see on TV have probably seen people almost every every day of their lives, at feeding time, for example, or when they're being evaluated over bait or in food plots from 4-wheelers or box blinds.  Since people have never bothered them before, I'm sure the deer figure why move?        

haha! good point. maybe I should switch from camo to a zookeeper's uniform!  

[CoachBGriff]

I'm with Tracy on this one. Once a deer is within sight, I'm deadly still, but until then, I tend to keep my head on a swivel to spot them first.

I do, however, keep my stands in trees that provide plenty of cover.  I like big trees or trees with limbs hanging around me.  I hate getting picked off, so I will give up the perfect spot if it doesn't have a tree that will offer me some sort of cover - doesn't have to be perfect, just something.

[Pointer]

Seeing them first is definitely important. I try to avoid a standoff...they see me and start head bobbing to catch me moving etc. The key to this for me is never allowing myself to be surprised by one..I try to always keep in mind that a deer can pop out of the bush in front of me at any time and I have to keep my composure if one does. I always hope to see one coming towards the scrape and I can stand when his vision is obscured. I have done this many many times over the years without being detected. It is very important to sit still at all times...move your eyes and to a lesser extent your head only as needed to cover the area where you expect a shot to present itself. In recent years I've passed up many more shots than I've taken...but my goal is for the choice to be mine.

[smoke1953]

Having my legs and or feet out of position has doomed me many times which increases movement on the whole process.

[longbowman]

I have to say in more than 50 yrs. of bowhunting I've only had, knock on wood, 3 deer catch me off guard without me knowing they were coming.   I've been blessed with great hearing and intuition I guess.  That being said, I always stand at first light for at least 1/2 hr. and I usually stand the same at the end of a day.  It's just old habits.

[Gooserbat]

I stand more than I set, I also use a bow holder mounted on the left side of my stand that holds my bow upright and in position to simply raise and shoot.