This is only my second year bow hunting. Last year I hunted from public hunting grounds here in Southern Maryland. I went to full draw on some deer last year and they saw me and they bolted and I never got the shot off. This year I'm hunting on private land and I have plenty of deer coming into my area. I'm just unsure on what I need to do without the deer seeing me trying to go full draw. Today, I saw some small deer come into my corn pile that I didn't want to shoot. But, any small movements I made they looked right up at me in my tree stand. I froze and they went right back to eating. Any helpful tips on how I can go to full draw without the deer seeing me will be greatly apprecitated!

Is your tree stand creaking? Are you making noise? Are you moving too fast? I usually draw when the deer's head is behind a tree or it's looking the other way. Never had on spot me drawing this way.

No, I'm not making sudden movements and my tree stand isn't making any noise. Should I try to go full draw, before or after it gets to my corn pile?

That is hunting. If you are looking for a magic bullet for you to be successful, you are in the wrong game, In this game, you earn your success, it is not given to you.

WTF was that comment about?!

I have never hunted over bait so I don't know. I always draw while they are looking away from me. Maybe your stand is not high enough or you are in their line of approach. It's hard to get and give advice when you can't see what is going on.

Perhaps your stand placement is so close that you're also getting busted by sound. I've groundhunted and had deer come within 15ft of me and not have a clue until I tried to draw down on him. At that close the deer can actually hear you breathing if you're not careful. Maybe place your stand farther out from where you intend to shoot. It's extremely difficult to draw down on a deer under 10 yards without getting busted.

Also, maybe you're stand placement isn't high enough to be above the deers natural vision plane. Try getting higher?

Good luck, hope you tag your limit this season

I also would take a look at how high up you are. I generally set up a minimum of 20 feet up. Wear a harness. Another thing would be if you're just sitting out in the open. If you don't have a good back drop behind you or something in front of you to break up your outline your going to look like a big goofy blob up in the tree. As far as when to draw back, I do like others have suggested and wait until they're behind a tree or looking the other way. I wouldn't wait until they are in the bait unless you don't think you can get a shot until they're there. But if you do have to wait until they're in the bait, just be patient and wait until they're not looking at you to move, as they see movement extremely well.

What hieght are you? Sounds like you could be higher that way they see you less

If you are getting picked off by the time they are at the corn pile, then you simply need to make some adjustments like others here have mentioned. Check the wind before you pick a tree. Make sure you your scent isn't blowing into the direction the deer typically approach the bait pile. Get up about 20' in the tree and make sure you have some structure around you breaking up your location in the tree.

If it's a group of deer together then wait until they are all head down in the bait pile before drawing back. If it is just one deer, wait until he or she passes behind a tree and then draw back and pick a tiny spot in his or her vital area and squeeze off a shot.

Make sure you watch exactly where the deer goes after you release. Pick out some reference points i.e trees, brush as to what direction the deer goes. If you have to track it then those reference points will be crucial. If you don't see/hear it crash then wait a good couple hours before you start tracking. There is a good article (stickie) on what to do after the shot.

Good luck.