This is my first year out and I have hunted with a buddy in a two man stand 3 times. Every time I go out I manage to see deer (no bucks yet). 2 of the times we got the snort wheeze and they were off. I follow all the scent precautions including setting up with the wind in favor. However, every time I either have no shot or get busted. Im thinking my problem is I have no cover behind me to break up my outline. My 2 man ladder stand is set up at the bottom of a ridge about 16-18 feet high at the fork of an old tree with a creek below me and a small marsh/thicket to my rear. No leafs or braches behind me just the large trunk. What are you guys thinking? Am I right? Is there anything I can do without moving my whole setup? That would be a pain.....
Buy a climbing stand. Are the deer uphill from you when they are winding you? Also, two people sitting together using non-existent back cover=you will get picked off by the deer.
are you putting on your outter layers after you get to your hunting location? the deer will almost always smell "something" the trick is to make them think it's old or so faint, it's not a threat. As you sit 18' from them. Try using a few drops of trails end 307 or rub a stick of evercalm on a couple tree trunks. But the truth is, if you are not completely motionless and the deer are line of sight from you, you will be busted.
You could put up some camo netting around the stand to hide leg movement. Also maybe start a couple small holes in the bark with a screw-in tree step and shove some cut branches or evergreen bows in the holes for extra cover.
Stop gunting with a buddy and get one man stands, dont wear your camo in the car, shower with scent free stuff, quit smoking(if you do), get more stands and dont always hunt the same setup
This^^^ How long ago did you set up the 2man? if you just set it up last month then the deer are not used to it and will continue to make notice of it. This is why it favored to set up stands in July or August. this gives the deer plenty of time to get adjusted to it prior to sitting in it. the cover is an issue, you can always cut some small leafed branches and mount them on your stand for cover. I do this with my hang ons. simply bring some zip ties with you and have at it. not to much though.
A camo net would help, but there are spots that no matter where you set a stand the wind will give you up. In a holler along a creek is one of them. Thermals rise in the morning and drop in the evening. The bottom of a holler is bad about this. Next time you sit the stand check the wind every 15 minutes. If you find your getting swirling winds or winds coming from all kinds of directions then you just happened to find one of those spots where you just can't hunt...
Can you see a common point in a nearby thicket they are coming out of? I love me some thick edges where their heads are behind bushes and such.
