Ok,
This is my first season bowhunting. I have been hunting since mid Sept. and not only have I not gotten a deer I haven't even seen one.

Now there is a TON of sign. At this point I think they are even taunting me. How you ask? There are fresh tracks from the FIRST STEP I take into the woods to all my spots. They have even been so kind as to take a dump right on one of my trails. They seem to appreciate my trails and have made them their own. I know they are there I just can't see them.

Now I have come to HATE lugging in my portable tree stand and all kinds of junk. It really takes the fun out of hunting for me.

But back to my *problem*, I think I am spooking the deer everytime I head in.

Now my mindset is to get to my spot and set up quickly so I can maximize hunting time. I will also say it is darn near impossible to sneak through the woods with a tree stand on your back.

Twice I have packed real light and snuck in to just hunt on the ground and those were my two most exciting hunts to date. I *think* I had 2 deer coming in but I never saw them. It was fun, exciting and relaxing for me.

How do you guys move through the woods? I just don't see how you can make little or no noise with all the leaves on the ground etc.

So if walking briskly was one end of the spectrum and a sniper crawl is the other, how do you describe your entrance into the woods.

I'm sorry about the whiney posts but this is driving me crazy, I NEED to get a deer.

[Deleted by Admins]

I get in my stand early, by 5:30AM. I have a stationary stand so it is not difficult. I usually spooke a couple deer getting in, no way to avoid it sometimes. Usually though by the time legal shooting hours come around the area has settled down and deer will come in.

You may have other problems such as sent control etc. that prevents you from seeing deer. That may be why you did not see the two before. Do research on that, I can't express that enough about scent control.

The deer may also be moving more at night in your area but do your reseach, read through post and be patient. If you are new to bow hunting I would suggest you place a stand in a spot you are seeing deer and stay put.

Geoffm24,

As far as making too much noise getting to your tree. First of all cofigure your portable gear into one pack you can carry on your back. Also make sure the trail you take in is trimmed enough for you to get in and out of w/o getting caught on too many twigs and stuff. As far as the speed issue, I would give yourself a little more time to get out to your tree and set up. When things are very crunchy I like to walk a couple steps and stop, trying to avoid stepping twigs and branches best I can. Put your stand up as quietly as possible, its more important than speed. With practice your set up time will speed up without compromising your position.

Good luck

Edited by - gjc on 11/14/2002 12:51:05

it may not be so much the noise you make,but the sent you leave.a deer will not always spook form the area by a little noise. They will however move away from the sent of a human.

be sure you are odor free,cloths,footwear(rubber boots),gloves,ditty bag,(pay special attention to your hat and hair)and equipement!!

sent is a bigger problem than noise. deer are courious and if you don't sound like a train going in they will look around(SOMETIMES)to see what it is.
I have had them comein on me while climbing the tree,if it is dark so much the better,they just stand off and listen.("NOT ALL THE TIME&quotwatch the wind,go a different direction.
other than that,it could be they are just nocturnal. change the trails you use to get to the stand.

good luck!!!

I am not a hunter I am a whitetail population reduction specialest

remember keep your back to the sun, your knife sharp, and your powder dry.

You might want to pick up a few bowhunting books and read them cover to cover and then do it again. Read every magazine article about bowhunting. Read anything about deer sign you can find. I'm not a book worm by any means, but books, mags, and trial and error were all I had to learn from....now I'll consider myself and accomplished bowhunter.

If you have friends that SUCCESSFULLY bowhunt get them to help you out. If there are any sportsmans clubs in the area you might find some info there.

You may also want to pick up a video or two about bowhunting basics or something of the sort.

Are you new to hunting, or deer hunting, or just bowhunting? I've seen a lot of gun hunters convert to bow only to find that the same tactics no longer work.

What type of portable stand do you have? Climber? Hang-on? Ladder? We may be able to give some tips to make your stand quiter. How late are you entering the woods? How long are you staying? How do you wash your clothes? Gain or Sportwash? What's the prevailing wind direction in your area? Is the wind in your face or back?

So many little things that add up quickly. This is a great site and full of usefull info....give us more to work with. I imagine deer are rutting in most parts of the northern US right now. It's likely this is your best time to harvest a buck....where are you located? What type of terrain?

Lots of good advice, make sure you are wearing rubber boots, get to your stand early, wlak like a deer, not like a man. 4 slow steps, stop, count to 10, 5 steps, stop, count to 8, etc. etc. deer unless they are being pushed never simply walk non-stop unless there is some reason to.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

Try to mimick the sound "patterns" of squirrels and deer when they move thru the woods(3-4 steps, pause etc.)If you snap a large twig take an extra long pause. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS enter the woods from down wind. Live,learn,enjoy!

If I ain't huntin',I'm trappin',If I ain't trappin',I'm fishin'
If I ain't fishin',I'm wishin'!

During summer/early fall scouting trips out to my stand I bring a pruner. I cut off any branch that is in the way. Also, I pick up twigs on the trail on the way to my stand. Now, I can get out to my stand very quietly.

Geoff, A couple of pointers for you. First of all, hunting requires patience and perserverence. This is my first year bow hunting as well and so far I've killed 4 with my bow and 1 with my muzzleloader. There's a couple of things you're doing wrong in my opinion.

First, a deer's primary sense is it's nose. Not it's eyes or ears like what we use. When you track thru the woods crossing deer trails, etc.. you are leaving scent there. Even w/ rubber boots, etc...I'm a scent control maniac and on many occasions this year I've had deer head right to me and when they get to my path they stop, smell, and turn around. You cannot, I mean cannot cross the deers travel routes to your stand and expect to see them. They do not like to cross human scent.

Now, if you're not paying attention to the wind your handicapping yourself. Figure out how the deer are likely to move and set up down wind of it. Preferably 20-25 yards away in a well hidden tree with lots of back cover. Make sure you have shooting lanes and a good angle on the deer as it passes. I always wait until it passes me to get a good broadside or quartering away shot. If you can't get in with the wind in your favor and without crossing travel routes then don't go in but hunt the edges. You have to get in with the wind at your favor and as undetected as possible. The best hunters never, ever compromise the wind.

Sometimes you may not know how the deer travel a certain area. In this case use the wind at your favor and hunt the edges until you learn how they are using the area. Then sneak in when the wind is right and ambush them.

Be sure to take a scent free shower and keep your clothes scent free. If your upwind they'll smell you anyway, but keep it to a minimum. You want to put the odds in your favor as much as possible.

Lastly, nobody is totally quiet in the woods. Move slowly and quietly thru the woods and climb the tree the best you can. I find that this is plenty quiet. The big thing is scent and keep your movement down. Deer detect movement much better than we do and if your doodling in your stand they'll bust you. Good luck and think about your stand locations and strategies depending on the wind direction and your available acess routes. You'll see more deer and have more opportunities.