Problems, problems, problems.

Problems, problems, problems. -- SOLVED, baby.

First off, hello! I'm very happy to have found this awesome community and have to say I've learned some valuable things from just lurking. I look forward to learning new things from each and every member of this site.

Second off, congratulations on any animals you've harvested thus far, and if you haven't well, both you and I will get 'em. See, that's my problem, I'm hunting religiously. . .after I get home from work 2-3 times a week and 3-4 times a weekend, generally putting 2-4 hours into the only stand I have. At first I didn't see any deer, but then I managed to get caught by a doe and this week, I had a six point within bow range but he never stepped out of thick cover.

I consider it a successful hunt, that small six point was the first buck I've even seen on a stand I've placed myself and hunted myself. . .I grew up hunting, mostly put on site by my father or older cousins, and never really put in the effort to do so myself. Now, I want to do it on my own -- all me, but I think I'm overhunting my stand. Let me go over my rituals.

1. Bathe with scent killing products.
2. Put on clothes that have been descented.
3. Enter stand as quietly as possible.
4. Struggle not to turn my head at every noise I hear.

I've hunted this stand multiple times during the week since the Georgia bow season opened, and that's the general question I want answered. . .it's difficult to leave my little buck who has place his rubs all around my area, but I think I might have to. I just wanted to check in with the more experienced hunters.

TLDR : Basically, I've hunted my stand tons and this week I saw a deer I'd shoot, but I think they're all onto me and I'm thinking of moving my stand to a different location, either closer to his rubs or with a decent shot on the path the doe and buck passed me on, or, lastly, to a completely different spot altogether!

What do you think, bowhunting.com?

 

Welcome to this site!

Few questions...

How big is the property you're hunting?
Private/public?
How much additional pressure is it getting?
Other than the one doe, have you knowingly been busted by deer?

 

I would leave the area for a while it sounds like the deer are aware of you. Let them go back to their regular routines and try again in a few weeks.....

 

Thanks, Fitz and Bowsie!

How big is the property you're hunting? 30 acres. =[

Private/public? Private. =]

How much additional pressure is it getting? I'm the only person that is hunting it!

Other than the one doe, have you knowingly been busted by deer? Well..the first time I saw deer in that area I was walking in and ran a deer right off my stand. Another morning I spooked one on the way in. After those two occurrences, the doe came and decided something wasn't right, and ran off blowing like mad. Then my buck, whom I've dubbed Young Brutus, came and just moseyed around the area and I watched him for some twenty odd minutes. I've hunted the stand once since then.

Bowsie, you may very well be right. It's just...even though I'm not doing anything, I'm enjoying it nonetheless. I want to kill deer, but the idea of not going hunting hurts my heart.

 

I'd back off a little, but it can be hard if you only have one stand. You could brush in a few makeshift ground blinds. This would allow you to keep your stand up, but give it a rest for a few hunts all while still hunting.

Do you have a good idea yet of how the deer are using your property?
Can you post a satellite image or topo of the grounds, we could possible help you with stand/blind locations.

 

I'm not entirely sure how the deer are moving about the property. I'm not even that familiar with the property due to the density of scrub oak and small pines making a large portion of it inaccessible. I'm currently hunting a clearing with good acorn droppage that the deer are passing through on their way to the Canoochee river. The cleared out area has good buck sign, and I'm assuming that sign has been made by the six point. I'm placed about 80 yards from the majority of his rubs, but he keeps making them closer and closer to my stand site.

The other place I've considered hunting is a hardwood bay/bottom type area. It is huge. The fallen leaves on the ground are thick, and I can't find any buck rubs or scrapes in the entire area. I'm not entirely sure if I need to be hunting this area, but my lady is supposed to be getting me a new climber soon, so I'll be able to stick one over that way.

Fitz, I'm not sure how to obtain a topographical map of the area. I tried using Google Earth, but can't even find it on the map. =[

 

another thing to worry about is you might of put your stand where their core area is. you should try to figure out where they are coming from to this area and have a stand there where they are traveling. try some trail cameras and find out at what times they are using the trails.. the cameras will tell you everything you need to know....

 

Thank you guys so much for suggesting I let me stand cool off! I'll be putting up another thread to showcase Young Brutus.

 

Nice job with the buck! And I'm hunting the same sounding property as you all small oaks and pines I couldn't possibly get a stand in so I gotta wait till we get some more foliage to get in to my sweet spots u can probably do the same