Ok guys, I'm by no means a beginner and have been at this long enough. This past weekend, I had a good wind to finally get into my "rut" stand. I usually like to hit this stand once before the rut starts picking up. I've had good luck there in early season before.
I climb into my tree and everything is going as usual. I start seeing deer around 7:30 AM. I was glassing a couple of deer out in the woods and never noticed I had three more coming in from the right. When I pulled my bino's down, the big doe caught me moving and started the usual "stomp and stare" routine for the next 5 minutes or so. I froze and watched. Eventually, she started to creep out of there and than she started the infamous snort, all the way down through the woods until out of sight. So I figured I had blown the set for the day. Nonetheless, I stayed in the tree the remainder of the morning and saw quite a few more deer.
Now the sad part. I watched a small 6 and some does mingling in front of me and one of them went off to my right and layed down. No big deal, they always do this here. She eventually got up about 2 hours later and wandered off. I stayed put for about an hour or so and had to get down. I looked around really good and stood up. Then out of nowhere, more snorting! Evidentally, there were still deer in the area that I couldn't see in the pine thicket to my right.
I'm really bummed here. I haven't had that many deer blow at me in a long time, especially for getting busted moving. This is my "honeyhole" stand and I just fouled it up for a bit.
The problem with the area is, that deer come from every possible direction here. It is sort of a "hub" type spot.
Sorry, had to vent. Anyone else had a day like this? How long should I wait until getting back into that stand?
I was bustedSaturday and Sunday evening, with a wind in my face. I was hunting a creek bottom which was really thick. Saturday night I had a doe bust me as I was drawing on another doe, did not know I had more deer off to my left. Sunday evening, I watched two does cross the creek, wind blowing in my face and deer in front of me, at about 40 yards they started blowing. There is no way they winded me, I had not moved, and I was 25 feet up. I still don't know what alerted them, but they got me.
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I have a spot just like that, and it's my morning spot as well. Deer can (and do) come in from all directions. I'm always super careful about checking everything in all directions before getting down, but there's always the chance they are just out of sight in the pine thicket to the west. You will be fine to go back in after a while, and like has been said here, the best of the season is yet to come.
I hear ya. I had a very similar day as you yesterday afternoon. I was watching a small buck behind me for awhile and turned around to see a FAT doe staring at me right in front of my stand at 20 yards. She did the stomp, stare, head bob, etc... for a few minutes until she figured out she didn't like me and tore out of there along with her 3 friends snorting and blowing across the field. Figured I was done for the day and 30 minutes later a bigger doe comes in that I had every intention of shooting. Played her just right and got to full draw when a deer I couldn't see to my right busted me and went flying out of there taking the big doe I was going to shoot with it along with 2 bucks I didn't see either.[:@][:@] To top it off after i got down I sent 8 or so deer flying on the way back to my truck. One of those days where I felt like it was my first day in the woods. I'm out of that setup for awhile.
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Jimmy S: 1/8/09 " I can hardly wait for baseball season to start. I love my Yankees! "
Like Rybo said, back off that stand for at least a week and you'll be fine.
They always get more edgy around this time. They've sensed just enough human activity to put them on edge and they don't yet have the rut on teir minds. Things will dtart to break loose about Saturday or Sunday IMHO
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Cant wait for 2012!
If guns kill people, spoons made Rosie O'Donnell fat!!!
Bad day in the woods!
