I'm attempting to learn how to bowhunt whitetail on my own and it's tough! I went out last year and got skunked and I put in alot of hours! This year I stepped things up a little. I am hunting a different more local area. I am trying mock scrapes/rubs and using trailcams. Well after 2 weeks of trailcams I have 1 picture of a deer butt. hahaha I scouted the land during a flooded stage. That hurricane Irene brought up the Connecticut river over 8 feet causing brooks to flood out the area Im hunting. I found some nice looking trails and set up my cams. I came back later to find water receeded and what was a lake in the middle of the woods is now a very small brook and a camera with 1 pic of a deer butt. obviuosly the flood changed the way the deer were moving. So all I know now is where not to hunt! Which I suppose is good but still! I am hunting around a cornfield surrounded with with thick woods and a large brook about 400 yds away. I am going to be out there next week to do more scouting but man I am discouraged! Like anything in life, knowledge isnt always enough, you need experience. I really hope this is a case of lack-of-experience opposed to lack-of-deer!
One thing I know for sure is that you can't be a quiter and a bowhunter. Stick with it man, maybe do some more scouting if deer traffic changed that may even be a good thing for you. Keep a positive attitude. I spent countless hours on stand before harvesting my first bow deer. I wish you the best of luck.
Kyle, Treat the corn field as if it were prime timber....with ample food.... Sounds like you will be successful soon! You'll get it and when they start to harvest get in your stand and strap in....Good Luck! Don't be discouraged.... Stay with it patience and 100% Concentration! Be Safe and let us know how you do!
Kyle, follow that brook through your hunting property and see if there is any sign of a crossing. If you find something start there. Find the worn paths that lead to the corn field and follow them deeper into the woods. Knowing where the deer are coming from is big in finding good stand sites. Set the trail cams on these paths and aim them towards where the deer are coming from. This will activate the camera so it takes pictures before all your getting is deer butts. Keep experimenting and watching for signs. I am in my second year and have been primarily been teaching myself and asking a lot of questions on here. its tough but when you set up cameras on what you think is a trail and then actually get pictures its a very fulfilling feeling knowing that you figured out where they are coming from on your own. Keep at it and good luck this season.
Kyle take a walk around the edge of the field. Look for trails where they are entering the field, then walk the trails and look for pinch points. A broken stonewall, a broken fence, a spot on a stream where they cross all the time. These are spots you want to set up your camera. Oops MHSfootball beat me to it.
thanks guys. I'm no quitter! Just want to know everything about bowhunting yesterday and avoid all my newb shananigans. I guess I'll just have to accept the reality of my situation. IM A NEWB!
most of the time your greatest shananigan will turn into ur greatest success story. When I started out dumb luck taught me a lot of things.
Ha i was sitting on the edge of a field one time watching what i thought was a path. Heard some leaves crunch behind me and whipped my head around to watch 2 does disappear into the woods on the other edge of the field. Learned to move slow and exactly where the path ended up being
