I just started bowhunting this season and i needs some tips. When i am out hunting i can never see the deer but the deer somehow see me. I usely hunt in a dried up crick bottom there are thickets all arround the sides with grasses sides of the crick bottom and i usually put a ground blind up along the grasses edges. I usually hunt it by the wind. The past 4 times i went out there i have seen anything from 8 pointers to does. I get shots at deer that are less than 20 feet away. When i spot the deer they usualy already have spotted me. I don' t know what i should do. If anybody has any tips or anything that might help me get a deer this season i would very much appreciate it.

Welcome aboard Rad


When on stand I am constantly looking for approaching deer.

Look for openings that give you a little window. Never look for the whole deer - look for pieces of them and movement. A tail flicker, ear ,back line and legs walking are the most common give-aways.

Slowly scan back and forth and keep your concentration up and stay alert. Deer have a bad habit of sneaking up on you

Good Luck

Welcome to the board radhunter. I will add a bit to rack attacks suggestions, your movement is what gives you away, when you set up your blind make sure that your outline is not only broken up in front of you, but behind you as well. As Rack says, scan continuosly and slowly, the second you see a deer freeze, only move when the deer has its head down or its view of you is blocked by a tree or bush. Deer pick up movement 100 times quicker then we do and movement is what gets you busted.

If the deer are spotting you then something must be getting their attention. Perhaps some movement or noise. Sounds like you' ve found a great place to setup though. Always nice to have a deer within 20ft.

i feel your pain brother. they smell and see me.

hey rack, thats my hunting buddy up there... he doesn' t know whawt he' s doing...he sets up in a good place then he screws up when he relies on his blind to cover every movemnet he makes. hes new to this kind of hunting and has a lot to learn, i' m only in my second year of hunting with a bow but i have learned lessons that i don' t plan on forgeting. i hope he also learns those lessons to becoming a better hunter.

If there are any trees for a treestand I would look to invest in one. If there are not then I agree that you probl. need to hide your blind better. Do you leave your blind out all the time or just when you hunt? If you only put it up when you hunt they may be seeing it and know it was not there the day before. Step back next time and look at your setup like a deer would. Can you pick your blind out easily? If you can then you can bet the deer are too. Try to hide your blind so it can not be spotted from a distance. This may include changing the place you put the blind or changing the camo of the blind to blend in with its surroundings.

Who need enemies with friends like you helping out....LOL

He will learn - sounds like a lot of fun learning that stuff from the ground - its real hard from the ground

Taz made a great point - SIT STILL

Just a little tip if you are using one of those pop up type of blinds then brush it in.
By that I mean set the blind up get some branches and put on the sides of the blind it will help conceal the blind.
If you can set it up a couple of days before hunting it would be great.

But if you are just setting up the blind the day you hunt without brushing it in then the deer are going to know it was not there yesterday and will be on full alert.