Evening hunts? How not to spook deer.
 

Lately I've only been able to hunt afternoon hunts. For those of you with more years of experience, what do you do about the deer that are within
sight and hearing distance of you (their sight, not yours) when shooting light is gone and it's time to climb down. I think 3 out of the last 4 evening hunts I have had deer scrambling when I get midway down the tree. I know this can not help me the next time I hunt this stand. I do not knowingly start packing up while deer are around, but lets face it, if I am hearing deer scatter when I descend, how many are just out of my hearing that see me also that I don't know about? Maybe that P&Y that I've been waiting on saw me last night, who knows?

RE: Evening hunts? How not to spook deer.
 

Wait until it's completely dark. Often deer won't spook if they can't see what it is that's making all that racket. Just wait until the deer move off a bit and wait until it gets dark, its about the only thing you can do.

RE: Evening hunts? How not to spook deer.
 

Yeah i wait till its black before i get down when deer have been close. This past wednesday i climbed downand a deer started blowing at me. So when i got to the ground i started grunting and stomping my feet as i walked away. I grunted a bit more as i walked then stopped.I mimicked a deer, walking and stopping and walking. when i got to my truck and changed and turned on the headlights the field i just walk across was loaded with deer. Its like I confused them, not saying its going to work in your area. But as soon as i grunted and walked off that deer shut the hell up but didnt run off. Guess i tricked her or just got lucky, but it has worked for me before, even in the morning when deer are under my stand.

RE: Evening hunts? How not to spook deer.
 

I was in my stand for almost 2 hours last night pinned down. I had 8 does come by me (ALL within 10 yds and many, closer)and 7 of them cleared the area. ONE wouldn't leave. She'd feed, bed, feed, bed, and so on. I finally climbed down in the dark thinking my wife would be sending out a search party if I didn't.

One may have been educated. I have to live with that.

RE: Evening hunts? How not to spook deer.
 

GMMAT i feel your pain!! I had a button buck that layed down under me this year in the dark and wouldnt leave, You dont want to get down when there directly under you or with in bow range for that matter. I took a small bottle of scent killer i keep with me and threw it at him pegging him in the butt. He jumped up and ran and then stoped all confused, like what the hell was that. then he just walked off, then i got down. I have made a few tosses in my day, i have even had them come back to check out what just hit them.

RE: Evening hunts? How not to spook deer.
 

My friend lowers his backpack via the bow-rope and shakes it around gently in a bush so that the deer scramble away but don't have any real physical structure to associate being startled with...I don't know how effective it really is. Personally, I just climb down and don't care, lol.

--tom

RE: Evening hunts? How not to spook deer.
 

Thanks for the input guys. I kinda figured that would be the response, just wondering.
Chris