GeoffM24

I have been out 6 times this year and I saw one deer and bumped another. So this year I have seen a deer roughly 15% of the time while hunting (not counting the bump).

How often do you get quality looks at deer while you are in the stand?

My good friend who is an excellent bow hunter says he sees deer roughly 75% of the time and I believe him.

I know I' m still a bad newbie hunter but I' m curious as to HOW bad, LOL.

kegei

I would say about 1/3 of the time or more I go out bowhunting I have a shot. I have had 8 chances to take deer this year and went out 20-25 times. I have missed twice and gotten one doe. I would say 80-90% of the time I go out i see deer. This past weekend I saw 45 deer on 4 hunts (3 evening and 1 morning)

RiverBottomBowHunter

I' ve hunted aprox. 60 hrs in a tree stand this year. I' ve seen 35 deer from stand.
13 bucks and 22 does.
1 big miss
1 buck and 1 doe dead.
it has been an above average year for me - due to a new honey hole.

DaveH

Normally, I will see deer on 90% of my hunts. In range, that drops to 10% or less. The past couple weeks have been unusually slow with very few sightings. I didn' t see any deer on the vast majority of my hunts. I saw maybe 3 and took 2 large does.

JeramyK

I' d say about 20-25% of the time.

NorthernHunter

During bow season I normally only get out for 3-4 hours each time (not a full day and not even a half day' s hunt). During those 3-4 hours each time out, I' d say I see deer maybe 80% of the time. Of those deer, only 10-20% of them come close enough for a shot...the others are either out more than my 25 yard comfort zone or 100 yards away.

Either way, seeing deer afield is almost as good as dropping one so I am happy just to see them and not be seen by them

GR8atta2d

I see deer about 75% of times out. I work 8-5 during the week so once time changes the weekdays are out for me. In range I' ve probably had 5 doe. I' ve had 2 bucks one smallish basket rack 8 at 10-15 yards I passed on him. Last week at camp in Pa. I had what would have been a nice 8 point 25 yards,from me but he had lost most of his left side, only a brow tine and a broken nub remained, if the left side was like the right he would have been very very tempting.
The weekend hunt at camp was great, had 20 or so hens strut past at 79 yards, and saw the nicest Black bear. I also saw the outline of a very nice buck after shooting hours as I walked a field back to camp. No arrows were sent flying but it was one of the magical days afield, none-the-less.

Nicolas

I have been skunked only twice this year. I missed a buck and pulled back on a great one and he went the other direction so I didnt get a shot. I havnt even had a deer come in range in probably 2 or 3 weeks hunting twice a week.

Orion in IL

I' ve been VERY fortunate to see deer 100% of time out in the field this year.

However, deer in shooting range....that percentage drops down to approx. 20%-25%.

I' ve passed on a (2) button bucks, (1) 4-pointer, (1) 5-pointer and several does.

The deer in my 48 deer sightings this year, just aren' t using a main trail...they are all over the place, but they are in a general area.

by23856

If you' re talking any deer- does, fawns, button bucks, etc., I would say 80% at least, but I had shots at the same doe and 2 fawns on three of my trips to a certain stand, so I don' t know if that alters the % or not. I' ve been out 10-12 times and only had 2 trips where I didn' t see anything close enough to shoot.

It has a lot to do with where you' re hunting, so maybe 15% is good for you. I wouldn' t judge yourself a bad hunter by comparing shot opportunities with others.