Hi everyone, as some of you know im a new hunter and im trying to learn how to hunt and harvest my first deer. Since the season opened here in Illinois on Oct. 1 I have sat in my stand a total of 9 days, some of these where morning and night sits, some where just the morning. I havn't seen a deer from my stand in almost 4 weeks, not 1, not even from a distance and this includes 2 different stand locations. All the deer I have seen from my stand I saw the first week. I moved my stand deeper in the woods on what looks like a good elevated spot. Today I had the wind completely in my favor, it was blowing straight at me, so anything in front of me should have never picked up on my scent. Im on public land but I am with about 300 yards of a private fence line. Still, I didn't see anything. I am careful with my scent, I use the spray on my clothes to eliminate scent and when I get close to my stand I use another spray product to cover any scent I brought in. I am good at sitting still and I don't make much noise except for the occasional cough. As I said, I am trying to learn and I thought this was rut, which is where we should be seeing movement even during the daytime? Can anyone think of anything I might be doing wrong or things I need to look for to help me be successful? Over the last 2 days, besides about 10 hours in the stand, I walked about 7 miles total scouting the area again. I found no beds at all and very few scrapes. I see crap on the ground so I know they are around, but I am not having any luck. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
You cant hunt what isnt there. It might be time to check out other public land in the area or get out of your comfort zone and travel further from home for looking for ground.
I am, and I have really put in alot of time there Christine trying to figure that place out, both on foot and my butt in the stand.
Sounds a lot like my season. I've sat 12 sits of over 40 hours in the stand I've seen only one deer. I haven't seen a scrape this year yet which is very unusual. Difference between you and me is that i've been hunting over 15 years. Unfortunately this does happen. Perhaps we both have a lack of deer we hunt. But as I have been told time and time again, it only takes a second and a deer can show up. Keep trucking at it!! Keep pushing! You'll get it.
If I were you I would get a good topo of the land....Google earth is good enough......find some pinch points and ridges where the deer would move from food to bed and scout out some trails set up with the wind and about 10 to 20 yards off the trails where they cross (don't walk directly on the trails when you find one)....its no gaurantee but that's where I would start on public land.....also if u see does stay there cause there will be a Buck coming through....once the rut is in full swing the scrapes and rubs are pretty much a crap shoot....FIND THE DOE Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2
When I hunted out there, I found the deer next to the 'refuge'. (btw, you can deer hunt in the refuge) Go at least 80 yards from the crp edge if you're going to climb a tree. Get far enough into the woods where the deer can't see your outline when they come up from the bottoms. Also, deer will hang out in the crp fields, particularly in the rut.. might want to try hunting from the ground out there. Maybe snuggle up with one of those bushy cedar trees to hide yourself. Being surrounded by nice deer-friendly private ground is a big reason the deer disappear out there. They'll come onto the state ground at night but are scarce as hen's teeth during the day. (Which is why I drive all the way to Monticello to hunt, even tho' Mackinaw is only 10 miles away) But keep after it. Sounds like you're doing the right thing, you're just in difficult location. Good luck!
I walked that area a ton yesterday, where the refuge is and I found several spots that would have been great for a ground blind. Since this is the only place I have hunted im not sure if this is common, but to make matters worse, Mackinaw has so many people that hang stands all around the tree lines its not even funny. Any decent tree near that refuge i might be able to get up in had a stand in it with no one there, was frustrating. I could try to brush myself in near that refuge, but I agree, the private land right there is a perfect escape for the deer, probably why im not finding any beds.
Don't ever quit! Alot of things you learn in hunting is trial and error! Although it sounds like your hunting a "bad spot", go back to the basics, find food, water, and cover. Find trails. These things take time, but its all worth it once you get that first harvest!
Sometimes it can take a few years to figure out deer in a new area. Hang in there you will figure it out.
I am guessing that place is over hunted. The more time you spend in the stand gives you the better chance of harvesting a deer. Keep at it though if that is your only hunting spot. I would try to find another spot if you can and maybe try to get permission to hunt on the private land if possible. Good Luck!
Yeah, I am definitely not going to give up, I am having fun even though it's frustrating. Mackinaw is tough because although its a pretty big area, alot of it is still over grown and there are tons of steep ravines that you can't really navigate. When I find trails coming out of the woods into fields and I try to follow them, they never lead me to bedding areas like I would expect. Usually, I get to a point where I can't really travel on foot anymore, either it is too thinck to walk through or I hit those cliffs/ravines. Right now my stand is setup about 12 yards off of a trail up on a hill but like I said, I still didn't see 1 deer yesterday. I will be out again for an afternoon hunt today.
Keep your head up and your spirits high lefty. You only have to be at the right place at the right time once. Good Luck to you!
I've been going through the same thing. Stay encouraged. We will get our first kills when it's supposed to happen
im right with ya bub, ive been out scouting a few times and only 2 good sits so far and havnt seen 1 deer yet! i did have one walk towards me saterday, but never came close enough to actually see him, just heard a grunt and some tree shaking. im still waiting for the chance at my first bow kill too, like stringpuller said, it will happen when its supposed to!
After trying what Christine said, if I didn't get results during the rut I'd consider doing some scouting on some better turf. I recently did this and have doubled my sightings! I am not a quitter and didn't want to "give up" on a property but the bottom line is hunting season is only so long and there unfortunately comes a time when you have to split. Assuming your doing everything right anwyays. It's tough but hang in there buddy, just seeing deer your first week at that place sounds like you're a natural. Now just get out on some new turf and use that same instinct to find a place to set up stand or hunt OTG.
I'm in a similar situation of not seeing deer. Only had 1 buck on trail cam, saw nothing in pre-rut hunting, hunting my private Peoria County land for about 8 years. Definitely not over hunted, it's like the deer just moved out. Coyotes are increasing rapidly. Saturday, in the stand all day but 2 hours; yearling at 830, doe at 10 and small 6pt at 530. Sunday, from sun up to 1130...just 1 medium size 8pt. Both bucks were slowly grazing, not in a search mode. Keep your spirits up...I know they'll arrive. Average deer route during the rut can be 3 miles per day, so just cuz you're not seeing them right now doesn't mean theyre not going to show up. Other reports from guys think it will really peak this weekend, so if you dont see anything this weekend, then like the others say...MOVE to another spot.
