pdq 5oh

As a new bowhunter, Ive been watching the shows on TV. Has it been your experience the deer behavior on TV is true to what you see in the woods? One thing in particular I've noticed is deer stop before crossing streams or small ravines. If this is the case, it seems a good place to set up. Has this been what experienced hunters have observred? Would this be a good place to set up? I've enjoyed this sight greatly and value the opinions posted here. Thanks.

Phil.

Edited by - pdq 5oh on 01/16/2002 09:48:07

ijimmy

The deer on tv seem tame . in the woods if you move at the wrong time or make the slightest noise at the wrong time they are running for the next state . I love when there is a deer under the stand of one of these celebrity hunters and they start talk'n to the camera , if you try that where i hunt the deer are history . I think ted nugents spirit of the wild is closest to the reel thing .

buckhunter3

Don't believe everything you see on tv.They can edit what they want.In the real deer woods they are alot more alert and pressured.
As far as setting up along a stream or gully if there seems to be a funnel area or a main trail where they cross it could be a good spot.I would be careful in a gully alot of times they end up at eye level when you are in a tree stand and they are traveling up the gully towards you.I would try a feeding area or path leading to a feeding area.

jimmya

i hunt a lot of creeks and as buckhunter3 said you must pey paticular attion to where you set up. also the wind swirls keep this in mind. most of the deer i hunt will stop and take a look before crossing. hope this helps

shed1

The problem with most TV hunting shows is that they represent a very small minority of hunters. Most TV shows are produced on private hunting ranches. These animals have not had to adapt to the pressures of public land or moderate to heavily hunted private land. In other words pressured critters learn quickly, that if they want to survive they must be ultra sensitive to intrusion. I know both.....I hunt public land and have an uncle in Central Montana who owns over 70,000 acres of the best elk and deer country you can find on this planet. He invites me to hunt his land along with his outfitters which makes up a total of 15-20 hunters per season. I choose not to for personal reasons. But I have visited his Ranch and its like a different world. The animals are TAME! very TAME! They feed the elk and deer annually. The animal behavior is nothing like their cousins I hunt on public ground here in my home state. As a matter of fact my uncle has had High Country Archery's top dogs hunt his land in which in 99 they took a 402 inch bull elk with a bow. The men (Five Attornys form Wyoming) that lease his property for outfitting... They paid him 1 Million dollars for the hunting rights and outfitting rights. These types of properties represent what a great deal of tv shows pay to hunt on or get invited to hunt on in exchange for publicity ....via their tv shows.

For example my father in law used to raise elk in Ark. He would sell his bulls to private hunting ranches...the price depending on the score of their antlers .....just so a high roller could come in and shoot the tame animal. They would even run the elk around for a week or two with dogs to make it appear semi wild. That is pretty extreme of course but sadly it happens. The wisest critters you will ever hunt will exist on heavily to moderately hunted ground. These animals have been forced to adapt to survive. How many times do you see "TV" self proclaimed hunting pros tell you what it costs to hunt the ranch they just hunted? Do you see many shows boasting about hunting public land that everyone else has to hunt? Not very often. Some do but not many. Remember they need to promote and advertise products. I feel most tv hunting shows portray a false sense of reality when it comes to hunting.....where I live BIG BUCKS and BULLS GET SHOT IF THEY "WALK" around in the open in broad daylight!

IHW,
Shed

Edited by - shed1 on 01/16/2002 13:32:08

pdq 5oh

Thanks for the replies. This is what I'm looking forward to in bowhunting, the challenge of outsmarting the deer in his environment. I must agree w/ you all on the less wary deer on the shows. They probably, as you say, are raised & fed w/ one thing in mind. I didn't think to account for editing. Thanks again for the info & advise on the creek & ravine.


Phil.

crutchfield

ALMOST ALL OF THE SHOWS ARE FILMED ON RANCHES AND ANY ONE OF US COULD HARVEST THE SAME ANIMALS IF WE WANTED AND HAD THE CASH FLOW TO DO SO. I BELIEVE THERE IS ONE SHOW ON THE OUTDOOR CHANNEL THAT IS ALL ON PUBLIC LAND. IT MAY BE CALLED HUNTING IN GOD'S COUNTRY. I'M NOT SURE. I WISH THERE WERE MORE SHOWS LIKE IT. I'M SURE THE RANCHES LET THEM ON THERE FOR FREE IN EXCHANGE FOR SOME GOOD PUBLICITY. I HAVE LITTLE RESPECT FOR THOSE GUYS. JUST MY $.02

masterbuck

Agree completely, crutchfield. I watched "Hunting with Keith Warren" last night, and he was hunting at the Legends Ranch in Michigan, Skipper Bettis' place. He was on a management buck hunt, and it was unreal how many bucks they saw. I swear, the deer there are basically tame deer. They walked right up on deer, with the deer looking at them. And, most of the shows are like that. Ranches, enclosed or not where the deer are so used to human contact, are almost like shooting tame deer. Most of the deer killed in Texas on those shows are wild deer, but they are coming to a baiter (what I call a "feeder&quot, and I can't respect those people's hunting "ability" either. It's legal, and that's all fine, but it doesn't take someone with a lot of deer hunting savvy to shoot a deer coming to a corn feeder or a trough filled with corn.

*Stepping off my soapbox, now*

fuzzjocky2

not all shows are shows are shot on ranches ihave seen a couple of shows taped in my home state of maryland yes they are on leased land but the animals are free ranging without high fences not tame. to answer the last half of you question it seams to me that deer stop before they cross any opening unless they are in escape mode

davidmil

Like everyone has stated.... the hunting shows are usually filmed on private property with very limited access and hunting pressure. The deer on these shows act NOTHING like the deer I hunt.

About the STOPPING: Deer stop all the time. Most deer take a few steps, stop, look and listen, nibble and take a few more. The thing about streams, roads, fences etc that really makes them tick is that deer have favorite places to cross such things. That's why you set up there, not because they stop. You have to be at those places. If you indiscriminately sit on a stream you might have a long wait.