I've been archery hunting for about 4 years now and shot a buck my second year but haven't been able to have a deer come within 50 yards of my stand. I know there's better archers than I so I came here because BHOD has the best forum around. I don't know if there's just not many deer or if they're not liking the acorns that are falling or the gorgeous clover field the farmer has planted. I need HELP ASAP!
are you being sure to hunt the wind? set up between bedding and food.....make sure that you are hunting with the wind blowing FROM where you are expecting to see deer TOWARDS your position.....and set up within 30 yards of a decent trail....not too close thou... throw some cameras up on the trails and try to find some buck sign to set up on close to the trails keep still.....keep quiet....and make sure you get in well before you would expect to see deer movement.... and scent control is KEY!
Hunting success is not instant, its called deer season not deer day. Bow hunting is all about adjusting tactics and stand placement based on current and expected conditions. Watch where the deer travel and if they are out of range move, ask yourself what conditions lead the deer to travel where they did or why they possible avoided the area you were set up. The easiest way to boost your success in the stand is to move as little as possible.
If you can put in food plots and mineral sites. Making your property the best habitat in the area will increase the amount of deer you see. Also, put a trail cam up on a trail to see when the deer go through the property your hunting.
Go where the deer go. If they're 50 yards away move over to them. That's the simplest way to put it. One of the more important things to do is make sure you are are scent free as possible.
Are you seeing good numbers of deer, just not in range? If that's the case then you need to either move or evaluate your precautions. Are you staying down wind of their travel routes? Do you have good entry and exit routes that will keep you from busting deer. Are you taking precautions to keep your scent under control? How often are you hunting the same stand location? Without knowing and understanding the spot that your hunting, it's really hard to give much more than that as advice.
