Pulling out all of the stops!
 

Im hunting prime land, getting in before sunup and staying in stand as still as can be. I have seen deer outside of my shooting distance, and some hidden under the leaves still on the trees on the lower canopy of sapplings.

I have been using my antlers doing some light "tickling" and even at times a litle more forceful to get the attention of bucks further away.

Im using fawn bleats, but nothing coming to investigate. Im hunting woods, field edges, and creek bottoms with lots of trails and good sign. I wash with scent wash, spray fequently and use the Scent away deadorant liberally.

I guess its too soon for any of the scents and agressive rattling, so whats everyone doing to get a shot. I tried stalking two does I caught heading to bed down by circling around and getting within 50 yards of a shot, but wasnt feeling confident in it to ethically harvest her.

Ambush, hunting bedding and not food sources...whats everyone doing to get a kill?

I guess the patterns will be changing in the next week or two and breeding will change the game, but Im almost wondering about my stand selections. Ive even been using my climber the last 3 hunts trying different areas.

I guess the weather also plays into it, so thank goodness the temp is dropping this week down into the 40's in the AM and 50's-low 60's in the afternoon. Hopefully this will get them moving in a pattern I can figure out!

Im sure Im not the only one in the lull, but I will take any strategies I havent tried already to get the first one under the belt.:sad:

Jeff I've hunted four times this year already. One my WORST hunt... I saw 11 deer... in three hours of hunting... I've had shot opportunities every single time.... and have taken one really big doe (lots of small bucks and fawns.... big does seem to always have a tree between them and I).

Last night (sat), I saw 20 deer between 330pm and 645pm. Had 7 come within 25 yards.... always either too thick or had another one looking at me... just how it goes with bow hunting.

The only calls I've had deer responding too are bleats... especially fawn bleats. I don't fool with rattling... never done much of anything for me except scare deer off. I'm sure it works.... just not for me.

I have used a climber exclusively and frankly, I prefer it to everything else. The reason being is that the deer never get used to it. I keeps them from changing their travel paths around often hunted stands. Even if I only move down 20-30 yards from two days before, I think it helps immensely. I try to leave as little impact on the woods as possible... going in and coming out and hunting. I like the snake in the grass/fly on the wall approach. Pop up/take away ground blinds offer the same advantage... and it allows you to still hunt an area regardless of the wind because you can always get on the downwind side of a trail or funnel... as long as you can approach it from downwind also.

The deer I have been seeing have been mainly on acorns... pin oaks in a dryed up creek bottom. They have been moving through a setion of cutover and up into white oaks and even still out into the rapidly yellowing beans. I saw the first good buck of the year last night (after dark). I walked out into the field with the headlamp and flashlight and saw a deer throw its head up about 80 yards away. I got a wild hare and just kept the surefire on it and walked right at. The 9pointer let me get to about 15 yards before he even lifted his head (and I wasn't sneaking... I was walking). He just walked on off... you can hide exceptionally well behind a light... he was never even aware what was up.

I don't mess with hunting in bedding areas at all. I let the deer have their bedrooms as their own... but on the way out and at the dinner table... I take no prisoners. I've watched deer lay down in the middle of the acorn flats from a distance this year anyway. This time of year... I don't think the deer really have one specific bedding area.. I think they just move off their food source, in the downwind direction a couple hundred yards and find a nice spot to have a rest.

I know this is going to sound backwards... but I have been hunting on the downwind side of the fields and acorns. In otherwords.. my scent is blowing from the field or acorns to the deer... rather than from the deer out to the field where I won't be winded. Its a long shot... and you have to position yourself so the deer will be crosswind (if possible) of you... because the deer are dang near ALWAYS going to approach the feeding areas from downwind... so if you are on the upwind side... if you even see a deer at all.... it will likely be at a distance.

IMO.....the folks wondering where their bucks are....are the ones hunting "prime" spots in the early season AM's.

As far as I know I've done it all correctly... But I'm 0 for 7 meaning I haven't even seen a deer in 7 sits now... Idk if its my spots or what but..

Ryan.

Some people will disagree with me on this but I never rattle or use calls unless I can see the deer I am wanting to call in. If you are up in the tree rattling and a buck is looking at you and you aren't looking at him it gives you away. Just my 2 cents on that...
Look for well used trails with good sign or use game cameras.
Be patient and don't over think it. I have been archery hunting for 19 years, I know it doesn't always work like its supposed too.
Good luck.

Early season hunting is about patterns and food is the main attraction. I wouldn't sit in a stand until I had done some long distance scouting and figured some things out. I consider long distance scouting,glassing specifically, just as much a part of the hunt as actually sitting in a stand. Save those funnel/pinch pt. stands in travel corridors for the pre-rut/rut time frame. Concentrate your early season hunting to the afternoons unless you have specific knowledge of A. where their feeding and B. where they bed.

Dan

I appreciate the input. Its just a litle discerning to know you have stayed out of the hunting area ( as my scouting was done a year or so ago). There are just so many ways that a deer can get from bedding down to eating, and ive found trails, rubs, scrapes, entrances to soybean fields, standing corn, etc. and have literally used my climber to get as close to them without stinking it up. My issues are the low canopy that still exists and hides what walks beneeath and therefore an ethical shot is out of the question.

I glass, as well as know the ridges, valleys, creek beds, and the clusters of red, white and pin oaks on the property, but just am not seeing what I was anticipating. When the leaves are gone, the landscape will change and visibility will be extended.

I know its early, and tactics change weekly, but as far as rattling goes, I have not rattled like fighting, but playing, and that was in hearing distance of where I had thought the bucks would be hammering the acorns.

I know its just a lull, and Im just venting, and it may all turn for the beter in just a couple weeks, but Im suprised I havent even done any nanny whacking yet.

I will get it done, as you can never plan on the monster being at the place you will be at the right time, so I will plan on doing exactly what Swamp Collie says, move around and never pick the same place twice. This adds to the equation of in a sense scouting and hunting at the same time.

Jeff, I have a good Idea where the bucks will be in mid Novemeber, but early October has me stumped. Ive put minerals out, not to mention two food plots last year which was absolutely destroyed before season even opened, except for the beets and turnips which I dont think they have found yet...but I know it will all come together. I will post the monster for my team, and most importantly for my efforts!

All I'm saying Jeff....is IMO the "lull" exists for 2 reasons:

1. Hunters don't identify current food sources well enough.

2. Hunters hunt what would otherwise be GREAT spots by hunting them in the early season AM's....when I believe mature bucks are bedded LONG before we get in the woods. Our scent can linger for days in the woods.....and going to great spots at the wrong time is futile.

If you know where they'll be in a few weeks.....I certainly wish you luck.

I agree Jeff!!:) More Great spots are messed up by over hunting early season or hunting them the wrong way than by anything else.
It's why I am still Long distant scouting. It's just something I have learned from years of hunting the same areas. I could kill Does every 2nd or 3rd time in but I would hurt my chances at a mature buck a few weeks down the road. Most would be surprised how Little pressure it takes to move or change a Mature Bucks routine and/or area he frequents.

I guess I'd help the neighbors though!:s4:

Dan

You can kill a stand for the season pretty quickly by using it at the wrong time or in the wrong wind ect.. But with the lack of agriculture here and elsewhere and the acorns as plentiful as I've ever seen it tough to pick the right area to sit. When the deer can just wander aimlessly plucking acorns it makes them very tough to figure. Everywhere I walk the ground is littered with fat plump acorns of mostly the white variety.:cry: