Anybody ever get "stuck" in the stand? Deer here are still not coming out til deep dusk, not sure if its hunting pressure or what. Last night I dragged in an estrus wick for fun (pre-rut) to see if I'd get any interest. Good sit on a great night weather-wise, no wind, clear. See a pheasant walk right in front of me (would've been dinner if it was 2 1/2 weeks later!). Sun starts going down and a solo doe comes cruising in on the scent drag to the tree I hung the wick in. She keeps going back and forth at 15 yards and its getting darker and darker. I hear a buck deeper in the woods grunting some. Raccoons are playing beneath me. She's still there! Pitch black now with the exception of moonlight and she finally gets bored and walks off. So, I gather my things and stand up to release my safety strap when white antlers and a big body catch my eye 30 yards to the north. I stop dead where I stand and proceed to watch/hear this buck do the same thing in front of me for another half hour. I need to get home! But I don't want to ruin this set. Same thing happened last week (minus the scent drag). I feel that these deer are just moving SO late that I'm never going to get a shot, plus I'm spending 2+ hours in the stand after dark. Any suggestions?
Not on a field edge exactly. Kind of an overgrown field with a ton of hedge trees and thorny honey locust trees. Fairly big trees but not the kind you can get too high in. Set is about 15 feet up. About 75 yards from a milo field to the east (I think some deer may be bedding in there and coming out at night) and 50 yards from thicker woods to the north. Lot of good deer sign in the area and we caught/catch a lot of deer on trail cams.
Same thing happened to me up N a couple weeks back. Had 5 bucks and 3 does keep me up in the tree an hour after I couldn't see my hand and on a cool drizzly night. First night in the set and stupid me forgot to bring rocks in with me as I knew this stand congragates deer at dark before they move off into the fields to feed. Had a 140'ish 8 that came in a little after sundown that would not give me a shot. He was the main reason I didn't just get down as this field has produced over 20 bucks coming through on the trail cam. I finally texted my buddy to come down the prairie trail with his loud ass pickup to scare them back into the willows. It worked great but 2 nights later I had to throw some rocks off the side of them to get them to move out of the area so I could get down. The rocks don't bother them as I sat in that stand the last night up there again(the next night) and had deer all over me as well.
I have exactly the same problem right now. I'm not kidding that you described it to a "T". The only difference is I AM on a field edge and have no option for going into the woods. (If you saw my other posts my hunting spots have a lot of weaknesses. I am actually going to carry a yote call as Joe recommended starting this weekend.
I think I'll try getting a coyote call as well. Heading back out tonight. A little wet here, but I doubt I'll melt!
I carry my snort wheeze call with me. Last year I had to use it twice and let out some normal deer blows. All I heard were feet stampeding across the field and I was out of there. I did get stuck in my stand opening day last season with 2 very large 10 pointers 50 yards away. I wouldn't dare try to spook them out. I had to watch them walk right by me in almost no light and then stayed up in there for another hour before sneaking the long way around.
