Whackadeer - You need to reconsider public land. What happened with the slug would make me fearful too. But you said you have a bow and a muzzleloader. Those seasons are not nearly as busy and idiot-filled as general firearms seasons, and, to be frank, are you really worried about being arrowed by another hunter? I hunted public land the last two days of ML season here in Central VA (Thurs & Fri). Do you know how many other hunters I saw? Zero. But I saw 13 deer, all within shooting range. And I had a great time.
So get out there on public land and you will find deer. If you can take a day or two off during the week and work on the weekends when most of the idiots are out hunting, I think you will be glad you did. Don't give up. I think you know deep down that you really love hunting. You just need to see some deer to remind you of that.
Originally Posted by
GTOHunter
Not to be judgmental without knowing what Your Hunting procedures are...but I would try to make sure to be as Scent-free as possible,wash all Your cloths in scent-free detergent,dry them ouside or use the H.S. earth scented dryer sheets,take a shower in scent-free soap before going out to Hunt and wear rubber boots and spray down with scent-killer spray....keep all Your gear outside in a plastic tub and don't go to Town and pump gas or cook with same gear inside Your House or Cabin...lots of things that could keep the Deer away or have them smell You before You even step into where Your actually Hunting them?Even if You go out and just check Your trail camera's You need to be Scent-Free...if You leave Your scent there they know your Hunting them and educating them to stay away or come in only at night.
Would you like to explain to me how I still-hunted up to 6 does on Friday and stalked them for well over an hour, coming within 15 yards of them while breaking just about every one of these rules? Yep, had my boots drying against the heater vent in the bathroom the night before (and who knows what kind of smells come out of there) and clothes laying over the kitchen chairs after we just finished eating dinner. Got dressed in the house, and wore the same clothes into the field that I wore in the house and car.
This kind of info is not helpful to a guy who is considering giving up hunting altogether. You know how time-consuming and even frustrating these "scent free" procedures are. I think having the OP go thru this rigamarole could lead to even more frustration when he puts even more time and effort into a small tract of land that is not producing a single deer, even on camera. People have been seeing and killing deer long before Tupperware and Hunters Specialties were even thought of.