I am new to the sport and have been trying to sit in my stand as long as i can, but its hard when there is no action. That being said i have been hiking once i can't handle the boredom. I have got quite a bit of stand time in the last week though, and have not seen a thing. My stand is set up on an old road that is grassed over and barely ever used. I have seen scrapes on the road on either side of my stand but have not seen one deer move through while i have been there. I have been trying to be good about my scent (showering with special soap, clothes all washed with special soap, field spray, etc.) so i dont think i stink or anything, lol. Anyways i have seen more deer hiking than sitting in my stand, although i haven't got close to anything. My question is should i be putting the time in the stand or try to jump one on the ground. Huge field that i have seen them moving through down the mountain a ways. Like a say i am new to the sport and just trying to put the odds in my favor as much as possible and hoping for alot of dumb luck.
Hard to say really. When you have been hiking have you been spooking the deer up around the same area every time? If so you may have been stumbling into their bedding areas. Find the trails that lead to and from these areas and set up. Also, deer don't have to go to the scrape to scent check a scrape. They can use the wind and be on a different trail 50 yards downwind from the scrape to walk by and scent check it. Could be walking by with you never knowing if this is the case. So if you want to stay in your current location you may try really doctoring up the scrapes with doe in estrus in order to give them something to peak their interest and come into the scrapes. Or scout around and find the trail they are really using and set up on that. This late in the year its hard to do and you have to be pretty aggressive about it and risk spooking them. That huge field your talking about. Have you walked the edges and found where the trails go in and out. If I have seen deer move through an area like that multiple times I would be looking for those trails and set up on those areas. Especially if its easy to get to. Entrance and exit routes are just about as important as stand location. It may be the most ideal stand location in the world but if the entrance and exits suck its not worth doing until last resort. If its got good access set up on those trails and be on the lookout for a tree that offers natural shooting lanes if possible. This will help you because you won't have to disturb very much stuff around the stand and risk laying down even more scent. Always a concern this late in the season. If you set up in the summer its not as big of a deal but spending an hour trimming in a 30 yard circle around a stand lays a lot of scent down that the deer will be well aware of. Good luck. Just keep at it you'll pick it up. Always a new lesson to be learned. I learn more every time I go out. Just have to keep an eye out for those opportunities. Hopefully this gives you a place to start.
Thanks for the info! I have spooked a couple in the same area when i was hiking. I think it may be where they are bedding down or atleast a main trail to and fro the field. There is a fence on the edge of the private property i hunt that leads to National forest that seems to be a main path they use with a scrapeline basically going right thru it. There is a big pine tree down that i have used as a natural blind and i've seen a deer run by but probably at about 100yds. The tree is probably 40 to 50 yds from gate and fenceline that they seem to go down. I would really like to shoot no farther than 30 yds, just for my own comfort at this point. How would be the best way to attract them a little closer. I have some of that crushed acorn stuff that is suppose to attract them. Would that give me a better chance to get him in a little closer, or should i try calling one if i see him that close? I am going to try that spot tomorrow morning i think, seems to have more traffic than my stand. I would move it but it is a two man ladder stand and is pretty built in, i also use that spot for elk so want to leave it up.
