new to this
09-15-2006, 08:24 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 2
new to this
I have hunted before but this year is my first for bowhunting. My uncle gave me and my lil cousin some land for just us to hunt. He said we could do whatever we want with it. It has a soybean field and some cotton fields. Anyway I put out some corn piles and salt licks and put out a trail cam. I know there are plenty of deer around cuz I have a lot of pics of them. I have sat in a couple stand sites and seen does and fawns but never any bucks. I have one pic that has 3 8 pointers and 1 9 pointer. I was wondering what would be the best way for me to go about trying to get a good stand site to catch them walking? Thanks for any help.
09-15-2006, 08:36 AM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: North Lima Ohio & Clarion Pa
Posts: 6,453
RE: new to this
Hey buddy welcome to the finest resource online to learn and BS.
Well the plan sounds simple..but you have to do the leg-work and scouting.
a) find out where they're coming from
b) find out where they are going too
c) figure out how they get from a-b
d) set-up on that trail, area, etc. make sure the wind is not blowing from b-aand shoot straight!
Well the plan sounds simple..but you have to do the leg-work and scouting.
a) find out where they're coming from
b) find out where they are going too
c) figure out how they get from a-b
d) set-up on that trail, area, etc. make sure the wind is not blowing from b-aand shoot straight!
09-15-2006, 08:55 AM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Virginia
Posts: 753
RE: new to this
There are others here more experienced than I, but Ican help youwith the basics:
1) In bowhunting, you have to get much closer to the deer than with gun hunting (surprise, surprise). This means you need to locate within about 20 yards of where the deer will be traveling. Scout around the area you intend to hunt and look for deer trails and signs of deer (deer poop, rubs, scrapes, etc.). Generally, trails will lead to/from bedding areas (usually thickets, clearcuts with early re-growth and other places with lots of cover for bedding deer) and from/to feeding areas and, to a lesser extent, water where deer drink.
2) Because you will have to get much closer to the deer, generally within about 20 yards, unless you’re really good with a bow and experienced shooting a bow at deer from a stand, the wind direction is very important. Go to the areas you intend to hunt and see what the wind direction is in various places around there. Sometimes this might change with the time of day, so it can be a good idea to walk around the area in the early to mid-morning and in the evening. The wind direction can change from day to day, so always check your weather forecast before you go out to hunt and take the wind direction into consideration.
3) Set your stand between 10 and 20 feet up in the air, so your scent and movement are above the deer as much as possible. No need to get higher than 20 feet, as then the angle of the shot tends to become more problematic.
4) Make sure your stand is quiet.
5) Put together a plan for getting to your stand early, quietly and using the wind to your advantage to avoid having the deer scent you on your way to the stand.
6) Plan to get to your stand site at least 30 minutes before you plan to hunt. This gives you time to get up in your stand, get settled in, and let things quiet down around you so that deer are not scared off by the “predator silence” around you.
7) It is best if your stand does not “stand” out like a sore thumb. Locate it where you have partial cover, especially from where you expect the deer to approach. But make sure you have clear “shooting lanes” between your stand and where you expect to see deer. Any obstruction will deflect your arrow unpredictably and reduce its speed and lethality.
A couple of other tips for hunting close to deer:
a) Use non-UV brightening, unscented laundry detergent for your camo clothing.
b) Wash with unscented soap and use unscented deodorant the day you hunt.
c) Use some of the cover scents or de-scenting products and spray this over your outer clothing, head and other exposed areas, as well as your equipment. Make sure to thoroughly spray your boots, which should be rubber, which does not tend to hold your human scent, and not leather, which tends to hold human scent for along time.
d) When you go out to your stand, wear gloves or else use your equipment to push aside grass, crops, tree branches, etc., to avoid getting your scent on them and alerting deer.
e) Be aware of all around you when on the stand. Be wary of the timing of when you draw your bow. There may be other deer that you cannot see behind or around the deer you are targeting. Use all of your senses, especially your ears, so that you don’t alert unseen deer that can see you when you draw your bow. As a general rule, older deer let younger deer walk in front, and bucks let does walk in front of them. This means the largest deer are generally the last ones in a group. They also tend to be the wariest. It’s why they’ve lived through past hunting seasons!
Well, I hope this serves as a starting point. I’m sure other, more experienced hunters will chime in with more helpful pointers. This is a great site with a lot of good hunters who are generous with their wisdom, buddyrot. I have learned a lot here!
Best of luck with your bow!
1) In bowhunting, you have to get much closer to the deer than with gun hunting (surprise, surprise). This means you need to locate within about 20 yards of where the deer will be traveling. Scout around the area you intend to hunt and look for deer trails and signs of deer (deer poop, rubs, scrapes, etc.). Generally, trails will lead to/from bedding areas (usually thickets, clearcuts with early re-growth and other places with lots of cover for bedding deer) and from/to feeding areas and, to a lesser extent, water where deer drink.
2) Because you will have to get much closer to the deer, generally within about 20 yards, unless you’re really good with a bow and experienced shooting a bow at deer from a stand, the wind direction is very important. Go to the areas you intend to hunt and see what the wind direction is in various places around there. Sometimes this might change with the time of day, so it can be a good idea to walk around the area in the early to mid-morning and in the evening. The wind direction can change from day to day, so always check your weather forecast before you go out to hunt and take the wind direction into consideration.
3) Set your stand between 10 and 20 feet up in the air, so your scent and movement are above the deer as much as possible. No need to get higher than 20 feet, as then the angle of the shot tends to become more problematic.
4) Make sure your stand is quiet.
5) Put together a plan for getting to your stand early, quietly and using the wind to your advantage to avoid having the deer scent you on your way to the stand.
6) Plan to get to your stand site at least 30 minutes before you plan to hunt. This gives you time to get up in your stand, get settled in, and let things quiet down around you so that deer are not scared off by the “predator silence” around you.
7) It is best if your stand does not “stand” out like a sore thumb. Locate it where you have partial cover, especially from where you expect the deer to approach. But make sure you have clear “shooting lanes” between your stand and where you expect to see deer. Any obstruction will deflect your arrow unpredictably and reduce its speed and lethality.
A couple of other tips for hunting close to deer:
a) Use non-UV brightening, unscented laundry detergent for your camo clothing.
b) Wash with unscented soap and use unscented deodorant the day you hunt.
c) Use some of the cover scents or de-scenting products and spray this over your outer clothing, head and other exposed areas, as well as your equipment. Make sure to thoroughly spray your boots, which should be rubber, which does not tend to hold your human scent, and not leather, which tends to hold human scent for along time.
d) When you go out to your stand, wear gloves or else use your equipment to push aside grass, crops, tree branches, etc., to avoid getting your scent on them and alerting deer.
e) Be aware of all around you when on the stand. Be wary of the timing of when you draw your bow. There may be other deer that you cannot see behind or around the deer you are targeting. Use all of your senses, especially your ears, so that you don’t alert unseen deer that can see you when you draw your bow. As a general rule, older deer let younger deer walk in front, and bucks let does walk in front of them. This means the largest deer are generally the last ones in a group. They also tend to be the wariest. It’s why they’ve lived through past hunting seasons!
Well, I hope this serves as a starting point. I’m sure other, more experienced hunters will chime in with more helpful pointers. This is a great site with a lot of good hunters who are generous with their wisdom, buddyrot. I have learned a lot here!
Best of luck with your bow!
09-15-2006, 09:36 AM
#4
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: land of the Lilliputians, In the state of insanity
Posts: 26,274
RE: new to this
Big bucks will tend to be more nocternal this time of the year. Feeding patterns do not push them, and they have no need to move during the day. Give it a little time and when the hormones get to flowing, you will see more and more during the day.
09-15-2006, 12:41 PM
#5
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Michigan
Posts: 5,076
RE: new to this
Hello and welcome to the best hunting site on the web.
The Mountain guy got it pretty well coverd with good sound advice , I would listen to him.
Not much to addto what he already said but welcome to bow hunting , its a whole diffrent ball game than what your used to.
The Mountain guy got it pretty well coverd with good sound advice , I would listen to him.
Not much to addto what he already said but welcome to bow hunting , its a whole diffrent ball game than what your used to.
