I did not kill a deer this year with the bow, I had 3 chances at 3 does and something happened each time that prevented me from closing the deal. I only saw 3-4 small bucks at a distance this year. I went 6 sits in a row without laying eyes on a single deer. The land I hunt is private, massive, and very few hunters. There is more bedding and browse than there is anything else. Very few oaks. So what do I do? I scout more than I hunt. Trying to find that golden place amongst the sea of bedding and browse. This is the south, it's still hot, it's all pine and cutover timber company and very little diversity. Yesterday I reflected on what the hell I did wrong and for many years I have always done what I did this year. Scout, a lot. The light bulb went off, that's it, scouting too much. Looking for something that's not there. I ruined the woods. Too much intrusion, too much scent laid down and too much walking through and around bedding. It's hard not to, everywhere is bedding. But I should have known better, anyone that hunts land like this, especially in the south understands what I am relating to. It's a tough gig to even see deer sometimes when you can't pinpoint where they will bed and eat. The last thing one needs to do is go looking for what is likely not there, a bedding or feeding area. Deer that live their lives in these massive pine plantations and cutovers always seem to have the advantage. No matter where you hunt, it seems the wind is never favorable because they literally can and do bed 360 deg around you. The lesson I take, stop looking for what is not there, hunt with as much common sense as you can and the less you make your presence felt the better your chances are of seeing and killing deer.
Hey man, are you allowed to change things? I know you said private, but will the owner let you rock a Stihl in there? Get permission to do that and send me a PM or DM or whatever you call it. We will get you seeing deer by next Sept. Good luck Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk
Thanks fix but most of it is timber company or Nature Conservacy land and they are whacko about cutting anything! Believe me, I have thought about cutting small walking trails through that thick stuff but it would likely cause me to lose the leases.
VA the last few years I've read your post about your lease not being productive. If it was me I would find a better place to spend my money for hunting.
Not knowing, is there a good food source on a neighbor property? After my absents from hunting and me coming back I tend to think we have over complicated things a bit. Deer are pretty habitual as they tend to keep the same pattern on land year after year, and only we(humans) can alter that pattern. It's hard for me to understand , as I hunt river bottom farm land, and I am crushing acorns as I walk to couple of my stands, so it's not rocket science. I pretty much stick to these rules. I scout and setup in the spring and do not return to the stand until I hunt it. I hunt bedding areas, but only after Oct 21st or 3 weeks into the season and only in the morning. After gun season here in MI I DO NOT go near a bedding area I won't hunt a stand unless I can get in it and out if it without being detected I try to hunt destination of deer early season and stay on the edges, more for scouting. I put trail cameras up, just no where near my stands I hunt are. One of my favorite spots where the two biggest deer have been killed on our farm, by me, and I have killed 4 more really good bucks I call the wagon wheel. I can't remember what book I read this in, but basically you look for an area where everything connects, so the terrain and the property around all lead to this area, if you can get 5 trails, funnels or whatever the deer use and find where they connect that will be a great place to hunt. It's a little different concept but I have had great success on my land and helping my buddies. I hunt this spot during the rut only. It funny I hunted this season as the corn came out late, every deer that came out of the cornfields came through the wagon wheel that day, and some just hung out with me and watch. When the farmers left, so did the deer. Those are just my thoughts, I found hunting the land as it is, way better than trying to manipulate how the deer move. I was two steps from flinging an area at a monster(if I could see) I had not step foot on the property in 10 years, the deer were moving nearly like they did 10 years ago.
I hunt 6500 acres . It’s a club. In fact it’s a dog hunting g club. If you are familiar with the south especially south east va most land is in the hands of dog hunting clubs. So my bowhunting is only about 5 weeks long. I enjoy hunting here, bow and dog running. I have killed 15-16 deer with a bow in this club in 15 years. It’s certainly a very difficult place to bowhunt. If you have never hunted in the south it will be hard to describe. But it’s mainly pines, cutovers and clear cuts. 4-12 yr old cutovers are deer magnets because they are thick and nasty. It is basically 6500 acres of pines, thick cutovers and a few swamps . It’s like this all over southeast va for 1000s of acres. Land is hard to come by . Hunting clubs are huge here. Dog hunting is king. We pay 60k $ a year for our 6500 acres. 35 members. Some clubs have 20-30 k acres 80-100 members.
Not familiar with dog hunting or your area. I'm just saying that if bowhunting is that hard on it I'd find a different place to do my bowhunting if it was me. I'd find the closest public ground with a river or lakes to hunt around.
We actually have 4500 acres of public in the middle of our stuff. It’s no different in there. Same habitat and lots of dog hunting. I’d love to find a few hundred acres just to bow hunt. Been looking for years. Have not been able to get permission.
You hunt Sussex county? I was in a club in IOW, but left due to the same issues you are having. I got lucky and found a place out in Dinwiddie where its only myself and two other guys. SE VA is the capitol of hound hunting and it is hard to find property public or private that isn't being run by dog clubs. Nothing against it, just not my cup of tea.
Yep, Sussex. Most people on here have no idea what it is like. I love the hound hunting, but I love bowhunting the most. I am a very active member in my club and serve on the board. So I enjoy it all, but hounds make deer very nervous even out of season. Even if you get some property just for bowhunting come Mid Nov it will likely be run over by hounds and there goes the bowhunting.
I agree 100%. One thing I do love about most of the hound clubs is their community involvement and active memberships. I built a lot of friendships in the club I was in and had some fun times at dog trials. My season is over as I was deployed the first week of November, but I'll be back for turkey.
Actually, this post came at the perfect time for me to share one... lmao. my cell phone saved a shooter bucks life this year. I was sitting in the saddle, around 11am and decided i'd message a friend to check in, check weather, etc. I was deep in thought when I heard a deer running and the tell take "buurp... buurp...". I was still in a "daze" and my brain didn't react or register it for second until I snapped out of it. Well, I glanced to my right side and saw a doe, definitely being pushed, quickly walk to my left. I could hear him coming, but not seeing him yet through some thick pines, etc off to my right. But I knew instantly that he would follow the doe and give me a nice, 20 yard chip shot on my left side, in front of the tree. I grabbed the bow with my left hand and as I did I saw him. Big 8 pointer, probably 140 class. As I grabbed the bow and slowly eased to the lft side of the tree, I was trying to get my phone into my jacket pocket on the front of my coat. He was almost to hwere I would need to draw. Well... I must have missed the pocket entirely, and I left my phone drop into what I though was the pocket. Nope, it slide down my lap, bounced off my platform and fell 20ft to the ground. He was NOT impressed and neither was the doe that was still about 30 yards away to my left. She stomped around, looking at me, he froze for a second, then she took off away with him following her. So... my pro tip of the day... don't be screwing around with your phone during the rut especially... lol.
