Someone Please Explain This
 

Yesterday, late afternoon, I was sitting in one of those portable ground stands. Right at sunset, off to my right I heard a loud wheeeze and then a stomp. Carefully, I turned in the blind to see what had made that noise. As I was turning, it happened again. By the time I got turned around enough to see, it had happened a total of 5 or 6 times. Then I saw it, there was a 6 point buck with 4 does standing there 20 feet off to my right rear. They were all staring at the ground blind and the buck wheezed and stomped again. Then he turned and bolted away through the woods with the does in tow. About 5 minutes later, as I sat there swearing under my breath for having the blind facing the wrong direction, I heard the wheeze again right behind my blind. When he stomped the blind moved - he was that close! After the one stomp, her turned and stomped away through the woods wheezing every few steps. Do bucks get this way right before the rut or something? I've never seen anything like this before.

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

He either scented you or knew something wasn't right. The fact that he came back after leaving once leads me to believe the latter. He may have justbeen curious but didn't know what to think.

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

I agree with Hokie. Sounds to me like he knew something wasn't right and it put him on alert. Then, out of curiosity, he came back to investigate.

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

EXACTLY:D

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

Welcome to bowhunting! That's the sound you hear when your BUSTED. It's a warning to other deer in the area that something in the area doesn't look, or (most likely) smell right.

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

That, ladies and gents is why I hunt from a stand, because if I heard that and felt my blind move, it would be ME you'd be draggin' outta the woods because I'd keel over from a heartattack!

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

Thank you all. I took all the precautions though. Bathed in scent killing soap. Washed all clothes in scent killing detergent.Entered the blind two hours before the deer started moving. Put the blind up three weeks ago and avoided going anywhere near it until yesterday. The blind is carbon coated on the inside to hold in any smells. The only thing I can think of that was different was the flap was opened just enough to see the trail and shoot an arrow through. I'll leave all alone there until shotgun season. Time to fall back on plan B and use the tree stand up by the corn field. Thanks again.

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

Well, BHG, I did kinda need my shorts cleaned when he wheezed right behind me and the blind moved when he stomped. It seemed like it was an hour before I didn't hear my pulse in my ears anymore. Part of the adventure I suppose.

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

I had some of that action not long ago. I was on a hog hunt watching a spot where the hogs were crossing under a fence. Sitting on a folding stool behind a handy bush. A friend was in a treestand just 50 yards down the fence line and he saw the whole thing.

I was sitting there when I heard something critter-ish walking upbehind me. Naturally, I froze thinking it was a hog heading for the crossing. Then - wheeze, stomp, wheeze, stomp. Aw, frack! A deer. CLOSE deer. Every stompsent ajolt upthe stool I was on. This went ona couple of minutes before it quitand I heard steps leaving. Turned around to see a doe and fawn walking off into the woods.

My buddy said she was practically sniffing the back of my neck, not two yards away. And no, I wasn't wearingany non-stink suit ofcarbon clothes.:eek:A pretty stout breeze was coming directly over my left shoulder.

When they see something they're not sure about, I think they go through that routine to see if they can make it move. If it moves, then they know it's something they don't like.

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

Cool aint? Getting that close on the ground. you just stay on the ground .Taking a deer like that is 10 times the rush over a tree stand

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

Seems like they make the wheezing sound when they smell something. I had that happen alot and when they couldn't see me so I'm pretty sure its due to the smell factor. When I've had them visually bust me they typically don't make wheezing sounds, rather lots of stomping, backing out, stomping, looking, and more stomping.

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

try taking some branches or small bushes. even leaves and dirt from the ground and put on or around the blind. to help break it up more.

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

I have to agree with Cardeer, I like to look them in the eyes. Sometimes I even hang my summit climber about 5 feet off the ground cuz it's comfy and I like it low.

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

THIS IS IT

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

Yea when they stomp they are looking for a reaction. They probably saw your head move in the blind and put them on alert. If they would have smelt you all you would have seen is white flags. I would hunt that blind again soon.

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

They know something isn't right but they are trying to get confirmation through another one of their senses.They didn't likely have a snoot full of human scent or they wouldn't have hung around.Their curiosity of course often times gets them killed.Most often if they see something that is not visually to their liking they will circle down wind of the thing(you or your blind)trying to confirm with their nose what their eye's are suspicious of.This typically only happens with younger deer or does(I said typically!)Big bucks are not awfully curious when they sense something is not right.

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

sounds like what happened to me in my T2 last season. i does came into the pasture with 3 others. she somehow stopped them and on a string walked towards my blind. when she got close enough she stopped and just did the head up and down thing. she stepped into where the blind was to my left. i drew on her with the black max, acc, 95gr muzzy, trophy ridge drop away, peep sight.....i missed. all of that crap and i miss a 18-22yd shot:) she bolted across the pasture and hit the woods full speed. she ran past the others and they stood there just looking around. i have only had deer react in a really negative fashion to the blind once...but it was my fault. i had a herd run past it last year while hunting with a decoy. they didnt like the decoy and ran behind me...i could shoot though;)

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

When they blow the game is usually over. They must have scented you and I bet the second set of blows came from different deer.

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

That's been my experience. I've had them stick around stomping but once they blow they go.

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

I know in areas that are hunted alot you need to hang stands and setup blinds plenty ahead of time otherwise the deer are not use to it and they feel it may be danger. I doubt they would have winded you after takeing the precautions that you did. Was your blind setup ahead of time!

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

Blind was setup 3 weeks in advance. Been left alone for 3 weeks too. The only difference was the "window" was opened enough to see and shoot through.

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

Thats deer language for " hey buddy you ain't shootin nothing today!"
;)

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

ask yourself one ? did you have fun

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

I have never had a buck react this way to a ground blind though I have had them do it to me when they couldn't figure out what I was...shaggy ghillie suit...up against a tree, etc... My guess was he was just trying to make you move or give yourself away.

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

Once the heart quit pounding.....I felt fortunate that I had got within 20 or so feet of a buck while on the ground. I was pissed at myself for not having the right window open to shoot on the second try around. It is definately something I will remember the rest of my life.

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

I watched an interesting show on this yesterday. The guy, said there are 4 types of deer blow/snorts. Alarm/Distress is 2 or 3 blows followed by a wheezing sound as they run away. Alarm only, is 2 or 3 blows - when the doe feels something isn't right, but doesn't smell or see you. Just thinks something isn't right. The other 2 were social snorts (i missed the end).

The guys point was you can occasionally use the snorts to effectively locate and call deer, especially when driving deer to hunting partners. The snorts will sometimes push bucks from heavy cover, and also other deer will snort back instinctively. Wish I could remember the name of the show....i think it was OLN.

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

I saw that show, lots of good info.

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

I placed my ground blind out about a month ago and the deer are just getting used to seeing it. It may take a while for them to get used to it. Also even though threes shadow guard in the blind, it doesnt help of you have all windows open I open only two windows where I expect the deer to be comming in from. To my north and to my west. West being my main window for ops. I am set in a thick patch of pines with a corn field no more that 20 yards to the east of me (Behind me), and to the north all I see is pines, to the west I over look a swail that is heavilly used. I keep the south window and the east windows closed because if a deer was going to come in from the south id be able to see them from my west window and to the east theyd have to come in from the north, so I keep the east window closed. Makes it a little darker in there, and when it starts gettig a bit darker i open the windows just enough to let a little bit of light in to see my sights.

RE: Someone Please Explain This
 

If I were you I would leave the flaps in the same position they will be when you hunt, just my opinion.

I have a blind about 50 yards inside a woodline and it is a fresh setup. In the evenings deer stay in the field until after dark so last night I was in the field. Of course, I watched 3 deer go to the woods earlier than normal and they left on the trail going...RIGHT TO MY BLIND. They all snorted at it, and none of them ran from it. When the first deer snorted, the other deer were still in the field and rather than run or turn around, they immediately started walking to where the first deer snorted.

POINT:
Just causea deer snorts doesn't mean they smell you and they don't always run. If they can't smell you or can barely smell you, they will snort and investigate. If they see something unusual, they may snort. If that buck hasn't noticed that blind before, he may have been snorting at the blind. I have had them snort many times within 50 yards of my position, but not run from me.