New Guy, big problems
 

Hey folks!
Just a little introduction to myself first - I am 23 years old, been hunting since I was 12 but this was my first bow season. I bought a brand new Bowtech Tomkat, and I love it. It shoots straight, I'm as accurate as I need to be according to targets. Here's my dilemma - Bow season started in mid september, and doesn't end until January 31st where I'm hunting at. I've hunted religiously one entire daya week, if not more. I've seen a total of 6 deer in 4 months, while in stand. Here's my routine - I wash ALL my clothing before I go to bed in "scent free" wash. Throw it in the dryer with a dirt scented fabric softener flag. I get up 2 hours before sunrise, shower with scent free shampoo, body wash, and freshen up with scent free deoderant. I dry offwith a towel that was washed with scent free soap. As I put clothes on, I spray each layer with dirt scented scent eliminator and cover scent. I don't smoke, and I'm set up about 40 yards away from a 2 gallon pile of corn and apple buckjam. I've put salt licks out, but the deer do NOT eat them. There are deer tracks everywhere around me. I've hunted all hours - I usually get to stand at least 45 minutes before sunrise. I see nothing all morning. I'll sit until 1 hour after sunset, and still no deer!! I will sitcompletely still in that stand all day, andnot see anything. I've sat as late as 11 p.m. and still not seen deer. And i'm hunting a management unit that is so "full" of deer that we can hunt them an extra month! I KNOW deer are around, because as soon as I start the truck and head back home, I can see up to as many as 30 deer. Within 2 miles of my stand in whichever direction, they're everywhere. I continue to refill my corn pile, and since there are deer trails that go to it, they are the ones eating it. But they are just NEVER there when I am for some reason. Oh, I'm also about 40 feet up in a pine tree, with plenty of cover. I know they can't see me. Shouldn't be able to smell me, so what gives? What amI doing wrong? [:@]

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

Do you think they have patterned you? If you hunt at least 1 day a week in the same stand they might have pegged you. I would set up down one of those trails leading to your bait. I would follow that trail for a while, maybe and 1/8th of a mile even more. And catch them as they are coming to your bait.

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

Here's what I would suggest doing. If you can afford it buy a trail cam. You can get a decent one from $99 up to $200 Stealth Cam 2.1 and put it over your corn pile. Unfortunately its getting close to the end of your season but you still have time. Make sure you get a digital cam so you dont have to go through the pain of having 35mm pics developed, its worth extra money trust me. If you cant afford one see if you can borrow one from a friend for a few days. This will tell you what time the deer are visiting your corn, obviously they are hitting it at night but the cam will tell you exactly what time. I would definately say to move your stand close to a bedding or just move it to another spot period being you have hunted so long and not seen deer. I have the same problem with my corn pile, I get lots of pics at night and hardly any during daylight but I dont hunt over my corn because I know they dont come in until after dark typically. Moving your stand to a different type of area is probably the only thing thats going to get you a shot at some deer. Get in some thick stuff if you can.

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

Dude, I live in Indiana...where deer are nowhere to be found in most counties. I don't practice much scent related activities. I wash my clothes once or twice every season...and spray down with earth scent. I piss out of my stand every day...and see deer every day. Deer aren't half as smart of what the hunting companies and industries try to tell you. You either get lucky and see them, or you don't. It's probably much different where you hunt. I don't hunt over bait...just scout and ambush them to/from food sources.

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

Diesel pegged my suspicion which is that where you have set up, the deer may not be there until dark and may not visit there often.

It also does not take much more than a few does going in and out of an area a few times to make an area look well used.

Outside of the rut, deer are pretty predictable and stick to somewhat regular patterns with nothing pushing them. You might just have a "bad" spot picked out.

You may also be hunting an area where the deer are there when you arrive. If you spook them out a couple times without knowing it, they'll pattern you and hang out just far enough away to avoid you.

As suggested, do some mid-day scouting following the trails looking for trail intersections, old rub lines or scrape lines nearby.

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

Well you said that as soon as you start the truck you can see as many as 30 deer so you know they are there.

What I would do, skip hunting for a few nights, find and area where your visibility is as good as it can be, and just sit and watch. See where these deer may be coming out to the fields, see where they may be moving. Too many times just because it IS huntign season, we quit scouting and just hunt. I also agree with others that you may be using your stand too much. Many times people put up a couple of stands and think that is where the HAVE to hunt. Forget that, move around! Build some ground blinds move move move because obviously what you are doing is not working. Good luck to you.

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

They know you are there.I suspect they are still smelling you.Maybe too much cover scent.



Deer will come in to a food source or bait from downwind and if something isn't right,they will move on,so my suspicion is they smell you and move on.



My suggestion is to forget the cover scents and just take a bath in scent free sope,wash clothes in scent free sope and put the clothes on when you get to the woods.I have had to do this in the past and I saw a lot of deer.Use some scent elimination spray ,like carbon blast and put it on you and your bow.


Next thing I would do is move down wind and down the trails from the bait,a 100 yards or so,making sure you are coming in from the downwind side.


Next thing i would check is that I am not disturbing beds when entering or leaving.


In my area it is really hard to hunt late season for various reason.One is they get REALLY smart after gun season and secondly,they like to herd up late seasonand you can't ever seem to find the herd.You find one and you find them all but finding the one can be tough.

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

40 ft holy %^*# they are there you just can see them things

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

Wow what a mess. I like the above comments but have to agree they've got you pegged. Go elsewhere- another tree, another lot, around the corner- anywhere but where not seeing deer for days on end.
I've been there & done it myself, but when 3 or more hunts goes by without seeing a hair- time to move.

When you drop bait they pattern the bait. They know it didn't fall from the sky so they make a large circle around it before committing to it. Everytime you rebait, you leave a smell trail of where you've been. BTW, racoons love corn.....

Congrats on the Tomcat, it's a sweet bow.

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

The problem is often seen around areas where people are baiting. The more you bait the more nocturnal your deer will be. Get rid of the bait pile and start hunting.............dabow

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

[hr]





Where in the heck to begin. I wrote a big deal and then it crashed. I'll try again. A couple of things. You have to be breaking a few laws with your hunting until 11 PM, sitting on stand an hour after dark etc etc. Most any place you hunt you can only hunt 1/2 hour before/after. SEcondly, sounds like you've watched too many dang videos, commercials, and "EXPert" professing this or that new stinky sensation. Forget the junk in your dryers, stinky this and stinky that. To become a HUNTER... you should be worrying about the wind. I never met
to many people that really knew what 40 feet up looks like. You don't need it by the way. 20-25 gives you better shot angles and a safer hunt.

You're hunting(SITTING) too much in one spot. Hunt a place a couple days and move on. Change trees every time out is really the best. I don't care if you only move 40 or 50 yards. MOVE. After a couple days on a ridge or in this area....move somewhere else.

Some have already told you about the piles of corn etc. In my opinion it generally screws your hunting up. If a deer knows there's a pile of corn that keeps getting replentished and there is hunting pressure .... he doesn't have to come searching for food in the daylight. He can wait until dark and gallop to the dinner. Also, a pile of corn is an invitation to all that wander by to hunt your spot...and they will. The may be nice enough to use their own climber or stand, or worse yet they may sit on the ground next to the gold mine. At any rate, your area, cover and hunt are busted. You're now just spending time, learning nothing, loosing time with the family and becoming a BIG WANNABEE.

Get rid of the gimmicks, hunt the wind, move... and when you think you've found the hot spot and hunted it...MOVE AGAIN. You can come back in a couple weeks, but don't ruin it by being impatient.

A walking commercial from CAbelas or Jackie Bushwhacker will not kill you deer. Forget everything you think you know, because obviously it doesn't work or isn't. That guy trying to sell you the latest witch oil doesn't really care if you're a good hunter. Only you can do that.

Sometimes it just takes a little common sense. All these commercial stinkys do not smell like the real deal to a deer. Plain old common sense is best.



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RE: New Guy, big problems
 

u say your 40ft. up and you say they can see you?? i say bull, one of my dads friends was huntin about 30 or 35 ft. up and there was a doe that came in on him and looked right up at him, then busted, just bad luck, maybe, but just cause your that high dont mean they can see you, especially if you hunt the same spot. i sorta had that problem this year, my stand is only about 10ft off the ground, but anyways i had this doe come in on my about 30min till dark and she come in on the other side of the field and she would always look over towards me, so she new something was up, but that was only cause i spooked her, she never came back over unless i wasnt on stand and was sittin somewheres else, just my .10

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

I would go with saltflats suggestion if you are going once a week and if its int eh same day each week than they definatly might have patterernd you.

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

Deer don't pattern on 7 day intervals. Once every 7 days would probably be fine. It's the 6 guys that hunt the same spot the other 6 days of the week you have to worry about. Deer are smart.... but they don't know when Saturday comes.

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

You also want to watch how you are entering, exiting your stand. You may be jumping deer you don't even know are there.

Shane

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

i would suggest not using the earth scent. just use plain scetn free scent killer. ill only use the fresh earth if its raining or the day after. if dirt is dry, or frozen it doesnt smell. im guessing deer know that.

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

I think the guys have this one pegged. Hunt deer not bait. The deer use the bait at night when people aren't around. They avoid your area because you or someone frequent it. The scent thing is very important, but even if you did way way way less scent control you will still get plenty of deer inside of 20 yards and they'll never know you're there.

Good Luck!

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

I would do some scouting and hang another stand based on deer sightings(jump some if you have to - ONCE usually will not make a big deal.twice will kill you)and ultra fresh sign. Hang that stand to be hunted on a north wind. The assumption is that a cold front may get them moving. It's been so warm where I live the deer do not move much in daylight. Remember, they have their winter coats, so warm sunny days will shut them down. But a cold front following several warm days is a prime time to catch deer using an area that has not been disturbed. Good Luck!

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

It's breaking the law by sitting in his stand til 11:00? Since when? You can sit in your stand for 48 hrs straight and not break a single law...it's only by SHOOTING after/before legal times...at least where I hunt. ;)

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

Ditch the earth scent. I used it one year didnt see any deer. Its to bad I didnt realize till the season was over what I changed. The next year changed back to no scent,pine or acorn cover and guess what, started to see deer again. You have to match the scent to the area your hunting area, dont wear pine in the middle of an oak ridge or acorn in pine rows. I use scent blocker clothes, scent eliminator spray and a cover scent. I see deer. On the other hand my uncle smokes in the tree, wears tennis shoes instead of rubber boots and he sees deer.

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

Just for clarity sake, if an EPO or warden catches you "prepared to hunt" in the field outside of legal hunting hours, he/she CAN site you for it. You can get your day in court and hope that you get your truck, hunting priviliges and all your gear back later:eek:

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

JUST USE NON SCENT THATS MY OPINION

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

Suggestion: Try to find a part time hunting partner with some successful experience. Exchange hunts on each others' propertyand let him (or her) take a look at what your doing. He'll be able to offer realtime advice that we can't.

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

Keep using the scent-control...it can't hurt, and it's good to have a routine (any routine) to follow. I agree with PSESilverhawk...you're too high up and being silhouetted. Also wear rubber boots. And finally, you need to move your set-up so you're on a trail leading to the corn, not over it. Deer are as smart as everyone says. Not an "intelligent" smart so much as a "nervous" smart, and we have become one of the predators that they are wariest of. Especially if you have lots of does around. I had an old man describe them as "170 lbs. of nerves on four legs" to me when I first started hunting.
Enjoy this great sport as often as you can, and when you finally arrow a deer it will be much more rewarding than dropping one from 200 yards away with a rifle!

RE: New Guy, big problems
 

Theres one major factor that is causing you not to see deer while on stand. You have your bait pile frequentlyactive. Deer, especially bucks may and will go noctornal if they know there is a great food source near by. Eliminate most of your bait. Baiting is a great management tool but it does no good if you have too much of it, the deer have become noctornal. Place 1-3 gallons out per week if needed. Personally I have noticed by not placing it directly in a pile but by scattering out the bait the deer are going to become less noctornal and are more likely to visit the bait while youre on stand. So here's some tips:

1:Less bait
2:Scatter the bait

Other than that it sounds as if youre doing everything else just fine. Look for natural funnles, this is also a main factor in seeing deer. This time of the year is the time to be making some funnles if needed, come next fall the deer may use the man made funnles. If you have any barbwire fences that are no longer used for keeping in catle, you can cut one or more of the wire ferncing off to create a natural funnle. I have done this on my property and you wouldnt believe what a difference that made. Good luck.