So I'm out in the stand Saturday night hoping a doe walks by. I see one about 60 yards away and she keeps on her way out of my sight. 30 mins later two more are coming from my left directly towards me. She stops at like 30 yards and looks right at me for like a minute before she finally starts huffing and puffing and they run off. I swear I didn't move an inch the whole time and the wind was in my favor. I hope I can still hunt that stand.
Been there done that, their 6th sense is uncanny at times. I've been picked off by one eye through a V in a small sappling.
Being opening day, they probably ran into someone else already and were on high alert. She picked you off, it happens. Some of those old does can be smarter than a big buck. I wouldn't worry about it. She might have your number, but she's not the only deer out there.
My question would be how high up are you hunting and is the stand concealed? Also are you in a spot (ridge or valley) where there is a possibility of a swirling wind? If that doe busted you pretty good chance a mature buck will too.
This is past weekend was opener for us in GA. Buddy of mine was busted by mature doe, he was 15ft off the ground. I killed the same doe 30 mins later from my stand, I was 30ft up. And she was down wind of me. I don't think a high climb is the end all to getting busted by mature whitetail, but I definitely think it helps. This the 3rd time this kind of situation has played out like this for me.
Some of those old does can be smarter than a big buck[/QUOTE] I always thought this harder to fool old does than bucks
I get busted by does a few times a year. Especially by those rogue does that come from the total opposite direction than expected. Like mentioned before, just move trees a hundred yards or so and stay out of that tree until late October. You'll be fine. This is where having a climber pays dividends.
I hunt the edge of a big thicket in the evenings, and I catch them when they're coming out into the actual woods. I ALWAYS wait for the right wind direction for this spot, but one evening I had a mature doe come to the edge, pause as they always do, and she looked RIGHT UP at me! I was 25' in the air too. The wind was perfect, I made no noise, and wasn't moving at all, she just knew this "object" didn't belong up in that tree. She stomped, snorted and ran right back where she came from. Now, exactly 2 weeks later, to the day, I'm hunting that same stand and the same doe (she had a distinctly colored coat) comes out at the same spot and does the same exact thing she did the last time! They REMEMBER!!! lol
Do you use scent control? I know it's early season and our odor sticks to the air but I honestly can't remember the last time I've been busted from the stand. The whole scent control system really works, Dead Down Wind has totally changed my game.
Yes wash all my clothes, keep them their own tote, shower before I hunt with scent killer soap, spray down in the field. The whole 9 yards. Try to keep the wind in my favor... Just one of those things I guess. No biggie I will be back.
