Welcome to the world of Bowhunting! First and foremost don't get frustrated. Its easy to do, but like you said yourself its easy to make dumb mistakes, and guess what that only leads to MORE frustration. Next take into consideration this is your first year in the area, so use it to help learn the area the best you can. Try multiple stands throughout, not multiple tree's within a spot. Over use of an area will key deer onto you very quickly if this is what your doing. Next, humm only your 3rd year with the arrows. Took me 7 yrs also to stick my first, and I only had 1 shot in those first 7yrs. Finally if you can take a good doe, what are you waiting for. Its meat in the freezer, and it only boosts your confidence. Oh 1 more thing, enjoy the time and experience. Its really what its all about. Good Luck!

[Deleted by Admins]

Until you are confident with the basics, I would dump the callers, and don't experiment with scents, other than some fox or raccoon urine on your boots, and stay clean.

It has been my experience that many bowhunters loudly and visually advertise their presence to the deer on a constant basis. Deer quickly learn to avoid you and/or your location when they constantly see you walking to your stands, when they constantly see and hear your vehicle arriving, when they constantly hear car doors slamming shut, etc. Add the same old scent to your person while all the above is being committed, now they have additional (association) help to peg your presence and avoid you and your stand location.

Although you may not see or hear them when you are going in and coming out, does not mean they are not seeing, hearing, and scenting you.

If your area has high and low terrain, how you go in in the AM and PM can sometimes make a difference.






Edited by - c903 on 12/08/2002 16:42:28

Keep it simple. Watch your scent, watch your movement and above all, stay in your stand. There is more to hunting then just the kill. Learn to enjoy just being in the woods alone.

edawg it took me 3 seasons to get my first bowkill and that was after 35+ years of successful gun hunting. As others have said be patient, learn for next year, work the wind, go back to the basics, forget the calls and the scents and rattle bags for now, they are something to be learned after the basics are down pat. Change stands/areas, let an area rest for a few days before you return. You are on new turf and as a result you need to learn it. Take your time, you will learn and make the kill, even if it is next year, you will benefit from what you learn this year.

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

Tip 101:

At the end of this hunting season, scout for the deer herds...
Deer herds will be huge and they will only have 2 things in mind, Food and Bed.
They will take the most direct paths to their feeding ground and bedding ground.
Scout on them from a distance, know their feeding and bedding areas and next year, hunt the path from the bedding to the feeding area.

I don't know what your land looks like, but from your post, it seems like you're choosing your stands at random....

* Never shoot at the first deer you see, wait for the MONSTER that's lagging behind *