This is the first year I have been bowhunting and I have yet to see anything walk into plain sight. I am taking extra precautions to control my scent, being obscure and out of sight, I'm keeping plenty food available and theres tracks EVERYWHERE I look. the closest I had come to even remotely having a chance at seeing one was a few days ago while using a cover scent. I had been out since daylight , spent four hours on the stand and as Im getting ready to climb down at 10 am and head home I spooked the deer just out of my sight and heard them crashing through the woods. Didnt even know they were there. I'm starting to wonder if they will ever walk into range of my ol bowtech defender. will my luck change when the rut starts? the area im hunting hasnt been hunted by anyone in over 5 years and the deer are plentiful. Not sure what im doing wrong?
Maybe it is as simple as moving your stand closer to their bedding area? They may not be getting to you until after dark... And when the rut kicks in... all bets are off, find the does and the bucks will be around, they could be anywhere, at anytime.
I am guessing my next purchase will be a game camera. I feel that they are still moving during the night . It has been excessively warm here in central arkansas.
Bowtech, do you have a map of your hunting area? How many acres of land is it? ALSO, start slowly changing your mentality from "can't seem to draw them to me" to "I am going to hunt them down and kill them". You go to them and get as close as possible without spooking them and your chances of seeing them during daylight hours will increase each and every hunt. Best of luck to you.
Sounds like my year so far... Only deer I have seen were the 3 I jumped trying to get to my ground spot at 3pm last saturday. I was like "Really, 3 stinking deer up walking around at 3pm???" My cam in 3 different locations didn't have a single picture between noon and 6.
I'm with those stating moving your stand may help. Also you stated you're keeping food available for them...while that is legal in some states it's not in mine, however have plenty of friends who hunt in states where they can and they get frustrated not seeing things. It wasn't until they started hunting between their bait and the deer's beds that they starting seeing things. I mean think of it this way, if you're after big bucks you gotta remember they don't get big by being dumb...they know the apples/corn/molassess or whatever it is that is just setting on the forest floor aren't natural. They'll eat it for sure but under the cover of dark most likely. The rut is going to help your cause as well, but consider different set ups, and don't set right on top of the food.
I'll see what moving my stand could do. Ive spent a lot of time walking those woods before the season started and have seen many great areas to be in on the property. I originally thought that the area I was in was actually an area for deer to bed down in. What kind of range do deer usually travel in a days time? Do they travel vast areas or do they stay in a certain area a majority of the time?
If you are in fact in a bedding area...I guess it is possible you're too close to the bedding area and you need to step back some. I definitely have made the mistake of seeing the prime bedding area and get right in there; just can't do that and expect success (luck during the rut...yes but not steady success). When hunting a spot for the first time I always go into to it no matter how much scouting I've down expecting to study the property's deer more then hunt them that first year. I try to always set up 40 to 50 yards back from where I normally would...in an attempt to see if that spot is as good as I thought. I also will stay away from any and all bedding areas till I can confirm they are in fact bedding areas...and learn the movement in and out of those beds (trail cams and sitting in stand are best ways). When it boils down to it you're going to learn to hunt certain properties better and better throughout the year as well as by mistakes. Good luck!
Just a few things to think about. Are you over hunting the area? Are you hunting the same stand/tree over and over? Are you planing your entrance and exit routs for the lowest impacted on the deer? Are you hunting the right winds for your setup?
My work schedule keeps me from "over hunting". i use the same trail in/out. And the winds vary from time to time sometimes in my favor and sometimes not. Im kinda feeling that im the first human in there in such long time that the deer are very leary of me being there. when i got busted the other day, it give me the sense that the deer knew i was there but couldnt tell what was going on. im thinking of moving my stand back to a scrape that i seen about 60 yard from where im at now. the scrape is right off the main ATV trail. Easily accessible and easier to see for longer distances in that area but that would mean i would have to move out of the white oak flat im in. i was hoping to stay around the acorns that nature has provided for me.
Don't sweat it brother. Like someone said earlier it may be your stand placement. Just hang in there and keep knocking on their front door and eventually they will answer.
You're doing OK, just gotta be patient. Like said before, change your mindset to "I'm gonna get you". Also don't get stuck just sitting in that one location. Be willing to move, but do it carefully. Good luck, and go get em!
There's a reason that bowhunting is the most rewarding form of hunting out there. It's only because we've all "failed" or missed or didn't see anything that when you finally land an arrow in the ten ring on a nice deer that makes it so gratifying. Keep working hard and you'll soon find out why bowhunting is the best sport ever.
