Spooking the deer/scouting? Staying away....
09-11-2006, 09:26 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Botetourt County, VA
Posts: 203
Spooking the deer/scouting? Staying away....
I know the area I'm gonna hunt for the Oct. 7 archery opener here in VA. I have 1 tree that is climber ready in a bottom area. I need to get a tree ready on a ridgetop, I'll probably go and do that a bit later today. I also want to have a few other scenarios ready, other trees, for wind directions I havn't experienced yet on this tract of land I'll be hunting.
I enjoy being in the woods, but at this time of year, with the season less than a month away I am trying to stay out of the area I intend to bowhunt. In fact, I havn't even gone shooting in the area so that the deer will not react negatively to the loud noise. Normally I shoot once a week, many hundreds of rounds at a time. Do any of you try to keep your hunting area as undisturbed as possible leading up to opening day?
The only reason at this point to venture onto the land would be to jump a deer just to see one and that is something I don't want to do this close to the season opener. I know they are there by the sign and selected my stand sites based on terrain.
I enjoy being in the woods, but at this time of year, with the season less than a month away I am trying to stay out of the area I intend to bowhunt. In fact, I havn't even gone shooting in the area so that the deer will not react negatively to the loud noise. Normally I shoot once a week, many hundreds of rounds at a time. Do any of you try to keep your hunting area as undisturbed as possible leading up to opening day?
The only reason at this point to venture onto the land would be to jump a deer just to see one and that is something I don't want to do this close to the season opener. I know they are there by the sign and selected my stand sites based on terrain.
09-11-2006, 09:46 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Elkview WV
Posts: 2,369
RE: Spooking the deer/scouting? Staying away....
One of the places that I hunt is a lake that has a bicycle pathall of the way around it so it gets a lot of traffic and the deer don't seem to mind. I hunt mostly public land with quite a bit of foot traffic and still seedeer so I think that they adapt to the traffic.
09-11-2006, 09:55 AM
#3
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Botetourt County, VA
Posts: 203
RE: Spooking the deer/scouting? Staying away....
I'm kinda hoping that the deer associate my scent and visual appearance as non threatening, until opening day that is
! Something tells me that deer view humans as predators, and we are. It's just the way they are wired I believe.
! Something tells me that deer view humans as predators, and we are. It's just the way they are wired I believe.
09-11-2006, 10:07 AM
#4
Dominant Buck
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Ramsey , Indiana
Posts: 22,545
RE: Spooking the deer/scouting? Staying away....
There's been other humans there before you , you can bet on that , don't worry about it . This time of year the foot traffic is limited , and the odors will be old by the time the deer smell them .
09-11-2006, 10:27 AM
#5
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 165
RE: Spooking the deer/scouting? Staying away....
ORIGINAL: MarinePride
with the season less than a month away I am trying to stay out of the area I intend to bowhunt.
with the season less than a month away I am trying to stay out of the area I intend to bowhunt.
ORIGINAL: MarinePride
In fact, I havn't even gone shooting in the area so that the deer will not react negatively to the loud noise. Normally I shoot once a week, many hundreds of rounds at a time.
Dear a creatures of habbit and will becaome accustomed to events that occur on a regular basis i.e. tractors, cars/trucks, dirt bikes, etc. If you shoot your gun regularly all year, chances are that the deer have become accustomed to the loud noises and view it as a regular activity. They will keep their distance, but it wont totally freak them out. If it were me, I would keep shooting otherwise they will notice something different. It's change that spook deer the most.
For instance, on one of my hunting grounds last year, I aksed the owner if I could borrow his old truck or 4 wheeler to get on the other end of his property. He said I would be better off taking his 250cc dirt bike. I was surprised so I asked ahy since te dirt bike will be so much louder and distracting than the other two vehicles. He said that his son and his friends go dirt biking all year long back in that area and never goes there with the 4 wheeler or the truck. The 4 wheeler or truck will freak them out, but they would be practically expecting the dirt bike.
In fact, I havn't even gone shooting in the area so that the deer will not react negatively to the loud noise. Normally I shoot once a week, many hundreds of rounds at a time.
Dear a creatures of habbit and will becaome accustomed to events that occur on a regular basis i.e. tractors, cars/trucks, dirt bikes, etc. If you shoot your gun regularly all year, chances are that the deer have become accustomed to the loud noises and view it as a regular activity. They will keep their distance, but it wont totally freak them out. If it were me, I would keep shooting otherwise they will notice something different. It's change that spook deer the most.
For instance, on one of my hunting grounds last year, I aksed the owner if I could borrow his old truck or 4 wheeler to get on the other end of his property. He said I would be better off taking his 250cc dirt bike. I was surprised so I asked ahy since te dirt bike will be so much louder and distracting than the other two vehicles. He said that his son and his friends go dirt biking all year long back in that area and never goes there with the 4 wheeler or the truck. The 4 wheeler or truck will freak them out, but they would be practically expecting the dirt bike.
09-11-2006, 10:35 AM
#6
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Michigan/Ohio
Posts: 11,682
RE: Spooking the deer/scouting? Staying away....
This is probably the best thing you can do. The deer wont move out of the area if you jump them once or twice, the they will move if it is done repeatedley. However, if you visit your property regularly, then no problem. One of my friends works as a lineman and works from time to time through out the year on his hunting lease. During scouting season, he walks around in his work clothes and noisy tool belt while scouting. He is happy if he jumps deer becuase he does all year. The deer will see him as the worker guy, not the hunter.
09-11-2006, 01:43 PM
#8
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Jackson, Missouri
Posts: 7,051
RE: Spooking the deer/scouting? Staying away....
Read Don Higgins' book "Hunting Trophy Whitetails in the Real World"... you can get it from www.higginsoutdoors.com, and Don is a forum member.
I'm just finishing the book, and I agree with the thoughts in it 100%. I mention the book, not only because it's a good read, but because of your question. Don surmises that too many hunters go in and disturb their hunting areas far too much, looking for sign and they end up sign hunting -- as opposed to deer hunting. I agree. Most sign is left at night, and just tells you what night-time activity is going on.
I haven't set one foot on the property where I'll walk in and hang a stand on the afternoon of Oct 1, opening day here. Even then, I'll hunt the edges and leave the inner sanctuary alone so I don't bump deer off the property.
I'm just finishing the book, and I agree with the thoughts in it 100%. I mention the book, not only because it's a good read, but because of your question. Don surmises that too many hunters go in and disturb their hunting areas far too much, looking for sign and they end up sign hunting -- as opposed to deer hunting. I agree. Most sign is left at night, and just tells you what night-time activity is going on.
I haven't set one foot on the property where I'll walk in and hang a stand on the afternoon of Oct 1, opening day here. Even then, I'll hunt the edges and leave the inner sanctuary alone so I don't bump deer off the property.
09-11-2006, 04:50 PM
#9
Typical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Virginia
Posts: 753
RE: Spooking the deer/scouting? Staying away....
I'm in a similar situation MarinePride (also here in VA), and I'm taking the same approach. I may walk the main trails in some of the land where I'll hunt later in the season, but I won't venture far off the main trails and definitely not the bedding area.
But what doI know?
But what doI know?
09-11-2006, 06:06 PM
#10
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Botetourt County, VA
Posts: 203
RE: Spooking the deer/scouting? Staying away....
Interesting advice and opinions from one and all. I went out there today and did some contemplating about exactly where I want my stand trees and just exactly how many trees are available to hunt out of. I was able to tailor 3 areas for bowhunting. I'm trying to have the bottom platform 17 ft. from the ground and use a pull up string to gauge it. I spent the better part of the afternoon cutting small trees and branches and measuring shooting distances. I figure that the longest shot I'll have to worry about is 20 yards in the woods and maybe 40 on the powerline.
Didn't jump any deer, but I did hear some turkeys. My stand locations are:
1. Powerline food plot, small plot planted just 2 weeks ago and it's greening up.
2. Spot where 2 ridgelines intersect in a 'T" shape.
3. Side of hill overlooking a bottom. Lots of white oak around, but the acorns look few and small this year.
This is my first year hunting this tract. I know the deer are there because I had a Cuddeback, that is until the bears destroyed it
!
Didn't jump any deer, but I did hear some turkeys. My stand locations are:
1. Powerline food plot, small plot planted just 2 weeks ago and it's greening up.
2. Spot where 2 ridgelines intersect in a 'T" shape.
3. Side of hill overlooking a bottom. Lots of white oak around, but the acorns look few and small this year.
This is my first year hunting this tract. I know the deer are there because I had a Cuddeback, that is until the bears destroyed it
!