Where are they?
 

I have a spot where deer pretty much are chained in the ground! There are so many tracks that I can't walk without stepping in one. I have been out from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm on Friday, 6:00 am to 10:00 am today, and 4:30 to 6:00 today. I haven't seen any deer. I haven't even heard one. What am I doing wrong? I am scent free and sit on the ground. The cover is THICK. I can only get a shot at 10 yards in one area. It is that thick.

RE: Where are they?
 

Follow the Tracks both ways,you might be in a spot where they dont get to till your already out of the woods.also how are you getting to your spot,are you spooking them.I would follow the tracks both ways to see where there going and comming from,then set up a new ambush sight.Good Luck Get Some Pics.

RE: Where are they?
 

That is not a possibility without making a whole bunch of noise. It gets too thick as I go down. I can't even walk through the bushes. Would it be wise to do that during season?

RE: Where are they?
 

Zak,
Two things come to mind: 1) They could be doing most of their traveling at night or 2) The area could be so thick that you can only see a very small percent of the deer that are passing through that area during daylight hours.
If I was you, I would look for a clear cut road leading to/from that vicinity and set up on the edge of it. With all of the foliage on the trees during this time of year, it's your best bet in my opinion.

RE: Where are they?
 

I'd guess it just happens to be nighttime traffic. Keep at it and you'll have success at 10 yards!

Good Luck!

RE: Where are they?
 

1.) I hope that is not true.[X(] This is my first year hunting deer. Most of the other hunters have seen a ton of deer already. I saw one deer and that was about 1 mile from my spot, and my dad saw one about 2 miles away. Is it unusual to not see deer this early? When is the best time to go?

2.) I have a path I bulldozed and there are some tracks there, but not many. In my spot, I can't dodge the tracks. There are too many. I'm not even sure they are there when I go. I think I could hear them. It is very quiet. There are tons of dead leaves also.

RE: Where are they?
 

Look at the direction of the tracks and how recent. If you havent had rain recently and the tracks are showing decent, they probably came through early. I dont know about your area, but down here they enter and exit areas at differnt points so the majority of the tracks should be running one way or the other. If they are coming through in the morning then find a point farther down the trail as said above. Wait till about noon to follow the tracks and find a good point. If coming through in the evening, then come through early and follow the tracks backward. Find a good point about a 10 minute hike before your old point. Chances are, that little stretch that takes you 10 minutes will take a deer 30 or more because of getting side tracked with acorns lol. That should give you an extra 30 minutes of travel before sunset to get lucky. Then get out there a couple hours before when they should be through and good luck to ya.
Stryker777

RE: Where are they?
 

Is there anyway that nighttime deer can become daytime deer? Also that 10 min path will take me about 20 min to complete. It is so thick. If I do even set up in it, I doubt I will be able to get a shot off at all. I will try though.

RE: Where are they?
 

It may be difficult to see tracks in a bulldozed path and remember, bucks like to take the paths of least resistance... They won't walk on the trail from one end to the other, but you can be that they'll use part of it. Pick the part with the most tracks and hunt there.
If you choose not to, can I come down and hunt next weekend? ;)

RE: Where are they?
 

This year I have switched to hunting feeding areas at night. Every night I get out, I set up on the edge of a field, about 20-30 yards off of a trail, making sure that I am in between a couple trails.
Lastnight I saw 3 bucks (7,spike,6) and tonight I sat in the same spot and saw 4 new deer (9,3,4and a doe) I get out about 5:30 and they start coming out at about quarter after 7 or so.
In the past I have tried setting up along trails in thick parts of the woods, but I found it to be too difficult to track down when they actually come through, but you can almost bet on them coming out into a field or other feeding area right before sunset. If you have any fields that have crops standing, I would give this a shot. So far I have seen alot of deer, probably more than I have seen in the last 3 years of bowhunting combined.
Good Luck in whatever you choose to do